Long Island

Education

Graduations

Long Island valedictorians 2020

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Long Island salutatorians 2020

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Rachel Weiss

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Long Island's 2010 valedictorians: 10 years later

LI's 2010 valedictorians: 10 years later

Three valedictorians from Long Island's Class of 2010, Nitasha Gupta from Manhasset High School, Catherine Wilshusen from Our Lady of Mercy Academy, and Katherine Ynsinare from Uniondale High School, talked about what they're up to now during the COVID-19 pandemic.


We talked to Long Island's 2010 valedictorians. Where are they now?

Newsday

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Newsday's 2020 Extraordinary Seniors

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Valedictorians video message board

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Michael R. Ebert

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Meet Long Island's 2020 National Merit scholars

Meet 64 of Long Island's 2020 National Merit scholars

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Gianna Morales says the best part of having an identical twin sister is that “you’re never really alone, anywhere.” 
“You have a built-in best friend basically,” says her sister, Rebecca Morales. 
The Farmingdale High School seniors have always been side-by-side. They played instruments in their school’s wind ensemble (Gianna the French horn; Rebecca the clarinet), were co-presidents of their school’s Spanish Honor Society, and both ran track and played soccer. 
But they wrapped up their senior year with perhaps their greatest side-by-side accomplishment yet: Gianna was named valedictorian and Rebecca salutatorian. 
Just .07 point&nbsp;separated their final GPAs. Gianna says she and her sister have never been too competitive, although Rebecca pointed out that Gianna is more of the leader in their partnership. 
“It was more motivational and supportive than really competing,” Gianna said. “If one of us got a better grade, it would just encourage the other to work harder for the next test or the next assignment.” 
“And we always helped each other out,” Rebecca added. 
Farmingdale’s graduation ceremony was supposed to be held on June 23. Now, the school is planning a drive-through celebration on that date, with a tentative in-person ceremony scheduled for August. 
The sisters are working on their graduation speeches at home — separately. They plan to compare the speeches later to make sure they aren’t too similar. In the meantime, they’ve been baking and drawing in between their final class assignments. 
“It’s definitely a big change from past years because we were always very focused on academics, so it’s weird trying to find other things to do to fill up the time,” Gianna said. 
Their joint academic journey won’t end at graduation — in the fall, they’re both scheduled to start at Cornell University on premed tracks. 
“When we were applying to schools, we were trying to find schools that were best for premed because that’s what we both want to do,” Gianna said. “We both weren't planning on going to the same school, but it kind of just worked out that way.” 
Gianna hopes to focus on neuroscience, while Rebecca is looking into orthopedics. Rebecca first took an interest in this medical field as a kid on the soccer field. 
“I'm the goalkeeper so I was constantly getting hurt and going to the orthopedics office,” she said. “So that's what inspired me I guess, being there so often it was always very interesting to me.” 
After living together for 18 years, will the girls room together at Cornell? 
“Probably not,” Rebecca said with a smile. “In high school we had all the same friends and things like that, we shared like all of our experiences. In college we’re probably going to branch out and become more of our own person and make more of our own individual experiences.”

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Identical twins named valedictorian, salutatorian at Farmingdale High School

(Almost) identical GPAs for LI identical twins

Identical twins Gianna and Rebecca Morales, 18, were named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of their senior class at Farmingdale High School.


Twin sisters named valedictorian and salutatorian, head to Cornell together

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For class of 2020, a senior year like no other

