Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Public Notice - Future Use of Briarcliff Building Discussion

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Public Notice - Safety Committee Meeting 5/30/18

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WISE Students Conduct Water Quality Research

The Women in Science and Engineering students Eilis Casey and Elle Schepis along with their coach, SWR science teacher Lori Racaniello, embarked on Stony Brook University’s SoMAS Research Vessel out of Southampton. The students participated in water quality research and observed the flora and fauna of the Shinnecock Bay. They were able to observe local fish, crabs, invertebrates, algae, sea gulls, egrets, cormorants, osprey and ducks. The naturalist on board described the history of the area and the environmental concerns and local human impact on the waters and wildlife, and what the students could do to become stewards of the area.

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Greetings from Philadelphia!

Fifth-graders are stepping back in time, learning about the founding of our nation in historic Philadelphia. Exploring an abundance of American history and building connections from classroom instruction, they visited the iconic Liberty Bell – and along with parents and faculty from Wading River Elementary School, will spend an educational “night at the museum” with an overnight stay at the Franklin Institute.

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Guest readers add pep to Miller Avenue’s PARP program

Wading River Elementary School Principal Louis Parrinello shared one of his favorite reads, Eugene Trivizas’ “The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig,” as part of the PARP activities at Miller Avenue. Community members were invited to be guest readers in kindergarten, first- and second-grade classrooms, where they shared a favorite book and answered student questions. It was a great opportunity for students to meet some local community members, including politicians, school administrators and parents. In addition to Mr. Parrinello, the entire Miller Avenue community would like to thank the following volunteers:

Lori Blend, North Shore Public Library
Jane Bonner, Councilwoman
Dr. and Mrs. George Dubato, local veterinarians
Beverly Killeen and Clare the therapy dog
Dan Losquadro, Town of Brookhaven Highway Superintendent
Perry Maraglia, a member of the United States Military
Anthony Palumbo, New York State Assemblyman
Ed Romaine, Town of Brookhaven Supervisor

and district administrators:

Brian Heyward, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Alan Meinster, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Amy Meyer, Director of STEM
Mark Passamonte, Director of Physical Education, Health, Athletics and Nurses
Gerard Poole, Superintendent of Schools
Kevin Vann, Principal, Albert G. Prodell Middle School
Ethan Wivietsky, Director of Humanities

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First place for SWR student at SkillsUSA state competition

High School student Wayne Wadington was recognized as a first-place winner in the SkillsUSA state competition.

A junior, Wayne, also known as Blake, competed in the Small Engine Service competition, using his classroom expertise to navigate a series of assigned tasks, including troubleshooting and repair of marine application systems. He was judged on his organizational skills, safe work practices, accuracy, speed, cleanliness and thorough completion of paperwork.

He is a student in the Marine and Motor Sports Technology Program at the Eastern Suffolk BOCES Bixhorn Technical Center in Bellport, pictured here with Jason Pickerell, his BOCES teacher.

The Shoreham-Wading River School District commends Wayne on showcasing his expert technical skills.

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Lessons on American pioneers

Fifth-graders learned of the travels of American pioneers as an extension of their classroom studies, when they visited the the Long Island Museum’s Wagons West exhibit.

The students experienced what life was like for a family traveling the more than 2,000 mile Oregon Trail from their home in Missouri. Taught by a museum educator, the students learned about the authentic vehicles used, what the job of a blacksmith was, and what was needed for the American adventurers who traversed the terrain on a six-month journey to their new home.

“It is great to have this very visual opportunity for our students to connect with the historical facts of the migration west for the pioneers of the mid-1800s,” teacher Melissa Levonick said.

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Cultivating kindness at Prodell

The Kindness Challenge started by members of the Student Council at the Middle School has evolved into a schoolwide showing of affection and concern for others.

Under the leadership of school social worker Andrea Monz, students encouraged peers to embrace patience, hope, self-confidence, peace and humility, with sticky notes left on every school locker with messages such as “you are awesome,” “stay strong” and “work hard and you will reach your goals.”

