With eager smiles and backpacks in tow, students of the Rocky Point school district kicked off the school year on Sept. 4, ready to meet new teachers and reconnect with old friends.
At Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School, cheerful sidewalk chalk messages of positivity and kindness set the tone, as students were welcomed back to classes.
The district’s first week unfolded smoothly, as students, faculty and staff, across the district’s four buildings, seamlessly transitioned from summer fun to the inaugural days of September.
Superintendent of Schools, Jessica Schmettan. Photo by Aramis Khosronejad
By Aramis Khosronejad
A Port Jefferson Board of Education meeting was held at Edna Louise Spear Elementary School in the afternoon of Sept. 10. The meeting was led by Superintendent of Schools Jessica Schmettan.
The report began with a review of the damage caused by the flash floods that swept through the Port Jefferson community in August and the possible repercussions. Then the report shifted to an overview about the summer programs that were available to students over the summer. Toward the end of the meeting, the chair of the Port Jefferson Royal Educational Foundation, Leza Di Bella, covered news on the annual fun run, which aims to fund projects in the school district.
Schmettan’s report opened up with updates on the flood damage the local schools suffered due to the flooding that took place. The band room in the high school lost a wall, the entirety of the lobby was flooded with rainwater, the “bowl” in front of the high school was entirely flooded and ruined, as well as various losses to school materials and tools.
The cleanup was quickly and impressively done before the school reopened. Deputy Superintendent Sean Leister addressed the funding that would need to take place in order to facilitate the repairs done to the school such as replacement of “music stands and chairs.” Leister explained how the district hoped to make Port Jefferson eligible for recovery funding. Meanwhile, he warned the board to anticipate some budget transfers.
A few updates at the high school were highlighted during the meeting. The high school has implemented a new retaining wall behind the school, the middle school family consumer science classroom was redone, and a shining new computer lab was constructed which was an initiative led by Robert Neidig, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Summer programs
Award recipient, Tracy Zamek. Photo by Aramis Khosronejad
The meeting then moved to an overview of the different, eclectic programs the school district facilitated over the summer. Jodi Cahill, the director of special education, took the podium and began by describing the extended summer program held for special needs students. The program was divided into three age-based cohorts with 25 children total. Highlights included a “clowning around” event with Jester Jim, a Paris 2024 Olympics-themed program, a Holtsville Ecology Center field trip, an under-the-sea collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension and bowling at Port Jeff Bowl. The program concluded with a field day, in partnership with Sayville BOCES, featuring activities for the children.
Michael Caravello, director of music and fine arts, then took over and talked about the various music programs that were available for students over the summer. The programs were aimed to encourage “collaboration and problem solving in a relaxed, fun atmosphere” according to Caravello. He mentioned how next summer they hope to broaden their array of programs beyond just musical instruments and onto further fields of fine arts.
Next, Adam Sherrard, director of health, physical education and athletics, talked about the eclectic collection of sports. The athletic programs included football and tennis through volleyball, all meant to encourage younger children to become passionate and engage with Port Jeff athletics in the future. Older high school students also participated in these programs and helped coaches train and practice with these kids. In a turn of events, the summer athletic program this year increased in participation after a steady decline in recent years. Summer programs also consisted of a book club, social skills program, as well as STEM for both secondary and elementary students.
Di Bella took the podium and talked about the annual fun run. An award was given to Tracy Zamek, a BOE trustee, for her contributions to the school district. It was in fact her idea to facilitate the fun run which has funded so many Port Jefferson School events. The run this year will be held on Sept. 28.
New principal, John Holownia, in front of Ward Melville High School. Courtesy John Holownia
By Mallie Jane Kim
For Ward Melville High School’s new principal John Holownia, the first week of the 2024-25 school year has been a bit surreal — he grew up attending Three Village schools and graduated from Ward Melville in 1999.
“It has been fantastic,” he said. “It’s not something I ever imagined when I was a high school student walking around the hallways.”
