CLOSE
Education

by -
0 528
Back row: (L to R) Dr. Donna Ciampa, Suffolk’s Interim Executive Dean, Michael J. Grant Campus; Dr. Hector Sepulveda, Suffolk’s Campus Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Michael J. Grant Campus; Dr. Irene Rios, Suffolk’s Executive Dean, Ammerman Campus; John McLoughlin, Executive Director, Enrollment Partnerships, St. George’s University; Athalie Alexander-Arrington, Associate Director of Admissions, St. George’s University; Iris Rodriguez (student) Vet Track; Michael Hector (student) Pharma Track; Jade Tordas (student) Medical Track; and representing St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, one of Binghamton’s partnering institutions, Amy Wolfinger and Melissa Mirabella. Front row: (L to R): Laura Bruno, Vice President & Dean of Enrollment, St. George’s University; Dr. Edward Bonahue, President, Suffolk County Community College; and Maja Szostak, Director of Admissions, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences - Binghamton University. Photo courtesy of SCCC

Suffolk County Community College has announced transformative partnerships with Binghamton University in upstate Binghamton, New York and St. George’s University (SGU) in Grenada, West Indies to streamline the process for qualified graduates from Suffolk who are interested in transferring into medical, veterinary, and pharmacy doctoral degree programs at these universities. The new collaborations aim to provide local students with pathways to professional healthcare degrees.

A signing event, recently held at Suffolk County Community College’s Michael J. Grant Campus, featured remarks from key leaders in academia and healthcare. Students, faculty, and local elected officials also attended the announcement.

“These partnerships represent a significant step forward in providing our students with exceptional opportunities in healthcare. By offering pathways to advanced degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy, we are helping to build a pipeline of highly trained professionals who will serve not only Suffolk County but the broader healthcare needs of our region. We are proud to work alongside St. George’s University and Binghamton University to make these dreams a reality for our students,” said Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College.

Partnership With Binghamton University

In partnership with Binghamton University, up to five seats per academic year based on highest GPA are reserved for well-qualified Suffolk County Community College students who meet specific criteria. These students will be guaranteed a smooth transition into Binghamton University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. To qualify for these reserved seats, students must complete their Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences: Biology at Suffolk County Community College, as well as additional courses required by Binghamton University. After the five reserved seats are filled in this competitive program, other eligible Suffolk County Community College students may still apply, but admission is not guaranteed.

Maja Szostak, Director of Admissions, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University noted, “This partnership will help foster educational opportunities for students seeking a career in pharmacy by providing them with a clear pathway and the support necessary to succeed in this highly competitive field.”

Partnership with St. George’s University

“As we navigate through the complexities of healthcare in the 21st century, the demand for compassionate, skilled, and dedicated physicians has never been greater,” said Laura Bruno, Vice President & Dean of Enrollment, SGU. “But here in NY, despite having 15 medicals schools—the highest number in the country—our acceptance rate is less than 9%. The truth is there are simply not enough seats in U.S. medical schools. As a result, many highly qualified and passionate students find themselves feeling discouraged before they even apply and many others will face rejection despite their best efforts. I am here to say that there are alternative pathways to becoming a doctor and this exciting collaboration between our institutions offers one of the best, clear and unobstructed pathways to a seat in medical or veterinary school.”

“St. George’s University is delighted to offer this new opportunity for aspiring doctors and veterinarians from Suffolk County Community College to pursue degrees in medicine and veterinary medicine with us,” said Dr. Marios Loukas, dean of St. George’s University School of Medicine. “SGU is tremendously proud to partner with SCCC and to offer multiple pathways to healthcare careers with flexible options to meet students’ different academic objectives.”

Suffolk County Community College offers two pathways for students aiming to pursue a career in medicine or veterinary medicine through the partnership with St. George’s University (SGU). The 2+2+4 Pathway allows students to complete an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences: Biology at Suffolk, followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in a pre-medical or pre-veterinary program at an SGU partner university, and then transition into SGU’s four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program.

