Editor’s note: This press release was issued by the Pelham School District.

At its meeting on Wednesday, June 20, the Pelham Board of Education appointed Gregory Lau as Secondary Supervisor for Special Education, John Sebalos as Director of Technology and Lynn Sabia as Pelham Middle School Principal, filling three key administrative positions in the District.

Mr. Lau, currently the Interim Assistant Director of Special Education (High School Programs) for the New Rochelle School District, will fill the Secondary Supervisor for Special Education position in Pelham. In this position, which was created in the 2018-19 budget, Mr. Lau will provide leadership and oversight of special education services at the middle school and high school.

In his New Rochelle position, Mr. Lau also serves as a Transition Coordinator/Guidance Counselor and the out-of-district CSE Case Manager/Chairperson. His role includes servicing and evaluating a staff of 30 special education teachers, 15 teaching assistants and 15 aids. He has experience with referral evaluation, Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation of effective and efficient provision of programs and services for students with disabilities. Additionally, he has served as a case manager for approximately 50 students placed in private, BOCES and 4201 Schools, chaired annual review and reevaluations of CSE meetings and completed classroom observations of students.

“Throughout our initial screenings, interviews, and focus groups with stakeholders, it was clear that Mr. Lau was the right choice to become our first Secondary Supervisor of Special Education,” said Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ. “In creating this position, our intent was to relieve our clinicians of some administrative tasks so that their time could be spent better serving the needs of our students. Mr. Lau’s experience, with transition planning, supervision of staff, and fostering strong school/home partnerships will be instrumental in meeting this need and will augment the robust services already offered under our special education department. I believe Mr. Lau’s strong collaboration skills will be an outstanding match for our community.”

Mr. Lau holds a M.S. in Educational Leadership & Administration from the College of St. Rose, a M.S. in Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from Fordham University, and a B.A. in Communications with a Minor in Business from Loyola University.

Mr. Sebalos was appointed Director Of Technology, succeeding Joe Catania. Mr. Sebalos is currently an Instructional Technology Specialist in the Mahopac Central School District and previously held a similar position for the North Rockland Central School District.

In his current position, Mr. Sebalos has led professional development for district administration, teachers, grade levels, content areas and led monthly faculty meetings at the elementary schools. He has coordinated the district’s Google Apps initiative by outlining strategic goals and creating accessible professional development opportunities and resources for administrators and teachers. Additionally, he has experience implementing a 1:1 Chromebook initiative and has designed a K-5 Computer Science/STEAM curriculum.

Mr. Sebalos holds an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership from SUNY Stony Brook, a District Data Administrator/Chief Information Officer Certificate from Pace University, a M.S. in Education – Educational Technology Specialist from Pace University and a B.S. in Education from SUNY Oswego.

“I believe that Mr. Sebalos has the energy and skillset to make the leap from teacher to administrator and provide leadership to our technology department,” Dr. Champ said. “Mr. Sebalos’ understanding of curriculum and how to incorporate technology into the classroom will be essential as we continue to build our 1:1 Chromebook initiative, implement computer science coursework, and develop our maker experiences across all grade levels.”

Ms. Sabia, whose expected appointment was announced June 14, has served as Assistant Principal of Pelham Middle School since 2010 and previously held the same position at Pelham Memorial High School dating back to 2005. Throughout her 13 years in Pelham, Ms. Sabia has worked collaboratively to develop and implement a number of school and district initiatives that form the core of our educational program. These include the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, the PMHS Bridge program, social-emotional supports such as the trusted-adult initiative and implementing performance-based assessments.

With the appointment of Mr. Lau, Mr. Sebalos and Ms. Sabia, the District has now filled three key administrative positions. Over the coming weeks, the Board and District are anticipating completion of efforts to fill remaining key administrative positions, including Interim Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, Assistant Principal of Pelham Middle School, and Superintendent’s Secretary.