With the YMCA’s Camp Greenkill closed and sold as a result of COVID-19 related financial losses, Huntington UFSD officials made arrangements for the annual sixth grade outdoor education trip to relocate to Frost Valley in the Catskill Mountains, a couple of hours north of New York City. But the ongoing pandemic put the brakes on that excursion, too. So trip coordinators Susan Curtin and Keith Meyers coordinated alternate arrangements to meet the needs of hundreds of students.
Fourth graders at Woodhull Intermediate School and Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School enjoyed a special treat thanks to Huntington UFSD’s Arts-in-Education Committee, which arranged for a visit by popular children’s book author David A. Kelly, who is well-known for the Ballpark Mysteries series and Most Valuable Player series of books.
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School’s new “House Hero” program is off to a successful start. The school introduced the “House System” two years ago. It’s modeled after the Ron Clark Academy. Students, teachers and Principal Donna Moro are excited about the new initiative.
Huntington fourth grader Jason Bencivenga captured first and second place medals in separately sanctioned New York State wrestling tournaments in recent months. If he wasn’t already, the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School youngster is now on the radar of opposing wrestlers and coaches from across the state.
Fourth graders love all things science, especially in Huntington UFSD. The youngsters at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Woodhull Intermediate School will be participating in the North Shore Land Alliance’s Long Island water education program.
Four performances of Disney’s “High School Musical Jr.” simply enchanted audiences last weekend as two completely separate casts of Woodhull Intermediate School and Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students performed their hearts out on the Huntington High School stage.
Two separate casts of Woodhull Intermediate School and Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students are set to star this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a drama club production of Disney’s “High School Musical Jr.” on the Huntington High School stage.
The combined Woodhull and Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School drama club’s production of Disney’s High School Musical Jr. is set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday February 11-13 at Huntington High School. Working behind the scenes will be several dozen students which comprise the stage crews for each school’s performances.
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students are busy spreading holiday cheer by helping others whenever they get a chance. The youngsters are celebrating the season by sharing an assortment of family traditions and displaying generosity for those in the community who need it most.
The Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School welcomes and respects all students and their families as members of the Huntington community of learners. It will prepare students for life-long learning by developing their confidence and abilities as learners and problem-solvers. The school is committed to the use of innovative, inquiry-based, student-centered, interdisciplinary methods that embraces creativity as expressed through multiple intelligences and multiculturalism.
Over the course of their education, Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students will become scientifically, technologically and mathematically literate. They will use scientific, technological, and mathematical principles in real-life applications such as design engineering and service projects that will contribute to the community. They will use what they know to create new ideas and products. Students will celebrate and embrace diversity. They will learn to work with others respectfully and collaboratively.
Important foundational aspects of the school include:
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School sits near the former site of two of the Huntington School District's earliest schools. The district's central administrative offices are located in the lower level north wing of the building.
In September 2008, Huntington Intermediate School was renamed in honor of Jack Abrams, a former Huntington teacher and principal who is the founding curator of the district's School Heritage Museum.
Huntington Elementary School was built not far from where the former Lowndes Avenue and Roosevelt Elementary Schools once stood. The structure was erected in 1968-69 as part of the federal government's Huntington Station Urban Renewal project.
Prior to the construction of Lowndes Avenue School, the district utilized a building on School Street between Lowndes Avenue and New York Avenue. It was alternately known as School Street School or Station School. The structure was later used as a U.S. Post Office and VFW Hall. It, too, was demolished during the Urban Renewal initiative.
Lowndes Avenue School was built in 1913 for $58,000. Like most elementary schools at the time, it served students ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. In 1927 an addition was added at a cost of $99,409 and the building was renamed Roosevelt School in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. When Robert K. Toaz Junior High School opened in 1939, Roosevelt became a true elementary school, housing grades K-6.
Roosevelt, which faced Lowndes Avenue between Winding Street and School Street, was an imposing structure. As was common during this era, it featured separate entrances for boys and girls. The building was closed on January 27, 1967 and was demolished during the 1967-68 school year. Construction of the current building started soon after. (Note: School Street was eliminated during Urban Renewal. If it still existed it would run through the Jack Abrams School athletic fields to the south of the current building.)
During the Urban Renewal program, the town commenced eminent domain proceeding to condemn nearly ten acres of land and many homes west of Lowndes Avenue between School Street and Tower Street, in order to enlarge the school site. The $2.9 million cost of Huntington Elementary School was primarily funded by the federal and state governments through Urban Renewal related funds and special state aid. The building was designed to accommodate 1,000 students.
When Huntington Elementary School first opened in 1969, it was used as a junior high school. Toaz was closed that year for renovations after a fire badly damaged the auditorium and surrounding areas and so a large new wing could be constructed. The following year Huntington El, as it was affectionately known, began serving students ranging from kindergarten through sixth grade. It continued housing elementary grade level students through June 2010.
The structure was built to also serve as a community center, with a full auditorium, an oversized gym, several multi-purpose rooms, a large cafeteria and library and a courtyard featuring an impressive amphitheater with a series of huge built-in concrete steps for outdoor instruction and performances.
The interior layout provides relatively easy access to all facilities, a plus for evening use. The two-story structure sits on a 13-acre site. The final design incorporated the desires of many segments of the school community.
