Great Neck teams sweep Science Bowls
A team from Great Neck South High School won first place in the high school competition of the Long Island Regional Science Bowl. From left to right, team members Matthew Tsui, David Wang, Anthony Zhan, Jansen Wong and Bradley He, along with coach James Truglio. Credit: Brookhaven National Laboratory
The Great Neck School District swept the top spots in this year's Long Island Regional Science Bowls.
Teams from Great Neck South High School and Great Neck South Middle School placed first in the bowls' high school and middle school competitions, respectively, at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The middle school has won the regional title for three consecutive years.
For winning, the teams received all-expenses-paid trips next month to the national finals near Washington, D.C., where they will be joined by the winners of all 112 regional competitions nationwide.
"We're more like a group of friends than a competitive team, so it's been really fun," said Anthony Zahn, the high school team's captain. The team's other members are Bradley He, Matthew Tsui, David Wang and Jansen Wong.
"We have been practicing since October and were working really hard as a team," said Erin Wong, the middle school team's captain. The team's other members are Colin Hu, Luke Huang, Emily Tsui and Zican Zhang.
The science bowl is a "Jeopardy!"-style competition with a four-division round-robin format that features topics including biology, chemistry and physics. The winners from each division faced off in a double-elimination series.
The top 16 high school and middle school teams at the national level will win $1,000 for their schools' science departments.
Three students in the Nassau BOCES Cooperative Occupational Educational Program at Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center in Westbury were the first to participate in a new partnership as paid cooperative employees at Levittown Ford, where they work as entry-level technicians with mentor technicians. Pictured are Barry Tech students Jason Maglione, second from left, Daniel Monteleone, center, and Jason Kropp, second from right, with their mentors. Credit: Nassau BOCES
VALLEY STREAM
Step winners
Valley Stream North High School’s Spartan Steppers team has reached the international level after winning multiple awards last month at the World of Step Regional Competition in Manhattan, which was hosted by the National Stepping Association and The P.L.A.Y.E.R.S Club Ent.
The Spartan Steppers placed first in the novice hip-hop category for small groups, ages 12-17, for their routine titled "Beyonce," and second place in the novice step category for small groups, ages 12-17, for their routine titled "Spartan Pride." They also won a $150 scholarship and the judge's choice award for best choreography.
In Merrick, kindergartners at Roland A. Chatterton Elementary School recently dressed as if they were 100 years old to celebrate the 100th day of school. They also participated in activities that incorporated the number 100, such as building a tower using 100 cups. Credit: Merrick School District
The team has advanced to the World of Step International Competition in Manhattan on May 21-24.
COUNTYWIDE
Black History Month
Many local schools hosted educational events and activities last month in recognition of Black History Month.
In Valley Stream, Memorial Junior High School held a celebration that included the school's band, choir, drum team and step team. It also featured a performance by members of nearby Layla's Dance and Drum Studio, which specializes in African, Caribbean and Latin dance.
In Freeport, the school district hosted a concert that kicked off with a rendition of James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by student Sincere Williams and included student artwork that reflected the achievements of African Americans.
In Lynbrook, fourth-graders at West End Elementary School created collages of black icons including Nelson Mandela and Booker T. Washington, while fifth-graders researched "unsung heroes" as part of a project to create a Freedom Quilt.
ISLANDWIDE
Female Diversity Award
Six Long Island schools — Academy Charter School in Hempstead, Cold Spring Harbor High School, Mineola High School, Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset, Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, and Smithtown High School East — are among about 800 recipients nationwide of the College Board's AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for 2019.
To earn the designation, schools achieved a percentage of female examinees that met or exceeded that of their female population, or reached 50% or higher female representation in either of the following courses: AP Computer Science Principles or AP Computer Science A.
Mineola was one of only three schools statewide to meet the criteria in both courses.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
