Special Olympics New York recognizes New Hyde Park, Sayville schools, and Baldwin High gets $10G theater grant

The New Hyde Park Memorial and Sayville high schools have been named National Banner Unified Champion Schools by Special Olympics New York. 

The honor, awarded to 13 schools statewide, recognizes leadership in creating inclusive school communities in several areas, including having students with and without disabilities play on the same sports teams and take physical education courses together. The schools join 23 others statewide that already have National Banner status.

Southampton High School was among nine schools statewide that renewed their status for another four-year term.

“Our Special Olympics Unified Champion Banner Schools are some of the best and brightest havens for inclusion, not just in our state, but throughout our country,” said Special Olympics New York president and chief executive Stacey Hengsterman. “It’s our honor to recognize them for all they’ve done, and all they’ll continue to do.”

To earn the designation, a school must meet 10 standards developed by the Special Olympics and show it has a plan to continue to meet these requirements. Activities include “inclusive youth leadership,” which is when students of all abilities are given opportunities to be leaders, and “whole-school engagement,” which is when activities include all students and staff.

"Many of our faculty members ... have worked to ensure that our students with and without disabilities have the same opportunities to play on sports teams, plan and lead schoolwide activities and play an active role in our school community," said New Hyde Park Memorial High School Principal Rosemary DeGennaro. "We are just so proud to have this recognition."

BALDWIN

Grant winner

Baldwin High School has received a $10,000 grant to produce an updated version of the 1960 musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown," which features new lyrics from Tony-nominated author Dick Scanlan focusing on Brown's character as an underdog and advocate.

Sixteen schools nationwide were chosen through a program run by the Educational Theatre Foundation, The Music Man Foundation and Music Theatre International.

To win, applicants shared their plans to use the work as a tool to engage their school community in the musical's themes of women's and immigrants’ rights. The school will stage four performances from Nov. 21-23.

“Receiving this highly selective accolade not only brings prestige to our district, but also accentuates the talent, dedication and unique learning opportunities in the Baldwin school district,” said Superintendent Shari Camhi. 

HUNTINGTON STATION

New principal

Maria Colon is the new principal of Maplewood Intermediate School in the South Huntington school district. She replaced William Hender, who is now the district’s assistant superintendent for elementary education.

Colon had been an assistant principal at South Huntington's Oakwood Primary Center since 2019. Before that, she spent 24 years teaching various grades at Maplewood, which educates students in third through fifth grade. 

“I’m thrilled because I think my experience in kindergarten through second grade at Oakwood is going to help me coming back to Maplewood,” Colon said. “We hopefully take them from being treated like very young children to now being treated like preteens, academically and socially.”

RIDGE

New principal

Christopher Foster has been named principal of Ridge Elementary School in the Longwood Central School District.

Foster, who replaced Krystina White, had been coordinator of the district’s special education department as well as a special education teacher at Longwood High School in Middle Island. Before that, he was a special education teacher in the Eastport-South Manor school district.

“I look forward to continuing to work with such a dedicated school community and building on the strong relationships that support the academic, social and emotional development of students,” Foster said.

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.