board of education

WORKING TOGETHER FOR OUR SCHOOLS
Vol. 23 / No. 7
News in Brief
June 2007
Exploring Long Island
Kids taking care of the Earth
Megan penned the prize
winning slogan: “Plant a
Flower, Give the Earth
more Power!”
Most of the District’s Schools were
focused on the
environment during the months of
April and May.
Aquebogue and
Riley Avenue had
extensive
programs during the
week and a half
bookended
by
Earth Day and
Arbor Day.
Helping Buddy go home. . .
The Phillips Avenue
Marine Science
Club (which is
funded by the 21st
Century Grant)
went to Ponquogue
Beach with the
Riverhead Foundation to help release
a seal. Phillips
Miss Allison Chaillet tries
Avenue
School
to lure Buddy the seal into
partners with the
the water.
Riverhead Foundation to teach the
students
about
marine life, beach formation and how to keep our
beaches clean. The children thoroughly enjoyed
this experience. They even got to name the 5 month
old gray seal--Buddy. Vanessa Giron-Berganza
said it was really exciting because she never got to
see a seal that close before. Jason Riollano said
his favorite part was when Buddy finally went into
the water, but then tried to come back on to the
beach!
Poetry Rocks at Roanoke
Second graders at
the Roanoke Avenue
School participated
in “Poetry Jams”
during the Month of
May (alliteration).
(Left) Ricky (aka the
Poetry Wizard)
recites his poem at a
Jam.
Oh Light -My light is bright.
You can fall out of sight
So turn on the light
Flick-flick-flick
You’re going on and off!
The bill will go up.
Your mom will hate it.
So-Turn off the lights
When you don’t
need them.
Flick-flick-flick.
RMS teacher Claire Yannacone prepares her students for a science lesson on the beach at Indian Island.
R
iverhead is bordered by the Peconic
River, the Great Peconic Bay on the
south and the Long Island Sound on
the north. Its unique location and glacial origin
offers Riverhead students a rich scientific learning experience. Seventh graders recently used a
day at the beach to enhance their studies in the
classroom.
At each stop, students worked in groups and rotated through different activities designed to exemplify the unique features of that particular
beach.
Teachers from each discipline led students
through their assignments. Firsthand learning
experiences on the beaches helped students put
the material learned in their 7th grade geology
unit into perspective. Other subjects were inteThe field trip involved students in exploring the
grated into the trip
varied geography of
as well. In math,
Long Island and
students graphed
helped them relate
After a visit to the beach, it’s hard the data collected
these differences to
at the sound and
the forces that creto believe that we live in a
ocean. In English
ated and still shape
class, students
the Island today. Scimaterial world. ~Pam Shaw
wrote letters based
ence, math, social
on their reflecstudies and English
tions from the trip,
standards were adand, in social studies, students were asked which
dressed as students traveled from the rocky North
location they would have picked to settle if they
Shore beaches on the Sound through the farmwere Native American scouts discovering Long
lands of the North Fork, across the Peconic River
Island for the first time.
to the sandy South Shore beaches of Ponquogue.
Riverhead CSD
700 Osborne Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11901-2996
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A
June, 2007
2
Board of Education
Working Together for Our Schools
Dear Parents, Guardians and Residents,
As the end of the school year approaches, I would like to
congratulate all of our students on a very successful year. To our
graduating seniors, may your future endeavors meet all your
expectations, whether it is in college, military service, or as a
member of the work force. To the parents of our students, I thank
you for your support of your child’s programs over the years.
Joseph Singleton
To the members of the Board of Education, I thank you for your
unselfish efforts on behalf of the students and staff of the
Riverhead Central School District. Your leadership has kept the
District on course during periods of change, and has been ever mindful of the financial
responsibility to the residents of the District. To the members of the staff at all levels, I
praise you, for your commitment in providing the finest possible education and services to
the students of Riverhead. I wish to thank the residents of the community for their
approval of the 2007-2008 School Budget and the approval of the purchase of new school
buses.
Interim Superintendent
Mark Finnerty’s Contribution Award
Plant Facilities Administrator Mark Finnerty recently
received recognition for
his “outstanding contributions” to the Suffolk
Chapter of the NY State
Association for Superintendents of Buildings and
Grounds. Mr. Finnerty
donated the $1,000 award
to the school district’s
scholarship fund.
