Students Create Tetrahedron Models

Students in Laurie O’Neill’s Smithtown High School East Design and Drawing for Production (DDP) Class recently worked together to create tetrahedron models using straws, string, and tissue paper. A tetrahedron (plural: tetrahedra) is a polyhedron composed of four triangular faces, three of which meet at each vertex. A regular tetrahedron is one in which the four triangles are regular, or "equilateral", and is one of the Platonic solids. The models are then combined to make larger tetrahedrons, and students compare the ratios of edge length, area, and volume of the models in an attempt to understand scaling factors. Principals of flight are also addressed. Tetrahedrals are an interesting design for a kite. You have lots of scope to explore, and you can build large and different kites without changing your basic design. The kite is a geometrical frame which is covered by sail. It is cellular and can be expanded easily just by tacking on more cells. It is also a very strong ridged structure so that you can use very light and flimsy materials. This class also counts towards art credit.

Live Election Coverage

Be sure to join SmithtownRadio.com's James Brierton, Megan Russ, Dean Laurence and Amanda Boitano for LIVE ELECTION COVERAGE beginning at 7 pm et. They'll be broadcasting until all the results are in. As well, they'll be taking your calls and e-mails. So be sure to log onto www.SmithtownRadio.com to join the interactive broadcast!

Mini College Day

Mini College Day took place on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at Smithtown High School East and Smithtown High School West. Over 50 colleges were in attendance and representatives met with hundreds of juniors and seniors. The students brought their college questions and had the opportunity to speak to representatives and request additional information.

Coordination of the Mini College program is rotated every two years through members of the North Shore Consortium. The North Shore Consortium is comprised of twelve High Schools that run two annual College Fairs each year. The college admissions staff from 50 schools travels to each of the participating high schools in a one week period in both the Fall and the Spring. Dorothy Caputo and Amy Insana, School Counselors, are the current coordinators for Smithtown CSD.

East Senior is Keynote Speaker at Junior National Leaders Conference

Senior Philomena Bubaris, known more cmmonly as Philly, was the Keynote Speaker at the Junior National Leaders Conference in Washington, DC on October 28th 2008. She addressed approximately 300 future leaders of America by speaking to high achieving middle school students representing almost every one of the 50 states. Philly was nominated by the faculty advisors after attending the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, DC this past summer and was selected after submitting an outline of a speech that would motivate future leaders of America. Phase II of the competition involved a conference call interview with the organizers of this program. She was then chosen to address the middle school student leaders in Washington.

Project Z.E.B.R.A.S.

Project Z.E.B.R.A.S. is a club at Smithtown East HS which focuses on global awareness in the Zulu region of South Africa. Project Z.E.B.R.A.S. stands for Zulu Education through Books, Resources, And Science. The club has held assemblies and carried on several fundraisers to provide support to two schools in impoverished rural areas. One of these is an elementary school, the Bhempliko Primary School, which teaches 350 students from grades 1-8. The other school is Ndabeziphezulu High School which has approximately 320 students from grades 9-12.

In summers 2006 and 2008, Ms. Elaine Maas, a Science teacher at Smithtown East, visited these schools and donated supplies and funds provided by Project Z.E.B.R.A.S. Among these supplies were 10 refurbished non-electric microscopes donated from discarded district supplies. These microscopes will be used in science classes at the high school. Previous to this donation, the science classes had none. The primary students received various supplies including laminated maps of Africa hand-drawn by students from Branch Brook Elementary School.

Photos seen here are from the Kwa Zulu Natal region of South Africa. This area, the most impoverished rural area of South Africa, has been devastated by conditions of adult HIV and malaria.

-By Smithtown Central School District

The Matador will have more on the numberous clubs here at East coming up in our next print issue...

Nissequogue River Rescue

Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau units, with assistance from multiple agencies, helped rescue a Centerport couple after their canoe was stuck in the Nissequogue River in Smithtown Monday around 5 p.m.

Dennis Ferrari, 49, and his wife Katherine Ferrari, 47, both of 41 Mariners Court, Centerport, were in a canoe on the Nissequogue River this evening when they got stuck on the mudflats. When they couldn’t reach land, the two called out to a passerby who called 911 at 5:12 p.m.

The Smithtown Bay Constable responded to the scene, along with Suffolk County Police Marine, Aviation and Emergency Service and Fourth Precinct units.

Several members of the Smithtown Fire Department, the Nesconset Fire Department and the Kings Park Fire Department all responded and tried to reach the couple by raft. When the raft hit the mud and was no longer able to move in the water, several firefighters tried to walk through the mud. A Nesconset firefighter was able to reach the couple in the canoe.

The West Islip Fire Department was called to the scene with a hovercraft. With Assistance from the Suffolk County Police Aviation Section, they were able to retrieve the couple, along with the Nesconset firefighter who reached the canoe.

Dennis and Katherine Ferrari were taken to Saint Catherine of Siena Medical Center and treated for Hypothermia. The Nesconset firefighter was taken to Stony Brook University Medial Center for observation for exposure to hypothermia. Another firefighter was checked by Smithtown Fire Ambulance at the scene and released.

Safe Halloween

Smithtown High School East will both be holding their annual Safe Halloween on Friday, October 31st from 3:30 to 7:30 pm. Elementary students grades K-5 are invited to participate in fun activities including Halloween themed crafts, spooky storytelling, an obstacle course, and our Art Honor Society famous Haunted House. Please come in costume. We ask that you bring 3 non perishable food items (i.e.: corn, peas, gravy, corn muffin mix, stuffing, cranberries, cake mix, or canned fruit) to support the Thanksgiving Food Drive.