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Barbara Abbey returns to lead Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School

Woman with curly hair and glasses smiles for head shot
Barbara Abbey returns to lead Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School

Barbara Abbey is proud to serve as Principal of Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School, bringing more than 30 years of educational experience — including more than two decades in the Mount Vernon City School District — to the role.

A Bronx native and the daughter of immigrant parents from Antigua and Barbuda, Ms. Abbey attended the University of Texas at Austin on a full track and field scholarship and proudly represented Antigua in the women's 400-meter event at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Texas before completing a Master of Science in Science Education at Lehman College and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Supervision at Baruch College.

Ms. Abbey began her career as a biology teacher in the New York City Public Schools before joining Mount Vernon High School, where she taught Biology and AP Biology and served as Science Department chair. In 2018, she became Assistant Principal of the newly established Mount Vernon STEAM Academy, helping build the school's culture and academic foundation from its inception.

She first served as Principal of Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School from 2023 to 2025 before becoming Principal of Summit Park Elementary School in the East Ramapo Central School District. There, she led the school community while continuing her commitment to academic excellence, student achievement and inclusive school leadership.

Now returning to Nelson Mandela, Ms. Abbey is excited to build on the strong relationships she has established with students, families and staff. She believes every child can succeed when supported by caring educators, engaged families and a school community that fosters high expectations, belonging and opportunity.

Woman with curly hair and glasses smiles for head shot
Barbara Abbey returns to lead Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School

Barbara Abbey is proud to serve as Principal of Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School, bringing more than 30 years of educational experience — including more than two decades in the Mount Vernon City School District — to the role. Ms. Abbey is excited to return to the school and build on the strong relationships she has established with students, families and staff. She believes every child can succeed when supported by caring educators, engaged families and a school community that fosters high expectations, belonging and opportunity.

A large group of children and adults are gathered on a paved area in front of a brick school building, many holding flags and signs.
Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School celebrates Caribbean Heritage Month with Parade of Flags

Students and staff had an amazing time celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month at Nelson Mandela/Hosea Zollicoffer Elementary School this week! The entire school came alive with vibrant flags and colorful posters, all created by the talented staff and students at NMHZ. Everyone came together outside, enjoying lively music and dancing, and honoring the rich cultures and traditions of the Caribbean. The PreK - 6 grade Parade of Flags was a joyful highlight, making this a truly memorable celebration for the school community!
 

A group of students and adults pose for a photo in a classroom with a whiteboard and a large screen in the background.
NMHZ sixth graders celebrate win of CTE Stock Market Challenge with trophy unveiling and pizza party

Vito DiMatteo’s sixth-grade class at Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School celebrated their momentous win in the second annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) Stock Market Challenge this Tuesday with the unveiling of their hard-earned trophy and a pizza party. The sixth graders managed to beat high school and middle school students before ever even taking a Career and Financial Management course!

Click here to view the top three schools in the CTE Stock Market Challenge.

A classroom setting with a teacher in a cowboy costume engaging with a group of young students seated on the floor, surrounded by educational materials and displays on the walls.
NMHZ students learn about expressing love to themselves with dragon-themed book

Social emotional learning was underway at Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School, as kindergarten and first-grade students learned about love and how to show love to themselves — with the help of dinosaurs. The School Counseling Department read "When I Feel Loved," by Paula Bowles and spoke to the students about how saying nice words and affirmations are beautiful ways of expressing love to themselves. The activity concluded with each student finding a dragon egg, and inside, was their own positive affirmation.