On Friday June 2nd over 35 athletes from South Huntington traveled to Mitchell Field Athletic Complex to compete in the 2017 Empire State Games Victory challenge. Athletes competed in a variety of Track and Field events and were awarded 38 gold medals, 19 silver medals, and 7 bronze medals.“We would like to say thank you to SEPTA, Dr. Wright and the athletic department and to all of the parents, teachers and coaches that made this day possible,” saidRory Sherman, Physical Education teacher at Silas Wood 6th Grade Center. “Thank you as well to Mrs. Lay from Oakwood and Maplewood teachers Mr. Winters, Mrs. Garafolo, and Ms. Huss for all their support.
Congratulations to our wonderful athletes:
Countrywood Athlete: Vincent Santamaria
Oakwood Athlete: Justin Olivares
Maplewood Athletes: Bianny Alvarez-Brito, Hamza Bilal, Clifford Delsoin, Adriana Figueroa, Gabriella Harrison, Carlos Hernandez-Bustillo, Samantha Hernandez-Bustillo, Aliz Raymundo, Cassisy Saravia
Birchwood Athletes: Christopher Portillo-Gomez, Josue Gomez-Benitez, Mathew Cashman, Giselle Alberto
Stimson Athletes: Juliet Berger, Jack Carey, Frances Charles, Andrew French, Devin French, Jeremy Glover, Jovahny Glover, Ruhullah Halimi, Jared Hibbert, Tyler Needham, Alexia Rivera, Michael Vittoria, John Williams
Walt Whitman Athletes: Andrew Avila, Farrell Blum, Nancy Hernandez-Garcia, Erika Lopez, Anthony Portillo-Gomez, and Alvin Yam.
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Victory Challenge Highlights
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County Winner Celebrated
Suffolk County Legislator Lou D’Amaro honored the winner of the Suffolk County 2017 “The Truth About Energy Drinks” PSA Contest at their Legislative session on Tuesday, June 6th. Walt Whitman’s graphics and video production teacher Ms. Erica Raji is pleased to report that Animation and Video student Danielle Henneborn is the 1st place winner of this countywide competition.“Stimulant drinks can damage your organs,” said this talented tenth-grader. “I’ve always enjoyed art and I’m very interested in graphic design and animation, so this was a great opportunity to tell a story through animation.” When Danielle isn’t busy with her studies at Whitman she is actively involved as a Girl Scout Ambassador.
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BOE Public Hearing Notice
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Military Recognition Breakfast
The District was particularly proud that on Tuesday, June 6th, the anniversary of the D-Day invasion that began the march to democracy, we honored our military bound graduates with a special awards ceremony brunch. The District Office Conference Room was brimming with patriotic pride, as community veterans Dennis Madden, Rich Russano, Carlo Giordano, Ken Carlson, Charlie Armstrong, Mike Williams, Phil Ludwig, Frank Ostroff, Vinny Crimaudo and Tony Braccia; BOE members Ms. Lisa Brieff, Ms. Michele DeGaetano and Mr. Nicholas Ciappetta; along with service staff members Robert Matedero, Charles Dispenzieri, Fred Dwyer, Stu Pray, Juan Ortiz and Carlo Giordano, joined with parents and friends joined to thank our nation’s newest role models and wish them well.
Congratulations to the following Walt Whitman seniors who have enlisted on our Nation’s Military: Esteban Lopez, Trevor Gundersen, Emma Palka, Paul Naclerio, Christopher Shiraishi, Lee Rosario and Cedrick Victor.
Fios1 News was in attendance and you can see their broadcast using the following link:
http://www.fios1news.com/longisland/huntington-station-hs-students-who-enlisted-in-military-honored-june-6-2017#.WTbeAxPyvUI
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New Summer Registration Hours
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Seniors to Graduate with Seal of Biliteracy
Congratulations to the following WWHS Seniors have completed the NYSED Requirements to graduate with a Seal of Biliteracy on their diploma: Sindy Alfaro, Stephanie Barker, Julio Chavez, Neyda Díaz Vilorio, Esteban Lopez, Geysel Ramos, Omar Ramos, Kevin Vasquez Martinez, Ana Villatoro, and Shelbi Wuss. “This is an exceptional group of students, and an excellent representation of our diverse student population here in South Huntington,” said Ms. Cecilia Blanco, Coordinator of Bilingual Education and English as a New Language Programs. “Some of these students are English Language Learners with only three or four years of English instruction. Some have qualified for the Seal of Biliteracy for their third language, while they are fully bilingual in English and Spanish. And some have learned their second language exclusively at school, starting with the Dual Language Program in fifth-grade and continuing with the higher level language courses offered at the middle and high school level in our district.”