Mark Finnerty
Board Awards Tenure
To Diane B. Scricca, the newly appointed Superintendent of Schools, all best wishes in her
new position of leadership in Riverhead. I know that she will continue to move Riverhead
ahead in programs and achievements for the students of the community.
I wish to thank all members of the Riverhead Community for your kindness and support
during my service in Riverhead over the last three years. It has been my privilege to serve
you.
THANK YOU, MR. SINGLETON, FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Joseph F. Singleton
Interim Superintendent of Schools
Nancy Carney
Debra Rodgers
The Board of Education awarded tenure to Assistant
Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Nancy
Carney, Roanoke Principal Debra Rodgers and
several teachers at their April meeting.
Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest Winners
The RHS NJROTC Color Guard paraded the colors prior to the May 22nd Board of Education
meeting. The RHS NJROTXC Unit was recognized for achieving the Distinguished Unit Award.
VFW Cmdr. Gene McSherry presented (L-R) James Peterson,
Steven Backel and Kristianna Giannico with essay awards.
David Zimbler is Chosen as New RHS Principal
D
avid Zimbler has been chosen as the
new principal at Riverhead High
School. The Board of Education announced his acceptance at their May 22nd
Board meeting.
Mr. Zimbler earned his Bachelor of
Arts in 1992 from SUNY-Oneonta in Interdisciplinary Studies and English and
received his Master of Science in Educational Administration and Supervision in
1998 from C.W. Post. He began his administrative career at the Shell Bank Intermediate School 14 in Brooklyn, NY
as Assistant Principal and the Departmental Chair of English and Social Studies.
He then took a position as an Assistant
Principal of Curriculum and Instruction
at Malverne High School and is currently
the principal at the Howard T. Herber
Middle School in Malverne.
“My administrative experience spans
from an inner city school in Brooklyn to
the Long Island suburban district of
Malverne,” states Mr. Zimbler. “I have
worked with diverse groups of students
and parents in distinct and yet equally
challenging environments. My experiences have taught me that children will
rise to our expectations if they are challenged, supported and nurtured. To ensure the success of all students, I have
provided my staff with extensive staff development on differentiated instruction,
questioning techniques and developing
rigorous coursework.”
While under his leadership, the
Howard T. Herber Middle School was
recognized as a N.C.L.B. Blue Ribbon
School. A member of Mr. Zimbler’s faculty, Mrs. Marguerite Izzo, was also recognized as the 2007 New York State
Teacher of the Year.
As the Assistant Principal at Malverne
High School, Mr. Zimbler mentored new
teachers, worked with teachers on differentiated instruction and conducted home
visits and “neighborhood drives.” He also
conducted gang awareness and prevention workshops.
As the principal at the middle school
in Malverne, Mr. Zimbler worked with
an interdisciplinary team of staff to address the academic, social and emotional
needs of students. He also created and
implemented after school academic intervention programs such as “Operation
Achievement,” assessment review
classes and the Saturday Academy.
“He’s a home run,” states Diane
Scricca, Riverhead’s newly named Superintendent of Schools. “He has it all. He’s
also very high energy. Riverhead is very
lucky to get him.”
“I’m looking forward to working in the
Riverhead School District,” shared Mr.
Zimbler. “Ms. Scricca has an extensive
knowledge of and experience in curriculum. I like to work in that environment.
When I heard that she was going to
Riverhead and that they had an opening
in the high school, I immediately applied.
I’m very excited and looking forward to
getting started in July.”
rcsd/news
3
www.riverhead.net - news and events
Ms. Diane Scricca is the new Superintendent
Ms. Diane Scricca spoke briefly to the community after
the Board of Education voted her in as Superintendent.
I
t’s official! Ms. Diane Scricca is the new
Superintendent of Schools at RCSD! The
Board of Education’s vote was both
unanimous and enthusiastic!
Berezny: “With pleasure, yes!” DeVito:
“Absolutely, yes!” Griffing: “Yes!” Harkin: “With
great excitement, yes!” Prete: “I can’t wait, yes!”
Stark: “Yes!” Gassert: “Absolutely, positively, with
great joy, yes!”
After the vote, Ms. Scricca spoke briefly to
members of the community at the special meeting of
the Board, and then greeted a long line of students,
faculty, administrators, staff and members of the
community at a reception in the cafeteria.
“I’m just overjoyed,” shared Board of Education
president Nancy Gassert. “The Board is so delighted.
