Welcome to Preschool! My name is Heather Pugliese and this is my third year here at Waretown Elementary School. Before coming to Waretown, I worked as a preschool teacher in Newark, NJ. I live in Manahawkin with my husband Joe and our daughters Olivia and Riley. We enjoy going to the beach, reading, and spending time with our friends and family. 

I am the Preschool Instructional Coach and the Preschool Intervention and Referral Specialist here at Waretown Elementary School. I work collaboratively with the Preschool Teachers to provide a high quality program for our students. My role in the preschool program is to visit classrooms on a daily basis, coach teachers on Performance-Based Assessments, and support the teachers with professional development and training. 

As the Preschool Intervention and Referral Specialist, I coach teachers on practices and strategies supporting the Pyramid Model and social and emotional learning. I also coach and oversee preschool development screenings, provide teachers and families with social and emotional resources, and collaborate with the other PIRT team members.