John H. West Administration
My name is Joseph Maisano, and I am the new Principal of John H. West Elementary School. I wanted to take the time to write this letter to introduce myself to our school community. For those of you that do not know me, I have been fortunate to spend the majority of my career as an educator here in Plainedge. I am entering my 16th year in this wonderful District. In 2004, I was hired as a teacher at Sylvia Packard School and within weeks of beginning my career as a new teacher, I marched alongside hundreds of community members to our brand new Plainedge Middle School.
During my 10 years there, I spent much time as a coach, club advisor, and academic coordinator as well. In the Summer of 2014, I entered administration here as the Assistant Director of Special Education. In this role, I supported teachers, fellow administrators, and most importantly our students and their families from Kindergarten through 12th Grade within the complex world of Special Education. In 2016, I was promoted to the Director position, which I held until my recent appointment as your new Principal. In my time as a Special Education administrator, I had the privilege of working to support struggling learners with a focus on meeting the needs of the individual learner, and this was a truly rewarding experience. I believe that this skill set will serve me well in my new position because as a parent myself, I would want those tasked with supervising the education of my child to look at them as the individual that he or she is.
In addition to the responsibilities of my professional life, I am a proud husband and father of three young children, my oldest is entering the 1st grade. I look forward to experiencing the upcoming years as an elementary parent alongside all of you.
I have had the pleasure of working with the John H. West staff and many of their families over the past 5 years in my former department, and I look forward to working even closer with the entire community in this new capacity. I am honored to have been chosen as the successor to a wonderful principal who spent many years servicing the West community. As you know, the staff at John H. West is a group of extremely passionate and dedicated individuals who I am very excited and privileged to lead into the future. We will continue to work with our families, following the mission of the District, to support each and every student with innovating and rigorous academics and a comprehensive approach that considers the whole child. John H. West will continue to maintain high standards for all students while focusing on the social-emotional well-being of our students. Our goal is to work alongside our families to help mold young individuals into kind, compassionate, respectful, hard-working, and motivated, contributing members of society. I truly believe that the elementary years are the foundation for the future, so the responsibility that we have as elementary educators is an important one, and I assure you that we do not take that responsibility lightly. These years are the formative ones, so my goal as the building leader is to create a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment for your children; one in which they feel cared for and inspired to be unique and to take risks.
I look forward to seeing you around our school, as well as the numerous events throughout the District. Plainedge has been my home away from home for the better portion of my adult life, so I look forward to continuing that wonderful relationship with a new streamlined focus and invigorating enthusiasm, as I become a member of your John H. West community.
With Sincerity and Elation,
Joseph A. Maisano
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On behalf of the Board of Education and Plainedge Public Schools, we offer so much gratitude to each and every law enforcement officer and first responder who spent their afternoon with us at our three elementary schools, middle and high school. The hands-on experiences and real-life examples you shared with our students have left a lasting impression.
Some of our favorite moments that we shared were:
• Hearing your stories
• Participating in Self-Defense
• Meeting your K9 and learning about drones
• Crime Scene Investigation, Forensics & Fingerprinting
• Fitness Course
• Fire Safety
• Learning about your life-saving tools + equipment
Special thank you to the PFT for providing a welcome Breakfast and lunch for our first responders.
#WeArePlainedge #PlainedgePride #LawEnforcementAppreciation #LEAD #TOGETHER #COMMUNITY #FIRSTRESPONDERS #THANKYOU #APPRECIATION
Get ready to dance, sing, and laugh your way through the iconic Mamma Mia! 🌟
The Plainedge High School Drama Club is proud to present this beloved musical, and you won’t want to miss it! With over 80 talented students involved in everything from acting to set & lighting design, this production is truly a team effort. 🙌
🗓️ Showtimes:
April 3, 7:00 PM
April 4, 7:00 PM
April 5, 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
🎟️ Grab your tickets now at PHSDrama.BookTix.com
Come support these incredible students who’ve poured over 100 hours of rehearsal into bringing this show to life! 🎤💃🕺
#MammaMia #PlainedgeDramaClub #SupportTheArts #HighSchoolTheater #StudentTalent #PHS #MammaMiaMusical #PlainedgePride
🎉 Huge congratulations to 3 of our Plainedge High School Varsity Athletes!
🥎 Savannah Speicher (PHS Sophomore) has been named one of Newsday’s Top 100 Softball Players!
⚾️ Jaxson Torres (PHS Sophomore) and Bobby Wescott (PHS Junior) have both been named Newsday’s Top 100 Baseball Players!
What an incredible achievement for our athletes! #weareplainedge #athletics #community #weare #plainedgeproud #plainedgepride #sports #baseball #softball #varsity #plainedge
The Harlem Wizards came to Plainedge last night, and it was an unforgettable experience for our community! A big thank you to everyone who supported the @pft11758 Wizards` fundraising event. We’d also like to extend a special thanks to the dedicated custodians and security team for all their hard work!
#weareplainedge #pft #education #community #learning #fun #plainedgepride #plainedgeproud #weare #athletics #wizards
Huge congratulations to the Plainedge High School Robotics Club for their incredible performance at a competition this weekend held at Hofstra University! Team 527 made it to the semifinals and finished in 4th place! 🎉🤖 #Team527 #PlainedgeRobotics #Semifinals #Hofstra
Plainedge Public Schools is proud to share that Mark Passamonte has rejoined the district as Interim Director of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics.
Mark has a strong understanding of the district’s mission and values. As the Interim Director, he will continue enhancing our physical education curriculum, athletic programs, and overall student health initiatives. We are confident that his leadership will positively impact our students and the entire school community.
Please join us in welcoming Mark back!
#weareplainedge #weare #plainedgepride #plainedgeproud #athletics
Plainedge School District is seeking qualified candidates for Director of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics
Please apply online by visiting
plainedgepublicschools.recruitfront.com
At Tuesday night`s Board of Education meeting, the Plainedge Board of Education, together with the Plainedge Administration, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Legislator, Nassau County Police Department, The New York State Senate, New York State Assemblyman, and the Town of Oyster Bay, formally recognized the exceptional contributions of our dedicated School Crossing Guards.
These individuals have become a vital part of our daily routines, standing at busy intersections with a watchful eye and a friendly smile, guiding our students and pedestrians across busy roads. Their commitment to maintaining safety, often in unpredictable weather and traffic conditions, deserves recognition. We are grateful for their unwavering dedication and their role in enhancing our neighborhoods` safety.
To express our appreciation, the crossing guards were presented with personalized thank-you cards created by John H. West Elementary School students.
#Weareplainedge #safety #crossingguard #community #education #thankyou #pride #plainedgeproud
🌞 Exciting News! Our Summer Enrichment Program is back! Join us for a blend of classroom learning and summer camp activities, creating an engaging and educational summer experience that our students truly enjoy!
Registration is now open! Don`t miss out on this opportunity to participate in the fun!
#weaareplainedge #summerenrich #learning #education #summerfun #weare #plainedgepride
Dr. Salina was thrilled to receive a hand-delivered thank you note from one of our Best Buddies club members today! It was such a heartfelt gesture from the entire Best Buddies Club to create a personalized thank you card for attending the 4th Annual Best Buddies Fashion Show last month!
#weareplainedge #bestbuddies #together #united #community #inclusion #learning #education #plainedgepride #plainedgeproud
