Nassau: 'Souper Bowl' food drive

Some Long Island schools scored big last weekend by putting a charitable twist on the year's biggest sporting event.

The Long Beach school district's six schools, led by Lindell Elementary School, as well as North Ridge Primary School in Commack, recently collected thousands of cans of soup through separate "Souper Bowl" fundraisers from early January through Super Bowl Sunday.

Long Beach's can collections benefited the Long Beach Food & Friendship INN, while North Ridge Primary School amassed more than 8,000 cans for Long Island Cares in Hauppauge.

"The Lindell school community was so generous, we could barely fit all the food they collected into the storerooms," said Gail Topple, a staff member at the Long Beach INN.

The "Souper Bowl" collection has been an annual event at Lindell for more than 10 years, school officials said. It was expanded to all district schools this year with the help of the Long Beach Teachers Association. At Lindell, fliers were sent home to all families and a Student Council member visited each K-5 class to spread the word.

A school custodian volunteered to transport the collection to the INN last weekend.

"I think our school has a keen sense of philanthropy," said Jane Quinton, Lindell's Student Council adviser. "We're making children aware that they can develop habits of the heart even at an early age."

In Commack, North Ridge's collection was enough to create meals for 6,750 families, according to Long Island Cares.

"We doubled the amount we collected last year," said Lorraine Esposito, the school's physical education teacher, who ran the event and called the number of cans "overwhelming."

GARDEN CITYLiterary magazine prize

Garden City High School's literary magazine, Dead Poets Society, recently was selected by the National Council of Teachers of English to receive the organization's Highest Award for its 2010-11 publication. The 10-page magazine was the sole recipient among New York schools and was one of only 38 student magazines nationwide to earn the honor.

"I am so proud of the students and all of the club's hard work for last year's publication," said magazine adviser Julie Zafiropoulos. Student editors were Elizabeth Butler, Kevin Castellano, Collier Curran, Jill Dane, Peyton Flynn, Peter Levchuck, Alessia Merritts and Madeline Roberti.

LYNBROOKCabaret Night

Lynbrook High School's Tri-M Music Honor Society recently coordinated an 11th annual Cabaret Night that transformed the school's cafeteria into a "cozy cabaret" to showcase student talent while raising money for local charities, school officials said. The event included 20 student acts that ranged from modern dance to individual vocal performances.

"This venue gives us a chance to show off unique talent and styles you don't necessarily see in a regular school performance," Tri-M president Christina Cuevas said.

The event raised more than $1,500 for the food pantries at St. Raymond's Roman Catholic Church in East Rockaway and Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church in Lynbrook.

COUNTYWIDEHoratio Alger scholars

Nassau County students Anthony Riccardi of Mineola High School and Kathleen da Silva of Seaford High School were among a group of 25 statewide to recently receive $5,000 scholarships from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, a nonprofit that honors the achievements of individuals who have succeeded despite adversity.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students should be in "critical financial need," the association said, meaning their family has an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less. The scholarship also assesses academics and extracurricular involvement.

ISLANDWIDELI Technology Summit

More than 500 Long Island educators recently explored the latest educational technologies and how to implement them in the classroom at the 2011-12 Long Island Technology Summit. The event included lectures, workshops and demonstrations on topics such as converting text into interactive formats, using iPads, and improving literacy through the use of free online applications.

"Students today are immersed in the culture of technology with iPads and iPods," said keynote speaker Eric Sheninger, principal of New Milford High School in New Jersey. "Social media is not the enemy, and we need it to open up the conversations and become more transparent."

The event was presented by all three branches of Long Island BOCES -- Nassau, Eastern and Western Suffolk -- and was held at the Huntington Hilton.