The 2+5 Pathway allows students to enter SGU’s five-year MD program, which includes a pre-clinical year, two years of basic sciences, and two years of clinical rotations at SGU’s affiliated hospitals. To be eligible, students must complete all required coursework, maintain a GPA of 3.5 or better, and achieve competitive scores on relevant entrance exams like the MCAT or GRE

About Suffolk County Community College

Suffolk County Community College is the largest, most comprehensive community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling more than 21,000 students in over 100 degree and certificate programs. With over 145,000 alumni, Suffolk County Community College is dedicated to meeting the demands of regional employers. The college has built an extensive track record of successfully training and educating its students through pathways from high school, to college, and into careers.

About Binghamton University

Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) is a research-focused professional school offering the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree as well as the Master of Science and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The pharmacy school educates students who understand the value of evidence-based, patient-centered pharmaceutical care and innovative research, and scientists who will extend the knowledge base of pharmaceutical sciences in the areas of drug target discovery, drug testing and drug delivery. Our graduates will serve their communities in socially responsible ways to improve health and well-being.

About St. George University

St. George’s University is a center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies, to its programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, science, and business. SGU is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The University’s over 31,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. St. George’s University School of Medicine is accredited by the Grenada Medical and Dental Council which has been recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). For more information, visit www.sgu.edu.

by -
0 510
Photos courtesy of Three Village School District

Two students from the Three Village Central School District won essay contests sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. High school students were invited to participate in the VFW Voice of Democracy student essay contest. The contest challenged students to write and record an audio essay based on an annual patriotic theme.

This year’s theme was, “Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?” Nafisah Haque, a junior in Ms. Parrella’s United States History and Government Honors class at Ward Melville High School, was selected as the local winner for Setauket Post 3054. Haque’s essay will now move on to the district level competition.

Additionally, students in grades six through eight were encouraged to enter the VFW Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest, which provides an opportunity for students to share their thoughts on an annual patriotic theme. The theme for the 2024-2025 school year was, “My Voice in America’s Democracy?” Amelia James, a sixth grader in Mr. Prinzo’s class at Nassakeag Elementary School, was chosen as the local winner. Amelia’s essay will also advance to the district level competition.

Dr. Christina Cone, district director of social studies, commended the students, saying, “We are proud of their thoughtful reflections on our nation’s values. Their participation showcases both academic dedication and a commitment to the ideals of democracy. We wish them the best of luck in the next stages of the competition. A special thank you to Setauket VFW Post 3054 for their continued support of our students.”

by -
0 520
Earl L. Vandermulen High School. File photo

By Peter Sloniewsky

The Port Jefferson School District Board of Education met Tuesday, Nov.12 at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School to discuss finances and capital-improvement projects, resolve standing litigation and a variety of other matters.

First, the board approved a myriad of capital-improvement projects across district property. It approved a roof replacement at the Spring Street School building, which is used for BOCES programs, noting its compliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act. It also approved flooring changes at Vandermeulen High School.

The BOE also accepted a slew of financial reports, including evaluations of its cash flow, general funds and appropriations statuses. It formally approved a budget development calendar for the 2025-2026 school year. A donation of $1,664.42 was accepted from the Vandermeulen Class of 2024 for the Aida Ramonez Scholarship Fund, created to honor an 11-year-old middle-school student who unexpectedly passed away in 2022.

Additionally, action was taken to settle outstanding litigation. With a total payout of $16.5 million, the board resolved lawsuits brought by seven people alleging sexual abuse that occurred years ago. The settlement represents one of numerous lawsuits brought against Long Island schools under the 2019 New York State Child Victims Act, which allows survivors of sexual abuse a longer time frame to file a claim for monetary damages.

According to a statement the school board will pay for the settlement using a combination of debt financing and existing reserve funds, underpinning the need to “mitigate the overall financial impact on the community.” That being said, the board noted that, “Unfortunately, we have not been able to secure any insurance coverage to date for these claims.” 

The meeting also included approval for a wrestling camp hosted throughout the winter season at Vandermeulen High School, the recognition of teacher Megan O’Neill as an eligible teacher-evaluator and acceptance of recommendations from the board’s Committee on Special Education.

The next regular business meeting will be held on Dec. 10.

by -
0 485

By Peter Sloniewsky

The Smithtown Central School District Board of Education convened Nov. 12 to discuss a range of financial and legal matters, approve community donations and review correspondence submitted by residents.

During the meeting, the board approved financial reports totaling more than $110 million, which included treasurer’s reports, classroom expenses and other districtwide allocations.

