Michelle Notti to take over as Chestnut Principal

Michelle Notti is excited to begin her new role as the principal of the Chestnut Street School, West Hempstead school district’s kindergarten center.

“Kindergarten, for me, has always been a magical time in the lives of young learners,” Notti recently told the Herald. “I’m looking forward to working with the talented staff of the Chestnut Street School and to celebrate the learning environment, the time that children have thoughtfulness and curiosity and imagination.”

For 19 of the last 20 years, Notti has taught at the Saw Mill Road School in North Bellmore. Students in kindergarten and the third, fourth and sixth grades have had the pleasure of learning with Notti in that time. Last year, Notti’s 20th as an educator, all Saw Mill Road students got to know her, as she took over as assistant principal.

Now West Hempstead students — and the rest of the school community — will get to know Notti, a married mother of two teenage boys who lives with her family in Dix Hills.

“We are really excited about Michelle coming on board,” said district Superintendent John Hogan. “She has a wonderful background in early-childhood education, having been a kindergarten teacher for many years.”

Having also taught intermediate grades, Hogan added, Notti also knows where the children are headed after the kindergarten center. He went to say that Notti has a strong background in curriculum development and working with teachers, which is key to being an effective administrator.

At some point during her time as a classroom teacher, Notti — who holds a master’s degree in science and education, with a specialty in environmental science, from Queens College — was asked to be one of the district’s writing facilitators. “At that time I realized that I also had a love and a passion for working with teachers and curriculum, as well as working with students,” Notti said, “so administration and being a being a building leader is really a marriage of those two passions.”