Students in Miller Avenue School have an exceptional extracurricular opportunity with the school’s new coding club. Guided by music teacher/adviser Ms. Cara Brown, the popular club is teaching and challenging students to use logic to problem solve, create algorithms, develop step-by-step solutions and explore different methods of coding with some well-known characters, including Dory and Elsa.

“We used the Wonder app and the Path app to explore different methods of coding,” Ms. Brown said. “In the Path app, students drew a line of code for Dash to follow. They followed directions and sequencing to place different obstacles, sounds and actions along their line of code.”

The students also used an app with animal-themed precoding logic to help animals from different continents reach their goal and programmed a peanut butter sandwich robot, along the way learning about efficient ways to use loops in the algorithm.

Ms. Brown works with 20 kindergarten students in this particular session, with kindergarten and first grade sessions meeting for three weeks followed by second graders who will meet for eight weeks. She estimates that by the end of the school year, 160 kids will have received coding instruction either before or after school.

The Shoreham-Wading River varsity football team were invited by Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner to a Town Council meeting to be recognized for their Long Island championship. Students Xavier Arline, Mike Cassaza, Patrick Mahan, Robert McGee, Johnny Schwarz, Tyler Schwarz, Chris Visintin and Matt Zahn, represented the team along with head coach Aden Smith.

Prodell students took part in Booktalk, an enriching literary experience where all students and staff members are united in conversations about literature, themes, story ideas and more. This year, the event is being held schoolwide - for all grade levels to participate – an exciting time for more than 470 students divided into 47 groups to first read independently and meet for discussion later in the month to discuss plots, story summaries and character development in an effort to further develop independent reading skills while engaging in spirited conversation. Started 45 years ago, students and staff are excited about the historic and unique program. “Booktalking into the new decade at Prodell is possible with tremendous leadership of Mr. Kevin Vann, Mr. Dan Ackerman and terrific teachers throughout every discipline,” Prodell librarian Ann-Marie Kalin said.