Three Village teachers and administrators stepped on stage at Murphy Junior High School for “Three Village Has Talent II.”
Presented by the Three Village Teachers Association and Three Village School Administrators Association, the talent show featured acts and performances by familiar faces in the district.
This year, over 50 faculty members performed and helped out behind the scenes. The event raised nearly $9,000 for student scholarships.
Some parents had advocated to make the pandemic-era reprieve permanent
Regents exam scores will account for 10% of student grades this year in Three Village Central School District, despite calls to extend a COVID-19 pandemic-era policy that only includes the scores when they improve student course grades.
The decision, which came after robust discussion and disagreement among board members at their Nov. 29 meeting, goes along with the recommendation of a district committee to include the scores at 10% of the final grade — down from the 12% that was policy before the pandemic reprieve.
Freshman board members Karen Roughley and David McKinnon spoke openly against including scores in all student grades, particularly because New York State does not mandate doing so for all districts, and they said it could disadvantage Three Village students who struggle with test anxiety, have special needs or experience a personal catastrophe before the test date.
“Using the Regents scores would decrease a student’s GPA and put them at a disadvantage against all the other students in the state who do not have it included, in applying for colleges and scholarships,” Roughley said.
The State Education Department’s website states it “does not require nor recommend the inclusion of Regents exam scores in the computation of final course averages,” and rather leaves it up to each district to decide.
McKinnon called this approach a failure of leadership. “The state doesn’t stand behind their test,” he said. “The state makes the test, they pass it out, they grade it, but then they have no effective policy on what we should do with that test.”
After parents — especially those of children with special needs — spoke out last spring, the previous board voted to extend the so-called Do No Harm policy through the end of the 2022-2023 school year with the caveat that a permanent decision should come this fall.
In recommending inclusion of Regents scores at 10%, the committee suggested students may not take the exams as seriously if the scores don’t count toward a course grade.
Trustee Vincent Vizzo, a former teacher and administrator who has a long affiliation with Three Village and said he was part of writing Regents exams in the past, admitted he was not a fan of the state tests and understands they can hurt students who do not do well. “I have very mixed opinions right now,” he said. “But if a committee of educators are saying that they want to keep the percentage, then I don’t think the board should micromanage and decide against what the committee is saying.”
Board president Susan Rosenzweig also expressed mixed feelings, saying she believes Do No Harm makes philosophical sense, but that there can be valuable information garnered from all students “meaningfully engaging in the assessments.”
When the remaining board members echoed Vizzo’s desire to defer to the committee of professional educators, Rosenzweig attempted to broker a compromise by suggesting the board include the scores at 5% instead of 10%, which she said was her “comfort level,” but only trustee Jeffrey Kerman expressed interest in changing the percentage, saying he would vote for either 5% or 10%.
Seeing no appetite for middle ground, Rosensweig cast the deciding vote with an audible sigh. “Because I guess it’s not going to go any other way,” she said.
Students in Earl L. Vandermeulen High School’s AP Environmental Science class and the Environmental Club took a trip to Rocketship Park in Port Jefferson on Thursday, Nov. 16, as part of a collaborative beautification project between Port Jefferson School District and the Village of Port Jefferson Parks Department.
The district’s athletic director, Adam Sherrard, and the village’s superintendent of parks, Dave Melious, had discussed how Port Jefferson students could give back to the community and promote Port Jefferson pride within the village.
The duo came up with a plan to plant 200 purple and white tulips in front of the basketball courts at Rocketship Park. They were joined by science teacher Jonathan Maletta.
Students in attendance were Olivia Bianco, Anneliese Byrne, Katie Chambers, Eric Chen, Thalia Dorsett, Kyle Erickson, Savannah Florio, Jadie Hernandez, Michael Lipskiy, Madeline Matvya, Noah Mimarbasi, Myeda Nawaz, Gavin Onghai, Alyssa Passarella, Ottilie Philbrick, Brielle Procaccini, Cooper Reale, Mia Savino, Nicholas Smirnov, Carman Stanton, Charlotte Tishim and Julia Weinstein.
By Sabrina Artusa
Just last week, schools across the North Shore — including Smithtown East, Commack and Port Jefferson high schools — all reported antisemitic language in their buildings.
‘It’s such a cruel way of being made to feel better or superior.’
— Renée Silver
Last week, swastikas were found in the boys bathroom at Commack High School and on a desk at Smithtown High School East. This is the second swastika reported at Commack this month — racist graffiti was also found on the bathroom stalls.Two swastikas were also found on a desk at Smithtown East.
“This news is greatly upsetting, but it is important for our school community to be made aware of such incidents and work collaboratively to oppose hate whenever it occurs,” Smithtown Central School District Superintendent Mark Secaur wrote in a letter.
Jordan Cox, superintendent of the Commack School District, wrote in a letter to families, “Once the responsible individual is found, I am committed to pursuing legal action to the fullest extent,” adding, “Given the current conflict in the Middle East and the many families in our community who are hurting, it is a travesty that something like this occurred.”
Cox plans to take students to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and invited Holocaust survivors to speak to the students. Survivor Renée Silver, 92, told News 12 that she hopes “giving a little background” will help teach the students the harm of their actions.
“It’s such a cruel way of being made to feel better or superior,” Silver said.
