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Fourth-graders in Kelly Lambert’s class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School recently expressed their creativity when they designed their own longhouses. The longhouses could be constructed of any items; some designs featured tree bark, popsicle sticks, straws or branches. The lesson was a culminating activity to their English Language Arts module on the Iroquois. The students learned about how the men and women worked together to build the longhouses and how some of the houses could be hundreds of feet in length to hold different members of their clan. The fourth-graders showed off their knowledge of the Iroquois and their architectural creations during a visit with the third-grade classes.
Third-graders in Dawn Masure’s class at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School became meteorologists for the day when they presented the Copiague weather forecast to their classmates on Jan. 23. In conjunction with their lesson on weather, the students created posters representing the five-day forecast. Each student acted as a weather forecaster, giving their five-day report on temperatures, the wind chill, precipitation, what to wear, and how to prepare for the upcoming weather.
The Copiague Board of Education hosted their biannual Student Recognition Awards ceremony to honor the outstanding accomplishments of its students on Jan. 28 in the Copiague Middle School auditorium. The event is a way for the board of education to recognize excellence and the successes of students throughout the district. During the ceremony, board members read a list of accolades and accomplishments that students achieved this school year. Each of the 17 student-honorees was presented with a framed certificate presented by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon. The district congratulates the following students: Deauville Gardens East: Amelia Bright and Darlene Herrera; Deauville Gardens West: Kieran Erickson and Ny’Shawn Legette; Great Neck Road: Hunter Nicholas Natoli and Hailey Wendel; Susan E. Wiley: Kaitlyn Caldwell and Jonathan Marine Suarez; Copiague Middle School: Iran Sophia Gonzalez, Vaiva Kean, Andrew James O’Connell and Neisy Rivera Garcia; Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School: Ajhani Carroll, Wilson Murcia, Arelee Ramirez, Brenda Reyes and Kyree Scott.
The Builders Club members at Copiague Middle School have been busy with their community service activities these past few months. For the holidays, the students sold ornaments and raised $675 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Suffolk County. In January, the club held a book drive for Tanner Park Free Library. Builders Club members also collected donations for Good Samaritan Hospital to help new moms who needed assistance with newborn essentials.
Deauville Gardens East Elementary School held a Primary Literacy Night on Jan. 24 for students in kindergarten through second grade. Close to 100 students – dressed in their cozy pajamas – along with their families were in attendance. The evening started with a writing presentation from Deauville Gardens East guidance counselor and resident author Lysa Mullady. Families gathered in the gymnasium to hear about the inspiration for her writing and how feelings can be developed into stories. Ms. Mullady then did a read aloud of her book, “Bye Bye Pesky Fly.” After the story, students moved into classrooms to write their own books about their feelings. The young writers created their books about feelings, and each student received a bag with a book and pencil to take home.
Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School honored the accomplishments of its top 20 students in the graduating class of 2019 during a special luncheon in the school’s cafeteria on Jan. 25. The luncheon was a way to not only recognize the students but also to honor the teachers who helped them in their successes. Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Principal Joseph Agosta welcomed students, faculty, administrators, members of the board of education and family to the event. He addressed the parents and family members in attendance, thanking them for their role in each students’ success. “You are your child’s lifelong teacher,” he said. “They are here today because of your involvement, encouragement and support.” Mr. Agosta encouraged the students to get involved in all that life has to offer. “Surround yourself with people who make you want to be a better person,” he said. “Remember the values you learned here in Copiague and continue to strive for excellence in everything you do.” In chronological order, beginning at No. 20, Mr. Agosta introduced each student and read a short summary of their accomplishments and anticipated post-high school endeavors. Following their introduction, the students proceeded to the podium, where they expressed their gratitude to the teacher whom they value most and credit for helping them through their academic journey in the Copiague School District. The district congratulates the top 20 students (in order beginning with No. 20): Emily Korba; Iris Romero; Mery Gomez Herrera; Faith McCombs; Darley Senat; Jocelyn Fernandez; Lacy McIntyre; Justin Taveras; Luis Castillo; Julia Brzozka; Kailee St. Angelo; Melinda Mercedes; Jahnay Cuffy: Jonathan Conlon; Jackson Bright; Liam Mahabir; Owen Rosenberg; Aleksandra Bugajczyk; Abigail Romero; and Aaron Eng.
Fifth-graders at Deauville Gardens West Elementary School transformed their gymnasium into an interactive experience during a wax museum on Jan. 11. As a culminating activity to their literacy lesson on biographies, the fifth-graders researched and studied a person who has had a major impact on history and portrayed that person as a “wax” figure. Dressing the part, students played the role of their person. Wax museum visitors, which included the third- and fourth-grade classes, walked around, looking at the famous people and pushed the button on their hand to hear interesting facts about their life and why they are important to history.
