Icy Roads Remain

By Goodman, National Weather Service

TEMPERATURES REMAIN BELOW FREEZING THIS MORNING...AND WILL ONLYRISE TO 30 TO 35 THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE DROPPING BACK BELOWFREEZING TONIGHT. AS A RESULT...AREAS OF BLACK ICE THAT FORMEDLAST NIGHT WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN PLACE FOR MUCH OF TODAY AND INTOTONIGHT. SLICK SPOTS ON UNTREATED ROADS AND SURFACES ARELIKELY...SO ANYONE OUT WALKING OR DRIVING SHOULD EXERCISEAPPROPRIATE CAUTION AND ALLOW EXTRA TRAVEL TIME.

High School Midterms Rescheduled for January 30

The AP Psychology Midterm and Algebra I Midterm scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, 2009 were cancelled due to inclement weather. We have rescheduled these exams for Friday, January 30, 2009. Students are to report to their scheduled test site at 7:15 am. Students should report to their bus stops at the regularly scheduled time and location.

SHS East Will Host Relay for Life on June 6, 2009

Smithtown High School East will be hosting the Relay for Life of Smithtown on Saturday, June 6, 2009 on the athletic field. The kick-off meeting was held on Wednesday, January 21st. This will be the event's fourth year in Smithtown and the 3rd year that High School East has hosted this important event. The event has raised over $200,000 for the American Cancer Society. Relay for Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people nationwide. The purpose of the American Cancer fundraiser is to:

· Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
· Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
· Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

The event will be held at Smithtown High School East on Saturday, June 6 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is open to the entire community. The day will be full of family fun, activities, live entertainment and community healing. The event was started by Dr. Gordon Klatt, who held a one man, 24 hour marathon in 1985. Since then, the momentum of Relay for Life has grown into more than 3,300 separate events raising $243 million to fight cancer last year. Across the country, Relay volunteers celebrate life by honoring cancer survivors, remembering loved ones and educating the community about prevention and early detection.

More information can be found at http://www.SmithtownRelay.org. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4th at 7:00p.m. in the commons café at Smithtown High School East. All our welcome to attend!

1/28: 2 HR Delay, Morning Tests Cancelled

The Smithtown Central School District will be operating on a two hour delayed start at all middle and elementary schools.

At the high schools, all 7:30 a.m. tests have been cancelled. 11 a.m. tests will be given as scheduled with pick up beginning at 10:30 a.m.

School Calendar Changes

The Board of Education approved the following changes to the 2008-2009 District Calendar:

>February 2, 2009, has been added as a Superintendent’s Conference Day to score the ELA 3-5 assessments. There will be no school for K-5 students, but school will be in session for students in grades 6-12.

>The ELA Scoring Day originally scheduled for February 5, 2009 will remain for the purpose of scoring ELA 6-8 assessments and the English Regents. There will be no school for students in grades 6-12, but school will be in session for K-5 students.

>March 23, 2009, has been added as a scoring date for the Math 3-5 assessments. There will be no school for K-5 students, but school will be in session for students in grades 6-12.

>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.

Parent University to Address Drug Concerns

“Drugs in our Town: What’s a Parent to Do?” will be the theme of Smithtown School District’s Parent University on Monday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Nesaquake Middle School, 479 Edgewood Avenue, St. James, NY.

The topic of the evening was selected in response to the district’s Drug Summit held on December 17, where school and community members pledged a proactive approach to the community’s drug problem. The presentation will feature information and advice from experts, including a physician, law enforcement official, health educator, drug counselor, principal, and a parent struggling with her child’s drug addiction.

The evening is a cooperative effort between the District’s PTA leadership and administration. Topics are inspired by concerns expressed by the district’s parents. This is the third district-wide Parent University. Smithtown’s first district-wide Parent University was held in April 2008 and attracted 300 people.

All are welcome to attend and are encouraged to save the date.

TheMatadorOnline.com conducted an exclusive video interview with Ed Ehmann, the Superintendent of the Smithtown Central School District, last week. The video will be available on our Web site later in the week.

Cops Discover Body, Abandoned Car Near Caleb Smith

Suffolk County Police today arrested a Shirley woman after she left the scene of a fatal motor vehicle crash in Smithtown.

At approximately 4:30 a.m., Fourth Precinct officers responded to a motor vehicle crash on Jericho Turnpike in the vicinity of Caleb Smith State Park Preserve. Upon arrival, the officers discovered an abandoned vehicle off the roadway that appeared to have been involved in a collision. While inspecting the side of the roadway, the officers discovered the body of a man who had apparently been struck and killed by the driver of the abandoned car.

Upon further investigation, Fourth Squad Detectives determined that Kim Sandvoss, 44, of 139 Forest Ave., was the driver of the car that struck and killed Mark Telfer, 58, of Stony Brook.

Sandvoss was arrested at approximately 11:30 a.m. and charged with Leaving the Scene of a Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident and will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on January 25. The investigation is continuing.

This same stretch of road has become infamous for motor vehicle crashes. On Halloween of 2007, two Smithtown High School West students died in an accident, which killed a third teen and left another facing charges.