Mr. John C. McNamara
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Wantagh UFSD Safety Plan 2019-20
High school freshmen abandoned their classrooms for the day on Oct. 17 to participate in the second annual Freshman Field Day. Out on the field and tennis courts, the ninth graders cycled through eight team-building activities including Hang the Laundry, All Dressed Up, Find Your Footwear, Hula Your Hoop and more. Also included was a mindfulness activity hosted by Andrew Ahr of Body and Brain.
A perfect fall afternoon and community pride was the backdrop for Wantagh’s annual homecoming parade and game, held on Oct. 19. Fun-Filled activities started with a Friday afternoon pep rally, during which the district’s sport teams and homecoming court were introduced.
During the Oct. 17 public meeting of the board of education, members of the PTA organizations honored the trustees for their dedicated service to the district and the community. Board Recognition Week is an annual celebration sponsored by the New York State School Boards Association, which honors the trustees’ commitment to public education.
Wantagh High School senior Athena Yao was one of 10 recipients of a 2019 Skipping Stones Youth Honor Award presented by “Skipping Stones” magazine for promoting art with an understanding of cultural diversity. In addition, the recently-named and talented Congressional Art Competition winner was profiled in the Autumn 2019 edition of the magazine in an article titled “Athena Yao’s Art,” which discusses through her artwork a search for identity in the midst of adolescence.
Graduation is months away, but Wantagh High School announced Travis Minutoli and Athena Yao as the Class of 2020’s valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. Keeping with Warrior tradition, the students were congratulated during the morning announcements, and while accompanied with parents and faculty, took an official photo in front of the school sign as it flashed the good news.
Wantagh Middle School students enrolled in the district’s new Honors Academy are learning about the history of their community. The seventh grade students have been assigned an extensive research project that will put their newly acquired research skills to use.
Mandalay has opened its new Helping Hands food pantry, located in the elementary school. The pantry will assist needy families in the school community, but the broader goal is to service the entire district community, elementary guidance counselor Donna Shulman and third grade teacher Stacey Vespe said.
The aroma of freshly cooked apples and cinnamon wafted through Forest Lake classrooms as kindergarten students assisted their teachers with making homemade apple sauce. Using a Foley mill, each student took turns churning the wedge to separate the skin from the meat of the apple and then tasted the fruit of their labor.
Wantagh High School student-musicians William Hostetter (French horn), Catherine Hanauer (harp) and Katriana Koppe (vocalist/soprano) were selected to participate in the New York State School Music Association’s Winter All-State Conference, to be held in Rochester on Dec. 5-8.
The painful and overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely and invisible is dissipating for many Wantagh Elementary School students due to participation in the school’s Start with Hello Program. Sponsored by the national Sandy Hook Promise nonprofit organization, students throughout the country from Sept. 23-27 worked to create a culture of inclusiveness and one that values each individual.
