Kristin DeGregory named Cape High principal
Kristin DeGregory has been named principal of Cape Henlopen High School, succeeding Nikki Miller, who recently took an administrative position in the Seaford School District.
In 2020, DeGregory joined Cape High as an assistant principal. She says her familiarity with the district, students and staff has ensured the transition has been as smooth as possible right before the school year begins.
DeGregory said the strength of her assistant principals is an asset.
“They work well together and support each other, and that has made this work,” she said, and hopes to have her replacement on board before October.
“It’s been a fantastic back-to-school week,” she said, noting her focus has been on ensuring school safety and increasing student wellness and connectedness.
Students who have learned under a hybrid system for the past several years will need help regaining the art of dialogue and classroom discussion, she said, which will aid their academic success.
DeGregory said she did not even mention COVID-19 in her address to staff, but not to minimize or trivialize anyone’s experience during the pandemic.
“We’re back in the game now,” she said, noting staff will absorb what was learned regarding student wellness during the pandemic while focusing on academics.
DeGregory said her parents, both retired teachers and administrators, have been incredible models and resources for her.
“I’m following in the family business,” she smiled.
A former astronomy teacher, DeGregory said she has been following with interest the story of NASA’s Artemis launch. So many people work as a team to prepare for the launch, she said, which mirrors the systems in place at Cape High to help students reach their goals.
“I believe in a huge support system for helping students do their ‘amazing,’ whatever their amazing is, and I’m happy to be a part of their support system and in this place where they can do their amazing,” she said.
Before joining Cape, DeGregory was a Newark High assistant principal, a gifted and talented coordinator, and a science teacher at Shue-Medill Middle School in Newark.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a focus on middle school science instruction from the University of Delaware and her master’s degree in education from Wilmington University. She holds certifications in leadership, and in gifted and talented education.
DeGregory and her husband Joe, a Milford High driver education teacher, live in Lewes. Their older daughter Gianna is a sophomore nursing major and hockey player at Alvernia University, and twins Devon and Joey are Cape High juniors who play hockey, and run track and field and cross country, respectively.
