Pelham board appoints Jen Mangone as Siwanoy Elementary principal

The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education voted March 25 to appoint Jen Mangone as principal of Siwanoy Elementary School, effective July 1.

The board moved agenda item 7.1 forward, heard an overview of the hiring process from Dr. Fitzgerald and approved the appointment by voice vote. The superintendent said the district previously ran an unsatisfactory search and that Mangone emerged from a multi-stage process that began with 57 applicants.

"She comes to us from Somers where she's currently the middle school principal at Somers Middle School," the superintendent said, and described Mangone as relational, growth-minded and ‘‘a sponge when it comes to feedback.’’ Dr. Fitzgerald outlined the screening: initial application review, stakeholder interviews, professional learning demonstrations and classroom-read-aloud sessions used to evaluate finalists.

Mangone, speaking after the board vote, said she was drawn to Siwanoy by its community and staff. "From the moment I walked into Siwanoy, I could feel the warmth, the joy, and the passion for student learning and student well-being," she said, and thanked the board for the opportunity.

The board said it will work with outgoing interim principal Kramer Gilbert on a transition plan and entry plan for Mangone before her July 1 start. The district posted a community notice about the appointment the day of the vote.

Procedural note: the record shows the board approved the appointment by a voice vote during the March 25 meeting; the motion and second were made on the record and the chair announced the appointment as official. No individual roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.