June 2009 - riverhead.net
Transcription
June 2009 - riverhead.net
Vol. 25/No. 7 June 2009 Working Together in Our Schools . . . CONGRATULATIONS TO CLASS OF 2009 Achievement This issue of Our Schools focuses on student achievement in all sorts of venues: academic, athletics, citizenship and the creative arts. It also applauds our teachers who have provided students with an environment that fosters integrity, Congratulations to the Class of 2009. We are proud of all our students and their accomplishments. T he graduating Class of 2009 is counting down as the school year comes to a close. Some have played their last high school game, others played or sang in their last high school concert or finished their last art project. They were a unique group of students who took up the challenge on the playing field, on the stage and in the classroom. The Varsity Football team won the LI Class II Championship and the Rutgers Trophy. Several of our seniors will go on to play sports in college after an outstanding final season. Anna Flores sang in the Chorus at the All-Eastern Music Festival. Read on . . . The following students have achieved an academic standing as the top 15 students in a graduating class of over 300 students. creativity and respect. 1 - Rachel Hagler - Political Science – Williams College 2 - Sylvia Hong - Chemistry – Middlebury College 3 - Jessica Egan – Undecided – University of Delaware 4 - Laura Apicello - Engineering – Siena College 5 - Jyl Ristau - Int’l Relations/Business – SUNY-Geneseo 6 - Lauren Bonheim - Biology/Pre-Med – University of Delaware 7 - Amanda Mallahy - Biology/Pre-Med – SUNY-Binghamton 8 - Jessica Roslik - Undecided – SUNY-Stony Brook 9 - Kate Murphy - Engineering/Nursing – Villanova 10 - Kristen Kirchoff - Chemistry/Pharmacy – University of Connecticut 11 - Dylan Hewkin – Undecided – Boston College 12 - Bria Yazic –Philosophy – University of Vermont 13 - Sara Lohneiss - Biology/Pre-Veterinary – Loyola College 14 - Dylan Gould – Physics – Cornell University 15 - Tyler Lappe - Computer Science – SUNY-Stony Brook Thank you for supporting our students! Thanks also to Jamesport Gardens for beautifying the entrance to the Middle School. Catch the Wave RIVERHEAD CSD DISTRICT OFFICE 700 OSBORNE AVENUE RIVERHEAD, NY 11901-2996 the news inside 8 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 4 RIVERHEAD, N.Y. ****ECRWSS**** POSTAL CUSTOMER Danielle Buchanan achieved Peggie Ehlers had the students perfect attendance ALL 13 spinning at Roanoke as part of YEARS K-12! (with Mr. Zimbler) their social studies program (p 7). board/admin About Education 2 www.riverhead.net Working Together for Our Schools June 22, 2009 RCSD Board of Education District Directors Directors (Cont.) Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members: Dr. Diane B. Scricca Superintendent of Schools This has been a most exciting, challenging, and progressive year. The Board of Education has worked tirelessly on behalf of all our children by setting district goals, continuing their fight for more state aid, creating an energy performance contract to upgrade buildings, save energy and cut costs, and attending countless meetings to benefit our district. We thank you for supporting our budget so that we may continue with our work. We’re happy to report that we have made academic strides over the course of the year with higher test scores in grades 3-8. A restructuring of the STAR Academy has resulted in an attendance rate that has gone from 42% to 82% and brought these students back on campus. Additionally, for the first time, all four schools are “schools in good standing” as designated by New York State. Athletic achievements that included a LI Championship in football, a crew team that finished second in the nation, the NY State Shot Put Champion, and several athletic scholarships and scholarathlete teams made our community proud of the Blue Waves. We also congratulate our musicians for their fine showing at the Hershey Park Music Festival, and our poets, artists, and essayists for their achievements. We are proud of our students for their many acts of charity in our community and in the larger community as they engaged in Math-A-Thons and other fund-raisers. We want to thank you for volunteering to help us in our schools on committees, such as our new Communications Advisory Committee, in our schools, and in so many other ways. Ours is truly an important partnership. Enjoy your summer! Sincerely, Dr. Diane B. Scricca Superintendent of Schools Superintendent of Schools Dr. Diane B. Scricca is pictured with administrators and RCSD board member Christine Prete and her husband, George, applauding student athletes at the Varsity Awards Dinner, one of the many events she attended this spring. Congratulations to all! T he Board of Education thanks the residents in the District for casting their votes in the recent budget vote and Board of Education election. May