The district has appointed Paul Romanelli as principal of Long Beach Middle School, effective July 9. Mr. Romanelli will be taking over the responsibilities of Dr. Michele Natali, who is moving on within the district as executive director of human resources.

Mr. Romanelli comes to Long Beach with extensive background experience as a middle school leader. He has served as an assistant principal at Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School for the past two years, prior to which he was dean of students and a math teacher at Oldfield Middle School in the Harborfields Central School District for 10 years.

In his most recent post, Mr. Romanelli contributed to the formation of a district committee whose goal was to ease students’ transition from elementary to middle school. He also chaired the Technology Committee and explored new opportunities, facilitated the implementation of a successful tablet initiative, advised teaching staff on best instructional practices, and helped to create a safe and welcoming environment. In addition, he oversaw professional development initiatives, student data analysis, master schedule creation and other school operations.

Mr. Romanelli is a 2012 recipient of the SCOPE Teacher Service Award and was named the 2010 Suffolk County Math Teachers Association’s Teacher of the Year. He holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY New Paltz and Advanced Certification in Educational Leadership from the College of St. Rose.

“Long Beach Middle School is a highly successful school,” he said. “I believe that making decisions based on what is best for students and involving all stakeholders is an essential piece of ensuring a positive and productive school environment. I look forward to establishing relationships with the middle school staff, students and parents and collaborating to take this already excellent school to the next level.”

“We believe that Mr. Romanelli will be an excellent addition to our administrative team and look forward to the years ahead,” said Superintendent of Schools David Weiss. “He joins the middle school at an exciting time, following the recently announced Middle Years Program authorization, and we are confident that his background will complement our goals and practices very well.”