Third-graders at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School have been working hard on their literacy skills as well as character building. In Ms. Newman’s class, the students are writing their own personal narratives. Ms. Byrnes’s class spent time learning about good judgement, confidence and sharing as they presented the school’s monthly character education lesson in January.
Thirty-one student-musicians will represent the Copiague School District at the 2019 Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association All-County Music Festival in March. Each of these students received outstanding scores on their performance at the NYSSMA solo and ensemble evaluation festivals last May. Selection to the All-County band and chorus is the highest honor a student of music in grades 5-10 can attain. The district congratulates the following students: SCMEA All-County I West Band Esmeralda Claros Sanchez (flute) Eve Estevez-Rivera (baritone/euph) Alyson Tenebro (flute) Rhianna Coleman (Bb clarinet) Andrew Wagner (Bb clarinet) Ismael Garcia (trumpet/cornet) Raisaun Gibson (trombone) Analiz Rosario (alto sax) Dyson Brown (alto sax) Hannah Alara (Bb clarinet) SCMEA All-County II West Band Shenn Barredo (flute) Philip Popielarz (baritone/euph) Sadia Velasquez (Bb clarinet) SCMEA All-County II West Orchestra Alice Sztabinski (flute) SCMEA All-County III West Band Ryan Bott (tenor sax) Zuri Milliner (baritone/euph) SCMEA All-County I West Chorus Daniella Jiminez Mykelle Moore Linda Paiz Romero SCMEA All-County II West Chorus Sydney Forbes Adam Guglielmelli Ava Reichelt Dominique Tetlak Anthony Woods SCMEA All-County III West Chorus Jessica Chochorek Jaheim Garcia Shannon Greenlee Denison Rosa Ariana Tirino Morgan Weeks Oktay Yildiz
Kindergarten students at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School are busy with hands-on learning activities in January. Students are using scales to weigh different objects during a heavy vs. light lesson. Kindergartners are also learning about rhyming words and the difference between living and nonliving objects.
Forget the cute dolls you can’t wait to snuggle with in bed. Copiague students worked together to create Ugly Dollz. Students in Christie Layden’s fourth period Studio Workshop class at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School and Jodi Embleton’s fourth-grade art club at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School collaborated on the cross-curriculum project. Ms. Embleton’s students drew their best version of a made up monster. When they were complete, they were sent to Mrs. Layden’s class to transform the drawings into real life dolls. Mrs. Layden’s students used the pictures and learned to sew and stuff the dolls. Prior to the holiday recess, the art club and high school students joined together for a breakfast to see the dolls. The students were excited to see their monsters come to life.
Fifth-graders at Great Neck Road Elementary School were challenged to be architects and engineers during a recent library class. After reading the book “Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing,” which tells the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the students were tasked with creating their own bridges. Working in small groups, the builders used 42 Citi Blocks to create their own bridge, strong enough to hold a water bottle and with room to pass below the bridge.
As a culminating activity to their English Language Arts module on the Iroquois, fourth-graders at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School created their own longhouses. Getting as creative as possible, the students crafted some unique designs which included using different resources to build the houses. The students learned about the men and women worked together to build the longhouses and how some of the houses could be hundreds of feet in length to hold different members of their clan. The fourth-graders had the opportunity to show off their knowledge of the Iroquois and their architectural creations during a gallery walk in December.
Students throughout the Copiague School District showed they are doing their part to be college and career ready during a districtwide College Day on Jan. 11. While faculty and staff showed off their alma maters by wearing their college shirts, the district’s youngest students dressed for success, either in business attire or the uniform of their career choice. At Great Neck Road Elementary School, students became video game designers and created their own video games. Kindergarten students interviewed one of their school’s security guards about her career choice. Fourth-graders listened to a presentation from a military servicemen who spoke about the benefits of joining the military. Second-grade students at Deauville Gardens West Elementary School focused on academic clubs in college and how they compete against different colleges. Each classroom learned about mascots, pennants and college academic clubs. At Susan E. Wiley and Deauville Gardens East elementary schools, students explored different colleges by taking online virtual tours of the campuses and discussing college and career options. Middle school students also centered their day around different college and career path lessons, while students at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School has recent high school graduates and current college freshmen come back to the school to discuss some of the experiences, highlights and struggles of college life.
What would you use to design your own globe? Third-graders in Ms. Byrnes’ class at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School got creative when tasked with making their own globes. As a culminating activity to their study of geography, the class created their own globes using items such as balloons, balls and even pumpkins. The students labeled all of the continents, bodies of water and the equator and presented their projects to the fourth-grade classes.
