Students at Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in numerous ways.
Erin DeMarco and Julianne Warren’s second-grade class worked on a special project by researching well-known Hispanic people and each completed a flag on interesting things they learned about their person.
Students then presented their flags to the class and then students went on a museum walk of each flag. They discovered and recorded facts about different people and made connections.
Two Rocky Point High School seniors are among dozens of students from school districts throughout the Town of Brookhaven who were lauded for achieving a grade point average of 95 or higher.
Sofia Haviland and Renee Ortiz have earned academic excellence awards as part of the town’s 10th annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration. They were recognized at a ceremony Oct. 6 at Town Hall by Brookhaven’s Hispanic Advisory Board members, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and members of the Town Council.
Saturday afternoon, May 6, marked the 3rd annual Mike Bowler Day, a day of remembrance for Rocky Point’s legendary head coach who had led the boys lacrosse program for 43 seasons.
Bowler, who established the boys lacrosse program in 1978, died in December 2019. During his tenure, he amassed more than 600 wins, leading his team to a state championship in 2008. In 2020, he was named New York State Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Sports, an award presented to those who have made the most profound impact on the lives of student-athletes in their respective sports.
The event was met with warm temperatures and brilliant sunshine, after which the Eagles took on Mattituck/Greenport/Southold in a Div. II contest.
Mattituck set the tone early, taking a 3-1 lead after the first quarter of play. The Tuckers extended their lead to five goals by halftime. Rocky Point struggled late in cutting into the deficit, falling to the Tuckers 12-6.
Rocky Point’s Kyle Moore and Ryan Meyers each scored twice, while teammates Colton Feinberg and Ryan Negus both scored. Freshman goalie DJ Xavier had eight stops in net.
The loss drops the Eagles to 5-6 with two games remaining before postseason play begins.
— Photos by Bill Landon
Rocky Point High School’s Ava Capogna and Alexandra Viera each claimed All-State honors while competing in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s inaugural New York State Girls Wrestling Invitational held on Jan. 27.
The two student-athletes were selected to participate out of more than 500 female wrestlers from across New York State in the event that took place at the SRC Arena in Syracuse.
Ava reached All-State status with a fourth-place finish at 120 lbs. Alexandra pinned her way to a New York State Championship, becoming Rocky Point’s seventh state wrestling champion.
Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School students work throughout the school year to promote kindness, and they pumped up their efforts by celebrating the Great Kindness Challenge during the week of Jan. 23-27.
Students and staff enjoyed spirit dress-up days and daily activities, and individual classes created their own independent kindness initiatives. The school’s Google Classroom also housed videos, books, quotes, activities and resources for classroom teachers. The colorful bulletin boards in the hallways share messages to make anyone smile.
Daily themes included “Favorite Team Gear,” “Peace, Love and Kindness” and “Crazy for Kindness Day.” Crazy clothes, hairstyles and funky socks were worn.
Others included “Dreaming of Kindness Day,” in which many wore pajamas or cozy clothes, and “Kindness Spirit Wear,” when students wore shirts with messages of kindness.
The annual event, coordinated by school counselor Jamie Adamski, encourages students to gain the social-emotional skills to help improve the school climate, increase student engagement and create a culture of kindness.
The Rocky Point Union Free School District Board of Education convened Monday, Oct. 17, for a public meeting.
Proceedings commenced with a brief presentation by the district superintendent, Scott O’Brien, recognizing school board appreciation month in the district. In his presentation, O’Brien discussed the vital work performed by school board members in educating students and advancing the community’s educational aims.
“School board members give Rocky Point citizens a voice in education decision-making,” he said. “Even though we make a special effort to show our appreciation this month, their contribution is certainly a year-round commitment.”
During the meeting, the board unanimously approved a resolution to accept the donation of posters by Sound Beach resident Ernestine Franco. These posters, valued at approximately $130, are related to diversity, equity and inclusion, colloquially known as DEI.
“I am happy that the posters were accepted,” she said. “I hope that this means that the board supports inclusiveness.”
This poster donation comes on the heels of months of tension between the school board and some in the public after the board reversed its long-standing practice of accepting book donations. [See story, “Rocky Point BOE reverses practice on book donations, causes controversy,” The Village Beacon Record, Aug. 11, also TBR News Media website.]
Despite this recent history, Franco viewed the outcome of Monday’s decision as a positive step, signaling a possible cooling of tensions.
“We were also happy that they accepted the donation as a way for the community to participate in school activities,” she said, adding, “For us, this was a way for them to say, ‘Yes, you can be a part of this.’”
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Bea Ruberto, president of the Sound Beach Civic Association, shared news of an upcoming memorial event to be held at the hamlet’s Veterans Memorial Park. Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m., community members will celebrate the life of Ann Moran, a former teacher in the district and treasurer of the civic.
“This Saturday, we are holding a celebration of her life,” Ruberto said. “She was a force to be reckoned with, and she will be missed very much.” Ruberto invited those in attendance to join for Saturday’s service.
The BOE will reconvene on Monday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
During a public meeting of the Rocky Point school district board of education on Monday, Aug. 29, Sound Beach resident Bea Ruberto confronted the board over its decision to reverse a longstanding practice regarding book donations.
