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Official Publication of the Sachem Central School District
2009-2010 BOARD OF EDUCATION
Anthony Falco, President • Robert Scavo, Vice President • Douglas Duncan Jr. • David Egloff • Jim LaCarrubba
Christine Lampitelli • Michael F. Licata • Michael J. Timo • Sal Tripi • Superintendent James J. Nolan
APRIL 2010
Sachem East Girls’ Basketball
Wins Long Island Championship
The Sachem High School East girls’ basketball team has had a milestone year. As of the third week of
March, the girls defeated Baldwin High School with a score of 57-44 to win the Long Island Class AA
Championship. The girls will now travel to Troy, NY for the New York State Tournament. This is the
team’s first-ever Long Island Championship title and the first title for Sachem since 1999.
Finishing the season with a 12-0 record in league play, Sachem East has won 51 consecutive league
games dating back to the end of the 05-06 season. In addition, team member Kristen Doherty became
the eighth player in county history to record her 2,000 th career point. Congratulations girls!
Sachem High Schools Applaud Mid-Year Graduates
Sachem High School North
graduates with administration
****ECRWSS****
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER
WALTER C. DUNHAM
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
245 Union Avenue
Holbrook, NY 11741-1890
Sachem Central School District
Non-Profit Org.
Carrier Route Presort
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 14
Holbrook, NY
Earlier this year, Sachem High School North and Sachem High School East celebrated the achievements of seniors who completed all of their graduation
requirements this winter. Providing students with diplomas at Sachem High School North was Interim Superintendent Joseph Buderman, and
commemorating students at Sachem High School East was Principal Rory Manning. Graduates and their families were also invited to special receptions
after diplomas were given.
Congratulations to Sachem High School North graduates Sarah Cavanaugh, Andre Costa, Stephanie Cueva, Veronica Cutinella,
Nicole Eichenholtz, Joseph Farrell, Samantha Feldmann, Delmy Galdamez, Ozgur Kocaman, Nicole Kolman, Thomas Lathan,
Justin McCauley, Eric Santucci, Nicole Sarelakos and Jeffrey Swagerman.
Congratulations to Sachem High School East graduates Eric Bergan, Rebecca Brignoni, Robert Castle, Benjamin Castro,
Vincent D’Alessandro, Christina Dowling, Christa Ganz, Corey Gilroy, Cole Jakobsen, Jessica Lourenco, Jenna Monsegur,
Rebecca Panico, Tiffany Post and Jake Rehrmann.
Robotics Competition to ‘Activate’ at Sachem
Mark your calendars! On Saturday, June 5, Sachem High School North will host
24 robotics teams from Long Island and New England at the inaugural Gathering
of the Tribes postseason scrimmage.
Sachem’s competing robotic team, Aftershock, comprises students from both
North and East campuses. In addition to Aftershock, each middle school at
Sachem has a FIRST team (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology (www.usfirst.org) and a Lego League Team, while Merrimac
Elementary School has a Junior Lego League Team (recently recognized
for its innovation in teamwork award at a competition in early March).
Be sure to come by on June 5 and support Sachem during the robotically fuelled fun!
A Sachem “robot’s-eye” view of the action
Our DECA Teams Excel at Regional Competition
Earlier this year, DECA members from Sachem High School East and Sachem High School North participated in the Suffolk County DECA
Competition at Suffolk County Community College.
Sachem East
Sachem East DECA
students returned
from the regional
competition with an
impressive 18 awards
and an honorable
mention. The students
competed in various
business events,
including Business
Law and Ethics,
Automotive Services
Marketing, Public
Speaking and
Free Enterprise.
Sachem North
More than half of this
year’s Sachem High School North participants earned recognition for their academic performance. Among the events they competed in were Sports
and Entertainment Management, Business Law, Accounting Applications, Broadcast Advertising and the Principles of Business Administration,
Marketing Management, and Hotel and Lodging.
The top finishers in each category received plaques and were eligible to participate in the NYS Career Conference, held in Rochester. Sachem’s
students are certainly well-positioned to continue their quest to earn a national DECA title. Thank you to all the DECA administrators and the
Sachem School Business Alliance members for their support.
