The East Islip High School District has appointed Gavin Rodgers as the new principal of Connetquot Elementary School, replacing the retired Nicholas Bilotti.

Rodgers comes to East Islip from the South Country School District, where he served as an assistant principal at Brookhaven Elementary School. He previously worked as an assistant principal at the Hillside School in Queens, as the dean of Robert F. Wagner Middle School in Manhattan, and as a middle school math and math exploration teacher at Manhattan Academy of Technology in Manhattan.

A Center Moriches resident, Rodgers earned an associate’s degree in mathematics from Suffolk County Community College, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Stony Brook University, a master’s degree in mathematics education from Teachers College Columbia University and a Master of Education degree in progressive leadership from the Leaders in Education Apprenticeship Program at Bank Street College of Education. 

“I am excited to be joining the East Islip community as the new principal of Connetquot,” Rodgers said. “I am looking forward to sharing my passion for early elementary education and supporting teachers, families and students as we continue to build on the great work already happening at CES. I believe that the best learning communities succeed when everyone feels known, supported and challenged. Early elementary education is where the foundation for learning takes shape, and my goal is to give every student a strong start. I look forward to getting to know the students and families of CES, and my door is always open.”