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A Few Clouds A new school year begins
New Meadowbrook principal tops list of 2014-15 changes
Administrative, infrastructural and technological changes in the East Meadow School District awaited students, who were scheduled to return to class on Wednesday morning.
Kelly M. O’Brien is the new principal of Meadowbrook Elementary School. Previously she was the district’s director of literacy and funded programs. O’Brien replaces Susan Hyde, who retired in June. Cynthia Serowik — formerly an ELA chair — will fill O’Brien’s old position.
Kristi Detor, who was the assistant principal at East Meadow High School, is now the district’s director of health, physical education and athletics. Robert Hardwick, the director of the district’s Creative Arts Program East Meadow and a social studies teacher, is the new assistant principal at East Meadow High.
There are four other new assistant principals: Christina Egan, at Woodland Middle School; John Comer, at McVey Elementary; Harriet Alfano, at Barnum Woods Elementary; and Amelia Garcia, at Bowling Green Elementary.
Because of retirements, the district also welcomed approximately 30 new teachers to the district, according to Superintendent Louis DeAngelo.
On the infrastructural side, parents and students may notice that new flag poles were installed over the summer at Barnum Woods, Meadowbrook, McVey, Parkway and Woodland. Patrick Pizzo, the district’s director of building operations, said the poles were stripped down and repainted. “They weren’t up to the standards that we have throughout the district,” he said. “This is a restoration to bring them back to the level they should be.”
Flag poles at the district’s four other schools, as well as the Campo Center, were redone last summer.
New signs in front of Clarke and East Meadow high schools were installed just before graduation in June. The LED-lit signs will display school and community notices in scrolling text.
The parking lots at Bowling Green and Parkway were repaved. A ramp for disabled students was also repaired at Parkway.
Other improvements include repaired tennis courts at Clarke and East Meadow high schools. The baseball field at East Meadow High was also renovated. “That whole infield is releveled and sodded,” Pizzo said.
