Suffolk School Notebook: Great Neck South wins regional science bowl
A team from Great Neck South Middle School won first place in this year's Long Island and New York City Regional Middle School Science Bowl, which was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: Brookhaven National Laboratory
A team from Great Neck South Middle School has won first place in this year's Long Island and New York City Regional Middle School Science Bowl.
The victory means the middle school has won the regional bowl for four consecutive years. It also means that Great Neck schools have swept the regional middle and high school bowls in back-to-back years, as a Great Neck South High School team won the Long Island Regional High School Science Bowl in January.
The bowl, which attracted 20 teams from 11 middle schools, is a "Jeopardy!"-style competition that featured topics including math and general, life and physical sciences. It is typically held at Brookhaven National Laboratory, but was held virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Great Neck South's team members are Ashley Nguyen, Yilin Qiao, Allen Vee and Zican Zhang. They will next compete virtually in the National Science Bowl in May.
"We had a big morale boost after getting two life science questions correct in a row in an elimination round," Qiao said of the regional bowl.
The regional bowl's second- and third-place honors went to teams from Hunter College High School in Manhattan and another team from Great Neck South Middle School, respectively.
This year's event also featured a Cybersecurity Challenge that tasked students with completing an encryption puzzle. First-place went to Anant Gupta of Great Neck South Middle School.
In Yaphank, kindergarten and first-graders at Charles E. Walters Elementary School marked 101 days of learning last month by dressing as dalmatians and participating in 101 themed activities — such as bring doggy bags to class with 101 small objects and writing 101 words. Credit: Longwood Central School District
BAY SHORE
New superintendent
Steven J. Maloney has been named superintendent of the Bay Shore School District, effective July 1. He will replace Joseph Bond, who is retiring.
Maloney, a Bay Shore graduate, is currently the district's assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and administration. He has worked in the district for 27 years.
In Islip, third-graders at Commack Road Elementary School collaborated on a "Mosaic of Dreams" that consisted of individual tiles in which students shared their dreams that could make the world a better place. Credit: Islip School District
"I take great pride in the opportunity to lead this district," Maloney said. "I am looking forward to working closely with the students, board, administrators, teachers and community to solidify Bay Shore's reputation as one of the elite districts on Long Island."
DIX HILLS
Cover design
Half Hollow Hills High School West senior Samantha Krinick placed second in a cover design competition coordinated by MyMajors Creative Outlook Magazine, a publication for students interested in schools and careers in the visual arts.
Her submission, titled "The 1950s," is a black-and-white photograph that features a woman in an apron pouring a cup of tea. It was featured in the magazine's fall 2020 issue.
In Mastic Beach, William Floyd High School's Medical Club raised $650 to donate to the Child Life Department at Stony Brook Children's Hospital. Club members and department representatives met on Zoom to mark the occasion. Credit: William Floyd School District
"This specific shot explored the role of women as waitresses in the 1950s," Krinick said. "I think the idea of this piece is important because as a woman hoping to go into business, I should appreciate more where my rights came from and be more thankful for the changing roles over time."
COUNTYWIDE
Farm to School Project
A coalition of the Bridgehampton, Southampton and Tuckahoe school districts has been awarded a $99,389 grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets that will enable them to continue their farm-to-school program.
The coalition, called the East End Farm to School Project, has allowed the districts to access locally sourced food and provide education to promote the health and wellness of students and staff since 2017. The districts have also teamed up with the East End Food Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for area producers to implement a distribution system that delivers local food to schools.
"The last year has highlighted disparities in food access within our community and farm-to-school can improve equity while also benefiting local producers," said the program's farm-to-school coordinator Heather Meehan.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
