We’d like to give a warm welcome to Wyngate’s new principal, Ms. Nichola Wallen! The principal selection process, led by Dr. Floyd-Cooper, Director of Learning, Achievement, and Administration, began on July 7th and included input from the staff, community members and parents. Ms. Wallen was appointed on July 27th and will officially begin her new role on July 29th.
Community Meet and Greets will be held on August 4th and 5th. Please check your email for zoom details.
Below is Ms. Wallen’s letter to the community:
July 27, 2021
Dear Wyngate Elementary Students, Staff, and Families,
It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce myself to you as the new principal of Wyngate Elementary School. I feel honored and humbled that I was chosen to serve the students, staff, and families of the Wyngate community and continue the tradition of excellence that has been established. To ensure a smooth transition, I will be working closely with James Koutsos, Area Associate Superintendent, Dr. Rotunda Floyd-Cooper, Director of Learning, Achievement, and Administration, as well as the staff and parent community to ensure continued success for all students.
My initial work will focus on building relationships and learning about each member of our school community. I want to begin that effort by sharing some information with you about my background. I was raised in New York by parents who saw education as a way for my siblings and I to attain our dreams. As a student, I had extremely dedicated teachers who inspired me to want to become an educator and instilled in me a passion to positively impact the trajectory of the lives of students. I hold a Master of Science in Elementary Education from Mercy College, a certificate in School Administration and Supervision from Towson University and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Buffalo. As a continued learner, I am currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in System Leadership and Policy, at the University of Maryland, College Park.
I have been a dedicated educator for 20 years. I started my career in education working for the New York City Public Schools system, as a special education teacher in the middle school setting. In my 18 years of experience in MCPS, I served in many different roles that have strengthened who I am as an educator. I have been a special education classroom teacher, a special education resource teacher, a general education classroom teacher, a staff development teacher and an assistant principal. For the past five years, I also served as a leadership coach for first and second year assistant principals. These professional opportunities gave me the chance to work alongside and learn from many amazing teachers and leaders throughout MCPS. I was extremely fortunate to have these valuable experiences to refine my skills as a leader and strengthen my core values of excellence and commitment as an educator. I believe that students come first and are at the center of our work, and that all students can achieve at high levels through commitment, opportunities, relationships, and collaboration.
I am looking forward to beginning our work together as we prepare for the 2021-2022 school year. As principal, I am committed to excellence and lead with a focus on providing a high quality instructional program, wrapped in care. The foundation of my leadership work will center around building positive relationships with all staff, students, and our parent community; creating an environment of trust through transparency; and fostering a culture of communication and collaboration as we provide our students with the skills necessary for them to excel and thrive in their future. I look forward to working with you for the remainder of the summer and throughout the school year. Please feel free to email me at Nichola_A_Wallen@mcpsmd.org. Together we will ensure that Wyngate Elementary School continues to be an amazing place to work and learn.
Sincerely,
Nichola A. Wallen