The New York State Seal of Biliteracy (NYSSB) recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages, in addition to English. The intent of the NYSSB is to encourage the study of languages; identify high school graduates with language and biliteracy skills for employers; provide universities with additional information about applicants seeking admission; prepare students with twenty-first century skills; recognize the value of foreign and native language instruction in schools; and affirm the value of diversity in a multilingual society.
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Wizards of Wall Street
Mr. O'Connor's fourth-grade Maplewood class participated in the SIFMA Foundation Stock Market Game with amazing returns. One of the teams in the class came in 1st place in the Grades 3-5 Spring Long Island Stock Market Game. Not only that, it seems the stock picking wizards also took 2nd and 3rd place. It was a clean sweep! Our Maplewood students beat out over 200 other teams across Long Island. The SIFMA organization said this is the first time in the history of the game that one school swept the top 3 spots. Maplewood’s 1st place team finished 10th statewide in all levels of competition, against over 1600 teams, and the top 9 schools were all Middle school or High School teams. These three "Wizards of Wall Street" teams focused on a "Buy Low and Sell High" approach picking stocks like Chipotle, Amazon, Google, and their top earner Tesla. Congratulations to:
1st Place - Taihino Quinones, Ariel Gonzalez Flores
2nd Place - Koji Flores, Cash Resta
3rd Place - Olivia Knudsen, Leah LaMay
The teams were invited to an awards presentation and luncheon on June 1st at Adelphi University. The students were given medals, an opportunity to give a speech to the crowd and treated to a fantastic lunch. What a great experience for the class and these 6 champions!
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"One person can make a difference, and everyone should try." - John F. Kennedy on volunteering
Walt Whitman High School would like to thank and recognize the following seniors for their volunteer service to our community and nation. “It is our hope that you have been inspired by your experiences and will continue to serve others in the future,” said senior class advisor Ms. Diane Zamow. “To further recognize your service, we have registered your hours with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA).” The PVSA is a national organization designed to tap the power of citizens to improve lives, solve problems and strengthen communities. Awards are as follows: Bronze 100-174 hours, Silver 175-249 hours, Gold 250 + hour and the Principal’s Award at 500+ hours.
Bronze: Sindy Alfaro Ortez , Angelique Auriemma, Erica Bell, Julia Chimenti, Rebecca Dewitt, Matthew Harrigan, Elizabeth Havjar, Samuel Hoffman, Alexa Honickman, Abdjine Lemaitre, Casey Leonick, Brooke Pagano, Vincent Pastore, Jessica Persaud, Olivia Poplawski, Omar Ramos, Geysel Ramos Vasquez, James Reilly, Jordan Roiland, Jared Saget, Jordan Schnieder, Rachel Shapiro, Samantha Thorne, Victoria Thurer, Melissa Triolo, and Kevin Vasquez Martinez.
Silver: Alivia Barton, Flor Canales, Serah Carbon, Michael Giarrizzo, Richard Hauser, Nosheib Jadoon, Meagan O'Donnell, Epiphany Ramirez, Danielle Raynor, Sarah Tabibzada, Faiza Tariq, Alexandra Wirth, and Shelbi Wuss.
Gold: Anastasia Alpy,* Ifedayo Balogun,* Christina Bogdani, Lauren Civello, Ilana Desmod, Sean Duclay, Emily Ferrante, Esteban Lopez, Karthikeyan Mayilvahanan Kelsey McDonald,* Payal Multani, Taninna Oukacine,* Lauren Ragone,* Jared Rosenthal, and Danielle Wechsler.
