Setauket Elementary School teachers get ready to greet students on the first day of school. Photo by Richard Wiederman
Setauket Elementary School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo by Richard Wiederman
A teacher helps Setauket Elementary School students off the bus on the first day of school. Photo by Richard Wiederman
Setauket Elementary School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo by Richard Wiederman
Jordyn Zezelic waits for the bus with her father on the first day of school. Photo from Bill Zezelic
Ward Melville High School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo by Janet Song
Ward Melville High School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
Ward Melville High School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
Ward Melville High School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
Danielle Werner looks forward to the first day of school. Photo from Stefanie Werner
Setauket Elementary School students wait for the bus on the first day of school. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Setauket Elementary School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
Setauket Elementary School students walk to school. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Hannah La Polla looks forward to the first day of school. Photo from Tara La Polla
R.C. Murphy students are ready to learn on the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
A minnesauke student looks forward to the first day of school. Photo from Cindy Morris
Minnesauke Elementary School Principal Brian Biscari, above, helps a student off the bus Sept. 4. Photo from Cindy Morris
P.J. Gelinas Middle School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Cindy Morris
P.J. Gelinas students are ready to learn on the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
Courtney and Ethan DeVerna look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Lisa DeVerna
Arrowhead Elementary School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
Arrowhead Elementary School students look forward to the first day of school. Photo from Syntax
Ava Himmelsbach ready for her first day as a sixth-grader at Setauket Elementary School. Photo by Allison Himmelsbach
Hannah Widerman marks her last first day in the Three Village school district. Photo by Richard Wiederman
It felt like the middle of summer outside, but Three Village Central School District students were back to hitting the books Sept. 4.
The children had a lot on their minds on the first day of school.
Hannah La Polla, a kindergartner at William Sydney Mount Elementary School, was looking forward to seeing her teacher Dawn McNally and riding the bus, according to her mother, Tara La Polla.
Then there was 10-year-old Jordyn Zezelic a fifth-grader at Nassakeag Elementary School whose eyes were on the future. She said she was looking forward to graduating in June and attending R. C. Murphy Junior High School next year.
Danielle Werner, a fourth-grader at Arrowhead Elementary School, was thinking about science.
“I am excited about making a project for the fourth-grade science fair,” Danielle said.
Courtney DeVerna, a third-grader at Nassakeag Elementary School, was in a musical mood.
“I’m looking forward to playing the viola,” Courtney said.
Her brother, Ethan DeVerna, who was starting kindergarten, was eager for the ride to school.
“I can’t wait to ride the school bus,” Ethan said. “It’s magic.”
Thank you to the Three Village residents who contributed their photos.
As part of the relocation plan, eight-graders were sent to Northport High School. File photo
Suffolk County police have arrested a Northport-East Northport school district employee who allegedly while driving hit a student on his way to athletic practice at the high school Tuesday morning.
Janet Aliperti. Photo from SCPD
A 14-year-old Northport boy was walking westbound on Laurel Hill Road, when he was struck by a 2005 Honda sedan traveling eastbound at 8:06 a.m. Sept. 4, according to police. The teen was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the student and we will support him and his family in any way needed,” Superintendent Robert Banzer said in message posted on the district’s website. “We will also cooperate with the Suffolk County Police Department as they conduct their investigation of the accident.”
The alleged driver of the Honda, Janet Aliperti, 57, of East Norwich, was not injured in the crash. Aliperti is an employee of the Northport school district, and a LinkedIn profile listed under the same name notes her position as a food service worker.
Suffolk police arrested Aliperti and charged her with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operation while registration is suspended, and having an uninsured vehicle. The car has been impounded for a safety check, according to police.
Northport students’ first day of classes for the 2018-19 school year is Sept 6.
“As school begins for our students on Thursday, September 6, the district reminds all residents to please drive carefully as our buses and student-pedestrians will be back on the roads” Banzer wrote. “Keeping our students safe as they travel to/from school and school-related events is a top priority of the district. Let us work together as a community to ensure the safety of all of our students throughout the year ahead.”
