The Pelham Board of Education confirmed Jennifer Mangone as the new principal of Siwanoy Elementary School, effective in July, at last week’s meeting. The board also accepted the resignation of Joe Toombs III, who will leave his job as athletic director of Pelham Memorial High School this summer to return to the Mamaroneck school district, where he spent most of his career prior to joining PMHS in 2023.
Most of the March 25 meeting was spent reviewing line items from Superintendent Cheryl Champ’s proposed budget for 2026-27, but the highlight of the evening was the introduction of Mangone and her confirmation by the board as the next principal of Siwanoy, which has been without a full-time leader since March of last year.
Before the vote, district director of human resources Trish Nugent Fitzgerald reviewed the hiring process that led to Mangone’s selection. Fitzgerald told the board that 57 candidates applied for the position, which was posted in January. After identifying six candidates who were worthy of further review, the district consulted with parents, teachers and administrators before deciding to bring in four finalists who were invited to discuss the district’s elementary school curriculum.
“From there, three of them were invited back to read a picture book with a lesson for children in 3rd grade,” said Fitzgerald. The three then met with Champ’s administrative team, which forwarded two candidates to the board for a final interview.
Following the unanimous vote in Mangone’s favor, the board invited her to say a few words.
“I am so grateful and excited for this opportunity to join the Pelham family and community,” said Mangone, who is currently the principal of Somers Middle School. “From the moment I walked into Siwanoy I could feel the warmth, the joy and the passion for student learning and student well-being in the halls and in the community and with the faculty and families. And that’s the type of place that I like to learn and and work. When I came to read to the third graders, which was the scariest part of this whole process…I left there just beaming and excited, and called my husband in the car and I said, this is the school for me. That was what sold it for me.”
Mangone said she read the book, “The Day You Begin.” “It’s a story about bravery and stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new because it can be great,” she said. “And I think that that’s what I’m doing here. I’m so grateful to all of you for taking that big risk on a secondary educator, but really seeing who I am at my core, which is someone who is passionate about students and learning and growth. And I’m really just very excited to be part of this community. So thank you so much.”
As for Toombs, Champ said that the district is seeking to fill the position for an interim period before settling on a full-time candidate for the position.
“We are grateful for Mr. Toombs’ contributions to the district and wish him the best of luck in his new role,” said Champ in an email.