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Gold Key & Sports Scholarship Class of 2017
The prestigious Gold Key awards were presented on Tuesday evening, June 6th at the annual Booster Club/South Huntington Gold Key Scholarship and Sports Hall of Fame dinner. This award goes to student athletes who have demonstrated outstanding athletic participation by lettering in a combination of eight Junior Varsity or Varsity seasons in grades 10-12 at WWHS. Recipients are determined by Section XI rules and do not have any membership requirement. A Gold Key Charm necklace, an award plaque and $100 scholarship were presented by the Wildcat Booster Club in recognition of this honor.
Introducing the Class of 2017 Gold Key Recipients: Alivia Barton, Christina Bogdani, Jonathan Brigati, Zachary Bruno, Steven Ciravolo, Christian Corbett, John Creeron, Alexa Delcolle, Kathleen Dugan, Jon Eichner, Camilee Getchell, Michael Giarrizzo, Matthew Harrigan, Richard Hauser, Matthew Havekotte, Andrew Martin, Joseph Mendoza, Benjamin Nace, Thomas Nicolino, Vincent Pastore, Olivia Poplawski, Lauren Ragone, Melissa Triolo, and Shelbi Wuss.
These impressive athletes were also joined by our 2017 Booster Club Scholarship winners who have distinguished themselves in a variety of successful athletic, leadership, and academic endeavors. Congratulations to: Alexa Delcolle, Lauren Ragone, Matt Harrigan, Shelby Wuss, Angelique Auriemma, Christina Bogdani, Christian Corbett, Emily Dickson, Sarah Glaser, Megan O’Donnell, Victoria Thurer, Melissa Triolo, Ally Wirth, Marcus Zaiff, and Paige Tortorice.
The Athletic Director’s Scholarships is chosen by the Athletic Director and is funded by the Wildcat Booster Club. Membership is not required. Additional scholarships presented at the dinner are awarded by organizations including, the Gionuzzi Family for The Luke Avolese Memorial Football Scholarship, The WWHS Football Alumni Association, HBC Soccer Program and the Town of Huntington Softball Hall of Fame. Congratulations to: Joe Bradbury and Taylor Epstein for the Athletic Director’s Award sponsored by the Wildcat Booster Club; Derek DiLorenzo and Thomas DiLorenzo for the Luke Avolese Football Scholarship; Vincent Pastore for the WWHS Alumni Football Scholarship; Blake Aronson and Alexa DelColle for the HBC Soccer Scholarship; and Melissa Triolo for the Town of Huntington Softball Hall of Fame Scholarship.
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Michael S. Curtin Awards
Michael S. Curtin was a Sergeant in the NYPD and on September 11, 2001 tragically perished during the World Trade Center rescue efforts. In Sergeant Curtin's honor, the Michael S. Curtin Awards are presented to students who were nominated by their teachers for demonstrating exemplary citizenship. Rather than emphasizing academics or athletics, these awards focus on character and compassion. They are about how students live their daily lives and how much they do for others without asking for anything in return. They are about what makes Whitman such a special place, and what makes South Huntington such a special community.
Congratulations to: MICHAEL S. CURTIN CITIZENSHIP AWARD CLASS OF 2017: Antonio K. Agudio Jr., Trevor James Aucone, Angelique S. Auriemma, Danielle A. Barbarito, Stephanie Natalie Barker, Sherley Barreau, Erica Christina-Rose Bell, Timothy Patrick Brady, Jonathan Edward Brigati, Zachary Ryan Bruno, William Burton, Lesly Estefani Carabantes, Julia A. Chimenti, Luis E. Chinchilla Cantaderio, Lauren Elizabeth Civello, Kathleen Mary Clark, Brittney Marie Coleman, Brian James Corcoran, John Philip Creeron, Haley Davis, Nicole Ann De Martino, Alexa Skylar Delcolle, Gianna Della Vedova, Emily Taylor Dickson, Sean Thierry Duclay, Emma Katharine Dunn, Jon C. Eichner, Cara Anne Ferreri, Christie Ann Franz, Nova Ariana Furey, Aleyda Garcia, Lauren Lissette Giglio, Jack Andrew Giudici, Sarah Brooke Glaser, Matthew Robert Harrigan, Richard Warner Hauser, Matthew Christopher Havekotte, Sofie J. Hibler, Katherine Anice Hughes, Ahlasia M. Hunter, John A. Iaccino, Jamie Kralstein, Brett Harrison Maier, Sophie L. Markell, Andrew James Martin, Kevin Michael Mc Nulty, Joseph David Mendoza, Anibal Sebastian Mendoza Alvarez, Adam Tyler Meskill, Christopher Thomas Miller, Rhiannon Mizrachi, Payal Multani, Fazila K. Naeemi, Rebecca Anne Nardelli, Danielle O’Donnell, Kayla Nicole O’Mara, Jennifer V. Orellana, Michael Anthony Orlando, Leila Ozkiral, Adrianna Catherine Padinha, Anthony S. Palazzolo, Emma Nicole Palka, Vincent Anthony Pastore, Rosa N. Portaro, Anthony Raymond Pray, Timothy J. Quinn, Geysel Ramos Vasquez, Jared Rosenthal, Omar Rubio, Amanda Cristine Ruiz, Anastasia Rynkowski, Brittney Rose Salerno, Bridget Martina Saslaw, Danielle Nicole Silverman, Sarah Christine Tabibzada, Faiza Tariq, Kevin Alexander Vasquez Martinez, Grace Mary Williams, and Sean Robert Zagorski.
