Residents in the East Meadow School District voted to support the 2013-14 budget on May 21 by a vote of 1,851 to 688. Thank you to all of our residents for their support of our schools.
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East Meadow Budget Passed
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Showing Appreciation for Mom
Paige Bernhardt’s second-grade class at Bowling Green Elementary School read a story book about Mother’s Day, as inspiration for an extraordinary lesson. Eve Bunting’s “The Mother’s Day Mice”, about a young mouse who discovers the most unusual gift of all, motivated the children to write about why their mothers are important to them. The reading concluded in a discussion about the book as well as a writing lesson highlighting all of the reasons why mothers are special.
The students created handmade cards filled with their sentiments and a “Beary Special Mom” greeting on the outside. They also worked diligently to create colorful paper maché votives for the special person in their lives. In addition to improving their ability to follow directions, the lesson sharpened the second-graders’ fine motor skills.
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DECA Students Receive International Finalist Honors
The East Meadow School District is pleased to announce that W.T. Clarke High School students Samantha Burd and Jason Dunleavy received international-level finalist honors at the Distributive Education Clubs of America International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California. Samantha placed in the top 20 overall in the Apparel and Accessories category, while Jason placed in the top 10 in Accounting/Role Play. This is the first time that DECA students from W.T. Clarke High School have reached this level of competition during the club’s 25-year history. Prior to the competition in Anaheim, 36 W.T. Clarke students advanced to the state-level competition.
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in the areas of marketing, finance, hospitality and management. There are currently more than 185,000 DECA members enrolled in 5,000 high school chapters throughout the United States and in nine countries.
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Signing on the Dotted Line
Six East Meadow High School student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to continue playing their sports on the collegiate level. A National Letter of Intent is one of the highest achievements bestowed on a high school athlete. The East Meadow School District would like to congratulate the following students and their families and coaches for this achievement:
Giancarlo Carvalho – LIU Post, football
Danielle Cutuli –Adelphi University, softball
Emily Fitzsimmons – East Stroudsburg University, lacrosse
Jennifer Gundrum – College of Saint Rose, volleyball
Jacklyn O’Leary – Chestnut Hill College, lacrosse
Danielle Widmann – University of New Haven, soccer
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East Meadow Students to Present at STANYS State-Level Competition
As a result of their exceptional projects presented at the April competition of the Long Island Science Congress, W.T. Clarke Middle School earth science research students Priya Aggarwal, Daniel Garcia, Alby Joseph and Bismen Singh, under the direction of science teacher Carol Simowitz, will advance to the Science Teachers Association of New York State state-level competition on June 8 at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
In addition, the state-level participants and earth science research students Timothy Berry, James Curran, Daniel Garcia, Jaclyn Gonzalez, Michelle Hromin, Harsh Patel, Jenifer Sawicki, Saman Shah, Naman Shakrani and Joey Zirkel have been invited to attend the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) Long Island Congress awards ceremony on June 6 at the Wheatley School in Old Westbury. An invitation to this assembly signifies placement in the honors, high honors or highest honors categories.
The East Meadow School District would like to congratulate these student-scientists on this accomplishment and wish them continued success in their academic studies.
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Middle School Students Recognized as ‘Terrific Kids’
At the May 23 East Meadow Board of Education meeting, Superintendent of Schools Louis DeAngelo and members of the Board of Education honored W.T. Clarke Middle School and Woodland Middle School students with Terrific Kids Awards in recognition of their positive attitude, good character and responsible citizenship during the months of March, April, May and June.
The Terrific Kids Program is sponsored by the East Meadow Kiwanis Club, which recognizes students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade and presents students with certificates of achievement. W.T. Clarke Middle School Principal Stacy Breslin and Woodland Middle School Principal James Lethbridge were on hand to help present the student awards. President of the East Meadow Kiwanis Debbie Kirsh and Board of Education trustee Brian O'Flaherty, who also serves as secretary to East Meadow Kiwanis, were also in attendance to honor students.
