Kayla Simas

Kayla Simas is the 7th grade English Language Arts and the 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher at Notre Dame Academy. Ms. Simas also teaches the Journalism Elective and is the editor of the school’s periodical, The Gator Gazette.

 

She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism from Mercy University (formerly Mercy College), a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, and a Master's of Arts in English from the College of Staten Island. 

 

At Mercy College, she was an active member of the college newspaper and served as Managing Editor and Sports Editor, where she acquired the skills required for leadership.

 

Ms. Simas was a substitute teacher for the Department of Education and a Teaching Assistant for a Pre-K3 class. Most recently, she was a breaking news reporter for the Staten Island Advance and covered a range of stories including crime, weather, profiles, events, and trends. 

 

She is the recipient of three New York Press Association awards: first place column in 2016, second place column in 2017,  and second place editorial in 2017. Additionally, she has also been published in literary journals for a fiction short story and poems. In June 2023, Ms. Simas was awarded the Fourth Estate Award by the American Legion of Richmond County for her dedication to the field of journalism and work to connect her students with veterans and veteran affairs.

 

Ms. Simas looks forward to sharing her passion for reading and writing and love for history with your daughters!