New Pierson Middle School Principal Takes Helm

SAG HARBOR, NY — Pierson Middle School student welcomed a new principal recently.

The Sag Harbor School District announced that Brittany Carriero has been appointed to the post; she has served as middle school assistant principal for the past five years.

She credits one of her major accomplishments as spearheading the integration of key components of an International Baccalaureate curriculum into grades 6, 7 and 8, the district said.

The initiative kicked off in September with the implementation of the Preparing Learners for a New Tomorrow program. “This is an important, collaborative effort involving our dedicated teachers and administrators. The goal of PLANT is to prepare students with a formative education and specific tools to help them excel into their high school years and beyond,” said Carriero.

PLANT brings a renewed emphasis on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The curriculum establishes threads in middle school that evolve through the school years, with each encounter increasing in complexity and reinforcing previous learning and critical thinking skills. The culmination of the middle school studies will be demonstrated in an eighth-grade project for which students will prepare and defend a dissertation on how they will support a charity of their choice, district officials said.

“Brittany has the leadership experience to support the creation of an authentic middle school, especially at this pivotal time when prekindergarten classes are moving to the former Stella Maris building," said Superintendent Katy Graves.

Prior to joining the Sag Harbor District, Carriero was a special education, physical education and middle school teacher at the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies. She earned a Bachelor’s in physical education from Syracuse University, where she attended on a full field hockey scholarship, and a master’s in education from New York University, the district said in a release.

“Just a few of the reasons I love working in Sag Harbor is the collaboration with my colleagues, the closeness of our community and sense of pride in our school. We are able to really get to know and reach every single student,” Carriero said. “These are the years that we hear most often from students: ‘When am I ever going to need this?’ It’s a privilege to offer them actual learning experiences that will enrich their futures.”

Photo courtesy of Sag Harbor Union Free School District.

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