One by one, superheroes from across the Wantagh School district began a friendly takeover of the Wantagh High School Auditorium on Wednesday, August 27 for the annual Superintendent Days officially kicking off the 2025-2026 school year.

Smiles, hugs, and summer vacation stories filled the lobby set against a superhero backdrop, a delicious continental breakfast, and of course a lot of coffee. As attendees checked in, they were greeted by Dr. Stephanie Scolieri, Executive Director of Human Resources and Administration who handed them a copy of Epic Classroom written by keynote speaker, Trevor Muir.

The conference began with a brief welcome back from Board of Education President Anthony Greco who reminded teachers and aides that they are superheroes and that they have the power to shape student’s futures, to inspire a love of learning, and to create a safe and nurturing environment where children can thrive.

Superintendent John McNamara, dressed as Clark Kent, shared the importance of storytelling in lessons. He shared a summer vacation story where he and his family rescued two students whose kayak overturned in the middle of the lake. “We all get in trouble sometimes and we are here to provide that support,” Mr. McNamara said. “We provide that support for each other and as educators, you provide that for our students. Don’t forget the juice that you have with our kids who look at you as superheroes.”

Carol-Ann Winans, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction K-12, shared a touching video filled with the super powers of our educators highlighting their amazing organization, patience, connections, understanding, flexibility, being calm, passion, and welcoming presences with and for students to name a few.

Trevor Muir, author of AI and the Ideal Graduate: The Essential Role of Educators in a Tech-Driven World brought the keynote address filled with little, yet engaging stories of his student experiences. During his keynote address, he challenged educators to involve project-based learning using digital tools to further engage students.  He encouraged educators to discover how artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool to enhance teaching while reaffirming the irreplaceable role as an educator. The conference is designed to highlight the teacher's vital place in the classroom, showcasing how AI is not the goal but the bridge that leads to greater student engagement, creativity, and achievement.

This year’s conference was coordinated by the Wantagh League of Superheroes which included Nick Roberts, Dan Bonomini, Alex Martinek, Ariel Adrian, and Kimberly Davis.