The investigation into the crash is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to contact the 2nd Squad at 631-854-8252.
Members of the SCSSA Executive Board met with Suffolk County law enforcement officials and lawmakers to discuss its five-point Blueprint for Action to Enhance School Safety Aug. 27. Photo from SCSSA
Superintendents in Suffolk County are trying to get their schools all on the same page when it comes to safety.
Following the particularly deadly school shooting — though just the latest in a long line of similar occurrences — that took place in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, which resulted in 17 casualties, discussions about concrete steps to enhance safety for students and staff in buildings from coast to coast have been seemingly unending. In Suffolk County, school officials have teamed up to release a five-point blueprint of actionable steps, officially recommended by the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association Aug. 27 to local, state and federal lawmakers.
The superintendents are calling on lawmakers to invest in the School Resource Officer program, providing additional officers in Suffolk County schools; adopt legislation that enhances campus safety, including amending the New York State Criminal Procedure Law dealing with setting bail; make the New York State SAFE Act the law of the land; support the social, emotional and mental health of children through screening programs and education initiatives; and provide institutional support to finance school safety, calling for the state to initiate School Security Aid and to exempt school safety expenditures from the tax levy limitation.
“While school safety has always been a top priority, following the horrific massacre at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, and the tragic events that followed, the importance of a strong working relationship between the police, mental health providers and public-school officials has become more important than ever,” the association said in a press release. “The SCSSA plans to continue to work together with Suffolk County law enforcement and local, state and federal legislators to turn these plans into actions that will improve school safety and the safety and wellness of all students in Suffolk County.”
In August, representatives from Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization that was founded by parents from the Connecticut elementary school to carry out its mission of preventing all gun-related deaths, held a forum for the association and law enforcement officials. The purpose of the meeting was to share details about four programs they’ve created aimed at preventing violence in schools.
The four strategies, which fall under the nonprofit’s Know the Signs program, are taught to youth and adults free of charge in the hopes of fostering an environment that empowers everyone in the community to help identify and intervene when someone is at risk free of charge. Superintendents who were in attendance from several local districts pledged to further examine Sandy Hook Promise’s programs and to take steps toward implementing them.
During an exclusive interview with TBR News Media in July, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. said creating countywide standards for school security is a priority for his department.
Children on their way to Setauket Elementary School in 1956. Photo from Larry Heinz
Larry Heinz sent a throwback photo from 1956 in honor of the first day of school.
Heinz, pictured with cap sitting next to the door, and other students were headed to Setauket Elementary School with bus driver Jess Eikov.
Eikov was the owner and operator of the bus company that serviced the Setauket Union Free School for many years, according to Three Village Historical Society historian Beverly C. Tyler.
Port Jefferson Superintendent Paul Casciano addresses the Class of 2018 during graduation June 22. File photo by Alex Petroski
Port Jefferson School District will be looking for new leadership following the upcoming school year.
Superintendent Paul Casciano announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2018-19 school year, effective July 1, 2019, during an Aug. 29 board of education meeting.
“As we had discussed with the board in the fall of 2016, I was willing to complete the 2016-17 school year and two additional school years as your superintendent,” Casciano wrote in a letter dated Aug. 28, which was released publicly by the district in the aftermath of the meeting.
Casciano was hired during the summer of 2016, initially under an interim designation that was removed in Dec. 2016, effectively making him the permanent superintendent. Casciano took over for outgoing Ken Bossert, who transferred to a position leading the Elwood school district.
“Having the opportunity to serve the Port Jefferson School District is truly an honor and privilege of which I am extremely grateful,”Casciano wrote. “We have amazing students who attend our schools and the sky is the limit to what they can and will achieve. I am proud of what we have accomplished so far during my tenure.”
BOE President Kathleen Brennan said the board regretfully accepted Casciano’s resignation.
