Bellmore-Merrick in the News - Jan. 2012

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Sept. 2011
Oct. 2011
Nov. 2011
Dec. 2011

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL HOSTS “Stories of Substance”

The theatrical group, “Stories of Substance”, recently visited John F. Kennedy High School and conducted two assembly programs for all 10th to 12th grade students aimed at educating them about making healthy choices. Using drama, music and humor in a creative, powerful, and efficient way, this group raises awareness about serious issues such as substance abuse, domestic violence, self-esteem, depression, internet safety, and distractive driving. Peer actors take real stories and develop them into an interactive and engaging performance.

This program was presented by the JFK Guidance Department with the generous support of Ms. Wendy Tepfer and the Community Parent Center. Photo

John F. Kennedy students enjoying the assembly

The theatrical group, “Stories of Substance,” performing on stage

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

The administration and staff at John F. Kennedy High School recently named a student from each academic department to receive “Student of the Month” recognition, to highlight their achievements and/or efforts for the month of December: The students are: Jesse Cardone (Math), Arielle Berkley (Health), Halley Davide (English), Jon Hulkower (Vocal Music), Joshua Goldman (Instrumental Music), Brandon Grabelsky (Social Studies), Tyler Goldberg (Physical Education), Beatrice Brown (LOTE), Natalie Giovino (Science), Robert Person (Business), Loreal Drucker (Family & Consumer Science), and Arianna Kohan (Art).

Congratulations to all recipients!

(L-R): Jesse Cardone (Math); Arielle Berkley (Health); Halley Davide (English); Jon Hulkower (Vocal Music); Joshua Goldman (Instrumental Music) and Brandon Grabelsky (Social Studies)

Tyler Goldberg (Physical Education)

Beatrice Brown (LOTE)

(L-R): Natalie Giovino (Science) and Robert Person (Business)

Loreal Drucker (Family & Consumer Science) Unavailable for photo: Arianna Kohan (Art)

CHSD BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS NEEDED

Residents of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, with or without children in the schools, are invited to participate on the District Budget Lay Committee. The first meeting will be on January 18, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the Brookside School.

Community members on the committee will act in an advisory capacity to the members of the School Board, as well as district Administration. There will be meetings with various district administrators who will present and explain program needs. The committee will have the opportunity to review the proposed expenditure budget for the 2012-2013 school year.

Anyone interested in serving on this committee should contact Ms. Cynthia Strait Régal, Deputy Superintendent, at the Administration Offices, 1260 Meadowbrook Road, North Merrick, New York 11566 (tel. # 992-1020) by January 14, 2012.

MERRICK AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORM AT BRISTAL ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS

The Merrick Avenue Middle School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Richard Gilley, and the “Word Of Mouth,” a cappella group directed by Ms. Dana Brandwein, performed various holiday selections at the East Meadow and Massapequa Bristal Assisted Living Centers on Friday, December 23rd, 2011.

This was the nineteenth year in a row that the Jazz Ensemble performed, and the second year that the a cappella group performed for the Bristal residents. Songs such as “Frosty the Snowman” and “Jingle Bells” were performed, along with specialty selections specific to each individual group.

Both groups are a select assemblage of the most musically advanced students from the band and chorus of Merrick Avenue Middle School. Their combined talents were real crowd pleasers. It was a special occasion and many of the residents really enjoyed the performances that spread holiday cheer and made their day a little brighter through musical entertainment. We are very proud of these students and their teachers Mr. Richard Gilley and Ms. Dana Brandwein.

Merrick Avenue Middle School a cappella group and Jazz Ensemble with Mr. Richard Gilley performing at Bristal Assisted Living

Merrick Avenue Middle School Jazz Ensemble performing at Bristal Assisted Living

MERRICK AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE DECISIONS (SADD) RAISE MONEY FOR CANCERCARE

The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club at Merrick Avenue Middle School held their Third Annual Faculty Volleyball Match. The students and faculty members made a donation in order to watch or participate in the match. The event raised almost $1,300.00 for CancerCare and also raised awareness about the dangers of smoking and Lung Cancer. Over 300 students and faculty members attended.

The Merrick Avenue Middle School would like to give a big thank you to Bagel Café in Merrick for donating six dozen bagels which was raffled off throughout the match!

The students of SADD did an outstanding job!

Merrick Avenue Middle School Faculty

CALHOUN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT’S RESEARCH PAPERS PUBLISHED IN PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS

The Calhoun High School Science Department is proud to announce that two of Asia Brown’s research papers were published in professional journals. Asia Brown, a senior in the Advanced Science Research program, has been named as co-author on two research papers submitted to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Conference of Computational Advances in Biomedical Sciences (IEEE ICCABS). The aim of IEEE ICCABS is to bring together leading academic and industry researchers to discuss the latest advances in computational methods for medical sciences. The articles submitted are: Comparison of RNA-Seq with microarray analysis of the transcriptional response in HT-29 colon cancer cells to 5-Aza-deoxycytidine and Genome-wide expression profiling reveals epigenetic and microRNA-mediated gene regulations in colorectal cancer.

