East Meadow High School seniors Nathan Siegelaub and Dharsan Chandrakumar have been named two of 16,000 semifinalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Nathan and Dharsan represent the top one-third of approximately 50,000 high scorers who took the PSAT/NMSQT. Students are ranked with a selection index score based on their combined scores in math, critical reading and writing. Semifinalists can compete to be named finalists and continue on to receive the prestigious National Merit Scholarship, as well as college and corporate-sponsored scholarships.
In order to become finalists, Nathan and Dharsan must fulfill a number of requirements, including maintaining their academic records throughout the school year. In addition, they must receive recommendations from their high school principal and achieve SAT scores commensurate with their PSAT performances. Nathan and Dharsan will be notified in February of their standing.
The district congratulates both seniors on being named semifinalists and wishes them continued academic success as they advance to the finals.
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East Meadow Students Named National Merit Semifinalists
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W.T. Clarke HS Pep Rally Ignites School Spirit
W.T. Clarke High School students, staff and administrators gathered in the school’s gymnasium for an annual pep rally on Sept. 27, an event where school spirit and excitement for fall season athletics flourished.
W.T. Clarke High School varsity and junior varsity teams were on hand and introduced as spectators cheered on student-athletes. The W.T. Clarke High School marching band played an assortment of colorful tunes for the audience. The junior varsity and varsity cheerleaders put on dazzling performances that added to the thrill of the day.
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East Meadow High School Students Earn All-State Honors
Five East Meadow High School students have been selected as All-State musicians and will represent the East Meadow School District’s music department at this year’s New York State School Music Association Winter Conference.
The conference, which will take place in Rochester, N.Y. from Dec. 5-8, will feature high school student-musicians from across New York State. The district congratulates the following students who were selected based on their exceptional performances at All-State auditions:
Sabrina Brody – viola, symphony orchestra
Thomas Brody – double bass, symphony orchestra
Dharsan Chandrakumar – viola, string orchestra
Lauren Osojnak – bassoon, symphonic band;
Nathan Siegelaub – snare drum, symphony orchestra
In addition, the following students were named as alternates for the conference. An “alternate” status puts students on a waiting list for participation in the conference. A final decision on his or her status is made by the organization at the end of October. Congratulations to:
Timothy Matishek – double bass alternate
Lauren Osojnak – jazz tenor saxophone alternate
Nathan Siegelaub – timpani alternate
Rachel Steiner – violin alternate
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Summer Reading a Success at Parkway Elementary
Approximately 100 students in grades K-5 at Parkway Elementary School in the East Meadow School District received certificates for participating in the school’s summer reading program.
At a special bagel breakfast on Oct. 10, students were recognized for their commitment to remaining active readers during the summer season. Depending on their grade level, students decided to read anywhere between three and 10 books from the suggested reading list and completed a Bookworm Log that they brought back to school at the start of the new year.
Students who decided to go above and beyond also completed projects for several of their books. The projects, which included posters, dioramas, story mobiles and more, are on display in the school’s hallway.
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Home Access Center
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Commended Students Announced
East Meadow High School students Sami Chowdhury, Gabriel Diamond, Kelly Kim and Robert Kohl and W.T. Clarke High School students Siddesh Ramesh and Ganesh Ravichandran have been named Commended Students by the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Approximately 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their outstanding academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2014 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top 5 percent of the 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
The East Meadow School District administration and staff congratulate these students on their academic accomplishments.
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W.T. Clarke HS Graduates Inducted to Hall of Achievement
In a special ceremony on Oct. 19, W.T. Clarke High School graduates Daniel Fisher Jr., Class of 1964, and John Pessala, Class of 1967, were inducted to the school’s Hall of Achievement.
At the biannual ceremony held in the school’s Little Theater, Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves was on hand to present the inductees with special citations, and Principal Timothy Voels offered congratulatory remarks. He explained that the Hall of Achievement was established by the school’s planning and management team in 2007 to pay tribute to graduates who have demonstrated outstanding character, dedication and leadership and whose lives and accomplishments serve to inspire others.
