Four outstanding student-athletes – Caileigh Apicella, Brianna Hernandez, Stephen McKenna and Caroline Piazza – recently signed National Letters of Intent to play soccer this coming fall in college. Their proud families joined the students in Athletic Director Stephen Restivo’s office to celebrate their achievements.
Apicella, a three-year varsity defender and co-captain of the East Islip girls team, will attend Wingate University, where she plans to study to become a nurse or physician assistant while playing for the Bulldogs. The atmosphere and friendly people at Wingate’s campus in North Carolina appealed to Apicella, who was named All-League in 2013 and All-County in 2014. “I kind of just wanted to get away and start something new and great,” she said. “I am looking forward to another four years at the next level.”
Midfielder Hernandez will play for the Gaels at Iona College in New Rochelle. Named East Islip co-captain as a senior, she played all four years on the varsity and was named 2013 Long Island Player of the Year. The fact that Iona had her major, criminal justice, was one factor in her choice, along with some family history – her aunt and uncle met and married while attending Iona, as did another uncle. “I love the campus and am looking forward to a new start,” she said.
McKenna, a center back, will play for Binghamton University’s Bearcats. He played for five years at Albertson Soccer Club, part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy system. Two older brothers also play Division I soccer: Eric, a sophomore at Villanova, and Keith, a senior at Stony Brook. “Binghamton has great academics and great coaches,” he said of his choice. “All of the players on their team are really nice, great guys.” He is currently undecided on a major, but is considering political science.
Piazza, a striker, signed with the New York Institute of Technology. She will play for the Bears at the school’s Old Westbury campus. A member of the East Islip varsity squad for two years after captaining the junior varsity team, Piazza also is a member of East Islip’s Medical Career Academy. Her interest in a career as a physician assistant impacted her selection of NYIT, which has a direct entry to the PA program. “NYIT was the first school I saw that I really liked, and I am looking forward to it,” she said.
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Soccer Standouts Sign Letters of Intent
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Winter Sports Postseason Schedule
Boys Basketball
Wednesday, Feb. 18 - East Islip at Central Islip, 5 p.m. ($4 admission)
Girls Winter Track
New York State Track and Field Championships
Friday, March 6 - Cornell University
Boys/Girls Bowling
NYSPHSAA Championships
Saturday/Sunday, March 7-8 - Syracuse (Section III)
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A Volunteer Spirit for eiMAPS
Students from the middle school’s National Junior Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society volunteered for the annual clothing drive held by the East Islip Music and Arts Program Support group, also known as eiMAPS. The Jan. 24 event collected funding for programs and scholarships for East Islip School District music and art students.
The efforts of the 13 students – Mike Borelli, Lindsay Carpluk, Ann Deubel, Erica Hayden, Beth Hillman, Sarah Hillman, Sam LoForte, Dylan Lopez, Aileen Meier, Timothy Meier, Joanna Mingo, Justin Taveres and Taylor Triolo – were coordinated by high school music teacher Christopher Neske. Home Depot donated the necessary garbage bags and zip ties. “Thanks to the support of the community and the volunteer spirit of our students, the clothing drive was a huge success,” said eiMAPS organizer Linda Hillman.
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Horn Musicians Offer Free Recital
The MYO Horn Quartet, consisting of East Islip students Nick Pepino, a senior, and Michael Stevens, asophomore, along with Islip High School senior Ethan Fields and Ward Melville High School junior Constance Mulford, will present a free recital at St. Mark’s Church in Islip on March 1 at 3 p.m.
The four student-musicians will be accompanied by pianist Christine Dore, performing works by Franz Strauss, Reinhold Gliere, Wolfgang Mozart, Franz Liszt, and Vaughan Williams, as well as the first movement of Robert Schumann’s Konzertstucke for four horns.
This recital will serve as a preview for the Quartet’s debut as featured artists at the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York Suffolk Principal Orchestra’s winter concert, to be held on March 22 at the Staller Center for the Performing Arts at Stony Brook University.
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Elementary Science Fairs Enthrall EI
East Islip’s two elementary schools for grades 3-5 held their annual fourth-grade science fairs on Jan. 29.
JFK’s winner was Gabriella Schwaim from Donna Marshall’s fourth-grade class, for her project “Current Comparisons of Solar Cell Readings.”“Our fourth graders were extremely eager and excited to complete and share their projects at the science fair,” said JFK Principal Aileen O’Rourke. “The fair allowed our students to research a topic of their choice, while learning many new skills. They were involved with reading, logical thinking, writing, math and data analysis as well as scientific methodology. This was a fabulous learning experience.”