Congratulations to Asia Brown and her research teachers, Ms. Kimberlie Lascarides, Ms. Jennifer Pefanis, and Mr. Nick Pappas!

Asia Brown

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL NOVEMBER & DECEMBER C.A.R.M.A. AWARD RECIPIENTS

John F. Kennedy High School’s Student Government is proud to announce the recipients of its C.A.R.M.A. awards for the months of November and December. The C.A.R.M.A. Program (Cougars As Role Model Americans) was established by the Kennedy Student Government in 2009 to showcase the efforts of members of the school community and to promote volunteerism. The program has recognized Kennedy students and staff members who have helped the poor, sick, elderly, and underprivileged.

For November, Camila Agudelo, Brianna Goedel, and William Goedel were recognized for their service. These three outstanding students worked together to initiate Kennedy’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). The students wanted to create an organization that would establish an environment at Kennedy that would allow students to express themselves freely. This past spring, they worked with Mr. Jimenez and Mr. Maresca to form GSA, which has grown from 15 members to over 80 members. The club grows weekly with the support of many students as well as many faculty members.

In the month of December, the Student Government granted the C.A.R.M.A. award to Brett Keller and Alec Schnur. Brett Keller worked with the Rein Community Service program and went to Hawaii for a month over the summer. The Rein Community Service program allows children to give back to the global community by volunteering with people and animals across the world. Participants mentor children, rescue animals, protect the environment, and help underprivileged people. During his time in Hawaii, Brett joined forces with others to set up a camp in a church for underprivileged children. This program allowed the participants to create a stable environment for Hawaiian children between the ages of five and thirteen. Brett spent his summer changing the lives of numerous children. (Continued on Next Page) (Continued from Previous Page)

Alec Schnur had poor vision as a child, but a trip to the optometrist gave him a new chance to experience the world. As a result of this opportunity, Alec saw the need to help those who suffer from the same problem he once had. He found One Sight, an organization which works to correct the vision of people who do not have access to care. Alec collected one thousand pairs of glasses by putting boxes around the community and spreading word of the problem. In addition to providing one thousand people with eyeglasses, Alec volunteered on the One Sight mobile van, an RV turned into an optometrist’s office. He helped to give 300 underprivileged middle school students exams and pair them with glasses to correct their vision. Alec used his former disadvantage to provide others with the luxury of sight that he now has.

Congratulations to all the recipients!

November’s recipients (from left to right) Student Government President Michael Schwartz, Brianna Goedel, Camila Agudelo, William Goedel, and Community Service Coordinator Nicole Toback

December’s recipients (from left to right) Student Government President Michael Schwartz, Community Service Coordinator Nicole Toback, Alec Schnur, Brett Keller, Student Government Vice-President John Ingardia

GRAND AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL DECEMBER CITIZENS OF THE MONTH

Grand Avenue tradition continues as the December Students of the Month were recognized for their hard work and citizenship. Citizens of the Month are chosen by their team teachers based on the following:

• Students who embody the tenets of R.I.C.E. (Respect, Impulse Control, Compassion, and Equity.
• Students who demonstrate courage, integrity, selflessness, accountability, and good judgment while leading by example.
• Students who embrace diversity, accept social responsibility, and strive to fulfill Grand Avenue’s Shared Purpose.

We would like to congratulate Jacob Giller, Vincent Pedone, Christopher Bauer, Timothy Karp, Jack Cimorelli, Elizabeth Berkowitz, Peter Cuttitta, and Jasmine Sultan.

Keep up the great work!

Grand Avenue December Citizens of the Month

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SERVE ON STUDENT BOARD OF THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL

John F. Kennedy students, Nicole Toback and Jesse Richheimer, will serve on the 2012 Student Board of the New York State Council for Leadership and Student Activities (CLSA). Both students are members of Kennedy’s Student Government and serve in leadership positions. Nicole is the club’s community service coordinator and Jesse Richheimer is a senator representing the Class of 2013. The students, along with 13 other members of the Student Government, attended the NYS CLSA’s annual conference in Rye, New York this past November where they were elected to the student board. Nicole and Jesse are the lone representatives for Nassau County on the board, which consists of 36 student representatives throughout the state. They will attend two conferences in Albany, New York this year where they will meet with the other representatives to discuss philanthropic efforts, leadership initiatives, and next year’s state conference.

(from left to right) Nicole Toback and Jesse Richheimer

MERRICK AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY BEE WINNER JOSHUA SMALL

Joshua Small, an eighth grade student at Merrick Avenue Middle School, won the school level competition of the National Geographic Bee on January 12th and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school level Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 24th Annual National Geographic Bee.

Joshua competed with 66 7th and 8th graders through ten rounds of geography questions. In the Championship round, Josh and Steven Hernandez were in a dead tie. After two tie breaking questions, Josh became the Merrick Avenue Middle School champion. A great time was had by the participants, teachers, and the audience.

