East Islip's For the Kids Foundation will hold its 16th annual Black Tie Gala at 7 p.m. on March 9 at Land’s End in Sayville. The organization's premier fundraising event to benefit students in the East Islip School District, the Gala (with the theme being "An Affair to Remember...") will honor Christopher Neske as Educator Advocate of the Year and Patricia Diesu as Community Advocate of the Year.
For further information, contact chairperson Gina VanDenburg at 631-882-0829.
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FTK's Black Tie Gala Coming on March 9
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Best Buddies Mixer at Middle School
The East Islip Middle School Best Buddies Club hosted an after-school mixer with Hauppauge Middle School’s Best Buddies Club on Feb. 15. Guided by co-advisers Valerie Butler and Christine O’Connell, students from both schools made crafts, played games, ate pizza and cupcakes for dinner, and enjoyed each other’s company while making new friends. Both clubs look forward to meeting up again on June 7, when they will venture out to attend a Long Island Ducks baseball game together.
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Unbeaten Wrestler Chambers Earns 100th Win
East Islip High School’s Chris Chambers earned his 100th career win as a varsity wrestler during a Section XI finals match at the recent Dr. L Robert "Doc" Fallot Memorial Suffolk County Wrestling Championship.
With an unbeaten 41-0 record, Chambers pancaked opponent Nick Weber of Kings Park in the 195-pound class, recording a fall at 2:32 to earn his championship. He had earlier defeated Sachem East's Cristian Nunez.
The Division I competition, which took place Feb. 12 and 13 at both Hofstra University in Hempstead and Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, saw East Islip come in second with 138 points, just behind first-place Sachem East (156) and ahead of Rocky Point (118), Brentwood (111) and Huntington (96.5).
Other East Islip wrestlers also fared well in the Fallot tournament. Eric Adon earned second place with a win over Sachem East's Anthony Pistone. Jesse Dellavecchia (99), Dennis Ferro (145) and Dan Hayden (285) all finished in third-place in their respective weight classes, with Hayden decisioning John Glenn’s Edwin Rubio, 6-3. Zak Smalls came in fifth in the 160-pound class.
Chambers, Dellavecchia and Ferro (the latter two qualifying as wild cards) will be representing East Islip at New York's high school wrestling state tournament. The tournament, held at the Times Union Center in Albany on Feb. 22 and 23, will feature 480 student-athletes from approximately 400 New York State public high schools along with qualifiers from the New York City Public School Athletic League and the Catholic High School Athletic Association.
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Board Reveals Calendar, Announces Retirements
At the East Islip Board of Education’s Feb. 21 monthly business meeting, next year’s school calendar and the retirements of 15 district staff members were announced.
Board Vice President Louis F. Raffone, heading the meeting in the absence of President Ken Cronin, introduced Superintendent of Schools John J. Finello, who announced East Islip’s 2013-2014 school calendar (attached below). “Next year’s calendar was easy to put together,” explained Finello, attributing this to the fact that the New York State Education Department had extended the school year to June 26. “This opened up extra days to get in our required 180 days of instruction and three conference days.” He also noted that Monday, Sept. 9 would be the first day of school for students.
Before moving on to other business, Finello concluded his report by making the community aware of the For the Kids Foundation’s 16th annual Black Tie Gala, to be held March 9 at Land’s End in Sayville. Offering kudos to FTK, Finello praised the organization, which donated $70,000 this school year, enabling the district to restore valuable extracurricular clubs and activities that were unable to be funded in the 2012-13 budget.
