Jefferson Principal Meets for Coffee & Conversation
There was plenty to talk about at Jefferson Primary School Principal Valerie Capitulo-Saide's second "coffee and conversation" session. She recently met with third grade parents.
Ms. Capitulo-Saide is in her first year at Jefferson. She came to the district following the retirement of Margaret H. Evers. The veteran educator has enjoyed getting to know the Jefferson school community, including all of its students and parents.
Huntington's newest principal designed the informal "coffee and conversation" sessions to discuss this year's school-wide goals as well as changes to the state English language arts and mathematics exams and to share sample test questions.
Ms. Capitulo-Saide provided examples of how Jefferson teachers are aligning their lessons with the state's higher demands and the rigor required by the Common Core learning standards and she gave parents ideas to help their child at home.
"Parents were delighted to attend a workshop at the school and enjoyed participating in discussions about their child's educational experiences at Jefferson," Ms. Capitulo-Saide said. It was also a well-received opportunity for parents to network with one another and meet with the principal in a relaxed atmosphere in the school's library.
Ms. Capitulo-Saide assumed her position on August 1, 2012. She came to Huntington after serving three years as principal of PS 101Q-The School of the Gardens in Forest Hills, Queens. She worked earlier as that school's assistant principal for two years.
The first-year Jefferson principal earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in creative studies-dance at Hofstra University. She pursued graduate level studies at LIU-C.W. Post College, obtaining a Master of Science in elementary education and a certificate in education administration-school building leader.
Prior to embarking on an administrative career, Ms. Capitulo-Saide worked in Community School District 26 in Bayside for two years as a dance teacher in a "literacy through the arts" program for students ranging from pre-kindergarten through ninth grade. She then taught grades three, five and six in elementary classrooms at PS 173Q and PS 213 in Bayside from 2001 to 2005.
Ms. Capitulo-Saide was a math coach and academic intervention services team leader at PS 101Q in Community School District 28 in Forest Hills from 2005 to 2007. She has engaged in a wide variety of professional training and development activities, including the Principal's Institute, NYC leadership mentoring program, advanced leadership mentor program for assistant principals, City College of New York Mathematics Institute mentoring program, Marilyn Burns Math Solutions Institute, Columbia University-Teachers College summer institutes in reading and writing and various experiences with the Educational Leadership Institute.