Manetuck again sponsored a fundraiser for the Riverhead Foundation’s work in rehabilitating injured seals. Guided by teachers Kerri Ierardi and Sue Marullo, who run the school’s Community Service Club, students walked in the bus circle to raise $2,900 for this year’s sponsored seal, named Victorious.

The top three student fundraisers were first-grader Shane Hofer and second-graders Aaron Sokol and Lily Tufariello, earning them the right to open the cage for the seal’s release into the ocean at Robert Moses State Park, an event attended by hundreds of students and parents.

The high school’s Future Business Leaders of America hosted its third annual Lion’s Den Marketing Challenge, a marketing competition challenging the school’s business education students to invent a product or service and present it in front of mock “investors”, aiming to strike a deal. During the event, the investors tested the young entrepreneurs by asking challenging questions about their product or service, which were answered in a professional and businesslike manner while keeping in mind the four Ps of marketing: product, place, promotion and price.

This year’s winning FBLA team of Julianna Budriss, Anthony Cairo, Patrick Sullivan and Aidan Kelly created the product Health-O-Meter, an innovative tool for calculating a food’s ingredients and nutritional value.

High school science research student Madison Esposito is spending her summer at Brookhaven National Laboratory, conducting experiments at the National Synchrotron Light Source II, one of the world’s most advanced synchrotron light sources supporting basic and applied research in energy security, advanced materials synthesis and manufacturing, environment and human health.

Last year, Esposito developed a method to collect and identify micrometeorites collected in buckets on the high school roof. She then teamed up with students from other local high schools to write a proposal for conducting their investigation at the NSLS-II, which successfully competed against proposals from researchers from around the world who seek to use the resources of the NSLS-II to conduct experiments.

Esposito is currently investigating the mineral components of the collected micrometeorites at the X-Ray Powder Diffraction beamline. She is also using Tender Energy X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy to determine the speciation of elements such as sulfur and phosphorus in the micrometeorites. After analyzing the data she has collected, she and her partner will prepare a paper to submit for publication.

Coinciding with the monthly character trait of patriotism, Bellew celebrated Flag Day in June. Music, student readers and local military members all played a special part in the event.

The students researched Americans and flag facts, created poems, and wrote letters to the nation’s soldiers.

“We came together as a school community to recognize our flag and the freedoms we possess as Americans,” said Principal Rhonda Pratt.

James Grover’s freshman and sophomore geometry students used their knowledge of three-dimensional figures, volume, and unit conversions to measure the capacity of various real-life objects.

Students worked in groups to measure necessary dimensions and calculate volumes with the appropriate formulas, then tested their calculations by pouring in water, proving to be incredibly accurate in their precise calculations.  

Oquenock displayed a commitment to the environment throughout the school year, kicking off with an assembly featuring Town of Islip recycling educator Danielle Wynn, who discussed the importance of waste reduction and recycling with the students, followed by the implementation of a schoolwide paper recycling program led by the students.

In every classroom, the children learned to separate their paper waste to be recycled, with head custodian Brian Malone ensuring that the program ran smoothly. When the classroom paper recycling bins became full, the students were responsible for bringing their bins to a central dumping location in the school to empty them out. Malone then weighed the paper to record how much was being recycled, and emptied it into the school paper recycling container. For the year, the Oquenock students recycled half a ton of paper.

In addition to recycling paper, Oquenock also participated in the annual New York Recycles poster contest held by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the students recycled their empty cans and bottles. The school PTA’s Green Team collected and recycled over 3,500 cans and bottles, earning $175 for use in furthering the school’s recycling efforts.

Through their participation in recycling, Oquenock’s students are being educated on the value of caring for their community and the environment, teaching them to be responsible citizens.

With the support of teachers and administrators, high school students recently raised their collective voices to say, “I Won’t Stand For,” engaging in activities and messaging to combat prejudice and intolerance while promoting understanding and acceptance. 