The winner at RCK was Nicholas Rizzo, for his project “Color and Heat Absorption,” which sought to determine whether the colors black and white absorb heat differently. RCK’s runner-up winners were Isabella Fantauzzi and Jack Verdolino.“The fourth grade students did an amazing job,” said RCK Principal Danielle Naccarato. “We had over 130 amazing science projects and the judges – who were teachers and staff volunteers along with science honor students from the high school – had to work very hard reviewing and appraising the students’ submissions. This was not an easy task as all of them did their best to create outstanding projects.”“I learned a great deal from the students,” said RCK teacher David Lake. “I was truly proud and impressed with their efforts and creativity.”
Rizzo and Schwaim will represent East Islip at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Elementary School Science Fair on May 2.
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Dellavecchia Wins County Wrestling Title
Star high school wrestler Jesse Dellavecchia won the county title at the Suffolk Division 1 wrestling championships, held Feb. 14-15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead. The senior did not give up a single point during the tournament, and remains undefeated at a perfect 41-0 this season.
Dellavecchia won four bouts en route to the 132-pound crown. After winning the first two matches by pin in the first period, he decisioned Longwood’s Brett Brice, 11-0, in the semifinal. Dellavecchia won his finals match, 5-0, over James Szymanski of Shoreham-Wading River, extending his East Islip career wins record to 183. He will compete in the New York State championships, to be held Feb. 27-28 at The Times Union Center in Albany.
Fellow Redmen wrestler Alex Deveglio placed fifth in the 138-pound weight class, finishing the season with an impressive 38-2 record.
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MS Kickline Remain Undefeated
Undefeated now for five years running, the middle school's Redmenettes kickline team successfully defended their title on Feb. 8, emerging victorious again in competition with other Long Island schools. The team earned first place at two prior regional competitions to earn their place at the championships.“The girls work very hard from October through February, three days a week,” said coachesChristina Inghingolo and Kelsey Krumholz. “We could not be more proud of all their effort and achievements.”
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Reading Under the Sea at Connetquot
Connetquot’s Parents as Reading Partners program kicked off on Jan. 20 with a presentation from illustrator and author Steven James Petruccio, who shared his acclaimed drawings for children’s books. The Connetquot students even gave him an idea for a painting based on this year’s PARP theme of “Under the Sea.”
During the two weeks of PARP, students read for 15 minutes per night and recorded their reading data on forms shaped like sea creatures, which were hung in the cafeteria. The program featured daily reading riddles with book prizes, and the entire school learned a special version of the Pharrell Williams hit song “Happy,” adapted to fit with the reading program.
PARP at Connetquot came to a close with a performance by Brian Chevalier. In his “Rock Out for Reading” show, students joined Chevalier as he sang about many popular characters in books that the students were familiar with. “It was an exciting season of reading here at Connetquot, and the visits from Steven and Brian were wonderful ways to encourage further reading and to celebrate a great PARP program,” said Principal Deborah Smith.
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All-Long Island Track Champs
Seven high school student-athletes – Michaila Dattero, Jackie Ginty, Katie Ginty, Faith Penny, Katharine Newhoff, Anya Schmitt and Christina Talamo – successfully competed as part of the school’s girls varsity winter track and field team at the New York State Qualifier meet on Feb. 8.
Earning All-County honors for the second consecutive year, League III and Suffolk Small Schools champion Newhoff finished in second place in the 1,500-meter race walk.
With a second-place finish for all high jumpers in Suffolk County, fellow League III and Suffolk Small Schools champion Penny likewise earned All-County designation, for the third year in a row.
Newhoff and Penny will both compete in the New York State Track and Field Championships on March 6 at Cornell University in Ithaca.
Schmitt finished in the top 10 for all 1,500-meter runners in the county, Jackie Ginty placed fifth in the 55-meter dash, while the 4x200 relay team of Dattero, Talamo and the Ginty sisters placed in the top eight.
At the Long Island Elite meet, held on Feb. 22 at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington and involving the best jumpers and race walkers from Nassau and Suffolk counties, Newhoff and Penny won the Long Island Championship in the 1,500-meter race walk and high jump, respectively. Both girls earned All-Long Island honors to go along with their All-League and All-County recognition.
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Fridge Donated for Life Skills Students
The EJ Autism Foundation donated an apartment-sized refrigerator to the district this school year, for placement in the life skills room at the middle school. The unit has provided the students with valuable opportunities to store, prepare and cook foods that require refrigeration.