Ms. Scricca has a huge amount of knowledge. We can’t
wait for her to come here and get on board.”
Mrs. Gassert’s words were echoed over and over
by every Board of Education member and reinforced
by members of her current faculty from Malverne,
who came to be with her on this occasion.
“She did great things for our District,” stated Ann
Ciccotelli, a second grade teacher in Malverne. “She’s
an expert in programs like Reading Recovery and
Balanced Literacy. We were heartbroken when we
heard she was leaving. She’s totally child-centered.
Riverhead is very lucky to get her.”
Lucille McAssey, who is a principal in the
Lynbrook School District, which is adjacent to
Malverne, felt equally positive about Ms. Scricca. “We
taught together in the New York City schools for 15
years. Her first job as a principal was at Elmont High
School. She took Elmont, a failing school, and made it
Redbook magazine’s choice as the #1 high school in
the State of New York. It became a Blue Ribbon School
and was voted as one of the 10 best schools in the
nation, and Diane was named New York State
Principal of the Year. Diane’s philosophy,” continued
Ms. McAssey “ is that every child cannot only achieve
but EXCEL! She introduced honors courses and after
school programs. The kids enrolled and succeeded.
She believed in them! I’ve always thought of her as a
tremendous role model as well as a good friend.”
Ms. Scricca has 35 years of experience as an
educator. In addition to being a social studies
teacher, a dean and chairperson in a New York City
school, an award winning Principal while at Elmont
High School, an Assistant Superintendent of
Curriculum, Personnel and Facilities in Glen Cove,
a Deputy Superintendent in Malverne, Ms. Scricca
also coauthored a book with Albert Coppola and
Gerard Connors entitled Supportive Supervision:
Becoming a Teacher of Teachers.
“She was one of my professors during my
doctoral studies at Hofstra,” shared RCSD
Academic Supervisor Shirley Cepero. “She was an
excellent teacher, and I’m looking forward to
working with her.”
“I feel very strongly that I’ve been led to this
community. I wasn’t recruited; I applied for this
position. I drove through an ice storm for four hours
for my first interview. This is a place where I feel I
can make a difference in the lives of children,” she
noted. “The Board has been very supportive, and
the care and kindness that has been shown to me
has been overwhelming. Tonight’s greeting was
incredible. The first two years are a crucial time—
the community has to know that I’m here to serve
the Board, the teachers and the children, and to
work together with them and the community to
make this the very best school district. My first task
will be to be in a serious listening mode. I want to
hear what everybody has to say. I want to talk to
everybody in the school and the community. Then
we can begin to develop a focus together. I’m looking
forward to getting started in July.”
Special Education Wins $700,000 Grant!
S
pecial Education Director Betsy Chappell
and Assistant Director Kevin Stack wrote a
grant that has brought the District $700,000 to
finance a “Model Transition Program” (MTP).
The grant will give the District the ability to
introduce and infuse transitional activities and
practices it has identified as critical to improving
post-secondary outcomes for students with
disabilities. The transitional activities that
become available with the grant include new
collaborations and partnerships with local adult
service agencies; more effective transitional
planning provided by a district Transitional
Coordinator; collaborations with two local
college/universities to better prepare students
with disabilities for college life; the development
of local internships managed by our existing
school-to-work coordinator that can be offered to
students as young as 15; and improved
communication of important information about
2
Transitional Planning Team: Guidance Counselor Chris Maartin, Director of Speial Education and Pupil
Personnel Services Betsy Chappell, HS Special Education Teacher Timothy Page and the Assistant
Director of Spcial Education and PPS Kevin Stack worked together to win this special education grant.
transitional planning and services to our students
and their parents/guardians. The district has
identified 260 students with disabilities, who,
over time, will benefit from the activities of the
Model Transition Program Grant.
“This grant will assist our students as they leave
school or ‘age out’ of our program,” explained
Ms. Chappell. “The MTP Coordinator and the
alliances with organizations like Maryhaven and
the Cody Center will make a big difference.”
Read more about this program and other articles in this newsletter online at
www.riverhead.net.
Timothy Smith won a filmmaking scholarship.
rhsnews
Go, Blue Waves
Track Team at Town Hall
4
www.riverhead.net - news and events
Top Two in the Class of 2007
R
HS senior Tara
R
McKenna is Valedic-
tatorian for the Class of
Her parents are Martin
2007. Her parents are
and Janis McKenna.