Ms. Caitlin Bolembach and Mrs. Michele Vitale’s advisories also got into the spirit when they created flower pens to continue the theme of kindness in the school. The pens were distributed to others when they were caught in an act of kindness toward one another.

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Musical Master Class

High School orchestra students had a unique opportunity to work with Dr. Ching-Chun Lai, assistant professor of music and director of orchestras from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.

Hosted by music teachers Ashley O’Connor and Fred Volz, Dr. Lai led an orchestra rehearsal, workshop and master class with the students. During the workshop, students learned about the numerous career options available in the music field, the preparation required to pursue a music degree in college and the degree options offered at the Crane School of Music. Students also attended and performed in a master class led by Dr. Lai in which they were given valuable feedback and suggestions for developing their performance skills.

“Giving our students the opportunity to work with a professional conductor and college professor helped push their musical abilities to the next level,” Mr. Volz, who studied under Dr. Lai’s tutelage while a student at Potsdam, said. The students also gained positive insight to the many career options in the music field.”

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Embracing differences at Wading River Elementary School

Students from the High School Reaching Independence through Structured Education program displayed a vast array of talents when they visited Wading River Elementary School for several Autism Awareness presentations.

Along with SWR High School special education teacher Caitlin Maher, the students shared their “superpowers” – from running, singing, drawing, acting and remembering birthdays – with third- and fourth-graders during their physical education classes.

“This is a great grade level to engage our community of students with acceptance
and to embrace the differences of others,” said Lynda Kranidis, special education teacher at Wading River Elementary School.

The high school students helped the younger students develop a better understanding of autism through personal stories, musical skills and an interactive true or false game.

“It’s encouraging to witness the appreciation for our students,” Maher said. “They are truly valued for their unique talents and gifts.”

After she spoke, student James Hunt shared his drawing “superpower,” one that he is very proud to show. He is a talented artist and displayed a portrait of Maher that he created.

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Celebrating college commitments

Students from the High School’s Class of 2018 celebrated their commitment to continue their post-high school education in the fall, by wearing the apparel of their college of choice.

Members the Class of 2018 will start their next academic phase of learning at schools including Boston University, Clarkson University, Colby College, Georgetown University, Los Angeles’ Studio School, Monmouth University, Quinnipiac University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Vermont and a host of State University of New York schools.

On behalf of the entire school community, best wishes to the Class of 2018 on its pursuit of higher education, achievements and career aspirations!

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A closeup view of Broadway for Prodell students

Students from the Middle School took their music classroom lessons to the capital of the theater world when they traveled into New York City to take part in Broadway close-up workshops and attend a production of “School of Rock.”

Accompanied by Assistant Principal Dan Ackerman and music teachers Arthur Gross, Kevin O’Brien and Fred Voz the band, orchestra and chorus students worked with a pit musician on piano and a choreographer who taught them some of the show’s dance movements and the song “Stick it to the Man.” They also had the unique opportunity to speak with the professionals about their journey to Broadway.

“The experience really recreated an authentic Broadway rehearsal for the students,” said Mr. Ackerman. “They enjoyed the show, but also learned all of the music, staging, rehearsals and hard work that go into putting on a world-class show.”

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Senior Slideshow 2018

Dennis Creighton and Jason Malvagno are working on the senior slideshow this year. If you have photos you would like to include of your graduating senior, now’s your chance! They are looking for pictures from each year and each student.

Photos can be sent to: swrslideshow@gmail.com

When submitting a photo, please include the student’s names and the year the photo was taken. This helps in organizing the photos more efficiently so more time can be spent making a dynamic presentation.

Thank you in advance for your help,

Dennis Creighton and Jason Malvagno

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"Superintendent Office Hours" - meet with Mr. Poole

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‘Evening of the Arts’ celebrated!

