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.

It was a match meant to be for two letters that always seem to pair well together. The kindergarten students at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School celebrated the unity of the letters Q and U in a special wedding ceremony on May 18.

Since the beginning of the school year, the kindergartners have been learning the sounds that letters make together and that letters, such as Q and U, appear together in most words. Dressed in their best ensembles, the wedding guests wore Q and U hats and veils to the wedding.

The large Q and U cutout letters, held by two students, walked down the aisle as ceremonial wedding music played. “There will be quarrels but you have to stick together like quicksand to solve any quandaries,” the officiant told the couple before concluding the ceremony.

After the ceremony, the marriage celebration continued back in the classroom as guests enjoyed juice and wedding cake.

Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School hosted the seventh annual Urban & Walsh Memorial Invitational on May 15. Organized by Copiague track coaches George Schroeder and John Sack, the annual event is held to honor Christopher Urban and Brittney Walsh.

Hosting 28 teams from across Long Island, the invitational featured 18 events including girls and boys shot put, boys and girls disc, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, the 2,000/3,000 steeplechase, 100/110 high hurdles, high jump and more. In addition to the standard track and field events, fifth-graders from the four elementary schools – Deauville Gardens East, Deauville Gardens West, Great Neck Road and Susan E. Wiley – participated in a special boys and girls 4x100 relay.

For the Copiague boys, David Lawrence placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 0:11.74, took third place in the long jump with 21 feet, 7.5 inches and placed second in the triple jump with 43 feet, 2.5 feet. Antoine Moore Jr. placed second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 0:50.82. Jackson Bright, Aryes Garrett and Brenton Bennett took fifth, sixth and seventh place, respectively, in the high jump.

For the Copiague girls, Halle Moore took first place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 60.66, while Akajia Atkins placed third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 0:13.25. The girls 4x400 meter relay team placed second with a time of 4:36.29, and high jumper Lyndsey Wilson secured third place with a jump of 4 feet, 10 inches. Akajia Atkins placed first in the long jump with a 17 foot, 3-inch jump, and Kyria Moore took fifth in the shot put with a toss of 32 feet, 6.75 inches.

Second-grade students in Diana Daniels’ class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School honored their mothers and special ladies in their life during a Mother’s Day Tea on May 11.

Invited guests shared the afternoon with the students in their classroom while listening to each student share a story about their special person. Mothers, grandparents, aunts and sisters gathered together for tea and cupcakes while spending some quality one-on-one time with their special second-grader.

April was autism awareness month and the students and staff at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School worked together to join the fight. Throughout the month, faculty, students and their families could purchase a puzzle piece and donate any amount to the cause. On April 28, the school participated in “Light It Up Blue,” dressing in blue to show their support. With the pieces of the puzzle displayed together in the main lobby, the school raised $125 to benefit autism awareness.