Alise Becker-Santa, the district’s assistant superintendent for instruction and personnel, presented the certified and noncertified personnel reports, which were approved. Among the changes were the retirements of 15 long-time staff members: East Islip High School English teacher Teresa Avila (18 years of service), East Islip High School art teacher William Melendez (30 years), East Islip High School attendance aide Barbara McCormick (24 years), East Islip High School clerk typist Susan Marek (25 years), East Islip High School physical education teacher Marguerite Gomez (27 years), East Islip High School special education teacher Susan Assa (32 years), East Islip Middle School art teachers Patricia Larado (19 years) and Mark Star (35 years), East Islip Middle School social studies teacher Sheila Stern (14 years), Connetquot Elementary music teacher Eileen Egbert (28 years), John F. Kennedy Elementary teachers Anne Conte (29 years) and Robert Machida (45 years), Ruth C. Kinney Elementary special education teacher Barbara Hill (16 years), and Timber Point Elementary teachers Rose Behar (16 years) and Cheryl Bennett (26 years). “I’ve never seen such a class of retirees – they will be missed,” said Board trustee Kim G. Phillips, while Carl Fraser, the district’s assistant superintendent for business, added that these staff members held a combined 335 years of service experience.
The Board also approved a high school field trip for the Mock Trial team and adviser Patricia Lester to travel to Washington, D.C. for a competition, a resolution for an agreement with the East Islip Teachers Association’s Secretarial Chapter regarding work hour scheduling resulting from Superstorm Sandy, and a revised policy (No. 6700 – Purchasing).
After being introduced by Fraser, five recommended donations were approved: supplemental materials and programs from the EJ Autism Foundation, valued at $6,000; $2,500 from FTK on behalf of former East Islip science teacher Dr. Chirakkal Krishnan, for scientific instruments; $1,300 from the Connetquot student activity fund, for folding tables and lobby chairs; $810 from the Timber Point PTA for the Arts in Education program; and several chainsaws, valued at $400, donated by a local resident for the use of the buildings and grounds staff.
In the new business portion of the meeting, Becker-Santa, Fraser, Susan Kosser, the district’s assistant to the superintendent for student support services, and Eric Woellhof, the plant and facilities administrator, responded to community questions from prior board meetings. Woellhof also discussed the use of border collies to deter geese from athletic fields, while Phillips noted a meeting between Board members and Islip Town Councilman Anthony S. Senft Jr. involving a local pilot program. Lastly, the Board updated the community regarding its ongoing search for a new superintendent of schools; the recent New York Times advertisement for this position can be viewed as an attachment below.
The East Islip Board of Education will hold its next monthly business meeting on Thursday, March 14 at 8 p.m. in the district office boardroom at 1 Craig B. Gariepy Avenue in Islip Terrace. This meeting will include the second budget presentation. A first budget presentation will be held on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m., with a third budget presentation and Budget Advisory Committee recommendation on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m.
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School Calendar Update for Grades K-8
School will not be in session for students in kindergarten through eighth-grade on Monday, April 29 and Monday, May 6. These two dates have been designated as Superintendent’s Conference Days for scoring New York State exams.
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Student Council Brings Valentine Spirit to HS
“East Islip High’s student council made the school a wonderful place to be on Valentine’s Day,” said adviser Frances Li. Songs, flowers, chocolate kisses and heart-shaped lollipops were delivered with a smile to delighted students and staff. “We took preorders for singing grams, flowers and candy the week before Valentine’s Day so that sweethearts and friends could surprise or embarrass each other with deliveries to the recipient’s homeroom, cafeteria or office,” explained Li. “People had the choice of five songs, and we even took special orders for some members.”
Reactions from the entire school proved incredibly positive. “Everyone loved the mini “one-minute piece of heaven” when a duet, quartet or entire ensemble walked into a classroom to sing a short piece,” said Li. “It was very moving and enjoyable to see the recipients’ faces and hear the warm welcome of the crowd in the classrooms, cafeterias and offices.”
Everyone got into the spirit, including teachers, administrators, students, custodians, clerical staff and secretaries. “Everyone enjoyed the day and it was great to see so many people smiling,” said Li. “Coworkers sent singing grams to friends, some sent multiple singing grams to one teacher to ‘lighten them up.’ The principal even got one singing gram from the student council and ended up listening to all five songs.”