The artistic abilities of WRES students were on display at the recent “Evening of the Arts.” The festive, colorful event attracted families, district administrators and community members out to enjoy the annual celebration of the creative efforts of the students.

The hallways were packed with people admiring the imaginative works of the third- through fifth-grade creators. The event also featured a performance by the third-grade orchestra students sharing their musical talents and an art scavenger hunt for all family members.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the learning and development process of our students in the arts,” said Principal Louis Parrinello. “The expressive skills they are learning in our classrooms will certainly broaden their perspective on the world.”

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Providing food for feathered friends at Miller Avenue

After learning about environmental protection and the establishment of the celebration of Earth Day, students in Jillian Coster’s first-grade class at Miller Avenue Elementary School worked together to create natural wood birdfeeders and birdhouses.

Assisted by four parent volunteers, the students used colorful popsicle sticks and glue to craft their project for their feathered friends.

“We discussed needs and wants and know that birds need shelter and food and we will be able to provide both to these creatures,” Mrs. Coster said.

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SWR LAX Out Cancer: A Decade of Caring

While the High School boys and girls lacrosse teams competed out on the field during the day, the evening festivities brought out the SWR community of teachers, administrators, students and families for dinner, raffles and games to raise funds for the 10th annual Lax Out Cancer event. Here, Prodell Middle School educators along with Principal Kevin Vann do their part to help support the four selected Suffolk County families who are living with a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.

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Prodell students hear personal perspective of WWII

Eighth-grade students in Greg Schmit’s social studies class heard a firsthand historical account of the effects of World War II during a recent visit from guest speaker Christa Wennisch.

Ms. Wennisch shared her personal story and perspective about growing up in Germany during the second world war and living through the Allied bombing raids.

“It was a fascinating insight into an era that has passed but in many ways is still with us,” Mr. Schmit said. ‘The students were appreciative of her testimony and found it interesting to listen to someone who had memories of hearing Hitler’s voice on the radio and had experienced so much hardship.”

The overall theme and message of Wennisch’s visit was for today’s generation to be grateful for everything they have. “It’s easy to take for granted what we have, and her story was a powerful reminder that not everyone was or is so lucky,” Mr. Schmit said.

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A real-world connections day at SWR High School

Engaging students in the real-world application of its curricula is an ongoing goal of the District, and the Long Island Growth Careers Day helped in building a bridge between education and industry.

Hosted by the district’s School-to-Community Program for students in grades 9-12, the daylong event offered an educational and interactive event about the growth industries on Long Island.

Students were welcomed by Principal Frank Pugliese, followed by an orientation by Lisa Strahs-Lorenc, director of CEO Works, who facilitated the event. They then listened to presentations on motivation, determination and some life lessons by business representatives Andrew Sirlin of Sirlin Success System, Brian Cohen of Long Island Speakers Bureau and Linda Kelban of GWN Securities Inc.

Students in each grade level also participated in small group discussions about the opportunities that were discussed and completed a pre- and post-assessment of what careers interested them as well as reflected on what individual or industry inspired them and why.

The District thanks the following organizations for sharing their time and energy in motivating and inspiring our students:

Business: Town of Islip Foreign Trade Zone and Equity First Foundation
Entrepreneurship: Ronjo Magic & Costumes Inc.; Jarrett Acevedo Plumbing and Heating; Hounds Town USA, Port Jefferson; Awsomotive Car Care and Sundae’s, Port Jefferson
Health Care: Ideal School of Allied Health Care; Intelligent Fitness; Long Island State Veterans Home and Nesconset Adult Day Health Services
Hospitality: East Wind Long Island
Manufacturing: HCP Packaging and East End Assemblies
IT and Health Care: Selden Army Recruiting Center
STEM: Long Island Science Center and Avery Biomedical Devices.

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A celebration of Earth Day at Miller Avenue

Miller Avenue Elementary School students did more than just observe Earth Day.

With a gift of 50 white pine saplings from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, second-graders took shovel to dirt and planted the trees native to the region.