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Red, White, and Blue Forever
Two hundred and forty years ago today, our nations flag was adopted by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, but it is nationally recognized and many of our students took time today to honor the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. At Oakwood Primary Center, Principal Kerrigan welcomed special guests as the school gathered to sing patriotic songs. Oakwood’s head custodian Tom Montalbano raised the flag with the assistance of various scouting groups. Music teacher Luella Pinelli led the assembly as Ms. Herrera’s class had the honors of displaying one of the many large flags.
Thank you to all of our scouts who helped with the flag raising and to Ms. Herrera’s students for holding up such a big flag for so long: Lillian Dwyer, Tiago Rua, Rehan Naseer, Hayli Wuss, Edward Membreno, Kasey Alfaro, Natalie Totolhua, Mariana Garcia, Edis Aguilar, Fernanda Hernandez, Victor Valencia, Katherine Villatoro, Ethan Arroyo, Victoria Valencia, Justin Valencia, Cruz Chavez, Ariel Alvarez, Steven Salamanca, and Ariana Sosa.
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Pool Safety Winner from Birchwood
Birchwood Intermediate School third-grader Jade Tintera was recently honored by Suffolk County Legislator Lou D’Amaro (D-Huntington Station) as the Second Place winner in the County’s 2017 “Be Pool Smart” poster contest. Established in 2007, the competition invites elementary school students to promote the importance of pool safety by creating a poster that illustrates pool safety tips.
Entries were submitted by students from throughout Legislative District 17 and, initially, Jade’s creative design was named the District winner. Her poster was then submitted to compete at the County level where it was ultimately selected as the Second Place winner by the non-partisan Legislature Budget Review Office.
Each contest participant received a Certificate of Distinguished Achievement and Jade was awarded a special Suffolk County Proclamation from Legislator D’Amaro before the entire Legislature at the June 6 meeting. “There are many safety tips that are important,” said Jade. “Two of the more important ones are: never dive in shallow water, and never swim alone, always have adult supervision or a friend at all times.”“Our ‘Be Pool Smart’ poster contest directly engages children in learning the importance of pool safety to help avoid tragedies,” said Legislator D’Amaro. “I thank all of the students who participated in the poster contest and especially want to congratulate Jade on her winning design. She has made her family and our entire community proud.”
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Emergency Services Drill in Our Local Area
We want to share as a public service that tomorrow (Saturday, June 17) “Emergency Services” units will be conducting a casualty drill at St. Anthony’s High School. This drill, which will involve numerous police, rescue, and medical vehicles, is scheduled to begin on the St. Anthony campus with a series of mock casualties. These “actors” will then be transported (via emergency service vehicles) to a makeshift triage area somewhere in the Whitman Mall parking lot. The South Huntington School District is not involved in any way with this drill but wanted to share the information so that community members are aware of the increased police and emergency services activity.