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Joie Tyrrell

The top two students in the North Babylon High School Class of 2020 represent a double dose of achievement. 
Twins Bryan and Carlos Sabogal have been named valedictorian and salutatorian with just a sliver of a grade-point average separating the 18-year-olds. 
“They are really self-starters and they push each other," said&nbsp;Kelley Bowman, the students' high school guidance counselor. 
Bryan, the valedictorian, has a grade-point average of 101.49 and has taken 13 Advanced Placement courses. Carlos has a GPA&nbsp;of 101.33 and also has&nbsp;taken the same&nbsp;rigorous courses. What separated&nbsp;them was a slight&nbsp;score difference&nbsp;in 10th-grade AP chemistry.&nbsp;There are 327 seniors in the Class of 2020, school officials said. 
Both students have participated in several extracurricular activities, belong to honor societies, are members of the marching band and have been named AP scholars with distinction.&nbsp;Each credits the other and their parents, Rita and Oscar,&nbsp;for&nbsp;their success. They are the youngest of five children. 
“We have always been together and he has always pushed me and encouraged me,” Bryan said about Carlos. 
"Definitely, Bryan," Carlos said. "Also, my parents, my mom and my dad — they tried to push us to do what we can do academically even before we entered school." 
They have spent&nbsp;their entire school career in the North Babylon district.&nbsp;Both enjoy music:&nbsp;Bryan plays alto sax and Carlos the clarinet. 
"They&nbsp;are so smart and so down-to-earth, and they credit each other," Bowman said. "They are very resourceful, and that comes through a lot. I can't speak highly enough of them — they are very kind and persevering and goal-oriented." 
Bryan said the brothers are not competitive with one another.&nbsp; 
"I wouldn't say it was like that," he said. "It's&nbsp;that if I don't do well on an exam and Carlos did, there is no jealousy.&nbsp;Obviously, we ask each other for help." 
The twins will attend&nbsp;Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Bryan plans to&nbsp;major&nbsp;in neuroscience or biomedical engineering and Carlos in psychology. They plan to be roommates.&nbsp; 
"I just remember thinking that is a really nice school for medicine," said Bryan, adding they&nbsp;were accepted on the same day. 
They were scheduled to attend a two-week program at the school over the summer, but that has been canceled. 
"We have been enjoying Zoom calls with current students and some advisers," Bryan said. 
Traditionally, both the salutatorian&nbsp;and valedictorian each make a speech at graduation. But this year, school officials are still working&nbsp;on a plan, Principal Jonathan Klomp said. It’s not clear if there will be a live or virtual ceremony. However, both teens have some idea of how their speeches would go. 
“First I would pay tribute to all the health care workers, all the essential workers," Bryan said. "Our mom is an aide at a nursing home and is working overtime, too.&nbsp;I am definitely experiencing what they are going through firsthand." 
Carlos said he would speak about senior year in the time of the coronavirus. 
Likely, he will "give an introduction about the current situation and go more into depth about how grateful it is to have a senior experience somewhat," Carlos said.

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Twin brothers double up on top academic awards at North Babylon High

Twin brothers double up on academic awards at North Babylon

From left, Carlos and Bryan Sabogal, seniors at North Babylon High School, earned salutatorian and valedictorian honors, respectively.