The hard work that the students in Linda Burke’s and Alice Steinbrecher’s classes accomplished helped beautify the Miller Avenue School property. Each student was also given a tree to plant at home to help our environment.

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Miller Avenue celebrates young authors

Students in Linda Burke’s class had the opportunity to share their writings with their families during a recent Young Authors Celebration.

After extensive research in the school library on animals that are indigenous to Long Island, the second-graders had their published works available for reading and comments. Their finished reports on owls, raccoons, ducks, deer and more consisted of a table of contents, comprehensive information on the animal and a back page that included a short bio on the author. The project demonstrated the school’s commitment and achievements in this academic discipline.

“The class was excited to have an Author's Celebration to showcase their animal research projects,” said Mrs. Burke. “It is such a pleasure to share their growth in writing and research skills with family members.”

Following the celebration, a Jeopardy-type challenge pitted students against parents to see how knowledgeable they were about Long Island’s native creatures.

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SWR’s Keyi Chen honored for math abilities

The Board of Education honored high school senior Keyi Chen for his national rank in the top five percent of test takers in the American Mathematics Contest 12. Chen was also acknowledged as the first student in the district to qualify for entry into the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, which is the qualifying exam for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad, the world’s most prestigious and difficult secondary mathematics examination.

“In addition to being a strong student, Keyi works diligently to increase his understanding and awareness of mathematical content,” math teacher Ellen Fraser said. “It takes a bright student who thinks logically, solves problems, persists, analyzes, organizes and makes an effort to relate all he has learned and apply it.”

Keyi is also a valued member of the Mathletes team and recently placed fourth in the Suffolk County Mathematics Teachers Association Calculus Contest.

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SWR breaks ground on upcoming middle school projects

The District held a walk-through and groundbreaking ceremony at the Middle School to provide the Board of Education and members of the community with an update on the school’s recently completed and upcoming projects.

In 2015, residents approved a capital project bond referendum to create improved instructional space, preserve the integrity of the district’s facilities, promote energy efficiencies and improve athletic fields and resources for the schools and community.

Superintendent of Schools Gerard Poole said he is pleased and excited about the changes occurring in the district’s facilities.

“This is an exciting time for the district,” Poole told participants at the ground breaking. “We are grateful to the community for their overwhelming support.”

During the tour, participants were shown recently completed updates to the middle school, which included new exterior doors and windows; filtered water fountains and carbon monoxide detectors; roofing and a new phone system; additional AEDs, and the resurfaced track and reconditioned football field.

The Board of Education and BBS Architecture representatives then dug their shovels in the dirt to commemorate the upcoming kitchen and café addition, site and parking improvements, library reconstruction and new quarters for the main office, guidance department and nurse’s office.

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‘The Curious Savage’ on stage at SWR HS

Shoreham-Wading River High School students will take the stage to perform the entertaining and extravagant stage production of “The Curious Savage” on Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the High School auditorium.

The comedy, written by John Patrick, highlights a woman who is left $10 million by her husband and wants to put it to good use, in spite of her grownup, self-serving stepchildren’s efforts to thwart her plans. They commit her to an asylum where an assortment of characters and their shared bond are introduced to the audience.

Directed by SWR High School music teacher Dennis Creighton, the play was a Broadway production that premiered in 1950. For tickets at $10 per person, visit: greateventseats.com/SWR

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Meet the Class of 2018 Top Two Students!

Shoreham-Wading River High School is proud to announce that seniors Christian Wesselborg and Calvin Schmalze have been named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the Class of 2018.

Christian has an impressive high school résumé, which includes taking numerous honors and Advanced Placement courses. He is a well-rounded sportsman and has participated in junior varsity and varsity soccer, both winter and spring track, and wrestling. He is also a member of the high school’s robotics team and jazz band. He has received subject awards in AP Biology, AP Statistics, Honors Biology, Honors Geometry and Level 4 French. He was named an AP Scholar with Distinction and Academic All-County for varsity soccer.

