East Aurora Advertiser

New Parkdale Principal Ready to Meet and Work with Community



It’s a new school year, with familiar friends and new faces, and there will be a new principal walking through the halls who is looking forward to the first day of school. 

“I simply can’t wait,” T’Hani Pantoja said, who was recently appointed as the new principal at Parkdale. “The community needs to know I am excited for this opportunity. I recognize the diamond that East Aurora is in Western New York and I am eager to get to know people and support the children of the community at Parkdale.”

Pantoja is replacing former principal Jessica Lyons, who recently accepted a district level position. Pantoja is kicking the school year off on Aug. 30 with an informal “meet and greet” at the school playground during lunch and dinner hours, where students can bring a brown bag meal, sit outside with their families and have an opportunity to meet Pantoja for the first time.

“I think it’s critically important to make myself accessible and to get to know people,” Pantoja said. “I have always been a firm believer that relationships matter. This is no different in East Aurora. I am looking forward to developing positive relationships with staff, families, students and the community.”

Pantoja was born and raised in Rochester, and spent 25-years working for the Rochester City School District. She started out in a classroom as an elementary teacher, earning her credentials to work in administration a few years later. During her tenure she worked at several city schools, oftentimes transferring to a particular location that needed assistance. She worked in administration at three different buildings, serving as principal at one former Blue Ribbon School, which is a national designation.

“I worked with the community to bring the schools from poor to good standings,” she said, adding that this often included expanding programs and writing grants for more resources. 

At this stage of her life, she has found herself spending more time in WNY. Her son is a recent graduate of Niagara University in Niagara County, and she is currently in a relationship with someone with local roots. When she saw this administrative position open up in East Aurora, she figured it was time to make the move here permanently, and applied right away.

“From the time I rode in and saw the hearts on the lawns of some of the community members it just felt right,” she said. “I know I am going to love being in East Aurora.”

Pantoja said that her last name is Hispanic and she teaches children to sound it out phonetically, as “pan-toe-ha” so they learn how to pronounce it correctly. Her first name has Polynesian roots and the apostrophe is pronounced as though it is the short vowel ‘a.’ 

T’Hani Pantoja is the new principal at Parkdale Elementary

Aside from looking forward to working in East Aurora, she is looking forward to enjoying small town living for the first time in her life. Her favorite thing so far has been the unlimited places to eat locally. She said she has spent the summer touring around all of the “wonderful dining establishments,” and they just keep getting better and better. However, even the joy of eating nationally recognized chicken wings doesn’t compare to how much she is looking forward to the new school year.

“I am looking forward to doing the one thing that I love the most, which is working with kids.” she said. “I am super excited.”

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