“I would like to thank Dr. Casciano for his service to Port Jefferson,” she said. “I had the opportunity to speak to the staff at the opening of school and shared with them that Dr. Casciano did not come looking for Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson went looking for Dr. Casciano when we were looking for an interim superintendent and he agreed to stay beyond the one-year interim that we had initially discussed. In fact, the board of education, the night he was interviewed, asked when he left the room, ‘Can he stay?’”
Casciano, a Stony Brook resident, had previously served as superintendent in William Floyd school district. He retired from the position about a year prior to starting with Port Jeff on an interim basis.
The board will be meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the next steps to search for a new superintendent of schools, according to a district press release. Casciano said in his letter he is willing to assist in the transition to a new superintendent’s tenure beyond his set retirement date.
“When Dr. Casciano was interviewed he said, ‘I have two speeds, go and stop, and what you see is what you get — I’m not going to come in and tread water,’” Brennan said. “The board was very happy to hear that and very happy that he didn’t tread water … So on behalf of the board, I would like to thank Dr. Casciano for his service to Port Jefferson.”
Trustee Adam DeWitt resigned from Port Jeff's BOE. File photo by Elana Glowatz
If you were out enjoying the last drop of summer at the beach or on vacation you might have missed it. Port Jefferson’s board of education appointed a new member at an Aug. 29 meeting following the Aug. 1 resignation of Adam DeWitt, who was elected to a third term in May 2017.
The board voted 4-1 in favor of appointing Port Jeff resident Ryan Biedenkapp, one of six candidates who ran to fill three open seats in the May 2018 election and placed fourth. New trustee Ryan Walker was the lone vote in opposition of the appointment. He said he wanted to take more time to discuss other options, like opening up the process to interested applicants to be interviewed and selected from by the board, or holding a special election within 90 days of DeWitt’s resignation. René Tidwell, another newly minted member of the board, abstained citing similar reasons to Walker, with whom she campaigned in May.
“I think we’ve had time to discuss it, to bring up our feelings about it,” BOE President Kathleen Brennan said prior to the Aug. 29 vote, referencing a similar discussion at an Aug. 14 meeting, at which the board’s options to fill the vacancy were laid out. “I don’t think that we are rushing this. I think Mr. DeWitt resigned Aug. 1. It’s now the end of the month.”
The board’s options included leaving the seat vacant until the May 2019 vote, holding a special election at a cost of about $10,000, or appointing someone to fill the seat. Members Brennan, David Keegan, Tracy Zamek and Ellen Boehm voted in support of option three to appoint Biedenkapp based on how previous boards handled surprise vacancies in the past.
2018 BOE candidates Ryan Biedenkapp, Mia Farina, Jason Kronberg, René Tidwell, Tracy Zamek and Ryan Walker. File photo by Alex Petroski
“I think we’ve got someone in the community who’s committed to doing it, who’s done the thoughtful work of making the commitment,” Keegan said.
Biedenkapp received nearly 500 votes in May, falling a little more than 100 votes short of Zamek, securing her the third trustee seat.
“I feel like it’s just a no brainer in my opinion,” Zamek said, who had campaigned with Biedenkapp.
The newly appointed trustee could not immediately be reached for comment. Although, the board president said she had been in contact with Biedenkapp and he was interested in the position. Brennan said, at the request of the board following the Aug. 14 meeting, she also reached out to trustees who recently stepped down or did not seek re-election to gauge their interest. Both declined.
Tidwell argued the board was in the unique position to appoint someone with qualifications that could be an asset to the board. She supported the idea of doing due diligence to find a new member by conducting interviews and further discussion amongst the BOE.
“I believe our board should also consider all other community members who expressed an interest in serving on the board as well as those who have served previously,” Tidwell said. “I think if this board is going to take the first steps in bridging the divide that has existed in our community, then pursing a transparent and equitable process for filling this vacancy is a first step in the right direction.”
