Botelle School has a new principal

By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo

Lauren Valentino started her new job as principal of Botelle School on July 1. She was unanimously selected for the position by a search committee made up of Board of Education members, parents and teachers. Valentino is the fourth principal at Botelle in the past decade.

Superintendent Mary Beth Iacobelli says, “I am thrilled to have hired such an experienced educator to lead our school. I’m confident that Lauren is a great match for Botelle, and I’m very excited to have her on my administrative team.”

A Simsbury resident for the past 15 years, Valentino has four children, two at Simsbury High School and twin girls who are starting middle school this fall. Her first teaching position after college was in the Enfield school system; later she took a position in Simsbury. Most recently, Valentino served as the Literacy Specialist in the Hartland public school system.

She sees a lot of similarities between Norfolk and Hartland, where she taught for 10 years. “The sense I get is that Norfolk, like Hartland, is a small, tight-knit community in beautiful, natural surroundings,” says Valentino.

Norfolk native Sara Hannafin has two daughters who attended Hartland School, where Valentino taught language arts. “Lauren helped shape both of my children into the robust readers they are today. She has a real talent for connecting with young people, learning what their interests are and then individually adjusting subject matter to achieve success. She is truly, in part, responsible for how much my children, now in high school, still like to read today,” says Hannafin.

Valentino sees her ascension to the role of principal as a natural progression, having been a head teacher in Hartland before taking on the administrative role at Botelle. Since taking the helm, Valentino has enjoyed meeting the Botelle kids and their parents as well as the many staff and teachers who have been in the building this summer. She has also been busy planning her first teacher training day. With a background in literacy, Valentino considers helping kids develop a love of reading and writing a primary goal for their early education. “Preparing kids to be lifelong learners is what’s most important,” she says.

Botelle’s enrollment for the 2016-17 school year is 101 students—99 from Norfolk and two preschoolers who are tuition-paying students from surrounding towns. The sixth grade class that graduated in June was a large one, so the school’s enrollment is down from previous years, but Valentino was happy to report that seven new students enrolled over the summer months. Botelle School offers half-day, three-days-a-week preschool for 4-year-olds and a full-day, five-days–a-week kindergarten program.

Valentino is pleased with the school’s technology initiatives—kindergarten and first graders now have “Smart Tables” (interactive white board tables), and grades 3 through 6 have Chromebooks (laptops on a Google platform).

The new principal is also impressed with the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Their most recent undertaking—the construction of a GaGa Ball pit—is sure to be a hit with students. A form of dodge ball, GaGa Ball takes place in an octagon-shaped pit with a 25-foot diameter. “The school’s PTO is an incredibly productive, engaged group doing amazing things for the school. I really look forward to working with them,” says Valentino.

Another feature that has left quite an impression on Valentino is the community garden. She is looking to continue the partnership with Husky Meadows Farms, which will enhance the school’s curriculum through teaching sustainable farming and nutrition. Field trips to the farm will be planned for the fall.

A meet and greet with Valentino was held on August 24. If you’ve missed it and would like to get in touch with the new principal, she can be contacted at valentino1@botelleschool.org, or by calling the school’s main office, 860-542-5286.

Photo by Bruce Frisch: A meet and greet with Lauren Valentino at the Norfolk Library gave students and parents a change to get acquainted with their new principal.