By:Hector Flores
Before being named principal, Graziose was the school's assistant principal for four years. According to the Rev. Peter Dooley, pastor of St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church, Graziose was one of seven candidates for the position, and proved to be the best qualified. Dooley explained that her experience as an educator and academic credentials earned her the job.
"She showed a youthful energy as an assistant principal," Dooley said. "I think she is doing an excellent job with the school and has developed a great relationship with students, faculty and parents. She is a very caring and competent woman, and I have enjoyed working with her very much."
Graziose stumbled into education. After graduating from St. Joseph's College in Patchogue in 1985 with a degree in accounting, she worked as an accountant from 1986 to 1987. Around that time, an old teacher, Eileen Meserole, of St. Hyacinth's in Glen Head, asked Graziose if she would be interested in volunteering as a religious education instructor at the school.
"Eileen was my first-grade teacher, and she changed my life," Graziose said. "She made class fun, and she loved us very much. I never grew up wanting to be a teacher, but when I taught my first class, I loved it. After that, I became an assistant teacher at St. Hyacinth's and decided to go back to school to study education."
Graziose attended Long Island University and earned an undergraduate degree in education, followed by a master's in special education. She is currently studying school administration at Fordham.
Along the way, she has worked as an assistant teacher at St. Hyacinth's, from 1989 to 1992, as a teacher at a regional school in Glen Cove from 1993 to 1999, and as an assistant principal at St. Elizabeth.
"The best thing about being an educator is watching children come to life," Graziose said. "You give them information, and they just absorb it." She added that special-ed. students are dear to her heart. She recalled how one of her students, Tom, struggled in her class. Over the years she watched him grow and improve, and with help from his teachers, he eventually worked through his disability.
Graziose added that she wants kids to enjoy school. That's why she introduced a theme to teaching at St. Elizabeth that combines the "oceans and the waters around us." Teachers incorporate the theme of water into their instruction, she explained. "Whether it be religion, in the sense of religion symbolizing life, the science of oceanography or social studies, my teachers have been terrific with the theme," Graziose said. "The ultimate goal is to improve the levels of teaching by creating teachers that will think outside the box."
The fourth-grade and computer teachers are incorporating the theme as well, planning a trip to the Robert Moses Lighthouse to study ecology. Fourth-grade teacher Ceil Yanelli said the trip will give her students the chance to study Long Island history, get a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean and learn about marine creatures.
The theme is also incorporated into the school's advanced math classes, in which students learn the measurements of triangles based on the sails of a sailboat.
Graziose's performance has won her praise among parents. "We are very happy that she is our new principal," said Grace Granito, who has two children attending the school. "She seems to have many new ideas, and we are looking forward to the new school year."
