The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Mcclowry named new principal of South Side Elementary School
CANASTOTA, N. Y. » The Canastota Board of Education appointed Vanessa Mcclowry on Tuesday, Nov. 10, as the new Principal of South Side Elementary School, which serves about 200 students in grades 2- 3.
Mcclowry was selected after an extensive search with 33 applicants vying for the position, according to officials. She will assume her new role on Dec. 7, 2020.
The Canastota central School District reported on their new principal’s credentials and experience, as detailed below.
Mcclowry comes to Canastota from the Fayetteville- Manlius school district, where she is the assistant principal at Wellwood Middle School. In that role, her responsibilities include supervising special education programming, serving as the DASA antibullying coordinator, overseeing state assessments and testing, coordinating master scheduling, delivering professional development to staff, and participating on a school- community connection team.
“She has excellence experience at both the elementary and middle school levels and has a very strong understanding of early literacy development, which is critical for a grade 2- 3 building, and also in special education and the intervention process,” Superintendent Shawn Bissetta said in a news release. “She’s someone who forges relationships with staff, students, and families but also has the ability to hold people to high standards. That balance is important.”
Mcclowry said she was impressed during her visit with how welcoming the staff was toward her and how committed the Canastota community is to education. She said she is excited to join the district and has a lot that she hopes to accomplish.
“I’m really passionate about reading, so being in a building with second and third graders gives me the ability to work on some of those skills with staff and students and have a positive impact on reading proficiency,” she said. “I really wanted to be back in an elementary school and work with younger children.”
Prior to her assistant principal position, Mcclowry was a School Psychologist in the FM district and in the North Syracuse school districts, at both the elementary and middle school levels.
In those roles, her duties included reviewing and setting goals for reading and math intervention programs, chairing the Committee on Special Education, conducting behavior evaluations, and working with building staff on student learning accommodations.
Mcclowry is a certified trainer in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools. She holds degrees from University at Buffalo, SUNY Oswego, and LEMoyne College.