by Kaylie Martell
On Friday, May 8, 2026, it was announced that Pilgrim’s Dr. Michael Xiarhos was named the recipient of the Warwick District Teacher of the Year Award. He was honored in the Pilgrim auditorium in front of the Class of 2027, Superintendent William McCaffrey, Executive Director of Secondary Education Tim Kane, Pilgrim Principal Toby Gibbons, School Committee Chairperson Shaun Galligan, and other colleagues. Dr. Xiarhos was also surprised when his family came out from behind the curtain to join him in celebration.
The process of selecting Teacher of the Year begins with department heads nominating faculty members. Then there is a vote to select finalists, followed by interviews of all finalists by central administrators and the superintendent before the final recipient is chosen.
When asked how much this honor meant to him, Dr. Xiarhos said, “I’m very honored to be chosen. I think it is meaningful when colleagues and students recognize the time and effort you put into your work. It was very cool that my family was there. Having my kids there to see this was really special.” He explained that his wife had kept the award a secret after finding out that he had won early that week. He was shocked by the entire celebration, especially by the surprise appearance of his family, which made the moment even more special, “These are the three most important people in my world, so having them there really made the whole thing perfect.”
During the school year, Dr. Xiarhos was also joined by a student teacher who is one of his former students, Miss Brooke Whiteside. Miss Whiteside stood proudly in the audience as he received his title of Teacher of the Year. She recalls that, “When his name was announced during the assembly, you could immediately feel the energy in the room.”
Since meeting Dr. Xiarhos in 2016, Miss Whiteside says that he has been one of the main reasons she wanted to become a teacher herself. His influence was evident that day as the audience erupted in cheers, excitement, and genuine support.
As his student teacher, Miss Whiteside described having Dr. Xiarhos as her mentor as “one of the greatest honors of her life” and said she “could not have asked for a better student teaching experience.” She concluded, “If I can someday have even a fraction of the impact on students that he has had on so many of us, I will consider myself incredibly fortunate.”
When discussing how he felt after receiving the award, Dr. Xiarhos expressed how much it meant to him. “Being recognized in a district like Warwick and specifically from a school like Pilgrim with so many incredibly talented and dedicated teachers is really overwhelming,” he explained. He noted that there were many other teachers at Pilgrim, including those within his own department, whom he felt were just as deserving.
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