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W.T. Clarke Middle School Spring Concert Raises Smiles and Spirits
The students of W.T. Clarke Middle School dazzled friends, family and faculty with a wide range of musical skills when they took to the stage for the second part of their spring concert on May 22. The program featured a variety of classical standards and familiar tunes, which were performed by the jazz ensemble, chamber singers, chamber orchestra, eighth-grade orchestra, eighth-grade chorus and eighth-grade band.
The enthusiastic and talented musicians and singers belted out a series of musical numbers that elicited rousing applause from the audience, from the jazz ensemble’s version of “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)” by composer Bill Conti, to the chamber singers’ delightful take on the hit single “I've Got the Music in Me” by Bias Boshell.
The eighth-grade chorus’ version of Greg Holden and Drew Pearson’s “Home,” the debut single from “American Idol” Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips, left audience members cheering. The eighth-grade band concluded a night of wonderful performances with several songs, including a powerful rendition of “Encanto” by composer Robert Smith.
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Barnum Woods Focuses on Health
A strong mind and body was the focus for students enrolled at Barnum Woods Elementary School. For an entire day, the students participated in the school’s ninth annual health fair. During this much-anticipated event, the school sponsored an array of 20-minute age-appropriate workshops to assist students and staff in gaining knowledge about physical fitness, personal health and maintenance of a safe and healthy environment. In addition, the participants were made aware of the many valuable resources that the community has to offer.
During the course of the day, students attended various diversified workshops that were supervised by experienced health care professionals. These sessions included a cardiologist who talked about heart health, a radiologist who made reference to the skeletal system and a pediatric dentist who gave instruction on oral hygiene. Also a dermatologist spoke about overexposure to the sun, and a chiropractor lectured on the importance of posture and how to correctly carry backpacks.
Students also attended physical education classes featuring Zumba, hip-hop and CrossFit training. During lunchtime, students were provided with a “rainbow of colors” menu of healthy foods. Additionally, most of the school participated in Nassau County’s fingerprinting program. One of the highlights of the day was a workshop that brought in medevac helicopter and mounted police units. “The health fair was not only a success, but also a great way to bring the school and members of the East Meadow community together in the effort to become a more healthy community,” Barnum Woods Principal Gregory Bottari stated.
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East Meadow Musicians Perform Last Concert of the Season
East Meadow High School student-musicians gave a concluding performance that showcased their talents with an assortment of musical selections and emphasized their musical skills, which were developed through the district’s music program. During the second of three spring concerts, the men’s and women’s choruses, concert band and wind ensemble entertained the audience with a variety of classical and modern selections.
The men’s chorus, under the direction of Caitlin Hale and Rachel Fogel, paid tribute to Rogers and Hammerstein with “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame” from the popular Broadway musical “South Pacific.”
The concert band, under the direction of conductor Christopher Hale, began their performance with Philip Gordon’s arrangement of “Russian Master’s Suite.” The concert band’s selection of Samuel Hazo’s “Blue and Green Music” was inspired by one of Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings that was displayed on a whiteboard. In the same vein, the musicians also paid tribute to senior Camilla Merchant’s school mural with Sean O’Loughlin’s “Ricochet.”
The women’s chorus, under the direction of Caitlin Hale and Rachel Fogel, performed two whimsical selections, as well as Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich’s “Taylor, the Latte Boy.”
The concert program ended with a strong presentation by the school’s wind ensemble, under the direction of conductor Joel Levy. After the ensemble performed Alfred Reed’s “A Festive Prelude” and Julie Giroux’s “Mambo Perro Loco,” they proceeded to play what Mr. Levy described as one of the more complicated and advanced pieces of the evening, Mark Camphouse’s “Yosemite Autumn.” To the delight of the audience, the program concluded with John Philip Sousa’s patriotic song, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Following the music department’s tradition, each of the seniors was recognized for his or her participation in the school’s music program.
