This year the East Islip community, especially students and teachers at East Islip High School, welcome a new Principal – Mr. Anthony Montemarano!
This might be a familiar face because Mr. Montemarano served as East Islip Middle School Principal last year. He steps into this new role with an open mind and eagerness to learn.
“What’s great about coming to the High School and being in the Middle School last year, is that I have some perspective on what it means to be in East Islip,” Montemarano said. “I like the sense of pride and community and my objective for the school in the beginning here, is kind of like taking it all in, and also just trying to help people become the best versions of themselves.”
Montemarano grew up in Connetquot, a few towns over from East Islip. Originally, he was passionate about pursuing a career in law enforcement and attended community college to earn his criminal justice degree. After gaining his degree, Montemarano had to wait to get a call from the NYPD, since he did not fit the age requirements. During this interval of time, he almost enlisted in the military, but his now wife convinced him to go back to school. 
Mr. Montemarano eventually started looking into different options to further his education. He chose an English Education degree, and since then, Montemarano has obtained his Masters and Post Masters Certificate at Stony Brook University.
His story is a great example for students at the high school.
“Do as much as you can to keep your doors open because you don’t know what you’ll end up doing. I know people who left high school thinking they knew exactly what they wanted to do, and they completely changed their career path. The best thing you can do is just make the most of the opportunities you have and just try everything.”
Once he began teaching, Mr. Montemarano started his career in the English department at Valley Stream, and eventually was offered the position of Dean. Outside of the classroom, Montemarano was involved in a wide range of activities: he coached JV and Varsity Wrestling for years and also directed the school plays and worked in the theater department.
Mr. Montemarano is proud of how diverse his past has been as it has improved the person he is today. He explains, “I can sit down and have that conversation with the athlete the same way I can talk to the person who’s into theater or the arts. I have the ability to enter the conversation as a listener and I’m kind of taking things in.”
After being a teacher for nine years at Valley Stream, schools shut down for COVID-19 and Mr. Montemarano was eventually hired Assistant Principal at West Babylon. He worked there for four years before coming into East Islip.
Being the principal of a high school is a difficult role with a lot of responsibilities, but Mr. Montemarano has the right mindset and is up for the challenge.
“The goal is to make it where school is a place that people want to come to learn, people can come in a safe environment, and can grow and just discover who they are… who they want to be.”
