Administration

Ms. Meagan Drapkin is honored to be the new Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Dunellen Public Schools. Ms. Drapkin is and will always be a teacher first and her vision has always been "Student Centered...Equity Driven." Ms. Drapkin began her teaching career in 2006 as a 3rd grade teacher in the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District and then transitioned to the Lakewood Public School District where she served as a 3rd grade SIOP teacher, interventionist for all areas, literacy coach, and K-12 data coach. During her time in Lakewood she became Wilson Level 1 certified and received her Dyslexia Practitioner Certification. Ms. Drapkin then moved to the Manchester Township Public Schools, where she became an interventionist and Assistant to the Principal at Whiting Elementary School. In the summer of 2019, Ms. Drapkin entered educational leadership in the Keyport Public School District as the Supervisor of Language Arts and then the Director of Curriculum and Instruction/Supervisor of PreK. 

 

Ms. Drapkin received her undergraduate degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and teacher's certification. While in her first year of teaching, she pursued her Masters of Science in Sports Psychology from Capella University and believed that more high schools would have a need for sport psychologists in the future. However, as a new teacher she was provided with the opportunity to learn about and write curriculum, and that's when she realized her love for strong instructional practices and guiding students to take risks and achieve was her true passion. After completing her Masters, Ms. Drapkin received her Supervisor certification from Georgian Court University in 2013 and her Principal certification from Rowan University in 2018. Ms. Drapkin prides herself on being a listener and learner in the ever-evolving and changing educational world. 

 

While education is one of Ms. Drapkin's passions, she also makes sure to enjoy activities and spend time with the people she loves. You can find her spending time with her family and friends as well as dog, Maverick. She also loves running and competing in races varying from a 5k to a half marathon and cheering on the Atlanta Braves. Ms. Drapkin is looking forward to her new endeavor here in Dunellen and getting to know all of the students, staff, and community members.

Dr. Tarah Santaniello is proud to serve as the Director of Special Services for Dunellen Public Schools. Dr. Santaniello started her career in education as a School Psychologist working at Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner, NJ. After spending eight years at Voorhees High School, she transitioned to educational leadership and became the Supervisor of Special Education (6-12) in the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District. Dr. Santaniello joined the Dunellen team in 2022 and is eager to support the district through her belief that all students deserve to have access to great teaching and learning. She takes pride in the Dunellen community and is dedicated to enhancing the special education program for all students.  

Dr. Santaniello attended Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA, where she graduated with honors in Psychology, Education, and Human Behavioral Development. Dr. Santaniello began her graduate studies at Rowan University where she earned graduate degrees in School Psychology. During that time, she interned at Rutgers University working on the Developing Safe and Civil Schools project under the direction of Dr. Maurice Elias. That work focused on fostering a positive school climate for students, staff, and families. Dr. Santaniello is a life-long learner and in 2018 she earned her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Her dissertation was entitled "Active parental involvement and college and career readiness: A qualitative study." Dr. Santaniello’s research focused on the parental perspective on school collaboration, social-emotional learning, and college/career readiness for high school students. 

Dr. Santaniello is a native of Hunterdon County, NJ, where she lives with her husband, Brian (also an educator), and their two children. As a family they enjoy being active and supporting the athletic teams that Brian coaches. She enjoys attending live concerts, going to the beach, and cooking. Dr. Santaniello is proud to serve the Dunellen community!  

Mrs. Jordan Gribbin is delighted to join our community as the Supervisor of Early Childhood Education for the Dunellen Public Schools. With a deep-seated passion for early childhood education, Mrs Gribbin views these formative years as the building blocks of a lifelong love of learning. A firm believer in collaboration, Mrs. Gribbin eagerly anticipates working alongside students, families, teachers, and administrators to cultivate a genuine love for learning.

Mrs. Gribbin began her teaching career in 2013 in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, where she spent seven years in various teaching roles, including kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 5th grade. Her keen interest in literacy, coupled with her collaborative spirit, led her to assume the role of literacy coach in 2020. In this capacity, she spearheaded numerous initiatives and professional development sessions aimed at enhancing teachers’ expertise to better support students’ needs.

Graduating from Indiana University, Bloomington, Mrs. Gribbin earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education. She furthered her expertise in Special Education with a Master’s Degree, and her passion for early childhood education prompted her to pursue a second Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College. As a reflective educator, Mrs. Gribbin places students' learning at the heart of all her endeavors.

Mrs. Gribbin lives in Green Brook with her husband, their daughter, and three dogs. As a family they enjoy spending time outside, going to the beach, and reading books together. Mrs. Gribbin is looking forward to supporting the youngest learners and their families in the Dunellen community.

Cuyler Tobin has worked as an educator in the Dunellen School District for over 20 years, and he is in his eighth year serving as the Assistant Principal at Dunellen High School. In addition to his administrative position, he is also the district School Safety Specialist and co-teaches the Leadership 4 Life course with Mr. Lynch and Mr. DeNapoli. Prior to his time as Assistant Principal, Mr. Tobin served as a Mathematics Teacher at Lincoln Middle School and Dunellen High School for 13 years, starting in 2002. In 2003, Mr. Tobin took over as the Head Coach of the DHS Boys Varsity Tennis Team and enjoyed 14 years of being in that position. In the fall of the same year he began coaching the Girls Varsity Tennis Team and had the pleasure of maintaining that position for 13 years. 

 

Mr. Tobin’s educational background includes earning a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Rutgers University in 2001. A year later, he was hired as a Math teacher at Dunellen High School. In 2012, he enrolled in Rowan University’s Masters program for School Administration, earning his Master of Arts in School Administration in 2014. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as the Assistant Principal of Dunellen High School, where he has continued to appreciate his growth as an educator.

 

Outside of school hours, Mr. Tobin loves spending his time with his wife and three active boys. He has made sure to incorporate his family into the community of Dunellen as much as possible, having experienced this small town as a second home of his for the past 20-plus years while forming many life-long relationships with members of the town. His children look forward to coming to watch football and basketball games and have seen some of the wonderful productions from the drama and music departments. They also know that Dunellen Bagel is the best place to get breakfast!

Mrs. Moody began her career in education in 2005 after graduating from Caldwell University. She began teaching history at a charter high school in Jersey City. After three years her desire to move into public education landed her in East Orange, NJ. Mrs. Moody worked for the next 8 years at Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts teaching middle and high school history. Here she had a unique opportunity to loop with her students from grades 6 to 11. When those students were graduating high school she felt it was time for her to “graduate” too.  As luck would have it, a middle school in Plainfield only 5 minutes from her home was looking to revamp the history department. In 2015 she took the job as the 8th grade history teacher at Hubbard Middle School. 

 

For the next 4 years Mrs. Moody began implementing change for the history department at Hubbard Middle School. She not only taught students she began teaching the teachers. She grew into a teacher leader and was awarded a full scholarship at Kean University to receive her masters in Educational Leadership. She was also selected to participate in a teacher leadership program with Kean University, Plainfield Public Schools, and Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools. In 2019, Mrs. Moody transitioned out of the classroom to become an Instructional Coach and for the next two years she served as the Literacy and Social Studies Coach for the school.

 

Stuck at home during covid Mrs. Moody began updating her resume and sending it out. In 2020 she made her way to Dunellen. She secured the job as the Faber Assistant Principal. For the past 3 years Mrs. Moody has made Faber her home and loves the charge of caring and educating the students at Faber.