Educational advocacy was the heart of the 20th annual Legislative Breakfast, hosted by the Valley Stream Council of PTAs on March 12. Elected officials, school district leaders and staff and members of the Valley Stream community were present at Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School for a conversation about topics critical to the programs, funding and future of public education.
Represented at the breakfast was the Valley Stream Central High School District as well as the elementary districts: Valley Stream District 30, District 24 and District 13. Several political dignitaries were in attendance, including Mayor Edwin Fare, Town of Hempstead Councilman Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Legislator William Gaylor, Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages, New York Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, New York Assemblyman Brian Curran and Tom Curry from U.S. Congresswoman Kathleen Rice’s office. Continental breakfast was prepared by the Valley Stream Central High School District Culinary Institute.
The participants engaged in discussions around matters such as the Common Core, Gap Elimination Adjustment, state aid, the tax cap, teacher evaluations, testing and more. The political leaders introduced themselves and summarized the efforts they have taken in the past year to benefit their school districts, then expressed their opinions and goals regarding education-related issues. They encouraged those in the audience to be active in communicating concerns and feedback.
“There’s more to the whole child than just a single test,” said Valley Stream Central High School District Board of Education President Dr. Frank Chiachiere, who also serves on the Valley Stream District 13 Board of Education. “Valley Stream is committed to each child, every day.”
The gathering of these individuals demonstrated the shared value that the Valley Stream schools, residents and local officials place on education, and their determination to be heard by the leaders in Albany.
“We were once again proud of the large attendance at this event, which reflects the dedication and collaboration of our legislators, school district leaders and residents,” said Valley Stream Central High School District Superintendent Dr. Bill Heidenreich. “Thank you to the Council of PTAs for organizing this important meeting, which brought us together, opened the floor for dialogue and shed light on potential solutions to current challenges.
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Joining Forces for Education
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Robert Milani Receives Administrator of the Year Award
Valley Stream Central High School Assistant Principal Robert Milani was honored by the Council of Administrators and Supervisors with a 2016 CAS Administrator of the Year Award. He is one of several CAS members who received this distinction at the professional organization’s annual winter Delegate Assembly, held on Feb. 25 at the Holiday Inn in Plainview.
The CAS consists of over 1400 public school administrators in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and presents the Administrator of the Year Awards to those who exemplify the highest qualities of school administrative leadership including achievement, vision, innovation and collaboration with parents, students, staff and administrators.
Among Mr. Milani’s many responsibilities are overseeing the guidance department, serving as a staff developer, creating master schedules, leading the AP program and scheduling AP testing, and organizing a number of school wide events. He has mentored other staff members and new administrators.
Central High School Principal Dr. Joseph Pompilio nominated Mr. Milani for this acknowledgment.
“Everything he does is completed with precision and competence,” Dr. Pompilio wrote in his nomination letter. “He is an ardent supporter of student opportunities. Every task he addresses from instruction to maintenance comes with the criterion ‘What is best for students?’ His organizational skills are impeccable, but more importantly, his positive impact on the staff and students in this building is inspiring.”
An educator for more than two decades, Mr. Milani is in his 10th year as Assistant Principal at Central, prior to which he was the school’s math chairperson. Earlier in his career, he taught math in the Bronx and at Elmont High School. Mr. Milani served as the Valley Stream Central High School District’s Summer School Principal in 2012 and 2013, a role he will resume this summer.
Mr. Milani holds a Bachelors Degree from St. John’s University and a Masters Degree from Queens College.
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Memorial Junior High Students ‘On a Roll’ with Success
On March 7, Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School launched a new program called On a Roll, aimed to recognize the successes of students in all areas, across all grades.
Students who improved their grade by five or more points received certificates to honor their achievements and efforts. The administration and teachers are hopeful that these acknowledgments of success will inspire students to continue working diligently in their academics and make positive changes both in and outside of school.
A day of celebration was created as more than 1,200 certificates were distributed, 398 of which were presented at the seventh-grade level, 457 at the eighth-grade level and 381 among ninth-graders.
Throughout the day, a sense of pride was felt throughout the building as students shared their certificates and enthusiasm with peers. The On a Roll concept was initially presented to the administration by teachers Laura Dunham and Kim Cazzetto. The program is designed to praise students for their efforts and help them to develop a growth mindset.
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South High School Goes Back in Time
More than 200 Valley Stream South High School eighth-graders culminated their studies of the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression eras with a 1920s-‘30s extravaganza held on March 18. History was brought to life as students came to school dressed as various personas characteristic of the featured decades and participated in simulated events from those points in time.
