Seventh graders in Diana Cotrone’s music class at Deer Park’s Robert Frost Middle School recently finished a unit on electronic music and music production. Students created their own original songs and beats using the Soundtrap digital audio workstation. Each student presented their compositions to the class anonymously. After the class listened to each piece, they voted on their favorite songs, with the winners being Ajani Jackson, Matthew Lombardo and Beau Williams.

Date Added: 5/2/2024

As their proud families watched with pride, Deer Park High School recognized the achievements of 17 remarkable students at the annual spring Breakfast for Champions on April 17. The dedicated and determined students were honored by administrators and teachers in categories corresponding to school departments as well as principal’s and teacher’s awards. Held in the school’s library, the event featured music from a high school string quintet consisting of Jayme Lipiec (viola), Eadie Liu (violin), Liana Luc (violin), Lorelai Silverstein (bass) and John Susana-Mendez (cello).

Students were honored in the 15 school department categories of athletics (Sophie Joseph), business (Summer Eisenberg), English (Muntazir Mehdi), English as a new language (Maria Tojin Uz), family and consumer science (Nadia Elsergany), fine arts (Kasumi Dennis), guidance (Anaelle Beauchamp), health (Ubaid Iqbal), mathematics (Louis DeAngelis), performing arts (Jaden Carbajal), physical education (Nathaniel Ciuffo), science (Daniel Aguilar), social studies (Sara Garcia), technology (Christopher Pittas) and world languages (Saamir Alfred), as well as the Principal’s Award (Dimaunte’ Gardner) and Teacher’s Award (Georgios Kagiannis-Juliano).

“The students seen here show exceptional conduct and character on a daily basis,” Associate Principal Garret Noblett said. “The stories that we will hear today recognize students for all of their achievement, hard work and accomplishments, and determination to overcome obstacles. We have students who have either worked on achieving their personal best inside and outside the classroom, demonstrate good citizenship or show compassion to help others. Thank you to the parents and families of our champions who play a key role in helping them get to where they are today.”
 
“This is one of those days that really leaves a memorable mark here for us here at Deer Park High School and puts a smile on our faces every year, because it allows us to acknowledge students for a multitude of reasons,” Principal Charles Cobb said. “We have students from varied backgrounds and interests here, and I think this brings everybody together.”

Date Added: 5/1/2024

John Quincy Adams Primary School and May Moore Primary School found exciting ways to celebrate Earth Day this year, including participating in two special beautification efforts.

On April 19, Tanger Outlets representatives visited May Moore for a special Earth Day assembly and tree-planting ceremony.

Meanwhile, at JQA, SiteOne Landscape Supply donated flowers and assisted the school’s second-grade student council in planting them in front of the building.

“We greatly appreciate SiteOne’s generous donation, time and effort in helping to beautify JQA,” Principal Christopher Molinelli said.

Prior to Earth Day, May Moore second graders in Kristen Lombardo’s music classes had participated in a live Earth Day concert with environmental rap superhero Mr. Eco. Joined by other classes from all across the country, the students sang songs about recycling, compost and saving energy; answered trivia questions; and danced along with Mr. Eco and his EcoHero friends.

Lastly, first graders in Erica Berdugo’s classroom at JQA worked on a “What Will My Bottle Become?” project. The students were able to use their imaginations and STEAM skills to create something new out of water bottles, making crafts such as Minion characters, flower vases, animals and piggy banks.

“My students learned the importance of ‘reusing’ for Earth Day while having a lot of fun in the process,” Berdugo said.  

Date Added: 4/29/2024

Students and staff at John F. Kennedy Intermediate School recently rocked their socks for Down Syndrome awareness, collecting $200 in donations for New York State’s Special Olympics.

Date Added: 4/26/2024

Deer Park High School and librarian Evan DeNaro welcomed Holocaust survivor Jeannie Parnes Wechsler to the high school library on March 7 and 8. Social studies classes taught by Joe Alo, Marissa Caruso, Hunter Hayes and Kerry Walsh, along with many high school staff members, sat down with Wechsler as she shared her stories and experiences from those horrific years. Over the course of World War II, the Parnes family of two parents and seven children experienced many miracles that resulted in all nine members surviving the war and remaining together.

“Jeannie’s story is one to remind the people of today that events such as the Holocaust must never again come to pass,” Alo said. “It reminds us that we must remain vigilant in taking a stand against the hate and intolerance against people of other religions, races, and ethnicities so that no one experiences an event like this. Jeannie expressed that it was always her mother’s wish that she tell the story of her family during the Holocaust, and by being with students and staff at Deer Park High School, Jeannie was able to continue to fulfill the wishes of her mother.”

At the conclusion of her visit, Wechsler was asked if she had any lasting messages for those in attendance.

“I look out at all of your beautiful faces and I see people of different races and religions all together and learning as one,” Wechsler said with a smile. “This is the way things should be. The similarities in our lives must outweigh the differences and by working together, we can make a better world, a world that we will all be blessed to live in.”

Date Added: 4/25/2024