Middle school assistant principal Kathleen Graham joined the district midway through the 2025-2026 school year and quickly made a mark with students and staff alike. As the summer concludes, she is excited for her first full year as part of the Falcon family.
“Everyone was so kind, and really welcoming,” Graham said. “It’s always nice to go into a school district that already has well-established protocols.”
Graham comes to Locust Valley by way of Lawrence, where she served as Assistant Principal of the Middle School, Principal of the Lawrence Early Childhood Center and Director of Special Programs.
“Coming to Locust Valley, I was just really impressed with how kind both the staff and students are,” Graham said. “They were really respectful, kind and welcoming of me.”
Graham highlighted the middle school social-emotional learning events as some of her favorite moments of her first year, especially P.S. I Love You Day, because of the hard work and enthusiasm from the counselors and students.
“You had the Falcon mascot come out and play music in the hallways in between periods, and they just did a lot to make it fun,” Graham said. “Looking at our mental health is an important part of school and beyond.”
An Adelphi University alumna, Graham had a love for history and took part in the STEP Accelerated Teaching Degree Program to start her on the path to becoming an educator. After completing her master's degree, she taught as a Middle School Social Studies teacher as part of the New York City Department of Education. During that time, Graham also excelled in the Teacher Leader Program, earning the Peer Collaborative Teacher designation.
Looking forward to 2026-2027, Graham is excited to build new relationships with the incoming sixth grade, continue to grow the ones she cultivated last year and support teachers’ individual needs. In the long term, Graham is ready to help implement the Leader in Me program into the middle school, as she did in Lawrence during her time there. Graham will also use her previous experience to help build the Branching Minds program at LVMS to identify students who need extra support and give them the tools to succeed.