Outside of school, he is involved in his church community and has participated in Relay Iowa, an adventure relay run that covers more than 330 miles across the landscape of Iowa. He has attended the Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students at SUNY Old Westbury, has participated and medaled in the Al Kalfus Long Island Math Fair and took a coding course as part of Brookhaven National Laboratory’s educational programs. He was honored with a Rensselaer Medal for excellence in math and science, which recognizes outstanding high school students around the world.

Christian has committed to study at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and would like to pursue biosciences.

Calvin Schmalzle is excited and proud of his honor as salutatorian of the Class of 2018. His list of accomplishments is comprehensive and includes being named a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student, a Suffolk County Mathematics Teachers’ Association Contest first-place winner in Shoreham-Wading River High School and a member of the school’s robotics team. He has taken numerous Advanced Placement, honors and college-level courses, and has received numerous school subject awards.

His sports involvement includes being a member of the volleyball and both winter and spring track team, for which he was named to the All-Academic team for winter track and All-County academic elite for volleyball. He also took part in an internship at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s High School Research Program.

His community contributions have included church mission trips to repair and rebuild houses for people in need and helping with church fundraisers.

He looks forward to attending Clarkson University to study mechanical engineering.

“Christian and Calvin are both exceptional students who represent the well-rounded education at Shoreham-Wading River High School,” Principal Frank Pugliese said. “Their commitment to school, community and extracurricular activities will certainly drive their future successes.”

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Successful Tri-M ‘Suites and Treats’ at SWR HS

Leadership skills, decision-making and planning are some of the benefits that members of the High School’s Tri-M Music Honor Society reaped after their largest event of the school year.

The students presented “Suites and Treats” an evening of delicious desserts to go along with their musical selections. The suggested donation for tickets helped to raise funds for the chapter’s goals including the creation of scholarships for graduating seniors in the organization. Dozens of non-perishable food items were also collected that will be donated to the Island Heart Food Pantry in Mount Sinai.

A program of the National Association for Music Education, Shoreham-Wading River’s chapter combines students from the school’s various performing groups – the a capella group, band, jazz band, chorus, orchestra or chamber orchestra, and works to celebrate and promote music education and to give back to the community.

According to Ashley O’Connor, music teacher and chapter advisor, the students have worked diligently all year and built SWR’s chapter from the ground up. She sees the teamwork, dedication and pride of their accomplishments as an extension of their musical achievements.

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VIDEO: SWR Circuits

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A celebration of jazz!

Freshman Daniel Julian and senior Alexandra Meli performed with the Suffolk County Music Educator's Association All-County Jazz Ensembles recently held at Miller Place High School.

After auditioning along with students from across the county, Daniel was selected to play alto saxophone in the Instrumental Jazz Ensemble. Alexandra was chosen to sing alto with the Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of guest conductor Aubrey Johnson, a New York-based vocalist, composer and educator.

On behalf of the Shoreham-Wading River School District, both students are to be congratulated for their achievements!

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Cardboard creations at Miller Avenue School

An engaging STEM project at Miller Avenue had a springtime theme when students in Kristen Gironda’s second-grade class created leprechaun traps out of cardboard.

Utilizing a Makedo construction kit with cardboard and tools, including safe-saws, screws and screwdrivers, the students explored ideas and hypotheses in an open-ended, hands-on lesson that generated a deeper understanding of STEM concepts.

The students considered the size of a leprechaun and then worked in teams to design traps that would lure a leprechaun inside and keep him secure to be able to find him when they returned to school.

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Learning the love of language at Wading River School

Students in Wading River School have an extra reason to love Wednesday mornings when they start their day in the school’s newly launched World Languages Club. The before-school club, led by English as a New Language teacher Susana Vique-Kearney, provides students an opportunity to explore language and culture through various modalities and activities in a fun-filled environment. Participants become familiar with the target culture and language through visual and performing arts activities, social studies lessons including historical events, authentic games, holiday celebrations and geography exploration, and Language Arts Literacy activities. Third-graders started in their first six-week session throughout February, followed by fourth-graders who are in the midst of their lessons and fifth-graders will start their session in early May.

