A big part of the Gold Key and Scholarship Awards Dinner, that was held last month, were the Athletic Hall of Fame Inductions. Congratulations to this exceptional group of Friends of South Huntington and Walt Whitman alumni who are your 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees.
James Cardon- Teacher/Coach 1990’s
Paul Ciurlys- Track 2000
Michael Heiser- Baseball & Football 1975
Debbie and Jim Kaden- Wildcat Booster of the Year: Jim, 2005; Debbie, 2011. Over 30 Years of Volunteer Service for the Community, Multiple Gold Level Presidential Awards for Volunteer Service.
James Kaden- Wrestling 2007
William Kaden- Soccer-Wrestling-Lacrosse 1999
Randy Pawlyk- Devoted Fan and Volunteer Basketball Assistant; Frank Mackwich Award Recipient.
Kimberly Wathey- Soccer-Basketball-Lacrosse 2015
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Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
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Violet Set to Open
This multi-award-winning musical follows a scarred woman who embarks on a cross-country bus trip from her farm in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, all the way to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Violet journeys in hopes to be healed by a minister...all the while discovering the true meaning of beauty along the way.
Join an incredible cast as they bring this heart warming musical to life. Tickets available online at: https://thelimtf.booktix.com/view/1/07a81dcee937633a/
About Long Island Musical Theatre Festival
The Long Island Musical Theatre Festival bridges the gap between quality education and professional theatre. We provide students with the opportunity to work with Tony Award winning guest artists, perform a fully staged musical with a professional orchestra, and receive training from current Broadway professionals. It is our mission to provide a program that is educational and fun while creating a safe environment for students to take risks and discover who they are as performers.
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Parting Words of Wisdom
“I believe the care and compassion he shows others makes him not only an administrator to look up to, but a person to admire,” said 2017 Whitman Graduate Gabrielle Nardelli in her scholarship-winning essay to the School Administration Association of New York State (SAANYS). Gabrielle’s words touched all the right notes with the nominating committee and recently Dr. Bergre Escobares, Region 1 Chair of SAANYS met with Gabrielle to present her award-winning scholarship.“The way Mr. Murphy has chosen to act as a person in [difficult] situations has inspired me to treat other people the way he does,” added Gabrielle, who is working towards a career in the medical field. “As I leave Whitman, I will always remember my principal as a person who made Whitman a great place to learn, and that what your principal does outside the walls of the school can have an equal or greater impact on the students as compared to what he does inside the school.”
Way to Go Gabrielle!
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Going the Distance
Dog sitting, babysitting, yard work, waitressing, holding flapjack breakfasts and car washes, Walt Whitman students Jasmine Haug, Timothy Rise, Ruthie Rise, and Karina Lew have had a busy year. Their fundraising efforts have all paid off as this summer they are building 12 x 12-foot homes for some extremely poor villagers in Nicaragua.
When they are not working with corrugated steel walls anchored to freshly poured concrete slabs, our students are busy helping youngsters in an orphanage and are close to completing a playground for them.
These talented students are each fortunate enough to have a parent on the trip. While this life-changing experience is all about giving, we think what they’re receiving will forever change how they view the world.
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SailAhead.. Moving Forward at 3rd Annual Sailing Event
With 190 veterans, and many more guests in attendance, 50 sailboats ranging from 30’ to 57’ crowded Centerport Harbor for the third annual SailAhead "Let’s Take a Veteran Sailing" Event. Hosted by the Centerport Yacht Club, this event is run by Whitman graduates Sean and Kilian Duclay to help spread awareness of PTSD and Veteran suicides.
