Preston Park, a 2nd-grader at Oakwood Primary Center in South Huntington, won two gold medals at the Pan American Taekwondo Union sanctioned event that was part of the World Open Taekwondo Championships, in Portland, Oregon this past March. More than 1,400 athletes around the world participated in the 2017 US World Open Taekwondo Championships.
Preston has won 4 consecutive championships in 2017 and will be representing New York, Maryland, and New Jersey at 2017 USA Taekwondo Nationals in Detroit, Michigan on June 30th. Preston has also been selected to represent the United States at the 2017 WTF President’s Cup (G2-World Ranking Event), in Las Vegas, in October 2017. Preston trains with Grand Master Woosang Jung (Jung’s Ultimate Taekwondo Center of Commack) who is the Silver Medalist’s of last year’s U.S. Open.
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Oakwood Student Brings Home Gold
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Boys of Summer Get Important Win
Varsity Baseball Coach Keith Barrett tells us that his Wildcats evened-up the series against Smithtown West with a big 10-3 win on Wednesday, April 12. Matt Williams was the starting pitcher with 4 innings and got the win. Tom Nicolino threw 3 scoreless innings in relief. “We scored 8 runs in the 4th,” said Barrett. “JT Cullen started the inning with a single and he added a 2RBI single his 2nd time up in the same inning.” Chris Corbett went 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Wildcats are back at Smithtown West this Saturday to finish the series. Come out at support the team at their next home game on Tuesday, April 18th at 4PM when they go up against Half Hollow Hills.
Photo Gallery
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Epstein Dominates as Team Excels
Whitman’s Softball team won all three games over the break, improving to 4-4 on the season. Taylor Epstein paved the way for the three wins, as she threw 23 innings and struck out 43 batters, allowed two runs and 10 hits. It was a great team effort by everyone.
On Monday April 10th Epstein pitched a complete game, allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run, while striking out 13 leading the way in the 4-1 win over Half Hollow Hills East. She also went 2-3 with 2 RBI. Nicole Algierie went 2-3 with one run scored. Noelle Bryggman went 1-3 with one stolen base and a run scored.
Then, two short days later, Epstein threw a no hitter, the first of her varsity career, leading the way for a 12-0 victory over Ward Melville. Taylor overpowered the Ward Melville lineup by executing pitch after pitch, and striking out 15. "She was absolutely lights out," said Whitman coach Ralph Miranda. "Every pitch was working. She was really dominant." Danielle Barbarito went 3-4 with 4 RBI and a run scored. Nicole Algierie went 4-4 with 3 runs scored and 1 RBI. Noelle Bryggman went 2-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. Britany Khatchatourian went 3-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.
Closing out the week, on Saturday April 15th, Noelle Bryggman delivered a walk off 2 RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs to drive in Hailey Khatchatourian and Riley Piromalli. Solid defense backed Taylor Epstein the entire game, who threw all 10 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, while striking out 15.
Photo Gallery
Come out and support the lady Wildcats at their next home game- Thursday, April 20th at 4:30, Central Field.
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Triolo To Become a Knight
Walt Whitman senior Melissa Triolo has made her commitment to play softball for the Knights of Geneseo next fall. Melissa, who played varsity volleyball this past fall and was a wrestling manager this past winter, is eight games into her last season of high school softball. “We’ve been playing softball together since we were little kids and the chemistry is incredible,” said the Wildcats second-baseman about her teammates. “She’s a great infielder and a solid bat in the middle of the lineup,” said Varsity Coach Ralph Miranda. “Melissa is a student of the game, she’s a natural leader.” Melissa is a National Honor Society member, who is also on the high honor roll and a long-time Minds-in-Motion awardee.
Congratulations Melissa Triolo!
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The Body Electric- A Celebration of the Arts
Please join in congratulating all of the talented students and faculty who performed in this year's Body Electric celebration. Whether it’s poetry, music, art or dance, students and teachers took to the stage to the delight of a packed Performing Arts Center. This unique combination of music, performance, fine arts, and literature demonstrated the very finest creativity that our South Huntington schools have to offer.
Congratulations to the following performers, in order of appearance:
Act I: Adam Meskill (poetry); Cosette Brazeau (poetry), Melissa Shaiman (poetry); John Murphy (poetry); Alexander Carlin (music); Ally Gottesman (poetry); Taninna Oukacine (poetry); Lila Amin (poetry), Vito Monti (poetry); Mark Theodore Meneses (poetry); Caroline Tomaselli (dance).