Holownia returns to his old stomping grounds after serving as an assistant principal at Shoreham-Wading River High School since 2019, and before that as a special education teacher in the Comsewogue school district.
It’s not his first time returning to his home turf, he said, as he coached football at Ward Melville for a few years as a young adult in the early 2000s after earning his bachelor’s degree in English literature from Princeton University. Returning mid-career as the high school principal, though, is a whole different ball game.
“My biggest priority right now is to just learn,” Holownia said, pointing to the high school’s reputation for excellence and his desire to keep it that way. “The most important thing I can do is learn how things work here and how things have been done in the past, and get a real feel for what has made Ward Melville such a successful place.”
Holownia replaces acting principal Paul Gold, an assistant principal who stepped in last November after the previous principal, William Bernhard, was reassigned. Gold has since retired.
Superintendent of Schools Kevin Scanlon, who was a social studies teacher at the high school during the years Holownia attended, said he looks forward to the new principal’s successful administration.
“John will be a tremendous asset to Ward Melville High School,” Scanlon said in an email.
Holownia is already thinking ahead to the structural changes the district has planned for 2025-26. The plan is for sixth grade to move up from the elementary schools into the junior high schools, and for ninth grade to move into Ward Melville, making it a four-year high school.
District staff and administrators have been working out over the past year the adjustments and structural modifications necessary for the high school to accommodate adding an academic grade level.
“Certainly that’s going to need to be well-coordinated,” Holownia said. “We’ll be putting all those programs and things in place to make sure we’re ready for that change.”
But for now, he’s focused on acclimating to the current set of students under his purview.
Three Village Board of Education officially appointed Holownia to his position April 3, and he’s been working in the building since July 1. He has enjoyed seeing staff and students filling the corridors after a quiet summer of preparation, he said.
“The energy in the building really comes from the kids,” Holownia said. “It’s been exciting, and definitely a great start to the year.”
Since schools reopened following the pandemic, more than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year, making them chronically absent. That is an estimated 6.5 million more students than before the pandemic, according to a Stanford University study, conducted in partnership with The Associated Press.
But, that is not the only price our students have paid, as a result of the pandemic. The time away created massive academic setbacks, and transformed our classrooms from that of pen and paper to computerized, at-home assignments — to this day. Our children no longer can enjoy the pleasures of a snow day, because their work can be accessed from bed.
Our children no longer can enjoy the pleasures of a snow day, because their work can be accessed from bed.
And, to boot, a mere 13% of K-12 students give their school an A on making them excited about learning, according to a recent Gallup and Walton Family Foundation-State of American Youth survey.
So, with the U.S. ranked only 38th in math scores and 24th in science, according to a 2015 study, what can we do to keep our children engaged, and focused on their school work?
TBR News Media offers a these suggestions, from our online research:
1. Maintain open communication with your child’s teachers and school administration. Your continued positive involvement shows your child that you value their education.
2. Involve your kids with nature. The more relaxed your children are, the greater the likelihood they will develop sharp critical-thinking skills, and maintain focus.
3. Offer incentives. It is no secret that any reward — no matter how small — is psychologically proven to bolster work performance.
4. Support teachers. With the added stresses of adapting to challenging learning environments, it is important to offer cooperation and compassion.
5. Provide hands-on learning opportunities, when possible. Tactile learning is shown to be much more engaging, stimulating and far more likely to be retained and implemented in daily life. In other words, it can feel more useful to a child, than worksheets, which can be repetitive and uninteresting.
Back to school on the North Shore 2024. Photos from Syntax and Toni-Elena Gallo
Back to school on the North Shore 2024. Photos from Syntax and Toni-Elena Gallo
Back to school on the North Shore 2024. Photos from Syntax and Toni-Elena Gallo
Back to school on the North Shore 2024. Photos from Syntax and Toni-Elena Gallo
Back to school on the North Shore 2024. Photos from Syntax and Toni-Elena Gallo
Back to school on the North Shore 2024. Photos from Syntax and Toni-Elena Gallo
Back to school on the North Shore 2024. Photos from Syntax and Toni-Elena Gallo
Local students had their first day of school on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Their parents happily saw them off, and the kids were excited to catch up with all of their friends on the bus, and in the parking lot.
