New Gales Ferry Principal Excited About School Year

Anne Hogsten, the new principal at Gales Ferry and Juliet W. Long schools, has done a little bit of everything in her 21 years in education.

She worked as a tutor for three years, taught for nine years in Bristol, and served for five years as Waterford’s Basic Skills Coordinator. She also was an assistant principal at Dean’s Mill Elementary School in Stonington for two years and a principal in Moosup for another two years.

Hogsten's work as a Reading Recovery specialist in Bristol was a defining experience in her career.

“With Reading Recovery, you look at a child, and follow what that child is doing on a daily basis, and you design your instruction and base your instruction around what each child needs – and that’s what we do every single day,” she said.

Hogsten believes in differentiating instruction to “take each child and move him or her forward.”

She says one thing more than any other attracted her to Ledyard: the district's high test scores, especially given the its relatively limited budget.

Cutting edge

“To have such a strong showing without the funding [available to other districts], I knew something really interesting was going on, and I wanted to be part of it,” she said. “The district is proactive and seems to be on the cutting edge.”

She feels well-prepared by the district’s administration, which has made her feel “part of a team, not an island unto myself,” she said. She has been made familiar with everything from the district’s curriculum to its computer programs.

Hogsten and her husband are in the process of moving from Hope Valley, RI, to Groton. When she’s not at school, she enjoys watching her 15-year-old son play soccer and golf, and watching her 13-year-old daughter ride at the Mystic Valley Hunt Club.  

She is a cyclist and a skier, and loves reading “quirky mysteries,” such as the “Death on Demand” series by Carolyn Hart. “She’s a good writer, and the books have vivid details and a sense of humor,” Hogsten said.

Adopt a Cadet family

She and her family have sponsored Coast Guard cadets every year since 1999, she said. As sponsors, “we’re just there to support them, whether its with just a place to come to, a home cooked meal, or a ride to the airport,” she said. “My husband is a graduate of the Naval Academy and he was sponsored while he was there, so we wanted to provide that support to other people.”

Hogsten is ready to embrace the challenges the year holds. She’s a new administrator, with a new assistant principal, Pam Austen, and a new administrative secretary, Arlyn Davis. She looks forward to building the relationships and trust that are “the vital piece during the first year.”

“I’ll be in the classrooms, getting to know the kids and parents on a personal level,” she said. “It’s exciting,” she added.

Note: This story first ran on Aug. 5 in the Ledyard Patch.