Mr. John C. McNamara
Throughout the District, students paired off in groups to read to one another or listened to a variety of fiction and nonfiction pieces read by faculty and administrators during the annual World Read Aloud Day on Feb. 1.
Collecting items for those less fortunate did not stop during the holiday season for Wantagh Elementary School student council members. Under the direction of adviser Danielle Pisciotti, the student council members hosted a toiletry drive for the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.
It may have been the coldest day of winter in Wantagh, but Forest Lake kindergarten penguins kept warm during various activities during their annual Penguin Day celebration. For the past several weeks the students have studied the Emperor, Little Blue, Macaroni and Rock Hopper penguins through English language arts, science and math activities.
Forest Lake fourth-grade students became more versed in Native American life and culture upon participation in the school’s annual Native American Day, held on Jan. 29. The activity was the culmination of a social studies unit in which the students learned about Native American life and how the Iroquois of New York State assisted the Pilgrims through their first harsh winter.
The middle school eighth-grade business management class participated in a six-week Junior Achievement program called, “It’s My Business.” The program focused on entrepreneurship and collaboration and was a perfect lead to the class’ final Shark Tank project.
Students in world language teacher Virginia Dimuzio’s class at Mandalay enhanced their Spanish listening skills. Guest and Hempstead Town Clerk Sylvia A. Cabana took the opportunity to read Andrés Pi Andreu’s and Kim Amate’s “La Abeja de Más” to the students, a powerful story about a beehive’s cramped working conditions and the serious topics of prejudice and tolerance.
The high school’s college-level Virtual Enterprises International firm, Coffee Cubed, won silver medals in the company branding, employee handbook, e-commerce website, impact marketing and video commercial categories during the Long Island VE Trade Show, held at LIU Post on Jan. 9.
The district is pleased to announce that 12 elementary, 13 middle school and 13 high school student-musicians were selected to participate in the Nassau Music Educators Association All-County festivals, held in January at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. Selection was based on the students’ individual New York State School Music Association evaluation scores and teacher recommendations, as well as evaluations during solo performances at regional music festivals.
During an in-school field trip with North Shore Land Alliance educator Karen Mossey, fourth-grade students at Forest Lake learned about Long Island’s drinking water and the best ways to protect it. “The best way to protect our drinking water is to learn about it,” Mossey said.
Michael Michitsch, a seventh-grade student at the middle school, is the winner in the school-level competition for the National Geographic Bee. He will now take a test for a chance to participate in the state finals. Eighth-grader Evan Thole placed second and seventh-grader Heather Sheridan placed third.
