At the Oct. 9 meeting of the Board of Education, several Ward Melville High School students were honored for being named All-State musicians and alternates. Each year the New York State School Music Association holds its annual All-State festival in Rochester. Students selected to perform at this prestigious event go through a rigorous audition process, competing with thousands of their peers from across New York.

“Being selected, whether as a participant or alternate, is an outstanding achievement,” Director of Music Ashley Ockner said. “It is with great pride that I recognize 18 of our eleventh and twelfth grade musicians who have earned this honor. Not only have they demonstrated extraordinary musical talent and dedication to their craft, but they have also shown leadership and played significant roles in shaping the success of our music department.”

 

Date Added: 10/10/2024

Stephanie Turano’s health classes at Arrowhead Elementary School are planting with a purpose in the school garden. Students across grade levels have been engaged in hands-on learning while tending to the garden.

First grade students identified and labeled vegetables whereas fourth graders prepared the garden beds for planting garlic, making health science connections while identifying plant structures. Meanwhile, the sixth graders harvested the fruits of their labor, including tomatoes, lettuce and herbs. These students learned how to air-dry herbs such as sage, mint, oregano and rosemary. They connected the activity to the health curriculum and learned how adding freshly grown herbs to meals can boost nutrient density.

 

Date Added: 10/9/2024

Ward Melville High School science teacher Jenny Serigano was recently named a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars. This prestigious honor recognizes educators, including teachers, administrators and counselors, who inspire their students to grow and develop as scholars, leaders and citizens.

Each year, student members of NSHSS are invited to nominate educators. The student who nominated Ms. Serigano said, “Ms. Serigano is a great teacher and really knows how to do her job. When I’m in her class, I feel like I am genuinely learning because of the way she organizes and demonstrates the topics in class. I feel that she does her job better than most teachers and she also has a real passion in teaching.”

The Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction program is named for NSHSS co-founder Claes Nobel, a member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes.  Those named Educators of Distinction can access special grant opportunities to attend professional conferences or pursue advanced degrees. Additionally, they move on to compete for the NSHSS Educator of the Year.

Ninth grade Italian students at R.C. Murphy Junior High School recently created bilingual books about emotions using the platform, Book Creator. In an effort to support the sixth graders transitioning to the junior high school, the ninth graders met with sixth graders at Mount and Nassakeag Elementary Schools via Google Meet. They shared their books with the elementary students, then used their Chromebook cameras to give virtual tours of the lockers, show their student portal, answer a variety of questions and introduce staff in the library and at the Chrome Depot.

This project is one of many related to transitioning fifth and sixth graders and aimed at fostering both language learning and social emotional growth. The activity was a team effort and included two classes of Italian students, Murphy Italian teacher Signora Casadei Berwind, technology coaches Jeanine Lombardo and Gina Varacchi, and sixth grade teachers Jason Hugues and Caroline Costanza.
Click here to view the Murphy Students Share Bilingual Books slideshow.

Date Added: 10/7/2024