School Notebook: 4 schools win water quality challenge
A team of students from South Woods Middle School in Syosset was among four winners of $2,500 grants from the Long Island Regional Planning Council as part of its Long Island Water Quality Challenge. Credit: Syosset School District
Four Long Island schools have been named grant winners for projects aimed at reducing runoff and nitrogen pollution on school grounds.
The winning schools — Plainedge Middle School, South Woods Middle School in Syosset, South Side High School in Rockville Centre and Sayville High School — have received $2,500 grants from the Long Island Regional Planning Council as part of its Long Island Water Quality Challenge.
The annual competition tasked students with finding creative ways to reduce reliance on fertilizers and pesticides, and to treat stormwater runoff before it leaves campus grounds to combat the harmful effects of excess nitrogen in surface and drinking water on Long Island.
“This year’s winning proposals were robust and well-researched,” said Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District manager Derek Betts, who was one of the projects’ evaluators. “We look forward to seeing the school groups initiate important nitrogen reduction and removal projects at their respective middle and high schools.”
Plainedge proposed the installation of a native plant garden and lysimeters to monitor the amount of nitrogen infiltrating the groundwater on the school’s playing fields, and South Woods proposed a native plant garden as well as the formation of a gardening club and a plan to increase community awareness of nitrogen pollution.
South Side proposed rain gardens and permeable pavement to reduce stormwater runoff and to filter pollutants, while Sayville proposed a wood chip biochar filter to treat stormwater runoff.
CENTER MORICHES
Young Composers Club
Clayton Huey Elementary School recently held a performance of original music created by members of the school’s Young Composers Club, which was launched earlier this school year.
The club, which consists of fourth- and fifth-graders, encourages students to learn how to compose songs with lyrics, pitches and different rhythms under guidance from the club’s adviser. The students worked alone and in small groups using instruments including flutes and saxophones, and then they exchanged constructive feedback before sharing the finished tunes in a performance for their families.
“We here at Clayton Huey talk about being risk-takers,” said the club’s adviser, Pam Basile. “I don’t know anything riskier than learning something new and sharing your new skill with others.”
FRANKLIN SQUARE
Future Creatures Challenge
H. Frank Carey High School junior Brianna Sullivan has been named a winner in the grades 9-12 category of this year’s Future Creatures Challenge, which asked pupils to pick vertebrate animals living in a tropical rainforest and illustrate how they might look in the future because of climate change. The challenge was coordinated by Future Engineers, an online platform that hosts innovation challenges.
Participants submitted two illustrations — one of the animal in its present habitat and one as an adapted animal in the predicted future habitat — as well as a short essay explaining their illustrations.
Sullivan’s illustrations featured a basilisk lizard, which is known for gliding on water.
GLEN COVE
World of Change
The Glen Cove School District has launched a World of Change Club to collect spare change for local charities. The club’s goal is to empower children to become “change-makers” and raise money for charities that increase housing, food security and education in local communities, the district said.
The club’s first activity consisted of a competition in which the district’s Deasy and Landing elementary schools teamed up to represent the district’s west side, while Connolly and Gribbin elementary schools joined forces to represent the district’s east side.
The benefiting charities were the Safe Center LI in Bethpage, Porch Pantry in Glen Cove, Guardian Angel Family Crisis Center in Glen Cove, and La Fuerza Unida in Glen Cove.
HUNTINGTON
Music and art by teachers
Huntington High School recently held its first Huntington Arts Night, featuring works created by the district’s art faculty members as well as a concert performed by the district’s music teachers. The evening was designed to showcase the “exceptionally talented musicians working with students on every grade level,” the district said.
The inaugural event, which attracted dozens of families, also included hands-on craft activities for children and their relatives. Proceeds from raffles and concessions benefited the district’s arts-in-education committee.
“Our first ever Huntington Arts Night was a huge success,” said Brian Stellato, the district’s director of fine and performing arts. “The faculty artwork was inspiring, the art crafts were a hit, and the faculty concert was a blast.”
ISLANDWIDE
Coca-Cola Scholars
Samir Batheja of Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, Sabrina Guo of Syosset High School, Rachel Woo of Great Neck South High School and Kevin Zhu of Jericho High School are among 150 high school seniors nationwide named 2023 Coca-Cola Scholars. They each received a $20,000 scholarship.
To get selected, the students participated in 20-minute interviews with a regional committee composed of previous scholarship recipients and a staff member of the Coca-Cola Scholar Foundation.
This year’s program received more than 91,000 applications from teens who were evaluated on factors such as academic achievements, community service and leadership skills.
Four Long Island schools have been named grant winners for projects aimed at reducing runoff and nitrogen pollution on school grounds.
The winning schools — Plainedge Middle School, South Woods Middle School in Syosset, South Side High School in Rockville Centre and Sayville High School — have received $2,500 grants from the Long Island Regional Planning Council as part of its Long Island Water Quality Challenge.
The annual competition tasked students with finding creative ways to reduce reliance on fertilizers and pesticides, and to treat stormwater runoff before it leaves campus grounds to combat the harmful effects of excess nitrogen in surface and drinking water on Long Island.
“This year’s winning proposals were robust and well-researched,” said Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District manager Derek Betts, who was one of the projects’ evaluators. “We look forward to seeing the school groups initiate important nitrogen reduction and removal projects at their respective middle and high schools.”
