The high school’s Thirst Project hosted an open house and family night at the high school on March 6. The club’s co-presidents, seniors Douglas Dillman and Jennifer Nieves, invited Evan Wesley, the Thirst Project’s vice president of student activation, to give a presentation regarding the global water crisis.

Attendees learned about the importance of water security and how all aspects of community sustainability rely on clean water. In addition to Wesley’s lecture, club members prepared three interactive display stations – “water availability,” “walking for water” and “waterborne diseases” – to provide detailed information about the difficulties of a life without clean water. Parents viewed a model of what contaminated water looks like, and had the opportunity to try to carry a five-gallon jerrycan weighing 44 pounds, which replicated the daily struggle of women and young children in the developing world to access water.

“West Islip is the gold standard of Thirst Project clubs worldwide and has carried on a legacy of student activism and community involvement within the charity organization,” said Wesley.

The evening also included several raffles. Alumna Vicky Labetti won two free tickets to West Islip Thirst Project’s upcoming third annual gala, while senior Matthew Rittenhouse went home with assorted chocolates.

More than 85 West Islip outstanding student-musicians from grades 5-10 were selected to perform in the Suffolk County Music Educators Association All-County festivals in March.

High school freshmen and sophomores chosen were Christopher Acosta, Dylan Bruno, Matthew Cammarano, Drake Castonguay, Eve Castonguay, Aidan Ciesluk, Taylor Davies, Jonathan Delanoy, Jack Denning, Amanda Ditaranto, Daniel Himbele, Bruce Konopa, Antonia LaFemina, Marina Lankford, Sophia Lopez, Elizabeth Lundquist, Alexandra Mahany, Grace Mineo, Emma Musial, Andrew Palmer, Lindsey Pritchard, Sophia Randazzo, Luke Schuffenhauer, Dorian Scourtos, Jake Siffert, Kyle Tran and Karina Vartanian.

Udall sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders chosen were Warren Auty, Marissa Beyhl, Carlie Brunengraber, Mia Cuozzo, Jordan Fileti, Michael Harbord, Thomas Kerrigan, Maria Lettieri, James Mattel, Kayla McEvoy, Daniel Pipitone, Mason Ploufee, Andrew Rao, Alexandra Scourtos, Lucas Scourtos, Nicholas Soulos, Aaron Tomasello and Nicholas Vallejo.

Beach Street sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders chosen were Sophia Bahm, James Delanoy, Andrew DiStefano, Jack Dyer, Emma Fallon, Vivian G, Julianna Gargiulo, Abigail Huners, Isabella LaBarca, Avery Lanzarotta, Alexander Lee, Nicholas Locurto, Sophia Marker, Shane Marshall, Alexandra Martorella, Lauren McCann, Grace Mileski, Teagan McGuire, Kevin Pilewski, Kevin Ryan, Mason Solomon, Sophia Stehlik, Skylar Zimmerly and Carter Zito.

Bayview fifth-graders chosen were Leah Gallagher, Caitlin McNamee, Cara Thaxter, Francesca Tofano and Angelina Tummel.

Bellew fifth-graders chosen were Anthony DeMaio, James Kennedy, Gianna Owens and Gavin Pollock.

Manetuck fifth-graders chosen were Bruno Basile, Jovan Brewster, Christopher Gee, Kaitlyn Kelly and Noah Pipitone.

Oquenock fifth-graders chosen were Brienna Baione, Elizabeth Mastroddi, Vanessa Rogler and Caitlyn Vail.

Third-graders at Bellew recently visited the birthplace of one of America’s greatest poets, Walt Whitman. During their tour of this New York State Historic Site, a newly restored farmhouse built circa 1819 by Whitman’s father, students examined 19th-century furniture, including an old schoolmaster’s desk, and experienced what life was like when Walt Whitman grew up on Long Island. They also learned about Whitman’s poetry techniques and had the opportunity to become writers themselves.