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Chinese New Year at Timber Point
Art teacher Christina Spera-Bartlett and music teacher Kathy Carter collaborated to celebrate Chinese New Year with kindergarten classes at Timber Point.
In studying Chinese New Year and the animal zodiac, the students learned that Feb. 19 began the Year of the Sheep and then drew pictures of sheep in art class. They discussed the woolly texture of sheep, which they indicated with squiggly lines in their drawings. The color red was used to create the background of the pictures, as it is the color of good luck in Chinese culture. Finally, students used ELA skills to answer questions about their project.
In music class, the kindergartners listened to traditional Chinese music and did a “Lion Dance.” The students also sang Chinese New Year songs that focused on the customs of the holiday, accompanied by Chinese musical instruments such as the gong, drums and cymbals.
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MS Actors Rise to Musical Challenge
The dedicated young actors of the middle school brought down the house on Feb. 6-7 during two nights of sold-out performances of the school musical, “Once on This Island” that were filled with family, friends and community members.
The one-act 1990 Broadway musical, written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and based on Rosa Guy’s 1985 novel “My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl,” is set on a Caribbean island. The story questions why humans have prejudiced thoughts.
Nearly the entire show is sung or features spoken dialogue specifically timed to the musical score. “With almost nonstop music, the cast did a fantastic job with the challenging musical content of this show,” said musical director John Patrick Murphy. “The ensemble cast members were also on stage for the entire show, which is a challenge for any actor to stay focused and in character for that length of time.”
The production showcased the talents of more than 80 students involved in every theatrical position from acting to ushering. “All of the students collaborated and became a theatrical family over the past months with one goal in mind – to tell the story,” said Murphy.
Cast members included Melanie Arma, Fiona Ashe, Connor Barnes, Jake Barsch, Alexandra Bertolini, Leah Bloom, Sarah Blumberg, Ally Bunde, Joseph Canas, Kayla Cappe, Nicholas Cicali, Hannah Christy, Benjamin Chovinick, Nicholas Damico, Jenna Donnelly, Gia Gremaux, Kelli Karlin, Anna Koch, Melissa Kinnear, Rachael Kuhlman, John LaFrancesca, Thomas Locke, Emily Maccarone, Emma Mendolia, Danielle Muroff, Nicole Muroff, Noelle Naccarato, Jen Nolet, Tyler O’Neill, Jenni Profera, Kaitlyn Rice, Kerri Smith, Katelyn Spina, Kieran Tohill, Marie Tohill, Joelle Tomossone, Halle Traney, Bridget Welch, Shannon Wilson and Meghan Walsh.
The set was designed and built by art teacher Toniann Mannino and students from her musical theater technology class, including Polina Arteev, Nicholas Carlino, Jacqueline Davis, Jarrett Duncovich,
Hunter Engrassia, Allison Epstein, Robert Hartenfels, Mikki Llamido,
Carla Maekelae, Sarah O’Neill, Michael Quast, Dana Rice, Christopher
Saitta, Cynthia Stasio, Ryan Thompson, Timothy Trapanese, Arthur Tuck
and Veronica VanDerlofske. “We worked very hard on this set and it felt amazing to see it brought to life in the musical,” said Mannino.
Lauren DeCanio, Karina Gallagher, Caroline Meehan and Christopher Saitta served as stage managers, aided by the work of the stage crew of Nikki LaFrancesca, Gianna Perretta, Sarah Piccinini and Ryan Polidoro.
Sophie Bingham, Lily Bocamazo, Maddie Burhart, Olivia Flynn, Kylie Goess, Brooke Hommel, Maggie King, Bridget Launonen, Jolie Lenox, Alessandro Lundin, Maddy Maccarino, Courtney Morena, and Joan Simonetti served as ushers for the event.
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Touring a 'Wax Museum' at RCK
In a unique twist on the social studies curriculum, third-grade students at RCK presented a “wax museum”, dressed in costume as important figures from history. After selecting and researching a particular historical figure, the students prepared poster boards that highlighted the accomplishments and contributions their chosen figures made to society, and constructed timelines to highlight the significant events of their historical personages’ lives. Presenting to their classmates, each third-grader dressed and spoke as if they were their chosen figure, fielding questions from their peers.
As a culminating activity, the RCK library was transformed into an interactive wax museum. Parents were invited to tour the museum, where they had the opportunity to push a “button” in front of each student portraying a historical figure. When the button was pushed, the historical figure came to life and told about his or her life and major accomplishments. Upon completion of their speeches, they reverted back to wax figures until the next visitor pressed their buttons.“This was our first year doing this,” said teacher Jennifer Beebe. “The parents really enjoyed the opportunity to come in and see the students’ hard work, and the students loved seeing each other dressed in costume and learning from their peers.”