Donna Moro has been principal of Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School since August 2016. She had been serving as the district’s STEM coach and elementary science coordinator for two years at the time of her appointment.
A member of the J. Taylor Finley Middle School faculty for many years, Ms. Moro taught Earth Science from 2005 through June 2014. She also spent time during the 2013/14 school year working as an instructional coach in the science department, including facilitating staff development, making a presentation on Huntington’s teacher leadership coaching model at a state conference, presenting to the Board of Regents on the structure and sustainability of the district’s teacher leadership coaching model and representing New York State in a leadership summit in Washington, DC.
Ms. Moro obtained a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Hartford and Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in education degrees at Long Island University-C.W. Post. She obtained an advanced graduate certificate in school administration at Stony Brook University.
As the district’s STEM coach and elementary science coordinator for two years, Ms. Moro modeled inquiry based hands-on lessons for teachers in grades K-8, designed interdisciplinary curriculum to engage students in innovative activities geared toward inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders, coordinated all aspects of an after school STEM enrichment program, developed a summer STEM enrichment program in collaboration with Farmingdale State College.
Prior to embarking on a career as an educator, Ms. Moro was employed by Publishers Clearing House from 1986-2004. She worked as a program analyst, studying direct marketing initiatives; as director of customer service, managing a staff of 200 in three locations; as merchandising director of the UK division, overseeing a program budget in excess of $5 million.
Ms. Moro holds state certificates in Earth Science (grades 7-12) and educational administration/school building leader. She completed Harvard’s new and aspiring leadership program in March 2015.
Last Name | First | Position | |
Moro | Donna | Principal | dmoro |
Adams | Tara | Music | tadams |
Anderson | Cristina | Teacher | canderson |
Audia | Michelle | Teacher | maudia |
Baldanza | Lisa | Teacher | lbaldanza |
Barfuss | Heather | Special Education | hbarfuss |
Basile-Farash | Maria | Secretary | mbsaile-farash |
Bhasin | Christine | Music | cbhasin |
Blackburn | Lauren | Health | lblackburn |
Blitz | Janet | Teacher | jblitz |
Brachman | Risa | Speech | rbrachman |
Brittman | Jenna | Librarian | jbrittman |
Broomer | Marilyn | Teacher | mbroomer |
Caggiano | Lauren | Teacher | lcaggiano |
Castaldo | Nicole | Music | ncastaldo |
Clementi | Carli | Math | cclementi |
Curtin | Allison | Teacher | acurtin |
Curtin | Susan | Teacher | curtins |
Danzig | Susan | Teacher | sdanzig |
Deveau | Christopher | Security | cdeveau |
Deveau | Glenn | Security | gdeveau |
Dierking | Conrad | Teacher | cdierking |
Digioia | Nina | Psychologist | ndigioia |
Dugan | Chris | Teacher | cdugan |
Dunn | Blake | Secretary | bdunn |
Garris-Shade | Julissa | Psychologist | jgarris-shade |
Greco | Josie | Music | jgreco |
Gergenti | Jeanne | Teacher | jgergenti |
Guzman | Mary | Social Worker | mguzman |
Haik | Sarrit | Reading | shaik |
Hiscox | Todd | Art | thiscox |
Jablon | Chelsea | Music | cjablon |
Juiliano | Catherine | Social Worker | cjuiliano |
Lawrence | Debra | Special Education | dlawrence |
Lohse | Emily | Teacher | elohse |
Lynch | Nicole | Music | nlynch |
Mahoney | Coleen | Math | cmahoney |
McManus | Tracey | Teacher | tmcmanus |
McVetty | Jessica | Teacher | jmcvetty |
Kollinger | Valerie | Coordinator, Sp. Ed. | vkollinger |
Monks | Patrice | Teacher | pmonks |
Morea | Karen | Art | kmorea |
Murphy | Kristen | Speech | kmurphy |
Myers-Bender | Kim | Teacher | kmyers |
Palmirotto | Cindy | Teacher | cpalmirotto |
Pancir | Alice | ENL | apancir |
Rind | Jessica | Teacher | jrind |
Risalvato | Jessica | SEARCH | jrisalvato |
Rodriguez | Jessica | Psychologist | jrodriguez |
Roseto | Christyn | Teacher | croseto |
Sanchez | Carina | ENL | csanchez |
Schaffer | Natalee | Physical Education | nschaffer |
Schmid | David | ENL | dschmid |
Schneider | Dara | Nurse | dschneider |
Strachovsky-Finnegan | Jenny | Teacher | jstrachovsky |
Stropoli | Desirae | Teacher | dstropoli |
Stucchio | Jennifer | Teacher | jstucchio |
Smoller | Amy | Reading | asmoller |
Sugrue | Louise | Reading | lsugrue |
Tafflock | Shannon | RTI/Math | stafflock |
Telesco | Dina | Teacher | dtelesco |
Turner | Angela | Teacher | aturner |
Walsh | John | Physical Education | jwalsh |
Wheeler | Claudia | Secretary | cwheeler |
Established: 2013
Mascot: Osprey
Grades: 4-6
Principal: Donna Moro
1-631-673-2060 Main Office
1-631-673-2060 Attendance
1-631-673-2061 Nurse
1-631-421-7178 FAX
School Hours: 8:45 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.