The students added words like “Hate,” “Bigotry,” “Bullying,” “Religious Intolerance,” “Gun Violence” and “Sexual Harassment” to T-shirts pre-printed with the statement “I Won’t Stand For…” In addition to the creation of the T-shirts, the students identified their issues and signed their names on a banner displayed in the high school, showing their commitment to ideals that will support a better world. 

“The impact of the school shootings, flashes of bigotry and the general erosion of the moral compass of our country has created an environment for our students that has motivated them to speak to a need to clarify what is right and wrong,” said teacher Ronald Weber. “The ‘I Won’t Stand For’ activities were about sending the message that each of us, whoever we are, wherever we live, can do something to fight intolerance and hate.” 

Young West Islip students tackled current events during the second week of the month-long Summer Investigations program, in which kindergartners, first-graders and second-graders attend four days a week for two hours, improving their reading, math and writing skills.
 
For the second week’s “Under the Sea” theme, the program focused on current events regarding the “underwater world,” specifically the rescue of the 12 soccer team members in Thailand who were rescued from a flooded cave by scuba divers.

“We discussed the event, watched an interview, studied maps of the cave, and later brainstormed ideas to include in a thank-you letter to those brave divers, using proper spelling, grammar and letter etiquette,” said teacher Daniel Sliwowski.

High school freshman Karina Vartanian was recently awarded a semifinalist scholarship for the Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts in Wheatley Heights. 

The annual camp, focused on creative and performing arts including art, chess, dance, language arts, music and theater, is now celebrating its 50th year.

Click here to find summer meals in your community

High school student-athlete Patrick LeHen was recently recognized by the Suffolk County Boys Tennis Coaches Association as the League III Sportsmanship Award winner.

Eighth-graders at Udall enjoyed an educational cruise in New York Harbor in June, including a look at the Statue of Liberty.

Third-graders at Manetuck recently were invited to attend a music “petting zoo,” where they had the opportunity to handle and play various instruments that comprise an orchestra. 

“This experience gets the children excited to join and participate in the orchestra as fourth-grade students,” said Principal Dawn Morrison.

The high school’s American Sign Language level 4 course recently hosted its eighth annual ASL Idol competition, organized by teacher Maria Kaminsky. 

More than 450 people were in attendance to watch 20 performances from 10 different schools across Long Island. The students raised more than $3,000 for the American Society for Deaf Children organization as part of their volunteerism unit. 

The possibility of rain did not deter West Islip High School’s Class of 2018 from enjoying a marvelous moment of celebration on the morning of June 23, as the graduating seniors walked on to the Lions football field and through the gazebo decorated brightly in blue and gold, to the cheers of family and friends.

Members of the American Legion Post No. 1738 presented the colors, while Student Senate presidents Patricia Douglas and Liam Farrell led the salute to the flag and Lisa Esposito sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“As unique as your individual voice is, so too is your legacy,” said Dr. Anthony Bridgeman, the school’s principal, in his address. “You are literally leaving the halls of West Islip High School, but your impact, your footprint, your message…these will remain. Your voice will remain and it will ring loud to remind the underclassmen that we are in this together, and that together, we move forward in unity.”

“Class of 2018, you leave high school in particularly difficult times,” said Superintendent Bernadette Burns. “Our nation is confronting challenges that demand prudence, insight, wisdom and tolerance. As you leave us, try not to question the motives or character of those who differ with your point of view. Take time to listen and understand. You do not have to agree, but do be the voice of balance and reason.”

Board of Education President Steven Gellar told the students, “As newly minted high school graduates, you now get to shape your lives and the world we all live in. The only true failure would be complacency. Please make the most of your opportunity, and your prodigious talents, by daring to be great. Challenge yourselves and those around you, and remember that failure is just a roadmap for improvement.”

Paying tribute to her mother’s life story and urging her classmates to never be held back by labels, salutatorian Melodi Doganay said, “During our years here at West Islip High School, we have all been thrown challenge after challenge, whether academic, physical, domestic or personal, but the fact that we are sitting here today means we have successfully powered through and become better people because of those hardships. I believe we have only scratched the surface of our potential.”