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Check out our new reporting system: reportit.com

This confidential and anonymous tool is a powerful addition to our school community as we continue to increase our communication with our district shareholders. It is now available simply by clicking the link on each building’s homepage or directly at https://desktop.reportit.com/#/home

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Briarcliff Update

The Board Of Education would like to thank those residents that participated in the April 10, 2018 Roundtable Discussions on the future of the Briarcliff property. The perspectives and suggestions from participants was valuable and much appreciated. This event was the third public forum on the future of the property. The Board of Education will be reviewing all of the feedback received to date at the three public forums during a public discussion at a future meeting. The Board of Education recognizes the importance of providing opportunities for residents to comment on the future of Briarcliff. Community members are invited to email the Board of Education their comments and perspectives on the future of the building at the following email address: boe@swr.k12.ny.us

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Music and motivating messages for middle schoolers

The famous quote by author Hans Christian Andersen “Where words fail, music speaks” served as an inspirational backdrop when the Middle School welcomed musician Jared Campbell for an uplifting and thought-provoking assembly program. As an extension of the district’s character education program, Campbell’s performance was geared toward galvanizing students to think about their words and actions and encourage them to take a positive perspective on life through his combination of story-telling and original songs. “It was an inspiring assembly,” said Assistant Principal Daniel Ackerman, who welcomed students to the motivating event before sixth-grader Emily Murray introduced Campbell. “Mr. Campbell talked about reaching goals and how there are people in your life to help you along that path.”

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Application of STEM principles for Wading River students

Fifth-grade students had a unique learning experience, pairing the excitement of hockey with the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills during their participation in the National Hockey League’s Future Goals program.

Combining STEM learning with real-world applicability, the students worked to complete 12 learning modules that included data analysis, geometry, life science and physical science with a goal of winning a virtual Stanley Cup. All students who completed the program were given two free tickets to an Islander’s game.

“‎The initiative not only provides students with an opportunity to learn about fitness and sportsmanship, but because it was developed in accordance with state math standards, they are also building on their knowledge of the STEM topics we are learning in class,” said fifth-grade teacher Adrian Gilmore, who coordinated the program with Alena Kluge from EVERFI, an education technology company.

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Miller Avenue students develop motor skills and movement patterns

Students at Miller Avenue had an opportunity to show off their dance moves and rhythm during a fun and challenging dance exercise program called KerboomKidz.

In addition to the physical benefits of improving coordination and focus, the program works to mentally engage students and help improve cognitive skills, gain confidence and instill the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

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Innovative Math Modeling Challenge for SWR students

Nine Shoreham-Wading River High School students applied their mathematical and analytical expertise and observations about food consumption to examine solutions to reduce food waste in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge.

The students took part in the 14-hour, internet-based competition along with more than 4,000 high school students across the country.

Divided into two teams – seniors Keyi Chen, Alex Bakos, Christian Wesselborg and Calvin Schmalzle; and juniors Andrew Honold, Julia Petreczky, Leah Roth, Mahdi Rashizada and Kyle West – they used their creativity, mathematics, science, and English skills during the intensive challenge to gather and evaluate data, then build a solution. They were able to use any free and publicly available resources, but could not discuss any aspect of the problem with, or seek help from, anyone other than their teammates.

The goal is to create a mathematical model to determine if a state could feed its food-insecure population using its wasted food, and then build a second model to determine the amount of food waste a household generates based on its traits and habits. Students then used their models to provide insight into which strategies communities should adopt to repurpose the maximum amount of food at the minimum cost.

“It was pretty intense,” said Wesselborg, who, along with his teammates worked to generate innovative ideas for possible solutions.