board meetings featured presentations from our K-12 directors in Science, English Language Arts, and Math. The presentations detailed professional growth seminars for teachers, assessment strategies, and goals for elementary, intermediate and high school students. Each of the K-12 Directors, stated that they were pleased with the direction in which the district is moving and with the positive results on state exams. Ms. Maria Andreotti, the ELA Director, noted that the implementation of Fundations this year has begun to address phonetics, spelling, and fluency issues in grades K-2. Another major ELA goal is the implementation of a Response to Inter- Ms. Maria Andreotti vention (RTI) program, which is a multi-tiered approach to help struggling readers. Dr. Lois Etzel, the K-12 Science Director, noted the host of events in science this year and new opportunities planned for next year which include: a Pre-Advanced Placement Chemistry course; a revamping of the Marine Biology course to make it project-based; a double period for AP Physics; and up to 12 college credits from SUNY Albany for the three-year sequence in Science Research. Ms. Angelica Diaz emphasized the role of assessments and the importance of using data to drive instruction. She stressed the need to provide uniform support materials for teachers, which will help engage students and improve math achievement. The Board of Education Issues Proclamation of Appreciation to Retirees he Board of Education celebrated student achievement at the June 8th Board of Education meeting and presented the 2009 retirees with “Proclamations of Appreciation”. T Dr. Lois Etzel The Board read and presented Proclamations of Appreciation to Retirees at the June Board Meeting The Board and Dr. Scricca thanked each of this year’s retirees for their many years of service to the Riverhead Central School District. The following teachers and staff members are retiring this year: RHS math teacher Ruth Clark, who started teaching in the district in 1985; RHS art teacher Linda Figari, who has been teaching art in the district since 1991; RHS special education teacher and former school-to-career coordinator Cornelia Gevinski, who has worked in the district since 1983; RHS science teacher Eric Lamont, who has taught at RHS since 1981; Roanoke Avenue school librarian Marjorie Lawrence, who has been a librarian in the distict since 1985; RHS music teacher David Loddengaard, who is also the Chairperson of Music K-12, and has been teaching in the district since 1974; RMS home economics teacher Lynn Toro, who taught at RMS since 1993; Riley Avenue computer lab assistant Sandra Austin, who has worked in the District for 14 years; school bus driver Wendy Drumm, who drove a bus for the District for 26 years; school bus driver Susan Eaton, who completed 22 years of service; school bus driver Carol Herig, who drove a bus for the District for 10 years; administrative asssistant Patricia Hipp, who completed 25 years of service to the District; custodial worker Russell Nash, Jr., a Pictured above are the 2009 retirees who attended the board meeting and stayed for the picture: Dave Loddengaard, Marge Lawrence, William Orlando, Connie Gevinski, Linda Figari, and Lynn Toro. custodian in the District since April 1980; custodial worker William Orlando, who performed custodial service to the District since October 1989; school maintenance crew leader John Trent, Jr, who has worked for the District since 1972. rcsd/admin 3 www.riverhead.net - news and events Annual CAP “Say No to Drugs” March Pictured left to right: Chris Kent, Suffolk County Deputy Executive; Supervisor Phil Cardinale; County Legislator Ed Romaine, County Legislator Jay Schneiderman, NYS Senator Ken LaValle; Riverhead Councilwoman Barbara Blass (back row); NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele; Riverhead Councilman Jim Wooten (back row); empty chair; Southampton Councilwoman Anna ThroneHolst; CAP Board President Nancy E. Binger; then Leif Shay and the senior football players. Not pictured are Assemblyman Marc Alessi and Southampton Councilman Christopher Nuzzi. T he Riverhead Community Awareness Program, Inc. (CAP) sponsored its 24th Annual Say NO to Drugs March on Friday, June 5, 2009. The 2008 Riverhead Blue Waves Football Team and Coach Leif Shay were to lead this year’s march; however, rain kept the students inside. The 2008 Long Island Champion Blue Waves were the first football team in Long Island history to finish the season with a 12-0 record. In addition to winning the Class II Long Island Championship, they also won the Division II championship, the Big 4 championship, the Suffolk County championship, and the Rutgers Trophy— which is given to the team designated as the “best team in the county.” Head Coach Leif Shay was chosen as Suffolk County Coach of the Year. “We are thrilled to have these young men and coach Shay lead this year’s program,” said