Oceanside Middle School named 2023 School of Distinction by the Association for Middle Level Education

Oceanside Middle School is among 11 nationwide to be named a 2023 School of Distinction by the Association for Middle Level Education.

The school, which has an enrollment of 821 students, is now part of a network of schools that share practices that “positively impact young adolescents,” the association said. Recognition is awarded on a four-year cycle and schools must reapply after each cycle to maintain their status.

To be selected, the school completed a rigorous review process that measured its implementation of best practices and continuous improvement plans and included a series of interviews with staff, students and families.

“I am so grateful to be part of the Oceanside school community and to work among staff, parents, administration and a board of education that recognize, value and support the unique characteristics and needs of our adolescent learners,” said the school’s principal, Allison Glickman-Rogers.

The school’s strengths, which led to the designation, include a “looping strategy” that keeps students together with the same teachers for the entire two years of middle school, as well as a daily advisory program that helps develop a trusted relationship between students and an adult advocate in a non-academic setting.

The program’s evaluation criteria are anchored in the association’s landmark position paper on best practices in the middle grades, titled “The Successful Middle School: This We Believe,” which is now in its fifth edition and 41st year of publication.

“I’m a very proud superintendent and congratulate our Oceanside Middle School team on this well-deserved recognition,” said Oceanside School District Superintendent Phyllis Harrington.

BAYPORT

Interim principal

Chris Scardino has been named interim principal of Sylvan Avenue Elementary School in the Bayport-Blue Point School District. He replaced Alane Dugan, who retired.

Scardino previously served as principal of Fork Lane Elementary School in Hicksville for 16 years before retiring in 2020. Before that, he was an assistant principal in Babylon and worked as a classroom teacher for grades two through six.

“I am extremely excited to work with the families and staff on learning and character building,” Scardino said. “Elementary school is the foundation for their future success, and we will work hard so that they learn and have fun doing it at the same time.”

GARDEN CITY

New principal

Melanie Odone has been named principal of the Hemlock School, in the Garden City School District. She replaced Audrey Bellovin, who retired.

Odone was previously assistant principal of Steele Elementary School in the Baldwin School District as well as the district’s reading supervisor for grades K-6. She began her career teaching the first and fourth grades in the Glen Cove School District, where she has also been supervisor of the district’s summer academic program for grades K-8.

“I am the type of leader who fosters a kind, caring and inclusive environment that supports students’ academic, social and emotional needs,” said Odone. “I look forward to meeting all of the students, staff and families that make up this wonderful community.”

GREENLAWN

New principal

Jennifer Washington has been appointed principal of Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School in the Harborfields School District. She replaced Mary Williams, who retired.

Washington served the past two years as director of technology and security systems for the district, where she started as a teaching assistant at Oldfield Middle School. She has also been an integrated teacher and special education teacher at Thomas J. Lahey

“I’m committed to providing an environment where all students feel valued and inspired,” Washington said.

LONG BEACH

New principal

John-Paul Barnaba has been appointed principal of Long Beach Regional Catholic School. He replaced Kerry Kahn, who retired.

Barnaba had served as principal of the Academy of St. Paul & St. Ann in Manhattan since 2020, and before that was principal of Our Lady of the Assumption School in the Bronx.

“I am looking forward to not only being a school leader at Long Beach Catholic Regional School but also becoming an adoptive member of the Long Beach community,” Barnaba said.

OYSTER BAY

Pollinator garden

Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Oyster Bay recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new pollinator garden.

The garden is intended to help children learn about the life cycles of plants and insects.

To prepare the garden, kindergarten classes created their own wildflower seed balls last spring, which they planted over the summer.

The school also received a donation of more than 20 perennial plants from its PTA and Jamie Arty, who is a founder of the website monarchbutterfly.com.

“It’s my hope that this experience will help them to develop a lifelong love for nature, become responsible caretakers of the environment and know that they can tackle life’s challenges by working together,” said the school’s science and technology teacher, Regina D’Orio.

SUFFOLK COUNTY

Battle of the Books

A team of students from the Sachem School Districtthis was a district-wide team, per Michael/kp recently took first place in this year’s Suffolk County Battle of the Books, which was an inter-library reading competition.

The contest thattasked students with reading six young adult books and then answering increasingly difficult questions about the books over the course of three rounds.

Connetquot and Babylon high schools placed second and third, respectively.

Teams consisted of six students in grades 6-9, with four questions being asked about each book per round.

Participants were given 30 seconds to answer questions in rounds one and two, and one minute to answer questions in round three.

A total of 30 teams from across the county participated in the event, which was held at the Hyatt Regency Long Island in Hauppauge.

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

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.