Their work is in the process of being judged by more than 125 Ph.D.-level applied mathematicians and six finalist teams will be selected to present their solutions to a panel of mathematical experts on April 30.

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Revolutionizing relationships at Prodell

Prodell Student Council members are working to cultivate compassion and positivity with their month-long Kindness Challenge.

The students created two bulletin boards by the school’s main office. The “Take What You Need” one is decorated with different categorized envelopes filled with positive messages of hope, self-confidence, peace, kindness, patience, love, humility, self-control and faith. The “Give What You Can” board offers more than 100 random acts of kindness suggestions and even a place for students to make their own suggestions. The Kindness Challenge is open to all students and staff in the school.

“On days when a student may need just a word of encouragement, we want them to go to the bulletin board,” eighth-grader and Student Council president Joelle Ialacci said. “The concept is to take a word of advice and the goal is to encourage acts of kindness.”

Student Council members are also creating and reciting morning announcements for the project. The Student Council officers of announcements are seventh-grader Kayla Bodenburg and sixth-graders Erin Cahill and Cody Hoey. All student advisories are also participating by writing positive messages on sticky notes that will be placed on every student’s locker in the middle school.

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Senior qualifies to take most prestigious math exam

High School senior Keyi Chen had the opportunity to test his exceptional mathematics abilities on the American Mathematics Contest 12, where he scored in the top 5 percent of student test takers nationwide.

Keyi is now qualified to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, which is the qualifying exam for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad. This series of exams leads to the International Mathematical Olympiad, the most prestigious and difficult secondary mathematics examination in the world.

The Shoreham-Wading River School District congratulates Keyi on this outstanding achievement and wishes him well on the American Invitational Mathematics Exam.

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Student-designed inquiry experiments at SWR High School

Students at the High School recently conducted bacterial science experiments throughout the school as part of their Living Environment class.

The ninth- and tenth-graders set about the school and collected samples from the cafeteria, auditorium seats, bathroom sinks, door handles and the library’s computers to test for traces of bacteria.

The class, taught by Alan Gandt, is a New York State Science Learning Standards Storyline structure pilot that actively engages participants in student-designed inquiry exercises.

“This exciting pilot marks one of the biggest shifts to the new standards at the high school,” said Dr. Amy Meyer, the district’s director of STEM, as scientific questions were posed by the individual student groups.

One group of three students used cotton swabs to collect samples from a computer keyboard. Once they put their sample in a petri dish that was lined with the nutritionally rich medium of Luria broth used for the growth of bacteria, they decided on their immediate next test: using hand sanitizer and then touching the keyboard a second time for comparison. Their preliminary inquiry didn’t stop there. Next, they swabbed the mouse with the same two techniques to further compare whether a keyboard or mouse at the same computer station would have more bacteria. The samples were placed in an incubator, where the samples will grow for several days for final results.

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Celebrating SWR High School winter sports achievements

The Shoreham-Wading River Board of Education celebrated the achievements of the high school’s winter sports season at its recent meeting.

The girls’ track team members garnered numerous awards, including All-League for Nicole Garcia, Katherine Lee, Francesca Lily, Isadora Petretti and Lexie Smith. All-County accolades went to Nicole Smith along with Lee, Lily and Lexie Smith. Garcia, along with Lily, Petretti and Smith, won the League 4 x 800-meter relay. Smith was also named SWR Most Improved. Lee took many awards in her senior year, including All-Division, All-State, All-Academic and SWR Most Valuable Player. She also won the League 3,000-meter and 1,500-meter, the county 1,000-meter and finished second in New York State in the 1,000-meter.

Boys’ winter track team members Damien Caputo, Rickie Cassazza, Mark Costas, Brendan Madden, Daniel Montenegro, Luke Rey, Matthew Rose, Calvin Schmalze and Adam Zelin were named All-League. Casazza, Ryan Ledda and Montenegro took the All-County title, while All-Academic went to Calvin Schmalze. Aidan Casey received the Heart of the Team award and Zelin was named SWR Most Improved. Casazza place second in New York State in the high jump and was named co-SWR Most Valuable Player along with Ledda and Montenegro.