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Mercy Benefit Concert Highlights Talent and Compassion
The 18th Annual Charity Mercy Benefit Concert was held recently at Walt Whitman High School. With hundreds in attendance, the room was electric as a variety of bands performed rock, jazz, funk, folk, and punk. There were compliment booths and henna artists. The new Collective organization set up a corner to promote their first CD which was produced in Whitman’s own recording studio. Of course there were the commemorative 2017 T-shirts with a design by Maureen Rossero. This year’s annual fundraiser helps support Project HOPE as well as The Collective. The event was coordinated by Walt Whitman English and Creative Writing teacher, Joseph Pipolo along with students James Reilly and Laura Altieri, as well as all of the XanaduLit Mag crew.“It is cool for the students to know and feel that the energy of the night and all the funds are going to do something remarkable-something essential,” said Mr. Pipolo. “Someone is going to lift a fork at a Project HOPE supper with food purchased from the three-dollars a Whitman student spent on a henna tattoo. Someone is going to directly benefit from the Whitman students dancing and singing and strumming. That is a wildly significant human lesson.”
Mr. Pipolo especially wants to thank the administration who have always been very supportive and engaged…they all come and listen, and Lou, our district sound engineer who did an amazing job, and Victoria Vasta and Desi Kirina, also on sound. The Custodial staff is always a big help as well. All of the talented musicians who come out and bring friends and family. The National English Honor Society members who sold tickets to the event.
Project HOPE is an organization formed by the youth of St. Hugh of Lincoln Parish in response to the hungry, homeless and unemployed in and around Huntington. Through the operation of a mobile soup kitchen, food drives, clothing collections, and meals served on a bi-monthly basis; they strive to minister to those in need in our community.
The Collective is the newest club at Walt Whitman and is now launching students into the future of the sound recording and music engineering arts. This opportunity affords students real hands on experience and training with state of the art recording and post production technology which they will be expected to master as recording musicians and engineers in their designated fields. The new club is also attracting many students who are involved in Whitman’s music programs: orchestra, concert band, jazz band, chorus etc. The club has recently finished the creation of an original studio album that is available for purchase ($12) in hard copy through Regina Caliendo at the District Office or at Whitman’s Main Office. You can also purchase it digitally on iTunes, Googleplay and Amazon.
The iTunes link:http://apple.co/2rLvayz
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SAT/ACT Summer Prep Class
PREPARATION FOR THE AUGUST 26 SAT & SEPTEMBER 9 ACT
Twelve 2-Hour Classes Mondays & Wednesdays 5 to 7 pm at Walt Whitman High School - Room 524
July 17, 19, 24, 21, 31
August 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23
Use this link for additional information
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Project Excel Wraps Another Successful Year
We were honored recently to see our Project Excel students and mentors recognized at a wonderful year-end dinner ceremony. Our students and staff enjoyed a year characterized by noteworthy accomplishments and steady progress towards worthy personal and collective goals. This year's theme, "Maintaining a Mindset for Success," was on full display as the coordinators, interns, and students presented their recaps of this year's program. The keynote speaker, Elizabeth Tirado, shared her extraordinary personal story of commitment and success after remarks by special guest, Councilwoman Tracey Edwards. We congratulate all of our Project Excel participants, as well as the proud parents who joined for this celebratory evening. Bravo to Project Excel Coordinator David Perkins and Roberto Torres, Jennifer DeNoble, Shaka Williams, Maria Colon, and Ian Denson who coordinate the program in our buildings. A special thanks is extended to Solange Rich, who has worked diligently to ensure Project Excel continues to serve children and families with excellence.
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All The Right Stuff
South Huntington’s Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Curriculum, Dr. Jared Bloom visited both Maplewood and Birchwood Intermediate Schools recently to speak with and congratulate the student officers in each school. Students introduced themselves and talked about the many school and community events in which they were involved in and which ones were their favorites.“I know it takes a lot of extra work, but being a part of the leadership team is what helps make your school so great,” said Dr. Bloom to the student leaders. “Leadership from our students is critical to the success of a school building, and we hope that you will always be involved in a leadership role as you progress upward through the grades here in South Huntington.”