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W.T. Clarke High School Spring Concert
The W.T. Clarke High School Spring Concert showcased the wide scope and versatility of the talent being developed in the East Meadow School District with performances from the jazz ensembles I and II, women’s choir, mixed chorus and chamber orchestra.
The women’s choir set the tone for the evening with their spot-on rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Following were the jazz ensembles, both directed by Steve Barbieri, who performed brilliantly in tandem, on numbers such as Ray Ortiz’s “Mambo Loops” and Jeff Jarvis’s “Critical Mass.”
The women’s choir, directed by Robin Hall and accompanied by Amanda Hall, opened their set with a perky vocalization of Don Raye and Hughie Prince’s “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and closed with an exciting interpretation of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water.”
The chamber orchestra, directed by Adrianna Donovan, played four songs, including the familiar strains of J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins – Vivace, featuring soloists Jordi Ariel Lotito and Daniel Wang. They finished their set with Louis Prima’s “Sing, Sing, Sing.”
The mixed chorus, also directed by Robin Hall and accompanied by Amanda Hall, closed out the show with four songs, including Brian Lewis’s “I Hope You Dance” and Jack Feldman and Alan Menken’s “Seize the Day” from the current Broadway show “Newsies.” They also combined with the chamber octet for their performance of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618.
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W.T. Clarke High School Students Present Projects at Science Research Symposium
W.T. Clarke High School students gathered together on June 4 in the high school’s Little Theater for the school’s sixth annual Science Research Symposium. With unique and informative presentations displayed across tables, guests were able to appreciate the effort that students have put into their scientific research.
Following a congratulatory introduction from Math and Science Chairperson Terry Renna, the students welcomed guest speaker and Stony Brook University graduate student Shruti Kanakia, who inspired the student-researchers as she carefully explained her research on nano- and
supramolecular biosystems.
The work of four W.T. Clarke seniors was then honored, as they were given the opportunity to present their research projects to the audience.
Matthew Schwartz, who will be attending the Florida Institute of Technology in the fall, presented “The Analysis of the Green Macro Alga ‘Codium Fragile’ as an Alternative Habitat for Juvenile Atlantic Bay Scallops,” followed by Harvard-bound Daniel Wang’s “Insights Into All-Atom Protein Structure Prediction Via ‘In Silico’ Simulations.”
After a short intermission in which poster board presentations were displayed, Alex Evangelatos presented his research topic, “Novel Programming of Microcontrollers for Prevention of Automobile Collisions Caused by Wrong-Way Drivers.” To conclude the presentations, Bryon Koff discussed his work, “Inhibition of CDK4 Induces G1 Arrest, But Not Senescence in DD8313 Liposarcoma Cells.”
The evening culminated with the presentation of awards for achievements in science.
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Meeting the Requirements for Membership
Woodland Middle School honored an impressive 172 students as they were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society during a traditional candle lighting ceremony held in the school’s auditorium. East Meadow High School National Honor Society members and guest speakers Carly Salzman and Jaclyn Tortora opened by welcoming the parents to this esteemed event. They subsequently explained the prestige of being invited into the NJHS for having displayed outstanding accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, character, leadership, citizenship and service.
Principal James Lethbridge thanked the parents for contributing to their children’s education. To the inductees, he gave the advice to “take small steps every day to accomplish your goals, and respect each other’s dreams and goals.”
Musical selections performed by the string ensemble under the direction of Mindy Lamonica, were included in the celebration. The inductees were individually called to the stage to receive a certificate, a National Junior Honor Society pin and a carnation to symbolize their membership in this prestigious society.
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Top East Meadow High School Senior Athletes Honored
East Meadow High School senior athletes and their families joined athletic department staff, district administration and the East Meadow High School Parent Athletics Club for dinner in the school’s gymnasium during the high school’s Senior Athletic Awards Night. Approximately $10,000 was bestowed upon those students who received one of 20 EMPAC or alumni memorial scholarships.
