Education the right calling for administrator

It may be a new adventure, but Memorial Junior High School’s new assistant principal for pupil services, Lynn Winters is ready to set sail. The Deer Park native may be a little ways from home, but that has not stopped her from spreading her wings since July 1 to tackle every challenge that lies ahead.

“I am excited,” Winters said about her new position. “I am looking forward to relating to the children and seeing them grow, especially during this time in their lives.”

After several interviews, Winters was appointed to the position at a board meeting in early May. And in looking at a bright future, Winters takes some time to reflect on her personal history.

After growing up in Suffolk County and graduating from Deer Park High School, Winters went to Stony Brook University to major in English. Upon graduating in 1990, she traded in her cap and gown for a business suit at Syracuse University College of Law. And after a year there, Winters reached a verdict — law was not what she wanted.

And on her next roll of the dice, Winters found herself embarking on a new career path — education — that inspired her passion. “I had all my teaching certificates in place,” she said. “I wanted to try teaching. I went on my first interview and got the job.”

As a firm believer in having a plan “B,” she landed that first job as an English teacher at J. Taylor Finley Middle School in Huntington in 1993. For the married mother of two, the Huntington district became a place where she was able to grow and prosper for 13 years. She even won a Most Memorable Teacher award from her English class in 2002 and transitioned into a dean position at the Woodhull Intermediate School there. But Winters’ educational story was just heating up with no signs of cooling off.

With her last position as assistant principal at Elwood Middle School in Elwood for two years, Winters gained valuable experience that she has taken to Memorial. But filling the new shoes in Valley Stream will allow Winters to stress more of her “assistant principal muscle,” which she is ready to offer advice and actively listen to every students’ concerns.

“It is important to live with no regrets,” she said. “If there is something I want to do, I just go for it. I try to instill that in young people to go for your dreams. There is a variety of things in life.”

In her new role, Winters is leading a team of guidance counselors, social workers, and psychologists to provide positive improvements in the lives of students. She is busy perfecting master schedules, providing support services, and helping pupil personnel staff provide appropriate services for students throughout the school year. And first, she is taking time to understand what makes Memorial tick.

“Being in your first year at a school can be very difficult,” she said. “I want to understand the culture and try to benefit that culture. I want to figure out how I can make things better and improve the culture.”

Winters is a big advocate for peer mediation, character education, and mentoring. And this is just the kind of drive and dedication which Board Vice President Jeanne Greco Jacobs is happy to see.

“The board believes Mrs. Winters was the best applicant,” Greco Jacobs said. “Her position as assistant principal is a good fit for the district because of her experience.”

And Principal Anthony Mignella strongly agrees with Greco Jacobs. “Lynn is proving to be a valuable asset,” Mignella said. “She always thinks about the best interests of the children and staff. We are very lucky to have her.”

Winters’ experience has taught her to set goals and work hard, which she is showing her in trying to make Memorial into the best place it can be. “I would like Memorial to be a place where all students can achieve,” she said. “I want them to reach their highest goals and expectations. There has to be a collaborative effort between parents, staff, and everyone to work together.”