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Information on Proposition No. 2 for H.B. Thompson: Capital Reserve Vote May 16
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Information on Proposition No. 2 for Syosset High School: Capital Reserve Vote May 16
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Trivia Champs!
Congratulations to the South Woods Middle School seventh-grade Trivia Team for capturing the CP Nassau Trivia Challenge championship in March. The team earned the right to participate in the championship after winning the school trivia competition.
Schools from throughout Nassau County participated in the event. Now in its 31st year, the challenge brings students with great minds and good hearts together to help raise funds to benefit the programs and services CP Nassau provides for over 1,800 children and adults with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. According to CP Nassau’s website, it has become the organization’s most successful fundraiser thanks to the students, parents, teachers and administrators who support the effort.
During the competition, each participating school provides a team of four students who collaborate on a 100-question trivia test. Each team member raises money for CP Nassau by asking family and friends for a standard donation for their participation.
In winning this year’s event, the South Woods team answered questions on a wide variety of topics. They are pictured here with the CP Nassau Trivia cup. From left Michelle Gervitz of CP Nassau, team members Zach Goldstein, Gianna Vecchio, Alex Larson and Matthew Shafritz and their coach, Greg Ryan.
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Vets Have a Special Place in Our Hearts
Baylis students once again participated in Nassau County’s program called Valentines for Veterans. Through this program, Nassau County collects thousands of valentines from children and distributes them to veterans in hospitals and nursing homes. Many Baylis students showed our veterans their appreciation through drawings, cards, and sweet notes. The participating students received an official certificate from the Nassau County Executive’s office. Thank you to our Baylis students for participating in this wonderful program and making our veterans smile!
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A special budget edition of the Syosset Pride newsletter is now available. Please click here
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South Woods Wins 15 Medals at Math Fair
South Woods Middle School sent 16 students to participate in the Al Kalfus Long Island Math Fair held on Friday, April 28 ay Hofstra University. Students researched various topics for the fair, including Matrix Algebra, Pascal’s Triangle, The Mathematics of Disease, Binary and Hexadecimals, Complex and Imaginary Numbers, Optical Illusions Math in Music, Math in Astronomy, Game Theory, Math in our Election Process and Brain of a Swimmer. They then wrote a mathematics paper and developed a presentation based on their research. Overal,l South Woods took home an impressive 15 medals: eight gold, four silver and three bronze.
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South Woods Math Teachers Honored
Congratulations to South Woods math teachers Mary Lenzi and Tom Falco on their selection as Nassau County Math Teachers Association “Teachers of the Year.” The NCMTA will honor them during its annual spring dinner on May 17, 2017 at the North Ritz Club. What a well-deserved honor for two of our own South Woods family members, who strive each and every day to ensure that every child learns. We are so proud!
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Video: Super Coops
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Patriotism in Writing
Congratulations to South Woods student Maria Manolas, who won the VFW-sponsored Patriot’s Pen youth essay competition for her essay titled “The America I Believe In.” Maria is congratulated here by Gus Scutari of Syosset VFW Post 6394.
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Special Insight from the Author
HBT students who recently finished reading the 2015 Principal’s Award for Children’s Book of the Year “Devin Rhodes is Dead” were treated to a special visit by the author and HBT mom Jennifer Wolf Kam.
Mrs. Kam spoke to the students about the writing process, the GRIT it takes to be a writer, and her personal journey as a published award-winning author. Students were thrilled to meet her and enjoyed an informative audience-engaged presentation. In addition to being treated to personally signed bookmarks, Mrs. Kam too some time after the assembly to take pictures with students. Students and teachers alike were thrill to learn about the writing process and how stories come to life!
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The May Board Briefs are now available. Please click here
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Physics, Fun or Both?
Some people may consider the recent student craze of bottle flipping merely an activity for kids to pass the time. Berry Hill Elementary School views it as another opportunity to engage young students in learning. During select recess periods fourth and fifth graders tried their hands at the activity and a new enrichment workshop titled "Bottle Flipping, Physics or Fun?" was born.
