The Huntington Website
Acknowledges . . . .
The folks who operate the Huntington School District’s website would like to acknowledge vital behind-the-scenes assistance they have received this year. It’s because of this help, that four brand new stories, additional postings and photos have been able to appear each morning of every school day since September.
Gathering the background information and photos needed for the site has required the help of several individuals. Without them the website would not have been able to feature the variety and depth of stories that have appeared.
Huntington senior Emma DeGennaro was an intern in the district’s Office of Public Information this year. Her assistance proved to be invaluable. She answered our calls for help regardless of the time of day or night from last July through the current month. She provided background information on a range of topics and sent along contact information that led to countless articles and profiles being written and posted on the website. She snapped photos at events, wrote stories, proofread articles, tracked down classmates and confirmed facts. She’s headed to Brown University where she will play on the NCAA Division I lacrosse team. There is no doubt she will achieve success in every endeavor.
We’d also like to acknowledge the remarkable assistance provided by Huntington senior Katie Reilly, who served as a daily source, generated story ideas, fact-checked articles and generally collaborated in a variety of ways without fanfare for the past three years. She will be attending Princeton University where she is interested in studying public policy and politics and where she will be playing on the NCAA Division I lacrosse team.
Thanks also go out to freshman Katherine DeGennaro and junior Anna Gulizio for their work, whether it be proofreading stories or filling in missing bits of information and securing contact information.
As she has done for many years, Huntington High School art teacher Pamela Piffard provided assistance when we needed a photo taken during the school day. She also passed along story ideas and information that enhanced the website on a regular basis.
The website has continued collaborating with Huntington High School video arts teacher Heather Swan, who periodically provides us with videos and information about the district’s aspiring filmmakers.
Two district parents, who also happen to be exceptional photographers, have volunteered countless hours snapping thousands of pictures and giving them to the website for the Huntington community to appreciate.
Mike Connell, a 1979 Huntington alum, has volunteered his impressive talents for many years. At one time or another he has taken photos of Blue Devil varsity, JV and Finley teams during every season. He even travels to away games when his work schedule allows. His photos regularly grace the website and also appear in the local press with stories about our athletes. Always ready to lend a hand, Mr. Connell has helped make the district website what it is today.
Darin Reed, a member of Huntington’s Class of 1984, is the second member of a photography duo that no other district comes close to matching. A true professional in the fullest sense of the word, he has snapped photos at a long list of regular season and playoff games as well as plays and concerts, Relay For Life and other district events. He’s even photographed the exterior of our school buildings, including Huntington High School from far above. From the Homecoming Day parade, halftime activities and football game to the playoff runs of Blue Devil teams and even the Finley sports program, Mr. Reed’s photos carry a visual punch that puts him at the pinnacle of his craft.
Appreciation is also extended to the district’s principals, department directors and chairs, teachers, club advisors, parents and students who have contributed photos, story ideas and background information. Thanks also go to the district’s computer technicians for responding to our periodic calls for hardware, software and network support.
It’s been a pleasure to work with many district parents, including Debbie Chin and Bill Grabowski who are always ready, willing and able to help when asked. Their story ideas and photos have enhanced the website.
Superintendent James W. Polansky and his administrative team are dedicated to providing as much information as possible about the district’s educational initiatives and financial operations. Mr. Polansky has helped facilitate our acquisition of the documents and other materials that we need to file daily stories.
The Huntington School Board is totally committed to doing whatever it can to provide the community with the finest school district website in New York. Trustees are united in their support of transparency in district operations, including the posting of an audio file and detailed minutes following each of its meetings.
The website would also like to acknowledge the extensive cooperation and assistance of Georgia D. McCarthy, district director of athletics, for providing team reports and other materials that have been used to create hundreds of stories.
We appreciate the cooperation of PTA Council and individual school building PTA officials throughout the district in facilitating event coverage. The Huntington Foundation, Booster Club, SEPTA, Huntington Drama Parents Assn. and the Band Parents Assn. have extended a great deal of support and assistance whenever it was needed.
A detailed review of every website section and each of its nearly 15,000 pages will be made this summer. The site will be updated and readied for the new school year. Rest assured of the district’s commitment to providing the community with the most comprehensive website in the state. Every effort will be made during the 2016/17 school year to continue to publicize the accomplishments of the school community, its talented young people and the professionals who work with them each day.
Please note that with the close of the regular school year, the website will move to a summer posting schedule. There will be new stories every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Special announcements will be posted as needed.
You are invited to follow the Huntington School District on Facebook and Twitter. To find the district’s Twitter page go to www.twitter.com/hufsd. To locate the district’s Facebook page, copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Huntington-Union-Free-School-District/566089583408611. You can subscribe to the district’s YouTube page by visiting https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0zcXOH1XMeRvEgoo1aX7jg. You can follow Huntington’s Instagram page by visiting https://www.instagram.com/hufsd_ny/.