New principals, including one who is leaving his post as a superintendent of a Connecticut school district, have been appointed to two Darien elementary schools — Ox Ridge School and Hindley School. Each appointment is effective July 1.
Chris Melillo, appointed to run Ox Ridge School, is leaving his current position as Newtown superintendent of schools.
Ross Cooper, an educator with experience teaching in and administering elementary schools, research into technology in education and the author of two books on “project based learning,” has been appointed the next principal of Hindley School, effective July 1.
— This article is based on an announcement from Darien Public Schools
“I am beyond excited to join Darien Public Schools and to return home to Fairfield County,” Cooper said. “I look forward to immersing myself in the culture of Hindley Elementary School and serving the school and the community alongside a dedicated group of professionals.”
Melillo said: “I am deeply honored and excited to embark on this journey as the new principal of Ox Ridge Elementary School within the esteemed Darien Public Schools. I eagerly anticipate fostering a nurturing environment where every student can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.”
Coming to Ox Ridge: Chris Melillo
Photo from Darien Public Schools
Chris Melillo, the next principal of Ox Ridge School
Melillo began his career as an elementary teacher in Hamden in 1993, and taught at several schools before becoming an assistant principal at the Thomas Edison Middle School in Meriden.
He returned to Hamden as a Kindergarten through Grade 6 elementary school principal in 2007, a position in which he served for three years before becoming the director of elementary education.
He served in that post for two years before being promoted to assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, a position he held for 10 years, including a brief stint as interim superintendent of Schools. Melillo then was appointed as the Newtown superintendent of schools in Newtown.
Awards and Education
He was named Teacher of the Year twice in Hamden and was recognized as a Hamden/New Haven Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year. Melillo has also received the Connecticut PTA Lifetime Achievement Award.
Melillo graduated from the University of Connecticut in Storrs with a bachelor’s degree in education and received his master’s degree in reading, his administrative and superintendent certificates and his sixth-year degree in educational leadership from Southern Connecticut State University.
“Mr. Melillo’s impressive resume, demonstrated leadership, teaching and learning experiences and background in elementary education uniquely position him to skillfully serve as the new principal of Ox Ridge Elementary School,” Addley said. We extend a warm welcome to Mr. Melillo as he joins the Ox Ridge School community.”
Coming to Hindley: Ross Cooper
Cooper’s early career began in Pennsylvania as both a teacher and school principal. He has also worked in New Jersey and, most recently, in Westchester County, New York.
Photo from Darien Public Schools
Ross Cooper, Hindley School principal as of July 1.
He started his career as a third grade teacher in the East Penn School District in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and continued there as both a third and fourth grade teacher for six years. In 2014 Cooper moved to the Williamsport Pennsylvania Area School District as the assistant principal of a kindergarten through Grade 3 elementary school.
In 2015, Cooper was appointed as the K-12 supervisor of instructional practice for the Salisbury Township School District in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a position in which he served for a year before returning to the school setting as the principal of T. Baldwin Demarest Elementary School in Old Tappan, New Jersey.
In 2019 Cooper was appointed as the assistant principal of Roaring Brook School, a K-4 elementary school in Chappaqua, New York, a position in which he will serve until he
joins the Hindley Community in July.
“Mr. Cooper’s passion and experiences in elementary education as a teacher and administrator have prepared him well to lead the Hindley School community,” Schools Superintendent Alan Addley said. We congratulate Ross and welcome him to the Darien Public Schools.”
Student, Author, Presenter
Cooper received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Muhlenberg College and a master’s degree in special education from Lehigh University. He received certificates in middle level English, elementary education and special education (PreK-12), as well as both his principal and curriculum and instruction certifications from Lehigh University. In 2023 he received a certificate for school district leadership from Manhattanville College.
Cooper is the author of many professional articles as well as two books, “Project Based learning: Real Questions. Real Answers” and “Hacking Project Based Learning.” (Project Based Learning has been described as “a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.”
He has also presented for numerous professional organizations focused on technology in education and ideas for improving teaching and learning, including the International Society for Technology in Education, EduCon, The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies and Model Schools.