Classic cars were parked outside the building as the morning began, thanks to a visit from a local Model T Club. Students donned attire typical of 1920s and ‘30s flappers, businessmen, dignitaries, athletes, soldiers and many others, while music from the era played in the background and Jackdaw Depression photograph replicas lined the hallways. Ernest Hemingway, Amelia Earhart, Herbert Hoover, F.D. Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mouse, Hooverville residents, soldiers and stockbrokers were among the many historical characters that were portrayed at South.
The eighth-graders viewed clips from the time period’s silent movies, watched a Marx Brothers film and experienced what it was like to stand on bread, soup and unemployment lines thanks to eleventh-grade AP students who led these scenarios and Life Skills students who prepared the food. The event concluded with a Roaring Twenties party, during which students identified which ‘20s and ‘30s figures their peers represented.
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Memorial JHS Students Explore Plant Growth
As a final assignment to a chapter on agriculture, Angela Trager’s ninth-grade AP Human Geography class at Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School is conducting an experiment to determine whether plants grow better in a greenhouse.
The students created a mini-greenhouse, answered prediction questions and are using observation journals to record comparisons between a greenhouse plant and one that is in a classroom planter. The students also completed an article analysis assignment on the pros and cons of greenhouses. At the conclusion of the study, the class will review their findings through reflection questions.
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FREE PRE-SCHOOL IS AVAILABLE AT VALLEY STREAM SOUTH H.S.
Parents are invited to register three and four year olds in a free pre-school program provided by students in the Early Childhood Education classes at Valley Stream South High School, 150 Jedwood Place, Valley Stream. The preschool will be offered at South High on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:15 pm to 2:38 pm. Classes will run from Tuesday, May 3rd, through Friday, May 27th, 2016.
The preschool program, under the supervision of classroom teacher Ms. Rosanna Ali, allows the high school students to prepare and provide daily lessons and educational activities while gaining hands-on experience teaching young children. Each day’s games, educational projects and activities are based on a theme of the day. These themes are related to books that were created and implemented by the high school students in the ED101 class.
Register by calling South High School 791-0300 or better yet email Ms. Ali directly at, alir@vschsd.org. Registration dates are through April 12, 2016.
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VSCHSD a Best Community for Music Education
The Valley Stream Central High School District has been identified as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. The recognition was presented to districts across the nation that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to music education.
This award recognizes that VSCHSD is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the new federal education legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act, which recommends music and the arts as important elements of well-rounded education for all children.
Studies and reports have indicated that learning to play music can boost academic and social skill development. The NAMM Foundation cites research that links music education with reading, math processing and cooperation in group settings.
The district offers a wide variety of experiences for students in grades 7-12. Band, orchestra, and chorus opportunities exist at every grade level, and extra-curricular groups in jazz, wind ensemble, brass choir, men's and women's choir and gospel choir further enrich the music program. Students also explore and hone their fine and performing arts talents through courses in movement and dance, musical theater and acting, as well as AP classes. “Music and all of the fine and performing arts have long been a hallmark of the Valley Stream CHSD,” said District Coordinator of Fine and Performing Arts Dr. Adam Erdos. “This designation is national recognition of the enduring commitment that the community, the Board of Education, and all of the district leadership has to music education. It shines a much-deserved light on the outstanding work that our teachers do every day with the students in the Valley Stream CHSD.”
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Memorial Junior HS Students Give Back with Baskets
Eighth-grade students in Frances Howell’s class at Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School participated in a community service activity at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, located in Valley Stream. They filled Easter baskets that were distributed to local families just in time for the holiday.
This initiative supported the school’s service learning efforts. The students had a greater appreciation of their task once they understood they were helping put a smile on other children’s faces.
After the visit, they reflected on the experience. Among the lessons students learned were, “that helping people in need is the most important thing we can do,” “that it’s nice to give back to the community,” “That it is important to help other people and when you help, it will make other people feel very happy.”
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Memorial JHS Student a National Math Contest Finalist
Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School eighth-grader Lance Lampert is among only 564 finalists selected out of 44,000 applicants to participate in the national MathCON competition. He will travel to Chicago for the April 23 contest with the prospect of winning various prizes by solving challenging mathematics challenges.
MathCON participants were chosen based on the results they obtained on a qualification exam. Students from 41 states were in the running to attend this prestigious event, which was created by Concept Schools to encourage students to explore studies and fields related to STEM. “MathCON is our way of inspiring the future leaders in science, technology, math and engineering by engaging students at a young age, making STEM fun and demonstrating its real-world applications,” said Ayhan Caputlu of Concept Schools.