Budding scientists from Copiague Middle School displayed their research skills during the school’s annual science fair. This year, 30 projects completed by 40 seventh- and eighth-grade students were chosen for submission. Students enrolled in a science or science research class conducted experiments, either alone or with a partner, and explained and displayed their results on a poster board. This year’s judges included Copiague School District Board of Education members, Copiague Chamber of Commerce members, SUNY Farmingdale faculty, Town of Babylon employees, Vanderbilt Museum representatives, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School and Copiague Middle School science teachers, Copiague School District administrators, Copiague alumni and Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School science research students. Students presented their findings and spoke about their research as the judges walked the cafeteria. Science fair participants gathered in the library for a special awards ceremony and recognition. Copiague Middle School Science Chairperson Dr. Daniel Lecesse and Copiague Middle School Principal Andrew Lagnado distributed trophies, certificates, monetary awards and a laptop to the winners, donated by the Copiague Chamber of Commerce. First place was awarded to seventh-grader Aliyanna Fernandez for her project on “Ants N Sweets.” Second-place honors went to Shenn Barredo and Giselle Peralta for their project “Regular vs Sterile Soil” and Theresa Soraire “Which Material Insulates the Best?”
On Thursday, Jan. 10, Coordinator of Fine Arts Jennifer Ross-Troise and music teachers Eric Dobmeier and Brian Genua were the featured guests on Bob Vecchio’s “Spotlight on Long Island Schools” radio show. During their visit, they discussed the new electronic music lab located at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School. To hear the segment, which ran on Jan. 12, click the links below.
Part 1
Part 2
During their social studies classes at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School, students are also learning about giving back to their community. Prior to winter recess, students in Allison Weller’s Facing History and Ourselves class participated in Operation Gratitude. The class made cards and letters to be included in care packages sent to veterans and currently deployed military personnel, first responders, wounded heroes and caregivers. Students in Colleen Gurtner’s Leadership in History and Action class held a Band-Aid drive for cancer patients at Columbia Presbyterian Children’s Hospital. Thanks to the donations of staff at the high school, the class collected more than 100 boxes to be sent to the hospital along with cards filled with well wishes.
Helping young females find their inner strength and power, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School held its third annual voice to voice empowerment session in the school’s library on Dec. 12. The mission of the initiative is to motivate and empower one another through teamwork and conversation. It was developed to provide opportunities for young women to gain awareness of their individual and collection skills, experiences and professional goals. Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Assistant Principal Tamika Eason welcomed the attendees and introduced the school’s women’s Madrigal Choir, under the direction of Gina Occhiogrosso, who performed “Rise Up.” This year’s guest speaker was Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School English and drama teacher Sylvia Walsh. Ms. Walsh spoke to the students about her upbringing in Colorado, her family life and how those experiences molded her into the person she is today. “You have the power to be in charge of your own destiny,” she said. “Be true to yourself.” Following her speech, Ms. Walsh answered questions from the audience as part of the voice to voice dialogue. Working together in teams, the students reflected on the lessons learned and shared their thoughts in a brief presentation with their peers.
Second-graders in Maureen Gaertner’s class and third-graders in Diana Daniels’ class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School created crafty snowflake ornaments together for a good cause. Using popsicle sticks, the students painted and added glitter to their wooden snowflakes, which they are donating to the Susan E. Wiley Parent Teacher Association for its Candy Cane Lane Holiday Shop. The proceeds from the craft will be used to help support the PTA.
Third-graders in Jeanne Daly’s art class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School participated in an art workshop with Joyce Raimondo from the Pollack-Krasner House in East Hampton. Themed “Express Yourself,” Raimondo presented a slideshow on expressing yourself through art and the third-grade students created their own works of art using Jackson Pollack and Lee Krasner as inspiration.
Prior to winter recess, students at Great Neck Road Elementary School had the opportunity to experience a winter wonderland during their physical education classes. With the gymnasium decorated with snow, the holiday-themed setup included snowball skating, holiday hockey, polar puzzle, Grinch snowball toss, holiday bowling and a ride on Santa’s sleigh. During their physical education classes throughout the week, students participated in the festive workouts.
Fifth-grade students in Ms. Graziano’s class at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School recently made their own terrariums. The students are observing how earth’s ecosystems react with one another.
Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Copiague Middle School are learning about the engineering and design process during their technology classes. The students are designing their own bridges, which will then be tested to see how much weight they can withstand. The students researched different types of bridges online before selecting their design. After sketching their designs, the students spent several weeks building their bridges, cutting the wood pieces and gluing the parts together. As the culminating activity, the bridges will be tested to see which is the strongest.
Budding scientists in Ms. Csorny’s second-grade class at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School have been learning about the properties of matter. The students performed a “mix it up” experiment by making a mixture out of sand and water. After pouring the water into a cup of sand and shaking it, students have observed and recorded the outcome.
As part of their earth and space systems unit, fifth-graders at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School are learning about the planet and its different spheres. Using a flashlight, students had a lesson on the earth, sun and stars to determine brightness and the stars’ distance from the sun. Students also worked on presentations about the four spheres – geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere – and explained the different parts of the system and how it interacts with other systems.