To kick off the summer and summer reading, Great Neck Road Elementary School held a tailgating themed book giveaway outside the school.

Teachers decorated different cars in different sports themes. Members of the student council were on hand to assist the younger students browse and choose their book selections. There were plenty of genres to choose from so each student could pick the perfect fit for summer reading. Various organizations, including Supply House, the Great Neck Road Parent-Teacher Association and community members, donated the books for the school.  

Copiague School’s District youngest student-artists showed off their abilities during their respective art shows at Deauville Gardens West, Great Neck Road and Susan E. Wiley elementary schools. Featuring the different works completed throughout the school year, invited guests had the opportunity to view select works on display in the school’s gymnasiums. At Susan E. Wiley Elementary School, there was even a walking piece of art on display as art teacher Jeanne Daley sported a dress decorated with art created by her students.

 

Copiague School District celebrated the many accomplishments of its student body during the Student Recognition Awards and Superintendent’s Art Gallery at the Copiague Middle School auditorium.

Board of Education members, administrators, friends and family gathered to recognize these select students for their contributions to both the district and community. Thirty-seven students from throughout the district were chosen for the special recognition by the Copiague Board of Education for their outstanding achievements. These awards are only presented twice year to a small number of students for their accomplishments. 

The district congratulates the following Student Recognition Award winners: Deauville Gardens East Elementary School: Jazlyn Bonilla and Emma Turcios; Deauville Gardens West Elementary School: Carolina Acosta-Rivera and Payton Lewis; Great Neck Road Elementary School: Flauren Marcelin and Jocelyn Mejia Salazar; Susan E. Wiley Elementary School: Savannah Myszke and Kayden Quinones; Copiague Middle School: Hadasa Argeuta Botzok, Wailin Baez Polanco, Ana Maria Cruz Hernandez, Rebekah Dorfeuille, Vaiva Kean, Tamia Robert and Kaylie Rodriguez; Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School: Jennifer Reyes and Carol Rodrigues-Rodriguez. 

Members of the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Math Research Group were also acknowledged: Joseph Falco Jr., Zaiba Ismael, Liam Mahabir, Myra Mendoza-Rodriguez and Austin Nunez. Members of the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School robotics team were honored: Ziair Clark, Tyrese Glen, Derik Gonzalez, Sebastian Grajales, Leslie Guzman-Nunez, Amelia Henningham, Gregory Jean Baptiste, Nolan Johnson, Gabrielle Kaufman, Oleksa Klymovets, James Marmol, Raul Mena, Carol Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Arianna Tirino and Adam Wiszowaty.

The Superintendent’s Art Gallery winners were also acknowledged as a special way to celebrate student achievement. This year, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon selected 40 works of art, which will be on display throughout the entire school district. The pieces of art are framed and feature a brass plate, nothing the student-artist’s name, grade level and the year the piece was completed.

Three special works of art are chosen as “crowd favorites.” Each year at the Fine Arts Festival, the district displays various pieces of student artwork and the Copiague community votes for their favorite selections. Winners are chosen at the elementary, middle and high school levels and receive a $100 gift card. This year’s crowd favorites are pieces by Raffy Maloloy-On (Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School); Madalyn Molina (Copiague Middle School); and Kayla Cooper (Great Neck Road Elementary School).

The district congratulates the following student-artists: Deauville Gardens East Elementary School: Deanna Demeo, Alexandra Monell and Jailah Rix; Deauville Gardens West Elementary School: Gianni Espinal and Delilah Larios; Great Neck Road Elementary School: Genesis Hylton, Hunter Natoli and Leanny Soto; Susan E. Wiley Elementary School: Derek Skadel; Copiague Middle School: Lisbeth Adames Estevez, Eliud Bonilla, Lena Fleckenstein, Cathalene Garafola, Isabella Greene, Angeni Hernandez, Emily Krysiak, Kenneth Meza Betanco, Jennifer Molina Salazar, Aleyda Olivia, Annamaria Pepe, Karen Pierre, Stephanie Velasquez, Mariely Vinas Marte and Alexa Zephirin; Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School: Shani Bennett, Jeudy Collado, Jahnay Cuffy, Skyy Edwards, Robert Elias, Tiffany Gallinat, Kayla Kelly, Olivia Krzyzoszczat, Joseph Maloloy-On, Piotr Piatkowski, Katherine Rivera Isaquirre, Evelin Ruiz, Breon Sutton, Arianna Tirino, Marlin Valerio and Johanna Vargas Baez. 

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).