New Science Teachers Appointed
in Huntington
Huntington School Board members approved the appointment of five science teachers during a meeting of the trustees on August 3. The new faculty members will work at Huntington High School and J. Taylor Finley Middle School.
Trustees approved probationary appointments for Gina Carone, Amelia DiPalma, John Heyman and Thomas Van Bell. The four teachers will be eligible for tenure on September 1, 2019. Matthew Bilello was appointed to a part-time teaching post.
In order to be eligible for tenure, a probationary teacher must receive annual evaluation ratings of effective or highly effective in three of the four years of probation. A rating of ineffective in the final year will result in being ineligible for a tenure appointment.
Gina Carone
Gina Carone will teach science at the high school. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in bioscience from Farmingdale State College and a Master of Arts in Teaching in biology from Stony Brook University.
Prior to her recent appointment, Ms. Carone worked as a part-time instructor at Briarcliffe College in Patchogue, as a leave replacement teacher at Huntington High School covering living environment and science research program classes and as a substitute teacher at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School.
Ms. Carone holds state teaching certificates in general science, biology and chemistry.
Amelia DiPalma
Amelia DiPalma will teach science at the high school. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematical physics in 2013 at Binghamton University and a Master of Science in Education in secondary physics at Hofstra University in 2014.
Prior to her recent appointment, Ms. DiPalma worked as a leave replacement physics and engineering teacher at Bellmore JFK High School, as a leave replacement physics, forensics and science research teacher at W.C. Mepham High School and as a leave replacement honors physics and life science teacher at Hauppauge High School and Hauppauge Middle School.
Ms. DiPalma holds state teaching certificates in general science, physics and mathematics.
John Heyman
John Heyman will teach science at J. Taylor Finley Middle School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1998 and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Earth science at Stony Brook University in 2015.
Mr. Heyman completed his student teaching requirements in general science and Earth science at Smithtown East High School during the 2015 spring semester. He holds state teaching certificates in general science and Earth science.
Thomas Van Bell
Thomas Van Bell will teach science at the high school. He obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry at Stony Brook University in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
Mr. Van Bell worked in the district last year as a part-time chemistry teacher. He previously served in East Williston as a science research, physics, chemistry and general science teacher and in North Babylon as a chemistry and science research teacher. He holds state teaching certificates in general science, biology and chemistry.
Matthew Bilello
Matthew Bilello will teach part-time at the high school and J. Taylor Finley Middle School. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in adolescent education-Earth science from SUNY Cortland in 2012.
Mr. Bilello has worked in the district as a long term substitute and part-time teacher in each of the past two years. He was a permanent substitute teacher in Oyster Bay-East Norwich from August 2012 to October 2013. He holds state certification in Earth science.
District officials reviewed 56 applications, pre-screened 23 candidates and conducted 14 extensive personal interviews before recommending these five teachers to trustees for appointment.