Nora
valedictorian
CORE Fitness Program offered
RHS added a
number
of
electives for
students to
take in the ‘0708 school year.
One of those
electives was
the CORE Fitness Program
in Physical
Education.
This challenging fitness
Pat lifts 400 lbs. as part of his
program uses
CORE training in PE.
a computer
software program (biggerfasterstronger.com) to
monitor student progress and help students learn how
to improve the core muscle groups of the body.
“This class allows student athletes and students in
general to strengthen and tone their bodies in a way
that helps them perform in their sport and decrease
injuries,” states Coach Leif Shay. “Prior to this class,
many athletes didn’t have time in their schedule for
strength and fitness training.”
Bill Groth wins Athletic Award
Bill Groth, RCSD Athletic Director, received an award
from Section XI for twenty years of outstanding
service to the New York State Public High School
Athletic Association and Section XI. In addition, Bill
has been nominated and elected to be President of
Conference II for the second time in his career.
Belfield is Salu-
torian for the class of 2007.
Tara is the second
(May, 2007) Riverhead Town Supervisor Phil
Cardinale and the Riverhead Town Board recently
presented members of the 4x200 Relay Team (Seniors William Razzano, Justin Blass, Shamel Lewis
and Junior Shawn Pritchard), which took 4th place
at the New York State Championship meet, a proclamation of appreciation. Shamel Lewis, who took 2nd
Place in the 55 Meters at the State
meet, and Angela Smith, who qualified for the State Championship in
the 55 Meter race, were honored for
those efforts as well. Also receiving
recognition were their coaches (Steve
Gevinski, Sal Loverde, Kip Stephens, and Bernice
Brown). They all received a proclamation of appreciation for “their outstanding performance” and for
the “recognition and pride they bring to the Town of
Riverhead.” And now, they’re doing it all over
again in Spring Track.
HS senior Erin
in
and
Scott
Belfield.
the
Erin is a member of
McKenna household. Her
the French Club, Math
sister, Erin, was also an
Club, the National
RHS valedictorian. Tara maintains a 105.45 (weighted)
Honor Society and the National Foreign Language
grade point average and is active in Math Club and
Honor Society. She plays the tenor sax in the Jazz
Mentathletes. She was a Commended Student in the
Ensemble and sings in Chamber Choir. She, too,
National Merit Scholarship program and is a member
was a Commended Student in the National Merit
of the National Honor Society. She also is president of
Scholarship program, which placed her among
the high school Latin team and the Latin Honor
only 34,000 students of the 1.4 million juniors who
Society.
take the PSATs, that managed to reach that level
Tara is not only smart, she is also talented. She is
of the competition.
in the Chamber and Show Choirs and plays the cello
Usually more at home in the lighting booth as
in orchestra. She is also a member of Blue Masques
a member of Blue Masques, this year Erin stepped
and was the choreographer and a lead in their recent
into the spotlight as one of the leads in the Blue
production of “Guys and Dolls.” Outside of school,
Masques production of “Guys and Dolls.”
Tara keeps on dancing at ReDancers.
Erin will attend the University of Virginia
Next fall Tara will attend Duke University and
where she plans to major in Chemical Engineering.
major in Classics or Physics. She attributes her love of
She, too, credits the RHS Science teachers with
physics to RHS physics teacher Kim Skinner, who not
her enthusiasm for a career in science. “I had so
only taught her physics but inspired her with this
many great teachers,” Erin shares, “but Dr.
thought, “The purpose of life is to find your gifts. The
Mandresh, my Chemistry teacher, got me really,
meaning of life is to give them away” (The Wonders of
really interested in Chemistry. He’s always been
Sassafras Springs).
very supportive.”
Top Scorers in HS Math Contest
Peter
AP Calculas BC
Emma
s
Math 10 AB Honor
Alyson
Math 12 Honors
Rachel
Math 11B Honors
Each year, RHS math students enter a national competition by taking a math exam designed by the
Mathematical Association of America. The students who scored the highest at RHS are pictured above.
RCSD would like to thank. . .
R
CSD would like to thank its Interim Administrators,
Interim Superintendent Joseph Singleton, Guidance
Director Dr. Joseph Connolly (L) and RHS Principal
James McCaffrey (R) for a job well done. Their combined
years of wisdom and experience was reflected in the
integrity and effectiveness that they brought to each of
the areas they served. Riverhead Central School District
has benefited from that wisdom.