Valedictorian Molly McLaughlin the value of high school’s day-to-day experiences and small details before looking ahead to college. “We are lucky,” said McLaughlin. “The fall promises a fresh start for all of us, the chance to fill in our story. Be sure to take advantage of that, because you never know what you might find. Maybe you will discover you have untapped hidden talents. So hold up your pens, and relish the opportunity to add new details to your story.”

After receiving their diplomas, one by one, the newest alumni turned their tassels, threw their caps to the sky and walked off to begin a new chapter.

High school juniors Madison Esposito and Evan Trommer were recently named recipients of the 2018 American Chemical Society Excellence in Chemistry Award. They were honored at a May 9 dinner hosted by the American Chemical Society's Long Island chapter, held at Nassau Community College.

“Evan and Maddie have excelled in AP chemistry all year,” said Brian Taylor, the district’s director of science and engineering technology. “They are hardworking and conscientious students, earning the top two averages in the course.”

Blessed with students representing more than 19 different nations, West Islip’s English as a new language department recently celebrated national, cultural and language diversities in the district. Guided by teacher Monica Krawczyk, high school and middle school ENL students visited elementary ENL students at Oquenock.

The day started with the secondary English language learners introducing themselves in their native languages and teaching the younger students how to say different greetings in those languages. Next, the secondary students teamed up with the elementary students to work on a cultural awareness project. Grouped by native country, students worked on Chromebooks, using Buncee software, to create presentations about the various aspects of their cultures. 

“The day was filled with the remarkable learning experiences, gratification, new friendships and memories,” said Krawczyk. “We were very privileged to travel around the world in one day.”

While exploring the topic of electricity for a lighthouse project, fourth-graders at Bayview investigated how electrical charges flow in a circuit and built their very own circuits. 

First, the students engaged in hands-on lessons to support their understanding of electricity. After careful training, these young “electricians” were ready to put their skills to the test. To power their lighthouses, the students used batteries as an energy source. Wires allowed for the charges to flow and the light bulbs acted as resistors to transform the energy. The students added switches to their circuits to easily change them from open to closed. With the circuit closed, electricity was able to travel and the light bulbs would shine brightly. 

The high school boys lacrosse program held a Decade of Champions Recognition Day on May 5, celebrating the players, families and community for their support and commitment to the West Islip lacrosse program during a 10-year period when the Lions won multiple championships. 

During that decade, every West Islip boys lacrosse player who graduated from 2004-2013 won a Long Island championship or New York State championship during their career. The Lions posted a record of 203 wins and 13 defeats during those 10 seasons, winning 10 Super Six championships, nine county championships, seven Long Island championships and five state championships. The Lions were also voted No. 1 in the nation twice. These teams produced many high school and college All-Americans along with seven players who went on to play professionally and three world team players.

The players were recognized at halftime of the May 5 varsity home game vs. Walt Whitman High School and were given championship hats and T-shirts. Head coach Scott Craig and assistant coach Bill Turri were celebrated for their leadership and their 31 years of service as coaches. Assistant coaches Peter Murray and Jon Reese were also recognized for their vital roles.

“This was an incredible feat in high school athletics,” said Athletic Director Tim Horan. “The West Islip community recognizes and congratulates the players, coaches and families for their amazing accomplishments and we are all very proud of their success.”

Led by music teacher Patricia Rosenthal, fifth-grade orchestra students Kayla Harbord (violin), Mason Plouffe (viola) and Lucas Scourtos (cello) at Manetuck played “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the school’s morning announcements on June 8.

High school students in Joanne Macrelli’s fashion marketing classes recently attended a “Retail 101” tour of the famous Macy’s department store in Herald Square in Manhattan. 

Accompanied by business teachers, 32 students learned the long and interesting history of Macy’s from its earliest days as a small store in Union Square to its present location in Herald Square. The students toured the massive store with a guide and were shown many detailed examples of the various ways that Macy’s merchandises their apparel and accessories. The guide explained why certain types of clothing are placed in prominent locations within the store to catch the attention of shoppers. 