Felicia Scocozza, CAP’s executive director. “The choice was clear after many teachers called and wrote to us praising them as role models.” Since 1983 Riverhead Community Awareness Program, Inc. (CAP), a not-for-profit agency, has been providing drug and alcohol prevention education programs for the Riverhead Central School District. Although CAP directly serves over 2,000 students a year through its prevention and counseling programs, it is best known for its two-year preven- tion program taught to over 700 fifth and sixth graders in Pulaski Street School by community volunteers and student peer leaders. The program ends with the annual Say NO to Drugs March (or Assembly) in which students normally march from Pulaski Street School through Riverhead wearing Drug Free Body t-shirts. Communications Advisory Council (CAC) We want to get the GOOD NEWS out about our schools! Communication is not the problem. It’s the solution. T he Communications Advisory Council, which acts in an advisory capacity to the Superintendent of Schools, began meeting monthly on February 11th. About 25 people came together to discuss a way to “tear down walls,” and to move the district and the community forward in “a more positive way for all the schools’ students and for the town as a whole.” The objectives for the meeting included a commitment to: • provide a forum for open discussion; • encourage increased involvement and understanding between the school and the community; • create a positive climate in our community that helps energize and enable a higher level of student achievement; • share the mission and vision of the school district with the community. COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COUNCIL Public Relations Team The CAC divided into three subcommittees: the Public Relations Team; the Conflict Resolution Team; and the Function of Organization Team. During the 2nd and 3rd meetings, the teams were identified. The PR Team discussed goals, logos, branding, activities, media vehicles, such as news releases, the Internet, radio, television, newsletters, planned events, and other methods of sharing the good news about the district, while actively addressing the challenges faced by the district and by the town. As their “action step,” the PR Team has begun to broaden the Conflict Resolution Team Function of Organization Team District’s contact list of organizations, to find contacts within organizations, and email addresses, as a means of disseminating information and inviting participation from media and members of community groups. The PR Team is calling for anyone who would like to be on our contact list to email: sandy.kolbo@riverhead.net. In addition, WRIV interviews with the superintendent have been posted on the district website and information will be disseminated on WRHS, the new high school radio station. The Conflict Resolution Team discussed ways to address concerns raised about facilitat- ing communications between students, parents, administrators, and other stakeholders to resolve difficulties and to find possible ways to prevent conflict. They are planning to create refrigerator magnets for each school listing important phone numbers and email addresses. All of the email addresses for teachers will also be posted on the internet. The Function of Organization Team discussed how the organization functions -- the role of the board, the role of the teacher, the role of the superintendent and the chain of communication. Respect and trust were deemed essential to communication. Discussion in this team centered around the need to clarify for the public that the first level of communication when a student or parent has a problem or concern needs to be with the coach or teacher involved. The discussion needs to begin at the building level. Some of the information on how to accomplish this will be disseminated through the District calendar. “I am very excited about the work this committee has done,” states Superintendent Dr. Diane Scricca. “I’m looking forward to next year and what we can do together.” CAC members included: Winnie Ayers, Dawn Bozuhki, Melissa Britt, Robert Brown, Carolyn Brunskill, Angela DeVito, Theresa Drozd, Peggie Ehlers, Charles Gassar, Thaddeus Hill, Gordon Scott Kenney, Phil Kent, Sandy Kolbo, Astrid Lehman, Maureen McKay, Alice McKillop, Greg Meyer, Doreen Moore, Lu Anne Nappe, Jeannette Ott, Andrea Pekar, Victoria Perrone, Charles Regan, Sandra Richards, Debra Rodgers, Lynn Romaine-DiMartino, Dr. Diane Scricca, David Wicks, M.S. Williams, and Kathleen Wojciechowski. The CAC was chaired by Deputy Superintendent Nancy Carney. Next Meeting: September 30, 2009. rhsnews Congratulations to the students of RHS for their many accomplishments in the 2008-09 school year. “Teeny Awards” We are very proud to announce that Kaitlin Farrell, Colin Palmer and Jessica Benitez were nominees and recipients of Teeny Awards this year. Kaitlin