A Message From Dr. Woodberry

The Principal’s Newsletter
May 2, 2014
Volume VI, Issue IV
A Message From Dr. Woodberry
Greetings HS East Community,
Principal’s Message.....Page 1
Once again we are in the final stretch of an amazing school year!
Fourth quarter has just begun and we are making preparations for our
typical year end activities. With less than two months to go there is still
the opportunity for students to make a significant impact on their final
grades. Students, please use the remaining time to study hard and do all
that you can to finish your classes strong.
We The People.............Page 2
We have seen so many meaningful accomplishments here at High
School East this year. As always, students have excelled in all areas
including academics, athletics, arts and altruism. I am extremely proud of
all of them. As you read through the pages, you will see that our students
are truly benefiting from their experiences here at East with our
remarkable faculty and staff!
The Junior class gives us an indication of academic excellence with
176 of them being inducted into the National Honor Society. This is really
impressive considering that the grade point average for selection has been
raised from 90% to 93%. The class of 2014 also shines here at East, and
their efforts have been recognized by many of the world’s finest colleges
and universities. Remember, whether or not one is accepted to his or her
top choice, there is a school out there for everyone. Hopefully everyone
will find the perfect fit.
While most are continuing the “Tradition of Excellence” at High
School East, it is imperative that we remind students and parents of our
expectations. Soon the weather will change and along with it some
students’ attitudes and effort. I encourage students to stay focused
academically and end the year on a good note all around. I urge all of
our students to stay involved in positive activities both in and outside
of school.
Student Spotlight.........Page 3
DECA Team.................Page 3
“The Arts” News.....Pages 4-5
Spring Musical.............Page 6
Math Winners..............Page 6
Holocaust Survivor......Page 7
Legislative Trip............Page 7
Science Olympiad........Page 8
Mock Trial Team.........Page 8
Masters of the Sea.......Page 9
AP Top Performers....Page 10
Remember: Respect, Responsibility and Excellence!
Sincerely,
Dr. J. A. Woodberry
Principal
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
We The People
On January 11th, 2014, The We The People Team of High School East won first place at the Long Island
regional competition held at Smithtown High School West. Preparation for this event started at the beginning of
the school year with individual work, preparing knowledge for speeches and an overall study of the US Constitution. Once Students were put into units consisting of four people, they worked together to prepare the material
for the competition: a four minute speech along with knowledge to answer six minutes of follow up questions.
Students are judged on their knowledge and understanding of the Constitution itself, as well as the grasp of the
political history of the country.
On multiple days during the week, units dedicated time to work together, construct multiple drafts for
speeches and compile extensive research to memorize. All of these efforts lead up to full class meetings in
which the current class, along with past alumni, worked together each night to prepare for the competition later
that week. With their hard work they won first place in the region and were headed to the State competition.
Students left for Albany on February 28th with the State competition being the next morning on March
1st. Staying at the Marriot Hotel, the students spent the whole day preparing for the competition, receiving help
from parents who were lawyers along with Mr. Pitman. The stress was high on the students and many did not go
to bed until late into the night, trying to perfect not only their speeches but their follow up questions.
On the morning of the competition, students got up early and dressed up. The competition was held in
several rooms of the hotel with a panel of three to four judges. The judges were knowledgeable and hit the
students with their best questions and feedback on their overall presentation. The team was credited for their
vast knowledge, polite mannerisms and how well they worked together to form one answer.
The competition was about 3-4 hours long including a break. After the lunch, the winners were
announced and the Half Hollow Hills East We The People Team landed in 3rd place in the state. Although they
did not make it to the National Competition, the team is overall satisfied with their work and are happy with the
experience they received. Many students are now better public speakers and have gained confidence from this
experience.
Article Submitted by:
Fatima Ouedraogo and
Madeline Bacchus
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
Student Spotlight: Carson Barnes
Carson Barnes, a junior at High School
East who studies Spanish with Ms.
Alina Tamburello, has won an
educational trip to Spain this July for
two weeks sponsored by the
American Association of Teachers of
Spanish and Portuguese!
His application included a personal
letter of interest in Spanish, as well as
a letter of recommendation and an interview completed by Ms. Tamburello.
I met Carson last week and cannot
speak highly enough about him.
His talent for Spanish is truly
exceptional, and is a very special
young man.
