Copiague School District recognized its finest artists and student achievements during a special ceremony held prior to the June 19 board of education meeting.

District administrators, faculty and board members gathered with invited students and their guests in the Copiague Middle School auditorium to celebrate their successes. 

Chosen by the Board of Education, the Student Recognition Awards highlight students for their outstanding achievements in their academic, fine arts or community service. They are presented twice a year to a small number of students for their special accomplishments. “Publicly recognizing excellence is our way of celebrating some of the great successes of the Copiague schools’ programs and, at the same time, enabling us to showcase outstanding role models to our school community,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon. 

Twenty students were honored during the ceremony, as board members read a brief description from teachers and principals on why the students were chosen for the award. 

The 2017 Superintendent’s Art Gallery inductees and Fine Arts Festival crowd favorites were on display for the audience to enjoy. Now in its 21st year, the Superintendent’s Art Gallery began when the Copiague art teachers selected several pieces of student artwork to display. 

Over the years, the collection has grown to provide a showcase of student artwork in corridors and offices in each of the schools. Each of the framed pieces is identified by a brass plate noting the student-artist’s name, grade level and year the piece was completed. Crowd favorite art pieces – four in total this year from the elementary, middle school and high school – are also chosen by the community during the annual Fine Arts Festival. 

Fifth-grade students throughout the Copiague School District celebrated their academic accomplishments and reflected on their elementary school years as they move up to Copiague Middle School in September at their respective Class Day celebrations on June 15 and 16.

Administrators, faculty, parents and invited guests gathered to celebrate as the fifth-grade students marched in to “Pomp and Circumstance.” Student council officers greeted their classmates at each of the ceremonies and remembered the memories shared over the last six years.  

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon offered words of encouragement for the fifth-grade classes at Susan E. Wiley and Great Neck Road elementary schools, while Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Jeanette Altruda addressed audiences at Deauville Gardens East and Deauville Gardens West elementary schools.

At each of the Class Day ceremonies, the fifth-graders were recognized with awards for academic merit, leadership, principal’s awards, Presidential Awards for Educational Excellence and Educational Improvement, and citizenships awards. The fifth-grade teachers and principals at each of the four elementary schools facilitated the presentation of diplomas. 

Students also showed off their musical talents by performing a variety of selections, including their elementary class songs for the final performance. Students and guests gathered for a celebration following each of the ceremonies. 

Copiague School District administrators and Board of Education members recognized the faculty and staff members who will be retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year and also acknowledged teachers who were granted tenure during the June 5 board of education meeting.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon, board of education members, district administrators and department chairs offered their congratulations to the five retirees, who have close to 150 years of combined service to the district. Retiring at the end of the school year are Stacy Bach, Rose Marie Bell, Lynne Cook, Deirdre Whiston and Rosette Verriotto. 

Four teachers ¬– Karen Kazlaukas, Michael Olsen, Danielle Russo and Ioanna Spyris – who were recently granted tenure, were also celebrated prior to the board of education meeting.  

The Suffolk Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance sponsored the annual Physical Education Student Leadership Awards Ceremony at Longwood High School on May 3. Students who qualify for the award are recognized for their achievements in physical education, leadership, character and academics.

Honored at the ceremony was Copiague Middle School eighth-graders Sarah Manzanarez and Kenneth Tejada; Deauville Gardens East Elementary School fifth-graders Ava Reichelt and Zachary Rosenzweig; Deauville Gardens West Elementary School fifth-graders Stanley Buissereth and Stefana Lipari; Susan E. Wiley Elementary School fifth-grade students Brian Gonzalez and Jordana Jagnarine; and Great Neck Road Elementary School fifth-grade students Nicole Araujo and Kamar Birthwright.

Deauville Gardens East Elementary School had a special visit from a furry friend on May 15. Therapy dog Buffalo Bill Cody, and his trainer Bruce Kollmar, from the program Love on a Leash, spent the morning in Kevin Beach’s first-grade class. The students are learning all about what a therapy dog can do and took turns reading to him.