Farrell: Lead Female in a Musical (Les Miserable) Colin Palmer: Leading Male in a Musical (Les Miserable) Jessica Benitez: Supporting Female in a Musical (Pippin) and Choreography (Pippin) In addition, Kristen Racaniello was nominated for Graphic Design due to her exceptional artwork for Pippin, and Gabriel Galifianakis was recognized for his outstanding work as Stage Manager for both Pippin and Les Miserable. NYSSSA Program Two RHS students, Katie Blasl and Cindy Mujo, have been accepted into the NYSSSA School of Choral Studies program. They will be attending the Choral Studies program at SUNYFredonia from July 5 through August 5, 2009. Admission to these programs is very competitive. More than 1,000 students auditioned for the choral program statewide, but only 70 students were accepted into the program. Natl. Merit Scholars RHS juniors, Kyle Patterson and Katherine Skinner, have reached the qualifying step to continue in the National Merit Scholarship competition. Katherine also won the Rensselaer Science Award. Congratulations Miguel Maysonet and Katherine Skinner were named the News Review Athletes of the Year. 4 www.riverhead.net - news and events Top Two in the Class of 2009 VALEDICTORIAN SALUTATORIAN RHS senior Rachel Hagler is the sixth valedictorian from Riverhead High School to graduate having had a longstanding devotion to the Latin program. Her love of Latin is surpassed only by her love of political science, which will be her major in college. Rachel has already begun her studies in political theory and foreign affairs at a college level during a summer program at Boston University. RHS senior Sylvia Hong is the 2009 Riverhead High School salutatorian. Sylvia will be graduating with a GPA of 106.7033 and eight AP courses plus several Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) credits. Name: Rachel Hagler GPA: 108.8307 (weighted) Plans: Williams College, MA Major: Political Science Name: Name: Sylvia Hong GPA: 106.7033 (weighted) Plans: Middlebury College Major: Chemistry Rachel has literary aspirations as well. She is the editor of Labyrinth, RHS’s creative writing anthology. As a junior, Rachel was a member of Riverhead’s Channel 12 Long Island Challenge Team. The Team won their first three rounds. This year, as a senior, Rachel is a member of Mentathletes, the National Honor Society and the National Foreign Language Honor Societies for Spanish and Latin. She was a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program, an A.P. Scholar, and a Fairfield Book Award recipient. Rachel also won awards in the Latin Declamatio competition and Certamen. Also an athlete, Rachel was a four-year member of and a co-captain of the girls’ cross country team. Rachel’s weighted GPA is 108.8307. Her post high school plans include attending Williams College next fall with aspirations of becoming a political science major with a journalism minor. Williams is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, and its faculty is noted for the quality of their undergraduate teaching. “I would like to be a political journalist and possibly a foreign correspondent. My favorite subjects are history and language arts,” shares Rachel. “I want to congratulate my fellow high school graduates and express my profound gratitude to my teachers, mentors, and guidance counselor, all of whom are truly inspired and inspiring.” T Sylvia is a member of the National Honor Society and the Latin Foreign Language Honor Society and Math Club. Along with these academic achievements, she is also a member of the soccer team and Key Club. With an interest in the sciences, Sylvia participated in a program offered at Riverhead High School called Women in Science and Engineering (W.I.S.E.). Participants in W.I.S.E. begin the program in 10th grade. Along with nine other students in her class, Sylvia traveled to Stony Brook University and engaged in activities such as marine biology research at Flax Pond and learning about the basic concepts of robotics and engineering. She also participated in the Chemistry Olympiad and received the American Chemical Society award. In addition to her interest in the sciences, Sylvia has also enjoyed participating in the Young Scholars Program in a sociology course at Stony Brook University. While attending these night classes, she developed an interest in the humanities. Upon graduation, she plans to attend Middlebury College and major in chemistry. Middlebury College, in Middlebury, VT, is one of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges, with unique strengths in international education, languages, the sciences and environmental studies. Sylvia notes, “Though I will major in chemistry, I am very excited about exploring the myriad of other options available to me as well.” Natonal Honor Society Inducts 54 New Members he inductees into Riverhead High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society have been