Principal
My name is Maria Valencia Demattei. After many years as an elementary
teacher in the San Mateo-Foster City School District, I have worked at Bayside Academy as an Outreach Coordinator, an Academic Dean, as the Assistant Principal of Bayside’s K-5 program, and most recently, as the Principal of Bayside Academy. I am a leader who enjoys consulting about student’s needs, developing best practices for reaching out to families, or guiding a teacher on how to implement a lesson most effectively.
Throughout my time at Bayside, I have strived to be an exemplar of what it means to work with a school as a whole – I try to radiate positivity, make the effort to connect in meaningful ways with every member of our school community from custodial staff to students to substitute teachers, and offer assistance wherever I can. I have a natural ability to help others feel understood, heard, and valued, and I advocate relentlessly for students, both on an individual level and system-wide. I try to be focused, nuanced, and have a holistic understanding of youth that is instrumental in helping match students with appropriate assistance, and I try to constantly go above and beyond my job duties to provide students, staff, and the school with the best outcomes possible.
As part of the administrative team at Bayside, I try to be a leader who makes tough decisions with an even keel and having weighed and considered all options, I act as a resource and a liaison to our entire school staff, and try to bring people together over shared goals and vision, through humor, and with compassionate leadership. As the Bayside Academy Principal, I have brought together the many strengths and talents I believe I possess to help our school make a seamless transition from being simply a middle school to having a K-8 program.
Having been a student in our own District, my local and institutional knowledge and connections have been a huge asset during this time of change for Bayside. I will use these multiple lenses and experiences to solve problems effectively while I constantly keep the teacher, student, administrator, and family perspectives at the forefront. I seek out professional development around pertinent issues, use data to drive my practices, and have exceptional instructional skills and instincts, particularly at the elementary level.
My educational philosophy is that every child has talents and brings something to the table, and my job as an educational leader is to ensure that all students succeed. I believe in equitable access to education, resources, and opportunities for my students, staff, and families. Every child deserves the chance for school to feel like a second home, and my job is to ensure that my school creates that safe and happy space for all students.