Meet Southold Elementary’s new principal, Diana Tonne

Southold schools kick off on Sept. 2, with some returning faces and some new faces filling the hallways. One of those new faces is Diana Tonne, who is in her first year as principal of Southold Elementary School. 

Ms. Tonne, 40, grew up in North Bellmore and left the state for college, attending Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. There, she continued on her educational path to do what she always wanted: become a teacher.

She did her studies in a five-year program there that included her master’s. Ms. Tonne worked for a full year in the Trumbull School District while working toward that master’s, which she graduated with in 2008. She would teach all day and take classes at night, which helped get her in the groove. After graduation, Ms. Tonne got a job with the New York City Department of Education. The first six years were spent in Brooklyn, and the next seven in Queens.  

“They were all public school settings, but my building was 1,500 students, and then my second building was about 450,” said Ms. Tonne. “That’s when I really realized that I thrive in a small community. I wanted that community where I can meet every student and know every teacher.”

Ms. Tonne held several different positions during her time with the NYCDOE, teaching every grade from kindergarten to fourth in both general education and more specialized settings. She then stepped out of the classroom, acting as curriculum coordinator for about five months. Mid-year, she then moved into an assistant principal role at Queens Explorers Elementary School, which she stayed in for four and a half years. 

She joined the Copiague School District in 2021 as assistant principal of Deauville Gardens West Elementary. After four years there, she saw there was going to be an opening for a principal at Southold Elementary School. Initially, she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that jump, but she also “felt like a decision like this doesn’t come often in such a great, collaborative, small district, so [she] decided that it was time.”

The process lasted a few rounds of interviews, but Ms. Tonne enjoyed it, saying it allowed her to get to know different aspects of the district. She got to meet other staff members, see different buildings and really feel out if the two sides were a good fit for each other. They were, and Ms. Tonne has spent the last few months getting ready for the start of her first year in the district. Once again, she has been enjoying it.

“It’s been incredible. I was fortunate enough that I was able to come in for a few days in May and June and shadow the prior principal, so I was able to get to meet some of the students, and I was able to meet some of the staff,” she said. “I was able to collaborate with [Ellen] O’Neill, who was wonderful and filled me in. 

“I was lucky enough to have two months of the summer that I was here, where I got to be part of the summer enrichment program and get to know some of the teachers and get to know about the students,” she added. “I had some great public conversations — the parents have been wonderful.”

She aims to build relationships with the students and their families. She’s also aiming to build relationships with teachers and see how she can collaborate best with the community and her administrative team.

“I’m really so very fortunate to be given an opportunity and to be part of this community,” she said. “I’ve been in education now for 18 years. I’m excited to work with the students, and I can relate to a lot of the parents — my daughter is actually starting kindergarten. It’s going to be a big learning year for me, but I’m excited to be part of it with such a wonderful community and such a wonderful staff.”

The excitement and commitment from Ms. Tonne isn’t one-sided, though, as it’s being reciprocated by the district, the community and the Southold PTA.

“The Southold PTA would like to extend a warm welcome to Mrs. Tonne as she begins her role as principal of Southold Elementary School,” they said in a statement. “We are eager to collaborate with her in supporting our students, families and staff. At the same time, we express our deepest gratitude to Ellen O’Neill for her outstanding leadership and commitment to the Southold community throughout her tenure. She will be greatly missed, and we look forward to building upon the strong foundation she has left under Mrs. Tonne’s leadership.”