Mark Brenneman, Principal

Mr. Brenneman has served as Principal of Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School since 2009. Previously, he served as Associate Principal of the Junior High for two years. Before coming to the Hudson City School District, Principal Brenneman worked at New Covenant Charter School as Special Education Director and Associate Principal, each for two years. He previously taught as a Special Education Teacher at New Covenant and as a Head Teacher at the Neil Hellman School in Albany. Mr. Brenneman was named Capital Region Administrator of the Year by the Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association in the 2012-2013 school year. He did his graduate work at the University at Albany in Education Administration and earned his M.S.Ed. in Special Education from the College of Saint Rose. He has a B.S. in Human Development from Pennsylvania State University. Read more in his Alumni Spotlight published in February 2020.

 

Carrie Patch, Associate Principal

For more than twenty five years, Carrie Patch has educated others. During her time with the Hudson City School District, she has served as an Associate Principal at both the Junior High and Elementary level. Before becoming a building leader in 2022, Ms. Patch was a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, drama teacher, and outdoor educator, supporting students ages 5-13 in private and public settings, both in rural New York State and in urban Scotland. 

Born and raised in New Paltz, NY, Ms. Patch earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Hamilton College with a concentration in Theatre. She also holds a dual Master of Science degree in Teaching Literacy and Childhood Education from Bank Street College in New York City. More recently, she received her Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study in School Building and District Leadership from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in North Adams, Massachusetts.

Ms. Patch believes firmly that educators and leaders are lifelong learners. Thus, over the years she has attended and facilitated a multitude of professional development sessions, mostly focusing on student-centered instruction and anti-bias teaching. Alongside her professional endeavors, Ms. Patch enjoys hiking with her husband and two children, practicing yoga, and ravenously reading.