East Meadow High School Athletic Director Kevin Regan noted that this year’s seniors achieved a variety of accomplishments – not only on the playing field, but in academics and their service to the community. He was especially proud of the fact that 21 out of 26 teams were named New York State Scholar-Athlete Teams. Mr. Regan had words of wisdom for the seniors, advising them, “Be a doer and follow your passions. Live life with a smile.”
After distributing the awards and scholarships, the athletic department followed the cherished tradition of naming the Wall of Fame inductees, to the applause of all who attended the event.
The district congratulates the following award and scholarship recipients for their accomplishments on and off the field:
Awards:
Bruce Bardes Award – Kyle Bettex
Louis DeFilippo Award – Giancarlo Carvalho
John Durante Award – Joseph Campay
Rick Mauti Award – Jennifer Gundrum
Michael J. Kostynick Award – Dennis Caramante
Thomas Freda Award – Christopher Buschi
Jack Boyle Award – Danielle Cutuli
Diana Gill Award – Stephanie Fertitta
Ken Dorn Award – Richard Renkl
U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athletes Award – Giancarlo Carvalho and Danielle Cutuli
2013 EMPAC Scholarship Award
Robert Bergmann
Jason Garry
Bradley Kaufmann
Bryan Lehman
Alice Lenoci
Jacklyn O’Leary
Brittany Piket
Matthew Power
Andrew Thebner
Nicholas Trivolis
Nicolette Wilson
Scholarships:
Bobby Ray Scholarship – Nick Trivolis
Brett Penna Scholarship – Matt Sumowski
Melissa Siegel Scholarship – Danielle Widmann
John Arleo Scholarship – Emily Fitzsimmons and Collin Skinner
Michael Picinich Scholarship – David Zea
Leon Drucker School Spirit Award – Taylor Conti
Michael J. Kostynick Scholarship – Meghan Peysson
2013 Athletic Wall of Fame Inductees
Robert Bergmann – Track
Kyle Bettex – Track
Joseph Campay – Basketball
Dennis Caramante – Volleyball
Giancarlo Carvalho – Football/Martone Award
Danielle Cutuli – Softball
Emily Fitzsimmons – Lacrosse
Jennifer Gundrum – Volleyball/Basketball
Thomas Hippner – Football
Bradley Kaufmann – Cross-Country/Track
Dina LaRosa – Softball
Matthew Newman – Bowling
Vincent Napolitano – Bowling
Meghan Peysson – Cross-Country/Track
Matthew Power – Wrestling/County Champion
Michael Tropiano – Wrestling
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At the Top of Their Game
W. T. Clarke High School senior athletes and their families gathered to celebrate individual accomplishments and four years of hard work during the Parents and Booster Club’s annual Senior Athletic Scholarships and Awards Dinner. The forum recognized the contributions made by each senior to the community, both scholastically and on the playing field. During the course of the evening, 28 scholarships totaling approximately $10,000 were bestowed upon the seniors.
W.T. Clarke Athletic Director Josh Friedman stated that he was particularly proud of this group of senior athletes, and that it takes excellent coaching, caring and giving parents, and superior athletes to create a stellar athletic program. “Never quit,” he told the students. “Set goals and reach for the stars.”
Principal Timothy Voels also shared his appreciation for all of the work the athletes have accomplished and the strides they have made. “They have placed their influence on the tenor of the building,” he said. “They have made Clarke a better place.”