During his time at W.T. Clarke, Mr. Fisher, a lifelong resident of the Town of Hempstead, was an active member in DECA, worked in the school store and participated in chorus and the Glee Club.
A veteran of the United States Navy, Mr. Fisher, who is retired, was elected as Hempstead Town Clerk in 1980, and introduced computerization in 1982 to the town clerk’s office to provide faster, more reliable and efficient service to the public. As registrar at the Town of Hempstead, he issued and maintained birth certificates for residents, and issued marriage licenses and certificates, as well as other licenses and permits.
In addition, Mr. Fisher helped preserve and catalog historical documents in the town clerk’s archives, some files even dating back to 1644. He has received numerous accolades for his management expertise, and received the “Excellence in Local Government” award from the New York State Archives and Records Administration. He continues to reside in Westbury, where he and his wife, Rita, raised three children.
Mr. Pessala, who was born in Finland, was adopted and moved to the United States with his new family at the age of five. While at W.T. Clarke High School, he excelled in and outside of the classroom, and was the starting center on the basketball team. After graduating from the school, he attended Cortland State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in history education in 1971. While serving as a high school history teacher in Smithtown, he earned a Master of Arts degree from Hofstra University in 1974 and later earned a Juris Doctor degree from St. John’s University in 1979.
A member of both the Nassau County and New York State bar associations, Mr. Pessala entered into private practice and later secured a position in the Nassau County executive’s office. In 1994, he was elected as a Nassau County District Court judge and in 1995 he worked as a family court judge, where he remained until his retirement in 2006.
Mr. Pessala has attended college fairs and advised high school students on their future careers. He also initiated a project within the family court, where he collected books from private homes and made them available to patrons in the family court waiting room. Adults and children were encouraged to read while waiting for their appointments and appearances, and permitted to take the books home. Mr. Pessala has remained a positive role model for high school and college students through his open-door policy in both his home and chambers.
At the ceremony, Mr. Fisher, who was joined by his wife, Rita, and granddaughter, Nova Mae Capace, received an honorary plaque for his official induction to the Hall of Achievement. Although Mr. Pessala could not attend, his wife, Elizabeth, daughter Anne and son Alexander accepted an honorary plaque on his behalf.
Identical plaques were added to the Hall of Achievement wall in the school’s front lobby, where they will remain among other honorees.
The East Meadow School District congratulates Mr. Fisher and Mr. Pessala on their induction into the Hall of Achievement.
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East Meadow Homecoming Celebrations to Remember
Students, parents, staff and administrators were in high spirits when they gathered at W.T. Clarke and East Meadow high schools for their annual homecoming celebrations on Oct. 19.
Days before the homecoming celebrations, students at the schools decorated building hallways and lockers with spirit posters and streamers to showcase their school pride. At W.T. Clarke High School, students touted their school spirit by proudly wearing their school colors. Students at East Meadow High School united for a pep rally in the school’s gymnasium the day before their homecoming football game to ignite Jets spirit.
With an enthusiastic crowd cheering them on, the W.T. Clarke Rams faced off against the East Rockaway Rocks in their homecoming game.
During halftime, the homecoming parade made its way onto the field, led by the W.T. Clarke High School Marching Band. Spectators cheered as the dazzling class floats proceeded onto the field, each decorated with the theme of “decades.”
Recognized during the procession were Homecoming King and Queen Jesse Russo and Patricia Puchalski. Other members of the homecoming court included Duke and Duchess Anthony Buffalino and Andrea Ramkissoon, Count and Countess Justin Melkun and Jessica Chavez, and Prince and Princess Tristan Nagel and Taylor Rosenking.
In a memorable win, W.T. Clarke defeated East Rockaway, 35-14.
At East Meadow High School’s homecoming celebration, the school hosted a parade that started at Prospect Avenue Veterans’ Memorial Park and made its way back to the school, and included floats with the theme “retro video games.” School cheerleaders and the marching band entertained the crowd, and spectators were on their feet as the East Meadow Jets took on the Hicksville Comets.
