Camden Central School District -

The Camden Central School District is pleased to announce the hiring of Kathryn (Wright) Zangrilli as the new principal of McConnellsville Elementary School. The appointment was approved by the Board of Education at its meeting on May 13th, 2025, and will take effect this summer.

Zangrilli, a 2002 graduate of Camden High School, will return to her home district as a well-established educator and administrator in the region. She takes the top job at McConnellsville Elementary School after one year as principal at Waterville’s Memorial Park Elementary School.

At Waterville, she developed a School-Wide Behavior Plan that will be implemented next year. The plan outlines school wide behavioral expectations for students, and different behavioral strategies that can be implemented to help students be successful. She also carried out “Science of Reading” literacy curriculum implementation with The Reading League, a process that has also taken place in the Camden Central School District.

Prior to Waterville, she was a fixture in the Oneida City School District for almost two decades. She taught for sixteen years at the elementary level, with fifteen spent teaching first grade. In 2022, she transitioned to administration with two years as the assistant principal of Oneida’s Otto Shortell Middle School.

Zangrilli hopes to put all of that experience to use to benefit a community that molded her passion for education.

“I am so excited to be returning to my roots,” she said. “As a Camden Central School alum I feel extremely honored to be given the opportunity to positively contribute to the community that helped shape who I am as an educator and a person.”

That passion started at home, and continued at school. Her mother, Rosemary Wright, taught at Camden Middle School for 34 years. Zangrilli’s path began at Camden Elementary School, and she continued all the way through to high school. At all levels, she took advantage of the wide ranging opportunities offered at Camden to become a well-rounded person and stay engaged in her studies. Those opportunities, and the staff’s flexibility in making it all work, were a huge influence on a young mind with a future in education.

“My favorite memories of being a Camden student include participating in the wide range of activities offered by the District,” Zangrilli said. “I was able to participate in sports, musicals, band, chorus, and other clubs. Because of the amazing coaches, teachers, advisors, and musical directors who were flexible and understanding with sharing limited time for after school activities, I was able to have a wide range of positive experiences throughout my childhood. They were dedicated to helping students find their niche and worked to provide a sense of belonging.”

As principal at McConnellsville Elementary School, she hopes to put her stamp on fostering that same sense of belonging for her students and staff.

Zangrilli received her Bachelor of Science degree in childhood education at SUNY Oneonta. She completed her Master of Education degree in Literacy at SUNY Oswego, and went on to receive a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from Oswego as well.

She resides in Sherrill with her husband, three sons, and a dog. Her three children attend school in the Vernon Verona Sherrill School District.