Riverhead’s Lindsay Lindenbaum wins Suffolk County health education teacher of the year

Riverhead High School teacher Lindsay Lindenbaum has been named Suffolk County’s 2025 High School Health Education Teacher of the Year by the state’s professional organization for health and physical education educators. 

Lindenbaum will be honored on Nov. 4 at the Suffolk Zone conference of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The organization’s awards committee selects recipients each year across across the elementary, middle, and high school levels in the fields of health education, physical education, adapted physical education and dance education.

“I truly appreciate it. It’s a very nice gesture to be thought of; it’s an incredible gesture to be granted,” Lindenbaum said in an interview. “I don’t know that I do anything that’s so phenomenal that so many other teachers don’t do. We’re all in this crazy job together just trying to do the best we can for the kids.”

Lindenbaum said she always enjoyed health class growing up. The required course teaches students about living a healthy lifestyle, covering a variety of topics including nutrition, fitness, drug prevention, navigating relationships and sexual health.

“All of the topics in health always sort of consumed my life and my family. I have a very active family. We’ve also had a lot of illness in our family. We’ve had tragedy in our family,” she said. “All of my experiences always made me want to see if I can help other people with their experiences.” 

Lindenbaum considered several career paths, including being a counselor and a nutritionist. After one year of college and consulting with her family, she decided she would switch her major from music to health education, she said. 

“And from the first class, I thought to myself. This is where I belong…This is my lane. I could do this for the rest of my life,” she said.

Lindenbaum was hired by the Riverhead Central School District in 2006 to teach health at the middle school and has also taught at Pulaski Street Intermediate School, she said. Four years ago, she was assigned to the high school, where she has been ever since. 

“Ms. Lindenbaum’s passion for health education inspires our students to make informed choices that support their well-being now and into the future,” Riverhead High School Principal Sean O’Hara said. “Her ability to connect with students, engage them in meaningful learning, and model the very principles she teaches makes her a truly exceptional educator. We are incredibly proud of her and this well deserved recognition.”

Lindenbaum has been a member of NYSAHPERD’s Suffolk Zone since the start of her career and attends its annual conferences. She recently began presenting at the conference, sharing with her peers hands-on activities and games she uses to keep her students engaged in class, she said. 

“The district proudly congratulates Ms. Lindenbaum on this well-deserved honor,”Superintendent Robert Hagan said in a statement. “Her selection reflects her remarkable contributions to the health education field and the academic experiences of our students. We look forward to her continued contributions to the success of our scholars and entire district community.”