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Middletown Middle School's new principal, Frank Vetter, wears his Frederick County Public Schools identification badge on a Washington Capitals lanyard. And while he does this partially in support of his favorite hockey team, the lanyard also serves a reminder of his time as principal at Urbana Middle School.

"This was given to me by one of my students when I left Urbana Middle School," he said. "She bought me all kinds of little gifts related to sports. She bought me a Maryland T-shirt, this lanyard and a Redskins decal. It was really sweet."

Vetter, 41, worked at Urbana Middle School from the time the school opened in 2005, and also helped to do some of the set up for the school at the central office. He said the initial news that he'd be leaving the school he'd helped establish was "tough," but that he was already feeling welcomed in Middletown.

"I love it here so far," he said. "The folks have been warm and welcoming, very supportive and appreciative of very little things that I've done. The staff is very competent; the support staff here has been amazing. I feel pretty lucky in a lot of ways. It's a mixed blessing: I'm sad to leave but it's a new opportunity, and so far everybody's been great."

When he's not at the school, Vetter said he likes to spend time with his wife, Shannon, and their three children, Chloe, Isabelle and Tristan. He also competes in triathlons and various running events, including two half Iron Man Triathlons, an Olympic marathon and a sprint marathon.

The half Iron Man Triathlon is the longest of the events, and includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike race and a 13.1-mile run. He said he loves the running events, but often has to get creative to get in all the training he needs to complete the strenuous races and spend enough time with his wife and kids.

"That means getting up early sometimes, doing it after they go to bed even," he said. "I've done 10-, 12-mile runs out in the dark, starting at 9 o'clock at night sometimes and doing swims early in the morning. I can bike four hours at a time, so getting up while it's still dark so you can get home at a reasonable time."

Stacey Hiltner, an assistant principal at Urbana Middle School, worked with Vetter since the school first opened its doors until his departure this year. She said his efforts to reach out to students and hear their concerns sets him apart as an administrator.

"He's a very compassionate and caring person," Hiltner said. "He tries to put the needs and emotional concerns of others before his own. He has a talent of engaging people right off the bat. He's very sincere, he cares about other people. He's one of the few administrators who probably knew every single students' name in the building every year."

tlaino@gazette.net