They also learned about the many famous designers whose apparel lines the walls of Macy’s, such as Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Eileen Fisher and Calvin Klein, and how each area of the retail space was utilized to showcase the many new clothing lines that are available for the upcoming season. The tour concluded in the “cellar,” which houses prom dresses and clothing that appeals to high schoolers. “During the tour, students were able to reinforce learning from the classroom in regard to the elements of design and marketing, which are integral parts of our fashion marketing curricula,” said Macrelli. “It was an excellent opportunity for learning real-world marketing.”

Students at Bayview and Bellew showed they care about the earth by enthusiastically creating posters during art class with teacher Louise Stephenson as part of the New York State Senate’s Earth Day Poster Contest. The competition, which encourages awareness and participation in recycling, was organized by State Sen. Phil Boyle, who presented the proud students with certificates.

Led by a gritty performance by star pitcher Mike LaDonna, the high school’s varsity boys baseball team won the Suffolk County Class AA championship on May 28 with an exciting 3-1 victory over host Eastport-South Manor.

It was the third county title since 2014 for the Lions and coach Shawn Rush, and the win pushed West Islip’s winning streak – the longest on Long Island at that time – to 21 games.

The team moved on to compete in the Long Island championship game at SUNY Old Westbury on June 2, losing 7-1 to defending champions Massapequa, closing the books on another terrific Lions baseball season.

Preschoolers in the district’s Little Lions early childhood preschool education program recently celebrated their graduation.

As part of a partnership between the Little Lions program and the high school’s family and consumer science department, high school students enrolled in child study classes work directly with the youngsters under the direction of program coordinator Nancy Silvestrini.

“Congratulations to our 2018 Little Lions graduates,” said Tim Horan, director of health, physical education, athletics, recreation, and family and consumer science.

Manetuck students in grades K-5 recently participated in a school-wide STEM Fair, touring the fair during the day and presenting their research projects to their classmates.

Parents and family members visited the fair at night. The varied projects included exploration of magnets, hovercraft, suspension bridges, dinosaurs, crystals, moon craters and electromagnetic hyperloops.

“The STEM Fair provided an opportunity for each of our students to research an area of interest in the science, technology, engineering or math fields,” said Principal Dawn Morrison.

The high school’s Class of 2018 valedictorian and salutatorian are Molly McLaughlin and Melodi Doganay, respectively.

McLaughlin, an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate, serves as vice president of the school’s National Honor Society, board member of the English Honor Society, member of the Foreign Language Honor Society and Brainstormers Academic club, and managing editor of the “Paw Prints” high school newspaper.

The captain of the school’s Science Olympiad team, she earned a Meritorious Award at the 2017 Long Island Science Congress Competition, completed a 2017 summer internship in stem cell research at Columbia University Medical Center’s Boland Lab, received a 2016 grant to participate in the oyster gardening program at Great Atlantic Shellfish Farms in East Islip, and participated in the 2016 and 2017 New York State Science and Engineering Fair and the 2016 Brookhaven National Laboratory Partners in Science program. 

As a musician, she is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and the school’s wind ensemble, pit orchestra, pep band, Marching Lions band and Jazz Q Ensemble. Her numerous volunteering work included stints with the West Islip Beautification Society and Battle of the Books team, and as a peer tutor and public library Book Buddy. She earned a weighted GPA of 107.8387. 

McLaughlin will attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut this fall, majoring in neuroscience.

Doganay is a member of West Islip’s National Honor Society, English Honor Society and Foreign Language Honor Society. 

She was named a National Merit Semifinalist in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program and earned an honorable mention in the 2018 New York State Science and Engineering Fair. 

She serves as captain of the varsity kickline, is a member of the school’s award-winning Thirst Project and participated in a summer service trip to Guatemala with Common Hope. She earned a weighted GPA of 107.10.

Doganay will attend Rice University in Houston, Texas this fall, where she plans to major in biochemistry.

The high school’s varsity girls' lacrosse team has won the Long Island and Suffolk County Class A championships. The Lions earned the island-wide title on June 3 with a thrilling 6-5 victory over Massapequa, held at Islip High School. Samantha Blair scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Danielle Marino scored three first-period goals.

