Ten Long Island school publications have been named first-place winners in a national literary contest — with Bay Shore High School winning a special designation.

The American Scholastic Press Association’s 2023-24 Scholastic Review and Contest for school magazines, newspapers and yearbooks recognized 44 publications with First Place with Special Merit awards and 270 publications with first-place honors. More than 70 others received special designations including “outstanding cover” and “outstanding theme.”

Bay Shore High School’s literary magazine, The Writers’ Block, was named Most Outstanding High School Literary-Art Magazine and was among 28 magazines to win First Place with Special Merit Awards recognizing “outstanding design and content.”

“The success of The Writers’ Block is a byproduct of the uniquely rich arts-forward education students receive in Bay Shore,” the magazine’s adviser, Matt Pasca, said in a statement. “Our students are exposed to writers, musicians, theatrical performances, dancers and more, either via our first-class arts programs and curricula or the support of the Bay Shore Schools Arts Education Fund.”

Six other local magazines received first-place honors: Kaleidoscope, Kings Park High School; Ken Literary & Art, Syosset High School; Paw Print, Schechter School of Long Island in Williston Park; Serendipity, Oceanside High School; Phoenix, Manhasset High School; and Trials of Society, Valley Stream South High School.

Local first-place newspapers were: Cougar Crier, John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore; Hoofbeats, Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick; and The Schreiber Times, Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington. Tribute, from Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville, won first-place honors in the yearbook category.

DIX HILLS/ HUNTINGTON

Half Hollow Hills High School East junior Cody Peltzman and Huntington High School sophomore Ronan Driscoll have been named 2024 winners of the Mark J. Epstein Suffolk County Leadership Award by the Suffolk County Jewish Advisory Board. They were selected for essays on this year’s theme, “Effectively Combating Antisemitism.”

Driscoll’s essay told the story of a Jewish friend he made upon joining the Huntington school district as a fifth grader after attending Catholic school.

“Even though we came from different backgrounds, we became friends right away as we both liked the same music, watched the same sports and had the same sense of humor,” Driscoll wrote. “We didn’t care that we came from different backgrounds.”

GREENPORT

Beth Doyle has been appointed superintendent of the Greenport school district, effective March 5. She will replace Ryan Case, who held the position on an interim basis.

Doyle was assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and accountability for the South Country School District in Bellport. Before that, she was principal of John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton.

“I’m honored to take on the role of superintendent in Greenport,” Doyle said. “I look forward to working with the dedicated educators, students and families to build on Greenport’s strengths and provide exceptional opportunities for all learners.”

MASTIC BEACH

William Floyd High School has introduced a mobile reward cart that features an assortment of items — from backpacks to emoji socks — that can be claimed by students who are selected by teachers for “best maintaining their expectations,” school officials said.

The cart, which travels to several designated classrooms every Tuesday, is stocked and operated by students in Carmella Currao’s special education school-to-work program, which helps them develop career skills.

“I always encourage my students to develop relationships with their general education peers as much as I can,” said Currao. “The mobile reward cart promotes this opportunity naturally.”

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.