Bottles were flipped and students collected data, discovering that there are many variables behind a successful flip, including bottle brands, bottle volume and technique. “Students concluded that physics plays a big part in the bottle flipping phenomenon,” said Carrie Wilson, Berry Hill’s Project Beyond teacher. “And that science is the driving force behind the fun!”
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Syosset Junior Takes 3rd in the Country in Poetry Recital
Syosset High School junior Iree Mann has done it again. Just a month after being crowned New York State champion in the 12th Annual Poetry Out Loud competition, Iree took third place in the national competition held at George Washington University in April.
POL participants are evaluated on a cumulative point total covering multiple recitations that factor in accuracy, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of the poem’s understanding, presence, and voice and articulation as well as overall performance.
For the national competition, Iree advanced through three tough rounds, reciting works “American Smooth” by Rita Dove, “The Golden Shovel” by Terrance Haynes and “Break of Day” by John Donne. She was drawn to these particular works because of their different styles that require varying degrees of emotion when reading in order capture the essence of each work.“You grow to understand why a poet, or any director, wants you to express their emotion… express their feeling through their work,” said Iree, who is a member of the Syosset High School Forensics team and enjoys writing poetry of her own in addition to reciting others’ works. “It brings life to poems.”
Syosset High School English teacher Lydia Esslinger, who is also Iree’s adviser on the Forensics Society, accompanied her to Washington D.C. for the nationals, where she introduced Iree to one of her former students, Syosset Alumna and current U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao who is also a former Secretary of Labor. Chao and her staff were so impressed with Iree that they asked her to practice reciting her poetry to them just prior to the competition finals.
According to Esslinger, Iree has also distinguished herself as a member of the Forensics Society, most recently by qualifying as one of three students from the entire downstate area to represent New York in Dramatic Performance at the National Speech and Debate Association's national championship in Birmingham, Alabama in June, joining six other Syosset students.
Syosset Principal Dr. Giovanni Durante, said the moment Iree arrived at Syosset High School this year (relocating from California) she began making an “astonishing impact” on her classmates and friends at school. Iree immediately began reviewing the school’s student activity list for interesting things to get involved in and was drawn to the Forensics Society, recalling how she told her mother that she had found something “awesome.”
Both POL and Forensics require a keen combination of sentiment and savvy to be successful, which Iree brings with every performance.
Iree is pictured displaying her state and national awards, as she is congratulated by Esslinger and Dr. Durante.
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A Gold Medal at I-SWEEEP
Congratulations once again to Syosset High School seniors Dahyun Park and Jordan Sanford, who won a gold medal in the Environment: Management and Pollution category at the International Sustainable World Engineering Energy Environment Project Olympiad (I-SWEEEP!) held in Houston, Texas last week.
Dahyun (who also goes by “Elle”) and Jordan worked together to explore the use of microbial fuel cells for wastewater treatment. They worked in school and from home under the direction of Science Research Facilitator Veronica Ade. In addition to being selected as finalists for I-SWEEEP, they were both named semifinalists in this year’s Siemens Foundation Competition for Math, Science and Technology for this research project. “Elle and Jordan are [two] of the most dedicated students in the research program,” said Ade. “They spent their entire junior and senior year working on this project and are passionate about the impacts their novel microbial fuel cell can have on the environment. They have worked hard and achieved so much already. I look forward to the accomplishments they will have in college and beyond.”
Both students will also present their work at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California and will be joined by fellow Syosset High School science research students Rahul Chaudhry, Sahil Chaudhry, Mohamed El-Abtah and Rushabh Mehta who will be presenting projects as well.
For the past 10 years, I-SWEEEP! has inspired students to develop projects to help preserve Earth's resources and create a sustainable planet for everyone. Each year the competition brings together hundreds of the brightest STEM-focused students from approximately 70 countries in a fun and collaborative environment.
Dahyun and Jordan are congratulated here by Ade at I-SWEEEP.
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Voters Approve 2017-18 Budget & Proposition No. 2
Thank you to all of the residents who participated in the 2017-18 school district budget vote and trustee election. Voters approved the budget 2,277 to 793. With this support, the district will continue to provide a full academic and co-curricular program while also addressing important areas of our school infrastructure and implementing new instructional technology resources.
