Change is not always easy. For the Floral Park Memorial community, the thought of Dr. Sottile not being the principal is one that is difficult to fathom. But fortunately, her departure will not take her very far from us.

During the summer, when Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Champ, was appointed as the new Superintendent of Schools in the Pelham School District, Dr. Sottile decided to apply for the position. The Sewanhaka Board of Education officially hired her on August 8. While it will be sad to have to say goodbye to Dr. Sottile after all that she has done during her incredible 12 years as principal, it is comforting to know that she will still play a vital role in the educational experience for all students in the Sewanhaka District.

“I want to thank the entire Floral Park Memorial school community for making FPM my second home for over 12 years,” said Dr. Sottile. “The students, faculty, staff and community have been amazing to work with. I look forward to my new role within the district and FPM will always hold a special place in my heart.”

To fill the position of Floral Park Memorial principal, a committee interviewed twenty candidates. This group was narrowed down to five who each had the opportunity to spend one day at Floral Park Memorial and meet with teachers, students and members of the community. Twenty two students were selected to come to the conference room and meet each candidate. They were able to ask these potential principals questions on a wide range of topics. This was a great experience and opportunity for students to have their voices heard and take part in the hiring process. After the question and answer sessions, the students received forms that they had to fill out with opinions on what they thought about each candidate.

“It was exciting to get to see the potential new principals and know that this person would be there for years to come,” said senior Kaitlyn Auyeung. “Hearing all of these awesome ideas people had for our school was interesting, even though I will only be here for one more year.”

“I loved being able to get a first impression of them,” said junior Liz Calandra. “I think it was very important that before hiring the new principal that they asked the students their opinions, and in picking the new principal, they did really listen to us.”

Floral Park Memorial always prioritizes its students, and allowing them to meet with these candidates was a great demonstration of this. The opportunity to meet with a group of students will help to foster a relationship between the new principal and students right away.

Each of the five candidates was then interviewed by the Board of Education. At the conclusion of this process, the Board appointed Mr. Jason Martin as the new principal of Floral Park Memorial. Mr. Martin, who is currently serving as the Principal of Rippowam Middle School in Stamford, Connecticut, will begin his new position on October 16.

“Dr. Sottile has been an extraordinary educational leader, one that I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to work for,” said social studies teacher Mr. Simone. “Being a principal today, given all of the demands that exist in terms of new educational mandates as well as societal pressures, has made the job incredibly challenging. Yet she consistently worked to help young people set lofty goals for themselves, overcome obstacles in their lives and become better people. Floral Park Memorial is a better place today because of her efforts.”