Incoming sixth graders and their parents entered the front doors of Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School on Aug. 25 for the school’s annual walk through. Ronkonkoma Middle School held a similar program earlier in the week.

New principal Joseph Piombo and assistant principal Danielle Black welcomed the students during the program, which was about reducing anxiety while entering a new phase of the students’ educational experience.

“The next three years will be a rollercoaster of experiences, but will be a lot of fun,” Mr. Piombo said during the orientation assembly.

The students then took the time to try opening their lockers an d a toured the building, preparing them for the first day of school on Sept. 6.

Date Added: 8/31/2022

The District has appointed Joseph Piombo and Danielle Black as principal and assistant principal of Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, respectively, for the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

Mr. Piombo, a South Setauket resident, is not a newcomer. He has served as assistant principal at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School since 2006 under Sue Bailey, who retired in July 2022. During his tenure, he managed student discipline, organized master scheduling and the eSchoolData management system, was involved in the Middle School Task Force, applied data analysis to improve student achievement and assisted in the implementation of the Master Notebook student organization system. Prior to working at Connetquot, Mr. Piombo served as an administrative intern and as a guidance counselor at Robert Frost Middle School in Deer Park School District.

Mr. Piombo holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Mary Washington College and a Master of Science in school counseling. He later completed the School District Administration Program at Stony Brook University.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to serve OBMS and the entire Connetquot family,” Mr. Piombo said.“My goal is to continue the tradition of academic excellence while creating new opportunities to support the diverse needs of the community.”

Danielle Black will now replace Joseph Piombo as assistant principal of Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School. A Saint James resident, Ms. Black has a wealth of expertise in special education, having served as secondary CSE chairperson during the 2020-2021 school year. Since 2014, Ms. Black served as middle school special education coordinator, a position which placed her as a liaison between the special education department, parents, administration, faculty and support staff, as well as out-of-district programs like BOCES. Ms. Black started her career as a special education teacher at Edward J. Bosti Elementary School and Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, as well as a special education summer school counselor for the district. She is currently a member of the Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Ms. Black acquired a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Fairfield University and a Master of Science in childhood education from Dowling College. She later pursued and acquired special education extension certification (grades 1-6) from Dowling College and (grades 5-9) from Touro College and completed the Educational Leadership Program at Stony Brook University.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Connetquot community as the assistant principal of Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School,” Ms. Black said. “I look forward to continuing my collaborative relationships with parents/guardians, faculty and students, as we endeavor to achieve the shared goal of developing our children to their greatest capacities."

Date Added: 8/26/2022