Article Submitted by Ms. Maria Alfano
Director of World Languages & ESL
H.S.E. DECA Team Success
The Hills East DECA team once again had a great showing at the
DECA New York State Competition in Rochester, NY last month.
The team had two International Qualifiers (3rd Place in NYS); Jesse
LaFauci and Alex Blatt, and three Top 10 winners (in NYS); Arnav
Srivastava, Hunter Berman, and Matthew Goetz. The team
competed against every school in New York State in a variety of
business topics. Each student took a 100 question test and had to
present two role play presentations in front of a panel of judges.
Our chapter was also recognized for the 5th year in a row, as a top
chapter, and for increasing membership. The team represented Hills
East and the district with respect, responsibility and excellence!
Article Submitted by Mr. Joe Cappiello
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
“THE ARTS” NEWS
The Rwandan Genocide Project
Ms. Uttendorfer’s AP Art History students and Ms.
Cullen’s AP Human Geography students
collaborated to create a display in the hall by the
main office memorializing the 20th anniversary of
the Rwandan Genocide. Twenty years ago, in April
1994, a brutal genocide took place in the small
African nation of Rwanda. In approximately 100
days, 800,000 people, primarily of the minority
Tutsis ethnic group and some moderate Hutus, were
killed. We hope you had a moment to examine the
wonderful memorials created by our students and
the information posted in the main hallway.
- Article Submitted by Ms. Cynthia Cullen
National Art Honor Society Induction Ceremony
The National Art Honor Society hosted its 8th annual induction ceremony this past April. Under the
direction of Mrs. Uttendorfer, 49 new members were inducted in addition to the 41 members currently part of
this society. To be inducted members must complete twenty art-based community service hours and maintain
an A in their academics.
The event kicked off with the art auction inspired by the theme, Cinamatic. Members created original
artwork inspired by classic and pop-culture films. These masterpieces were auctioned off to raise scholarship
funds for graduating seniors. This year the NAHS raised over $1200 and distributed $1400 in scholarships to
five seniors pursuing art in college. Those students were Jamie Spellman, Matthew Kronrad, Kailyn Gomez,
Anjali Devjani, and Jenna Bezzina. The evening was filled with inspirational words from the keynote speaker,
artist, Ms. Robyn Cooper, Assistant Principal Mr. Ben Wiley and Director of Fine Arts, Dr. Darlene Lilla.
To round out this evening devoted to the arts was the beautiful sounds of a string ensemble under the direction
of Ms. Leanne Strom and two NAHS vocalists Larissa Dale and Maggie Levine, under the direction of
Dr. Danielle McRoy.
- Article Submitted by Ms. Allyson Uttendorfer
(Photos of event on the following page)
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
2014 NAHS Induction Ceremony
AP Art History Installation A Success!
This year’s Advanced Placement Art History Installation unified our entire school and community
through a photo-montage. To quote the inspirational artist, J.R., “I wish for you to stand up for what you care
about...and together we’ll turn the world...INSIDE OUT.” Integrating the installation into the AP Art History
Curriculum taught real world skills that correlated with 21st Century learning.
In 2011, JR received the Ted Prize, which offered him the opportunity to make “A wish to change the
world”. He hoped to blur the gap between race and culture through his photography. He did this by
highlighting our similarities, focusing on the positive, not the negative. This was the goal of the class, using
simply a camera and paper. Just like JR, the class captured the energy of the HSE population including
students and faculty. They did this by setting up a photo booth at two separate locations on two different days.
In order to fully capture the uniqueness of HSE,
photo booths ensured that everyone would be
photographed against the same white
background so the individual traits became the
focal point. The photographs were then
enlarged, printed, and collaged on the walls
within the corridor near the elevator and stairs
by the Main Office. This location was an
excellent spot for people to eventually look for
his or her portrait: eyes, nose, or mouth. Parts of
each face were assembled and arranged
with other people’s features, creating a
disjointed portrait, while unifying the school
community. Each face came together to make up one giant ‘mural’. This was one of the most successful AP
Art History installations in recent years, congratulations for a job well done to everyone that was involved.
