Accolades and Updates 4-14-09

Edward Ehmann, Superintendent of Schools of the Smithtown School District, made the following announcements at the April 14th Board of Education meeting at the Joseph M. Barton Administration Building.

SHS East student Valentine Esposito and SHS West student Kelly Prudente have been selected as Semi-Finalists in the prestigious Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition. The YES Competition awards college scholarships each year to high school juniors and seniors who conduct outstanding research projects that apply epidemiological methods of analysis to a health-related issue.

John Nolan was recently named the Model Schools Administrator of the Year for his commitment to promoting the growth instructional technology in 2008/2009.

Dogwood Elementary librarian Shelia Cavooris is an award winner of a grant titled, We the People “Picturing America” Bookshelf.

Branch Brook Elementary teacher Victor Collaco is the winner of a Western Suffolk BOCES Model Schools Teacher Integration Award.

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.

Members of the Smithtown High School East’s Honor Society recently visited after school with the patients at the Smithtown Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care. The residents were treated to a fantastic concert by Brian Harte, Caitlin Marsh, Jennifer Cohen, Emily Hittner, Mitchell Feinberg and Diane Cho.

Two SHS East ninth graders, Alissa Cutrone and Taylor Trentadue were awarded Honorable Mention at an Italian Poetry Contest at Stony Brook University.

The Great Hollow Middle School Mock Trial team recently competed in the 26th Annual Mock Trial Tournament at Dowling College under the direction of advisor Richard Restifo.

Accompsett Elementary School hosted its Annual Fairy Tale Ball. The Ball is a culminating event for the Fairy Tale unit of study. The second grade students read fairy tales, composed their own fairy-tales, retold Jack and the Beanstalk from the Giant’s point-of-view. The children also enjoyed a Cinderella Rap and a Fairy Tale Jingle.

Great Hollow and Nesaquake Middle Schools recently placed at Regional Science Olympiad Competition. Both schools earned medals for their achievements and have been invited to compete at the NYS competition.

The Mills Pond Civics Club has received a grant from Newsday’s Future Corps for the fifth year in a row. The grant will be used to purchase flats of flowers for their annual St. James Healthcare Facility Spring Planting Day. The students assist the seniors in beautifying their courtyard.

Mills Pond Elementary teacher Tara McCluskey’s fifth grade class has been chosen by Newsday’s Kidsday to develop a week-long series for the month of July. This opportunity will include celebrity interviews, taste tests, testing age appropriate toys and video games, restaurant reviews, school wide polls, and articles of interest, to name a few. The Kidsday editor, Patrick Mulooly, will be visiting the class several times and working closely with each student on developing their pieces.