In addition to Lance’s accomplishment as a finalist, 30 Memorial Junior High School MathCON applicants received Honorable Mentions. “We’re incredibly proud when any of our student earns recognition for their accomplishments, and we’re so excited to have Lance Lampert represent Memorial Junior High School at MathCON,” said Principal Anthony Mignella. “The STEM field is such an important part of the future, and we actively encourage our teachers and students to find fun ways to use STEM inside and outside of the classroom. This is a great honor not only for Lance, but also for Memorial.”
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Central HS Students Broaden Learning with Field Trips
Students in two of Valley Stream Central High School’s AP courses had the recent opportunities to enrich their learning with field trips that brought their curriculum to life.
On March 23, the AP Government and Politics class attended the “Evaluation of Presidential Leadership Symposium for High School Students” at Hofstra University. This event featured Hofstra’s Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Senior Presidential Fellows, Republican Party Strategist Ed Rollins, and former Vermont Governor and Democratic Presidential Candidate Howard Dean.
Each participating student was each asked to write a 500-word essay in preparation for the conference. Edward Chung and Tiffany Longarzo were two of only four students recognized for their essays, which addressed ways in which Obama’s presidency’s political leadership and policies influence the 2016 presidential race.
On March 28, more than 30 AP Bio students took part in a field trip to the DNA Learning Center in Cold Spring Harbor. While at the professional lab, they performed Restriction Analysis and Bacterial Transformation experiments.
The students learned a basic genetic engineering technique called Gel Electrophoresis, where DNA is manipulated according to its unique structure. This process is applied to DNA testing and fingerprinting as well as genetic diseases studies. Students also performed a bacterial transformation, during which they examined the fluorescent gene from a jellyfish and placed it into a bacteria.
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Family Fun Adds Up on Math Night at South
Valley Stream South High School’s first-ever Family Math Night drew approximately 80 attendees on March 14, also popularly recognized as Pi Day. The objective of the event, sponsored by the PTSA and Math Department, was to bring special awareness to the many real-life applications of math while simultaneously providing a family-friendly atmosphere.
Students, parents and teachers engaged in mathematics challenges and put their skills to the test in order to find solutions to various problems. An assortment of stations presented opportunities to explore estimation, geometry, measurement and much more.
Activities included guessing the number of marbles in the jar, matching different shaped polygons, finding the unit rate of the number of bubbles popped in a minute, creating figures with toothpicks, using gum drops and toothpicks to build structures strong enough to support a textbook, moving the number of pennies to get one penny, predicting how many falcons covered the school’s falcon head mascot and solving trivia questions about patterns.
At the end of the evening, prizes were awarded to the top contestants.
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Reaching Out is INN for North HS Phys. Ed. Leaders
Valley Stream North High School’s Physical Education Leadership class spent a day volunteering at the Mary Brennan Inn in Hempstead. Thirty students volunteered their time to sort clothes, stock the food pantry, move furniture and serve lunch and coffee to the patrons of the INN.
These efforts helped to provide more than 200 lunches, and students also handed out Easter baskets and helped clients shop for groceries in the food pantry. Additionally, the class delivered food items and towels that they collected through a drive held prior to the visit.
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Districtwide Drug and Alcohol Awareness Night: Wednesday, 4/20/16 @ 7 p.m. at North HS's Cafetorium
All grades of district students and their parents are welcome to attend this informative event. Drugs and alcoholism is a rising concern in the communities of Nassau County. This event will present information from local authorities and medical staff concerning the effects of drug and alcohol addiction on adolescent children. Learn important facts regarding:
* The age children are first approached to experiment with drug and alcohol
* The signs of drug and alcohol abuse in teens
* How can you prevent your child from becoming addicted to legal and illegal drugs and alcohol?
Thank you for your assistance in advance.
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Athletes Honored at Valley Stream CHSD Board of Ed. Meeting
At the Valley Stream Central High School District’s April 5 Board of Education Meeting, students were recognized for their achievements in athletics. Teams and individual participants earned a number of victories during the winter sports season.
North High School’s Boys Winter Track, Girls Winter Track and Co-Ed Competitive Cheerleading teams were recognized for being Nassau County Champions, along with the district’s Air Rifle Team.
A total of six students earned All State Athlete status. Neil Aliventi and Nicholas Reyes of Central High School and Jennifer Bhatti, Zefanyah McDonald and Nicole Sarro of South High School received this distinction as Rifle Team members, and Central student Claude Parola reached All State level for boys winter track.
