New Principal Welcomed At Local Elementary School

SHIRLEY, NY — The search is over: The William Floyd School District has appointed Dr. Heather Murillo as the new principal of Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School, effective January 6, 2020.

Dr. Murillo, the district said, will serve as the instructional and administrative leader of Nathaniel Woodhull, which educates 675 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and employs nearly 60 faculty members and 50 professional staff members.

Dr. Murillo has served as the school’s assistant principal for the past four years and is taking the reins from Monica Corona, who is retiring at the end of the calendar year after a distinguished 16-year career, the district said.

“Dr. Murillo has been a great asset to the William Floyd school community as both a teacher and assistant principal,” said Dr. Stacey Scalise, assistant superintendent for elementary instruction, administration and pupil personnel services for the William Floyd School District. “She is a highly-dedicated, motivated and creative educator who will continue to influence her school community to achieve great things.”

Dr. Murillo shared her vision: “As a school principal, I will aspire to create a positive school culture and strong educational programs conducive to student learning and development,” she said.

Murillo said she believes students respond favorably to positive reinforcement and a structured environment where "expectations are explicitly communicated" and where they are provided with multiple pathways to achieve instructional and interpersonal goals.

"Strong relationships are the cornerstone of a successful school and when staff and students feel respected, they are more willing to take the risks that lead to true learning. The youthful enthusiasm and excitement for learning that you see in the faces of elementary children is infectious and inspires me every day at work and in my life," she said.

Dr. Murillo began her educational career as a teacher in the New York City school system, working as a second-grade teacher at P.S. 23, The New Children’s School. She also served as a second- and third-grade general education teacher, a fourth-grade special education teacher and as a reading specialist at PS/IS 49, The Dorothy Bonawit Kole School, and as a second-grade teacher at William Floyd Elementary School before accepting a position as assistant principal at Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School, the district said in a release.

She is also known in William Floyd school community for her work as the district-wide kindergarten screening supervisor.

“Working alongside our hardworking students, supportive parents, invested community, and devoted faculty and staff, I am confident that we will continue the positive momentum and trajectory at Nathaniel Woodhull that Mrs. Corona has instilled,” said Dr. Murillo. “I am eager to work collaboratively with all constituent groups and look forward to seeing all of the wonderful things that we will be able to accomplish together.”

Dr. Murillo earned a Bachelor of Arts in elementary and special education, K through sixth grade, at Manhattan College, and a Master of Arts in literacy education, from birth through sixth grade, at the C.W. Post Graduate School. She also holds her advanced certificate in school building leadership and school district leadership from St. John’s University and a doctorate in supervision and educational leadership from St. John’s University, the district said.