As a way to recognize and honor the accomplishments and positive impact of its alumni – as well as inspire a future generation – Copiague School District inducted four alumni into the Hall of Achievement during the 20th anniversary ceremony following homecoming festivities on Sept. 16 at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School. The four inductees were nominated for their contributions to both the school and the community. They are: Silas W. Kelly, Class of 1971; Dr. Corinthia Price, Class of 1993; Ken Urban, Class of 1993; and Dave Colford, Class of 1994. “In honoring past graduates of Copiague High School, the Hall of Achievement’s primary purpose is to introduce these alumni as positive and motivating role models to our entire school community,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon. “Then we keep these role models connected in a variety of ways to our schools and students. By the nature of their accomplishments and services, inductees into the Hall of Achievement inspire our students to reach higher goals.” Colford is the president and chief revenue officer of Hanley Wood in Washington, D.C. Volunteering is his passion, as he is active in Boy Scouts, serving as an adult volunteer and executive board members of the Suffolk County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Capital Partners for Education, Kiwanis Club and the Lindenhurst PTA. Kelly graduated from Brooklyn College with dual bachelor’s degrees in broadcast journalism and public communications. He graduated with honors from Adelphi University School of Social Work and is a licensed master social worker. Kelly presently serves as a mental health social worker at Concern for Independent Living Inc. and is a substance use disorder social worker for the Town of Smithtown’s Horizons Counseling and Education Center. He is a youth lecturer and inspirational public speaker and serves on the board of directors for the National Association of Social Workers. Dr. Price holds a bachelor’s degree in professional studies from New York Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from LIU Post and a doctorate in educational administration from Dowling College. She is the founder and CEO of Workforce Career Readiness, which specializes in workforce and economic development, 21st century college and career readiness, transition planning and re-entry programs for women and incarcerated veterans and youth. She currently serves as chief workforce development strategist and grant reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor. Urban has been the manager of a real estate firm in Syosset for the past 15 years and is also a senior litigation specialist throughout New York State. Over the years, Urban has held various positions on the PTA throughout the Copiague School District. For the past 11 years, he has served as president of the Copiague Youth League Baseball/Softball program. He is the treasurer of the District 34 Little League and director of the District 34 imitational tournament.
The community came out in full force to support Copiague School District during its homecoming celebration on Sept. 16. Eagle pride was soaring as the day kicked off with a parade, followed by a fair, football game and Hall of Achievement inductions. Starting with a parade at Great Neck Road Elementary School, each of the district’s schools, community clubs, activities – as well as athletic teams and musicians – marched down Great Neck Road en route to Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School. Floats from the senior, junior, sophomore and freshman classes also lined the roadway in this year’s theme of “Through the Decades.” The homecoming court – including king Josh Tavares and queen Kathy Rosado – rode atop convertible cars and waved to the crowd down the parade route. Following the parade, Copiague Board of Education members, administrators and local government officials gathered on the school’s new turf field to welcome the community. Members of the homecoming court were introduced before the Eagles took on the Huntington Blue Devils. Despite their best efforts, Copiague was defeated by Huntington. Later in the evening, Copiague celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Hall of Achievement, inducting four new members into the ranks. This year’s honorees were Dave Colford, Class of 1994; Silas W. Kelly, Class of 1971; Dr. Corinthia Price, Class of 1993; and Ken Urban, Class of 1993.
The Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Class of 2021 toured their new building, received their schedule, became acquainted with administrators and reconnected with their classmates during summer orientation on Aug. 29. High school administrators, guidance counselors and teachers welcomed the incoming freshman class, along with their parents, as they received their schedules and locker assignments for the upcoming school year. Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Principal Joseph Agosta addressed the students and their families as they gathered in the auditorium for an informational session. “This marks the first step in a very important journey,” Agosta said. “You are now being introduced to the most critical four years in your life that will help prepare you for college and your post-secondary plans.” Agosta answered some questions generated by students following the spring orientation and also had them preview a “day in the life” of a Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School freshman to give them a better understanding of the building and its workings. Students ended the orientation with a guided tour of the building by members of one of the school’s 30 different clubs.
Students and staff at Copiague School District were welcomed back for the 2017-2018 school year on Sept. 5. Students were eager to meet their new teachers and classmates as they spent their mornings settling into a routine. Please enjoy a slideshow of pictures from the first day of school.
Fourth- and fifth-graders in Copiague School District’s summer program tested their design and engineering skills as well as their knowledge of the laws of gravity when they launched their bottle rockets on Aug. 2 outside of Susan E. Wiley Elementary School. Fifth-graders used two-liter soda bottles, salt, water and an air pump to test their rocket design during launch. Throughout the summer, students learned about the forces of gravity and motion and aerodynamic design while also testing air pressure and how it would affect how far their rockets would travel. Fourth-grade rocket scientists worked in groups to design their own rockets, which were then ignited and flew high in the sky for all to see. Parachutes helped guide the rockets back to the ground and students tested how their designs fared compared to their classmates.
Elementary students are spending their summer months enriching their minds by participating in summer programs at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School during July and the beginning of August. The program’s activities focused on STEM, project-based learning, which allowed students the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities ranging from computer classes to science lessons and art and music, both inside and outside the classroom. Students participated in activities such as making their own bubbles, predicting whether items will sink or float in a science experiment or creating a water bottle flipping journal to test probability.
Copiague School District’s Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting on July 6. Michael Greb was unanimously elected and sworn in to serve as president of the board of education. Laura Gavey and Doris Fischer were also unanimously re-elected and sworn in to serve as vice president and second vice president, respectively. District Clerk Mary Ellen Ruppert swore in the board officials. Brian J. Sales and Rosemary Natoli were each re-elected to three-year seats on the board of education in May. Christopher Madden was also elected in May to fulfill the remaining term on Everett Newman III’s seat.