Thirty students were awarded All County recognition from the Nassau County Coaches Association. Alexa Messina of Central earned this designation for bowling. Jermaine Fraser of Central, Josh Dennis and Noah Shy of North and Hall Elisias of South were named All County for boys basketball. Claude Parola of Central and Jake Catalano, Brandon James, Jarred Times and Tyler John of North achieved this status for boys winter track.
North students Gabriela Andrade, Angeli Andre, Rebekah Buon, Tara Canny, Kate Catalano, Juel Charles, Brianna Hackman, Tyesha Irving, Caryn Martin, Emily Martino and Miracle Onuoha were recognized as All County for girls winter track. Leidy Blum, Raylana Ciceron, Alesandria Hwang, Ann-Renee Rubia, Priscilla Vasquez and Natalie Zedzian of Central and Fatima Moien of South earned this recognition for fencing. Neil Aliventi of Central and Zefanyah McDonald of South achieved the designation for rifle.
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Wellness Committee Parent University Presents: "Speaking Their Language" - May 9, 2016
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Summer Music Program
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Memorial Students Take the Cake
Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School students in Susan Krause’s Food and Nutrition classes participated in their own rendition of the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” on April 12. The ninth-graders who take this elective course worked together in teams to select themes for creative cupcake confections.
A total of 19 groups planned out their designs from start to finish. Students used marshmallow fondant that they made from scratch to embellish their freshly baked desserts with decorations. Teachers and students from different classes volunteered as judges and shared in the excitement as they tested the treats.
Photos Courtesy of Valley Stream Central High School District
L-R: Memorial Junior High School ninth-graders Angelica Portalatin, Emily Rodriguez, Valerie Ruiz and Kyla Jones participated in their own version of “Cupcake Wars.”
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South HS Quiz Bowl Team Places Third on LI
Valley Stream South High School’s Junior Varsity Quiz Bowl Team took third place on Long Island in the Regional Quiz Bowl Finals, held on April 13. The group of five students was undefeated in the preliminary rounds and advanced to the semifinalist level.
Regional Quiz Bowl provides high school students with an opportunity to build, refine, and test their skills in quick thinking, deep understanding and rapid reflexes. The aim is to build teamwork, motivation, curiosity, and love for learning among our participants.
South High School’s team, led by advisor Ross Lipsky, is comprised of Olivia Ryan (captain), Joseph Campbell, Harrison Dickler, Jacob Ebert and Alyssa Eyssalenne.
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Valley Stream Student Artists Awarded for Talent and Skill
Students throughout the Valley Stream Central High School District recently earned a number of prominent achievements in the arts. From awards to exhibit features, the students’ talents have been recognized beyond their respective classrooms and schools.
Four students were winners in the Photographic Federation of Long Island Youth Showcase. The PFLI, a chapter of the Photographic Society of America, hosts its annual competition for high schools on Long Island and in Queens. The winning photographs from the Youth Showcase are submitted to the PSA youth contest to compete on a national level.
Central High School student Grey Lancaster took first place in this event’s Portrait category and second place in Architecture. Dayra Santana, also from Central, placed second in Photojournalism and third place in the Scapes category. South High School student Kristen Seager was awarded first place in Color Photographers Choice category and Karen Alvarez placed third in Landscapes.
Valley Stream was well represented in the Heckscher Museum’s “Long Island’s Best” show as well. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the challenge, which invited students to submit for consideration works of art that they created based on original pieces displayed at the Museum.
Artistic works by Central High School students Natalia Bermeo, Nicole Noel and Kimberly Rambarran, North High School student Katie Eng and South High School students Ann Ballesteros and Ricky Vargas are among only 83 of more than 357 entries from across Long Island that were featured in the 2016 show. Nicole’s piece, "Another Pity," was honored with the "Best in Show" award. The selected artwork will be on display until May 15.
Central High School student Matthew Santiago was featured in the Art Guild of Port Washington’s exhibit, “Line: Through Thick and Thin,” and honored with the student award for his pen and ink piece "Untitled No. 3." This event will run until May 13 and features work from both students and adults that focuses on the expressive qualities of line.
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Districtwide Drug and Alcohol Awareness Night: Wednesday, 4/20/16 @ 7 p.m. at North HS's Cafetorium
All grades of district students and their parents are welcome to attend
this informative event. Drugs and alcoholism is a rising concern in the
communities of Nassau County. This event will present information from
local authorities and medical staff concerning the effects of drug and
alcohol addiction on adolescent children. Learn important facts
regarding:
* The age children are first approached to experiment with drug and alcohol
* The signs of drug and alcohol abuse in teens
* How can you prevent your child from becoming addicted to legal and illegal drugs and alcohol?
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