Hello Brentwood, my name is Bianca Broere, and I am an English teacher in the Sonderling building. For the past several years, I have been a substitute and leave replacement at the Freshman Campus.

Before becoming a secondary education teacher, I worked in early childhood education as a lead teacher of three-year-olds. I have always enjoyed helping students learn and grow into the best and most confident version of themselves and am so excited to continue my teaching journey here at Brentwood High School.

A bit about me: I enjoy concerts, visiting nature preserves around Long Island, reading, playing video games with my husband (Stardew Valley is my favorite!), and spending time with my friends and family.

As a former Brentwood student myself, I know just how wonderful this community truly is and I could not be more thrilled to be a part of it once again and to work alongside such incredible teachers and students.

Hello all! My name is Kevin Chacon Ortiz, and since my family moved to the country from Ecuador over 20 years ago, I have always been local. I graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School, then went to Stony Brook University for my undergraduate and master’s degrees in Linguistics and English Education. I may not be native and pronounce the silent R in “idea,” but I was built strong among the Long Island throngs of the south shore. When I am not worrying about work – hypothetically speaking, because I am ALWAYS worrying about work – I enjoy reading, going for nature walks, and studying linguistics. My ultimate goal is to finish paying it forward.

Hello, everyone! My name is Ted Dorsainvil and I am a proud member of the Brentwood community and graduate of Brentwood High School. I decided I want to be a teacher because I wanted to make Social Studies as interesting as possible and I wanted to give the next generation a reason to feel good about themselves, feel supported, and be excited to be in the classroom! I want to spend my time doing work that is meaningful and makes the world a better place. I realized there’s no better place to do this than right in my hometown! I received an associate’s degree from community college, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Stony Brook University. I also received a master’s degree in teaching Social Studies from Stony Brook University. I am a lifelong student and love learning as much as I can. In my free time, I love to read, listen to podcasts, play acoustic guitar, listen to music, hang out with friends, try new food and spend time in nature. I am originally from Harlem, N.Y., and love to visit as much as I can as well as travel and see new places. I hope you all have a wonderful year!

Hi, my name is Stephanie Dunaieff, and I am excited to continue my teaching career here at Brentwood High School as a business teacher! I have been teaching for over ten years. I have two Bachelor’s degrees from CUNY Queens College in pure mathematics and psychology. I then continued my education at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where I earned an MBA in supply chain management and a Graduate Certificate in business analytics. I have also earned a Graduate Certificate in industrial organizational psychology. In addition to my experience in the classroom, I have experience managing businesses and volunteering with nonprofits. When I have free time, I enjoy traveling and reading.

I was born May 1, in Brooklyn, N.Y. and identify as an Afro-Latino son of Guatemalan immigrants. I am committed to changing the narrative for young boys of color. I value life, family, and education, and strive for justice in the public school system as an advocate of social change.

Hello everyone! My name is Rebecca Fils-Aime, and I am the new school psychologist in the Ross building. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Stony Brook University and completed my master’s degree in School Psychology at Adelphi University. When I am not working, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends. I love going to concerts and eating at different kinds of restaurants. I also like to volunteer and do community service through my sorority because I believe it is important to give back! I am constantly learning and taking courses in order to be well versed in my field and provide the best support for my students. I am excited to be a part of the Brentwood community and look forward to what this journey has in store!

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Hello, Brentwood! My name is Maria Florian and I am Sonderling’s newest social worker. I graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Sociology, and then continued at Stony Brook to attain my Master of Social Work. In 2022, I started as an intern at Brentwood’s Freshman Campus, and then was a permanent substitute in Sonderling last school year. I am very happy to be here in Brentwood. Most importantly, I am excited to continue working with such supportive staff and continue building strong relationships with our students, their families, and the community. In my free time, I enjoy trying new food places, traveling, going on walks and drives, and spending time with my family and pets!

I am a native Spanish speaker teacher passionate about creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences for my students. My teaching approach focuses on proficiency-based learning, incorporating authentic materials, such as movies and cultural activities, to help students connect with the Spanish-speaking world. I enjoy designing Integrated Performance Assessments that challenge students to apply their language skills in real-world contexts. In addition to teaching, I constantly seek professional development opportunities to enhance my methods and stay updated on the latest trends in language education. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy exploring different cultures, reading about language acquisition, and finding ways to make language learning fun and accessible for all students. I love my family❤️

My teaching experience has taken me from New Jersey to New York to Colorado and back to New York. I am a physical education and health teacher as well as soccer, volleyball and lacrosse coach. I have a background in personal training and nutrition coaching. When I am not teaching, I run a camp in the summer. I love to be active and enjoy any sports, such as hiking, biking, kayaking, lawn games, as well as reading and gardening.