Act II: Jacob Goldstein and Chris Feustel (music); Shannon McHale (poetry); Jonathan Brigati (poetry); Joshua Berger (poetry); Daniel Alivio, Matt Cusumano and Isaac Renderos (music); James Reilly (poetry); Michael Morck (poetry); Laura Altieri (poetry); and Kimberly Latko (poetry).
Special thanks to: The Lamplighters for their talent and skill in making the night possible; to Shannon McHale for her invaluable assistance; to Mr. Murphy, Mr. Varlamos, Dr. Muller, Mrs. Grady and our custodial staff for their support; to the Xanadu staff and advisor Joseph Pipolo for providing innovative media for the sharing of art, music and literature; and to our many teachers and staff who cultivate and nurture our student artists.
Please visit Whitman’s online literary magazine at www.xanadulitmag.comto enjoy more rich and vibrant student writing, art and music.
Photo Gallery
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Building Bridges And More
The Walt Whitman High School Robotics Team, The Robocats, competed at the FIRST Robotics competition at Hofstra University. Over two days of competition, the team held its own against teams from all over the country. Special congratulations to Robocat Club President, senior Christie Franz, for winning the regional MVP award for leadership.
Congratulations also to Justin Wallace and Ryan King for finishing 2nd and 3rd in the Brookhaven Town Bridge Building Competition. Students from 17 Nassau and Suffolk County high schools designed and constructed more than 200 model bridges intended to be simplified versions of real-world bridges. In this contest, efficiency is calculated from the bridge’s weight and the weight the bridge can hold before breaking or bending more than one inch. The higher the efficiency, the better the design and construction. Justin Wallace of Walt Whitman High School placed second with a bridge that weighed 22.08 grams with an efficiency of 1023.7. Third place went to Ryan King of Walt Whitman High School. King’s bridge weighed 20.22 grams with an efficiency of 923.8.
The construction and testing of model bridges promotes the study and application of principles of physics and engineering, and helps students develop "hands on" skills. Students get a flavor of what it is like to be an engineer; designing structures to a set of specifications and then seeing them perform their function.
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Poplawski Set For Stevens Institute
Senior Olivia Poplawski has made her commitment to Stevens Institute of Technology where she will play volleyball next fall. In addition to being recruited to play volleyball, she also received an academic scholarship to study Biomedical Engineering. Olivia, a four year starting setter for the Wildcats had an extraordinary year and was named Newsday’s Top 25 to Watch, All-League, All-Classification and All-County, as well as being named to the Suffolk County All-Tournament Team as a senior. “She has been a great player and a great person for our program over the past four years,” said Varsity Coach Steve Greco. “She has been a leader in our program for a long time as well as our all time leader in sets played, aces and assists.”
Olivia is also a GSO Assistant, a member of the National Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, and Robotics Club. She was a member of the Winter Track team and is currently playing Varsity Lacrosse. “She was constantly working hard and pushing her teammates to get better,” said Coach Greco “She was always the first one in the gym and the last one out. She was a positive influence on the court.”
Congratulations to Olivia Poplawski!
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Casey O'Riordan...From Wildcat to Panther
Women’s Varsity Lacrosse Coach Lisa Christiansen is happy to report that one of her star players Casey O’Riordan, has committed to play for the Panthers at SUNY Purchase next fall. “Casey is one of our hardest working defenders, she’s got great one-on-one skills,” added Coach Christiansen. “She’s an intelligent communicator and leader on the field and an integral part of the defense we will be using this year.”
In her earlier years at Whitman Casey enjoyed Soccer and Basketball, but this busy student decided to focus on her love of lacrosse between her other outside interests. As a junior EMT at Huntington Community First Aid Squad, Casey not only dispatches ambulances but is Chief of their Explorer Post 215. She is also treasurer of the Walt Whitman robotics club. In summers past you could find Casey at St. Peter’s Vacation Bible School volunteering as a counselor. Casey will be attending SUNY Purchase as a Pre-Med Major with a Minor in Psychology. One day she hopes to attend medical school, and we have no doubt that this hard working and driven young lady will get there.
Congratulations Casey O'Riordan!
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Congratulations!
“I’m really very proud of you all, so keep up the good work,” said Principal Murphy as he handed each student a certificate and letter of congratulations as our March Students of the Month. These talented Walt Whitman students 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.
