Back-to-School: 5 People You Should Know in Your Kid's School

For children and teenagers around Westchester, today, Tuesday, Sept. 6 is the first day of school. Here are the five people that parents should know in the White Plains School District.

1. The Teacher – Your child’s teacher is a deciding feature of their school year experience. The teacher is someone you should be able to trust and contact for any situation regarding your child's welfare at school. Teacher assignments are usually made available during the second or third week of August. Most teachers in the district have personal websites that you can visit to familiarize yourself with their contact information and, in certain cases, their curriculum. Parents can get a list of teachers’ emails and phone numbers from the Staff E-mail & Phone Directory online.

2. The Principal – The principal is the hallmark of the school. Get to know this figure because he or she can guide you through school policies and keep you up-to-date on the everyday events and occurrences that affect your child’s life at school.

• : Diana Knight, 914-422-2182 (Ask for call to be directed.)
• : Jonathan Brown, 914-422-2092 (Ask for call to be directed.)
• : Joseph Cloherty, 914-422-2223 (Ask for call to be directed.)
• : Tashia Brown, 914-422-2088
• : Michael DeChance, 914-422-2286 (Ask for call to be directed.)
• : Laura Mungin, 914-422-2225
• : Teresa Niss, 914-422-2324
• : Darrell Stinchcomb, 914-422-2347
• : Director of Alternative Programs Gary Peluso, 914-422-2420 (Ask for call to be directed.)

3. The School Nurse – The school nurse is someone every parent should have in the Favorites list on his or her cell phone. Your child’s school nurse should have record of allergies or other health disorders that may affect your child’s daily routine.

• White Plains High School: Eileen Perri and Sue Repetti, 914-422-2231
• Highlands Middle School: Narcita Medina, 914-422-2133
• Eastview Middle School: Donna Dessner, 914-422-2412
• Ridgeway School: Lucia Scala, 914-422-2084
• Mamaroneck Avenue School: Christina Pollard, 914-422-2291
• George Washington Elementary School: Donna Kellet, 914-422-2386
• Post Road Elementary School: June Brown, 914-422-2326
• Church Street Elementary School: Barbara Santarelli, 914-422-2403
• Community School: Linda Cassrey, 914-422-2020

4. The Guidance Counselor – The guidance counselor is the school’s diamond in the rough. They become a strong presence in your child’s life in middle and high schools, helping him or her to deal with everyday stresses, choose classes and, eventually, college. For lower level schools, contact the main office to see if a social worker is in attendance and available to call. 

• White Plains High School: Coordinator of Guidance Leslie Pompkins, 914-422-2174
• Highlands Middle School: Guidance Office (Counselors Litin Chu, Helena Valdes, Michael Salley, Lisa Birke), 914-422-2127
• Eastview Middle School: Lily Diaz-Withers and Robert Baddeley, 914-422-2223
• Community School: Lea Emmanuel, 914-422-2424

5. The Bus Driver – The bus driver assures your child gets to and from school safely each day. You should have your district’s bus company number on file in case there is ever an emergency and you need to locate your child before or after school. For the White Plains School District there are around 66 large full-time bus routes and 35 van routes; call the company to receive personal contact information for your child's bus driver.

• WPSD Coordinator of Transportation: Diane Markert, 914-422-2072
• White Plains Bus Company (WPSD contracts with this company, but they service other areas): 914-328-1400

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