SailAhead ‘Mates’ who were honored and remembered at this event, are veterans who have taken their lives due to PTSD. From fundraising events, SailAhead was able to bring six of the ‘Mates’ families from across the Nation to Long Island to participate in this event.‘This event helps to honor and remember our ‘Mates’ and their family members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” said Sean Duclay. “There are 219 ‘Mates’ that we’re are honoring today.” SailAhead was started by the Duclay brothers and their family to use sailing and the ocean as a therapeutic platform to help heal PTSD suffering veterans. The SailAhead team has just returned from Tacoma Washington for a similar event to honor Ryan James Day Ryan, an Army Ranger, who ended his life on December 15th, 2014 at the age of 21! Ryan's parents Linda and Jim, as well as Ryan's two younger brothers Justin and Evan were guests of honor for the Centerport event.“I’d like to thank my family, the Centerport Yacht Club, the American Legion Post 1244, the Cadets from the Annapolis, West Point, and the Merchant Marine Academy, all of our volunteers, and of course our skippers who have graciously volunteered their time and their boats for today’s event,” said Sean. After the opening ceremony and surrounded by family, friends, and volunteers, our veterans and guests boarded their sailboats for a perfect day on the open water.
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New Updated! Fall Sports Tryout/Practice Schedule
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Headed in the Right Direction
Niche.com has released its 2018 ‘Best School Districts in New York’ and the South Huntington School District keeps improving, currently ranked at #67. Walt Whitman High School again ranks among the top 100 in New York State at #79.
To see Niche.com's 2018 ‘Best Public High Schools in New York State’ rankings use the following link: https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-schools/s/new-york/
To see Niche.com's 2018 ‘Best School Districts in New York State’ rankings use the following link: https://www.niche.com/k12/d/south-huntington-union-free-school-district-ny/
Acording to the Niche website, the 2018 Best Public High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more.
Way to Go South Huntington Schools!
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Dynamic Coding Camp
This summer, students from South Huntington and other districts across Long Island were energized and inspired to create technology and solve problems by means by coding, robotics, and the engineering design process. Welcome to South Huntington’s Summer Coding Camp.
Each day during the camp, students participated in three unique learning experiences where they were transformed into coders, engineers, and designers, allowing them to imagine, plan, and create digital- and non-digital products.
Students had dynamic experiences with plenty of variety. A parent was impressed about her son’s experience, "This camp was WONDERFUL. I am hopeful that it showed him that he could be both an athlete and an academic and be proud of both. He was so happy every day to attend camp and excited to tell me in detail everything he learned. He is also building with his Legos and programming his robot again! This makes me so happy. Thank you so very much for such a dynamic camp. It did wonders for my son!"
Camp director Ms. Janine D’Elia gave us some details about what students got to experience as follows:
During our coding class, older students interacted with Google CS First and learned Scratch, a computer programming language. Our younger coders learned the basics of computer science with Scratch Jr. All students also interacted with the App Lab and Game Lab on Code.org. These labs taught students how to create apps, animations, and games that they were able to share and feature their new game for others to see and play.
During robotics class, all students had a hands-on learning experience where they programmed Dash and Dot robots to play basketball and learned how to use the Blocky app, the Go app, and so much more! Our younger students also programmed Colby The Mouse with the Code and Go activity.
During the engineering and design class, students interacted withLEGO WeDo 2.0, which is a robotics hardware and software platform.The WeDo 2.0 software provides an excellent platform for science learning, offering an innovative way for students to model reality, conduct investigations, and use design skills.
Programming is an important part of 21st-century learning, and the WeDo 2.0 software teaches programming in an intuitive way – letting students bring their creations to life while sharpening computational thinking skills like logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and modeling simulations.”
The camp was a tremendous amount of fun and the students came away with important life-long skills all inspired by technology.
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Extended School Year Filled with Creativity and Energy
Last week we had the opportunity to showcase the fine work of our students and staff in the Extended School Year Program (ESY) Summer Celebration. This dynamic group of educators, led by our very own Geraldine Maurice and lead teacher Shari Daniello, kept the curiosity high, energy alive, and creativity aglow for their wonderful students throughout the summer months.