Congratulations to Maplewood’s Student leaders:
JD Harrison - Student Council President
Gavin Brengel - Student Council Treasurer
Sara Duffy - Student Council Secretary
Sienna Long - Student Council Fourth Grade Vice President
Riley McDonnell - Historian
Josie Grant - SBM Student Representative
Kiera Brown - SBM Student Representative
Congratulations to our Birchwood Student leaders:
Kaitlyn Mondry- Student Council President
William Schrama- Student Council Treasurer
Eliana Kazin- Student Council Secretary
Daniel Ryan- Student Council Fourth Grade Vice President
Lucien Saint Cyr- Student Council Third Grade Vice President
Vincent Gulino- SBM Student Representative
Gabriella Avella- SBM Student Representative
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May Students of the Month
We wish to congratulate our May Students of the Month from Walt Whitman High School. These talented individuals have distinguished themselves in academic classes, earning the praise of the teachers and administrators alike. Our Students of the Month have successfully demonstrated the ability to juggle demands of increased academic standards, while simultaneously participating in numerous co-curricular endeavors. We congratulate all of our winners, as well as the teachers and dedicated parents who have contributed to their success.
Our May Students of the Month:
ART: Francis Bueno, Kathleen Clark, Katherine Gotard, Nimra Khan
SCIENCE: Alyssa Christiansen, Gianna Della Vedova, Brian Hauser, Natalie Zakrzewski
BUSINESS/HOME & CAREERS: Arielle Bagley, Danielle Barbarito, Nicholas Cavaiuolo, Karen Chavez, Tamia Lewis
PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Netsanet Dinehart, Maelyn Latko, Kayla O’Mara, James Stanton
ENGLISH: Yagmur Aykanat, Jennifer Fuentes, Aisha Majid, Mary Reciniello
SOCIAL STUDIES: Milton E. Flores, Rebecca C. Lamanna, Aisha Majid, Rhiannon Mizrachi
MATHEMATICS: Elizabeth De Martino, Diana Sanchez, Caroline Tomaselli, Joseph Van Gostein
WORLD LANGUAGES: Ashar Farooq, Mark Havekotte, Esteban Lopez, Katherine Miata
MUSIC/DANCE: Delaney Mena, Matthew Philip, Caleb Sullivan, Sarah Tabibzada
ATHLETES OF THE MONTH: Camilee Getchell, Sarah Glaser, and Aiden Smyth.
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Making The Cut
On June 5th, Birchwood's SBM team hosted its annual Pantene Beautiful Lengths hair donation event. Hair stylists from Anthony DeFranco Salon in Huntington Station generously gave their time to help "make the cut". It was a great success as the South Huntington community came together to support the American Cancer Society by either donating 8 inches of hair or by buzzing for a cure. Over 14 hair donations will be sent to make real hair wigs for cancer patients, along with $130 of additional donations for cancer research.
Thank you South Huntington for your participation and support!
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Community Businesses Honored
The first annual Wildcat Inner Circle Awards were held as part of the Sponsor Appreciation Luncheon at the District Office on June 6th. The luncheon featured music by The Silas Wood Select Choir and was catered by Brio Tuscan Grille.
Lee Nober, District Director of Special Projects, described this event as a "thank you" to our 100plus e-Newsletter sponsors as well as recognition of our first annual ‘Inner Circle’ award recipients for their substantial and continuous support of the school district's programs and events.
Thank you to: Knott Chiropractic (Dr. Jodi Knott) for sponsoring the district's first ever Middle School Dance Team; Huntington Honda (Jeff Hindla) and Huntington Mathnasium (Rupi and Tony Parmar) for co-sponsoring the East Coast Regional Dance Team Competition; to Huntington Mathnasium for sponsoring our 6th, 7th and 8th grade Chromebooks as well as sponsoring 3 benches made from plastic bottle caps collected by our local Girl Scout Troop; Huntington Mazda (Jordan Diagi and Jack DePalo) for sponsoring "Saving Lives with Chris Herren;" Ten Tigers Kung Fu Academy for sponsoring the 6th Grade Anti-Bullying Assembly with Meredith O'Connor; and EmbroidMe for providing complimentary framing of past awards.
In a truly heart-warming display of gratitude, Dr. Vito D' Elia, Principal of Maplewood Intermediate School, arranged for students who benefited from these endorsements to address and to thank the sponsors personally before presenting each sponsor with a framed Inner Circle Award.
Thank you to all our sponsors. The District looks forward to doing it all again next year!
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