The district congratulates the following athletes on their accomplishments and wishes them success in the years to come:
Army Reserve Scholar-Athlete Awards – Alexander Evangelatos and Shelby Frisa
Maurice “Bud” Chianese Awards – Haley Anderson, Jada Atchison, William Colvin, Amanda Cornell, John Fogarty, Shelby Frisa, John Joseph Fusco, Melanie Garces, Jonathan Hess, Tristynn Mercedes, Alyssa Pekunka, Samantha Rodriquez and Julianna Vuotto
Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Awards – Kristen Keller and Enndy Nunez
Scholar-Athlete Awards:
Haley Anderson
Jada Atchison
Kimberly Canas
Alexander Cavanaugh
Thomas Clappi
William Colvin
Amanda Cornell
Justin DiFilippi
Sean Dunn
John Fardellone
John Fogarty
Shelby Frisa
Melanie Garces
Jonathan Hess
Kristen Keller
Jacob Kmiotek
Christopher Kuzminski
Melissa Lizarazo
Tristynn Mercedes
Enndy Nunez
Alyssa Pekunka
Maria Pham
Jacob Praga
Brian Raichel
Cassidy Richards
Samantha Rodriquez
Matthew Seelinger
Julianna Vuotto
Joseph Weinberg
Kyle Wenzel
Distinguished Scholar-Athletes – Haley Anderson, Alexander Cavanaugh, Alexander Evangelatos, John Fogarty, Maryam Kahn and Samantha Rodriquez
Joan Case Outstanding Female Athlete Award – Nicole Wahlig
Paul Hanly Outstanding Male Athlete Award – John Fogarty
Highly Accomplished Male Athlete – Joe Fusco
Highly Accomplished Female Athlete – Tristynn Mercedes
Chris Williams Memorial Scholarship – Matthew Seelinger
Jack Boyle Sportsmanship Awards – Maryam Khan and Christopher Kuzminski
Parents and Booster Club Scholarship Awards:
Haley Anderson
Brandon Aran
Jada Atchison
Alexander Cavanaugh
Thomas Clappi
Amanda Cornell
Justin DiFilippi
Alexander Evangelatos
Shelby Frisa
John Joseph Fusco
Jonathan Hess
Joseph Hoffman
Kristen Keller
Jacob Kmiotek
Samantha LaScala
James Morace
Alyssa Pekunka
Jacob Praga
Gina Principato
Brian Raichel
Samantha Rodriquez
Monica Rosenberg
Eitan Sheena
Matthew Seelinger
Julianna Vuotto
Nicole Wahlig
Joseph Weinberg
All-League/Division –Sean Dunn, Shelby Frisa, Kristen Keller and Julianna Vuotto
All-Conference – Jada Atchison, Alexander Evangelatos, John Joseph Fusco, Joseph Hoffman, Jacob Kmiotek, Alexandra Leonardo, Gabriel Nunez, Alyssa Pekunka, Monica Rosenberg, Eitan Sheena, Julianna Vuotto and Anthony Yodice
All-State – John Fogarty, John Joseph Fusco, Tristynn Mercedes and Matthew Seelinger
All-County – Justin DiFilippi, John Fogarty, John Joseph Fusco, Jose Hernandez, Joseph Hoffman, Kristen Keller, Tristynn Mercedes, Matthew Seelinger, Nicole Wahlig, Joseph Weinberg
All-County Honorable Mention – Andrew Eannucci, John Joseph Fusco and Nicole Wahlig
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East Meadow School District Summer Music Program
PrestoChair.com
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Celebrating a Milestone
The sports fields at East Meadow and W.T. Clarke high schools were filled with a sea of blue and red caps and gowns as graduates from the Class of 2013 celebrated a long-awaited milestone in their educational careers. Both ceremonies were punctuated with choral music from the high schools’ senior choral students.
During each respective ceremony, administrators led the graduates to their seats in a procession marked by the playing of “Pomp and Circumstance”. Congratulatory speeches for a job well done were given by Superintendent of Schools Louis R. DeAngelo, principals Richard Howard and Timothy Voels. In addition, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer was inspirational as he spoke to this year’s graduating seniors. East Meadow High School valedictorian and salutatorian Neil Khosla and Anson Wang, as well as W.T. Clarke High School valedictorian and salutatorian Daniel Wang and Alexander Evangelatos, addressed their fellow classmates by offering words of advice about how to live life beyond the walls of the high school classroom.