Mr. Singleton guided the District through a troubled time.
Mr. Connolly mentored his young staff and provided new
academic and scholarship opportunities to the lives of
the students he served. Mr. McCaffrey brought order, a
friendly high five and encouragement to a beleaguered
faculty, staff and students alike. He instituted and enforced
hall management changes and expanded academic
opportunities. Mr. McCaffrey challenged teachers to have
high expectations of their students and pushed students
to reach for excellence. He was well known for his signs-this is the one that will greet the seniors on Friday.
rhsnews
5
National Honor Societies Induct New Members
RHS National Honor Society’s New Inductees -- Forty-two students were inducted into RHS’ chapter
of the National Honor Society: John Andrejack, Laura Asendio, Melissa Barnes, Caitlin Baron, Ashley
Bell, Juliet Blass, Ashley Breest, Allyson Bunch, Juliana Campino, Brianna Damers, Brittney Denninger,
Kelly Dillon, John Domanick, Danielle Doscinski, Julie Dougherty, Sarah Flannery, Natalie Fox, Tyler
Gablenz, Sara Galligan, Jaroslaw Grabowski, Stephen Groneman, Craig Hallock, Kaitlin Kelly, Maxwell
Kutscher, Caleb Lamont, Nicole Lappe, Samantha Mallahy, Kelly Miloski, Eric Mlodynia, Jennifer Mottern,
Maxwell Portocarrero, Mallory Raynor, Ariel Reichel, Jiaying (Kelly) Ren, Alyssa Rowe, Suzanna Schmitt,
Magdalena Szalowski, Jordan Talmage, Christopher Tucci, Nacara Turpin, Alexander Wnorowski,
Jacqueline Zilnicki, Julie Zilnicki. Congratulations!
There were 92 New Inductees into the National Foreign Language Honor Societies:
Thirty-five students were inducted into the French Honor Society; fourteen students were inducted into
the Latin Honor Society; and forty-three students were inducted into the Spanish Honor Society--for a
total of 92 students. Pictured above are the inductees into the French Honor Society. Congratulations!
RHS Chemistry teacher Dr. Larry
Mandresh was chosen by the
National Honor Scociety as its
2007 honorary faculty member.
Karl, President of the Spanish Honor
Society, was also inducted into the
Latin Honor Society. Karl is
planning to attend Middlebury
College next year and major in
Arabic.
Environmental Science Class and Project GREEN
Open Space Stewardship Program
The Riverhead Central School District
has a number of partnerships and programs of a scientific nature that give
students real life experiences. A new
partnership has been formed with
Brookhaven National Lab’s Office of
Educational Programs. This partnership between BNL, the Parks Department in the Town of Brookhaven and
the schools is being called the “Open
Space Stewardship Program” (OSSP)
or the GREEN Institute (Gaining Research Experience in the ENvironment). The high school Environmental Science class taught by Ms. Linda
Dowd is participating in the project.
The Project
In this collaborative program with BNL
and the Town of Brookhaven, students
engage in scientific research and
projects related to protecting the environment. The primary program objectives include: students learning scien-
tific protocol, analytical techniques and
data collection. This program also promotes an appreciation and respect for
wild and open spaces, fosters stewardship, scientific literacy and civic responsibility.
What they’re testing
The students have been actively investigating the environmental health of the
pond that lies just to the north of the
High School. Students have been testing the pond for levels of dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphate, pH and hardness. Their research has shown that nutrient levels and dissolved oxygen levels are low. Preparations for soil analysis of the area are now underway and
investigations of soil infiltration, moisture, pH and nitrogen, phosphate, and
potassium are being planned. The students are also looking forward to cataloguing spring wildflowers. This past
autumn the Environmental Science stu-
dents identified and catalogued the genus and species of variety wildflowers
such as Evening Primrose, Jewelweed,
Butter and Eggs, as well as three poisonous plants: the deadly Nightshade, Jimsonweed, and the ubiquitous poison ivy.
Students have also observed a multitude
of songbirds, mallards, frogs and snakes.
Future projects include the construction
of bird and bat houses and possibly reestablishing indigenous plants.
Sharing the information collected
Due to the generosity and support of
OSSP, our students have been able to
make use of waders and nets in their research and will be conducting invertebrate studies by using a Berlese funnel.