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Artist of the Week: Feb. 23, 2015
John F. Kennedy Elementary: Fifth-graders Dylan Tracey and Meghan Clayton (“Warm/Cool Landscapes”)
Timber Point Elementary: First-grader Timothy Coakley ("Henri Rousseau Jungle Collage")
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Academies Debate Environment vs. Economy
Reflecting the great prominence held by formal debate in American academic institutions for hundreds of years, the high school’s Environment Green and International Business Globalization Career Academies were tasked this year with researching, writing and presenting constructive arguments in support of or against five large-scale public initiatives, culminating in a debate in the school’s Forum.
The business students built their construct on Adam Smith’s contention that individuals, acting in their own self-interest, will achieve accomplishments that will benefit all of society, while the environmental students argued Garrett Hardin’s belief that unchecked use of public resources leads to abuse, depletion and great societal costs. The debate format was modeled after the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, and provided the 32 participating students with an authentic learning experience in crafting and delivering a persuasive argument.
The five topics debated included whether the use of fracking to capture oil and gas should continue in the United States, whether Long Island towns and counties should allow development on some protected public lands, whether a new nuclear plant should be built on Long Island, whether an offshore wind farm should be built off Long Island’s South Shore, and whether the Keystone pipeline should be constructed as proposed.“I was very impressed by the enthusiasm and passion the students brought to this activity,” said teacher Paul McHugh. “The groups presented excellent arguments and supported their positions with relevant facts and statistics. It was clear that the students felt most confident when they took the time to research the topic thoroughly and understood both sides of the argument.”“It was exciting to see effective collaboration as students prepared their arguments,” said fellow teacher Maude Walsh. “When students learn about things that really matter, they are motivated.”
Added teacher John Reilly, “It was a pleasure to see a group of students so passionately delve into an academic exercise. Their performance at the debates was only outshined by the level of commitment they had in gaining complete understanding of their topics. Events such as these truly bring the classroom to life and infuse deeper thought. This project will serve each of them well as they move onto their future studies and careers.”
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March BOE Business/Workshop Meetings
The East Islip Board of Education's next monthly business meeting will
take place Thursday, March 12 at 8 p.m., in the ECC cafeteria at 1
Craig B. Gariepy Ave. in Islip Terrace. It will be preceded by an executive session at 6 p.m. The community is invited to attend.
The Board's next budget workshop meeting, including a presentation from the Budget Advisory Committee, will take place on Thursday, March 19 at 7 p.m.
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Before- and After-School Program Discussed
At the Board of Education's Feb. 26 workshop meeting, the district and community discussed the before- and after-school child care program. See the attached informational spreadsheet for more information.
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First Budget Presentation Posted
The East Islip School District's first 2015-2016 budget presentation, presented at the Feb. 26 Board of Education meeting, is available to view.
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Trio of Future Medical Leaders
High school students Katie Bunde, Matthew DeLuca and Joe Nickel were nominated to attend the prestigious Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Washington, D.C. Each of the three received an Award of Excellence from the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.
Students are nominated for this honor based on leadership ability, high grade point averages, and aspirations to become physicians or medical scientists.
While at the Congress, the trio and fellow high school delegates from around the country watched live surgical procedures, had the opportunity to submit questions to the surgeons in real time, and discussed state-of-the-art diagnostic tools. The students were personally instructed by prominent scientific leaders including U.S. Surgeon General Boris D. Lushniak, National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, National Medal of Science winner Dr. J. Craig Venter, Harvard University Medical School professor Bohdan Pomahac, Georgetown University Dean for Medical Education Stephen Ray Mitchell, and Nobel Prize winners Dr. Mario Capecchi, Dr. Ferid Murad and Dr. Richard Roberts.
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Heroes and Ducks at EIMS
Middle schooler Nicholas Illare recently received a school assembly visit from the Long Island Ducks’ mascot, QuackerJack, as a result of winning TD Bank’s “Take a Duck to Class” essay contest.
Illare was one of only four winning students on Long Island out a field of hundreds of applicants; each had to write an essay on the topic, “Who is a hero in your community and why?”
The sixth-grader selected his cousin, architect and real estate developer Anthony Westenberg, as the subject of his contest entry. “Even though Hurricane Sandy destroyed his home, he still found time to help others”, noted Illare in his essay, describing how Westenberger, the owner of AMW Development Corp., sponsored a “meals on wheels” type of event in his neighborhood.
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