Kindergartners in Maritza Benavides’ class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School recently completed a lesson on heritage and shared information about the different countries and cultures from which they came. The students learned about the culture, dance, foods, music and flags from the different countries and compared their differences and similarities.

Students at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School are working together to make their school a more welcoming place. This year, as part of a districtwide character education effort, the school is participating in “Start with Hello,” an initiative for students in grade 2-5 to become more inclusive. The “Start With Hello” campaign, which is part of the Sandy Hook Promise, encourages students to make small but powerful actions and gestures of kindness to promote connectedness. Susan E. Wiley recognizes students each week who have received a character card for their kind gestures.  

Students in Danielle Bishop’s class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School worked as engineers to design devices that could help them pick up fall leaves. They worked in teams to design and build their devices. After testing them out in the classroom, they made improvements to their designs. When the designs were finalized, the class took a nature walk and used their devices to pick up colorful leaves.

Throughout October, faculty, staff and students at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School have been raising awareness and funds to benefit breast cancer. Pink ribbons were sold throughout the month and staff wore pink every Friday. Four students – Anthony Genao (fifth grade), Danilsa Espinal (fourth grade), Serenity Woods (fourth grade) and Julian Watkins (second grade, not pictured) – were recently recognized for their efforts in contributing to the fundraiser, which included donations received from an ice tea stand. They each received certificates of appreciation from Principal Cynthia Florio (left) and Assistant Principal Janine Proulx.  

Students at Susan E. Wiley recently participated in Thanksgiving STEM activities. Check out the video of the day’s events.

On Nov. 2, five Copiague student-musicians attended the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association’s Day of Tuba/Baritone at Central Islip High School. The students from Susan E. Wiley Elementary School and Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School – Anastasia Brzozka, Christopher Tejada, Kasper Sztabinski, Jeremiah Moya and Christina Cross – were joined by Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School band director Brian Genua. They performed with more than 150 other student-musicians from throughout Suffolk County and meet and work with world-renowned clinicians and musicians.

Fifth-graders at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School held an assembly to honor and recognize local veterans on Nov. 7 in the cafeteria.

Parading in and waving their American flags, the students welcomed three Navy veterans – Leonard Oglesby, Kevin Nolan and Yohanny Hidalgo – to the school, who spoke about their experiences serving in the military and shared their personal stories. The fifth-graders created an acrostic poem, “Honor a Hero,” and student-musicians performed a patriotic tribute to heroes. 

Principal Cynthia Florio and Assistant Principal Janine Proulx presented the three veterans with certificates and participated in a question-and-answer sessions with the honorees. 

Nicole Davidson, music teacher at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School, was selected to present her research at the New York State School Music Association’s All-State Conference on Dec. 1 in Rochester, New York.

She will present her action research project at the research poster session. The project was completed as a part of her graduate coursework at the Crane School of Music. Her research topic was the examination of the most effective methods to teach beginning instrumental music students how to read musical notation. Through surveying, interviewing and conducting research on best practice of other elementary instrumental music teachers, she developed an action plan to use in her own classroom. 

In addition to the poster presentation at the conference, her abstract will be published in “School Music News,” the New York State magazine for music educators.

After spending time in the school’s pumpkin patch on Oct. 19, kindergartners in Jeannine Chaikin’s class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School learned about the different steps in carving pumpkins. During a lesson in sequencing, the students used a flow map to chart out the different steps in carving a pumpkin. The students each had a chance to feel the inside of the pumpkin and remove and count seeds.

Third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School recently studied line, shape and form to create individual feathers during their art classes. The feathers were then assembled to make wings.

In celebration of October as National Principals Month, every Monday in October we are spotlighting one of our building principals. Up next, Susan E. Wiley Elementary School Principal, Ms. Cynthia Florio. Click here to learn more about Ms. Florio.

Dressed in their cozy pajamas, students in kindergarten through second grade at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School celebrated their love of books with a family literacy night on Oct. 3.

The students began the evening with a reader’s theater presentation of “The Three Little Pigs,” both the traditional version and fractured fairytale, for their parents. Following the performance, students worked with their families for a STEM-based design challenge. They were tasked with building the most creative or unique structure using no more than six marshmallows and no more than 13 toothpicks. 

Using teamwork, the families each had 10 minutes to complete the structure. Judges awarded raffle tickets and prizes to teams based on their creativity. At the end of the evening, students received a book bag to take home with fairy tale readers for their grade level. The families also visited the PTA book fair in the cafeteria. 

The community, students, staff, administration and board of education joined together to celebrate the Copiague School District’s homecoming on Oct. 13.

Kicking off with a pep rally at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School the day before, the weekend activities began with a homecoming parade starting at Great Neck Road Elementary School. Members of sports teams, school clubs, youth organizations and the homecoming court gathered for the march to the high school. Senior class king and queen Owen Rosenberg and Kembalee Rolle waved to the crowd down the parade route. The homecoming floats – themed board games – showed off the students’ creativity and featured members of the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes.

Prior to the start of the football game against Newfield High School, Sen. John Brooks and Leg. DuWayne Gregory offered their best wishes for the Copiague Eagles. Despite their best efforts, the Eagles were unable to come out on top against the Newfield Wolverines.

The halftime show featured performances from the award-winning Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School marching band, varsity cheerleaders and step team. The evening concluded with the Hall of Achievement induction ceremony, honoring four Copiague alumni who have made a difference.