Students had an opportunity to interface
with government agencies and elected
officials through student presentations of
data, conclusions and emerging issues at
a celebration of OSSP’s first year at
BNL.
Jonathon, a member of the Environmental Science class at RHS, checks the
oxygen level of the water in the pond
adjacent to the high school as part of
the school's participation in the “Open
Space Stewardship Program."
districtnews
6
www.riverhead.net - news and events
Students Participate in Science Programs
Area colleges offer Riverhead students opportunities to learn and explore careers in science
H.O.P.E. PROGRAM:
S.T.E.P. PROGRAM:
A
Riverhead School District has 19 students who
participate in a Saturday program at Suffolk County
Community College entitled the Science and
Technology Entry Program (STEP). STEP focuses
on developing career awareness, basic skills, and real
world mathematics, science and technology
applications and research for 7th-12th grade students.
Recently, a number of those students participated in
the STEP Science Fair held at SCCC’s Ammerman
campus.
Their science projects ranged from an
experiment on Tooth Decay by Karla Alvizures to
examining the Color in a Leaf by Justin Harris. All
of the students from RMS at the Science Fair spoke
enthusiastically about the courses that they were
taking on Saturday mornings. Two of the students
present were in their second year of STEP.
“I’m really enjoying the physics course I’m
taking this year,” stated Justin. “The teacher is really
good and we’re learning to measure distances—like
how many light years a star is from the earth.”
The Science and Technology Entry program
(STEP) was established by the Legislature in 1985
to identify historically underrepresented or
economically disadvantaged students in grades 712 and to prepare them to enter post-secondary
degree programs in scientific, technical, and healthrelated fields. CSTEP, the college level step program,
was formed in 1997.
STEP provides high quality Saturday enrichment
courses led by college faculty. These courses include:
communications, life skills, career awareness,
leadership skills, computer applications,
mathematics and biology, earth science, engineering,
physics and robotics. Students from five school
districts participate in this program: Brentwood
School District, Central School District, Longwood
Stony Brook University Medical Center’s Health
Occupations Partnership for Excellence (HOPE) is a
three-year comprehensive health professions
educational and mentoring program for high school
students. The students pictured above from RHS
recently received their first year certificates.
Students who participated in the STEP Science Fair:
School District, Riverhead School District and South
Country District. CSTEP participants serve as
mentors to the STEP participants.
State Education Commissioner Richards Mills
said, “New York’s STEP and CSTEP programs are
a tremendous asset in statewide efforts to close the
achievement gap. Students who might not consider
a career in math, science or engineering are getting
early support to meet the challenges through STEP
and CSTEP.”
Karla with her experiment
on Tooth Decay
W.I.S.E. PROGRAM:
W
omen in Science & Engineering is a program
designed to challenge high school women who
show academic promise or interest in math and science
by providing unique experiences at the University of
Stony Brook (USB), and facilities such as Brookhaven
National Laboratory, and Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory. WISE is a three year program involving
seven new tenth grade students each year. Twentyone girls from RHS attend this program. Pictured
above are this year’s tenth grade participants.
RHS Band Debuts “Scenes from the Peconic”
Famous composer and teacher Carl Strommen writes a composition for the band
Liz McQuarrie
Lea Jenkins
Meghan Burns
Unknown
T
he RHS Spring Concert featured a number of
“musical moments.” Justin Camp and Sean Harlow
were featured on the trombone and
trumpet during a Concerto. “Doc”
Greenberger gave Peter and the Wolf new
life with his delightful interpretation
punctuated by a masterful musical
performance. Jeff moved the audience
with his beautiful solo performance. All
this was in addition to chorus and orchestra
performances and the band’s world premiere
performance of Scenes from the Peconic commissioned
by and dedicated expressly to the RHS Band by the well
known composer Carl Strommen.