Twins earn top academic ranks in High School

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Beth Whitehouse

Call it "matchmaking" between the&nbsp;class of 2020 and members of the community. 
Tracy Fasano, 50, of Lake Grove, started a Facebook page where parents post their child’s Sachem High School North senior photo and description of their personality and future plans. Invited community members can “adopt” a senior by posting their intent in the comments. They then send the senior gift cards, gift baskets or treats. “It’s fun and it gets a lot of people involved,” says Fasano, whose daughter, Samantha, 18, is a senior. 
That’s one creative way communities are celebrating Long Island&nbsp;graduates, who will likely be missing rites of passage such as prom and a traditional graduation ceremony. Here are the “adopt&nbsp;a senior” details, and four other ideas: 
<h2>‘Adopt’ a senior</h2> 
Teacher Jennifer De Carlo decided she would “adopt” all 26 Sachem North seniors who had been in her fifth-grade class at Nokomis Elementary School. “They were one of my nicest classes, and I would like to add something special to the end of their year,” De Carlo says. 
Other Long Island districts including Centereach and Connetquot also have pages. “Our page grew so fast that now every senior who is posted has been adopted at least once,” says Alison Butler, a Connetquot High School mom. 
Judy Pittigher and her daughter, Madeleine, 18,&nbsp;a senior at Connetquot High, adopted seven&nbsp;of Madeleine’s classmates, made customized pizza boxes decorated with their chosen college and featuring their faces, and delivered a pizza to each of them.
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Sachem North senior Samantha Fasano&nbsp;says she thinks it’s great that people are celebrating her peers. “It makes a lot of us feel like people care and want us to know that we’re loved,” Samantha&nbsp;says. 
<h2>Rock on</h2> 
Farmingdale High School has a “Rock Fairy.” 
“The Daler Rock fairy is dropping off very creatively painted stones on the stoops of senior families in the Farmingdale School District,” says Glenda Rienecker, parent of Robert, 18. “I go out expecting to see a package on the stoop and it was a rock.”
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The rocks, painted in the school’s signature green, say “Dalers 2020” and feature a paw print — the school’s mascot is a lion. “It’s one of the nicest gestures,” Robert says. 
The Rock Fairy — who asked to remain anonymous so that the mystery continues — says she often has painted rocks as part of the national trend of people painting rocks with encouraging sayings and leaving them in random parks and other venues for others to discover. The Rock Fairy,&nbsp;who lives in the district and has a child in the high school (though not a senior),&nbsp;plans to hit about 50 houses of families she knows with graduating students. She says she hopes to put smiles on the seniors' faces. 
Glenda Rienecker says she thinks the parents appreciate it as much as the students, because the parents are missing out on the milestones as well. “I have it on our living room table,” she says. 
<h2>Signs of the times</h2> 
Huntington High School principal Brenden Cusack dyed his hair blue — the color of the Huntington Blue Devils — as he helped the district deliver lawn signs to the homes of each of the class of 2020’s 425 seniors on “Senior Saturday” May 9. 
A group of parents donated so every student would have one. Blue devil character mascots accompanied teams of teachers, parents and administrators who fanned out to make deliveries. “I cried,” says Huntington senior class president Daniela Ramos, 19, of Huntington Station. “We are living in a very hard time now and it was something very special.”
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Other districts have had more informal programs, with word-of-mouth leading parents to invest in signs featuring the student’s senior photo. Richie Caiazza pivoted his business to make lawn signs under the website <a href="https://www.coolschoolsigns.com/">coolschoolsigns.com</a>. He’s made lawn signs for seniors in Commack, Mt. Sinai, and other districts; he charges $15 for each 24-inch-by-18-inch sign made of waterproof corrugated plastic. “I want these kids to find it in their parents’ attics when they’re cleaning out the house in 50 years,” he says. 
Some districts are honoring their graduates with community-wide ribbons. Central Islip is encouraging purple and gold ribbons to honor high school seniors and any child who is missing a moving up ceremony. Gianna Tantillo, 17, the junior class president at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills organized an effort to have red and black ribbons — the school colors there — decorating the trees in front of the high school as well as neighborhood homes. That way, she says, seniors will “feel like they haven’t been forgotten in the midst of all this.” 
<h2>Reverse parade</h2> 
Uniondale High School staff members thought it would be difficult to parade past all the homes of the 546 students in the senior class, so teacher’s assistant Valerie McFadden suggested they do the reverse: teachers and administrators lined up at the high school with balloons and signs on May 8 and invited the students to drive through to see them and say goodbye.
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“They told the students we could decorate our cars,” says senior Krystina Stevens, 17, who put a painted 2020 sign on her car and drove by with her mom and two younger siblings. “We were able to see teachers we haven’t seen since March. It was very heartwarming. It was kind of like a final closure experience — we really did this, we made it.” 
“It was emotional for everyone,” says Daniel Splendore, an English teacher and co-senior class adviser. “Everybody was wearing masks, but you could definitely see the tears.” 
<h2>Piece of cake</h2> 
Typically, when people order a graduation cake, it’s not family-sized, says custom baker Andrea Marsicano of Coram, owner of Crecaketions by Andrea. “Most of the time graduation cakes are for big parties — sheet cakes,” she says. 
This year, those parties won’t be happening anytime soon, she says. But still, families want to mark the milestone, so she’s started making family-sized cakes personalized for the graduate with a school’s colors. “There are so many kids missing out on these big, huge moments in their lives. It’s not a big party, but everyone needs to be celebrated,” she says. 
Baker Noret Bazemore of Freeport, owner of Bella Latina Cakes, makes cakes with a graduate's photo on it. "Graduation at any level is a tremendous milestone and the culmination of so much hard work," Bazemore says. "People want to feel good about what they've done."

