It's time for the second installment of a series where we welcome new administrators to our district and re-introduce some of our prior leaders in new roles here in Brentwood!

Reinaldo LaTorre, Principal of Brentwood High School - Freshman Campus

Mr. Reinaldo LaTorre was named the new principal of Brentwood High School – Freshman Campus for the 2024-25 school year in July of 2024. Mr. LaTorre’s appointment to the post in Brentwood comes after a fifteen-year career in education and leadership at several stops in Suffolk County as well as in the Bronx.

Prior to being named principal of Brentwood’s Freshman Campus, Mr. LaTorre served as the Assistant Principal for Bellport Middle School beginning in July of 2021. He moved to that position following a previous stint as the Assistant Principal at Bellport High School that started in August of 2017. In both roles, Mr. LaTorre was a part of the South Country Central School District Equity Team, assisting other teachers with the proper methods to provide equity in the classroom environment. He also helped institute walk-throughs with staff members to identify the best practices that were being implemented in the classroom at both roles in Bellport.

Before Bellport, Mr. LaTorre served as the ELA Chairperson for the Edmund W. Miles Middle School in Amityville beginning in August of 2015. He had previously taught ELA for six years at M.S. 308/Bronx Dance Academy, starting in December of 2009. Mr. LaTorre led professional development sessions and enabled his students to grow academically through the usage of Common Core Learning standards as well as enhanced student-based learning and teacher-based questioning concepts.

Mr. LaTorre has professional certification from New York State in English (7-12) and Literacy (5-12) as well as School Building Leader and School District Leadership certifications. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Queens College in 2008 and studied at Queens for his master’s in science and literacy education (5-12), which he received in 2011. Mr. LaTorre also boasts post-master’s advanced certificates in School Building and School District Leadership certifications from Queens College.

Nicholas Scott, Assistant Principal of Brentwood High School - Freshman Campus

Following two-plus decades of teaching social studies at the seventh and eighth grade level at West Middle School, Mr. Nicholas Scott was named the Assistant Principal for Brentwood High School – Freshman Campus in August of 2024.

Mr. Scott began his career at West Middle School in 2003 and was a significant member of several cohorts during his time as a teacher. He served on West Middle’s Safety Team from 2011-2024 and was the Mock Trial Team Coach from 2014-2024. Additionally, Mr. Scott served as Youth and Government Team Coach and held the role of Chair of the School Improvement Team in the 2007-2008 school year. He played a part in West Middle’s Restorative Practices and Project-Based Learning Cohorts as well as earning his National Board certification for teaching social studies to early adolescents in April of 2024.

Mr. Scott was also a part of several district writing projects, including the eighth-grade social studies curriculum syllabus project in 2023 as well as the vertical alignment of middle school and high school final examinations. In 2024, he worked on the comprehensive development of CRQs (Constructed-Response Questions) for sixth-grade students.

Mr. Scott is also a decorated Veteran of the United States Army, having served in the 101st Airborne Division through tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. His valorous commendations include being a recipient of the Bronze Star, National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the Legion of Merit among others.

Mr. Scott received his doctoral degree from the Villanova University School of Law in 1996 after receiving his bachelor’s degree in political science from Hofstra University in 1993. He also earned a certificate in social studies teaching at the secondary level from Dowling College in 2003 as well as Educational Leadership and School District Leader (SDL) grants in 2011 from Stony Brook University and the New York State Department of Education, respectively.

Dr. Rebecca Grella, Coordinator of Science and Technology

A nationally-recognized educator and leader in the teaching of STEM disciplines, Dr. Rebecca Grella was named the Coordinator of the Science and Technology Department in July of 2024. Grella returns to Brentwood following a yearlong stay in Washington, D.C. after being named an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow following her successes in teaching STEM-related topics to Brentwood students over a two-decade career.

In her time in our nation’s capital, Dr. Grella collaboated with the White House on a strategic five-year TEM plan while also overseeing nation-wide Department of Defense STEM ambassadors with the Tiger Woods Foundation. She also developed a blueprint for the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) team challenge and served as a contributor to the White House Space Council in addition to advancing the discussion of STEM education on a national scale.

Dr. Grella began teaching in Brentwood in 2002 and has fostered an educational movement in the sciences and fields of technology that has brought national attention to the Brentwood community. In her time as a research leader, 21 students were named finalists in national science competitions with upwards of $20 million in scholarships being awarded to many deserving individuals. Dr. Grella has also overseen an increasing number of Brentwood alumni attending Ivy League and Tier I research institutions across the country while cultivating strategic partnerships with Stony Brook University, Hitachi, the New York State Workforce and Regional Economic Development Council, and many other organizations. In addition, she also helped to establish the Brentwood Business Center to provide students with the opportunity to explore careers in financial fields while creating the Brentwood Science Buddy Program to initiate peer-to-peer mentoring in the fields of science within the district.

Dr. Grella’s success includes overseeing 2012 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist Samantha Garvey, who was a guest of New York State Congressman Steve Israel at that year’s State of the Union address. More trails were blazed in 2016 as Suselle Contreras became the first Brentwood student to be a regional finalist in the Siemens competition under the direction of Dr. Grella. In 2019, the educator’s mentorship of Ahmad Perez led to him being Brentwood’s first Regeneron finalist; Regeneron accolades would follow in 2022 and 2023 with more students continuing to navigate the sciences in hopes of pursuing futures in those fields thanks to Dr. Grella’s mentorship.

The founder and CEO of the Foundation for Equity Resources for Community-based Needs (FERN), Dr. Grella achieved her bachelor’s degree in honors biology from Stony Brook in 1999 and her master’s degree from the same institution in 2001. She earned her Ph.D in Biology, Ecology, & Evolution and a Certificate in Leadership from Stony Brook in 2012 and 2020, respectively.