Floral Park-Bellerose School District Appoints New Administrators

FLORAL PARK, NY — The Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District announced Tuesday that Penelopi Kikis and Taylor Patwell would be stepping into new roles as principal of the Floral Park-Bellerose School and assistant principal at the John Lewis Childs Schoo, respectively, effective July 1.

The hires mark a new chapter for the administrative duo, one of whom is known to the district while the other is a new face.

For Kikis, it’s a move away from her role as assistant principal and principal designee at PS 143Q, where she oversaw K-5 instruction, special education programming, school operations and student support systems. In her time at her last post, district officials said Kikis launched a reading therapy program that brought trained therapy dogs into the school to help kids who need extra academic and emotional support and expanded intervention efforts in test preparation and literacy, all of which were meant to help students meet the educational goals for their grade level.

On top of that, Kikis has been an educator for over 20 years, and district officials said she operates under the motto “lead with love.”

“Whether partnering with families, collaborating with colleagues or supporting students, she aims to ensure that every child receives a high- quality education that both challenges and inspires them while creating meaningful experiences and memories that last a lifetime,” the district said.

Kikis has a master’s in education from Touro College and has state certifications in school building leadership, school district leadership, childhood education and disability teaching.

“In my first interactions with the students, staff, families and community members of Floral Park-Bellerose, it became immediately clear that the strong sense of community, collaboration and pride is what makes FPBS so special,” Kikis said. “This is far more than a school; it is a family. I am both humbled and excited to become part of this incredible Hive and look forward to working alongside students, staff, families and community members to ensure that every child feels safe, supported, challenged and inspired to reach their fullest potential.”

Joining her at her new school will be a decade-long member of the Floral Park-Bellerose district: Taylor Patwell, the district’s director of curriculum and instructional technology. Patwell has been in the district since 2015, starting in Floral Park-Bellerose as a special education teacher before launching lab and STEM programs for grades K-6.

From there, Patwell became a data specialist and an enrichment program coordinator before stepping into her director role.

“In her current role, she has spearheaded district initiatives focused on balanced technology use and student well-being, led the phased two-year implementation of the generative AI platform Chat for Schools for students in grades 3-6 and played a key role in advancing districtwide curriculum initiatives,” the district said. “Throughout her tenure, Ms. Patwell has consistently demonstrated a commitment to student achievement, inclusive practices and the creation of positive, student-centered learning environments. Her dedication to fostering innovation while keeping students’ needs at the forefront has made a lasting impact on the district.”

Patwell has a master’s in special education from Manhattan College and has certifications in school district and building leadership from the College of St. Rose.

“I am honored and excited to join the JLCS community as assistant principal,” Patwell said. “Having spent over ten years serving our district in both classroom and leadership roles, I have come to deeply appreciate the dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm of our students and the strong sense of community that makes this district so special. JLCS holds a special place in my heart as the first school where I taught after joining the district and I am thrilled to return in this new capacity to support our students and educators.”