Varsity Women’s Volleyball coach Steve Greco is happy to announce that five of the girls from this year's varsity team were honored at this pastMonday'sSuffolk County Coaches Association Awards dinner held at East Wind in Wading River.
Taking home All-League Honors were Sophomore Ally DeGaray, who led the team this season in kills despite missing the final 4 regular season games with an ankle injury. She also set a program record with 50 aces in a season.
Also receiving All-League was Senior Middle Hitter Jessica Young. Jess was a three-year starter on the Varsity and led the team in blocks and hitting percentage this season.
Junior Maelyn Latko was also selected All-League. Maelyn led the team in defense this year, totaling a team leading318 digs.
Noelle Bryggman was selected both All-League Honorable mention and also selected to the County All-Tournament Team for her tremendous play in our first round playoff victory over Centereach. After a tough opening set for the Wildcats, Noelle led the team back to a 3-1 win with 12 kills, 3 aces and 13 digs.
Lastly, Olivia Poplawski, who was selected pre-season Top 25 player to watch by Newsday, was selected All-County, the first Whitman girls volleyball player selected for this honor in recent memory. She set several career and single season records this past year, and is the program's all-time leader in assists and aces. She was also selected to the County All-Tournament for her play in the playoff game against Smithtown East.“It was a fantastic night of recognition for a team that had an amazing season,” said coach Greco. “All the girls and their families should beextremely proud.”
↧
Women's Volleyball Celebrates Season
↧
Wildcat Marching Band Closes Season on a High Note
The 30th Annual Wildcat Marching Band Awards Banquet was held recently at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Huntington Station. This banquet is a tradition for the marching band community, mostly as a way of saying thank you to all of the dedicated and talented students, staff, and parents, who get to enjoy their collective accomplishments of the season.
Hosted by the band parents, the banquet was attended by marching band staff, students, parents, school and district administration, and members of the Board of Education. Students, staff, and education administrators enjoyed an evening of celebration, dinner, dancing, and recognition. Parents joined for dessert and for the presentation of awards by marching band director Mr. Dennis Pettas.
Each student received an award for participation based on the cumulative number of years in the program. Students in leadership positions were also recognized, including Drum Major Paige Tortorice; Field Majors James Reilly and Melissa Shaiman; Colorguard Section Leaders Brooke Pagano and Nadia Lubrano; Percussion Section Leaders Katie Clark and Ben Barton; Woodwind Section Leaders Antoinette Riehl and Isaac Renderos; Recruiters Natalie Hayes and Kaitlyn Riha; and Quartermasters Casey Leonick and Neyda Diaz-Vilorio.
Marching Band Years of Service Awards
Stimson 8th Grade: Benjamin Barton, Olivia Bonomo, Corsette Brazeau, Katelyn Erthal, Maxwell Fisher, Ashley Koch, Timothy Rise, Joseph Sansotta, and Natasha Scott.
1-year service: Michael Deitch, Erin Eaches, Max Eidinoff, Christopher Feustel, Ashley Guiteau, Bradley Guiteau, Jason Murphy, Sebastian Murphy, Saniya Saleem, Logan Slansky, Lily Soares, Samantha Sorenson, Christopher Feustel, Caleb Sullivan, Cali Sullivan.
2-year service: Dan Abruzzese, Mariella Carales, Erin Collins, Dan Curtin, Jason Devaraj, Sarah Gemunder, Zoey Guliano, Julianna Licona, Tyler Malone, Kevin McKenna, Tyler Meyer, Josh Muellers, Leila Perry, Mari Reciniello, Mycaela Reilly, Amanda Riha, Emily Riha, Abbie Yaeger.
3-year service: Benjamin Barton, Olivia Bonomo, Katelyn Erthal, Maxwell Fisher,
Matthew Haddock, Ashley Koch, Sara Lopez, Nadia Lubrano, Tim Rise, Joey Sansotta, Natasha Scott.
4-year service: Devin Anderson, Katie Clark, Matthew Cusumano, Sarah Haller, Elizabeth Hardwick, Matthew Kaputa, Casey Leonick, Miles Lewis, Brenda Mendez, Brooke Pagano, Isaac Renderos, Kaitlyn Riha, Natlaie Zakrewski.
5-year service: Elizabeth Havjar, Natalie Hayes, Jessica Persuad, James Reilly, Antoinette Riehle, Jorden Roiland, Melissa Shaiman, Paige Tortorice, and Neyda Diaz-Vilorio.
