Two legendary long-serving local principals set to retire at the end of the school year

SWANSEA — When this school year concludes, the Swansea Public Schools community will bid farewell to a pair of legendary long-serving educators.

Joseph Case Junior High School Principal Robert F. Silveira and Mark G. Hoyle Elementary School Principal William J. Courville will both retire this summer, after decades of service to the District.

The School District released the following:

Principal William Courville

Principal Courville, a Swansea native and graduate, started his career in Swansea in 1995 as the District’s school adjustment counselor, responsible for 5 of 6 Swansea public schools.

Seven years later he was named principal of the Mark G. Hoyle Elementary School, a position he held for the past 24 years. He’s set to retire effective June 30.

“There have been many achievements that I could highlight over the past 31 years,” said Principal Courville. “I pride myself on treating students and staff as people first. Before they are students, they are sons and daughters; before they are teachers, they are moms, dads, spouses, etc. By treating others as people first, before their stated academic roles, I believe that it shows that you care for them as an individual, and this is how strong relationships, trust, and bonds are formed.”

Principal Courville made it his mission to ensure students and families had a great experience during their first years of education at the Pre-K through Grade 2 school.

“This is the first experience that families have with the Swansea School System,” said Principal Courville. “It is important that we build trust together and that their first experience in school is a positive one. This trust will last throughout their academic career.”

Under Principal Courville’s leadership, the Hoyle Elementary School received the prestigious recognition of being designated a Unified Banner School under the Special Olympics program.

“We were one of the first elementary schools in the state to receive this honor,” said Principal Courville. “I pride myself in having made the school an inclusive environment for students with special needs. My time here is full of positive memories. I have worked with very supportive colleagues, administration and staff. We have all worked together for the success of our students. Being a Case High graduate, it is fulfilling to give back to my community.”

In his retirement letter, Principal Courville thanked the community and offered some advice.

“While retirement brings mixed emotions, I leave with a heart full of gratitude and confidence in the bright future ahead for Hoyle School,” wrote Principal Courville. “The strength of this school lies in its people, and I know that spirit will continue to thrive. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and for making these 31 years so meaningful. It has truly been a privilege to serve you.”

Principal Robert Silveira

As a lifelong resident of Swansea, Principal Silveira attended Joseph Case Junior High School for grades 6-8. He’d eventually return to occupy its head office as the school’s top administrator. He’s set to retire effective Aug. 17.

Principal Silveira graduated from Joseph Case High School in 1986.

“During my high school years, I was a member of the chorus and Theatre Company, serving as president my senior year,” recalled Principal Silveira. “After graduation, I became an EMT and joined the Swansea Ambulance Corps, volunteering on Wednesday nights. I also joined the Swansea Fire Department proudly serving nearly 20 years with Company 3 in Ocean Grove.”

In 2023, Principal Silveira was named Swansea’s Citizen of the Year.

Shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree at UMass Amherst in 1993, he started taking classes in education at Bridgewater State University and substituting back at Case High School.

In the fall of 1994, he was appointed to a full-time teaching position. He taught general science, biology and chemistry at Case High School for the next nine years, while serving as freshmen baseball coach and freshmen class advisor.

“I also did all of the public address announcing at football games and ran the scoreboard at basketball games,” recalled Principal Silveira.

He earned his master’s degree in teaching biology from Bridgewater State University and spent a few years teaching chemistry at Tiverton High School.

On July 1, 2006, he was appointed Assistant Principal of Case High School.

“During this time, we accomplished a great deal at Case High School including the establishment of the mission statement and core values as well as creating student advisories,” said Principal Silveira.

In 2010, he was named Principal of Joseph Case Junior High School.

“In my 16-plus years at the school we have accomplished a great deal,” said Principal Silveira. “My goal when I arrived was to change the culture to one built on positive relationships where all students feel they belong. Building on my work at the high school we established advisories at the middle school level, something that was rare in middle school at the time. We also altered the schedule to eliminate levels and create heterogeneous learning environments for all.”

Principal Silveira’s administration increased the school’s extracurricular offerings for students, adding running club, photo club, yoga and creative writing. 

Principal Silveira was named the Edmund K. Fanning Massachusetts Middle School Principal of the Year by the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) in 2014. For the last seven years, he has served as the MSAA Middle Level Committee Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors.

“The greatest accomplishment of Joseph Case Junior High School during my time here has been our efforts toward inclusion for all,” said Principal Silveira. “Shortly after my arrival, we established a relationship with Hurley Middle School in Seekonk and started playing unified basketball games with them. This expanded to more schools in our league, the Massasoit League of Middle Schools, of which I have been the coordinator for the last 12 years. The success of this basketball program led us to add bocce in 2019 and unified fitness last year. We also started an inclusive club that we call Case Cardinals Care.”

Principal Silveira’s efforts led to Case Junior High’s recognition by Special Olympics of Massachusetts as a Unified Champion School, a designation reserved for schools that prioritize inclusion.

In the fall of 2022, Case Junior High became one of the first middle schools in the country to be recognized by Special Olympics of North America as a National Banner Unified Champion School, based on the school’s commitment to unified sports, whole school engagement and inclusive leadership. That same year, Case Junior High was awarded an Honorable Mention by ESPN for its leaders’ focus on inclusion.

“William Courville and Robert Silveira’s years of leadership have left a lasting mark on generations of students, families and staff,” said Swansea Public Schools Superintendent Scott Holcomb. “As dedicated educators and proud graduates of Joseph Case High School, they have given back to the Swansea community with unwavering commitment. Their legacy will be felt for years to come.”