Tradition of Excellence Continues in Pre-K!
It seems like only yesterday when I transitioned from my small hometown in Pennsylvania to Brooklyn, New York. Before I knew it, I had landed an amazing job at PS 180 as second grade teacher working in a collaborative team teaching classroom. District 20 became my new home away from home.
After obtaining tenure and earning a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, the time for me had come to start my own family. My husband and I soon became the parents of a son and daughter. When my childcare expired, I selected to stay home to raise my children. During my years away from The NYC Department of Education, I spent countless hours visiting and overseeing various high quality early childhood centers that were housed in local Community Based Organizations. This opportunity afforded me the chance to learn firsthand about the daily operations of running a successful Universal Pre-K Program.
In the summer of 2015, Mayor DeBlasio made a promise to bring Pre-K For ALL to all of New York City. Even though I was content working at a local private preschool, I took a chance and interviewed with a District 20 representative. At the end of the interview, I came to the conclusion that “there was no place like home!” My journey as a District 20 Pre-K Site Coordinator had officially begun. I had the privilege of calling Pre- K Site Z072 my home for the past three years.
As a Site Coordinator, I have had the pleasure of working together with our families, teachers, staff and administration to ensure the successful implementation of our program. I firmly believe that when we all come together with a variety of skills, strengths and talents the possibilities become endless. We are all valuable members of our Pre-K For ALL Team! Our common shared objective is to create and maintain an environment that is safe, happy and free from judgment where children can develop and grow to their fullest potential within all of the social/emotional and learning domains.
Once again, I will be transitioning from one of our original and smallest centers to the newest and biggest District 20 Pre-K For ALL Center at Site Z111. My hope is to take my prior professional knowledge and apply it to meet the needs of our new center. As an educator, I continue to be a life-long learner and take great pride in continuously learning from my students, families and staff members.
On behalf of District 20, we welcome you to Pre-K Site Z111 and look forward to creating many memorable milestones and making a difference in the lives of our youngest learners!
“WE are The World, WE are The Children, WE are The Future, WE are Pre-K For ALL!”
Connie Pitsoulis, Site Coordinator Z111
