Samone Grixti joins the staff as principal

For those with older students in the district, they may have met Samone Grixti at Alexander Hamilton High School, where she served as assistant principal.

Those with younger students may have met her for the first time at the start of the school year. Ms. Grixti is now the principal at the Carl L. Dixson Primary School.

Between visits to classrooms, overseeing fire drills and managing the general running of a primary school, Ms. Grixti has been welcomed to her new role in the district by students and staff.

Each day she sees something new with her students and enjoys seeing their enthusiasm for learning.

“It’s nice to see their energy as they learn new things,” she said of the students. “They are extremely creative. They are excited to walk into school each morning.”

The staff too, she said, has been supportive and welcoming and she is impressed with their work in three new curriculum initiatives that have begun this year.

“The vibe here is we are a team, a family, we’re supportive and collaborative,” Ms. Grixti said.

She is also getting to know the families of her students too. Events like Meet the Teacher Day and Back to School Night introduced her to several parents and friends.

“This is a very new experience for me, but I’m not new to the district or the community,” Ms. Grixti said of working with the youngest students in the district.

Ms. Grixti is a 2004 graduate of Alexander Hamilton High School. She began her career in education as a math teacher in the Bronx, beginning at St. Raymond’s High School and later at Jonas Bronck Academy where she served as the math team lead. She previously worked at Mount Vernon High School as the math and science department chair. Last year she joined the Elmsford Union Free School District as the assistant principal at the high school.

“It’s a love of supporting learners,” she said as to what drew her to the field of education. “It’s about supporting kids to grow and have fun, memorable experiences.”