The board also accepted a variety of donations aimed at enhancing school resources and community engagement. These included a $1,000 monetary gift from the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal, a commemorative bench valued at $2,300 from Smithtown East High School’s Class of 2024 and a $2,700 inflatable tunnel donated by Smithtown High School East’s gridiron club. Additionally, the board approved facility-use requests for several organizations, including FIRST Long Island, the Rotary Club of Smithtown and Backyard Pigskins, a youth flag football program.

by -
0 464
A unique aspect of the whale is that the public will be able to step inside to view its internal organs. Photo courtesy of the Whaling Museum

The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor has  announced the new fabrication and acquisition of a life-size inflatable whale, which will travel to locations across Long Island in a new “Whale on Wheels” educational program. 

This will be the only whale of its kind in the state of New York and will serve as a crucial educational tool to address the needs of children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the museum’s traveling programs.

Photo courtesy of The Whaling Museum

The inflatable whale is a 45-foot Sperm Whale. A unique aspect of the whale is that the public will be able to step inside to view its internal organs. The inflatable is a custom piece fabricated by the company Landmark Creations in Minnesota, and will use pressurized air with a blower. The whale’s design was modeled utilizing multiple sperm whale images.

Museum educators will use the whale to bring the sperm whale’s story, history, and biology to life. Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales, and are found in all deep oceans worldwide. With their massive, square-shaped heads, adult males can weigh 90,000 to 100,000 pounds, which is more than 700 people combined. From the height of Yankee whaling in the 19th century through the 1970’s, sperm whales were heavily targeted by American and international whalers, pushing the whale to the brink of extinction. An international ban on whaling went into effect in 1987.

Today, sperm whale populations are still slow to recover, and are currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Sperm whales are threatened by vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, marine debris ingestion, and other threats from human impacts on the ocean environment. 

Similar to real whales, the inflatable whale is designed with realistic scars on its body, such as propeller scars on its tail, to help demonstrate the pressures whales face today.

Main support for this project comes from a $16,050 grant from The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, which primarily supports the study of Long Island history and its role in the American experience. Robert D. L. Gardiner was the 16th Lord of the Manor of Gardiner’s Island until his death in 2004. The Foundation is inspired by Gardiner’s personal passion for New York history.

“We are very thankful to the Gardiner Foundation for partnering with our Museum to enable our education team to provide schools and libraries with the greatest teaching tool of all — a traveling life-size whale,” noted Nomi Dayan, Executive Director of the museum.

Additional funding for this project comes from an Innovation Grant awarded from the Long Island Library Resources Council, which supports unique and new projects in cultural institutions in the region.

The whale will arrive at the museum at the end of November, and the museum plans to introduce the whale to the public in Spring 2025. 

by -
0 475
Photo courtesy of Councilwoman Bonner's office

On Monday November 18, Councilwoman Jane Bonner (back row, right) visited the Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School in Rocky Point for the dedication of the Peace Pole, a handcrafted monument that symbolizes peace and the hopes of humanity: The message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” is written in multiple languages on the four sides of the pole. Pictured with Councilwoman Bonner are community members, Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School academic leaders, school district officials, students and the Peace Pole committee.

Peace poles originated in Japan after World War II and can be found today in many prominent places, including the United Nations, the Pentagon, and the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Peace poles are intended to serve as reminders to think, speak, and act in a spirit of peace and harmony in the community.

by -
0 375
1 of 4
Courtesy Syntax
Courtesy Syntax
Courtesy Syntax
Courtesy Syntax

Students in kindergarten through second grade at Shoreham-Wading River’s Miller Avenue School participated in an engaging activity that introduced them to computer science as they collaborated to code Indi robot vehicles.

Working in the school library with Eastern Suffolk BOCES Model Schools coach Carrie McGuire and library media specialist Brittany LaValle, the imaginative play-based learning experience empowered students to brainstorm ways to build their own mazes while enhancing computational thinking skills.

“Educationally, I witnessed the highest levels of student engagement in problem-solving as they learned sequential programming through a fun activity,” said Dr. Joe Paolicelli, Shoreham-Wading River’s director of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

by -
0 520
Board of Education meetings are typically held at William J. Brosnan School. Photo credit GoogleMaps

By Peter Sloniewsky

The Northport-East Northport Union Free School District Board of Education met Nov. 7 at the William J. Brosnan Building to outline goals and review new proposals aimed at enriching student life and academic pathways.