In June, district parent Allison Villafane donated several books related to Pride Month. In mid-July, the board sparked controversy from the public for its decision to no longer accept book donations from parents.
During a special meeting on July 28, members of the board justified their decision on the grounds that they lack expertise in children’s literature. For more on this story, “Rocky Point BOE reverses practice on book donations, causes controversy,” see TBR News Media Aug. 11 print and online editions.
During her remarks, Ruberto contended that the board used shoddy reasoning to arrive at its decision. By reversing its book donation practice, Ruberto suggested that the BOE inadvertently took decision-making authority out of the hands of librarians.
“I remain disappointed with your decision to no longer accept book donations,” Ruberto said. “None of you are experts in deciding which book donations to accept, you said, but there are experts who can do this — the librarians.”
Another point of contention for Ruberto was an argument made on July 28 during the public comments that there are more pressing matters for the board to consider than book donations.
Pushing back against these charges, Ruberto suggested that access to reading materials lies at the core of any institution of learning.
“Yes, there are many important issues related to our children’s education, but the idea that the books made available to them isn’t one of them is ludicrous,” she said, adding, “As long as a book is age appropriate, I can’t imagine any book that young people should not have access to it.”
While Ruberto acknowledged that parents remain the ultimate arbiters for their children’s reading materials, she added that librarians also perform a vital function. According to her, school libraries are ideally inclusive spaces that should reflect the entire community’s values.
“Some parents may be troubled by what they see in the library, and then they may — and certainly should — monitor what their children are reading,” she said. “But school libraries aren’t just for them. They’re for everyone in the community.”
Jessica Ward, president of the board of education, responded to Ruberto’s public comments. The BOE president argued that the decision empowers the district’s librarians, offering these experts the freedom to stock the libraries with books of their choosing and without sway from the board.
“Our decision, as we explained last time, was made in consensus,” Ward said. “As you said, we’re not the experts on books. We want our librarians to pick the books in their libraries.”
Before the meeting adjourned, Ward and Ruberto debated whether the change of practice on book donations constituted a policy change. In attempting to settle this matter, Ward advised that she and the board would consult with their attorney and get back to Ruberto with a more detailed explanation.
The next meeting of the Rocky Point board of education is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 19.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Rocky Point Middle School robotics team had only one opportunity to compete this year, and they took full advantage. At the Long Island championships, pitted against more than 100 teams from across Long Island, the team and coach Mark Moorman again brought home a well-earned award.
Students Grace Bertino, Matt Blaising, Charlie Hinst, Nathan Watkis and Faith Wozny, who represent the Radical Robotix team, earned third place in the Engineering Excellence category. The award is noted as a celebration of a team with an efficiently designed robot, an innovative project solution that effectively addresses the season challenge and great core values evident in all they do.
Rocky Point High School students in Christine Blume’s English 10 class created websites revolving around a blog niche of their choice. In these lessons, the students learned how to blog, providing them the opportunity to engage in literacy activities and teaching them how to publish their writing and share their writing with authentic audiences.
“When students write blogs they become an integral part of a lively literacy community for real readers, not just their teachers,” said Blume.
To complement the lessons, Ms. Blume — with the technical help of high school librarian Jessica Sciarrone — brought in via Zoom self-made blogger Nicole Lewandowski, who spoke to the students about blogging in a refined niche, getting inspiration to promote a blog and gain followers. She also shared how she monetizes her blog, which has now become her career and main income source.
According to Blume, students were engaged, asked questions and gained valuable information from the presentation.
“Furthermore, this unit comprehensively recognizes that reading and writing texts online offers students the basic skills that they need to be literate citizens in the 21st century,” she added.
After a confusing week, parents across the North Shore have been upset by the state’s constant changing rules on mask wearing in schools.
On Tuesday, Jan. 25, some parents in local school districts opted out of sending their children to class with a mask after a New York State Supreme Court judge struck down Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) mandate.
The mask mandate was first enacted in December by the governor, requiring face coverings in schools and other public places after the omicron wave hit the state with rapid numbers.
On Monday, Jan. 24, Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker of Nassau County wrote that Hochul does not have the authority to impose the mandate since emergency powers are no longer in place. He then decided that the statewide mask mandate was deemed unconstitutional.
Parents across the state heard this and decided to either unmask or mask up their kids, despite letters being sent out from superintendents in local areas stating that masks were still mandatory as they awaited an appeal.
Rocky Point school district
Rocky Point parent Michelle Salz said that her district sent out a notice late Monday night saying that mask mandates were still in effect. However, when her children came to school Tuesday, administrators and staff were not enforcing the face coverings.
“My kids and myself try to do what’s best for society,” she said. “I rely on science to make my decisions and I taught my kids to care about others.”
Salz added that she was disappointed to hear from her children that students in the school were not wearing masks properly, or at all.
“It seems our district who we entrust our children with, they’re supposed to be educated and use critical-thinking skills to make their decisions,” she said. “They’re supposed to be keeping our kids safe.”