Suffolk County Community College recently completed its Summer High School Offshore Wind Turbines course, designed to introduce high school students to the burgeoning field of wind energy. Photo courtesy of SCCC
Suffolk County Community College has announced the successful completion of its recent Summer High School Offshore Wind Turbines course, designed to introduce high school students to the burgeoning field of wind energy. The college held two separate summer sessions and provided students with a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience.
The first camp was comprised solely of participants from the South Huntington School District. The second camp welcomed students, including those from the South Huntington School District, as well as participants from the New York State STEP (Science and Technology Entry Program) grant program
The program is sponsored by a grant awarded by the Offshore Wind Training Institute, an organization administered by SUNY Farmingdale and Stony Brook University. The grant is titled “Strengthening the Wind Energy Education Pipeline (SWEEP).”
The offshore wind turbines course is part of Suffolk County Community College’s broader effort to prepare students for careers in the renewable energy sector. This grant also enabled the college to expand its welding and composites training programs. Since the launch of these programs, students have successfully completed both the welding and Introduction to Basic Composite Technology courses, with a majority of students passing the American Welding Society (AWS) certification exam.
As part of the students’ comprehensive training experience, all students in the welding and basic composite technology programs also participated in career exploration workshops. These workshops featured guest speakers from the National Offshore Wind Training Center, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and Community Offshore Wind, offering valuable insights into the industry and future career paths. As a result, a number of students have already interviewed with labor unions for potential pre-apprenticeship opportunities in the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Additional students are scheduled to participate in these programs throughout 2024 and 2025. An inaugural cohort of a 60-hour composites course, leading to a national certification by CertTEC, is scheduled for Spring 2025. The college has also developed offshore wind career exploration modules in collaboration with the Institute for Workforce Advancement. These modules aim to engage underrepresented populations and post-high-school students by providing insights into wind energy fundamentals, local projects, and career opportunities. To date, three workshops have been held, with 12 more planned throughout the remainder of the grant project. Portable simulations will be used to enhance engagement at career fairs, libraries, and community venues
About Suffolk County Community College
Suffolk County Community College is the largest community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling approximately 21,000 students at its three campuses in Selden, Brentwood and Riverhead. Suffolk offers the Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), and Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees, as well as a variety of certificate programs. Offering affordable college tuition, a highly respected Honors program, workforce training programs, extensive extracurricular activities, championship athletic teams, and numerous transfer programs, Suffolk is a first-choice college for Long Island students. Visit us online at sunysuffolk.edu.
Research/Work reported in this press release was supported by SUNY System Administration under SUNY Offshore Wind Training Institute.
STEP is funded by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Project # 0516-24-0041Office of Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services (OAECES) & Office of Postsecondary Access, Support and Success (OPASS).
Stony Brook University MAT Program serves a key role in graduating future physics teachers
For the seventh time in nine years, Stony Brook University (SBU) has been recognized by the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) as a member of the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) 5+ Club for its outstanding work in graduating nine physics teachers in the 2022-2023 academic year.
From left, Muxi Liu (Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Physics), Dr. Gillian Winters (Lecturer, MAT Program in Physics), and Daniel Treu (MAT Graduate). Photo by David Genik
This significant feat was achieved through the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy and administered by the Institute for STEM Education and the School of Professional Development.
“In this science and technology driven modern society, early physics education is increasingly important. In recent years, the Department of Physics and Astronomy has been a national leader in producing well qualified high school teachers through its MAT program, now directed by Professor Angela Kelly,” said Chang Kee Jung, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “We have received the 5+ Club recognition seven out of the past nine years, and in Academic Year 2022-23, we graduated nine new physics teachers, which is an historic record for our MAT program. As the chair of the Department I challenge the program to become a member of the 10+ Club, which is yet to be established. We are very close to the Chair’s challenge goal and I am very proud of our MAT program.”