For the student council, many of whose members are heavily involved in the school play and music department, this was an important effort that brought joy and laughter to the entire building. “Boosting morale and making this long hard winter just a little bit more enjoyable is what student council is all about,” said Li.
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Tri-M Sees Phantom on Broadway
East Islip Middle School’s Tri-M Music Honor Society experienced the magic of Broadway while on a Feb. 6 field trip to see “Phantom of the Opera” at the iconic Majestic Theater. During their visit to Manhattan, the student-musicians also enjoyed lunch at the Hard Rock Café and went for a ride on the Toys R Us Times Square indoor Ferris wheel.
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Middle School Kickline Takes First Place
The East Islip Middle School kickline team won yet another regional Long Island Kickline Association competition on Feb. 24 at Uniondale High School. The Jr. Redmenettes’s first-place trophy in the Pom Division qualified the team for the LIKA Long Island Championships, to be held in March.
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Rainbow Hair at RCK
Kindergartners at Ruth C. Kinney Elementary School had fun participating in the school’s recent Rainbow Hair project. Art teacher Dana Belfiore and music teacher Malgorzata Strzelecka composed a special “Rainbow Hair” song for the children to sing during music class, and they created rainbow hair paintings in art. This vibrant cross-curricular project was designed to help the students learn about the order of the colors in a rainbow as well as how to read color words in class.
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High School Film Festival Showcases Video Talent
The first annual East Islip High School Film Festival was held Feb. 22 in the Forum. The day-long event, sponsored by James Connell’s video production and broadcast television classes as well as Harold Kench’s Technology Club, was designed to showcase student-produced film and video.
The videos were designed, created and submitted by students from the entire school , and were shown throughout the festival, which included genres such as animation, TV commercials, documentaries, dramas, comedies, trailers, music videos, horror films, interviews and special effects videos.
Festival patrons were able to purchase popcorn, candy and water provided by teachers Mary-Ann Coughlin and Kate Boucher, with the proceeds serving as part of a fundraiser for the junior class.
“I was very pleased with the students who came to the film festival to watch our videos,” said Connell. “Not only were they courteous and respectful, but they all seemed completely engaged and appeared to have a lot of fun. I am looking forward to doing this event in the years to come.”
The Film Festival bestowed prizes – Vivitar DVR 1020HD digital video recorders – on top winners in three different categories.
In the Judges Award, given to the best overall film in the competition as voted by the judges (Connell, Kench, and retired television teacher Doug Hodges), John Callagy won for “The Vigilante,” a comedy with an old western film theme.
The Directors Award, the festival’s best overall film as voted on by the students who contributed videos, was given to Brendon Bullard for his comedy/ short independent film “Just One Stipulation.”
The Audience Award, voted on by student audience members and fans, named Christi Wilbert’s comedic reality show spoof “Hobo County” as the winner.“I really enjoyed watching all of the students involved get the opportunity to showcase their work to their peers,” said Kench. “I really enjoy watching the Oscars every year and in a way, this was almost like a small-scale school version of that event.”
On Feb. 26, MSG Varsity aired a two-minute interview segment about the Film Festival as part of their "High School Life" show, which can be seen here.
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Sharpshooters Take Aim
Fourth- and fifth-graders from three East Islip elementary schools – John F. Kennedy, Ruth C. Kinney and Timber Point – participated in the 27th annual Town of Islip Sharpshooter Basketball Contest.
The Sharpshooter challenge, sponsored since 1993 by Islip’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs along with cosponsors Southside Hospital, the Islip Elks and the Town of Islip Housing Authority, encourages children in local public and private schools to improve their basketball skills while serving as an alternative to drug and alcohol abuse.
Taking place during physical education classes, the competition permits each student to attempt to score as many baskets as possible in one minute, choosing from designated shooting spots on the gym floor, with each spot worth a differing point value.
