From left, Lloyd Harbor students William Morin, Kaden Weber and Anthony Sierecki earned first-place honors in the Middle School Division at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair. Photo courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Central School District.
Cold Spring Harbor students showcased their scientific talents at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, earning top honors in both the Middle School and JV Divisions.
Junior Matthew Reford and Sophomore Alexander Janczyk secured third place. Photo courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Central School District
Sixth graders Will Morin, Anthony Sierecki and Kaden Weber from Lloyd Harbor earned first place in the Middle School Division for their project, “Examination of the Efficiency of Perovskite vs. Silicon Solar Cells at Varying Temperatures.” This impressive achievement places them among the top 10% of middle school science fair competitors nationwide.
As a result, they are eligible to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, with a chance to travel to Washington, D.C., in October to compete for more than $100,000 in prizes, including the prestigious $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award. This marks the first time Cold Spring Harbor students have participated in the Middle School Division— a remarkable debut for the district.
Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School students in the Advanced Science Research classes also delivered strong performances in the LISEF JV Division. Their research covered a range of scientific disciplines, from behavioral science to engineering. Among the honorees, junior Matthew Reford and Sophomore Alexander Janczyk secured third place for their project, “Piezoelectric Power: Exploring Temperatures Effect on Energy Output.”
Congratulations to Will, Anthony, Kaden, Matthew and Alexander for their outstanding achievements in STEM research!
Zoe Abelson's serenading scene singing 'Take A Chance on Me'. Photo courtesy of CSHSD
Straight from the island of Kalokairi, this year’s Cold Spring Harbor High School musical delivered four unforgettable evenings of fast-paced performances and brilliant storytelling. From Feb. 7 to Feb. 9, audiences of all ages were treated to a fun-filled production of Mamma Mia! While bright costumes, talented vocals, and exciting dance scenes set the stage, it was the cast’s incredible chemistry that made this a spectacular performance. Based on songs recorded by Swedish group ABBA, the musical was clearly a cast favorite, featuring stand-out performances by seniors Zoe Abelson, Samantha Fiore, and Amelia Saladino.
From left, Zoe Abelson, Amelia Saladino and Samantha Fiore singing the encore of ‘Dancing Queen’. Photo courtesy of CSHSD
“I’ve been obsessed with Mamma Mia! and ABBA songs for years, so I was thrilled to find out it was my final musical at Cold Spring Harbor. The cast, stage and music came together better than I could have imagined,” said Zoe Abelson. “This year we had such a talented cast, including junior Sarah Thatcher who starred as Ellie, sophomore Charlotte Wells who played Tanya, and freshmen Max Yulico, Nick Apergis, and Andrew Bobelian who delivered amazing performances playing Sophie’s dads. I didn’t expect the last show to be so bittersweet. There was a lot of laughter but also a lot of tears. To my friends Samantha and Amelia, my cast and directors, I have loved every moment I spent with you. They were defining and something I will always treasure.”
Memorable performances include senior Zoe Abelson’s uplifting Chiquitita and hilarious rendition of Take a Chance on Me, senior Samantha Fiore’s charismatic Lay All Your Love on Me and energetic dance numbers like Gimme-Gimme-Gimme, and senior Amelia Saladino’s melancholy Slipping Through My Fingers and The Winner Takes It All.
Poster Perfect: Sophomore Charlotte Wells and seniors Zoe Abelson and Amelia Saladino. Photo courtesy of CSHSD
“I am exceptionally proud of our Cold Spring Harbor students in their performance of Mamma Mia! As the vocal director, I worked with the cast to learn an exceptionally high number of songs for one musical. Most songs had ensemble chorus as well, and the students took it in stride,” said Mr. Daniel Santangelo, chorus and theatre director. “They were able to achieve a great musical performance in addition to their acting and dancing. During the show, I wore a different hat as bassist in the pit and I was so glad to be able to contribute to the show and see it from that perspective. Bravi to the entire cast and crew!”
The encore of Dancing Queen inspired audiences to dance and sing along, and the performance of Super Trouper stole the show.
