By Dani Heller
As the current school year is coming to an end, the district announced the appointment of two new members of the Irvington High School community — new IHS assistant principal, Michelleann DeFilippis, and director of pupil personnel services, Celia Strino.
Michelleann DeFilippis will be taking over for Mr. Samuelson as assistant principal for the 2021-22 school year. Ms. DeFilippis has previous experience as a social studies teacher at the Bronx Leadership Academy and Southern Westchester BOCES. More recently, she has held the position as a curriculum leader at Ossining High School. Superintendent Kris Harrison wrote in an email to the district that she is an advocate of building equity, and her curriculum designs have met “the needs and interests of a culturally diverse community.”
Ms. Strino, who is taking over for Ms. Gail Krieger, has previously served as director of secondary special education, supervisor of student services, special education department chairperson and teacher leader. She’s also served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law, and a director of international programs at Temple University School of Law.
“Both Ms. Strino and Ms. DeFilippis thoroughly impressed me throughout the district’s rigorous interview process by demonstrating their knowledge and passion for education. I am confident that when they join the IUFSD in July, they will quickly orient themselves to the Irvington school community and will immediately have a positive effect on our students’ learning experiences,” wrote Dr. Harrison.