Science Research Student Receives
National Science Travel Grant
Congratulations to Sachem High School East senior Beverly Agtuca who recently received a travel grant
from The National Science Foundation. With this contribution, Beverly was able to present her research –
the focus of which was the use of endophytic bacterial strains to promote plant growth for the purpose of
bioethanol production – at the sixth annual International Phytotechnology Conference in St. Louis.
What makes this accomplishment truly exceptional is that travel grants are typically reserved for collegiate
students or professional speakers; Beverly was the only high school student to present at this conference. In
recognition of her achievement, Beverly was honored by the Sachem Board of Education earlier this year.
Sachem East senior Beverly Agtuca with Principal Manning
And the Winner Is…
Tiffany Ly Takes the Title of District Spelling Bee Champ
Earlier this year, 24 of Sachem Central School District’s top elementary school spellers gathered at
Chippewa Elementary School for the annual district spelling bee. It was obvious that the contestants
had studied hard, as the bee ran for a record length. After nearly 90 minutes and some 145 words, a
winner was finally declared.
Tiffany Ly, a fifth grader from Lynwood Avenue School, was crowned champion after correctly
spelling the winning words – “relinquish” and “eminent.” Congratulations to Tiffany and all the
fine spellers from Sachem.
Learning English is Fun at Sachem’s Winter Carnival
Earlier this year, students at Sachem High School East created bilingual children’s storybooks to share with ESL students in our elementary schools.
The books, written in Spanish and English, gave the older students an interesting way to practice their Spanish language skills as they helped the
younger children learn new words in English.
The two groups of students enjoyed reading the books together at this year’s winter carnival, where the elementary children also saw a puppet show
and played interactive games. After the Carnival, the bilingual books were donated to the ESL classrooms for future use.
Thank you to all who contributed to this event and to the Sachem East students who contributed their original literary works.
Sports News
Sachem North Senior Awarded
Full Athletic Scholarship
Congratulations to Sachem High School
North senior Davon Lawrence, who
recently signed a letter of intent
to play football at Stony Brook
University on full scholarship.
Davon’s football résumé boasts many
impressive feats for Sachem North,
including 10.2 yards per carry in a
season (ranked #1 all-time), 1887
rushing yards in a single season
(ranked #2 all-time), 25 rushing touchdowns in a season (ranked #2
all-time) and 5 touchdowns in a single game (tied for most all-time).
This past season, Davon was named the team’s most valuable player
(MVP) and the Suffolk County Division I Football player of the year. He
was also appointed to the 1st Team All-Long Island, 2nd Team All-NY State,
1st Team All-Suffolk County and 1st Team All-Division I Suffolk County.
Our High School Cheerleaders
Excel in National Competition
Congratulations to the
Sachem High School North
and Sachem High School
East cheerleading squads,
who placed third and sixth,
respectively, at the 2010
Universal Cheerleading
Association (UCS) National
High School Championship.
The tournament, which took
place earlier this year at the Walt Disney World Resort, is the most
prestigious cheerleading event in the country.
Congratulations to all of Sachem’s talented cheerleaders for their
performances at this competition, and for representing the Sachem
community so well on a national stage!
Haiti Relief Efforts at Sachem
On February 5, the Sachem Central School District’s music and art departments held a
special benefit concert at Sachem High School North to raise money for those affected
by the Haiti earthquake. Dubbed Hope for Haiti, the event included student-made art
projects and multimedia presentations, as well solos, ensemble performances and
original compositions by students. Thanks to a wonderful turnout, Sachem was able
to donate $1,040 to
the American Red
Cross. In recognition
of the district’s efforts,
Sachem was presented
with a Congressional
Honors Certificate from
Congressman Tim Bishop.
Students and teachers
around the district also
contributed to the relief effort
in their own ways. Many elementary schools held Hearts for Haiti campaigns – raising
thousands of dollars to contribute by selling personalized paper hearts to display at their
schools. In addition, some classes sold glasses of iced tea during their lunch periods to
donate to the Red Cross.