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Long Island celebrates 2020 graduates with lawn signs, parades, senior 'adoptions' and more

LI celebrates graduates with lawn signs, senior 'adoptions' and more

Uniondale High School Principal Dr. Edward Thomas and 12th Grade Assistant Principal Dr. Diane Barton address the class of 2020 at a drive-by parade on May 8


Uniondale High School honors 2020 grads

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Graduation caps and gowns? Check. 
Family and friends? Check. 
Sunny and mild spring weather? Check. 
But this was no ordinary farewell to the Class of 2020 at Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead. 
All 181 students of the all-girls preparatory school remained in their cars — filled with family and&nbsp;pets, and decorated with messages to the graduating class — as, one by one, they picked up their academic regalia&nbsp;in a drive-by parade at the campus on Friday. 
Their graduation would have been on May 30, but it was postponed because of the pandemic and social distancing rules still in effect to help thwart further spread of the novel coronavirus. The school plans to hold a ceremony on July 31, either virtually or in person, if circumstances allow.
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“Today would’ve been their last day of classes so we wanted to make sure we honor them,” said Danielle Adolphus, math teacher at the high school and dean of the graduating class. “We just wanted to show the Class of 2020 how special they are to us.” 
Faculty and staff at one end of the campus lot lined up to hand out the caps, gowns&nbsp;and other special mementos. The cars&nbsp;moved in a slow and orderly procession&nbsp;through the line of staff as they gave the items&nbsp;to the students who stayed in their vehicles.&nbsp; 
While a DJ played upbeat music, some seniors sat in their car windows or peaked out of the open sunroofs to wave to each other and take in the sight. 
“Seeing everyone honking their horns, waving with a smile on their face, and students and teachers crying, was so moving and it just made me so emotional,” said Annie Raleigh, 17, of Malverne. “I’m so thankful I was able to be part of it.”
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Raleigh was president of her senior class, captain of her field hockey team and played lacrosse. She plans to attend The University of Scranton in Pennsylvania to study nursing, which she’s wanted to do since she was a child watching her grandmother go to work as a nurse. 
“Watching all these nurses working so hard amid the crisis has also been so inspiring,” Raleigh said. “I hope one day I can do what they do.” 
Among the mementos they were handed was a letter the seniors wrote to themselves when they were sophomores. 
“Reading that brought back a lot of memories and felt surreal,” said Kerry Quinn, 17, of Long Beach. “In all the letters, my friends and I were talking about graduation and how fun that would be.” 
The car parade “was a bittersweet moment,” Quinn said. 

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“I would’ve loved to get out of the car and just hug some of my favorite teachers and thank them for everything,” Quinn said. “But I still felt happy to be back and see my friends and teachers again.” 
Quinn was student council president this school year and an active member of the Irish club, varsity swim team, badminton and lacrosse teams. She plans to study elementary and special education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the fall. 
Every year, high school seniors feel a mix of happy, sad and proud emotions on their last day of class, Quinn said. 
“This year's no different. It’s just been a little extra tough for us, but it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Quinn said.

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Sacred Heart Academy grads pick up caps, gowns at emotional drive-by

Sacred Heart grads pick up caps, gowns at emotional drive-by

Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead held a drive-by parade to celebrate the graduatung class of 2020 on Friday.


Sacred Heart hosts drive-by parade for class of 2020

The Class of 2020 may not be able to have a traditional graduation ceremony, but a Deer Park High School senior is offering them an option to celebrate the milestone with a sign or banner featuring their likeness that can be displayed outside their homes. 
Morgan Feld, 17, is working with her aunt, Robin Eschenberg, owner of Effects of Color in Hauppauge, to make the signs, which are 18-by-24 inches and cost $28, and the banners. She&nbsp;said those can be any size but that customers typically&nbsp;purchase the 3-by-5, which costs $40, or the 4-by-8 foot, which is&nbsp;$60. 
“I just wanted to show off recognition,” Feld said. “For me I wanted to do something good for my peers.” 
Feld’s effort initially focused on her classmates within the hamlet, but she said it has since expanded to include students in the Half Hollow Hills and Commack school districts, resulting in more than 200 sales.&nbsp; 
On the sign and banners, people can place either a student’s face or a simple congratulations to the graduating class. 
Eschenberg, who has owned her business for 30 years, said she suggested Feld sell banners and signs to help students&nbsp;celebrate their achievement.&nbsp; 
“We realized that kids would not have a typical graduation,” Eschenberg said. “She’s helping me as a small-business owner and she’s helping herself, as the money that she’s making will go into her college fund.” 
Feld said she lost&nbsp;her part-time retail job as stores closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. She thought she would head back to school in a few weeks to finish the rest of the academic year,&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsday.com/news/health/coronavirus/school-reopening-delayed-cuomo-1.44309514">Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on May 1</a> said all schools in the state would remain closed for the rest of the year to protect staff and students against COVID-19. 
Feld’s mother, Stacy, 44, said that even though she won’t get&nbsp;to see her oldest child walk across a stage to get her diploma, she’s proud of her daughter’s initiative. 
“She’s doing a positive thing for the community,” Stacy Feld said.&nbsp; 
Charlie Cobb, the principal of Deer Park High School, lauded&nbsp;what Feld is doing to pay tribute to&nbsp;her classmates&nbsp;but said he wants to make sure the senior class gets recognized. 
“We’re going to do something, whether it’s nontraditional or whether it’s virtual,”&nbsp;Cobb said about having a graduation ceremony. “Our hope is to have one.” 
Shannen Caldone, 41,&nbsp;a hamlet resident,&nbsp;said she wanted to celebrate daughter&nbsp;Makenzie’s&nbsp;achievement even if there is no graduation right away. She bought a sign with her daughter’s face on it.&nbsp; 
“At least seeing the sign will make her happy that we’re recognizing she’s graduating,” Caldone said.&nbsp; 
Once Feld graduates, she will attend SUNY Plattsburgh, where she plans to major in business administration. She said the sign and banner gig has been a good early prep for that.&nbsp;

