New Wrentham Superintendent Ready for First Day of School

You can just line him up with the other new kids on the first day.
On one hand, Dr. Christopher Martes would fit in perfectly, but this isn't exactly the new Wrentham Interim Superintendent of Schools' first time starting school.
Instead, it was been 37 years and 14 as a superintendent. Still, that new feeling on the first day has never left and he doesn't expect the first day of school today in Wrentham to be any different.
"I still get the pit in my stomach," said Martes with a smile. "You just want everything to go well."
After spending last year as the Norton superintendent, Martes was selected to replace his longtime friend, Jeff Marsden, as the Wrentham chief. Marsden left at the end of the school year to take over in Medfield.
For Martes, it has been a change from going to be in charge of an entire school system, like he was in neighboring Foxborough, Framingham and in Norton, he is now running a kindergarten through sixth grade system.
"I really like it," said Martes. "It's an unique situation."
Martes said when he was in a large school system, like Framingham, it was difficult to get out and into the classroom. That's something he doesn't expect to be the case in Wrentham.
"There were days where you would be kept in the office, because of all of the things you had going," Martes said.me
Martes served as mentor to Marsden, so he was very familiar with how the Wrentham schools operate. Now, it's Martes calling Marsden for information.
"I talk with him a lot," said Martes. The two met when a friend of Martes suggested he should know Marsden and that the two of them would get along well.
While today is the first day of school, Martes has been busy getting the school ready for the year, meeting with the school committee and town officials.
"This a very good school system with a terrific school committee," he said. "The teachers and parents I've met have been great."
He also said he has enjoyed working with the Wrentham government officials and said they've been helpful to him.
"They have been very welcoming," said Martes. "I can't say enough about how helpful they have been."
One of Martes' tasks will be working with the school committee to find a replacement for him, but first, he has to get through the first day of school.