During the halftime celebration, the community enjoyed performances by the cheerleaders, the Rockettes and the Jets Marching Band.
Franz DeLeon and Gianna Bova were named homecoming king and queen, and members of the court were announced and congratulated by administrators. The homecoming court included Alexandra Francese, Amanda Franzese, Brian Giblin, Andriana Guglielmo, Nathan Siegelaub, Vanessa Silva, Garrett Stromfeld and Dylan Walz. To the delight of the crowd, the Jets seized a major victory over the Comets, 43-0.
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East Meadow High School Clubs Fair Sparks Excitement
Groups of enthusiastic students at East Meadow High School packed the gymnasium on Oct. 8 for the school’s annual clubs fair.
Throughout the day, students moved from table to table, learning about clubs they were interested in joining. Representatives from a number of clubs spoke with friends and fellow students about club goals, membership, meeting dates, events and activities. Club leaders also answered students’ questions and encouraged them to follow up with any additional questions.
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Meadowbrook Students Plant for a Healthy Future
In celebration of Red Ribbon Week, fourth-and fifth-grade students at Meadowbrook Elementary School gathered to plant red and white tulip bulbs in front of the school to reinforce their promise of a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.
Students, accompanied by teachers and PTA members, grabbed their shovels and planted the tulip bulbs, all of which were donated by the PTA. The school’s slogan this year was “A healthy me is drug-free.”
For the past week, all students participated in a number of activities that supported the message of Red Ribbon Week. Students and staff wore school colors to show school solidarity and pride, and each class received a giant red ribbon cut out with a pledge at the center that students and teachers signed. The ribbons were later displayed outside of classrooms. In addition, both students and staff wore red holographic bracelets symbolizing their commitment to remaining healthy and drug-free.
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Parkway Elementary Students Commit to Healthy Living
Students at Parkway Elementary School recently took the pledge to live healthy, drug-free lifestyles during Red Ribbon Week. This year’s school slogan was “A Healthy Me Is Drug-Free.”
To show their support for Red Ribbon Week, students wore holographic bracelets featuring the slogan. Each class received large red ribbon cutouts with pledges in the middle that students signed and displayed outside the classrooms.
During the week, third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students created the message “Drug Free Is the Best Me” on the school’s front fence using ribbons, while the fourth- and fifth-graders also planted red tulip bulbs donated by the school’s PTA to enforce their commitment to a drug-free lifestyle.
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McVey Elementary School Hosts Annual Wellness Walk
In recognition of Red Ribbon Week, McVey Elementary School students honored their promise of maintaining a healthy and drug-free lifestyle by participating in the school’s annual one-mile Wellness Walk around the neighborhood.
Students, parents and staff, as well as Board of Education trustee Jeffrey Rosenking, school social worker and event organizer Theresa Arnone and local politicians, all participated in the walk as part of an effort to promote the concept of having a healthy body and mind.
As students lined up outside the school for the walk, sporting the school colors of red and black, band director Jessica Bessel led the school’s band in a variety of musical selections that added an uplifting and joyous tone to the event.
Classes designed colorful banners and posters, and because it was also “Crazy Hat Day” at the school, students donned hats of different styles and colors to “put a cap on drugs” as part of their commitment to a drug-free lifestyle.
In addition, to culminate Red Ribbon Week, McVey held its first annual McVey 5k and one-mile fun run on Oct. 27. The event not only promoted a healthy lifestyle, but also raised funds for the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals, families and members of the workplace prevent or recover from alcoholism or other drug addictions.
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East Meadow School District Celebrates Unity Day
Students, staff and PTA members in the East Meadow School District joined together to recognize Unity Day, a national effort to prevent bullying through the promotion of kindness and compassion.
Students and staff in the district’s nine schools showed their support for the cause by wearing orange and sporting orange wristbands signifying Unity Day awareness. The PTA also placed banners in each school, which students signed as a vow to treat fellow students with respect and be “upstanders” rather than bystanders.