We also thank Dr. Martin Zizi, Jennifer DeNoble, and Shaka Williams for their dedication to the South Huntington cause, and look forward to more great things in the year to come. Our classroom teachers also deserve a big thank you for all their dedication: Mrs. Belfiore, Mr. Cardella, Mr. Clines, Mrs. Coleman, Mrs. Commander, Mr. DePaula, Mr. Dwyer, Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. Metzak, Ms. Musgnug, Mr. O’Brien, Mr. Rentz, Mr. Schneider, Mrs. Strzelecka, Mr. Winters, and our students’ parents for believing in the South Huntington team and partnering with us on this special endeavor.
This summer, our ESY students participated in community-based work experiences with realistic career interests to assess their employability skills and training needs and develop the skills and attitudes necessary for competitive employment. This was a new venture that took a team effort and allowed for our students to have great success in the South Huntington community. The South Huntington Extended School Year Program continues to strive to “Create the Leaders of Tomorrow”.
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Fall Adult Education Courses
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Huntington Awareness Day Parade & Fair 9/9
First held in 2010, Huntington Awareness Day has become an annual tradition, with thousands of people turning out to celebrate the community’s unity, diversity and solidarity. Our goal is to raise awareness and inspire togetherness throughout the community.
Join us on Saturday, September 9th, for a parade on Oakwood Road that starts at 11AM from Huntington High School (all vehicles/floats) and Jefferson Elementary School (all walking groups) to Stimson Middle School for Food, Games, Fun and Attractions for Everyone.
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SHEF Family Fun Day 9/16
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Marching Band Set for Another ‘Journey’
“This was our best Band Camp Showcase ever,” said Band Co-Director Dennis Pettas, who, along with Caitlyn Coumatos, is looking forward to the upcoming year. Last season's state championships have been a good recruitment tool as more than twenty new students have joined this year. “I’m particularly proud of these new members as they have contributed their own hard work and dedication,” added Pettas. “They have been embraced by the experienced students and together, have created one big happy family.”
The 63-member band comprises students from 8th to 12th grades and will be the featured half-time performance for the Wildcats at the September 16th football game at 6 PM on the turf field. You can also catch the band on Saturday, September 9th, at 11 AM in the Huntington Awareness Parade that marches down Oakwood Road. “We want to keep building on our success, not only for our indoor color guard championship but our Marching Band Championship as well,” concluded Pettas. “Those State Championships are a great payoff to the amount of hard work these kids put in.”
The band's performance for the 2017-18 season is titled: Question the Journey Through Curiosity. For additional information about band happenings, check out the band parent association website at: www.wwhsmb.com
Photo Gallery
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Whitman Student @ National Research Center
Rising Sophomore Alina Naseer was selected to participate in this year's STEM-Prep Summer Institute at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL).
This highly competitive program engages some of the most talented and promising science students from districts across LI for hands-on activities relating to the different types of research conducted at BNL, including physics, biology, chemistry, scientific computing and environmental science.
At the August 4 concluding ceremony, Alina presented her research on Biofuels (an important source of clean energy). Alina plans to move forward with this, and other types of research, in Mr. Feraco's research program this fall.
Congratulations to Alina!
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Whitman Welcomes New Dean
Walt Whitman High School would like to introduce its newest member to the high school administrative team. Mr. Corey Blair has recently been hired as the new Dean of Students for the 9th and 10th grade. “Knowing the Walt Whitman community and having many ties here, I want parents to know that I want what’s best for their children and will do what ever it takes to help their child have a successful experience here at Whitman.”
Mr. Blair comes to us from Miller Place where he was most recently a guidance counselor. Before his time at Miller Place he was an attendance teacher for the Glen Cove School District. “Mr. Blair’s compassionate style and supportive nature is a wonderful addition to the high school, and we look forward to his work with our students and staff,” said Whitman Principal John Murphy in a recent Superintendent’s Newsletter. “As a new Dean for our students I want them to know that I can be a valuable resource and my door is always open for them,” added Mr. Blair.