High school senior Madison Esposito and research partner Kevin Souhrada from Bay Shore High School won Grand Award Second Place in the chemistry category at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, as well as a 2019 Taking the Pulse of the Planet award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Another West Islip high schooler, Jake Maresca, was recognized with an award from the U.S. Metric Association for his research on prosthetic hands.

At LISEF’s junior varsity competition, the team of Rachel Denzler and Michael Pleitez won third place in the behavioral science category, while Max Hujik won honorable mention in environmental science.

On March 9, senior Madison Esposito presented her micrometeorite research at the International Women’s Day Celebration 2019 Symposium, hosted by Stony Brook University and sponsored by Brookhaven Women in Science and Women in Science and Engineering. This year’s WISE theme was “Girl Power in STEM: Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change!”

The symposium celebrated the accomplishments of women in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Lecturers and panelists discussed the impact of women in STEM careers, women in the work environment, impacts on the economy, and how society can improve female participation in STEM fields.

Esposito and micrometeorite team partner Kevin Souhrada of Bay Shore High School previously presented their research in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium’s 2018 Long Island regional semifinals, held on Feb. 3 at York College in Queens. The two students have been experimenting at the National Synchrotron Light Source II, the brightest X-ray microscope in the world, located at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The research team has been using various beamlines to uncover the chemistry and mineralogy of micrometeorites collected from high school roofs across Long Island, including samples the students collected from their very own schools. Their work is part of BNL’s Student Partnerships for Advanced Research and Knowledge program in which students and teachers work together with Brookhaven scientists to conduct experiments at the lab’s state-of-the-art facilities.

This school year, the district appointed Byron McCray as director of school safety. McCray is responsible for overseeing peace officers, investigators, school security and training, working in close collaboration with district and school administrators to further develop appropriate procedures and protocols to provide a safe and secure school environment.

He joined West Islip after many years in public service and law enforcement, including serving as a supervisor at Brentwood School District, a New York State Department of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security instructor, a sergeant and officer in charge of training as well as an academy instructor for the New York Racing Association, and regional director of operations and community relations for criminal justice agency NYC TASC.

A native of Brooklyn now residing in Bay Shore, McCray was educated at John Jay College, FEMA Emergency Management Institute and Pace Law School, and also attended the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Rockland County Police Academy and SUNY Delhi Police Academy for law enforcement training and professional development.

“I have a strong interest in school safety, community relations, transparency in law enforcement and the development of programs that focus on community engagement and interaction,” said McCray. “I believe that this coupled with my extensive experience and proven leadership abilities will serve as a vital resource to the West Islip School District for years to come.”

West Islip’s seniors now have a special space to eat lunch, the Bistro Café, replete with exciting new meal options. Previously called “Cafeteria C,” it was once a lunch spot for freshmen. Plans for the impressive renovation – a collaborative effort between the district’s buildings and grounds and food service departments – were set in motion a year ago, with the upgrade of the space completed in February.

Available for use solely by seniors, the Bistro Café offers a dining experience that is more consistent with the fast-casual restaurant environments that today’s students are accustomed to. New high-top tables and booth seating options create a social and relaxing atmosphere for the seniors. A grab-and-go food stand was also built to offer them fresh, healthy meals on the go, with fewer lines and shorter wait times. The “Bistro Box” lunch delivers a well-balanced meal that includes a full cup or more of fresh vegetables and fruit. Other choices include a variety of fresh sandwiches and salads as well as less traditional lunches such as the “Yogurt Parfait Bistro Box,” featuring yogurt, granola and strawberries, and the “Vegetarian Snacks Bistro Box,” offering string cheese and pretzels with hummus.  

“Our goal continues to be providing our students with access to healthy and appetizing meals that meet the strict standards of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,” said Christine Kearney, West Islip’s director of school food programs. “We are thrilled with the positive feedback that we have been receiving about the new menu options in the Bistro Café, and we will continue to expand these offerings with new food and beverages that students will love.”