“The SBU Department of Physics has a long history of excellence in physics teacher preparation, which grew under the stewardship of Dr. Robert McCarthy for many years,” said Angela Kelly, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for STEM Education and director of the MAT Program. “We plan on redoubling our recruitment efforts to reach the Chair’s goal of 10 physics teachers per year to serve secondary students on Long Island and beyond.”
According to the APS and AAPT, graduating more than five physics teachers in an academic year puts SBU in the 99th percentile of all US colleges and universities. With a shortage of qualified physics teachers in the United States, SBU’s MAT program serves as a driver in remediating this shortage. Further, the MAT program was previously identified as a thriving physics teacher education program in the 2018 PhysTEC study of eight exemplary programs in the United States.
Harborfields Board of Education convened on Wednesday, Aug. 21, to prepare for the new school year.
Rory Manning
Superintendent Rory Manning opened with an executive session, covering ongoing projects and future goals for the district.
This summer, improvements included redone walkways around Harborfields High School, enhanced drainage, interior painting and a refurbished elevator at Oldfield Middle School.
One major goal for the upcoming year is the implementation of the Excellence Through Innovation program. The district is working on a five-year strategic plan to shift toward experiential learning and support the social-emotional wellness of all students and community members.
In line with the mission of “Each Child. Each Day. One Harborfields Family,” the district is investing in curriculum enhancements. This includes technology science research, robotics, coding in all schools, a new elementary math program and civic awareness, with a focus on program sustainability. Manning said, “I truly feel blessed to work with a board committed to the vision and mission of the district, and you’ll see that reflected in the board goals.”
Manning noted that the district is in its third year of the program, and is featuring a new universal screener, a revised K-2 science program, project-based learning initiative and AP seminars. Additionally, the district hopes to bolster career awareness through summer internship options, and offer expanded club and athletic opportunities.
A key goal this year is to develop and distribute an anti-bias curriculum handbook and establish an anti-bias advisory committee. The district will set new goals to explore and identify K-12 programming that encourages students to apply critical thinking, reading and writing skills to interdisciplinary research projects, supporting their success in high school and beyond. The current STEAM programming — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — will be analyzed to ensure it meets student needs.
In addition, the new 2024 Capital Bond will fund security and facility enhancements. As well, the district will assess the costs associated with the Child Victims Act for future programming. The aim is to increase state aid and grant funding to support these improvements.
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 18.
It’s hard to believe that another school year has begun. I’ve started teaching again at Suffolk County Community College (SCCC). I have 35 extraordinary young men and women in my Introduction to Sociology class. That same week I started back at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service. I teach second-year students clinical practice. They inspire me to keep coming back because of their passion, compassion, and commitment to wanting to truly make a difference in the world. I’ve been taking the 6:09 a.m.train from Ronkonkoma every Tuesday morning for 21 years. I look forward to it.
In the first week of September, I return to St. Joseph’s University in Patchogue. I will be teaching social science and social work to undergraduates.
Since the pandemic, I have observed a number of things with all of my students, no matter what the school or their level. In general, their capacity for concentration seems to be clearly impaired. I find a growing number of students more anxious and more distracted. The most disturbing observation is how many students are obsessed with their cell phones.
Recently, I asked my 35 college coeds at SCCC if they would be willing to freely surrender their cell phones at the beginning of each class. There were three or four students who volunteered and said they would be willing. The request ended with a very powerful conversation regarding cell phones. Their self-awareness and their honesty were most impressive.
Many college coeds are beginning to see the damage that cell phone obsession and dependency is causing. I think we need to continue the conversation and confront this issue because of the tremendous impact it is having on the next generation of students.
It is no secret that mental health among our students is a real concern. Many school districts and our larger community have increased their social work and mental health staff. We need to continue to address with outrage that many still attack mental health and substance use disorders with disdain.
As the new school year begins, I would encourage all our local schools, pre-K through 12th grade, to prohibit cell phone possession and use on all school grounds. On the high school level, I think there are creative ways to keep cell phones out of instructional settings and allow students to have access to them at the end of the school day.