At Parkway Elementary School, members of the PTA crafted a banner with the slogan “Parkway's United Hands – Unite to Do Right.” Students and staff signed their names on the banner, and teachers discussed the meaning of unity with students.
Students and PTA members at Meadowbrook Elementary School created a banner that read “Unite to Do Right – Take a Stand, Lend a Hand.” During morning announcements, students from each grade level shared their thoughts on what it means to stand together for an important reason.
At Bowling Green, Rhonda Cohen’s first-grade class learned about what makes a good citizen, and Mrs. Cohen discussed strategies for dealing with a bully. Students role-played and discussed how they felt as the bully and as the victim. At the end of the day, they took a “good citizen” pledge and wrote stories about what they had learned during Unity Day.
Special morning announcements were made at McVey Elementary School, Woodland Middle School and W.T. Clarke High School to encourage students to embrace Unity Day and work to alleviate bullying in their school communities.
Recognizing October as National Bullying Prevention Month, W.T. Clarke Middle School embraced the “Unite to Do Right” theme, while Barnum Woods Elementary School focused on the importance of demonstrating caring and compassion and abided by the theme “Orange you glad to be an upstander?”
East Meadow High School held an assembly where staff discussed different forms of bullying and showed several videos to highlight specific types. Students also took a survey to provide staff with feedback on how they felt about the social environment at the high school.
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FREE Players’ ‘Best of’ Shows Delight Audiences
The East Meadow School District, in partnership with the FREE Players, presented two captivating performances of “The Best of the FREE Players 2013” at East Meadow High School on Oct. 26 and 27.
The performances featured special selections from past FREE Players shows, including “Guys and Dolls” and “Beauty and the Beast,” and also included special musical performances by the FREE Players Drumline, Jazz Ensemble and Chorus.
The FREE Players are a talented group of individuals with developmental disabilities who bring their creativity and enthusiasm to the stage. The acting troupe, whose cast includes alumni of the district, has partnered with the East Meadow school community for several years.
Administrators, as well as other members of the school district, attended both weekend performances. Net proceeds from the performances benefited both the FREE Players and the East Meadow School District’s SEPTA and Special Education Resource Center and Library.
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Superintendent’s Conference Day
Faculty and staff throughout the East Meadow School District gathered at their respective schools on Nov. 5 for Superintendent’s Conference Day. The workshop topic discussed in each of the buildings was “The Nature of Learning.”
Using the text “Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching” by Charlotte Danielson as a point of reference, faculty explored the types of teaching skills required at higher levels of performance through discussion of planning and practice, and considered how levels of practice align with the Common Core Learning Standards.
While paired in groups, teachers participated in various exercises, including listing the attributes they felt are characteristic of a quality teacher and quality instruction.
Principals and staff also discussed top priorities for teaching in the classroom, including designing instruction to allow students to build upon their knowledge and understanding of material. They also discussed the importance of engaging students with challenging learning activities that require them to think deeply and apply what they’ve learned.
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Woodland Middle School Raises Bullying Awareness
Woodland Middle School in the East Meadow School District recently hosted Ryan’s Story, an anti-bullying program based on Ryan Halligan, a 13-year-old middle school student from Vermont who committed suicide on Oct. 7, 2003 because of bullying and cyberbullying.
At the assembly at Woodland, Ryan’s father John Halligan spoke with eighth-grade students about his son’s life and the humiliation he endured by peers at school and on the Internet, as well as the devastating impact that his son’s suicide has had on his family and the importance and power of forgiveness.
John Halligan, a vocal supporter for more education and prevention of bullying, cyberbullying and teen suicide across and outside of the U.S., spearheaded the Vermont Bully Prevention bill, which was signed into law in 2004. He also led the passage of the law pertaining to mandatory suicide prevention education in public schools in 2006.
The assembly is an example of the district’s commitment to supporting the social and emotional learning and development of all K-12 students in an effort to make schools safe and foster a caring climate while enhancing motivation and high achievement.