Citing Mother Teresa, Mr. DeAngelo encouraged the graduates to be kind, succeed, be honest and frank, do good deeds and be happy. “I hope you will strive to be motivated by a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong,” he said.
One by one, the graduates walked across the dais to receive their diplomas from Board of Education President Joseph Parisi and Mr. DeAngelo, marking their official commencement as alumni of the East Meadow School District. The district extends it congratulations and best wishes for success and happiness to the Class of 2013.
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East Meadow’s Top Students Honored by NCCSS
The valedictorians and salutatorians from East Meadow and W.T. Clarke high schools were honored during the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents’ annual Celebrating Excellence Breakfast, an event which honors the county’s top graduating seniors. East Meadow Superintendent of Schools Louis R. DeAngelo and principals Richard Howard and Timothy Voels accompanied East Meadow High School valedictorian Neil Khosla and salutatorian Anson Wang and W.T. Clarke High School valedictorian Daniel Wang and salutatorian Alexander Evangelatos to this event, along with the seniors’ parents.
The graduates received astute advice and words of wisdom from Celebrating Excellence Committee Chairman and Freeport Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham in his opening address. “As you go out to conquer the world, and you will, remember to first conquer yourself.” Keynote speaker Theresa A. Regnante, president and CEO of the United Way of Long Island, asked the students the rhetorical questions, “How will you use your gifts? Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passion?”
Following the celebratory speeches, the students were called to the stage to receive their certificates of honor. The destination college or university for each honoree was also announced. Congratulations on this great achievement!
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Girls Softball Team is Top in the County
The East Meadow School District is pleased to announce that the East Meadow High School varsity girls softball team acquired two titles this season. In a three-game series with Levittown’s MacArthur High School, the team won the Nassau County Class AA Championship. The girls defeated the Generals in the first and third games with scores of 8-2 and 12-1, respectively.
The Jets also defeated Longwood High School with a score of 7-0 to take home the Long Island Championship.
The district would like to congratulate the players and coaches Stew Fritz and Becky Wachsberger for an exceptional season. The team members include:
Victoria Bova
Taylor Conti
Ariel Cornfield
Danielle Cutuli
Ashley Halkitis
Mary Hosey
Sandra Foster
Jessica Laird
Dina LaRosa
Tianna LaRosa
Kristen Lindquist
Crista SanAntonio
Marisa SanAntonio
Kerri Shapiro
Ashley Smith
Claire Travis
Ashley Vecchione
Madison West
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‘A’ Class Sweep
The East Meadow School District is pleased to announce that the W.T. Clarke High School varsity baseball team has won the Nassau County Class A Championship against Plainedge at Farmingdale College. The team, under the direction of head coach Tom Abruscato, cruised to a 10-3 victory and a two-game sweep against the Red Devils, which secured the team’s fifth Nassau County crown in the last 11 years and the first since 2009.
It was also a stellar year in coaching for Mr. Abruscato, who received the Mike Kostynick Memorial Award by the Nassau County Baseball Coaches Association for his outstanding achievement as a coach and sportsman and his designation as the 2013 Coach of the Year. Mr. Abruscato was also named All-Long Island Baseball Team Nassau County Coach of the Year by Newsday and MSG Varsity.
The district would like to congratulate the following players, coaches and team managers on this season of victories:
Chris Caizza
Jack Cavanagh
Austin Ceris
Gerry Deguida
Sean Dunn
Peter Falgiano
John Fardellone
John Fogarty
Joe Fusco
Jayson Garcia
Mike Gismondi
Nestor Haddo
Jon Hess
Luis Hungria
Dylan Iocovone
Kevin Lada
John Macchia
Mike Perez
Chris Ramkisoon
Jessie Russo
Matt Seelinger
Joe Truono
Mike Turton
Assistant Coaches: Bud Anderson, Jim Buchner, Mike Meittinis, Wil Palmer, Anthony Serrapica and Don Whearty
Team Managers: Alex Brillantino and Dan Calabrese
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Summer Reading Lists 2013
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