They had earlier defeated Smithtown West, 5-4, in the county quarterfinal on May 19; Ward Melville by 7-6 in the county semifinal on May 23; and Northport by a 9-8 score in the county finals on May 31.

West Islip will face Christian Brothers High School in the New York State semifinals, to be held on June 8 at SUNY Cortland.

More than 150 students recently participated in Bellew’s second annual science fair, sharing their findings with their peers. Student topics included the solar system, electricity, simple machines, buoyancy, plants and an investigation into the amount of sugar in our daily diet. 

“It was wonderful to see student interest and enthusiasm about the STEM field at this educational celebration,” said Principal Rhonda Pratt, who promised her charges another fair next year.

A total of 30 exceptional seniors from the high school have committed to play Division I, II and III college athletics.

The students are: Jennifer Arigoni (lacrosse, Western Connecticut University), Michael Badala (baseball, St. Joseph’s College), Pat Behrens (lacrosse, Limestone College), Samantha Blair (lacrosse, University of Massachusetts at Lowell), Gregory Bove (track, Lafayette College), Paul Cenci (lacrosse, Pace University), Kiersten Comer (softball, Wilmington University), Owen Daly (baseball, St. Joseph’s College), Lauren DiStefano (lacrosse, Wagner College), Jordan Frazzitta (lacrosse, University of Tampa), Hunter Gibbons (track, SUNY Cortland), Jake Guercio (baseball, Fordham University), Emma Hampel (lacrosse, West Point Military Academy), Ryan Hirt (lacrosse, Western Connecticut University), Morgan Iacono (soccer, SUNY Farmingdale), Anthony Ippolito (baseball, Baruch College), Nick Johnson (lacrosse, Nassau Community College), Hayley Kirby (lacrosse, SUNY Farmingdale), Klaire Klemens (cross-country/track, Stony Brook University), Amber Kortright (swimming, SUNY Oneonta), Carly Lanzarotta (lacrosse, University of Mary Washington), Jason Lella (wrestling, Edinboro University), Rosa Lettieri (tennis, SUNY Farmingdale), Tim Mullane (football, Nassau Community College), Carley Patwell (lacrosse, Wingate University), Erin Schweers (softball, Hunter College), Kristen Schweitzer (lacrosse, Adelphi University), Joseph Tammaro (golf, St. Thomas Aquinas College), Riley Wallace (field hockey, Molloy College) and Bradley Wilson (wrestling, Sacred Heart University).

“Congratulations to these student-athletes who have committed to play college athletics,” said Athletic Director Tim Horan. “The West Islip community is proud to have them represent us as they move on to higher education.”

As part of a study unit on weather, Mary Stewart introduced her third-grade students at Bellew to the uses of different weather instruments. She then tasked them with designing and building working anemometers, devices used to measure wind speed for a project combining earth and space science with engineering design.

Students brought in various novel items from home to use for the anemometer project, in addition to materials provided by Stewart. At the end of the lesson, Stewart asked the students to examine their own designs and decide where they went wrong, and then look at the other designs in the room to help them overcome the obstacles that they had identified in their own design. In subsequent lessons, the third-graders were able to construct working anemometers and measure wind speed using the Buford scale.

“At the beginning, I was skeptical that third-graders had the capacity to design and build an anemometer,” said Brian Taylor, West Islip’s director of science and engineering technology. “I could not have been more wrong. I have never been more impressed by the work of a group of students as I was watching these kids implement the designs that they had created. This lesson is an example of the wonderful science and engineering experiences that students are exposed to in our elementary schools, and the great things that they are able to do when we open up student-centered learning opportunities to them.”

Beach Bake SaleThe Helping Hands Club at Beach Street recently conducted another successful bake sale, continuing the club’s service projects for this school year. Earlier this winter, the students spent hours making holiday cards for deployed service members, local veterans and children at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

The club held food drives for both Thanksgiving and the December holidays, and were able to assemble and provide seven West Islip families in need with numerous boxes of food and supplies.


“This club works year-round to help spread positivity and make a difference in our school community,” said Principal Andrew O’Farrell.