The high school’s varsity girls basketball team recently completed another excellent season. Under the guidance of head coach Chris Scharf and assistant coach Jeremy Robertson, the Lady Lions finished with a 16-5 record and hosted a Section XI home playoff game for the first time in many years.

“This team had a competitive and positive attitude and tremendous success, which younger players will aspire to replicate for years to come,” said Athletic Director Tim Horan.

Research classes from Udall visited the high school research lab on Feb. 26 to learn what high school research projects are all about. First, the younger scientists worked alongside high school research students to conduct a DNA extraction lab experiment, guided by teacher Mary Kroll. The high school students then shared poster presentations from their own research projects with the middle schoolers.

“I think that middle school students can benefit from seeing what opportunities we have at the high school for the sciences,” said senior Gabrielle Camillery, who presented her Advanced Research II project on how effective essential oils and other household products were in limiting the growth of e coli and other nuisance fungi. “Through this visit, they learned that they can really have a very hands-on experience at the high school and figure out what their passion is and what they want to do.”

Bellew held its third annual science fair on March 4, showcasing terrific projects from more than 150 participating students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Students shared their findings on topics including the solar system, electricity, simple machines, buoyancy, plants and the amount of sugar in our daily diet.

“I was truly impressed with the questions they researched, the data collected and their genuine excitement about the STEM field,” said Principal Rhonda Pratt.

For the second consecutive year, criminal justice and college and business law classes at the high school were visited by representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its canine unit. The presentation, held in the school’s auditorium, included discussion of the officers’ career requirements, job description and duties, their operations at our local and international airports, and the use of trained dogs in the canine unit.

“The students were extremely engaged and inquisitive, and the presentation was a success,” said teacher Shawn Wallace, who organized the event.

Members of the high school’s Future Business Leaders of America club, moderated by Monica Krawczyk and Joanne Macrelli, recently visited introductory and advanced computing classes at the district’s Beach Street and Udall Road middle schools to put their leadership skills to practical use.

Students Nickole Aponte, Anthony Cairo, Matt Cairo, Kyle Dragelin, Gianna Fiorvanti, Catherine Fregosi, Ava Gmelch, Catie Lang, Francesca Lent, Delaney O’Shea, Evan Raible and Holly Schweitzer spoke to Beach Street students about the benefits of taking business education courses in high school, while Julianna Budriss, Aidan Kelly, Brian Kilkelly, Valeria Medina, Joseph Montiglio, Sarah Olenik, Paul Peragine, Anthony Riviezzo, Frank Riviezzo, Edward Smith, and Tobias Wefering talked to classes at Udall.

After their presentations, the high schoolers networked with the younger students, learning about the latter’s career goals and what career paths they would like to pursue. The visits provided the high school students with a stronger awareness of student needs and confidence in their own abilities as speakers and presenters.

“Many of these students bring a wealth of information to the middle school because of the business courses they have taken and clubs they have joined, as well as the palette of interesting field trips, visits with industry guest speakers imparting real-world knowledge, and array of valuable opportunities we have provided them with,” said Macrelli. “We feel that it is advantageous for our middle school students to hear and learn about the many interesting and innovative opportunities open to them once they become high school freshmen.”  

Jeanette Merola and Janet Renganeschi’s sixth-grade class at Udall was recently chosen as a Kidsday Class of the Week, and were visited by “Newsday” representative Patrick Mullooly to prepare.

Participating in this children’s journalism program, the Udall students have been eagerly creating, researching and developing articles for publication at the end of July. With the use of student Chromebooks, they are implementing Google Docs to share information with each other, collaborating on ideas and receiving feedback from their teachers prior to submitting their articles. 

“This is an exciting opportunity for the students to showcase their writing and research skills,” said Renganeschi.