The next day, she sent a letter to Superintendent Scott O’Brien and the board of education.
“To the utter disbelief of most parents in our school district, Rocky Point Union Free Schools has decided to ignore the directive of the NYSED to continue mask wearing in schools until an appellate court has issued a final decision regarding the Nassau County Supreme Court matter January 24,” the letter read. “We believe this to be reckless endangerment to our children and to the families in the community. Please advise what remedies are available to us through your office, as we are considering legal action on this matter and would like to avoid it if possible.”
Salz added that she is so disappointed in the way the school has handled the COVID-19 pandemic that she is planning on leaving the district.
“I don’t want to live here anymore,” she said. “I want my kids to have a good education.”
Scott O’Brien, superintendent of Rocky Point school district, said in a statement that the district is adhering to all state mandates in place with regard to the mask requirement for school districts.
“At this time, the Appellate Division has granted New York State’s motion for a stay of enforcement of Judge Rademaker’s January 24 decision pending hearing and determination of the appeal, on the condition that the appeal is perfected on or before March 2, 2022. As such, while the stay is in effect, the New York State mask regulation remains unchanged for our district.”
O’Brien added, “We understand how this changing information can be frustrating to families and confusing to students. We appreciate our community’s patience as we await further Appellate Division decisions that impact the mask mandate.”
Three Village school district
Monica Balsan, who has three children in the Three Village school district, was one of many parents who told their children to say “no thank you” when asked to cover their noses that Tuesday.
Balsan said she was unhappy with Three Village still implementing the mask mandate after the court ruling.
“After the court ruling that said the mask mandate was unconstitutional, they still requested the kids wear masks,” she said in a phone interview Friday morning. “I told my kids to be respectful and not argue with their teachers, but if they were uncomfortable to call me.”
Balsan said that her second-grade son, Jameson, has been “emotionally drained” by the pandemic, and has been begging his mom to be homeschooled as he is tired of wearing a mask at his desk.
“He can’t take it anymore,” she said. “It hurts his ears, he can’t breathe.”
But for the days following the update on the mask mandate, Balsan said her third-grade son, Jackson, was holding his ground in and out of school by joining his family and friends at a rally outside the Three Village North Country Administration Building Friday, Jan. 28. There, he said wearing a mask has been “terrible,” and he was hoping he wouldn’t have to wear a mask this week.
The rally, which had dozens of community members voice their concerns against the mandate, occurred just hours before the appeals hearing went live.
During the rally, children held signs that read, “I Wish I Could See My Friends’ Smiles,” “I’ll Never Get These Years Back” and “No More Masks,” while parents held signs that read “3V Parents for Choice.”
Many in attendance also wore sweatshirts bearing slogans such as “Make America Free Again,” “Fighting for My Freedom” and “Freedom Fighters.”
Jessica Rudin, whose son is in kindergarten and has two younger children, said while she doesn’t believe in the mask mandate, her son has worn the mask every day to school. However, she added, it’s time for the masks to come off.
“We have been standing up for parents’ choice against the mandates for quite some time,” she said. “We’re looking to make a statement in our community.”
Later that evening, the governor was allowed to extend the indoor mask mandate until Feb. 10. On Monday, the court officially extended the stay, allowing Hochul to keep the mask mandate in place until March 2.
“My primary responsibility as governor is to keep New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said in a statement. “Mask regulations keep our schools and businesses safe and open, protect vulnerable New Yorkers and are critical tools as we work to get through this winter surge. Thanks to our efforts, including mask regulations, cases are declining and we are seeing major progress in the fight against COVID-19.”
But anti-maskers are still going to fight for their right to choose.
“We don’t want them masked anymore,” Balsan said. “We’ve had enough. We can’t deal with [our kids] frustration. Everyone is trying to do their part.”
Balsan said that if other families want to wear a mask, that should be their choice.
In a statement Tuesday, Three Village Central School District said it is “working to follow all current directives related to COVID-19 practices in our schools, including the mask wearing mandate. At this time, the district does not have any intention of creating or joining a lawsuit challenging these state directives. We appreciate our students, staff and families understanding and cooperation as we work together to keep our schools safe, supportive places for learning.”
But across the state, educators were happy with the court’s decision.
“We are pleased the Appellate Division granted the application by the Department of Health and the governor’s office, confirming the lower court’s decision is stayed pending further proceedings,” said Betty Rosa, commissioner of education with the New York State Board of Regents in a statement. “As such, the mask mandate remains in effect for schools across the state. We support Governor Hochul and the state Department of Health as they continue with the appeal. We thank the members of our school communities for their patience during this process.”
Other school districts
Superintendents in other districts released statements that they will continue to monitor the ever-changing protocols.
“The Port Jefferson School District has always made it our priority to follow the law and respect the process of our state,” said Superintendent of Schools Jessica Schmettan. “As we are committed to fostering a school environment that is not only lawful but considerate, the district is continuing to comply with the NYS school mask mandate, as we await any further updated directives.”
Shoreham-Wading River school district also commented: “The district continues to follow all NYS requirements regarding mask wearing in schools and will monitor the situation for any updates to the matter.”