March Students of the Month: Ethan Halle, Raul Martinez Contreras, Cinthia Vides Sorto, Jon Eichner, Andriana DiBartolomeo, Efrain Citle Palestino, Alexandria Probst, Bridget Saslaw, Natalia Sandoval, Racquel Litt, Adriana Garcia, Leila Perry, Diana Fogel, Tina Khoshkehpazi, Aisha Majid, Rachel Shapiro, Aidan Luebker, Erica Aguilar, Scott McEntee, Emily Blank, Anna Edwards, Emmanuel Anglade, Joshua Joseph, Casey McKenna, and Robert Cerrito.
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Elephants Inspire Teamwork
The book "Twenty-One Elephants" by Phil Bildner tells the story of the fourteen-year construction of the Brooklyn Bridge completed in 1883. Many people were intimidated by its size, worried about its strength and questioned how long it would stand. This book inspired Mrs. Bertolino's kindergarten class to take on an engineering science challenge. The children were asked to use various manipulatives to create a bridge that could hold 21 plastic elephants. This hands-on learning center was a valuable tool to have students work in teams to design and plan a bridge, create it and improve the construction to complete the engineering task. What an incredible learning experience!
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Brookhaven National Laboratory Welcomes Students
Students from Stimson and Silas Wood presented their research projects at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on Tuesday April 18th. Our students report that it was an amazing opportunity to meet other student researchers, potential mentors and learn about the future of STEM on Long Island. South Huntington was the only district to send a middle school delegation and the students made us proud!
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The House That Love Built
Ronald McDonald House is a home away from home for families while their children are being treated at nearby hospitals. Countrywood is collecting the little tabs you pull to open soda, soup or other aluminum cans. Pantry items are also being collected for families and placed in our shopping cart. The funds generated from recycling these aluminum gems will helpoffset the Ronald McDonald House expenses. Students are bringing in pop-tabs to be placed in our very own mini Ronald McDonald House located near the Visitor’s Center built by the Wilcox family. Please join us in an ongoing project to support the “house that love built!”
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Stimson Career Day Highlights our Diverse Community
In March, the Home and Career Skills Department of Stimson Middle School hosted their annual spring semester Career Day. A wide variety of careers were represented. Anticipation for the day was high and students were highly engaged throughout the day. The guest list included Mrs. Garden- Real Estate, Mrs. Orgers- Nurse, Mr. Cruz- Tree Surgeon, Officer Rich with his Canine companion, Hudson, Mr. Cardwell- Creative Director in advertising, Mrs. Esposito- Detective, Miss Kelly Rodrigo- Nurse, Mrs. Markell- Cablevision, Mr. Palmeiri,-Lawyer, Mrs. McGorry- Nurse, Mr. Clifford Ferdon- Musician and Tacher, Ms. Rene’ Boouchard- non- profit Fundraising Executive, Mr. Keith Donovan- Fire Marshal, Mrs. Eden Mauro- Lawyer, Ms. Nancy Nelson with her greyhound , Pablo- animal therapy, Mrs. Sura Sakran- Lawyer, Mrs. Vita Shapiro- Bond Trader, Dr. Martin Green-Firefighter, Officer Drew Fiorello- Police, Ms. Victoria Mauri- Lawyer, Mrs. Sonnisa Pastore- Nurse, Mr. Scott Beikert- Graphic Artist and sign shop owner, Mr. Leo Tavera- Banking, Mr. Chiquito-Suffolk PD, fingerprint examiner, and Mr. Sahadeo- Financial Advisor. The Career Day was coordinated by Mrs. Karen Engels, Mrs. Diane Zamow and Mr. Mike De Paula. A great day was had by all.
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GlaxoSmithKline Recalling Ventolin Inhalers
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Whitman Senior Sean Duclay in the Newsday Spotlight
Congratulations to Walt Whitman senior Sean Duclay. Sean is featured in Newsday's students to watch on Long Island this spring. See why at:
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/students-to-watch-on-long-island-spring-2017-1.13487280
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Virtual Enterprise Class Excels
Mrs. Stueber's Virtual Enterprise team from Walt Whitman High School competed at the Farmingdale Regional VE Trade Show last month. Teams had the opportunity to practice selling techniques, compete in competitions and network with other schools and professionals. In addition each team presented their business plans to a panel of judges, winning teams have the opportunity to progress forward and present their business plans for international consideration.
The team just recently participated in the Youth Business Summit held at Pier 92 in NYC. The entire team successfully participated in the trade show. Christopher Adams and Lauren Civello competed in the Global Business Challenge, 48 teams of 8-10 students from around the world took place in the event. Congratulations to Lauren Civello for her team's first place win in the challenge. It was a wonderful culmination to a year of hard work!