Suffolk

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Graduating senior's gift to her peers is signs, banners to mark milestone

Student makes happy signs of the times for Class of 2020

Morgan Feld and her aunt Robin Eschenberg, owner of Effects of Color in Hauppauge, are selling lawn signs and banners to help graduates feel recognized despite not having a traditional ceremony. 


Signs to celebrate those graduating

Commack

Huntington

Riverhead

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Graduating seniors at Ward Melville High School will celebrate completing four years of hard work in five separate ceremonies that observe social distancing —&nbsp;the responsible protocol for big events these days — while practicing the time-honored tradition of commencement. 
But there will be no line of jubilant graduates walking from their seats and onto a stage to receive a diploma and shake a teacher’s hand. The Ward Melville students will only be able to exit their cars once they get to a point in the post-speech procession&nbsp;to have their name announced, pick up their diploma jacket and have a picture taken. Guests must stay in the&nbsp;vehicles. 
Officials in the Three Village Central School District decided to change up the traditional commencement in light of the coronavirus pandemic as health experts advise people to stay at least 6&nbsp;feet apart to thwart the spread of COVID-19. 
“In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines and maintain the safety of everyone involved, these ceremonies will take place in vehicles on our school campus,” read a May 11 note to the community from Principal William Bernhard and 12th grade Assistant Principal Erin Connolly.&nbsp; 
The challenge of holding commencements amid the pandemic is one affecting school districts across Long Island. 
The William Floyd district is doing a similar five day&nbsp;"Curbside Graduation" in June, in which its more&nbsp;than 600 graduates arrive with their families, and&nbsp;only the graduate will get&nbsp;out to pick up the&nbsp;diploma cover and pose for photos that will go on Class of 2020 lawn signs, a district news release said. 
And there will be a formal "virtual graduation video tribute&nbsp;to our seniors with the official certification and reading of the Regents decree by the superintendent," the release said. 
The Three Village&nbsp;administrators said that district's five livestreamed commencements will take place at 5 p.m. each day from June 22 to June 26, outdoors on school grounds. 
Other standard end-of-year practices including speeches by the valedictorian,&nbsp;salutatorian and senior class president,&nbsp;and the singing of the national anthem, will be preserved virtually and available for people to watch as they are delivered and later at home. 
“Speeches will be given in the front of the building and will be livestreamed for viewing and broadcast on the radio,” the letter said. “Each event will be livestreamed and recorded and will be available for families to view after all ceremonies are completed.”

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Pandemic forces school districts into socially distant commencements

Pandemic forces school district to have socially distant commencement

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LI Class of 2020 college commitments

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From astronauts to musicians, Long Island high schools have produced some rather notable alumni through the years.

