Huntington High School’s chapter of the Mu Alpha Theta, the National Math Honor Society will hold its annual induction ceremony on Thursday, January 10 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.
This year’s induction ceremony will bring 54 new members into the ranks of the organization. Teachers Monica Racz and Keith Mattis serve as the group’s faculty advisors.
Southdown Splash Award Recipients Announced . . .
Southdown Primary School recently held its monthly “splash assembly” to honor its Stars of the Month and to celebrate the coming holidays. Faculty and staff members danced to the delight of students. The session had a special focus on kindness.
The Southdown Splash Award honorees for December include:
Kindergarten: Louis Pineda, Sydney Tuccillo, Don’te Parker, Jr., Evangeline Pearce, Alexia Reyes Avila
First grade: Emma Aversano, Hannah Euceda Santos, Nelson Henriquez Jimenez
Second grade: Fatima Caballero Manueles, Ryan Kelly, Andrea Lopez Coreas
Third grade: Kelvin Sorto Cabrera, Campbell Proctor, Jesse Cuevas, Hailey Collins, Mackenzie McKay
Trustees Approve Retirement Requests . . .
Huntington School Board members have approved requests to retire submitted by three longtime faculty members. Lynn Hefele (physical education; Southdown School), Deborah Quiles (elementary classroom; Washington Primary School) and Alison Rooney (librarian; J. Taylor Finley Middle School) will all be retiring at the close of business on June 30.
Concert Season Not Over Just Yet . . .
The concert season in the Huntington School District is not over quite yet. Fourth grade concerts are scheduled for later this month in the Huntington High School auditorium.
Woodhull Intermediate School fourth graders will take the stage on Tuesday, January 15 at 7 p.m. with Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School fourth graders performing the following night, Wednesday, January 16 at 7 p.m.
Engineering Studies at Washington School . . .
Washington's second graders explored the field of engineering through the use of Little Bits. “During the maker space time in the library media center, students were able to build and begin programming their own robots,” librarian Jeanine Caras said. “Without much of my direction they worked together, read the manual and watched some videos to make a few neat projects. It was great team building as well as hands on learning about circuits, magnetic force and electricity.”
Legislative Roundtable at Western Suffolk BOCES . . .
A legislative roundtable for district superintendents and school board members will be held at the Western Suffolk BOCES Conference Center in Wheatley Heights on Friday, January 18 at 8:30 a.m.
The 21st annual event will draw participation for all 18 component districts that comprise Western Suffolk BOCES. State legislators will be on hand for the event.
“This is an important opportunity for all of us to have a meaningful and informative exchange regarding the development of the New York State budget as it relates to education and school funding,” wrote Western Suffolk BOCES Chief Operating Officer Michael Flynn in a letter announcing the event.
Marching Band Staff Appointed . . .
Huntington School Board members approved the appointment of four Blue Devil marching band staff members for winter training. The group includes co-color guard directors Mallory Martilla and Patrick Neary and co-percussion directors Frank Cannella and Derek Schmelter.
Grinch Day at Washington School . . .
Washington Primary School second graders recently enjoyed Grinch Day. “Students were invited to wear green or dress up as a ‘Who,’” teacher Melissa Studdert said. Teachers and teacher aides wore shirts emblazoned with the phrase: ‘In a world full of Grinches, be a Cindy Lou Who.’”
Students watched the classic cartoon movie that popularized the story of the Grinch and also participated in a read aloud as a class. “In the afternoon there were learning centers that students rotated through as a class,” Ms. Studdert said. “Centers included a science experiment to make the Grinch’s heart grow, making Grinch slime, counting and comparing to objects to fill the Grinch’s heart, a STEM challenge to design the Grinch’s sled and a Grinch coding activity.”
Tri-M Music Honor Society Induction . . .
The Huntington High School chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society will hold its 2019 induction ceremony on Thursday, January 17 in the School Heritage Museum (Room 140) at 7 p.m.
Tri-M’s executive board consists of Isabella Cahill (president), Julien Rentsch (vice president), Jenny Low (treasurer), Abby Semelsberger (secretary) and Mia Nitekman (historian). Teachers Brian Stellato and Victoria Garbarino are the organization’s faculty advisors.
Tri-M meets on Wednesday afternoon in Room 101 at 2:30 p.m.
Linda Kohan Works Her Magic Once Again . . .
Washington Primary School bilingual social worker Linda Kohan spearheads the “adoption” of several dozen local families each year for the holidays. It’s one of her traditions.
Mrs. Kohan recently thanked her faculty colleagues for helping her make this year’s initiative a success. The group contributed their time, effort and money toward helping to make 68 less fortunate children in the Washington School community have happier holidays. “That equates to a minimum of 136 gifts that we were able to distribute,” she said.
