Butler welcomes its new principal

Groton - The kindergartners at S.B. Butler Elementary School weren't the only new faces at school this year. It was also the first day for principal Munson Lane, too.

"I'm just absolutely thrilled to be here," said Lane, who spent the last 10 years as assistant principal then principal at Cutler Middle School. "There's a tremendous staff - I've been working with them for the past two days, getting to know them, and I can't say enough about all the great work they do for the kids."

Lane said his first priority is getting to know the school's students, teachers and staff.

"Then there are some things we're going to be working on with student achievement, helping the kids be the best the can," he said.

Lane will also oversee the school's adoption of Math Expressions, a new mathematics curriculum being used in the district.

"And that ties in very well with the Promethean boards the district spent all that money on last year, and they are really starting to pay dividends," Lane said. "Groton is certainly a forward-looking district, there's a lot of new technology that is really helping kids. I'm excited to be here to do as much as possible for the kids."

Like any first day, Lane said he was a bit nervous starting out at Butler, but said he has quickly become part of the school, located in a dense Mystic neighborhood where many pupils walk to school each day.

"I definitely made the right move," he said.

m.collette@theday.com