West Islip Wins 23 Trophies at DECA RegionalA total of 42 students from the high school’s Marketing Club competed against more than 1,400 participants from 26 other Suffolk schools in DECA’s Suffolk County Regional Competition, held at Suffolk County Community College in Selden. The students were accompanied by chapter adviser Diana Saadat and chaperones Elaine Longo and Patricia Paolicelli.

DECA members learn and develop important values such as civic consciousness, social intelligence, leadership skills and vocational understanding, which are instituted throughout the competition. Membership in DECA also helps the students to meet New York State’s rigorous learning standards, both in content and performance.

Natalie Cosentino earned a first place trophy in the Marketing Communications category, Nickolas De Dios and Lauren DiStefano won second in Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making, and a third place trophy went to Kayla Dixon in Public Service Visual Advertising.

Additional West Islip trophy winners included Courtney Metzger in Accounting Applications, Angelina Lombardi in Apparel & Accessories Marketing, Brian Kilkelly in Automotive Services Marketing, Isabella D’Avanzo in Business Services Marketing, Krista Ciccarelli and Briana Ferguson in Financial Services Team, Patricia Douglas and Jessica Moellendorf in Hospitality Services Team, Maya Marino and Paisley Narra in Hotel & Lodging Management, Thomas Landhauser in Human Resources Management, Anthony Cairo and Patrick Sullivan in Principles in Marketing, Carley Peters in Public Service Visual Advertising, Samantha Soevyn in Quick Serve Restaurant Management, Kendalyn Grunenberg and Lily Gilmore in Retail Merchandising, James Sladky and Aidan Kelly in Sports & Entertainment Marketing.

These students will advance to the 57th annual DECA New York State Career Conference, to be held March 6-9 at the Riverside Convention Center in Rochester. More than 4,000 DECA members from high schools throughout New York State will gather to compete in events, enhance their business skills, meet new friends and enjoy the camaraderie of the conference.

West Islip students who were awarded honorable mention in their DECA regional events were Julianna Budriss in Sports & Entertainment Marketing, James Folks in Marketing Communications and Jake Buonocore in Business Finance.

Additional West Islip DECA student participants included Angelo Buquicchio, Jillian Daniele, Kyle Dragelin, Hayley Dreyer, Heather Dreyer, Noelle Fallon, Hannah Ferrugiari, Megan Flannery, Genna Johnson, Nicole Lucas, Samantha Landri, Emily Michaluk, Gabriela Montes, Joseph Montiglio, Jaydon Rivera and Gavin Syska.

Using Play-Doh, second-graders in Kristin Foster’s classroom at Manetuck = recently learned about physical changes related to matter.

The students molded the Play-Doh into balls, squeezed it and combined it with a partner’s Play-Doh in order to confirm visually that the physical changes that they made to the substance did not alter its physical state.

Fourth-graders in Katrina Faraci’s class at Oquenock recently constructed lighthouses in the school’s STEM lab as part of an exciting unit on electricity.

Six talented students from Kristen Caulfield’s studio art classes at the high school were recently selected for Suffolk County Community College’s 10th annual High School Art Competition.

Artwork by freshman Sophia Gutierrez; sophomores Brooke Geiger, James Landhauser and Valeria Medina; and juniors Alexis DiMaio and Sara O’Sullivan-Bakshi was displayed at the college’s Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood.

Fourth- and fifth-graders in Louise Stephenson’s art class at Bayview created posters for P.S. I Love You Day. Other students joined in, painting patterns and hearts on the banners.

High school senior Greg Bove recently qualified for the 2018 New York State indoor track and field championships.

An All-County and Academic All-County athlete, Bove broke West Islip’s triple jump record earlier this year and continued to improve his record.

During the qualifying meet, he also broke the school record in the 600-meter run.

Last month at Bellew, students brought in cans of soup and used them to “vote” for the team that they thought would win the Super Bowl.

Large plastic bins were set up in the main lobby in a drop-off station that was organized and decorated by students in Bellew’s Leadership Club.

In total, 311 cans were donated to a local food pantry and Bellew’s pick for the Eagles to win was right on the money.