chosen for the 2008-09 school year. The National Honor Society is more than just an honor roll. Using national guidelines, the local chapter establishes rules for membership that are based upon a student’s outstanding performance in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. According to advisor Laural Olsen, “Fifty-four students were inducted. The evening went off without a hitch-a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our officers.” “Our inductees truly represent what the Honor Society is all about,” explains the group’s other advisor, Deborah MacLellan. “These students are the best of the best--stars on the stage, the athletic fields, in the community and in the classroom.” The mystery honorary member inducted this year was science teacher Christopher McCrary. Benitez, Jessica Blank, Christian Blasl, Courtney Blasl, Kathryn Brewer, Ashley Brewer, Devon Brown, Natashia Budd, Alexandra Buhner, Myles Buthmann, Jessica Cooper, Emily Diresta, Samantha Dougherty, Colleen Ferris, Kaitlyn Griffith, Kellie Hallock, Kelsey Hartill, Kelli Hejmej, Michael Hubbard, Alyssa Keller, Julian Kelly, Zachary Kent, Emma Keupp, Connor Kringle, Michael Kuck, Kaitlin Kyprianou, Niki Lombardi, John Lul, Jonathan Markel, Alexa Markewitz, Ellie McCombe, Amelia McDaniel, Ashley McKay, Yvonne Meyer, Gregory Mikelinich, Lauren Misiano, Gabriella Morrow, Julia Nadeau, Amanda Normoyle, Jacqueline Palermo, Bryan Panagakos, Nicholas Patterson, Kyle Portocarrero, Miles Powers, Michael Rambo, Kelly Rodriguez, Peter Rowe, Kristina Seal, Alyssa Skinner, Katherine Smith, Brian Spaeth, Veronica Swift, Catherine Thomas, Benjamin Yakaboski, Timothy This year’s officers included: Amanda Mallahy (President), Kelly Savage (VP), Lauren Bonheim (Secretary), and Samantha Messina (Treasurer). Next year’s officers are Julian Keller (President), Peter Rodriguez (VP), Katherine Skinner (Secretary), and Samantha Diresta (Treasurer). districtnews 5 www.riverhead.net - news and events Recognizing Outstanding Student Achievement RHS National Foreign Language Honor Society Inducts 70 New Members in 2009 T There were 37 inductees into the Spanish National Honor Society. Jessica Roslik is the president of the Spanish Honor Society. he National Foreign Language Honor Societies held their induction ceremonies in the RHS auditorium. Twenty-two students were inducted into the French Honor Society; eleven students were inducted into the Latin Honor Society; and thirty-seven students were inducted into the Spanish Honor Society for a total of 70 students. In order to qualify for the National Foreign Language Honor Society, a student must maintain a 90% or higher throughout three years of study of a language other than English and maintain an overall average of 85% or higher. There were 22 inductees into the French National Honor Society. Esra Erol is the president of the French Honor Society. There were 11 inductees into the Latin National Honor Society. Rachel Hagler, an officer of the Latin Honor Society, is also the 2009 Valedictorian. Foreign Exchange students, Kaitlin Farrell to Argentina (2007-08) (Top), Melissa Chernis to France (2007-08) (Middle), and Samantha Sikder to India (2008-09) (Bottom-Left), spoke movingly about their experiences as exchange students. This year’s foreign exchange student to RHS from Romania, Marius Gabor, also spoke. Senior Awards Night--Awards, Scholarships, Recognition and Shared Memories The Spirit of the Riverhead School community takes the stage at Senior Awards Night Memorials / Scholarships A Year of Remembering Vinny he spirit of the Riverhead School community takes center stage on Senior Awards Night. Students are recognized for their achievements and surrounded with the love and care of a community who wants to help them succeed. Touching memorials to loved ones who have died flow over into thousands of dollars in scholarships to help those seniors who are the recipients of that love. Pictured above: Bobby and Donna Goodale with just a few of their scholarship recipients: (L-R) Anna Flores, Heather Kopp, Peter Cybulski, Stephanie Witt, and Marius Gabor. he 2008-09 school year began with a tribute to Vinny Nasta, who was killed when his plane crashed in an air show. At the Superintendent’s Day Opening Ceremony, Dr. Scricca challenged, “As we go through this year, let us, together, honor Vinny’s memory...as we live out his legacy in the profession that we love.” Vinny’s spirit was present throughout the year and culminated at the Sr. Awards Night in three memorial scholarships given out by Vinny’s wife, Kathy, and David Jensen. One of the recipients (pictured above) was music scholarship winner Gregory Bokee. Community Reaches Out Through Scholarships T The Spirit of Vinny Nasta Lives On T districtnews 6 www.riverhead.net - news and events High School Athletes Display Blue Wave Spirit GOLD KEY - Athletic Award Winners: L-R: Rachel Hagler, Rebecca