Opening the public session, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dana Boshnack introduced a series of new course proposals designed to expand student opportunities. Among these were four career/technical education pathways: animation, photography, video/digital film and digital art. She also proposed an advanced engineering “capstone” course for seniors developed in partnership with Project Lead the Way and Rochester Institute of Technology. New social studies options including Humanity in Crisis and Modern Media Savvy aim to address global issues and media literacy skills essential in today’s world.

Following the course proposals, Boshnack and Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Support Services Louis Bonadonna provided a “comprehensive review” of student performance and improvement strategies. They outlined a framework for setting board priorities based on student success indicators and announced teams dedicated to supporting school improvement efforts. Their analysis included math and reading benchmarks tracked by the iReady program, state-standardized testing data for grades 3-8 and New York State Regents Exams. Collectively, the data confirmed that the district is effectively meeting state performance standards.

To conclude the meeting, the board addressed a state regionalization proposal. In New York, regionalization promotes collaboration among local superintendents to identify district strengths and needs with the goal of establishing advocacy priorities for state aid. This approach encourages resource sharing among districts, especially in areas with limited access to educational funding.

The Northport-East Northport BOE will meet again Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. with a public comment period at 7 p.m. at the William J. Brosnan Building.

by -
0 343
Elwood-John H. Glenn High School sophomores and Social Justice Ambassadors Kasey Alfaro Contreras and Christine Felix.

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School sophomores and Social Justice Ambassadors Kasey Alfaro Contreras and Christine Felix were honored at the Huntington Human Services Institute and Town of Huntington’s 19th annual Women’s Award Ceremony Breakfast and Networking Day, held at the town’s Flanagan Center Gym on Oct. 29. 

These two exceptional and service-oriented Elwood students were among just five high schoolers in the town of Huntington to receive this proclamation and a $250 scholarship award presented by the Huntington Human Services Institute, recognizing their contributions to their schools or communities through the Social Justice Ambassadors program.

Photos courtesy of Elwood School District

by -
0 800
1 of 4
Selden Middle School student, Jeanlee Marcano Robles
Newfield High School student, Diya John
Dawnwood Middle School student, Adam Khazanovich
Centereach High School student, Alexa Carmody

The Middle Country Central School District is proud to announce its Students of the Month for October: Jeanlee Marcano Robles from Selden Middle School, Adam Khazanovich from Dawnwood Middle School, Diya John from Newfield High School, and Alexa Carmody from Centereach High School. These remarkable students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements, leadership skills, and commitment to their school communities.

Jeanlee is celebrated by her teachers for her respectful and polite demeanor. Despite balancing a busy schedule filled with sports and extracurricular activities, she remains dedicated to her studies, consistently earning honor roll status. Throughout her middle school career, Jeanlee has maintained excellent grades, and achieved honor roll recognition in six of her first eight quarters. She is well on her way to continuing this success in her eighth-grade year.

A vibrant and energetic presence in the classroom, Adam has been a member of the Board Game Club for three years and currently serves as its president. With an impressive overall average of 98.8 in his previous grades and a 99.7 for the first quarter of this year, Adam’s academic excellence is matched by his involvement in multiple activities, including the 8th-grade orchestra, soccer, and various music lessons. Adam aspires to be a doctor or lawyer and dreams of giving tours in Iceland after a recent visit that he found truly spectacular.

Diya is an exceptional student, currently holding the top position in her class with a 103.1 weighted GPA. By the end of this school year, she will have completed 17 advanced placement and college-level classes, potentially graduating with over 50 college credits. Outside the classroom, Diya actively participates in various clubs and community service initiatives, including the National Honor Society, Mock Trial Team, and youth volunteer work with the American Red Cross. She plans to major in psychology, aspiring to become a psychiatrist and follow in her mother’s footsteps in the mental health field.An academically outstanding student, Alexa is set to graduate having taken five AP courses and six additional college courses. She serves as president of the National Honor Society, leading initiatives that benefit the community. In addition to her academic achievements, Alexa has excelled in athletics as captain of the basketball team and showcases her musical talent as a member of the Select Vocal Ensemble. She is currently exploring colleges with a focus on forensic psychology and pre-law.

For more information regarding the Middle Country Central School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the District’s website: https://www.mccsd.net/.

Prev1...91011...196Next Page 10 of 196
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©