South’s new assistant principal feels right at home

She may be the newest member of Valley Stream South High School’s administration, but Jacquelin Allen is not new to the world of education.

She had worked in four different schools before accepting her current position as an assistant principal at South. Most recently she was an assistant principal at Oldfield Middle School in Greenlawn.

Allen was hired in November and started at South three weeks later. “I was so excited,” Allen said of her hiring. “I found out while I was at work one day and I actually got all teary-eyed. I was just really happy.”

Her husband and three daughters at home in Northport were also thrilled about the news. Allen said the transition from working in a middle school to a high school is a welcomed change.

“Having been at a middle school for a little over two years, it was a good experience because I got to see another piece of the education world, but I’m really a high school person,” Allen said. “So I’m loving it now being in a 7-12 building and being back at the secondary level. I like the hustle and bustle of it, I love watching the kids grow and develop. It’s very interesting to see the difference between the seventh graders and the 12th graders.”

Allen said that a lot of her job pertains to disciplining students, but she also gets to know South’s student body along the way. “It’s great to work with them and see what’s going on,” Allen said of the students. She also enjoys “meeting their families, learning about their backgrounds and really trying to help them make better decisions.”

South Principal Maureen Henry said Allen has been a pleasure to work with. “She’s definitely been a great addition to the administrative team,” Henry said, adding that she also echoes the sentiments of Allen’s fellow assistant principal, Kara Jacobsen. “She really is a delight to work with. She’s a contributor and a problem solver, which is just great.”

Allen said that South’s faculty and administration has helped make the transition smooth for her. “Ms. Henry has been unbelievably supportive and helpful, and answers my 400 questions every day,” Allen said. “She’s really been a fabulous support system. Ms. Jacobsen has really guided me through the adjustment of learning what my responsibilities really are.”

She added, “The teachers are very welcoming. They always have a smile on their faces, always asking what they can do to help. It was a nice way to start a job.”

Allen attended the nearby Lawrence School District as a child. From there she went to New York University, got her master’s degree at Adelphi University and completed her post-graduate work at C.W. Post University. “I never left,” Allen said of her schooling. “I’m a true New Yorker.”

Before teaching, Allen was an actuary for five years, but then decided to make a career change. “I was in consulting and I found that the part that I loved most was not crunching the numbers, but explaining it to the clients,” she said. “Then the light bulb went on and I realized what I liked was the teaching.”

She marvels at the way South’s students interact with each other. “Things were very different when I went to school,” she said. “Kids were not so mixed and integrated as they are now. One of the most amazing things to me is to watch the students together — they don’t see race, they don’t see religion, they don’t see anything except children. It’s just a big melting pot. To them, they’re just all students.”

Allen was in charge of organizing the schedule for midterm week at South in January and, according to Henry, the week ran very smoothly. Allen said she will continue to get to know the South community during her first year, including her students, parents, faculty members and the culture of the building.

“My goal is to provide a safe environment for students to learn in and to feel successful,” she said. “Everybody should have a chance to succeed.”