A pair of first-place finishers – one boy and one girl – in each grade received custom gold medals and T-shirts and advanced to a townwide final competition against other Nassau and Suffolk winners. The two runners-up were given silver medals and all of the student competitors were presented with participant's certificates.
JFK’s fifth-grade winners for 2013 were Alyssa Levy and Mike Ruhrold, while Meghan Garnett and Mitchell Meyers finished first for the fourth grade. Mia Catalanotto, Sophia Nelson, Connor Parkan and Ryan Thompson finished in second place at JFK.
First-place winners at RCK were fifth-graders Patrick Colleary and Julianna Longo and fourth-graders Ryan Ferremi and Lillian Scholl. Finishing in second place for fifth-graders at RCK were Sean Colleary and Christina Rooney. Fourth-grade finishers in second place were Tarynn Boesch and Michael Colon.
At Timber Point, the first-place winners were fifth-graders Thomas Boyd and Sophia Florenz and fourth-graders Peyton Dattero and Jake Vandenberg. Second-place finishers for Timber Point were Christian Harty, Matt Murphy and Emma Schapfel.
The Sharpshooter 2013 final competition, hosted by the local Elks Lodge Association, was held at the West Islip High School gymnasium on Feb. 23. With Islip Town Supervisor Tom Croci and Councilmen Steve Flotteron and Anthony S. Senft Jr. in attendance, two Timber Point students won second place overall: Dattero in the girls division and Boyd for the boys division.
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Goldfader Recognized as Volunteer
East Islip Middle School eighth-grader Victoria Goldfader was recently honored for her exemplary volunteerism with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The award, presented by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards on behalf of President Barack Obama, recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of time in order to serve their communities and their country. Goldfader participated in the Spirit of Community program this year as a representative of East Islip Middle School, donating an extensive number of hours to the endeavor.
Sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the Reston, Va.-based National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Spirit of Community Awards program honors students across America for outstanding community service activities. More than 370,000 young persons have been considered for these awards – judged on such criteria as personal initiative creativity, effort, impact and personal growth – since the program’s 1995 inception.
Principal Mark Bernard presented Goldfader with the President’s Volunteer Service Award certificate and a letter from President Obama at a celebratory breakfast held at the middle school on Feb. 26. She was accompanied by her parents, David and Nancy Goldfader, and Alise Becker-Santa, the district’s assistant superintendent for instruction and personnel.
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Artist of the Week: Feb. 25, 2013
Artists of the Week for Feb. 25, 2013:
Fifth-graders Ally Bunde, Gia Gremaux, Nick Licata, Justine Rizzo and Jacob Tedone of Connetquot Elementary
Kindergartners Jesse Hodge, Sophia Pepe and Ella Tantillo of John F. Kennedy Elementary
Kindergartners Julianna Azzizzo and William Mahoney of Ruth C. Kinney Elementary
Fifth-grader Caroline Meehan of Timber Point Elementary
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Tween Reading Club Digs into ‘Cardboard’
The East Islip Public Library Tween Reading Club held its third meeting at the library on Feb. 14, discussing Doug TenNapel’s 2012 graphic novel “Cardboard.” “After eating special Valentine treats and other snacks provided by some parents, we took to creating something from cardboard,” said Valerie Ware, the middle school’s librarian.
The club, which is open to all East Islip students in grades 6-8, offers middle schoolers the chance to engage in tween book discussions and learn about new authors and genres.
Earlier selections read at the previous two club meetings were “The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" by Tom Angleberger last Oct. 11 and Janet Lee Carey’s “Dragonswood” at the Dec. 13 meeting.
The next and final discussion of the year will take place on Thursday, May 2, focused on “The Giver” by Lois Lowry. Students must be registered to participate in the event, which runs from 3:30-5:30 p.m.