“I had a great experience conducting the pit this year. We brought back many previous musicians who have played for us, making it something of an all-star band,” said Mr. Andrew Hochler, band and wind ensemble teacher at Cold Spring Harbor High School. “It doesn’t hurt that I personally love the music of ABBA. The musical is one of my favorite things to do all year, and Mamma Mia! was no different!”
Zoe Abelson starring as Hamlet in this year’s high school production
Zoe Abelson, a senior at Cold Spring Harbor High School, has been elected New York State officer of the International Thespian Society. In this position, Abelson will serve as a voice for all theatre students in New York, ensuring that every student, regardless of socioeconomic circumstances, has access to the tools, education, and opportunities they need to shine. As part of this appointment, Abelson joins the International Thespian Society’s board of directors and will also serve as social media officer.
Zoe Abelson as Gretchen Wieners in the community theatre production of “Mean Girls The Musical”
“Zoe Abelson’s appointment as a New York State Officer of the International Thespian Society is a remarkable achievement and a testament to her leadership, passion and commitment to the performing arts. At Cold Spring Harbor, we take great pride in being recognized for academic and athletic excellence, and Zoe’s success highlights our growing reputation as a top school for performing arts as well,” said James Guarini, chairman of the music department at Cold Spring Harbor High School. “Her accomplishments–ranging from her All-State recognition to her Best Lead Actress Hunting-Tony nomination–serve as an inspiration to her peers and demonstrate the extraordinary talent and dedication of our students. We are incredibly proud of Zoe and excited to see the positive impact she will continue to have at the state level.”
In this role, Abelson is responsible for advocating for the needs and interests of theatre students across New York. She will work with the board to support the organization’s expansive mission, which includes lobbying for more funding at next month’s Albany Advocacy Day, promoting Theatre in Our Schools Month, and preparing for the upcoming New York Thespian Festival. The event takes place at LIU Brooklyn on March 8-9 and hosts the Thespys, an awards event that recognizes the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance, technical theatre, playwriting, and filmmaking.
“I am a huge advocate of fostering diversity in storytelling because as actors, it’s our responsibility to inspire harmony by promoting a better understanding of the world,” said Abelson. “I wanted to work with the International Thespian Society to help drive this kind of positive, social change by encouraging more diversity, equity, and inclusion in performing arts. By representing Cold Spring Harbor High School’s Thespian Troupe #7583 at the state level, I hope to create more opportunities for our aspiring actors and inspire more young thespians to be active in our theatre community.”
The appointment comes on the heels of Abelson’s intensive studies at prestigious universities Carnegie Mellon and New York University, where she earned college credits while training with some of the best instructors and working actors in the country, including NYU’s Experimental Theatre Wing Director, Rosemary Quinn, Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed acting coach, Jill Wadsworth, and actor Jason McCune from The Outsiders TV series fame.
Cold Spring Harbor Central School District inducts 63 student-artists, the largest number in the district’s history, into the National Art Honor Society. Photo courtesy CSHCSD
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.
Fifth-grade students from Cold Spring Harbor Central School District’s Lloyd Harbor Elementary School took part in a field trip to Cold Spring Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center’s Human Inheritance exhibition featuring Ötzi the Iceman on Jan. 6.
Students studied the 3-D replica of the 5,000-year-old mummy and learned how, through analysis of Ötzi’s stomach and intestines, many pollen types were revealed and studied to help scientists learn exactly when Ötzi died.
Under the guidance of DNA Learning Center educator Megan Capobianco, the students studied pollen grains under the microscope and then went on a scavenger hunt, which included skulls dating back 6 million years, bacterial illnesses, eye color, blood type and more. The fifth-graders learned that not only pollen was found in Ötzi’s digestive system but also wild goat, red deer, plants and wheat.
The DNA Learning Center is located at 334 Main St. in Cold Spring Harbor. Upcoming Ötzi the Iceman museum tours for the public include Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. and March 7 at 12:30 p.m. For more information, call 516-367-5170 visit www.dnalc.cshl.edu.