Beierle, Kate Murphy, Lauren Bonheim, Amelia Czelatka, Samantha Messina, Quiera DeCosta, Laura Apicello, J.J. Razzano, Nick Grefe, Will Lehmann, Andrew Smith (John Verderber not pictured). This prestigious NYSPHSAA Award is presented to athletes who have accumulated at least 52 points for participation in sports and leadership activities throughout their high school careers. V arsity Softball earned a spot in the Section XI post season playoff schedule. Crew members Ed O’Neill and Dylan Gould are the 2009 New York State Senior Double Event Champions. They went on to place SECOND in the NATION! In track, Michael Smith was crowned the NY STATE SHOT PUT CHAMPION (indoor and outdoor). He broke the school record with a 57’ 3/4” throw. Also participating in state competition were Aaron Green, Melodee Riley, Joe Verderber, and Sasha Schaefer. Seventy-five of the graduat- ing senior athletes will be attending college. Many of those 75 athletes, who are going to college, will also play their sport in college and have received academic scholarships as a result of their athletic/academic achievements. Six seniors from the Varsity Lacrosse team will continue to play la- crosse in college next year. Maysonet and Andrew Smith will play football for Hofstra, Jimmy Powers will play baseball for Temple, and Dylan Gould will row for Cornell University. Maysonet, Smith and Powers received full athletic scholarships. Five spring teams were named Scholar/Athlete teams. Michael Smith is the NY STATE SHOT PUT CHAMPION (first indoor and now outdoor) Ed O’Neill and Dylan Gould went all the way to SECOND IN THE NATION IN SR. BOYS DOUBLES! WAVE TO GO! Going GREEN in the Riverhead School District “Together we can face any challenge as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky.” Sonia Gandhi RMS science student Leanne Weber nets some sea animals. R John Barona’s Living Environment class participates in huge computer recycling project as part of “Boundless Environments” Grant program. Leanne Weber and Kyle Helgans drag the seining net through the water at the Indian Island Beach. iverhead is bordered by the Peconic River and the Great Peconic Bay on the south and the Long Island Sound on the north and it is only a short bus ride to the Ocean. Riverhead’s unique location and glacial origin offers its students a rich scientific learning experience. A recent RMS field trip engaged students in exploring the varied geography of Long Island and helped them relate these differences to the forces that created and still shape the Island today. Wearing waders and dragging a seining net through the water, they excitedly netted assorted animals such as needle fish, killies, whelks, and mud snails. For many this was their first experience at finding and holding these animals. RHS students in John Barona’s Living Environment class have been learning about the importance of taking care of the water that surrounds and lies under Long Island by participating in the “Boundless Environments” program through a grant obtained from the Motorola Foundation by the LI Science Center of Riverhead. The class helped recycle computers safely through an arrangement with e-Scrap Destruction. They also travelled to all of the schools to label storm drains with a medallion warning people not to allow pollutants to enter the drains as it winds up in our bays. Sean Harkin and Meghan Davis won “high honors” in the recent LI Science Congress Senior Division Awards Program for their project called “A Comparison of Road Salts and their Effect on Vegetation.” They also presented their experiment, along with the RHS BNL Oyster Project Team, and Amanda Gallo, another member of Bob Jester’s research class who has been determining the health of the pond adjacent to RHS, at BNL’s “Open Space Stewardship Program Celebration”. Dr. Scricca helps apply a colorful “No Dumping” medallion near a drain, which was part of a project undertaken by John Barona’s Living Environment class as part of a Motorola Grant. Sean Harkin and Meghan Davis won High Honors at LI Congress. districtnews www.riverhead.net - news and events Talk About Hands-On Learning Events . . . Art-In-Action Creative approaches engage students in learning A Peggie Ehlers teaching students how to whorl with drop spindles. AP Biology students acted as instructors in a special kindergarten Dinosaur Unit at the Phillips Avenue School. RHS sophomore Sean Harkin assists a student during a dinosaur “dig” for bones. Margaret Gaare’s 4th grade class at the Riley Avenue School concluded their unit on biographies by hosting a wax museum in their classroom. pril is National Poetry Month, but the Riverhead Central School District celebrates its poets and their poetry all the way through June. Marlin, La’Shay, Brynn, Natalia, Carlos, Larissa are all the names of published poets. Their publishers are their teachers, Mrs. Kent and Mrs. Spillini, Mrs. Tuohy and Mrs. Mariotti, and