Plainedge proposed the installation of a native plant garden and lysimeters to monitor the amount of nitrogen infiltrating the groundwater on the school’s playing fields, and South Woods proposed a native plant garden as well as the formation of a gardening club and a plan to increase community awareness of nitrogen pollution.
South Side proposed rain gardens and permeable pavement to reduce stormwater runoff and to filter pollutants, while Sayville proposed a wood chip biochar filter to treat stormwater runoff.
Sayville High School sophomore Adria Vargas, left, and Taylor Carpentieri were among four local teams winning $2,500 grants from the Long Island Regional Planning Council as part of its Long Island Water Quality Challenge. Credit: Sayville School District
CENTER MORICHES
Young Composers Club
Clayton Huey Elementary School recently held a performance of original music created by members of the school’s Young Composers Club, which was launched earlier this school year.
The club, which consists of fourth- and fifth-graders, encourages students to learn how to compose songs with lyrics, pitches and different rhythms under guidance from the club’s adviser. The students worked alone and in small groups using instruments including flutes and saxophones, and then they exchanged constructive feedback before sharing the finished tunes in a performance for their families.
“We here at Clayton Huey talk about being risk-takers,” said the club’s adviser, Pam Basile. “I don’t know anything riskier than learning something new and sharing your new skill with others.”
Carle Place Middle/High School’s Builders Club coordinated Battle for a Cause, a volleyball fundraiser that raised $250 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Credit: Carle Place School District
FRANKLIN SQUARE
Future Creatures Challenge
H. Frank Carey High School junior Brianna Sullivan has been named a winner in the grades 9-12 category of this year’s Future Creatures Challenge, which asked pupils to pick vertebrate animals living in a tropical rainforest and illustrate how they might look in the future because of climate change. The challenge was coordinated by Future Engineers, an online platform that hosts innovation challenges.
Participants submitted two illustrations — one of the animal in its present habitat and one as an adapted animal in the predicted future habitat — as well as a short essay explaining their illustrations.
Sullivan’s illustrations featured a basilisk lizard, which is known for gliding on water.
Lawrence Middle School’s High Honor Roll students recently received certificates – and were treated to a dessert buffet after their lunch period – for the achievement of holding a grade-point average of 95 or higher. Credit: Lawrence School District
GLEN COVE
World of Change
The Glen Cove School District has launched a World of Change Club to collect spare change for local charities. The club’s goal is to empower children to become “change-makers” and raise money for charities that increase housing, food security and education in local communities, the district said.
The club’s first activity consisted of a competition in which the district’s Deasy and Landing elementary schools teamed up to represent the district’s west side, while Connolly and Gribbin elementary schools joined forces to represent the district’s east side.
The benefiting charities were the Safe Center LI in Bethpage, Porch Pantry in Glen Cove, Guardian Angel Family Crisis Center in Glen Cove, and La Fuerza Unida in Glen Cove.
Fourth-graders in Jeff Reed’s class at Sag Harbor Elementary School transformed their classroom into a mock courtroom and dressed in white wigs and other old-fashioned clothing to authentically portray a trial from the early 1600s. Pictured here are students Evelyn Rizzo, left, and Teagan Mott. Credit: Sag Harbor School District
HUNTINGTON
Music and art by teachers
Huntington High School recently held its first Huntington Arts Night, featuring works created by the district’s art faculty members as well as a concert performed by the district’s music teachers. The evening was designed to showcase the “exceptionally talented musicians working with students on every grade level,” the district said.
The inaugural event, which attracted dozens of families, also included hands-on craft activities for children and their relatives. Proceeds from raffles and concessions benefited the district’s arts-in-education committee.
“Our first ever Huntington Arts Night was a huge success,” said Brian Stellato, the district’s director of fine and performing arts. “The faculty artwork was inspiring, the art crafts were a hit, and the faculty concert was a blast.”
Elwood Middle School students staged a performance of the musical “Newsies,” which was inspired by the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. The performance was held at Elwood-John H. Glenn High School because of ongoing renovations in the middle school’s auditorium. Credit: Elwood School District
ISLANDWIDE
Coca-Cola Scholars
Samir Batheja of Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, Sabrina Guo of Syosset High School, Rachel Woo of Great Neck South High School and Kevin Zhu of Jericho High School are among 150 high school seniors nationwide named 2023 Coca-Cola Scholars. They each received a $20,000 scholarship.
To get selected, the students participated in 20-minute interviews with a regional committee composed of previous scholarship recipients and a staff member of the Coca-Cola Scholar Foundation.
This year’s program received more than 91,000 applications from teens who were evaluated on factors such as academic achievements, community service and leadership skills.
In Central Islip, fourth-graders in Jodi Faialla’s class at Marguerite Mulvey Elementary School posed with a NASA-inspired space rocket they created to prepare for the school’s Pick a Reading Partner program, which this year has a theme of “Blast Off to Literacy.” PARP is a New York State PTA program that encourages adults to reach with children for at least 20 minutes a day. Credit: Central Islip School District /Barbara LaMonica
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.
Eat, deke and be merry: New food options for new Islanders season The Islanders' home opener is right around the corner, but hockey isn't the only thing on the menu as UBS Arena introduces some new food items this season. NewsdayTV's Laura Albanese reports.
Eat, deke and be merry: New food options for new Islanders season The Islanders' home opener is right around the corner, but hockey isn't the only thing on the menu as UBS Arena introduces some new food items this season. NewsdayTV's Laura Albanese reports.