Additionally, the community approved Proposition No. 2: Expenditure from the Capital Reserve Fund, 2,526 to 539. This will enable the district to move forward on district-wide capital improvements identified as Phase I projects using monies saved in the Capital Reserve Fund.
In the Board of Education election, Carol C. Cheng, Dr. Michael Cohen and Anna Levitan won seats on the Board of Education. Vote totals are as follows: Dr. Cohen – 2,003, Cheng– 1,726 and Levitan – 1,089.
Again, thank you to all who voted, and for your ongoing commitment to our schools!
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Summer Swim Registration
Summer swim registration will be held Saturday, May 20th at 8:00am in
the Aux gym of the high school. The program is available for ages 3 -
16 years of age.
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Summer School Brochure 2017
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Presidential Scholar Honored
Congratulations to Syosset High School senior Ben Rhee who is a member of the 53rd class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, which was recently announced by the U.S. Department of Education. Ben is one of just 161 high school seniors named a Presidential Scholar in 2017 for their accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields.
The White House Committee for Presidential Scholars selects winners annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. “It never ceases to amaze me the range of talents that our students possess and the exemplary honors they earn,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tom Rogers. “When you look at Ben’s resume of accomplishments it’s really no surprise that he is the recipient of such an elite award. On behalf of the Syosset CSD and the Board of Education I commend him on being named [a] Presidential Scholar and thank all of his teachers through the years, his family and everyone who has been a positive influence on his life.”
Ben is the Class of 2017 salutatorian, was a National Merit Finalist and a National AP Scholar of Distinction. He serves as editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper “The Pulse,” is senior class treasurer and vice president of Model Congress. This year Ben was also named a Regeneron prizewinning scholar and has reached the finals and semifinals in national Chemistry and Biology Olympiads respectively, while achieving multiple honors in Mathletes. An award-winning violinist with the school’s chamber orchestra, Ben is the Chamber Music Club president and has been selected for All-National and All-Eastern ensembles. In addition to all of this, he finds time to volunteer at a local nursing facility and New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Ben will attend Harvard and major in biosciences. “I'd like to thank everyone who has helped and encouraged me to get where I am today,” said Ben.” This honor doesn't just represent me, it represents the whole community of family, teachers, friends, and mentors who have always been there and made Syosset such a great place to remember."
Ben named chemistry teacher Ann Cassin as the teacher who influenced him the most throughout his high school career, a requirement of the Presidential Scholarship essay. “She has been more than just a teacher to me. She has taught me a great deal about life,” said Ben. “She cares for all of her students.”
Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, scholars in the Arts and 20 in Career and Technical Education. Ben and the other recipients will be honored during a ceremony in Washington D.C. on June 18.
Syosset Principal Dr. Giovanni Durante, Deputy Superintendent Adele Bovard, Cassin and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tom Rogers congratulate Ben here.
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South Woods Students Excel on National French Exam
Of the 22 eighth-grade students from South Woods Middle School who competed in the National French Exam Le Grand Concours (Level 1) held in March, 13 placed in the top five positions nationally. They are:• Elsie Ho, Mizuki Iida, Jenny Ou, Maiya Raghu – 2nd place, 95th percentile; • Ria Chadha, Angela Mao, Ariane Lee – 3rd place, 95th percentile;• Tess Latham, Eric Wang – 4th place, 90th percentile;• Jennie Dapice, Saba Mehrzad, Nolan Smithwick, Gabrielle Unson – 5th place, 90th percentile.
The following South Woods students also received Honorable Mentions on the exam: Autumn Avery, Alexandra Bukary, Harrison Feusi, Manuela Fusara, Siya Gandhi, Eric Liang, Atharv Mehtani, Lara Muratyan, Krish Pamnani.
Additionally, nine South Woods seventh-grade students competed in the Level 01 National French Exam, with four placing in the top 10 nationally:
• Alex He – 7th place (4th place in Nassau County);• Manaal Nabi – 8th place (5th place in Nassau County).
Honorable Mentions for the exam were awarded to Meaghan Anzalone, Sage Gladstone, Alisa Gong, Lilah Grubman, Eric Huang, David Liu, and Andrew Zhou.
Congratulations to all participants!
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Thank You from the Board
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