the poets are in second grade, but their poetry is as fun and inspirational as the poets they emulate. Second graders studied the elements of poetry: simile, metaphor, rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and repetition, then wrote their own poetry and hosted “Poetry Jams” for their parents in May. “The students in my class love to read poetry. They especially enjoy poets such as Shel Silverstein and Bruce Lansky, who write humorous poems,” states Mrs. Spinelli. “We loved having Bruce Lansky visit our school this year.” At the Pulaski Street School, students in Pat Jordan-Cowley’s class concluded their poetry studies by hosting a “Poetry Slam” videotaped by poet Darren Sardelli for his website. Mr. Sardelli was a poet-in-residence at Pulaski Street in April. Another unique learning event at the Roanoke Avenue School in May and June was a unit on Australia taught by Riverhead resident Peggie Ehlers through a grant from the New York State Council of the Arts / EEAC. This special learning experience began with the shearing of a goat and a llama at the school and ended with each class spinning its own special fibers into yarn on spinning wheels in the auditorium. “Mrs. Ehlers was amazing,” stated third grade teacher Kathleen Horn. “The students learned so much about Australia in such a unique way. Sheep are central to much of the cultural life and economy of Australia, so it was a wonderful vehicle for learning.” Dinosaurs sparked the imagination of kindergartners at the Phillips Avenue School in this special unit taught by RHS students taking AP Biology. This science unit had several stages that started with reading and learning about dinosaurs in the classroom and culminated with a hands-on event in the cafetorium. Kindergartners went from station-to-station where they put together huge dinosaur and small dinosaur puzzles, went on an archeological dig for dino bones, listened to stories about dinosaurs, did dinosaur math, and more. Mrs. Gaare’s fourth graders at the Riley Avenue School shared their “Biography Book Club Celebration” with their parents and the rest of the classes by hosting a “Wax Museum.” Each student read a biography about a famous personality in American culture and history, gathered artifacts and props, wrote a report, and finally took on that person’s persona, appearance and appropriate apparel, made a banner and froze, wax-like, in front of their banner. Students visiting the museum could bring the wax figures to life by pushing a button on their chests. The figures included: Presidents, American Heroes, Early Americans, Singers, Aviators, Entertainers, Authors, and Inspirational Americans. Student Writers Win Recognition Two Award Winning Student Writers Congratulations to all who participated! Patriot Pen Contest Winners: Sara, Nicholas, and Kevin Three Pulaski Writing Contests Three Pulaski Street students were chosen as essay winners in the VFW Patriot Pen Award presented by Commander Eugene McSherry. Nicholas Pipczynski won first place, Sara Tucci won second place, and Kevin Thomas won third place. The Pulaski Street School had three Annual Flag Day Essay Contest Winners: Anna Kidd won 2nd Place, David Hernandez won 3rd Place, and Tyshea Hudgins won 4th Place. The contest was sponsored by the Riverhead Elks Lodge #2044. Samantha Kerrigan, David Hernandez, and Natalia Molik won 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Juneteenth Essay Contest. Brynn O’Connor won 2nd place in the category of “Grade 2 Prose” of the Suffolk Reading Council’s 2008-09 Creative Writing and Art Cover Contest. Roanoke 2nd grader Brynn O’Connor won 2nd place Read Brynn’s entry below: My Grandma’s Soft Smile I have a dream . . . . That my Grandma is happy in heaven. And my Grandpa is not too lonely. My family and I try to go to Buffalo, where my Grandpa lives, very often. It was very, very hard watching my Grandma go. At Buffalo, I always sit in my Grandma’s chair . . . It was handmade by my Grandpa. I sit in it and close my eyes . . . I remember her. I think of her warm hugs and soft smiles. In May, the art teachers in the District took on the daunting task of showcasing in one location student art produced t h ro u g h o u t t h e y e a r. This year the event was in memory of former art teacher Vinny Nasta. HS Heroes The HS Heroes program was an excellent shared experience for both the STAR Academy students and the Aquebogue students. As the HS students taught the lesson, both groups learned a lot about community. The STAR students also got a chance to be a HS Hero. Poi RHS Child Development classes experience Poi. Poi is a performance art employing flags or balls suspended from a length of flexible material held in the hand and swung in circular patterns as a hobby, exercise, etc. They made their own Poi devices and then shared the experience with students at Aquebogue as part of their class. Math-A-Thon Raises $5,784 Pulaski participated in a Math-A-Thon program and raised $5,784.08 to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Pulaski is one of St. Jude’s “Elite” school fund-raisers and has raised $123,238.25 since 1997. Pictured: top fund-raisers with Principal Dave Densieski and Marion White. 