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
High School East Spring Musical A Hit
The High School East production of Once On This Island was absolutely outstanding! Once On This Island
is a highly original theatrical adaptation of the popular fairy tale The Little Mermaid. The production featured
Elizabeth Thompson, Nicholas Farrauto, Cara Jacobson, David Lerner, Scott Landman, Kaiylah Watts, Richard
Martin, Marielle Erdheim, Michael Worshoufsky, Veronica Fox, and Cassandra Grello, and many others
participated as Storytellers. The show was nominated for several Huntington Tony Awards, including
Best Musical, Best Scenery, Best Technical Production, Best Costumes, and Best Dance Performances.
In addition, Mr. Farrauto, Ms. Jacobson, Mr. Martin, Ms. Fox, Mr. Worshoufsky,
and Ms.Thompson were nominated for individual awards.
Congratulations to the cast, crew, pit, and production team of Once On This Island,
you all did a remarkable job!
- Article Submitted by Brandon Kaplan
Suffolk County Math Winners
Students in High School East’s honors math classes were
invited to participate in the annual Suffolk County Math
Contest. This year’s contest produced 9 top scorers from our
school. For Level II, 9th grader Arnav Goyal placed 1st in
the county, 8th grader Ray Chang tied for 4th, and 9th grader
Alia Rizvon tied for 5th. For Level III, 9th grader Anton Wu
won 1st, 7th grader Rinni Bhansali tied for 2nd, 10th grader
David Morales tied for 4th, and 10th grader Bailey Kaston
tied for 5th. For Level C, seniors Dan Shnitkin and Samuel
Hecht won 2nd and tied for 4th, respectively. Congratulations
to all the winners!”
- Article Submitted by Ms. Rose Suarez
Math & Research Teacher
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
Holocaust Survivor
On December 18, 2013, Ms. Kane’s Holocaust class welcomed
guest speaker Mrs. Jean Wechsler. Mrs. Wechsler’s granddaughter, Elana Vingan, is a student in the class and they shared
the story of Elana’s great-grandparents’ escape from the
Nazis during WWII. Mrs. Wechsler was born in a small town
in southern Poland to Jewish parents named Esther and Samuel
Parnes. The Parnes family, comprised of seven children, their
parents, and several other members, traveled from Poland when
their village fell to the Nazis, through the Ukraine, barely
escaping Hitler’s military forces. The family’s journey then
took them several hundred miles into Soviet Russia, where they
experienced especially harsh conditions in the Soviet
communes. Their story is told in the book One Step Ahead,
written by Avraham Azrieli, based on Esther Parnes’
memoirs. Students in the class were especially moved when
Mrs. Wechsler described how her family endured the lack of
food and clothing, as well as aerial bombing raids. We are very
grateful to Mrs. Wechsler for taking the time to speak with us
and to share her family’s story!
- Article Submitted by Ms. Lisa Kane
Albany Trip: HHH Legislative Committee
The High School East Legislative Committee, along with High
School West, traveled to Albany this month to meet with New York
State political leaders. The goal of the trip was to spread the
mission statement of the Half Hollow Hills School District, and to
advocate for fair funding and state-wide support of our programs
and academic success here on Long Island. The committee was
separated into small groups, and was able to sit down with many
powerful political leaders throughout the morning, followed by a
tour of the capitol building proceeding lunch. The group was
chaperoned by many district level administrators, including our
Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. Kelly Fallon, as well as school
board members and parental committee volunteers. Upon the
completion walk of the famous “million dollar staircase,” the group
was fortunate enough to pose for a picture with many Long Island
representatives and political leaders. Overall, thanks to everyone
involved, the trip was an amazing success!