In Port Jefferson high school, a swastika was found on a desk alongside the Star of David and the word “fight.” The Star of David can be a source of pride for many Jewish people or as a connection to their shared culture and past. It can also be seen as a symbol of support for Israel.
Police reports were filed for each of the incidents at the three high schools, and the county Hate Crimes Unit is involved.
Antisemitism and racist language are spreading at both high schools and middle schools across Long Island. Three swastikas were found in a bathroom at South Woods Middle School in Syosset. A swastika and antisemitic language was written on a whiteboard at the Harry B. Thompson Middle School, also in Syosset. A student was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor.
These incidents occur alongside the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked the Israeli towns neighboring Gaza. Over 11,000 Palestinians and about 1,200 Israelis have died, according to reports.
Antisemitism in Long Island schools mirrors a broader national trend. Since Oct. 7, incendiary language regarding the conflict has increased on social media.
In addition, antisemitism and other hate crimes across the United States, including college campuses, have left students feeling scared and unsafe. The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism recorded nearly a 400% increase in antisemitic incidents for the same Oct. 7-23 period from last year.
President Joe Biden (D) has addressed the uptick in antisemitism in the U.S., particularly on college campuses. “We can’t stand by and stand silent when this happens,” he said. “We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism. We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia.”
We start with an adrenaline-packed adventure at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai. Discover the excitement of a fearless group braving the frigid waters for a valuable cause.
Then, catch the heat as tensions rise between the Brookhaven Town Board and the municipality’s cable service provider. We’ve got the latest on the town’s television showdown.
Later, take a trip through history with our sportswriter, Bill Landon, as he reflects on the JFK assassination’s foggy memories, marking its 60th anniversary this week.
And as Thanksgiving approaches, join us in a call to action. We’re rallying our readers and listeners to support local mom and pops on National Small Business Saturday.
Tune in to The Pressroom Afterhour: Keeping it Local with TBR for a special Thanksgiving edition.
Visit tbrnewsmedia.com to read these stories and more. Follow us on:
This year, the Cold Spring Harbor Central School District’s annual National Art Honor Society induction ceremony was especially significant. Sixty-three exceptionally talented student-artists represented the district’s largest number of students achieving this honor.
The annual National Art Honor Society induction ceremony was held on Nov. 1 in the Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School Performing Arts Center. The stage was adorned with student artwork and the NAHS executive board performed the candle lighting ceremony for the inductees. Art Department Chair, Christine Oswald, along with co-adviser, Laura Cirino and fellow art teachers welcomed family members on behalf of the district’s Art Department.
“I am always impressed by the extraordinary talent demonstrated by these young artists,” Superintendent of Schools Jill Gierasch said. “To have the largest number of students inducted into the National Art Honor Society in our district’s history is truly a remarkable achievement.”
To add to the festivities, a special videotaped message was played for the students from 2013 CSH alumna Hannah Fagin, who is now an artist and educator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Families in attendance were also captivated to view a video of world-renowned artist Domingo Zapata, who taught and painted alongside AP art students in September. Zapata is only one of seven living artists featured in the Louvre and in 2019 completed a 30,000-square-foot mural in Time Square, making it the second largest mural ever painted in the world.
Each inductee signed the NAHS book and recited the official pledge: “I will in my life, to the best of my ability through my talents in art, help to create a more beautiful world for myself, for humankind and for all living things,” as they officially became members.
Three Harborfields High School students have been selected for SCMEA All-County Jazz ensembles: Jackson Ferrara (trombone, HS Instrumental Jazz), Peter Hoss (tenor saxophone, HS Instrumental Jazz) and Hartley Semmes (trumpet, HS Instrumental Jazz).
An extremely select band, the SCMEA All-County HS Instrumental Jazz group requires an audition for acceptance. Fewer than 20 students in grades 10-12 from across Suffolk are chosen to participate.
“These young musicians are extremely dedicated to their pursuit of excellence in this area,” Harborfields High School Jazz Band director Dan Bilawsky said. “Their selection is a well-deserved reward for their high-level commitment and hard work.”
Miller Avenue School hosted an inaugural Miller Avenue Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 8. Principal Claudia Smith extended the invitation to all community veterans and received dozens of responses. Veterans were welcomed to the school with coffee and refreshments before walking alongside their cherished Miller Avenue students through the hallways. Patriotic music played, and red, white and blue flags were waved by students throughout the hallways to welcome and thank the veterans for their service to the country.
“This was truly a memorable and historic experience for our students and staff,” Smith said. “It was wonderful to thank these American heroes in person.”
Mills Pond Elementary School Principal Ireen Westrack proudly told local veterans that, “We wanted to do something more personal this year.”
So, she, Mills Pond staff and students hosted their first Mills Pond Veterans Parade on Nov. 9.
Veterans related to students and staff were invited to the school in honor of Veterans Day.
The veterans walked down a red carpet with their relatives, were served a hot breakfast, received thank you certificates and participated in a parade in front of the school.
The 5th grade choir also performed some patriotic songs and local Girl Scouts proudly led the parade.
Smithtown High School West senior Douglas Antaky finished as the state runner-up in the boys Class A cross-country state championship on Saturday, Nov. 11.
Antaky, running for the Smithtown High School East/West team, finished second out of 107 runners in the 5K, with a time of 15.56.
Antaky is just the second Smithtown High School athlete ever to place runner-up in the event.
Prev