Tidwell’s reference to a community divide was a harkening back to a Dec. 2017 $30 million bond referendum that was overwhelmingly voted down by the community. It sparked a heated community debate based on the items included in the list of proposed projects.
Walker said, in part, he was opposing Biedenkapp’s appointment because the appointee had previously been in favor of adding lights to the athletic fields on Scraggy Hill Road and it would be a betrayal of Walker’s campaign message. The elected trustee added he would work with the new member if the majority were in favor, a point Tidwell also reiterated.
DeWitt said he was proud of his time on the board, adding that he learned a lot and appreciated his fellow members’ desire to better the community. He also wished his former colleagues well.
“It became increasingly more challenging to attend the meetings because of my work schedule,” DeWitt said.
He is employed as a school principal at a seventh- and eighth-grade building by Longwood school district.
“I don’t like to do anything if I can’t commit fully, it’s not fair to the community,” DeWitt said. “I wish I could continue to make the commitment.”
Biedenkapp’s appointment will run through May 2019.
Graffiti, broken windows discovered on the property Aug. 27
Shoreham-Wading River School District is preparing to seek proposals for the sale or lease of the Briarcliff Elementary School building. Photo by Kyle Barr
Shoreham-Wading River School District has announced it’s in the final stages of exploring a sale of the vacant Briarcliff Elementary School building and property after it was vandalized with graffiti and windows were broken Aug. 26.
The school district posted a notice to its website Aug. 29 saying it had started the process of publicizing a request for proposals about a sale or lease of the property and that it will be submitted to the board at its Sept. 25 meeting.
Graffiti found on the vacant Briarcliff Elementary School building Aug. 27. Photo by Kyle Barr
“As a follow up to the feedback received during the public workshops the district held last winter and spring, the board of education is in the early stages of exploring the possible lease or sale of the facility with the help of a specialized real estate agent identified through a RFP process,” the district said in a statement. “No final decision on this matter has been made to this date as an RFP is in the development stages.”
Briarcliff Elementary School closed its doors in 2014. It was built in 1907. Since its closure, the district has had to pay for ongoing operating costs — approximately $95,000 annually, according to the district.
In April, district officials sat down with residents in round-table discussions about possible options for the Briarcliff property located on Briarcliff Road in Shoreham. While many residents said they would like to keep the property in the district’s hands, such as moving either the library or district offices to that location, officials stated there was very little they could use the building for. The school board voted to create an RFP on a sale of the property at its June 26 meeting.
Graffiti found on the vacant Briarcliff Elementary School building Aug. 27. Photo by Kyle Barr
The announcement of the intent to sell comes a few days after the property was vandalized. A member of the Shoreham/Wading River Community Facebook group posted photos at about noon Aug. 26 showing graffiti along the rear end of the property closest to the field and playground. One door labeled “16” had been pulled open and two windows right next to it had been smashed.
The graffiti was largely random, some showing expletives. One message read “make out hill,” and another said “Hallow (sic) Point,” most likely misspelling “hollow point.” The windows that were broken had already been boarded up with metal plates and the door relocked by Aug. 29.
The school district called the police at approximately 1:30 p.m. the same day, a spokesperson for Suffolk County police said. Later that afternoon the district put a notice on its website saying it was working with law enforcement in an ongoing investigation.
“The District takes matters of safety and security very seriously,” district officials said in a statement. “Briarcliff, like each of our schools, is monitored through video surveillance, by members of our district staff and through the use of an alarm system. The district is cooperating with members of law enforcement to the fullest extent possible.”
Graffiti found on the vacant Briarcliff Elementary School building Aug. 27. Photo by Kyle Barr
The building already has a number of security cameras along its facade. One is located on the main entrance, another at the entrance to the trailers on the northern part of the property and another behind the property. Though there are also flood lights located on the roof of the property facing the back field.
Shoreham resident Lisa Geraghty has been following the ongoing Briarcliff story for more than a year, and she said she understands the tough decisions the school board had to make on the property.
