By:Andrew Coen
Yvonne Nicholas retired after 10 years at the Number Four School, and Gerald Goldsmith left after nine years as principal of the Cedarhurst elementary school.
Pedersen, a Freeport resident, has been a teacher at the Number Four School since 1992, and has held a consulting teaching position at the Inwood school for the past five years. She is also one of the district's conflict-resolution teachers. "I'm hoping to really just promote the excellence that I know already exists and help make the Number Four School even more of a welcome entrance for the children," said Pedersen. "We are a welcome mat, because this is the first school the children of district 15 enter, and it's one of the things that makes it a special place.
"I think it's a very unique learning environment," she continued. "We've had other districts come here and model our program."
"Ann brings with her a wealth of experience from the district, a tremendous knowledge of what we're about and organization, demonstrated in her years in Lawrence," said the district's superintendent, Dr. John Fitzsimons.
Pedersen has served under two principals at Number Four, including the current assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Michelle L. Lineal, from 1992 to 1994, and the last 10 years for the retiring Nicholas, for whom she also did her administrative internship. "I've had two wonderful people show me the ropes," said Pedersen.
Krieger, an East Rockaway resident, has served in the school system for 16 years, the last five as the district's literacy coach. She spent eight years as a reading teacher at the Number Five School and two as a teacher at Number Four. "I hope to continue the closeness and the wonderful climate that exists in this school, and to help everybody in the building to reach all the goals that we set out for the children," said Krieger, who graduated from Lawrence High School in 1977.
Patrick Pizzarelli, president of the Association of Lawrence Administrators and Lawrence High's athletic director, praised the board for hiring people from within the district. "With all the appointments that we make, we spend a lot of time and we don't promote our own, so we here are doing a great deed, and we're going to keep going and make Lawrence the best that it can be," said Pizzarelli.
"These are two terrific educators, and I think they are going to make a very easy transition into the principalship," said Fitzsimons in a phone interview.
Krieger and Pedersen are two of three new principals in Lawrence schools next year, along with Geoffrey Touretz, who is replacing Dr. Steven Kussin at Lawrence High. The district's other retiring principal, Eileen McCarthy of the Number Six School, will be replaced by Number One School principal Angelo Siconolfi, since the Lawrence and Woodmere elementary schools will now be consolidated into the Number Six School building.