We no longer can ignore the evidence-based research that underscores how negatively cell phone access 24 hours a day is impacting on our youth. Hopefully, our school communities including parents, will have the courage to take this issue seriously and to acknowledge how this is impacting on our youth’s mental health.
Father Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.
For many, Labor Day weekend signals the beginning of a regular ritual of making school lunches or, for those of us who work from an office, our own lunches. Sandwiches are typical fare, because they travel well and are easy to handle.
Unfortunately, common sandwich ingredients, including processed meats, are increasingly implicated as potential causes of diseases, including several cancers, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Processed meats are those that have been cured, salted, fermented or smoked. Turkey and roast beef were often in my lunch box when I was growing up. The prevailing thought at the time was that deli meats made without artificial nitrates, nitrites and preservatives were healthy. Unfortunately, more recent studies show otherwise.
According to a study in the European Journal of Epidemiology, high processed meat intake was positively associated with risk of breast, colorectal, colon, rectal, and lung cancers (1).
Increased stroke risk
In a large, prospective cohort study, results showed a 23 percent increased risk of stroke in men who consumed the most processed meats (2). Deli meats, including low-fat turkey, ham and bologna, considered healthy by some, were implicated. The 40,291 Swedish participants were followed for about ten years.
The increased risk could be attributed potentially to higher sodium content in processed meats. Another mechanism could be nitrates and nitrites. Interestingly, participants were mostly healthy, except for the processed meats. Thus, processed meats could interfere with the benefits of a heart-healthy diet, according to the authors.
Increased cancer risk
In the large prospective Multiethnic Cohort Study, there was a 68 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer in participants who consumed the highest amounts of processed meats compared to the lowest (3). Participants were followed for seven years. The authors believe that carcinogenic substances in meat preparation, not necessarily fat or saturated fat, were the reason for increased risk. Pancreatic cancer is deadly, since most patients don’t have symptoms; therefore, it’s not discovered until its very late stages.
Processed meats also increase the risk of colorectal cancer. In a meta-analysis, there was an increased risk of 14 percent per every 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces (approximately one serving) of processed meat per day (4). Two slices of deli meat are equal to one serving. A deli’s turkey sandwich often includes about five servings of processed meat in one meal.
In the EPIC trial, a prospective study with more than 420,000 participants, processed meats increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 35 percent (5). The absolute risk of developing colorectal cancer was 71 percent over ten years for those who were age 50.
Other cancers implicated in processed meats include lung, liver and esophageal cancers, with increased risks ranging from 20-60 percent according to the NIH AARP Diet and Health study (6). A separate analysis of the EPIC trial showed that there was a greater than two times increased risk of esophageal cancer with processed meats (7).
Type 2 Diabetes risk
In one of the most prestigious and largest meta-analyses involving the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study I and II, results demonstrated a 32 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes in participants who had a one-serving increase of processed meat consumption per day (8). This data was highly statistically significant and involved over four million years of cumulative follow-up. Interestingly, the authors estimate that replacing processed meat with one serving of nuts, low-fat dairy and whole grains would reduce risk substantially.
Other lunchbox options
Consider making bowls that include greens, grilled vegetables, healthy grains and beans. These can be prepared in a batch and distributed among lunch-sized containers that can be grabbed from the refrigerator when preparing lunches. If you want to include meat, add small cubes of unprocessed meat you’ve prepared yourself, which can lower your sodium and nitrate consumption.
References:
(1) Eur J Epidemiol. 2021 Sep;36(9):937-951. (2) Am J Clinical Nut. 2011;94 (2):417-421. (3) J Natl Cancer Inst 2005;97 (19): 1458-1465. (4) PLoS One. 2011;6 (6):e20456. (5) J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Jun 15;97 (12):906-16. (6) PLoS Med. 2007 Dec;4 (12):e325. (7) J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Mar 1;98 (5):345-54. (8) Am J Clinical Nutrition 2011;94 (4): 1088-1096.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
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