Save The Date: The Marching Band will be performing at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Huntington Village on Sunday, March 12, 2017 beginning at 2PM.
↧
↧
Congratulations!
We wish to congratulate our November Students of the Month from Walt Whitman High School. “In every school, it is important to note the qualities and efforts of those students that act as role models for the student body. These students selected for November Students of the Month, have distinguished themselves in academic classes, earning the praise of their teachers and administrators alike,” said Principal John Murphy at a recent presentation. “It is always a pleasure to be able to acknowledge such a distinct group of students. The continued contributions you make on a daily basis add to the quality and character of our school. I want to personally thank each of you for everything you do for Whitman and that I appreciate the time and effort you devote to our school family.”
November Students of the Month:
ART:Tatiana Doddo, Casey Iannuzzi, Chloe Morris, Jacqueline Wuestman
SCIENCE:Emma Graff, Matthew McAuley, Ryan Owens, Jared Zenie
BUSINESS/HOME & CAREERS:Jake Barry, Tiana Mac Donald, Shealyn Naughton, John Santiago
PHYSICAL EDUCATION:Michael Bronson, Lauren Civello, Thomas Costas, Marissa Martino
ENGLISH:Alyssa Christiansen, Gabriela Flores Benavides, Katherine Mazariego Rivera, Justin Ullman
SOCIAL STUDIES:Dina Alvarenga, Daniela Pasquarello, Taylor Taranto, Dylan Thyer
MATHEMATICS:Cintia Amaya, Joshua Joseph, Jissel Ramos Vasquez, Elvira Lois Taku
WORLD LANGUAGES:Haseeb Asif, Christopher Borges, Esteban Lopez, Joseph Van Gostein
MUSIC:Keara Benson, Daniel Curtin, Jamie Montague, and Abbie Yaeger.
↧
Brittany’s Baskets of Hope
On Tuesday, November 29th, Stimson homerooms 216 and 410 presented a Pennywars check for $1,500 to Brittany Schiavone, founder of Brittany’s Baskets of Hope. This is a wonderful organization that is dedicated to bringing information, support, guidance and hope to families that have recently welcomed a baby with Down Syndrome into their lives.
Brittany, a South Huntington graduate, has made it her mission to deliver baskets that not only provide guidance to families, but gifts of love and joy for the babies and siblings as well. “It is our hope that our Stimson donation continues to support such an amazing organization and hometown success story,” said Stimson Principal Edwin Smith. “I just want to let everyone know, just because you are born with a disability, it doesn’t mean you can’t do everything you want to do!” – Brittany Schiavone.
Click here to learn more about Brittany’s Baskets of Hope, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c3) tax deductible corporation dedicated to bringing information, support and hope to families who have recently given birth to a baby with Down syndrome.
↧
Special Education College Night
What is it?
Students Helping Students is an evening focused on informing parents and students of the supports and accommodations available in college.
Who Should Attend? College bound, high school students who are receiving Special Education Support or 504 Accommodations, and their parents, should attend
↧
↧
Help is on the Way!
We are proud to announce that the following students have been selected to be Silas Wood student technology mentors for the 2016/17 school year. Our student technology mentors were chosen by their teachers for their knowledge of Google Apps and Chromebooks and willingness to help their peers. They will be running the Chromebook corner during lunch periods in the cafeteria to assist with Google Apps, and provide simple troubleshooting tips and shortcuts. Students in the program are provided with training by our fantastic tech mentors and members of the technology department.
Team 1: Anthony Verola, Nick Abrescia, Jason Kaiser, Kate Buckshaw, John Villella, Zahra Choudry
Team 2: Thomas Bass, Alderhany Georges, Samantha Maxim, Grayson Schlansky, Hannah Sacks
Team 3: James Burns, Angel Araujo, Kimberly Cruz, Anthony Benchari, Julia Seifred
Team 4: Jacob Gillet, Carlos Banegas, Ryan Luebker, Kasey Wagner, Vladimir Gaberman, Nicole Yerys Brandt: Alexander Aguilera, and Yoselin Fuentes.