The kickoff for this year’s Bee was the week of November 14th, with thousands of schools around the United States and in the five U.S. territories participating. All the winners from each school, including Joshua Small, will now take a written test; up to 100 of the top scorers in each state will then be eligible to compete in their state Bee on March 30, 2012. “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek will moderate the national finals on May 24th which will air on television.

Congratulations to Josh and all the geography scholars at Merrick Avenue Middle School.

GRAND AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPELLING BEE WINNER JOSEPH SIRABELLA

Grand Avenue Middle School held its School Spelling Bee on Thursday, January 11, 2012 and it was a smashing success!! Twenty-three 7th and 8th grade contestants competed and made Grand Avenue Middle School and their English teachers proud. English teachers administered a preliminary spelling test in all English classes. The students that scored the highest qualified to become the Spelling Bee contestants. Several English classes were in the audience to support their peers. The audience did an outstanding job of being extremely respectful of showed their overwhelming support.

Congratulations to all of the Grand Avenue Middle School contestants, and especially SCHOOL CHAMPION … eighth grader, Joseph Sirabella, first runner up, Brianna Cunneen (eighth grader), and second runner up, Marilena Hilas (seventh grader). All the winners from each school, including Joseph, will now take a written test; up to 100 of the top scorers in each state will then be eligible to compete in their state Bee on March 30, 2012 at Hofstra University. If Joseph advances beyond Hofstra, it’s on to Washington D.C. for the NATIONALS.

Good luck, Joe!

(L-R) - Spelling Bee Contestants, 1st Alternate: Brianna Cunneen (8th grader), Teacher/Spelling Bee Pronouncer, Ms. Zambori, School Champion, Joseph Sirabella (8th grader), 2nd Alternate, Marilena Hilas (7th grader)

GRAND AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN WINGS OF WITNESS PROJECT

On Tuesday, January 18, 2012, students from Grand Avenue Middle School participated in a character education program called Wings of Witness. Wings of Witness teaches tolerance and empathy, among other character traits, and the historical significance of the Holocaust. Students take part in a group discussion and then participate in building (or contributing to) a sculpture created out of pull tabs from soda cans. The sculptures are a large part of the workshop, and play a vital role in symbolizing the struggles and hardships that people endured through the Holocaust. They also symbolize a joint effort by the students to make the world a better place.

Grand Avenue are working together to use soda can tabs to build a sculpture for the character education workshop, Wings of Witness

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS NAMED AS COCA-COLA SEMIFINALISTS

Kennedy seniors Melissa Rosenblum and Kayla Babbush have been named semifinalists in the 2012-Coca Cola Scholars Foundation Program. Melissa and Kayla were among 2,200 students nationwide (out of 84,000) to be recognized in this merit based program, as a result of their outstanding, demonstrated leadership skills and participation in their communities through their volunteerism. Additionally, they are recognized for their exceptional academic achievements.

Congratulations to Melissa and Kayla as they move forward in the process and as they compete in the scholarship program!

(L-R) Melissa Rosenblum and Kayla Babbush

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT GOVERNMENT WELCOMES BACK TWO ALUMNI

The John F. Kennedy High School’s Student Government is proud to announce that they will welcome back two of Kennedy’s most recognizable alumni, Steve Levy and Adam Schefter.

Mr. Levy (Class of 1983) and Adam Schefter (class of 1985) are among the most familiar personalities on ESPN. On March 8, 2012 at 7:00 p.m, they will visit Kennedy High School to discuss their careers and American sports. Their talk will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

According to their bios on the ESPN website, Steve Levy has been an anchor on SportsCenter since joining ESPN in August 1993. Along the way, he has also handled play-by-play on the NHL (1995 – 2005) on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports, college football on ESPN2 (1999 – 2002) and the NCAA Division I men’s hockey semifinals and finals – “The Frozen Four” – in 1998 and ‘99. The versatile Levy has also served as the studio host for ESPN’s NHL telecasts and co-hosted The NFL on ESPN Radio -- previewing, reviewing and updating National Football League games all day on Sundays throughout the season.

Adam Schefter joined ESPN as an NFL Insider in August 2009, and appears on SportsCenter, NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown and ESPNEWS throughout the year. In addition, he contributes regularly to other platforms, including ESPN.com and ESPN Radio. In 2010, Schefter and Senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen departed on separate cross-country road trips that took the duo to all 32 NFL training camps in 19 days and logging more than 15,000 combined miles. Mortensen concentrated on teams in the West, while Schefter focused on the East.

For over 20 years, Schefter has covered the NFL and is regarded as one of the league's top reporters in the industry. Before joining ESPN, Schefter was a reporter/analyst for NFL Network from 2004-08. Prior to joining NFL Network, Schefter was a sportswriter for the Denver Post where he covered the Broncos for 15 years.

To purchase tickets, visit the Kennedy main office or call (516)992-1454.

For Kennedy students or staff, the tickets are $5, and for the general public, the cost is $10. The proceeds from this event will benefit student activities and scholarship funds.

Adam Schefter	Steve Levy

(photos courtesy of ESPN.com)