Lewes Elementary teacher Meghan Catts is set to take on a new role as the first assistant principal of Frederick D. Thomas Middle School, which will open to students for the 2024-25 school year.

Principal Dave Frederick said he is really excited to work with Catts, who begins her position July 1.

“She has a really strong instructional background,” Frederick said. “She has also been a teacher leader in the district for a number of years by involving herself on committees and pursuing her doctorate degree. What I am most impressed with is the excitement that the announcement of her appointment generated in the community. She's going to be great.” 

Catts joined the district in 2012 as a third-grade teacher at Shields, and took over as the Cape Accelerated Program teacher in 2020. She recently became nationally board certified, and is working on her doctorate in educational leadership at Wilmington University. Catts holds a school principal and assistant principal certification.

She said she looks forward to working with Frederick to create a welcoming and inclusive culture from the ground up. 

“I want our school to be a nourishing part of our community where students feel seen and heard; I want to create a place that students want to come to,” she said. “This will be important as we are bringing together staff and students from across the district. Our goal is to embody the mission of Cape and the original Fred Thomas himself.”

Catts said she was attracted to the position when she first heard the school was opening.

“I have been at Shields/Lewes Elementary for 12 years, so I originally taught on the site that will be Fred Thomas,” she said. “When I found out Dave was going to be principal, I knew we would be a perfect fit! We have similar personalities yet will also complement each other in many ways. We both have a reputation for building trusting relationships with students and families.”

Another benefit to working at Fred Thomas, she said, is the strong relationships she already has with a vast majority of the students and families.

Catts said she knew Fred Thomas Middle would be a great fit for her family because her own children would be able to stay within their community, and she would have the opportunity to work close to them for years to come. 

All of her children currently attend Lewes Elementary. Her twin daughters are in fourth grade and her son is in first grade.

“I am excited that my daughters will be with me at Fred Thomas in just one year!” she said. “I am excited to cover the sporting events and take part in not only my students’ but also my own children’s extracurricular activities.”

Her husband Greg Catts is from Lewes. He attended Shields and Lewes Elementary when it was Lewes Middle School. Originally from Virginia, Meghan later moved to Maryland and was teaching in Baltimore County when she met her husband.

“He took me to the Lewes Christmas parade and I fell in love with the town of Lewes!” she said. “We decided that I would apply to Delaware schools and see what happens to determine where we would go next.”

Catts said she was lucky to be offered a job at Shields Elementary by Dr. Jenny Nauman. “I have never looked back!” 

The family lives in the Millsboro area and loves to spend time with friends and family at the beach and outdoors, including on their boat, the Catts ’22. Watching movies, playing games, exercising and sports are all family pastimes.

When she’s not teaching, coaching, attending doctoral classes or being a mom, Catts said she likes to run and read. She has several half marathons, marathons and even a 50K to her record.

The 95,104-square-foot, $63.9 million Frederick D. Thomas Middle School is set to open to students in September on the site of the former Shields Elementary. The new school was approved by referendum in March 2018 and is the first entire middle school the district has designed and constructed in 20 years.