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Cottonwood Heights Journal

New administrators named for Cottonwood Heights schools

Jun 19, 2017 10:35AM ● By Julie Slama

Jordan High Principal Tom Sherwood, seen with his wife at a Jordan football game, will be the new Brighton High principal, as Charisse Hilton will become principal at Eastmont Middle School in Sandy. (Tom Sherwood/Jordan High School)

By Julie Slama | [email protected]
 
In 1999, Cher topped the billboards with her single, “Believe,” and high schoolers were wearing brand-name jeans.
 
That’s when Tom Sherwood walked through the doors at Brighton High as a chemistry, biology and advanced-placement biology teacher.
 
Now, 18 years later, with Bruno Mars at the top of the charts, Sherwood plans to return to Brighton as the school’s new principal this fall.
 
Some things have changed, like the music, and some, like wearing jeans to school, remain the same.
 
“I'm looking forward to renewing my old relationships and making many new ones,” he said. “I’m sure things have changed since I was here, but it all won’t be totally new. I embrace new challenges so I’m looking forward to being back.”
 
Since Sherwood left Brighton after being an administrative intern at the school in 2004, he was named assistant principal at Jordan High in Sandy. After four and a half years, he served the remaining portion of that year and eight more as principal of Jordan High.
 
Although Brighton doesn’t have the 100-year history Jordan has, Sherwood said it’s still a strong school.
 
“Brighton High is a school with tremendous academic and athletic traditions, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of such a great school again,” he said.
 
Sherwood will replace Charisse Hilton, who will take the post of principal at Eastmont Middle School in Sandy, replacing Stacy Kurtzhals, who will become a Canyons School District special education department program administrator.
 
Brighton High isn’t the only school that will have a new principal in the Canyons School District’s Cottonwood Heights area.
 
Midvalley’s Jeff Nalwalker will become Butler Elementary’s principal in the fall. Christy Waddell will leave after seven years at Butler to become the principal at Draper Elementary.
 
“I feel like I put my heart and soul into this place, especially with helping with the new building,” Waddell said. “It was so much work last year and this year, it has been a pleasure to enjoy it all. I am the only principal some of the kids here have ever known. When the fifth-graders started in kindergarten I was already here. I honestly feel like we are a family and that will be hard to say goodbye to.”
 
Also departing from Cottonwood Heights is Canyon View Elementary’s two-year principal, BJ Weller, who will be Canyons School District’s new director of the responsive services department.
 
Kierstin Draper, current principal at Oakdale Elementary, will become the new Canyon View principal.