↧
Parents Acquire Tools to Help Their Students Succeed
Parents in our Project Excel program enjoyed an informative meeting this past month. Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Curriculum, Dr. Jared Bloom, and ESL/Dual Language Program coordinator, Ms. Cecilia Blanco gave an engaging and informative presentation on the various resources parents can use to support students when they’re home from school. “A special thanks to Dr. Bloom and Ms. Blanco for giving the parents of students in the Project Excel program a valuable set of tools to help their children succeeded,” said Deputy Superintendent Ms. Jacci Harris. “The presentation allowed parents to see and learn about websites that assist students in all subject areas. This special partnership will continue to reap benefits for our students.”
Use the following links to access the information shared at our Project Excel meeting:
English
Spanish #1
Spanish #2
↧
November Athletes of the Month
Emily Fung is our November Female Athlete of the Month and our All-State Swimmer has shown amazing fortitude earning her Dr. Wright’s Hero Award for the Fall Sports season. Emily gave a resounding performance at the New York State Swim Championships. She swam the 100m backstroke in a remarkable time of 58.71, and earned an All-State title for her fine work. Emily is a junior so we get to share in her swimming accomplishments for another season before she is off to college to study something in the sciences. Swimming is an all-year sport and Emily swims for Team Suffolk when she’s not competing for HUSH, the combined Huntington/South Huntington team. “I get two weeks off in August,” she said looking relieved. Emily is also a member the Art Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society.
Our Male Athlete of the Month for November is Marc DePasquale. Like his November counterpart, Marc is totally dedicated to one sport. As our varsity Soccer Goalie, Marc was instrumental in a successful season including a five-save win over top ranked Hills-East to secure Coach John DiGiacomo’s 100th Career win. The high school season didn’t end for Marc with that gut-retching penalty kick series with Brentwood, he and several Whitman teammates play for the nationally ranked Dix Hills Hurricanes. The national travel required for this kind of dedication leaves little room for much else. As a senior Marc has several college offers on the table, and he is looking for the best fit to study Business while pursuing his love for Soccer.
We commend Emily and Marc, and their families and coaches, for dedicating countless hours that makes our November athletes so successful.
↧
Student Leadership Awarded
Whitman seniors Paige Tortorice and Alexandra Wirth were called down to the principal’s office recently. Awaiting the two were awards and flowers for each, bestowed to them by Principal Murphy. “I want to say thank you for everything you do here at Whitman,” said Principal Murphy. “In the busy times and hectic pace of our school days, sometimes good deeds may go unnoticed, and I want you both to know that I notice, and thank you for all you do for our Whitman school community.”
It seems that both of these young ladies, throughout their school career at Whitman, have exemplified themselves as exceptional student leaders and do it for no other reason than for the betterment of the their school.
Paige would like to study Marine Biology next year and has had a very active high school career. “I have been involved in Marching Band, and this past year I became Drum Major where I got to lead the band in all of our competitions,” said our busy senior. “I’m also in Natural Helpers and student government where I have been Secretary all four years. I’m also an Epee fencer for the Wildcats in the winter and play Lacrosse in the spring.” Paige is also active in the Girls Leaders Organization as they prepare for the Senior Follies, rapidly approaching on January 13th.
Allie is looking to major in Business with an interest in Human Resource Management in college next year, but before that she has a plate-full of activities to wind-down on the Whitman campus. “I’m also a member of Natural Helpers,” said Allie. “And I have been the Student Government Vice President for all four years.” But it’s the Girls Leaders Organization that fosters such a busy fundraising schedule. Allie played Tennis for the Wildcats this past fall and will finish the spring on the Badminton team.
Congratulations to both of these exceptional seniors. We know we’re going to hear lots more about them in the future!
↧
↧
The Right Path
On Friday, December 9th, Oakwood hosted its first of four Robotics Mini-Workshops for Kindergarten students. Ms. O’Dougherty and Ms. Perez-Flowers worked with students to complete 20-minute robotics challenges using Dash, a real robot that can respond to voice, navigate objects, dance, and sing. Students learned how to communicate with technology to complete challenges. With the app Path, students drew a path for Dash to move along using a single line of code. They then added notes along that path to give Dash special abilities using drag-and-drop programming. Students and teachers had a great time celebrating Computer Science Education Week.
↧
Art and Language Enhanced at the Met
Last week Walt Whitman students from the World Language Honor Society (WLHS) traveled into Manhattan to explore the amazing halls of the Metropolitan Museum or Art.“We take the students to the museums as a way to expose them to the artists and artwork their language teachers discuss in their classes,” said WLHS Advisor Aileen Ms. D’Addario. “This year we went to the permanent exhibits and focused on the Impressionist and the European artwork collections.”