The high school’s varsity kickline team finished in an impressive fifth place overall in the Team Performance division at the Scholastic Kickline Championships, held on Feb. 3 at Nassau Community College. The team, led by captains Farrah Naja and Jillian Rudolph, and coached by Jessica Cichy, also put on a strong performance at the Stephanie Belli Festival.

“Congratulations to Coach Cichy and the kickline team on an outstanding season,” said Athletic Director Tim Horan. “West Islip is proud to have them representing our community.”

The high school’s varsity cheerleading squad won the school’s first-ever county championship on Feb. 16 at Centereach High School. Coached by Dina Barone and Steffanie Flinter, the cheer team was led by senior captains Adrianna Cigliano, Samantha DiJennaro, Olivia Gmelch, Isabella Isolano, Genna Johnson and Katie Penny.

The team’s hard work and dedication earned them a first-place finish in the Division 1 medium classification competition held Jan. 26 at Sachem North High School, followed by another first-place trophy at a Feb. 2 competition at Hauppauge High School. West Islip’s overall achievement clinched them the second seed in the Section XI county championship.

“Congratulations to the coaches and the Lady Lions on another very impressive season and winning the championship,” said Athletic Director Tim Horan. “Over the past few years, cheerleading has transitioned from a club activity and was officially recognized as an athletic team in 2016 by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. While the transition has been quite challenging, the coaches, athletes and parents and guardians continued to stay positive and persevered. The entire community salutes our cheerleaders, past and present, who built the foundation for such success.”

A total of 36 students from the high school’s Marketing Club, accompanied by chapter adviser Diana Saadat and chaperones Jennifer Delaney and Dawn Morgan, participated in DECA’s Suffolk County Regional Competition, with 17 earning medals. The event, held in Selden on Jan. 3, featured more than 1,300 students from 34 county schools.

Isabella D’Avanzo and James Sladky earned a first-place trophy in the Marketing Management Team category. Additional West Islip trophy winners included Julianna Budriss in Business Services Marketing; Jake Buonocore, Courtney Metzger and Joe Montiglio in Accounting Applications; Matthew Cairo in Human Resources Management; Olivia DiStefano in Principles in Marketing; Kayla Dixon and Lily Gilmore in Buying and Merchandising Team; Kendalyn Grunenberg in Retail Merchandising; Brian Kilkelly in Sports and Entertainment Marketing; Catherine Lang in Business Finance; Maya Marino and Paisley Narra in Hotel and Lodging Management; Paul Peragine in Business Management and Administration; and Samantha Soevyn in Quick Serve Restaurant Management.

The winning students will advance to compete against more than 4,000 DECA members from statewide high schools at the 58th annual DECA New York State Career Conference, to be held March 5-8 at the Riverside Convention Center in Rochester. 

West Islip students who were awarded honorable mention in their DECA regional events were Kyle Dragelin in Marketing Communications, Noelle Fallon and Hayley Dreyer in Travel and Tourism Team, Hannah Ferrugiari and Katie Ryan in Hospitality Services Team, and Lucas Ryan and Peyton Ryan in Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team.

Other participating West Islip DECA students included Nicole Aponte, Jillian Brickman, Ty Carpinello, Michael Ciccarelli, Gianna Fioravanti, Aidan Kelly, Delaney O’Shea, Alessandra Questel, Erin Spence and Patrick Sullivan.

Kevin Halloran, a fourth-grader at Bellew, won the school’s National Geography Bee. Fifth-graders Nico Acosta and Marley Grover finished second and third, respectively. A total of eighteen Bellew students from the Geography Explorers Club participated in the competition.

As champion, Halloran will advance to the next level by taking a qualifying test to determine state competitors. If he qualifies, he will earn a seat at the New York State competition in Albany. The final competition will be held in May in Washington, DC, where students compete for college scholarships. 

“A great job to all of our student participants who went above and beyond in their quest to learn more about the wonderful world in which we live,” said Principal Rhonda Pratt.