Trista Nicolo, from Rochester, NY, has been appointed Assistant Principal at the Wayne Elementary and Wayne Primary Schools. She brings with her 15 years of experience in education and a strong background in curriculum and literacy development.

Nicolo has been with the West Irondequoit School District since 2008, holding diverse roles during her tenure. In her recent position as a K-12 Literacy Coach, she cultivated a positive school culture, spearheaded innovative changes to the Response to Intervention (RTI) process, and implemented a successful coaching model for new teachers emphasizing literacy best practices. In 2021 and 2022, Trista Nicolo took on two interim positions. In the spring of 2021, she served as the Interim K-12 Curriculum Supervisor, where she contributed to department meetings, refined the RTI structures, and supported the reopening of schools. As the Acting Director of Humanities in spring 2022, Nicolo led a K-4 Reading Resource Pilot, developed a professional learning series for K-12 English as a New Language teachers, conducted training for special education staff, and actively participated in a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Coalition subcommittee focused on policy drafting and enhancing family engagement. From 2017-2021, Nicolo was a K-6 Instructional Teacher on Special Assignment, contributing significantly to curriculum design and teacher development. From 2008 to 2017, Trista Nicolo taught grades first, third, and sixth. In this role, she fostered an inclusive learning environment, actively involved parents, developed integrated unit plans, and monitored student progress, strongly emphasizing comprehensive assessments.

Nicolo earned her professional certificates as a School Building Leader and School District Leader from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester and a master of science in education from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport. Nicolo also earned a bachelor of science from SUNY Brockport.