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'Power of Choice' Author Visits Oakwood
Walt Whitman Alumna Christina Karalekas, the author of Power of Choice, came to visit, read, and answer questions in Mrs. Lay and Mrs. Willis' first grade classroom at Oakwood recently. Principal Eileen Kerrigan and Teaching Assistant, Karen Karalekas (Christina’s Mom) joined the "book talk." After graduating from Whitman, Christina earned her undergraduate degree from Iona College and her Master’s from Fordham University. She is now an instructional specialist in New York City. Power of Choice helps to build self-help skills and create opportunities for children to conquer everyday difficulties both in and out of the classroom. Her book teaches children that everyone has the power of choice and can use these super powers to overcome obstacles. The children put on their invisible super hero capes and revealed their special powers. Power of Choice can be purchased on Amazon or MissChristinabooks.com.
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Playing at the Next Level
They are State Champions, proudly wearing their Wildcat Maroon as players on that incredible season when everything came together in the fall of 2015. Today, as high school seniors they prepare for the next journey in their lives and will share that Wildcat pride with new teammates in other parts of the State. Congratulations to these Walt Whitman Varsity Soccer players who have committed to play at their new schools next fall.
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Miles For Michael… Making Dreams Happen
Thanks to the annual Miles For Michael 5K Run, Walt Whitman High School has its first Studio Recording & Engineering Club. Funding from the Miles For Michael event has enabled the creation of a complete, top-of-the-line recording studio, and is now launching students into the future of the sound recording and music engineering arts. The club will be officially known as "The Collective."“Many of our more consummate student musicians and sound engineering students have their eyes set on music schools such as Berkley, Juilliard, Five Towns School of Music and Manhattanville,” said Club Co-Advisor and Whitman English teacher Mr. Vito Monti. “This opportunity affords them 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.”
Additionally, the project is also attracting many students who are involved in Whitman’s music programs: orchestra, concert band, jazz band, chorus etc. “It’s been a real thrill to watch both groups work together in the collaboration of a shared goal, which is the creation of an original studio album,” added Monti, whose Co-Advisors Matt Hoffman and Joseph Claps, are instrumental in running this hugely popular club.“Because of this club, I have opened my eyes to not only new musical tastes, but to how I want to perform and write music in the future,” said Sophomore Lily Soares. Whitman sound engineer Josh Joseph is equally enthusiastic from the other side of the glass. “When I enter the recording studio and listen to fellow students perform, I forget I'm in high school,” said Josh. “The space truly feels like another world; the equipment is as sophisticated as any other studio might have, and the talent I have heard in my brief time as an engineer is mind-blowing.”"This club that we have created started off as a dream,” said Siam Ahmed, a senior at Whitman. “I feel like I speak for all the seniors when I say, that this is our way of making a mark in a school that has had a huge impact on all of us. We want to leave behind something special for this school, to show our love for it. To give it one last thanks before we leave. I’m hoping to come back year after year and see students using the studio that we watched being built. That we helped build ourselves.”
As of press time club members include: Ahlasia Hunter, Cosette Brazeau, Robert Leonick, David Caliendo, Grace D'Souza, Jason Devaraj, Andrew Harrigan, Gabrielle Safian, Aleyda Garcia, Daniel Alivio, Jake Cartisano, Ifedayo Balogun, Fahad Khwaja, Sean Duclay, Jenny Duclay, Christopher Feustel, Kentaro Matsushima, Josh Joseph, Yadira Medina Moctezuma, Yadir Bijan Tabibzada, Parker Keller, Lila Amin, Justin Ullman, Karthikeyan Mayilvahanan, Matthew Bromschwig, Matt Brown, Max Eidenoff, Lily Soares, Justina Lynch, Peter Cerrito, Siam Ahmed, Julia Bellontine, Rachel Shapiro, Melissa Shaiman, Jillian Jobson, and Kate Jenkins.
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Bringing the Woods Indoors
We hear from Oakwood teachers Steven Barbosa and Andrea Lopez that their first-grade Dual Language classes have been working with and learning about woodland plant life. The students have been learning about the moss plant and pine tree seedlings. The students built up the different layers of their classroom terrarium, which consist of gravel, leaves, and soil. Soon, they will be receiving their insects, including pill bugs and millipedes, to include in the terrarium. The classroom terrarium is a fun and educational learning experience that promotes awareness of plant and insect life.
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