East Rockaway welcomes Marisa Femia as Rhame Avenue Elementary School principal
The East Rockaway Union Free School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Marisa Femia as the new principal of Rhame Avenue Elementary School, effective Nov. 16.
Ms. Femia has 10 years of experience in education, including literacy and English as a New Language (ENL) instruction, as well as instructional leadership at the elementary and secondary levels.
She began her career as an ENL teacher’s assistant at Accompsett Middle School in the Smithtown Central School District before becoming an ENL teacher at Hauppauge Middle School. At Hauppauge, she developed a literacy curriculum for beginning multilingual learners, coordinated student screenings and placements, and supported new ENL teachers.
Since 2021, Ms. Femia has served as a reading teacher at Bretton Woods Elementary School in the Hauppauge School District. A certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner, she has collaborated with teachers, administrators and support staff to identify students’ learning needs, coordinate targeted reading interventions and develop strategies to support academic growth.
Ms. Femia also brings experience in school administration, having served as a learning administrator responsible for developing master schedules, facilitating faculty and data team meetings, conducting classroom observations, and training staff on new student data systems. She has led professional development workshops, helped update district reading benchmarks, and coordinated kindergarten orientation programs for incoming students and their families.
Ms. Femia holds a bachelor's degree in Italian studies and linguistics from Stony Brook University, a master's degree in literacy education studies from the University at Buffalo, and a post-master's certification in educational leadership from Stony Brook University. She is conversationally fluent in Italian and Spanish and has supported multilingual families through translation and communication throughout her career.
Beyond the classroom, Ms. Femia serves as head coach of the Smithtown High School JV kickline team. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling to Europe, visiting Walt Disney World with her family and taking walks with her dog, Chewbacca.
Throughout the interview process, Ms. Femia developed a strong appreciation for East Rockaway's close-knit school community and its commitment to students and families. She looks forward to building relationships with Rhame Avenue's students, staff and parents while continuing the school's tradition of academic excellence and community involvement.
The district welcomes Ms. Femia to the East Rockaway family as she begins this new chapter at Rhame Avenue Elementary School.