I am a graduate of Stony Brook University with a bachelor’s degree in Italian Studies and master’s degree in TESOL. I was born in Switzerland and grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. Although not an artist, I love to dabble in paint pouring and diamond art. I love to sing and am a member of a band. I am excited to share my Italian heritage with the students of Brentwood.

Hi everyone! I’m Miss Mingoia and I am a new social studies teacher in Ross. I am a first-year teacher, and I am so happy to be here. I graduated from SUNY Cortland this past May with a B.A. in Adolescence Education and History with a minor in political science. I am currently completing my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction through SUNY Empire while I teach Global History I and Global History II at Brentwood! I student taught in Sonderling and South Middle through the spring of 2024, and I could not be more grateful to come back to Brentwood High School. This district already means so much to me. I am excited to continue to grow as an educator and make connections with my amazing students!

Greetings, Brentwood! My name is Lisa Modafferi, and I am an English teacher in Sonderling. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this community after spending my first 13 years in the NYC Department of Education. I lived in Queens for most of my life, so I had the honor of attending Queens College for my undergraduate studies in English and Sociology, my teaching certification, and my graduate studies in English. I also attended the University of Washington in Seattle for one semester through a National Student Exchange program. Now I enjoy being a resident of Long Island. I really love creative writing (especially poetry), reading fiction, and being a certified crazy cat lady. The majority of my time outside of work is spent with my amazing family, including my three super crazy, high-energy, lovable little boys (ages 7, 5, and almost 2). Our favorite thing to do as a family is to explore theme parks, especially those that are Certified Autism Centers.

My name is Oscar Parada, and I recently completed my master’s degree in Education at the University at Buffalo — Go Bulls! I also earned my undergraduate degree in Biology and Spanish Language and Literature at UB. I graduated from Central Islip High School, which is right next door. I have a passion for languages and can speak Spanish, French, and Portuguese, and I’m currently learning Arabic. In addition to my studies, I volunteer as an EMT at Central Islip Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance, where I enjoy providing aid and support to people in the community.

This is my 9th year as a teacher. I have taught French, Spanish, Social Studies, English and ENL before. I love theater, poetry and music. I love traveling the world with my family and trying to find the answers to my son’s random questions.

Hello B-wood! My name is Steve Pinto and I have been working in the Brentwood School District for 20 years. I started in the Ross Center back in 2005 as an Algebra teacher and moved over to South Middle School as a Resource Room teacher. I am so happy to be back at the high school in my new position as a Transition Instructor – what is that, you ask? Basically, I am here to help students decide what their goals are and how they will reach them after graduation! In my free time, I enjoy traveling with my family, gardening, trying new restaurants, and of course, summers on Fire Island!

My name is Mrs. Rodriguez, and I am beyond thrilled to be a Spanish teacher at Brentwood High School. A little about me—I was adopted from South Korea, which sparked my lifelong love for learning about different cultures, languages, and countries. Spanish has always been close to my heart, and ever since I was in 10th grade, I knew that teaching would be my calling. My passion for the language deepened in college where I met my husband who is from Colombia, and we’ve traveled to Colombia five times! I’ve also been fortunate to have traveled around the world including Austria, China, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain.

Outside the classroom, I’ve been a dancer for 30 years and teach dance to children of all ages, with Tap and Jazz being my favorites. I’m also a licensed cosmetologist and work as a professional makeup artist in my spare time. My favorite color is pink, I love cats, and when it comes to Latin dance, Bachata has my heart! I can’t wait to share my love for Spanish and world cultures throughout the year.

Hi, Brentwood High School! My name is Amy Yamagishi and this is my 22nd year teaching in the Brentwood. I mostly taught at South Middle School and North Middle School, and I’m so honored to be teaching at the high school this year! I received my bachelor’s at Indiana University and my master’s at Queens College. When I am not teaching, I enjoy running, CrossFit, Stand Up Paddleboarding, walking in nature, playing in orchestra, gigging on the weekends and going to concerts. I am looking forward to this next chapter of my career at Brentwood High School!

My name is Rob Zummo and this is my second year teaching. I have a bachelor’s degree in Earth and Space Sciences with a minor in Geology from Stony Brook University. I went to grad school in the city at the American Museum of Natural History and graduated from there with a master’s in teaching Earth Science. I also work as an Astronomy educator at the Vanderbilt Planetarium here on Long Island and I have been doing that for the past five years. I love stargazing, camping, and being outdoors. I also like to play video games in my free time.