School Leadership Team
Rob Seaward
Superintendent/Principal
Robert has been in public education since 2000, starting as an intern at Noble High School in N. Berwick, Maine. He taught at Rochester Middle School for a year and a half, then moved over to Spaulding High School where he taught for another four and a half years. He then became an Assistant Principal, Deputy Principal, and finally Principal of Spaulding High School. After 12 years in Rochester, Robert decided to expand his experiences and became the Principal for Winnisquam Regional Middle School where for five years he collaborated with an amazing team of educators to take the middle school from the bottom 6% of all middle schools in NH to above state average and #1 in 8th grade math in the Lakes Region for his final two years. He then became the Superintendent of Winnisquam Regional School District for the next four years where he battled COVID and declining enrollment, including the closing of a school and realignment of an entire district, all the while working to expand hands-on learning, student engagement, and career pathways for all students.
Melissa McKeon
Director of Student Services
Stay tuned!
Natalie Blackington
Dean of Students, K-4
Natalie Blackington joins Strafford for the 2024-2025 school year, bringing over ten years of dedicated service to students throughout Maine. She holds a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine, a B.S. in Special Education, and is a proud alumna of Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth. As a former special education teacher and instructional coach, she has held various leadership roles, promoting positive and holistic approaches in schools and classrooms. A highly skilled and collaborative leader, Natalie has experience leading MTSS, PBIS, and SEL teams. She is passionate about creating learning environments that uphold high standards for all learners and help students envision the possibilities for their future. Additionally, Natalie has served as the President of her previous district's teacher's association and as an advisory board member at Great Bay Community College. She is particularly proud of being honored as the 2016 Outstanding National Service Member of the Year in Maine for her service to the students of the REAL School AmeriCorps program. Outside of school, Mrs. Blackington enjoys singing with her local choir, discussing all things sharks and Broadway, and exploring Maine and New Hampshire with her husband, Christopher, and son, Finnegan.
Jeff Merrill
Dean of Students, 5-8
Athletic Director
Jeff Merrill is excited to join Strafford for the 24-25 academic year. Coming from a family of educators inspired him to go into the field. He comes into administration after classroom teaching for a decade. During his time in the classroom, Jeff taught all areas of social studies at the high school level, including AP Psychology. He also coached basketball and baseball throughout his time teaching, as well as advising the National Honors Society (NHS), class advising, and student council. Jeff also led building-level initiatives in Universal Design of Learning (UDL) for instructional practices the past few years. He also has served on various district-level committees throughout his teaching tenure, including curriculum work, building safety, and professional learning communities (PLCs). Currently, he is completing is M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with a New Hampshire Principal certification from New England College. Prior, he earned his B.A. in History with two minors in Secondary Education and Sport Management from Saint Joseph's College of Maine in 2015. Priding himself on a healthy work-life balance, Jeff often spends his free time at home with his wife (Jess), and children (Everett and Reagan). Ever the dad, you can find him doing yardwork, barbequing, or cheering in the fall for his favorite football team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.