To prevent the 'summer slide,' LI schools offered STEM, music and theater classes
Students at Edmund W. Miles Middle School in Amityville created cell phone stands using a 3D printer during the school’s summer enrichment program. Credit: Amityville School District
Many Long Island students were already learning well before the first day of school.
Dozens of districts recently offered summer learning opportunities — ranging from invention camps to fine art classes — in an effort to help prevent the “summer slide,” which is a loss of academic skills that can occur during July and August.
One such opportunity was an inaugural art, theater and music camp hosted by the South Huntington School District in which children in grades 3-7 engaged in activities including drawing, painting and individualized instrument lessons. The weeklong camp was designed to foster a further appreciation of the arts.
“Students enjoyed a wide variety of artistic experiences, which support and expand the already rich arts education that South Huntington has to offer,” said camp director Matt Hoffman. “We cannot wait to continue and, hopefully, expand the camp next year.”
In Garden City, more than 120 students tackled tasks like creating robotic stuffed animals as part of a district summer camp themed around science, technology, engineering and math — also known as STEM.
Meanwhile, a similar STEM camp in the West Babylon School District saw students craft devices to prevent dropped eggs from cracking.
In Jericho, the district debuted a summer music program in which rising fifth- and sixth-graders continued to develop their techniques in band, chorus and orchestra over the course of 18 sessions. The program culminated in a performance for family and friends.
In Massapequa, the high school hosted a five-week camp in which over 300 students attended music, theater and visual art classes offered in partnership with Nassau BOCES. One class taught them to make tote bags and tapestry weavings.
“It’s different projects they normally wouldn’t have in their art classroom,” said Massapequa teacher Antoinette Kearney.
AMITYVILLE
New superintendent
Gina Talbert has been appointed superintendent of the Amityville School District. She replaced Edward Fale, who resigned.
Talbert most recently served as superintendent of the Wyandanch School District, since 2019. Before that, she held various roles — assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction — in the district.
“My vision is to bring the past, present and future together, and use the successes of today to empower us for the challenges of tomorrow to build an exceptional school district,” Talbert said.
EAST MEADOW
New superintendent
Kenneth Rosner has been appointed superintendent of the East Meadow School District. He replaces Kenneth Card, who retired.
Rosner served the past three years as superintendent of the Elmont Union Free School District, which he joined as principal of Clara H. Carlson School in 2006. He has also been an assistant principal at PS 160 in Jamaica, Queens.
“I look forward to beginning my time as your leader by listening, learning and building relationships so that we can all work together for the benefit of our students,” Rosner said.
SMITHTOWN
New principal
Mary-Ellen Kakalos has been named principal of Smithtown Elementary School. She replaced Janine Lavery, who retired.
Kakalos was most recently assistant principal of Seaford Manor elementary school, and before that was a classroom teacher and reading specialist in the North Bellmore School District.
“I am excited to join the Smithtown team and begin the next chapter in my career as the principal of Smithtown Elementary School,” Kakalos said.
VALLEY STREAM
New principal
Candace Hugee has been named principal of Central High School in the Valley Stream Central High School District. She replaced Joseph Pompilio, who retired.
Hugee was previously principal of Urban Assembly School for Collaborative Healthcare in Brooklyn.
“We will continue the work of maintaining culturally relevant pedagogy and creating an environment at which our students feel heard, seen and loved,” Hugee said.
ISLANDWIDE
Music scholarships
Five recent high school graduates from Long Island recently won $500 scholarships from the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. They were: Luca Alexandru of Syosset High School, Chris Hummel of Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, Jacob Leshnower of Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, Alexis Pabebianco of Mineola High School and Coleman Schubert of Babylon High School.
Alexandru, Hummel, Leshnower and Pabebianco won Distinction in Music scholarships, while Schubert won the Pat DeRosa Memorial Scholarship, which was awarded to a senior continuing studies on the saxophone or a woodwind instrument.
“We’re immensely proud of our scholarship winners, who have been granted the opportunity to pursue their passion for music through higher education,” said the hall of fame’s education programs director, Tom Needham.
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.
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Newsday Live Author Series: Bobby Flay Newsday Live and Long Island LitFest present a conversation with Emmy-winning host, professional chef, restaurateur and author Bobby Flay. Newsday food reporter and critic Erica Marcus hosts a discussion about the chef's life, four-decade career and new cookbook, "Bobby Flay: Chapter One."
