The soon-to-be elementary school graduates of Deauville Gardens East, Deauville Gardens West, Susan E. Wiley and Great Neck Road elementary schools celebrated the completion of their grade school years during their respective Class Day ceremonies on June 20 and 21.

Joined by district administrators, faculty members, parents and invited guests, the students proceeded two by two into the ceremony. 

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was performed by students at each school, which included members of the fifth grade ensemble and members of the American Sign Language Club. Each school’s respective principal welcomed guests to the ceremony. Student council officers greeted their classmates at each of the ceremonies and shared some of the highlights of their last six years together.  

Special awards were presented for academic merit and excellence, citizenship, President’s Awards for Educational Excellence and Educational Improvement, PTA Citizenship Award, principal’s awards, most improved awards, ELA/Math awards and the Joseph Ferriso Memorial Award at Deauville Gardens East Elementary School. 

For the presentation of the fifth grade diplomas, each student was called up to the stage to be celebrated and acknowledged individually. The fifth grade teachers read each name and principal’s presented the diplomas. Students also showed off their musical talents by performing a variety of selections, including their elementary class songs for the final performance. 

Deauville Gardens East

Deauville Gardens West

Great Neck Road

Susan E. Wiley

Watch how Great Neck Road students witnessed the metamorphosis of the butterfly.

Copiague School District administrators and Board of Education members recognized the faculty and staff members who will be retiring at the end of the 2018-2019 school year and also acknowledged teachers who were granted tenure during the June board of education meeting.

Superintendent of School Dr. Kathleen Bannon, board of education members and district administrators offered their congratulations to the seven retirees, who have more than 170 years of combined service to the district. Retiring at the end of the school year are: Pete Cesare, director of physical education and athletics (32 years); Monica Csorny, science teacher, Copiague Middle School (23 years); Lorraine DeLuca, office assistant, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School (16 years); Carol Geakel, assistant cook, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School (15 years); Victoria Miranda, office assistant, Susan E. Wiley Elementary School (27 years); Diana Murphy, food service worker, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School (28 years); and Sarah Rowan, ESL teacher, Copiague Middle School (31 years). 

Seven Copiague School District teachers – Brittni Ferlazzo, Copiague Middle School mathematics teacher; Courtney Folan, Copiague Middle School music teacher; Susan Graber, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School special education teacher; Brittany Jones, Copiague Middle School special education teacher; Maria Kennedy, Copiague Middle School psychologist; Lauren Lupinacci, Copiague Middle School special education teacher and Melissa Maggio. Great Neck Road Elementary school teacher – who were recently granted tenure, were also celebrated prior to the board of education meeting.   

Copiague School District showed off the many talents of its student-artists and student-musicians during its annual districtwide art festival at Great Neck Road Elementary School. The hallways featured art pieces from all of the schools in the district and gave guests a glimpse into the students’ hard work and dedication. Guests also voted for their favorite elementary artwork. The superintendent’s art gallery was also on display, featuring the art pieces hand-selected by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon to be hung in the administration building.  Throughout the evening, the elementary school choruses took turns sharing the stage and entertaining audiences with a sampling of their vocal talents.

Kindergartners at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School recently showed off their musical abilities during their music class with music teacher Nicole Davidson. After singing a St. Patrick’s-themed song, the students took turns using the xylophone to the tune of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” The  kindergartners also fine-tuned their skills using rhythm sticks and egg shakers.

Making fun out of a multiplication lesson, second grade students at Great Neck Road Elementary School practiced their skills during hands-on activities. Some students used Play-Doh, which was rolled up into small balls to make different arrays. Other classes tested their array knowledge using Cheez-Its, while yet another class crafted their own “array of sunshine.”

In an effort to alleviate the fear of hospitals and doctors, kindergartners got hands-on as they played the role of caregivers during a teddy bear clinic on May 7.

Representatives from Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip visited with students at Great Neck Road Elementary School in the Copiague School District to teach them about seatbelt, helmet and bike safety and how to care for injuries by practicing on their own stuffed animals from home. 

The class learned about the importance of injury prevention and how to keep safe in the car. Using an egg, the students had a chance to see what could happen during sporting and other activities if they don’t wear a helmet.  

During the hands-on portion of the educational program, the kindergartners became the doctor as they took care of their stuffed animals. After they applied bandages to their wounds and aftercare instructions to their stuffed friends, the students nursed them back to health with plenty of hugs. 

Kindergartners at Great Neck Road Elementary School showed their moms and invited guests just how special they are with Mother’s Day festivities in their respective classrooms.

Invited guests were welcomed to Jeanne DeMott’s kindergarten class, where the students shared snacks and showed off their artistic abilities with creative gifts. Students presented their special women with handmade flowers, a photo album and songs about how much they mean to them. Each student then recited a poem in the front of the class about what makes their mother so special.

Students in Natalia Brite’s kindergarten class used their writing skills to rework the book “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” to “If You Give a Mom a Muffin.” They presented their books, along with handmade vases, to their guests during a Muffins with Mom tea party. 

Elementary and middle school students from Copiague School District were recently recognized for their superior physical education and leadership skills. The Suffolk Zone of New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, has established an award program to recognize an outstanding male and female physical education student in each elementary and middle school in Suffolk County. The students were recognized during a ceremony at Bay Shore High School.

The district congratulates the following students: Amelia Bright and Ismael Garcia (Deauville Gardens East Elementary School); Enzo Barrera and Claudia Nunez (Deauville Gardens West Elementary School); Erick Salgado Jr. and Amaya McFadden (Great Neck Road Elementary School); Patryk Bronakowski and Dana Romano (Susan E. Wiley Elementary School); and Isaiah Harris and Samantha Huynh (Copiague Middle School). 

After learning about the food chain, students in Mrs. Ramstein’s fifth-grade class at Great Neck Road Elementary School got hands-on during a science lesson. The students dissected owl pellets and charted their findings, which included bones and other natural artifacts that helped to tell the story of the owls' habitats and food choices.

The Kiwanis Club of Copiague sponsored its first poster contest for elementary students in the Copiague School District. The theme of the posters was what can students do to help their community. The posters were judged on their artists abilities and thoughtfulness on a topic. Winners were chosen for each grade level per elementary as well as overall winners. The top winners for each grade received a Barnes & Noble gift card.

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Copiague were on hand at the April 15 Copiague School District Board of Education meeting to recognize the winners. The district congratulates the following grade level and overall winners in each school: Great Neck Road Elementary School – Hailey Wendel, Robert Kowalczyk, Yarenis Olivia, (first grade overall winner) Judith Bonilla (second grade overall winner), Moriah Exantus, Bryan Ramos and Kaia Mabli. Susan E. Wiley Elementary School – Isabella Mejia, Jaxon Risch, Katherin Palencia-Mendez, Brandon Gorgone, Kevin Saravia and Vicky Chen. Deauville Gardens West Elementary School – Josiah Morrison (kindergarten overall winner), Jasmin Nunez, Julia Marie King, Jacob Godlewski (third grade overall winner), Alexa Blanco and Adrianna Carbajal. Deauville Gardens East Elementary School – Gabryela Tejada, Mert Ergal, Aliana Deleon, Gerald Pointing, Carissa Spencer (fourth grade overall winner) and Eliana Brito Morocho (fifth grade overall winner).