School Notebook: Students tapped at mock-government conference

William Floyd High School students were recently elected to 10 of 12 leadership positions at a state conference that challenged them to serve as part of a model state government.

Members of the school's Youth & Government Club achieved the feat last month at the 86th Annual New York State YMCA Youth & Government Conference in Albany, which consisted of approximately 400 students statewide. Participants engaged in debating original legislation and argued appellate cases with their peers.

The Mastic Beach school has taken a majority of the conference's leadership posts in recent years, including winning seven in 2018, nine in 2019, and nine in 2020.

"The William Floyd Youth & Government program continues to be the gold standard of student mock government programs in New York State," said the district's Superintendent Kevin Coster. "Despite the challenges presented over these past two years, this program continues to excel and outperform all other programs across the state."

William Floyd students elected to leadership positions were: Riley Bent, public defender; Justin Brucato, speaker of Assembly Freedom; Kyle Caputo, chief justice; Rafay Cheema, deputy speaker of Assembly Freedom; Antonio Cortes, deputy, senate pro-temp; Nikolas DelVecchio, senate pro-temp; Sara Kellenberger, speaker of Assembly Liberty; Jae Kim, governor; Sia Minhas, attorney general; and Josh Schultzer, deputy speaker of Assembly Liberty.

ELMONT

Mathematics award

Elmont Memorial High School is one of 25 schools nationwide to receive a 2022 Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Award from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in partnership with the School Library Journal.

The award comes with a $700 grant to help the high school expand its library's current collection of literary fiction and nonfiction books in an effort to inspire students to discover a love of mathematics.

The winners showed the "greatest promise to use the funds to advance their library's goals as well as enthusiasm for encouraging students in exploration of math in everyday life," the institute said.

MANHASSET

Chess achievement

Manhasset High School junior Vincent Tsay is one of seven recipients of a 2022 Scholar-Chess Player Award from the U.S. Chess Federation and the U.S. Chess Trust. The $1,500 award recognizes those who promote a positive image of chess while excelling in academics and leadership.

To qualify, applicants met criteria that included having played at least 25 regular-rated games during the current academic year through the U.S. Chess Federation or International Chess Federation and writing an essay on how the selection will further their education and improve their chess game.

The awards are funded through the U.S. Chess Trust with contributions from the National Scholastic Chess Foundation.

SOUTHOLD

Marketing winners

A team from Southold High School has been named the first-place winner of a national marketing competition coordinated by the educational nonprofit Virtual Enterprises.

The competition, which consisted of 40 other finalist teams nationwide, was part of a yearlong program in which students from hundreds of schools nationwide created simulated businesses and participated in tasks ranging from role-playing corporate positions to attending trade shows. The final round was held at Long Island University's Brooklyn campus.

Southold's simulated business, titled Doze, offered a sleeping pill made with natural ingredients including locally grown organic hemp extract, chamomile and melatonin, the nonoprofit said.

WEST BABYLON

New principal

Carlos Falcon has been appointed principal of West Babylon Junior High School. He replaced Jessica Yawney-Koehler, who is now director of guidance for the Connetquot Central School District.

Falcon had served as an assistant principal at Northport High School since 2019. Before that, he served three years as an assistant principal at Longwood Middle School in Middle Island.

"I am looking forward to learning the culture, meeting new people, and working alongside all of the stakeholders in the community to continue to build upon all of the dynamic things that are being done here at West Babylon Junior High School to support students," Falcon said.

ISLANDWIDE

59 tops in music

Fifty-nine Long Island school districts are among 738 nationwide named Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for supporting music as part of a well-rounded education.

Selected districts are Amityville, Baldwin, Bay Shore, Bayport-Blue Point, Bellmore, Bethpage, Carle Place, Center Moriches, Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Comsewogue, Connetquot, Deer Park, East Meadow, East Rockaway, East Williston, Farmingdale, Freeport, Garden City, Glen Cove, Great Neck, Half Hollow Hills, Hampton Bays, Harborfields, Herricks, Hewlett-Woodmere, Hicksville, Huntington, Island Trees, Islip, Jericho, Levittown, Locust Valley, Long Beach, Longwood, Lynbrook, Malverne, Manhasset, Massapequa, Merrick, Miller Place, Mineola, New Hyde Park-Garden City Park, North Babylon, North Shore, Northport-East Northport, Plainedge, Plainview-Old Bethpage, Port Jefferson, Port Washington, Rockville Centre, Sayville, Seaford, Shoreham-Wading River, South Country, Southampton, Syosset, Valley Stream Central and West Islip.

In addition, the Woodhull School in Ocean Beach is among 80 schools nationwide to receive the SupportMusic Merit Award for its commitment to music education.

— MICHAEL R. EBERT

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.