You may contact Mr. Blair directly at: 631-812-3916 or email him at cblair@shufsd.org
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The Class of 2021 is Ready
On Tuesday, August 29th, Walt Whitman High School hosted a freshmen orientation seminar designed to inspire and motivate our incoming freshmen to become active within the school building and make their mark on Whitman. During the orientation, over 250 students got a chance to learn about the school and each other, through a series of games and activities designed to make students work together towards a common goal. “I have heard great things about this incoming class of freshman and from the number of you who came to participate today, tells me that you care about what happens in your high school, you care about your future, and importantly, you care about the people who will help you achieve your goals,” said Principal John Murphy, now entering his third year. “A special thank you goes to our high school PTA for helping to make activities such as these a reality for our students,” concluded Murphy.
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Silver Win for Boy’s Volleyball
This past weekend the varsity boy’s volleyball team competed in the annual Northport Invitational. The boys bounced back after tough losses early in the day to win the silver playoff bracket. The boys showed great resilience. Jack Poplawski, Robby Seebach, Sean Williams, and Josh Friedman consistently contributed offensively and defensively. The boys first home game will be this Friday 9/8 against Sachem East at 6PM.
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A New School Year Begins
Good morning and welcome back:
Each new school year brings change in a variety of forms—from new staff, to new students, to improved facilities and curriculum changes. This year our Board of Education has also changed in two notable ways. First, we welcome two new members – Andrew Bronson and Sidney Joyner. We look forward to their contributions and expect that they will bring fresh ideas that will enhance the Board’s decision-making process. Our Board leadership has also changed, with Laura Carey as Vice President and me as the President. Despite these changes, you can expect that the Board of Education will continue to play its vital role in providing the resources that our 6,000-plus students need to thrive.
While the Board of Education manages the District’s financial condition and establishes overall policy, it is our beloved staff of over 1,000 that does the invaluable day-to-day work necessary to create the leaders of tomorrow. Each of you should take enormous pride in the fact that the District just produced its strongest academic performance in over a decade. As we have in the past, in late January we will recognize seven of our most outstanding teachers. Additionally, for the first time, at a Spring meeting the Board will formally honor the members of the District’s non-instructional staff and the role that they also play in fostering academic success. Of course, we will continue to shine a bright spotlight on our most treasured asset—our students. Both in and out of the classroom, they give us hope that our next generation of leaders can solve our country’s most intractable problems, without rancor and with respect for opposing viewpoints.
So, on behalf of the entire Board of Education, I welcome you back and wish you a rewarding and productive school year. I look forward to seeing you at a future Board of Education meeting, in the halls of your schools, or at an extracurricular event.
Nicholas R. Ciappetta, J.D.
President, Board of Education
Photo Gallery
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Community Partnerships Benefit South Huntington Students
Thank you Reverends Evelyn Digsby and Saba Mchunguzi and the congregation from the Unity Church of Healing Light who graciously donated backpacks, each filled with school supplies. Representatives from the church were at the James Kaden Administrative Office on the first day of school to donate over 100 backpacks filled to the brim with school supplies for needy elementary children in our district.“We want to thank our co-partners, The Gathering of Light Interspiritual Fellowship in Melville and the Universal Unitarian Church in Huntington who did a phenomenal job,” said Reverend Saba. “Unfortunately, there still exists a need, but our membership all gave what they could to make this happen for our 18th consecutive year.”“This amazing gift is truly appreciated,” said BOE President Nicholas Ciappetta, as he helped unload the backpacks. “We feel our school district is the center of this wonderful community, and with local businesses, non-profits, churches and synagogues surrounding and supporting the district, it all comes together as a wonderful, collective community partnership.”
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Welcome Back Video Blog
The latest edition of the South Huntington Video Blog is now posted on our YouTube channel.
you can viewiton the web athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5FWT5qQ8CQ&feature=youtu.be
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