“The nearly $100,000 annual cost to maintain the building with just enough winter heat to prevent the pipes from freezing and occasional mowing and security checks could never cover the amount of work the building needs,” Geraghty said. “The six-figure maintenance cost isn’t enough to cover steady security.”
The district will be hosting its next school board meeting Sept. 4.
Setauket Elementary School students were ready for the first day of classes, Sept. 5. 2017. File photo by Rita J. Egan
It’s back to school time, and we want to help you commemorate the occasion. If your child attends one of the following school districts and you’d like to submit a photo of their first day of school attire, them boarding or arriving home on the school bus, or waiting at the bus stop, we may publish it in the Sept. 6 issues of Times Beacon Record Newspapers. Just include their name, district and a photo credit, and send them by 12 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5 with the subject line “Back to school,” and then be sure to check Thursday’s paper.
Email The Village Times Herald and The Times of Middle Country editor Rita J. Egan at [email protected] if your child attends:
Three Village School District
Middle Country School District
Email The Times of Huntington & Northports and The Times of Smithtown editor Sara-Megan Walsh at [email protected] if your child attends:
Huntington School District
Northport-East Northport School District
Harborfields School District
Elwood School District
Smithtown School District
Commack School District
Kings Park School District
Email The Port Times Record and The Village Beacon Record editor Alex Petroski at [email protected] if your child attends:
Summer construction at Kings Park High School. Photo by Amanda Perelli
As Kings Park students return to school next week, the children and their parents may notice buildings across the district have gotten a face-lift.
Kings Park school district has utilized the summer to make progress on some of the more than $41 million in capital improvements approved under the December 2015 bond.
At Kings Park High School, community members will find a newly resurfaced parking lot in the back of the building. New LED lighting and several dry wells have been installed to alleviate drainage issues to better accommodate students and staff, according to Superintendent Timothy Eagen.
The Kingsmen Kafe. Photo by Amanda Perelli
“The actual parking footprint or square footage will be about the same,” Eagen said. “We anticipate either about the same or a few additional spots, but not a substantial change.”
On the athletic fields, the former Kingsmen Kafe has been demolished to make way for a modernized concession stand with bathrooms.
Over at William T. Rogers Middle School, both the boys and girls locker rooms have been fully renovated with clean and functional lockers. The district’s staff has also undertaken installation of a new irrigation system, that covers the football, lacrosse, soccer and ball fields to encourage softer, greener and more consistent grass coverage in the future, Eagen wrote in a community update letter.
The district was hoping to replace the entire roof of the middle school this summer, according to the superintendent, but construction was halted when asbestos tar was found under the upper portion of the building. Eagen said this caused the roof replacement to be pushed to next summer to allow for further planning and construction at a time without any students in the building. The roof of the lower portion of the building has been completed for the 2018-19 school year.
R.J.O. Intermediate School has had new fencing installed along the track and field area, in addition to the parking lot.
“The R.J.O. track has been an issue for several years, and this grant will allow us to finally make
this area usable and safer for students and the community.”
— Timothy Eagen
The district has been awarded a $100,000 grant through the New York State Municipal Facilities Program, which they applied for last summer after learning about it from state Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), according to Eagen. This money will help fund plans to resurface the intermediate school’s track next summer.
“The R.J.O. track has been an issue for several years, and this grant will allow us to finally make
this area usable and safer for students and the community,” Eagen said.
The building’s current cinder track will be replaced with an asphalt surface with lane lines The district anticipates that walkers will use this area more after it’s renovated.
School officials are pressing forward with improvements to the district’s security including plans for security vestibules at each building. In order to bypass a lengthy six to 12 month review process, Eagen said the district will classify the vestibules as maintenance work or repairs, and construct them inside the existing buildings rather than as an exterior add-on feature. The district has set aside $100,000 for this work,
according to the superintendent, and the vestibules are expected to be completed this fall at both the high school and middle school.
