PARIS — A new face will greet Oxford Hills Middle School students when they return on Wednesday, Aug 28.

Brian Desilets, of Randolph, New Hampshire, is the new middle school principal, and he is looking forward to the upcoming year.

“The biggest challenge, I think, is going to be learning the district and the two middle school campuses,” he said.

Approximately 600 students from the Oxford Hills region attend middle school at the Pine Street campus in Paris and the Madison Avenue campus in Oxford.

Desilets has nearly 20 years of experience in education. He most recently served as assistant principal and athletic director at Mt. Abram High School in Salem Township. Prior to that, he was assistant principal, a teacher and a coach at several schools in Maine and New Hampshire.

“I decided my sophomore year in high school that I wanted to be a teacher because of a teacher I had,” he said. “He was different. He engaged kids as opposed to teaching “at” us.

“In my third or fourth year of teaching, I had an assistant principal tell me that I needed to get into administration. From that point, I knew I wanted to be a principal.  I like to believe that in this role I have the opportunity to make a difference in many students lives. I also like that I can work in concert with the staff to explore best practice and do what is best for all students. I believe that all students can learn, in this role, I can practice that belief.”

Desilets holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, a Master of Science degree in School Administration from the University of Southern Maine and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Keene State College in New Hampshire.

In May, he received a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Education Leadership from Plymouth State College.

Desilets enjoys golf, hockey, and attending sporting events and concerts.

“In the summer, it is all about golfing,” he said. “In the winter, it is all about hockey.”

He is a referee and director of Berlin Youth Hockey Association in Coos County, New Hampshire.

“I am a huge Bruins fan,” he said. “There is nothing like watching a live hockey game.”

Desilets replaces Paul Bickford, who recently took over as director of the Maine Vocational Region 11 program.

“So far, everyone has been really upbeat and positive about the transition,” he said. “I am excited to get started and see what the school year brings.”

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