SCSD: Accolades and Updates 3-24-09

Edward Ehmann, Superintendent of Schools of the Smithtown School District, made the following announcements at the March 24th Board of Education meeting at the Joseph M. Barton Administration Building.

March 27, 2009, originally scheduled as a Superintendent’s Conference Day, will remain for the purpose of scoring the Math 6-8 assessments. K-5 students will attend school as usual, but there will be no school for students in grades 6-12.

The 2009-2010 budget will be presented to the Board of Education for approval at the April 14th Board of Education Meeting.

A Facilities Committee Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m. at the Joseph M. Barton Building, 26 New York Avenue, Smithtown.

All transportation requests for the 2009-2010 school year for private or parochial school students must be made by April 1, 2009, regardless of whether the request is for a first-time applicant or is a renewal.

Mary Cahill, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Administration, recently received an award from the Council of Administrators and Supervisors in Recognition of Her Outstanding Leadership in the Field of Education. Scope Education Services also presented her with The Administrator Service Award in Appreciation for Her Outstanding Service to the District.

Three Smithtown Juniors, Valentine Esposito, Reena Glaser and Jessica Noviello, have been awarded a Simons Summer Research Fellowship at Stony Brook University. Only 32 juniors are selected to participate in this prestigious program which receives applications from students throughout the country.

Congratulations to Smithtown High School East students Ashley Beck and Cara Hallahan for earning All County Honors this winter track season. Cara was the Large School Champion in the high jump and Ashley placed 2nd at the State Qualifier, also in the high jump. Ashley represented Suffolk County at the State Track Meet at Cornell University.

Robyn Suchy is a 16 -year-old HSE student who already has a published book. Robyn is part of the Young Poets Mentoring Program established in 2007 by Suffolk County Poet Laureate Dr. David Axelrod. This program gives students the opportunity to publish their first book of poems. A collection of Robyn’s poems can be found in the book, “Stairwells and Window Frames” published by Writers Ink Press.


Smithtown High School East & West DECA completed its best ever results at the recent State Championship Conference in Rochester. More than half the students received recognition with four receiving first place in the state recognition. With their phenomenal performance, 28 students will represent Smithtown at the International Conference to be held in Anaheim, California beginning on April 29th.

During the month of March, National Nutrition Month, the Mount Pleasant PTA’s Health and Wellness committee has sponsored “Tasting Tuesdays”. Every Tuesday the students have been given the opportunity to try different healthy fruits and vegetables during their lunch period.

The Smithtown Teachers’ Association recently had a fundraiser and raised $1,000 for a medically fragile student.

Students from each grade level at Saint James Elementary School were awarded certificates for exhibiting compassion by taking care of themselves, each other, and St. James. Compassion is one of the character traits that are celebrated as part of the St. James Character Education Program.

Accompsett Elementary students recently had the opportunity to meet with local author Brian Heinz. The students first met with Mr. Heinz and were taken through the process “From Writer to Reader”. Mr. Heinz then shared his writings and many of his wildlife experiences which are the basis of his works.

Smithtown High School West Leadership Club recently hosted the Spring Blood Drive.
The third graders at Smithtown Elementary culminated their study of Japan with a Japan Day celebration. Children and teachers dressed for the occasion in clothing typical of the Japanese culture.

Under the direction of Librarian Harriet Pasca-Ortgies and Linda McCann, 44 students from GreatHollow Middle Schoolhad their original poetry published in the Pine Tree Poetry book for 2009.

For the third time in five years, the Nesaquake Middle School Trivia Team took first place in the Middle School Division of the Suffolk County United Cerebral Palsy Trivia Contest.

Matthew Hennings’ Sports Management Class at HS East recently had an opportunity to meet with Andy Collier from The Baseball Hall of Fame via videoconference. Students experienced a unique lesson in free enterprise through the evolution of contracts and commerce. In addition students had an opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion with Mr. Collier.


Ms. Armstrong’s second graders from Smithtown Elementary held a videoconference with Michael Hare from the NASA Johnson Space Center to learn about the Solar System in the Distance Learning Lab at HS West. Students also had an opportunity to see live footage of the Astronaut Training Center and the International Space Station.
Through the Kids Helping Kids Book Drive, Accompsett students and parents donated more than 3,190 gently used or new books for the Hope’s Children’s Fund. The foundation will use these books to create a library for children in Africa. The Kids Helping Kids Book Drive was used to jump start the school’s PARP (Parents as Reading Partners) month.

Three DECA West students, Lauren Baruch, Thomas Kirnbauer and Connor Levens, won first place in New York State DECA Career Conference for their work on the Smithtown Solar/Energy Savings Initiative Public Relations Campaign.