District’s environmental consultants took 26 samples earlier this week; results to be reviewed by New York State Department of Health
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Northport Middle School classroom K75 after summer renovations. Photo from Northport-East Northport school district
Northport Middle School's K72 classroom after summer renovations. Photo from Northport-East Northport school district
Northport Middle School's K74 classroom after summer renovations. Photo from Northport-East Northport school district
Northport Middle School's K73 classroom after summer renovations. Photo from Northport-East Northport school district
Northport-East Northport school officials and parents are awaiting the results of the latest
Middle School K-wing air quality samples prior to the school’s reopening next week.
The district’s environmental consultant firm J.C. Broderick & Associates Inc. took 26 air samples throughout the K-Wing of Northport Middle School earlier this week to see if issues with gasoline fumes have been fully resolved after extensive summer renovations.
“The question I have been asked is are we going to test before we reopen the K-Wing,” Superintendent Robert Banzer said. “The answer is yes.”
The question I have been asked is are we going to test before we reopen the K-Wing. The answer is yes.”
— Robert Banzer
Edward McGuire, of J.C. Broderick & Associates, said the testing consisted of placing two air sampling cannisters in every single classroom and office space, two in the hallway, and two in the warehouse space beneath the wing, which was the previous site of chemical storage, to see what level of volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs or fumes, are present. In addition, two cannisters were placed outside the building to represent the ambient air that is brought into the school building via the ventilation systems.
“It is the créme de la créme of VOC sampling,” the consultants said. “There is no better methodology.”
The cannisters were placed at varying heights 3 to 5 feet off the ground in each location, according to McGuire, meant to replicate the typical breathing zone of a seated or standing person within the space. Each room was independently sealed off before air samples were collected for a continuous eight-hour period while the newly installed rooftop ventilation systems ran, McGuire said, meant to replicate “typical occupancy conditions.”
Brandon Weisberg, project superintendent for district contractors Park East Construction, said the K-Wing classrooms were ripped down to the studs this summer. New plumbing was installed, fire stoppers sealed, and a special heavy-duty vapor barrier applied on the concrete subsurface between the underground warehouse storage and K-Wing to prevent any fumes from penetrating into the air, according to Weisberg. The district also had new rooftop heating, air conditioning and ventilation units installed while also sealing the older ground-level passages with concrete.
The environmental consultants said their staff has worked with the district’s contractors to obtain safety data sheets for each material used in renovating the K-Wing this summer, providing a list of any potentially hazardous chemicals contained in each product. McGuire said this data will be used to help analyze the air samples and potentially used to identify the source of any abnormally high fumes or airborne chemicals found during the sampling.
“The sensitivity of the analysis will always find VOCs in the air,” McGuire said. “Our expectations are also a little higher because we know everything is brand new.”
“The sensitivity of the analysis will always find VOCs in the air. Our expectations are also a little higher because we know everything is brand new.”
— Edward McGuire
The consultants were asked to explain during a presentation at an Aug. 23 board of education meeting that any smell in the K-Wing could be similar to the odors detected by new car owners when they sit inside the vehicle.
J.C. Broderick said they will be doing a two-part comparison of the air samples taken. The first part will be a report on the ambient levels of each VOC detected, while the second phase will examine the levels found against healthy safety guidelines established by New York State Department of Health. McGuire said the standards being used will be compared against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s dose concentration guidelines, which consider different levels for sensitive populations, such as young children.
The results of the air quality testing were expected to be received within approximately 72 hours of the end of sample collection, or 48 hours after the cannisters were delivered to the laboratory. The final report will be sent to New York State Department of Health for its review prior to the classrooms being reopened to student and staff use.
The results were not yet available as of noon Aug. 29, according to the superintendent.
Banzer assured residents the district has repurposed the old warehouse space as a dry storage for “paper goods” and other such things.
“There are no chemicals stored down there, all that was eliminated last year,” he said.
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