Wantagh Union Free School District

Wantagh Middle School sixth grade students recently visited virtually with best-selling author Gordon Korman upon reading “Restart,” about a boy, who by losing his memory, finds his life.

Wantagh High School Theatre is proud to present TWO productions of Clue for on-demand viewing from home! Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu.

The district is pleased to announce that seniors Kelly Baisley and Ryan Kearney were selected as recipients of the Nassau Zone Award. Sponsored by the New York State Association for Health Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the award recognizes one male and one female Nassau County high school senior from each school district who exemplifies outstanding scholastic ability, physical education performance and leadership qualities.

Wantagh High School senior Melanie Volz was selected as the winner of the 2020 Synapse and Yale Scientific Magazine scholarship contest. As a winner, Melanie will receive a $200 scholarship award, an exclusive one-on-one workshop with a Yale Scientific Magazine editor and a feature in the prestigious magazine.

The Wantagh School District is pleased to announce that Wantagh High School psychologist Dr. Caitlin Wong has published research in both The Journal of Moral Education and in Child & Youth Care Forum.

Residents of Wantagh City Senior Center will receive a colorful greeting card in the mail this holiday season from students enrolled at Mandalay, Forest Lake and Wantagh elementary schools. The students worked hard on designing the perfect holiday message to spread cheer among the seniors.

This fall, Forest Lake and Mandalay elementary school students sharpened their science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics skills through participation in the annual Family STEAM Challenge. Students normally participate in STEAM activities in the schools’ designated STEAM classrooms. Due to the pandemic, however, STEAM teacher Jamie Kanner and her students at both elementary schools have had to apply their individual creative skills, instead of working collaboratively. Using materials at ho

The Wantagh School District is pleased to announce that high school seniors Melanie Volz and Hayden Maitra have been designated as the Class of 2021’s valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. The announcement was made on Oct. 8, with administrators, guidance counselors and family in attendance.

Wantagh High School senior Grace Kane was selected to attend the LIU Post Entrepreneurship Academy this past summer, a weeklong program for high school students who plan on majoring in business in college. Grace was selected based on her plans to pursue a business career and for having demonstrated leadership and academic talent.

The College Board has recognized 108 Wantagh High School students as Advanced Placement Scholars for exceptional achievement on the May 2020 national exams. AP courses complete with a score of 3 or higher on the final exam may afford students the opportunity to earn college credit.

Classroom space is prime real estate for school districts complying with New York State social-distancing regulations, but Wantagh PTA organizations and the district itself had the foresight to redevelop internal courtyards prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At Mandalay, Forest Lake and Wantagh elementary schools, courtyards have been a valuable asset for teachers and students who take learning outside on a daily basis.

Wantagh Middle School students participated in the #WalkAgainstHate, sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League and held during the nationally held Walk Week from Oct. 12-18. Typically, students would have attended a scheduled event, but took to the middle school track during physical education classes and to their neighborhood streets and trails to demonstrate the school’s culture of kindness and acceptance. Walkers were also asked to photograph themselves carrying a sign that said #WalkAgainstHate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged district teachers to become more creative in their delivery of instruction due to social-distancing regulations, as seen in Forest Lake Elementary School physical education teacher Christine Moran’s fencing unit.

Wantagh Elementary School students and staff donned gold on Sept. 25 to support National Pediatric Cancer Awareness Day, which is sponsored by Go 4 the Goal and the American Childhood Cancer Organization. The students wore their school colors, black and gold, to raise awareness of children battling cancer.

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Wantagh Middle School sixth grade art students studied the popular Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Observed on Oct. 31-Nov. 2, the holiday signifies the remembrance of the deceased souls of friends and family. In addition to reading about this significant celebration, students in Joanna Osman’s class designed and painted sugar skulls, decorative skulls which represent the departed.

Kindergarten students at Forest Lake Elementary employed their five senses, mathematics and English language arts skills to learn about apples during a fall science unit.

The Wantagh School District is pleased to announce Wantagh High School’s recognition as a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School, as announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Sept. 24. This is the second time the high school has received this distinction, being one of the early honorees in the 38-year-old program as a 1997-98 Blue Ribbon School.

Prior to the district’s opening its doors to students, new faculty was welcomed during the remote New Teacher Orientation Program, held on August 31 and Sept. 4. In addition to learning about district policies, expectation and benefits, the new faculty discussed in detail new COVID-19 protocol and a virtual learning overview.

With an upbeat spirit and a drive to make students feel welcome, Wantagh Middle School principal Anthony Ciuffo and assistant principal Dr. Stephanie Scolieri welcomed incoming sixth graders during an annual orientation program, held on Sept. 3, which looked different from those in past years.

Wantagh High School was recognized as one of 582 New York State schools that are high achieving and high progress Recognition Schools. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, Recognition Schools are identified as educational institutions with high academic achievement and strong progress.

As students stepped off of the iconic yellow school buses and out of family automobiles, they were welcomed back to school on Sept. 8 by District Board of Education trustees, administration, faculty and staff for the commencement of the 2020-2021 school year. Instead of the usual congregation synonymous with the first day of school, students were ushered toward temperature check stations, while wearing masks and practicing social distancing, and then to their assigned classrooms where teachers welcomed them back to school.

Wantagh High School officially opened its doors on Aug. 31 to the incoming freshmen class, who attended a socially distanced orientation program. Careful to follow COVID-19 health precautions, the students were divided into two cohorts and again separated into small groups for informative sessions that slightly resembled past orientations.