Elizabeth Wood has been selected to run the new Shatekon Elementary School in Clifton Park. She will join the Shenendehowa Central School District on Jan. 2, 2007.
The Shenendehowa Board of Education appointed Wood principal of the 650-student school by unanimous vote Tuesday, Nov. 14. Wood has been principal of Shaker Road Elementary School for five years and has been with the South Colonie School district for 12 years. She was also an associate principal at Lisha Kill Middle School for two years.
Wood went through an interview process that involved three rounds of interviews and a site visit to Shaker Road Elementary School.
Kelly DeFeciani, Shenendehowa district spokesperson, said that Wood was among five well-qualified finalists.
What set Elizabeth apart was that she had been principal of an elementary school and opened a library, said DeFeciani.
South Colonie School District Superintendent Michael Marcelle said that
Wood was notable for the relationships that she developed with parents and the Shaker Road PTA.
`She made a definite impact,` Marcelle said. `Whenever I talked to PTA officers, the feedback was positive.`
Shatekon Elementary School will open in September 2007, and Wood has plenty to do before opening day. The new school will bring changes, and the Shenendehowa School District is in the process of re-drawing elementary school boundaries.
Wood said she expects to work closely with the Shenendehowa administrative team and redistricting committee to provide a smooth transition for new students.
`Every school will be affected by redistricting, and it will be important to create a warm, welcoming environment to help ease the transition to a new school,` she said.
The 34-year-old mother of two said she is ready graduate to a larger school district.
She will be responsible for 250 more students at Shatekon Elementary School. She said that the Shenendehowa Central School District is supportive.
`It’s a high-performing district with many supports embedded,` Wood said.
`You need to give careful consideration to every decision,` Wood said of running an elementary school. `The priority is to maintain a safe school and to make sure that all students are learning.`
Wood describes herself as a collaborative leader who involves other staff in important decisions. She recalled having many discussions with library staff before they moved into a new media center at Shaker Road Elementary School.
Endings can hold as much anticipation as beginnings because they reflect how leaders are remembered.
`I would like other people to determine how my five years at Shaker Wood will be remembered,` Wood said. The same goes for what I will bring to Skate on.`
Wood lives in Ballston Lake with her husband, Robert, and two children, Bryan, 5, and Thomas, 18 months.“