Half Hollow Hills Welcomes New Administrators In Pupil Personnel

The Half Hollow Hills Central School District of Huntington and Babylon is proud to announce the appointment of three talented education administrators to fill roles in the Pupil Personnel Department. Mr. Anthony Dohrenwend has joined the district as the assistant principal of the new Hills Academy, Ms. Lisa Zito is the district’s new coordinator of elementary special education, and Mr. Daniel Gigliobianco is the new coordinator of preschool special education and related services.

Dohrenwend joins the new Hills Academy, a program designed for students with disabilities experiencing difficulties in larger settings, as their assistant principal after working for the Riverhead Charter School for the past five years. He was a special education teacher there for four years and then served as the Dean of Students for their middle school-aged students. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from St. Joseph’s College, a Master of Science in Special Education from Long Island University, and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from SUNY Stony Brook. Dohrenwend said, “I am thrilled to become a part of the Half Hollow Hills community and I am eager to launch this new and exciting program with a team of talented educators and clinicians.”

Zito joins Half Hollow Hills as the new coordinator of elementary special education after 12 years of special education service in Queens within the New York City Department of Education. She spent 11 years at P.S. 60 in District 27 and one year at P.S. 174 in District 28. During her time with the department of education, she taught in various educational settings while facilitating and supervising their special education programs. Zito has coordinated and served on many teams focused on the academic, social and emotional achievement of students. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts and a Master of Science in Education from St. John’s University, and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership from Stony Brook University.

“I am honored and excited to be joining this amazing school district because of their commitment and dedication to our students’ success,” said Zito. “I look forward to developing relationships with the staff, students and members of the community in order to continue the mission of our district.”

For over twenty years, Gigliobianco has worked with children with disabilities through early intervention, CPSE, elementary self-contained classes, and middle school inclusion. He now serves as the coordinator of preschool special education and related services in Half Hollow Hills. He graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders and Sciences and was awarded a fellowship to Hunter College for his Master of Science in Special Education – Severe and Multiple Disabilities. He was a parent trainer for the Resources for Children with Special Needs and was the Practicum Supervisor for Hunter College Special Education Program. Gigliobianco obtained his SBL/SDL Certification through the College of St. Rose in 2015 and, most recently, was an educational supervisor at The Hagedorn Little Village School. There he supervised the ABA program on the preschool and elementary level and provided professional development and training to all staff members on best practices and the collaborative process.

“It is a true privilege to be a part of the Half Hollow Hills Central School District and community,” said Gigliobianco. “I am eager to serve the families of preschoolers as they enter a district that embraces and has so much to offer all types of learners. The entire staff’s knowledge and kindness has made my transition here truly wonderful.”

An education-oriented community with high academic expectations, the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is located in a residential area of 50,000 people in the central part of Long Island, approximately 40 miles from New York City. Providing for the education of almost 8,000 students, the school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Half Hollow Hills High Schools are fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The district is committed to providing all students with opportunities to excel in academics, athletics and the arts.