“In preparation for composing Scenes from the
Peconic, Mr. Strommen met with the band
students to discuss with them what they
wanted this piece to say about
Riverhead,” explained RHS Band
Director Lee Hanwick. “Mr. Strommen
returned this spring with a beautiful work
Carl Strommen
that paints a portrait of the Peconic River,
with its flowing water and its natural
grandeur. It was very exciting for the band members
to have had this unique experience. The composition
was initiated by AP Shirley Cepero and funded through
the district Cultural Arts fund, and on behalf of the
band I want to thank everyone who made this possible.”
districtnews
www.riverhead.net - news and events
Every Day Needs to be “Earth Day”
Schools throughout the District focus on Environmental Concerns
E
arth Day is every day!—
reads a poster in one of the
District’s schools--and that
was certainly the case in April
at the Aquebogue Elementary
School. The “Book of the
Month” was Someday a Tree
by Eve Bunting. Ms. Bunting’s
book inspired an array of
writing projects and was the
basis for scientific and literary
discussion throughout the
month.
Early in the month, the
Aquebogue students participated in an “Election Day for
the Best Environmental
Slogan.” Using a real voting
booth, they voted on five
outstanding slogans for Earth
Day. The winning slogan was
written by third grader Megan
Carrick, who wrote, “Plant a
flower, give the Earth more
power!” She received a $25
gift card from Target. Her
slogan also inspired the
posters that hung throughout
the building.
Third grader Kaylee won
(for her grade level) the Earth
Day Poetry contest sponsored
by the News Review.
One class (Room 11)
created a “Biodegradable
Graveyard” in the main lobby-revealing that styrofoam is
basically not biodegradable.
Another class made a poster of
the three Rs: recycle, reuse
and reduce.
Room 10 visited the
Holtsville Ecology site. When
they returned, they wrote a
summary of what they learned
at the Ecology site. “We
learned how to keep our earth
clean. We also learned about
wildlife and our environment,” they wrote. “We wrote
Haiku poems about the
animals we saw at the zoo! We
had a great time!”
The week before Arbor Day
featured: (1) Monday, there
was a “Storm Water Pollution
Assembly,” presented by
Mark Cappelino, a Storm
Water Educator, who dresses
up as Detective “Storm
Waters,” and, along with his
robotic dog, sniffs out
pollution, (2) Tuesday
featured an “Earth Day Songs”
assembly presented by John
Farrell. (3) Also on Tuesday,
there was a presentation to the
4th graders on “Norway
Spruce Seedlings” by Connie
Farr and Susan Koukounas.
(4) On Thursday, there was a
Wildlife Conservation Presentation” to the 1st and 2nd
graders by the Department of
Environmental Conservation
about recognizing and
respecting the wildlife in our
Lions, Tigers &
Gorillas, Oh my!
Phillips Avenue
MESTRACT Grant
K
im Benkert’s and
Lauren Farber’s
classes won a MESTRACT
Minigrant that financed
their trip to the Bronx Zoo.
Students in the Environmental Science class, the Key Club and the Science Club cleaned up the pond.
Phillips Avenue students in the
Monkey House at the Bronx
Zoo study their habitat.
One World -- Support it! One Land -- Protect it!
One Life -- Embrace it!
own backyard and caring for their
habitats. (5) AND FINALLY, on
the Friday before Arbor Day, the
kindergartners participated in a
“Tree Planting Ceremony.” They
planted 2 Zelkovas, 2 Kwanzan
Cherries, and 2 Red Maples. The
trees for the planting were
donated by Dan Chekijian of
DGC Services in Hampton Bays.
(6) While the kindergartners were
planting trees, students were
visiting the “Go Solar
Alternative Fuel Shed” that was
parked in the back of the
building. The shed featured a
plasma screen TV and an array
of devices that can create and
store power that is generated by
solar panels and wind power.
Tramekaj enjoyed watching
the gorillas in the Monkey
House at the zoo.
The kids take a closer look with
binoculars at the lions & tigers.
Math Buddies help out in the classroom
Stearns has help from her
fourth grade Math Buddies
from Mrs. Gaare’s class.
The Buddies have already
studied fractions and know
the games. They are on
their lunch period and are
happy to help. It’s a winwin learning event. The
Math Buddies are also
Reading Buddies and are
improving their own skills.
Another fun fraction
lesson included making
Math Monsters--see below:
I
n Ms. Stearns’s first
grade classroom at Riley
Avenue, students are
studying fractions. The
Everyday Math program
takes the mathematical
concepts students should
know and incorporates them
into games. These games
reinforce the concepts and
help the students practice
their new skills in a fun
way. Because the class is
broken into groups for the
game, it’s helpful that Ms.
Math Monsters help students
understand fractions.