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Wrestlers Compete at State Tournament
East Islip High School’s county champion wrestler Chris Chambers (195-pound class), unbeaten in his 41-0 varsity career, and his wildcard teammates Jesse Dellavecchia (99) and Dennis Ferro (145) represented East Islip at the 2013 New York State high school wrestling championships. Held on Feb. 22 and 23 at the Times Union Center in Albany, the competition featured 480 student-athletes from approximately 400 New York State public high schools along with qualifiers from the New York City Public School Athletic League and the Catholic High School Athletic Association.
Chambers finished in third place with a final record of 47-1 on the season. He set two school records for East Islip along the way – the most wins in a single season (47) and the most pins in a single season (25).
Quarterfinal winner Dellavecchia recorded two falls to earn a shot against Hilton’s Yianni Diakomihalis in the 99-pound semifinals. Dellavecchia lost to the eventual champion and wrestled back to a fourth-place finish, while Ferro went 2-2 and was only one win away from placing.
At 10th place overall, East Islip’s trio of wrestlers set a new team record in state competition.
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Timber Point Celebrates Dr. Seuss
In what has become a beloved annual event, Timber Point Elementary School teacher Gail Rhatigan’s preschool class celebrated the 109th birthday of beloved author Dr. Seuss on March 1.
Born as Theodor Geisel on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Mass., Geisel first worked in
advertising illustration and political cartooning before finding his
popular niche as a writer for the young. During his long career, Seuss
published 46 children's books, including such humorous favorites as “The
Cat in the Hat,” “Horton Hatches the Egg,” “Yertle the Turtle,” “Green
Eggs and Ham” and “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish,” as well as the“The Lorax,” the source material for last year's hit film. His
books have been translated into over 15 languages and have sold over 222
million copies. The National Education Association adopted the author’s
birthday as the official date of the annual National Read Across
America Day initiative.
Rhatigan, a dedicated fan of Seuss, dressed up as famous Seuss character the Cat in the Hat. She and her pre-K students watched a "Cat in the Hat" DVD and decorated the classroom and halls to reflect the author's whimsical creations.
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HS Military Grads Sought for Plaque
The East Islip High School School Improvement Team Committee is requesting help in updating a plaque located in the main lobby of the high school. This plaque recognizes East Islip High School graduates who have graduated from military academies.
Anyone with information on individuals that this might apply to is asked to forward the graduate's name, the year they graduated East Islip and the name of the military academy they attended. This information should be emailed to the coordinator of the effort, Nicole Ingram, at nkaplan@eischools.org.
Questions may be directed to Connie Bilello at 631-224-2101.
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Common Core Parent Workshop on March 5
The East Islip School District will present a special
Common Core Learning Standards workshop on Tuesday, March 5 for parents of children in grades K-8. The event will take place at 6 p.m. in the
district office boardroom
located at 1 Craig B. Gariepy Avenue in Islip Terrace.
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Beanstalk Fun Kicks off PARP at RCK
Ruth C. Kinney Elementary School welcomed Agostino Arts on Feb. 26, whose Bodacious Books show served as an exciting beginning for the school’s annual two-week Parents as Reading Partners program. Students were invited onstage to perform “Jack in the Beanstalk” with the cast, a production that included a 60-foot beanstalk. “The show reminds students of the fun they've had with their favorite books and inspired them to go the library and look for more,” remarked Laura Tohill, the RCK PTA’s 1st vice president. “It was an incredible way to kick off PARP at RCK.”
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Rare Disease Day at Middle School
East Islip Middle School’s students and faculty observed Rare Disease Day on Feb. 28, an annual event held on the last day of February to raise awareness for rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation for individuals with rare diseases and their families. The main objective of the day is to ensure that the general public and decision-makers are aware and informed about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives.
The impetus behind the school’s participation was parent Gina Engblom, whose son Kyle, 14, attends the middle school. “I found out about Rare Disease Day on the Web,” she explained. “I had some t-shirts made and gave them to some of Kyle's friends and staff to raise awareness for the day.”
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