Mr. John C. McNamara
Budget Hearing Recording - May 28, 2020
Budget Forum # 3 Recording - May 19, 2020
Wantagh UFSD
Notice of School Budget Vote & Election
June 9, 2020
Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order 202.26, the annual budget vote and school board election has been scheduled for June 9, 2020, and will be held by absentee ballot only. Absentee ballots will be mailed directly to every home in the district.
The public hearing on this year’s proposed budget will be held remotely on May 28, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. via video conference. Information on how to access the hearing will be posted on the District website at www.wantaghschools.org. In addition to the budget forums that were held earlier in the year, we will also be hosting two more budget forums at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, May 19 and Tuesday, June 2.
All qualified voters of the Wantagh Union Free School District will be sent an absentee ballot together with a postage-paid return envelope and instructions for completing the same. To be counted, all completed absentee ballots must be received in the Office of the District Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on June 9, 2020.
A qualified voter is a person who is a citizen of the United States, at least eighteen years of age, a resident of the District for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election, and who is not otherwise ineligible to vote under the provisions of section 5-106 of the Election Law (e.g. a person who has been adjudged to be mentally incompetent by a court).
In light of the limitations posed by COVID-19, there will be no in-person voter registration held at school district offices prior to the June 9, 2020 vote. If you are not currently registered to vote, registration with the County Board of Elections is available online through the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website at https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application. Those wishing to register online must do so by May 26, 2020.
RECORDINGS OF BOARD MEETINGS WILL BE POSTED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE (UNDER BOARD OF EDUCATION - "RECORDING OF BOARD MEETINGS")
BOARD OF EDUCATION PLANNING SESSION
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
As a result of the current school closures due to the spread of the coronavirus, members of the Wantagh Board of Education and Central Administrators will be participating via video conferencing in the June 4,2020 planning sessions at 7 p.m.
BOARD OF EDUCATION AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Board of Education Audit Committee Meetings will be conducting meetings via video conferencing on Monday, May 18 and Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 12 noon.
BOARD OF EDUCATION PLANNING SESSION/BUDGET HEARING
A Planning Session/Budget Hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 2020 via video conferencing at 7 p.m.
A REMINDER ABOUT PARENT PORTAL: If you are having trouble accessing your parent portal account, please send an email to parentportal@wantaghschools.org to request help.
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Wantagh UFSD Safety Plan 2019-20
The familiar horns of passersby resonated throughout the Mandalay community on May 7. Instead of the front-line workers that are usually honored during this COVID-19 pandemic, first grade teacher Christine Kopp’s class took to the Wantagh streets to demonstrate their appreciation of this longtime teacher.
With museums closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, art museums throughout the world are providing opportunities for patrons to browse their collections online. The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles went one step further by asking viewers to choose a masterpiece and to re-enact the work at home in an activity called the Getty Challenge.
Wantagh Middle School Principal Anthony Ciuffo has published an article, “Rethinking Conventions: Keeping Gender-Diverse Students Safe,” in the October 2019 edition of Educational Leadership Magazine.
The Wantagh School District welcomes high school principal Dr. Paul M. Guzzone, effective July 1, 2020. Dr. Guzzone was appointed by the board of education and Superintendent of Schools John McNamara during the May 7 business meeting. He replaces current principal Carolyn Breivogel, who retires at the close of the school year.
Although the official ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wantagh High School celebrated the accomplishment of 63 foreign language students who were inducted into the World Language Honor Society this spring.
Juliana Rose, a 10th grade student at Wantagh High School, is New York State’s first-place winner in the Daughters of the American Revolution 2019-2020 Christopher Columbus Essay Contest. The national contest is sponsored by the DAR and the National Italian American Foundation in honor of Christopher Columbus.
Words of thanks can go a long way, as Wantagh Elementary School fourth graders in Samantha Barrett’s class have learned. The community conscience students joined their teacher in a campaign called Project Thank You, demonstrating their appreciation to local firefighters and healthcare workers at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Elmhurst Hospital, who have served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic each day.
It would be difficult for most people practicing social distancing at home to choose just one word to describe how they are feeling. However, Forest Lake students and faculty were able and willing to select a meaningful word to convey messages of hope and relay what is important to them during One Word Day.
Wantagh Middle School’s daily virtual announcements have been given a celebrity flair. Principal Anthony Ciuffo explained that local and regional VIP’s have volunteered to assist with the announcements during the canceled April break, scheduled for April 9-17, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
STEAM teacher Kaitlin Humphrey has been putting her technology and engineering skills into real-life practice by assisting with the production of needed face masks for Stony Brook University health care personnel. Last week, Ms. Humphrey secured 3D printers from the district and the templates for essential mask parts, so that SBU volunteers can assemble and distribute the supplies to medical workers to protect them from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