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W.T. Clarke High School Presents ‘Smoke and Mirrors’
The W.T. Clarke High School Drama Club presented two riveting performances of its drama production “Smoke and Mirrors” on Nov. 22 and 23.
The production, a collection of one-act plays, included performances of “The Sequel” and “His Return” by Percival Wilde, “Fourteen” by Alice Gerstenberg, “Porcelain and Pink” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “A Matter of Husbands” by Ferenc Molnar and “The Game” by Louise Bryant.
Both performances were well-attended and drew rave reviews from members of the community and school district. W.T. Clarke High School’s “Smoke and Mirrors” will be remembered for years to come.
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EMHS Inducts New Members into National Honor Society
In what made for a memorable ceremony, a total of 123 new members were recently inducted into the East Meadow High School Chapter of the National Honor Society.
At the 54th annual induction ceremony at Milleridge Cottage in Jericho, N.Y., parents, faculty, administrators, Board of Education members and current NHS members gathered to recognize new members, who were selected based on their ability to maintain high standards of scholarship, service, leadership and character. Inductees will now join their fellow members in upholding these principles by working to better their school and local community through civic involvement, volunteer activities and adherence to the highest standards of morality and ethics.
Superintendent of Schools Louis R. DeAngelo congratulated new members on their induction and encouraged them to continue to strive for excellence in all their endeavors and to lead by example.
“The choices you’ve made and the actions you’ve taken have earned you a place of honor in this prestigious society,” Mr. DeAngelo said. “By your actions and your commitment to excellence, you have earned the distinction of membership in a society to which only approximately 10 percent of students nationally gain entry. Enjoy this evening among your parents, friends, teachers and administrators and revel in the sense of accomplishment which is rightfully yours.”
After being congratulated by Mr. DeAngelo and East Meadow High School Principal Richard Howard, the new members received honorary certificates from NHS advisers Evelyn Sideri and Kim Themistocleous and were officially inducted. NHS Executive Board members Hassan Alam, Katrina Bamba, Dharsan Chandrakumar, Ali Francese, Rabihah Huda, Dominique Richards and Nathan Siegelaub officiated over the ceremony.
Ms. Sideri and Ms. Themistocleous offered closing remarks, once again congratulating new members on this milestone accomplishment.
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SADD Club Raises Funds for a Good Cause
On Nov. 12, the Students Against Destructive Decisions Club at Woodland Middle School donated $100 to the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals, families and members of the workplace prevent or recover from alcoholism or other drug addictions.
SADD adviser and Woodland health teacher Jill Feinman said students raised the funds by making rubberband bracelets and selling them at McVey Elementary School’s first annual 5K and one-mile fun run on Oct. 27 and at Woodland Middle School’s Halloween dance.
At the club’s Nov. 12 meeting, Lisa Ganz, student assistance program coordinator at LICADD, was on hand to accept the check donation and speak with students about the dangers of drugs. Ms. Ganz and students discussed the signs and symptoms of drug use, how students can educate themselves on the effects of drugs, and the importance of a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
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Woodland MS Presents Mural
On Nov. 22, the Art Club at Woodland Middle School presented a student-made mural of scenes from “The Nutcracker” to the Eglevsky Ballet Company of Long Island, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching Long Island and its surrounding communities through the presentation and training of ballet.
Woodland Art Club adviser Dr. John Healy said that last spring, he asked his students if there were any organizations that they or their parents were affiliated with that would be receptive of a mural. Current seventh-grade student Leah Von Ohlen, a dancer at Eglevsky Ballet, suggested Woodland create a mural for Eglevsky Ballet.
Students completed the artwork in November. Previous murals have been completed for other companies and organizations, including the Nassau County Legislature, American Airlines and the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island.
Laszlo Berdo, artistic director of the Eglevsky Ballet Company, Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves and Woodland Middle School Principal James Lethbridge were on hand for the unveiling of the mural.
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