7 districtevents ANNOUNCEMENT K-6 SCHOOL UNIFORMS: A district-wide School Uniform Committee was formed to research school uniforms for the students in our district. The committee was formed on an expressed interest by many parents and community members. It was comprised of parents, teachers, students, administrators, board and community members. The committee created and mailed out a parent/guardian survey, which was also posted on the district website. After a positive response on the survey and much research, the Board has written a Uniform Policy, which will be extended to Pulaski this year. Watch your mail and the website for details. WRHS IS ON THE AIR AT RHS: WRHS, a radio station from RHS, is on the air! RHS students (i.e., Kyle Kratoville, Dave Talmage, Sean Roche, Steve Backel and Josh Emert) working with RHS tech teacher Bob Mills have set up a radio station at the high school. WRHS is on the radio dial at 94.9 and on the Internet at http://www. riverhead.net/students/wrhs. The station is live between 11:30 and 12:30 and is archived and streamed 24-hours-a-day on the Internet. There is a request line at 369-6739 and they play top 40 music, which they received from WBLI. Kyle Kratoville’s dad, Jack Kratoville, who works for 106.7 Lite FM from New York, along with RCSD Tech Director Robert Hines and Bob Mills helped them set it up. Mr. Kratoville was a disc jockey at the high school radio station when he attended RHS and was instrumental in resurrecting the program at RHS. Equipment was purchased through a Tech Prep Initiative Grant (“New York State Perkins IV Grant”) written by guidance counselor Christine Angermaier and Bob Mills. RHS RIPTIDE NEWSLETTER: A more “Eco-friendly” Riptide has changed its format from being published in print to one that is published on the internet. See www.riverhead.net for the link. www.riverhead.net - today’s news and events Happenings in Our Schools 8 Congratulations Class of 2009 The graduation ceremony was held on Saturday, June 27. Our Schools would like to wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! Some of the members of the RHS Chamber Choir H.O.P.E. Students HERSHEY PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL. RHS Chamber Ensembles received the highest honor, the Esprit de Corps trophy for the second time in three years. Theis trophy is awarded to the school that demonstrates exemplary behavior and deportment throughout the festival weekend. This award highlights the importance of genuine support for fellow performers while demonstrating excellence in all facets of performance both on and off stage. This award is presented to one school at the conclusion of the festival. The Varsity Jazz Ensemble performed for adjudication only and received a rating of Excellent. The Chamber Orchestra placed first and received a rating of Good. For the second year in a row, the RHS Chamber Choir took first place in their division, Best Overall High School Choir and received a rating of Superior! H.O.P.E. is a three-year comprehensive health professions educational and mentoring program for students. Shatia Parker, Catherine Swift, Shaniese Johnson, Maria Guzman, Catherine Butler, Conrad Buhner, and Heather Bingham are particpating. Srs. Heather Bingham and Catherine Butler were among those honored at a “graduation”-both hope to become physicians. SADD Program THE KNIGHTHORSE THEATRE COMPANY brought Shakespeare alive and up close and personal as Ty Lemerande and his wife, Amy, presented scenes from Julius Caeser and Hamlet in RHS English classes. Pictured: Ty acting out a scene in class. PRESIDENTIAL FITNESS AWARD. Some of the RHS students who met the re- quirements of the Presidential Fitness Challenge. (See www.riverhead.net for the list.) All-State representative Jennifer Rouse presents a check for a $1,000 to SADD members and advisor Amy Doucette. “Mock DWI Crash” With the cooperation of the Riverhead Police Department, Fire Department, Ambulance Corp., Suffolk County Police Aviation, Central Suffolk Hospital Emergency Room, and a used auto parts garage, RHS’s S.A.D.D. staged a dramatic “Mock DWI Crash” at Riverhead High School on School Street before Memorial Day. The District would like to thank them all for their participation. BOARD OF EDUCATION - RCSD 700 Osborne Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901 website: http://www.riverhead.net Kathleen V. Berezny, President Angela DeVito Christine A. Prete, Vice President Timothy Griffing Ann Cotten-DeGrasse Mary Ellen Harkin Gregory M. Meyer Dr. Diane B. Scricca, Superintendent of Schools
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