New faces, big upgrades, all smiles as Riverhead, Shoreham-Wading River go back to school
Sharpen those pencils and grab the backpacks — school is back in session.
Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River students return to class Thursday with new teachers and administrators, freshly completed building upgrades and several larger projects still underway.
Superintendents Gerard Poole and Bob Hagan are also projecting more modest declines in their enrollment, but still strong numbers as the two gateway school districts to the East End.
New faces of SWR
The Shoreham-Wading River Central School District welcomed a cohort of 10 new teachers during an orientation and workshop Aug. 27.
The new hires were introduced to the district’s technology systems, procedures and instructional programs before taking a bus tour of its four schools and the surrounding community.
Julia Russo is joining Shoreham-Wading River High School as a library media specialist after three years as a technical director for broadcast productions, including work with MSG Networks and MSNBC.
While continuing to freelance part-time in television, Ms. Russo shifted toward a career in school libraries and spent the past two years working full-time as a library aide at Jericho High School.
“I made the decision to become a librarian because it combines my two passions, reading and technology,” Ms. Russo said. “Now more than ever, media literacy is a vital skill to have, and I am both passionate and excited to teach the students of Shoreham-Wading River how to be critical thinkers and consumers of information.”
Emily Williams, a 2006 SWR graduate, is returning to the district as a physical education leave replacement and long-term substitute at the high school. She has 11 years of experience teaching health and physical education in private and public schools and has coached several sports, including girls lacrosse. She now coaches junior varsity girls soccer at SWR.
Jennifer Bluestein of Sound Beach is joining the special education team in the RISE Program at Miller Avenue School. This is her 16th year teaching, after spending a decade in Northern Virginia and the past six years in New York.
“My motivation in becoming a teacher is to lead students of all abilities to be their best self,” Ms. Bluestein said. “I hope to bring a positive energy and provide an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome!”
Hope Mari of Miller Place is joining Wading River School as a fourth- and fifth-grade Learning Center special education teacher. She graduated from St. Joseph’s University in Patchogue in 2025 with a degree in child study and completed her master’s degree in literacy and cognition this summer.
She previously worked as a substitute in Shoreham-Wading River and recently completed a leave replacement in Mount Sinai.
Ms. Mari said she still remembers how her first-grade teacher built personal relationships with students from the start, creating a welcoming classroom community. She hopes to carry those “simple actions of kindness” into her own classroom.
“Members of the SWR community celebrate each other and support one another through challenges,” Ms. Mari said. “I hope to contribute to a school community where students feel known, cared for, and excited to come to school each day.”
The new teachers will be joined by several fresh administrators. Dr. Jennifer Lewner is the new assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment, Dr. Meg Sheehan is the new assistant superintendent for human resources and Kassandra Nitti has been named director of technology.
There are also changes at Albert G. Prodell Middle School. Miller Avenue School Principal Claudia Smith will become its new principal, where she will reconnect with many former students and families. Jonathan Lilla, formerly an assistant principal at Shoreham-Wading River High School, has been named assistant principal at Prodell.
Christopher Molinelli will become principal at Miller Avenue Elementary School after serving as a K-2 principal in the Deer Park School District.
Mr. Poole gave the school community an update on several important summer capital work projects.
Renovations to Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field and the high school track, originally scheduled for completion by Sept. 11, are now expected to be finished the week of Sept. 28.
In the meantime, the district has developed an alternative schedule for fall sports. Teams will use campus grass fields for regular practices and select home games, supplemented by facilities available through Brookhaven Town.
Varsity head coaches are partnering with neighboring school districts to hold games on their turf fields in the interim.
Science and RISE classroom renovations at Prodell Middle School were substantially completed in August. Parking lots at the middle school, Wading River School and Miller Avenue School have also been resealed and restriped.
Preparatory work for the Wading River School window and door project has been completed. The windows and doors will be installed after hours and during scheduled school breaks this fall.
Photos courtesy of the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District.
Enrollment remains consistent
Riverhead, by far the region’s largest district, projects enrollment of 5,264 students this year, down 98 from 5,362 last year.
The difference between its incoming and outgoing classes is considerably larger: 331 students are projected to enter kindergarten compared with 489 entering 12th grade.
Enrollment had ticked up the previous year, from 5,350 students in 2024-25 to 5,362 last year.
“Overall, we have been consistent in our enrollment,” Mr. Hagan said. “Our programs, staffing and class sizes are consistent with prior years.”
Shoreham-Wading River projects 1,915 students, down from 1,948 as of June.
The district currently has 155 kindergartners and 162 seniors, a considerably narrower gap between its incoming and outgoing classes than in several neighboring districts.
“Despite a slight decline in enrollment from last year, Shoreham-Wading River continues to provide courses based on demonstrated student interest and need, while we continue to remain focused on managing our budget responsibly,” Mr. Poole said.
