New principals for Steele, Lenox elementary schools

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The Baldwin Union Free School District on Monday announced two of its elementary schools will have new principals starting July 1.

Nicole Hunn will become principal of Steele Elementary School and Asheena Baez will be principal of Lenox Elementary School.

Lori Presti, principal of Steele, and Bernice-Theresa Acevedo, principal at Lenox, are retiring, a district spokeswoman told the Herald.

Hunn has been serving as director of K-12 curriculum for the Baldwin school district since July 2017, and was an elementary assistant principal for the Garden City School District before that.

“We are thrilled to see her transition to her new role as principal and continue to lead Steele Elementary on the path to excellence,” Dr. Shari Camhi, superintendent of Baldwin schools, said in a statement. “We congratulate Ms. Hunn on her new appointment, and we are honored and excited to have her continue in her new position as part of the Baldwin family.”

Before working with Baldwin and Garden City school districts, she served as the elementary curriculum supervisor at Oceanside School District and taught grades 2, 3, and 4 in Oceanside. She also works as an adjunct professor in the Department of Education at Hofstra University.

Hunn received her Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and psychology from Hofstra University, as well as a Master of Arts in literacy studies. She also earned a Master of Science in educational leadership and administration from The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

“It is with great joy and excitement that I introduce myself as the Elementary Principal of Steele School,” said Hunn. “The development of students’ academic, social, emotional and physical growth remains at the core of my guiding principles.”

A native Long Islander, Hunn resides in Wantagh with her husband and their children.

Baez comes to Baldwin from the Beacon City School District in the Mid-Hudson Valley, where she served as principal for four years.

“Her educational vision, coupled with her experience in literacy and social emotional learning, is a perfect fit for our school community,”Camhi said in a statement. “We are confident she will continue the hard work and level of excellence that has made Lenox Elementary the outstanding school it is today.”

Baez earned a master’s in administrative leadership from Columbia University, completed district facilitation training in social and emotional learning and development at Yale and has been certified in the Data Wise process at Harvard University. She is also expected to complete her Doctorate of Education in December of 2019 from Sage College in Albany. Before Beacon City School District, she worked with the New York City Department of Education for seven years as a special education teacher and one year as an assistant principal.

“I am elated to have been afforded the opportunity to serve the Baldwin School District in the capacity of principal of Lenox Elementary,” Baez said in a statement. “I look forward to living, learning, and leading within the Baldwin community.”

A native of the Bronx, she will be moving to Baldwin to be closer to her new job.