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districtevents
Relay for Life
June 15-16, McKillop Field
RMS raises $8,200!
www.riverhead.net - today’s news and events
District Happenings
Giorgios hosts Council for Unity Induction
RMS teacher Emily Sills
challenged Middle School
students to raise $5,000 for the
Relay for Life. They met her
challenge and raised $8,200;
so, as promised, the Fourth
Period Lunch, who raised the
most money, got to watch
Ms. Sills get her long, curly
hair cut SHORT.
Katherine Lennon from Katherine &
Company cuts Ms. Sills hair. Three of
the top Lunch Period 4 fundraisers get
a bird’s eye view. (L-R): Samantha,
Corrine and Anthony. The trio raised
$620 in a “sneak attack” during the
last week.
Roanoke raises
Lady Liberty!
Roanoke principal Debra
Rodgers promised to dress as
Lady Liberty and be lifted up to
the roof by a fire truck if the
students/staff at Roanoke met
her challenge for the Relay.
Working
Together!
Universal Pre-K
You can still register your
child for the Universal
Pre-Kindergarten program.
The Riverhead School District will
once again provide a FREE PreKindergarten program for four year
olds* at the Aquebogue and Phillips
Avenue Elementary Schools with
TRANSPORTATION INCLUDED!
Top Left: RCSD School Violence Director Theresa Drozd, Alex, Michael, Suffolk DA Thomas
Spota; Top Right: High School council member Nick speaks; Bottom Left: New inductees
Travis, Jessee, Paul; Bottom Right: Jordan awards an employee of Girogios with a plaque.
Center: Robert J. DeSena, the founder of the Council for Unity.
The Parent/Community members of Council for Unity promised Council members
and the new inductees a night to remember, and, thanks to the generosity of Giorgios,
it was. “Riverhead is the center of the Council for Unity universe,” stated Robert
DeSena (Center) the organization’s founder. “This community has worked together to
help kids and to fight gangs. You are the model for the nation.” The Council for
Unity welcomed 85 new inductees. Giorgios made it possible for the elementary and
middle school students to attend free and charged only a modest $10 fee for the older
students. Twenty-four students from Pulaski, 14 students from the Middle School, 12
students from the High School, 21 members of the community, 8 High School
Security Guards, and 6 Honorary Members, including the keynote speaker, Suffolk
County DA Thomas Spota, took the oath of induction.
Participation will be first determined by family income and other
criteria established by the UPK
Advisory Committee.
For further information, please call
Mrs. Ellen Rausch at Pupil
Personnel Services at 369-6801 or
6802. *Eligible children must be four
years old on or before December 1, 2007.
UPCOMING EVENTS
High School Graduation
Saturday, June 23, 10:00 AM,
Football Field (Rain--in Gym)
Roanoke Reading Challenge
Ride the Reading Wave
CAP’s Annual “Say No to Drugs” March
“If a child is provided with 10 to 20
books to read during the summer, as
many as 50% not only maintain
their skills, but actually make
reading gains.” (Keri Stromski)
Two mid-summer reading rallys and
book exchanges on Wednesday, July
25, and Wednesday, August 22, 6:30 7:30, on the Great Lawn at Roanoke.
Principal Debra Rodgers, Lady Liberty,
makes good on her challenge after
students/staff raised $3,127. The efort
was part of a MESTRACT PTO grant.
Books on freedom, community service
and health were also purchased.
St. Jude’s
The RHS National
Honor Society
and the Pulaski
Street School
conducted fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Riverhead Community Awareness Program, Inc. (CAP) sponsored its 22nd Annual
Say NO To Drugs March on Friday, June 1, 2007. Coach Greg Cerillo and players
from the Strong Island Sound, Long Island’s only professional basketball team, led
this year’s march. The Strong Island Sound are members of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and have recently completed their second season of providing affordable professional basketball to the fans on LI. The Moose provided lunch.
KIDSDAY -- Fifth graders in Dee
Martin’s and Claire Belmonte’s
classes at Pulaski are once again
producing an issue of “Kidsday”
in Newsday on September 5, 2007.
Don’t forget!
BOARD OF EDUCATION - RCSD
700 Osborne Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901
Angela DeVito
Nancy G. Gassert, President
Timothy Griffing
W. Brian Stark, Vice President
Mary Ellen Harkin
Kathleen V. Berezny
Christine A. Prete
website: http://www.riverhead.net
Joseph F. Singleton, Interim Superintendent of Schools
8