The students were able to learn about the paintings and the different art styles of these famous painters. We hope that this brief exposure will make the students want to return and venture through more areas of this artistic landmark.
↧
‘Hour’ Sparks a Lifetime of Rewards
This past Monday evening, eager students, as young as kindergarten right up through the sixth-grade, flooded the halls of Maplewood Intermediate School with lucky parents in tow to participate in a one-hour introduction to computer science, dubbed ‘The Hour of Code.’“We want to show parents that anybody can learn the basics of computer coding, so this evening was designed to demystify code,” said Ms. Janine D’Elia in her welcoming remarks. “Every 21st century student should have the chance to learn about algorithms and how an app works just like they learn about photosynthesis and electricity.”
Several computer science students and their new teacher Mr. Frederick Feraco from Walt Whitman were also on hand to assist. Thank you sophomores Brandon Dowling, Ashar Farooq, and George Link for sharing their insights as well as mentoring our families in the breakout sessions.“With computer science and coding, you can bring any idea to life,” added D’Elia. “Students use technology to make something simpler. Coding is all about process and innovation, which brings in the engineering aspect. They use artistic skills to solve complex problems. Coding also reinforces mathematics as an important tool and skill used for problem solving.”
Computer science sparks fun and creativity, and it didn’t take long for our families to head to breakout sessions where they collaborated together, with the assistance of faculty volunteers, to solve coding in its simplest form. Having their families share what they had been doing the week before in the global initiative ‘Hour of Code,’ you could feel the sense of pride emanating from our youngest of students. “It was remarkable to see so many people learning side by side with their children,” said Superintendent Bennardo. “Ms. D’Elia went above and beyond in organizing this event, which brought important 21st Century skills to our district. The capacity crowd at this unique event is really a testament to the creative experiences that our district offers.”
Thank you to Ms. Janine D’Elia, the District’s Instructional Technology Specialist, and all of our district volunteers who worked so hard to ensure the evening was so successful.
Photo Gallery
↧
Making a Connection
Teen pop star and anti-bullying icon Meredith O'Connor gave a special assembly at Walt Whitman’s Performing Arts Center recently. But it wasn’t the high school students she was singing to. Meredith’s strong message about anti-bullying was directed to our sixth-graders from Silas Wood. “Friday's assembly was a huge success,” said Silas Wood Principal SteveToto. “Meredith's anti-bullying message was easily understood and embraced by all of the students. Her music and singing was motivational and uplifting and the kids LOVED it.”
Ten Tigers Kung Fu Academy, located on Jericho Turnpike next to the Best Market, sponsored Meredith’s concert in its entirety. South Huntington’s Director of Special Projects Lee Nober has been working with Ten Tigers and is impressed with their commitment to the District. "We cannot thank Ten Tigers Kung Fu Academy enough for their second year sponsoring Meredith's Anti-Bullying assembly,” said Mr. Nober. “They are committed to offering parents and students many self-esteem building options."“It was so cool to hear them singing along to the words of her songs, dancing in their seats, and cheering for her throughout the performance,” continued Principal Toto. “At the end the students gave her a standing ovation. Thank you to Dr. Bennardo and Lee Nober for bringing in such a great assembly that not only presented a really important message to our kids, but also motivated them."
↧
↧
Portaro and Soulias Lead with Career Highs
Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Basketball team on its 66-48 win over Sachem North on Tuesday night. The girls are now 4-0 and start league play with two away games next week. On Tuesday night's win Rosa Portaro and Meghan Soulias had career highs. Meghan had 15 points and played outstanding defense against Sachem's best player. Rosa scored 26 points and hit 6 three pointers. Rosa now has 16 three pointers this season. Congratulations and good luck next week.
↧
Boys Volleyball County Awards Night
We hear from varsity coach Mike Patto that this past Monday night the boy’s volleyball team attended their county awards dinner and brought home plenty of hardware. Sophomore Outside Hitter Jack Poplawski won his 2nd consecutive All-County award. Senior Libero Chris Corbett and Junior Outside Hitter Sean Williams won All-Division awards. Junior Outside/Right side Hitter Josh Friedman, Senior Middle Tom Nicolino, and Senior Setter Dylan Diamond won All-Division Honorable Mention awards. Chris Corbett, Tom Nicolino, Dylan Diamond, and Marcus Zaiff were honored with All-County Academic Awards as well. “I would like to congratulate the boys on their impressive achievements,” said Coach Patto. “I would also like to thank the senior class for the years of commitment and hard work for the program.”