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
Science Olympiad Team Update
Congratulations to the Hills East Science Olympiad team on their successes at the New York State competition
last month in Uniondale. The competition hosted 51 top teams, drawn from the nearly 400 teams in New York’s
12 regions. Our team finished third, which makes us the National Alternate team – in the event that one of the
two National Qualifying teams is unable to attend, we would go to Nationals. This years medals were awarded
for the top ten places, instead of six as in previous years. Our students earned medals in fifteen events, eleven
of which were top six and thus would still have earned medals in previous years. This represents a new record,
beating our previous best medal count of nine. Perhaps more remarkable, every single one of our students
earned at least one medal, and thirteen out of fifteen had at least one top-six finish, which would have been a
medal in previous years. Special congratulations to team Captains Alex Devarajan, Christopher Lastihenos and
Cynthia Pang, and to the following students who earned medals:
Catherine Costanzo: Write it, Do It (fourth)
Alex Devarajan: Anatomy (3rd), Elastic Launched Glider (5th), Materials (10th)
Benjamin Edwards: Rocks and Minerals (7th)
Brent Fogel: Anatomy (3rd), Astronomy (6th)
Sabrina Gallego: Write it, Do it (4th)
Zachary Goldstein: Green Generation (8th)
Samuel Hecht: MagLev (Silver), Compound Machines (8th)
Dominique Iaccarino: Water Quality (Gold); Chem Lab (5th) Materials (10th)
Christopher Lastihenos: Genetics (Silver), Chem Lab (5th)
David Morales: Entomology (5th), Rocks and Minerals (7th)
Cynthia Pang: Astronomy (6th), Epidemiology (6th), Green Generation (8th)
Nathan Perfetti: Entomology (5th)
Michael Taj: Boomilever (5th), Compound Machines (8th)
Joanna Wang: Water Quality (Gold), Genetics (Silver), Epidemiology (6th)
Benjamin Wolfrom: Maglev (Silver), Boomilever (5th) Elastic Launched Glider (5th)
Special thanks also to Assistant Coach Mr. DiPalmo who worked with students in several events and came to
every competiton; to Mrs. Barlow for her work with our Forensics and Genetics students; Mr. Affatigato for
his tireless work with our Astronomy students; Mr. Mayo for his work with Geomapping; Ms. Goodenough for
Green Generation; and of course to the Science Department and to the building and district administrations for
their continued support, without which none of this would have been possible.
- Article Submitted by Mr. Tom Page
HSE Mock Trial Team
Congratulations to the Hills East Mock Trial Team,
(aka Future Lawyers) who defeated Smithtown West to
advance to the quarterfinal round of the Suffolk County
Mock Trial Competition.
-Submitted by Mr. Michael Zaiff
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
Masters of the Sea
Since 2002 HSE has sent teams coached by teacher Susan Hirschmann to the New York State “Bay
Scallop Bowl”. The competition is an all day event at Stony Brook University and is one of 24 National
Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) competitions taking place on the same day. NOSB is a program funded by the
Consortium for Ocean Leadership, NY Sea Grant, NOAA, Institute for Ocean Conservation, NYS Marine
Educators, and Blue Ocean Institute. Our students received a catered breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and
ice cream to keep them going during 8 rounds of intense competition. They also received prizes and
opportunities for travel and scholarships. Before the tournament began, State Senator John Flanagan, State
Assemblyman Steve Englebright, the Congressman from Stony Brook , Professor Wise - Director of Bay
Scallop Bowl, and Dean of the Stony Brook University School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences, each
addressed the students with inspiring presentations. Scores of marine science professors and graduate students
volunteer to run the tournament each year, including Dr. Lwiza who has spoken to our Hills community and
also at HHH teachers conference about climate change. Our HSE team members met for weekly practices for
six months and were well prepared academically. They were extremely sharp and fast during the long day of
competition and demonstrated good teamwork and techniques.
We are very proud of our HSE students who placed 5th in the state. Team members include: Alexandra
Zigomalas, Tristan Whitehouse, William Slattery, Richard Antoine, Brent Fogel, and Hope McDavid.
- Article Submitted by Ms. Susan Hirschmann
Coach and Advisor
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Half Hollow Hills
High School East
50 Vanderbilt Parkway
Dix Hills, NY 11746
Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue IV
Produced by:
Mr. Ben Wiley
Assistant Principal
High School East
bwiley@hhh.k12.ny.us
Phone: 631.592.3115
Fax: 631.592.3454
Volume VI, Issue IV
High School East is proud to announce the
Advanced Placement Top Performers of 2014
Roger Cheng
Dana DeSousa
Alex Devarajan
Natalie Haebich
Cara Jacobson
Alex Liu
Natasha Pandit
Matthew Sekuler
Jillian Udell
Lawrence Wolf-Sonkin
Alexandra Zigomalas
Interested in submitting an article to Perspectives?
Want to share wonderful news about High School East?
Go to the High School East website, click on the Newsletter
Tab found in the left column, and follow the link to submit.
You can also email Mr. Wiley directly.
All prospective articles and ideas will be reviewed,
but not all submissions will be published.
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