Boys’ basketball team members Xavier Arline and Brian Drost were named All-League and All-Academic, respectively, and Trey Ekert and T. J. Wachter were honored as co-SWR Most Improved.
On the girls’ basketball team, Mikayla Dwyer, Abby Korzekwinski and Erin Triandafils were recognized as All-League, and Mikayla Dwyer was named All-Academic. Triandafils was also named SWR Most Valuable Player. Michele Corona was named Rookie of the Year and SWR Most Improved award went to Melissa Marchese.

Members of the wrestling team named All-County are Dylan Blanco, Cooper Cummings, Peter Delise, Jake Jablonski, Connor Pearce, John Carl Petretti, Eddie Troyano and Chris Vedder. Petretti was also the Suffolk County champion at 152 lbs., placed fourth in the state tournament and received All-State honors. Pearce was named Suffolk County champion at 113 lbs., and Troyano and Vedder were recognized as SWR Most Valuable Player and Most Improved, respectively.

Sophomore Jason Louser was also recognized for being named All-County, All-State, All-American, 200-meter individual medley county champion and the state champion in the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter breaststroke.

Winter sports teams also scored big in the classroom. Of the 117 total varsity athletes, 58 of them maintained a 90 or above average. Both the girls and boys winter track teams and boys and girls winter basketball teams were named scholar-athlete teams, with team averages of 90 or above.

Each student-athlete received a SWR School District pin from Superintendent of Schools Gerard Poole and Board of Education President Robert Rose.

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Five from SWR honored with Educational Service Awards

The Shoreham-Wading River School District is pleased to celebrate the five members of the school community who were honored at the recent SCOPE Educational Service Awards dinner.

With the theme “Shining Above the Rest,” the recipients were honored in categories that recognized their leadership, fiscal responsibility, dedication and countless hours of service in improving the educational experiences of all Shoreham-Wading River School District students.

The recipients who were honored are Robert Rose, SWR Board of Education president for School Board Service; Alisa McMorris, PTA Council President for Community Service; Joan Jacobs, kindergarten teacher for Teacher Service; Thomas Wagner, audio visual technician for Support Staff Service and Glen Arcuri, assistant superintendent for finance and operations for Administrator Service.

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Prodell students shake things up with STEM earthquake lesson

Students at the Middle School learned the concepts of force and engineering design with a recent STEM lesson on earthquakes.

After studying how earthquakes occur because of pressure that builds in the Earth’s crust and is released as energy, the sixth-graders in Jackie Reyling’s science class built towers to test if they could withstand an earthquake.

They worked in groups and used the limited materials of straws, tape and paperclips to build their two-story structures. The goal was to support one small beanbag on the top story and two on the bottom level.

According to Reyling, the students conducted tests and observed what worked, what didn’t and, just as professional structural engineers do, continued to improve their designs for the best results.

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Middle School students present at National History Day

Six Middle School students had a unique opportunity to participate in National History Day at Hofstra University on March 18. To present at the highly regarded academic program was an exceptional achievement for the students and the school, as it is the inaugural year of the Prodell National History Club.

Natalie Casey, Melanie Cento, Anja Minty, Carly Mulroy, Selene Tan and Aaron Russell conducted extensive research on their selected historical topics with the theme of Conflict and Compromise for presentation at the event.

The students’ project topics included The Salem Witch Trials, Brown v. Board of Education, Galileo Galilei and German Unification. They completed their research utilizing the district's Virtual Reference Collection as well as the Library of Congress, NoodleTools and G-Suite.

“I am so proud of this group of young historians,” club adviser and social studies teacher Danielle Senneca said. “To have worked so hard and present historical research at a prestigious university is a major accomplishment.”

Senneca and the students are already looking forward to next year's competition, with the theme of “Triumph and Tragedy.”

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