↧
Discovery on Bus Reported
Hi All:
I want to apprise you of a situation that was reported to us from Birchwood Bus N. Late this afternoon, a parent contacted us to say that her son had found what appeared to be an unspent bullet on the bus. Our Assistant Principal and Assistant Superintendent immediately met with the family and the student explained that he and some other students saw the bullet rolling around on the floor. The student picked this bullet up from the ground and presented it to his mother after arriving home. There was not a great deal more to the story but we did call the police, file a report and ask that the authorities take possession of the bullet.
The bus, which is part of our internal fleet and handles both elementary and high school runs, has been thoroughly searched by several individuals and there were no further items of concern found. There is also no indication that there was ever a weapon of any sort associated with this bullet and there have been no incident reports of any kind generated from that route in recent days. We have of course generated a full list of all riders, routes and stops for that bus and will be investigating in the hopes of finding some information relative to this situation. Finally, the bus will be thoroughly checked for security and examined before and after each run during the coming week.
Again, there were no incidents of any type reported from the bus and no additional items of any nature found in the area. However, we are taking the incident seriously and working to maintain safety and security for all involved.
We will share any additional information if and when it becomes available.
Dr. Bennardo
↧
A Joyful Time of Year @ Countrywood
Music teacher Adam Slawitsky conducted an energetic group of students from Ms. Hancock's and Ms. Cariello's 2nd Grade classes as they entertained the audience at Wednesday evenings Board of Education meeting.
It was wonderful to hear these children sing and see the genuine pride on their parents’ and teachers’ faces as they brought joy and holiday spirit to the room. We commend the talented Countrywood students, and thank Mr. Slawitsky for helping to prepare them for this special show.
Congratulations to the following students:
From Ms. Hancock's Class: Ayaan Bakshi, Grant Borden, Marcus Chen, Mikayla Degele, Christopher Jacobs, Tai Koo, Victoria Krywak, Cooper Lee, Saniah lewis, Kaylee O'Brien, Maeve O'Connor, Christopher Rodriguez, Hunter Roegge, Jakub Targonski, Julianna Taveras, Katy Valle, Angelina, Velasquez, Evelyn Villalobos, Hailey Voorhest, Josue Rivera, and Violet Sarno.
From Ms. Cariello's Class: Abigail Andreoni, Emily Butterfield, Christopher Caiazzo, London Campbell, Cole Carmosin, Derek Davis, Kenji Flores, Collin Hancock, Sydney Henkel, Nate Hoffman, Lyla Long, Ariana Palma Pleitez, Keelianna Roche, Andrew Steenson, Timmy Treubig, and Caroline Tulipano.
Photo Gallery
↧
↧
Christmas Cabaret - A Perfect Friday Night
We invite the community to join us this evening for a Christmas themed performance in the heart of Huntington Village at Old First Church. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The Long Island Musical Theatre group is composed of Long Island’s top high school talent, including Walt Whitman. This is a wonderful show filled with holiday classics. Happy Holidays Everyone!
TONIGHT!
Performances at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Old First Church
125 Main Street, Huntington, N.Y. 11743
Click Here to Purchase Tickets
They will also be available at the door!
↧
Maplewood Community and the HMFD Show True Holiday Spirit
Maplewood's Student Council Toy Drive was another big success. This year the intermediate school was able to donate many new toys to children in the community. Even in tough economic times, Maplewood families and faculty pulled together to help make this toy drive a huge success. A special thank you to Ms. Hatton and Ms. Garafalo, Maplewood's Student Council Advisors, and to our Huntington Manor Fire Department and their holiday float. The Fire Department will deliver the toys with the help of Santa and his friends just in time for the holidays.
Thank You Maplewood school community for your generosity!
↧
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Students in Mrs. Lamorte's Kindergarten class at Countrywood got to partner with kindergarten students at Herman Avenue Elementary School in Auburn, NY, through an interactive Brown Bear, Brown Bear video collaboration project.
Mrs. Lamorte's students were paired up with their new upstate friends they compared what they saw and experienced within their own local communities and created personalized posters.
The book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, was used as the model for what each student saw in his/her own community. Also, each student in Mrs. Lamorte's class created a puppet of his or her favorite animal in the story and shared it with their partner class in Auburn, NY!
↧