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etbay_17   0717 /hj

HawkinsAlumni /el

Notable alum Sal Valentinetti / mg

notableHS- frank viola

NotableAlum Alan Zweibel George W. Hewlett High School 1968 / mg

NotableALum Carol Leifer Wheatley School 1974 / mg

NotableAlum_Tobias Harris Half Hollow Hills West 2010 / mg

62 NotableAlum_LorraineBracco_HicksvilleHS / mg

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64 NotableAlum_LoriLaughlin_HauppaugeHS / mg

larry brown/kb

163185601/mcv/kb

BaldwinAlumniNew/kb

144. Mick Foley / jcm

141. Paul Scheer / jcm

140. Dan Lauria/lt

134. Judd Apatow / mg

133. Larry Miller /lii 

75 NotableAlum_Ashanti_GlenCoveHS / mg

130. Bob Iger/cem

128. Jeff Wilpon/cem

127. Edward Burns / mg

122. Steven Matz / jcm

Steve Buscemi

9 NotableAlum_SteveBuscemi_ValleyStreamCentralHS / mg

3 NotableAlum_KevinJames_Ward MelvilleHS / mg

61 NotableAlum_JennaUshkowitz_HolyTrinityHS / mg

56 NotableAlum_AshleyMassaro_JohnGlenHS / mg

jcm / 114 NotableAlum_BrianDennehy_ChaminadeHighSchool

113  NotableAlum_FredArmisen _ValleyStreamCentralHighSchool / mg

112  NotableAlum_ChuckD_RooseveltHighSchool / mg

110 NotableAlum_MichaelMcKean_NorthShoreHS / mg

107 NotableAlum_BobCostas_CommackHighSchoolSouth / mg

106 NotableAlum_DarrelYoung_AmityvilleHS / mg

105 NotableAlum_GeraldoRivera_BabylonWestHS / mg

104 NotableAlum_HaroldDieterle_BabylonWestHS / mg

103 NotableAlum_LeslieWunderman_BaldwinHS / mg

100 NotableAlum_LouisUccellini_BethpageHS / mg

96 NotableAlum_CarlYastrzemski_BridgehamptonHS / mg

Bill O'Reilly

95 NotableAlum_BillOReilly_ChaminadeHS / mg

93 NotableAlum_MegWhitman_ColdSpringHarbor / mg

91 NotableAlum_RosieODonnell_CommackHS / mg

90 NotableAlum_CarlyAquilino_CommackHS / mg

89 NotableAlum_ClintonKelly_ComsewogueHS / mg

87 NotableAlum_MoiraKelly_ConnetquotHS / mg

86 NotableAlum_KathleenHerles_DeerParkHS / mg

85 NotableAlum_RossGload_EastHamptonHS / mg

83 NotableAlum_NelsonDeMille_ElmontHS / mg

Notable Long Island high school alumni

Meet some of LI's notable high school alumni

Alicia Keys, Conan O'Brien and more people with fame and brains. Find out which stars graduated at the top of their class, either in high school or college.

Entertainment

Celebrities

Celebrities who were valedictorians

David Duchovny 

Tiffani Thiessen

Mare Winningham

Bette Midler 

Troian Bellisario

Cody Simpson 

Jeff Bezos

Cindy Crawford 

Conan O'Brien

Conan OBrien

Alicia Keys

alicia keys

Weird Al Yankovic

Jodie Foster

Jodie foster

Chevy Chase

Emmylou Harris 

Ben Stein

16 celebrities who were valedictorians

Sandra Bullock says she worked hard for hers, Robin Williams won more than one, and Sylvester Stallone was voted... what? See what these stars' classmates and teachers had to say about them back in the day with these superlatives from their school yearbooks.

Celebrities' high school superlatives

J.P. Rosenbaum

Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell superlatives pl

Eddie Murphy

murphy cropped superlatives pl

Kate McKinnon

Kevin Connolly

 Sandra Bullock

Tom Cruise

Robin Williams

Patti Lupone

Lorraine Bracco

bracco

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis CROPPED

Amy Schumer

Sylvester Stallone

Celebrities' superlatives

Which high school superlatives did these celebrities win?

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The report sheds light on an investigation into alleged grade-fixing at the school, and problems with a credit recovery program at the heart of the probe. Newsday's education reporter Dandan Zou has the story.

'Haphazardly organized program'

A recent study from the CDC found that high schoolers who experienced racism at school were more likely to turn to substance abuse and/or develop mental distress, Newsday reporter Tiffany Cusaac-Smith has more on this story.

Survey explores link between racism in schools and student mental distress

William Floyd school district officials discussed the implementation of metal detectors after a student was found with a loaded gun.

'Kindergarten to 12th grade is our number one priority'

Five educators in the region are ranked among the state's top earners while the number of educators earning at least $300,000 has risen 41% over the past three years.