Sachem Student Honored for Volunteer Work
Sachem East senior Nicole Mieczkowski has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service
with a Certificate of Excellence from the 2010 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program.
The award was presented to Nicole on behalf of the President’s Council on Service and
Civic Participation.
“Nicole has demonstrated a clear passion for helping others and we are proud to share her recognition
with the Sachem community so that she may serve as a role model for other young people,” praised
Mr. Manning.
(L-R) Sachem High School East Principal Rory Manning,
guidance counselor Donna Jackson, senior Nicole
Mieczkowski and interact volunteer advisor Richard Lemke.
As a member of Sachem East’s Interact Volunteer Club, Nicole has played an integral role in the
operation of the school’s blood drives, which have been recognized as the largest among high schools
in the region with more than 800 pints collected last year. She has participated in many fundraising
activities to support worthy causes, including research for Parkinson’s disease and efforts to help
workers from the site of the World Trade Towers.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program recognizes Americans of all ages who have
volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country. Nominations were judged on criteria such as personal initiative,
creativity, effort, impact and personal growth. The Sachem community congratulates Nicole and her family for this great honor.
Spring Musicals Are in Rehearsal… Mark Your Calendar!
April 15-17
The Sachem Music Department will present wonderful musicals at each of our high schools in just
a few weeks. On April 15, 16 and 17, Sachem High School East will present Sweet Charity and
Sachem High School North will feature Bye, Bye Birdie. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. These
Broadway-quality shows are made possible by the support of the schools and communities,
as well as the hard work of the dedicated staff of teachers and students.
You can find more information about the shows and ticketing at www.sachem.edu; just click the
Curriculum and Instruction button and scroll to the District Music and Fine Arts page. Reserve
your tickets early!
Summer Enrichment Program
Returns in 2010
Once again this summer, Sachem Central School District will host an
enrichment program at Tamarac Elementary School. This program will
include science, literacy, computer instruction, supervised physical education
and recreation programs, with Sachem’s own elementary school teachers
leading the instruction.
The District received wonderful feedback from last year’s summer
enrichment program and we are excited to host it again in 2010. The
enrichment program runs from July 6 through July 30. All those interested
should be sure to register by April 23. Check the District website,
www.sachem.edu, for the application form.
Important Budget Dates
We invite all community members to attend our upcoming 2010-11
budget discussions and urge everyone to vote on May 18, from
6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at all elementary schools. All meetings leading up
to the budget vote will take place at Samoset Middle School, with
the budget hearing at 7:30 p.m. on May 5. Please attend and be a
part of the budgeting process. We value your input! Dates are subject
to change; check the district website, www.sachem.edu, for updates.
Budget Hearing: May 5, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
Budget Vote and Election: May 18, 2010 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Look for a special budget newsletter coming soon to your mailbox.
Remember to Vote
Electronic Newsletter Coming Soon
As we work to propose a budget for the 2010-2011 school year, the Sachem administration and Board of Education have been considering every way
possible to reduce spending and save our taxpayers money. Because we realize that many people in our communities are very active online, we will
soon begin replacing some of our paper newsletters with electronic versions. Not only will this lower expenses for printing and mailing, but producing
fewer print newsletters will help the environment, too.
Look for updates later this spring in our budget publication and online.
Visit
Sachem
on the
Web!
www.sachem.edu
New Device Helps Teachers Instantly Assess
How Much Each Student Is Learning
Teachers at Sachem High School North and
Sachem High School East have found a new way
to determine how well their students are grasping
lessons in class: the SMART Response system.
Using a handheld remote control, students record
their answers to test questions or quizzes, and
teachers see each student’s responses on a
receiver immediately.
Ms. Tietjen’s ninth grade English class and their
SMART Response devices
The benefits of this technology are far-reaching.
Teachers know right away whether students are
engaged and how well they understand the material;
they can then adapt their lessons to meet individual
needs. The system also allows teachers to track
students’ progress over time to see how much they
have improved. The SMART Response system is
also fully integrated for use with the SMART
Board interactive whiteboard and Notebook.