Long Island pols visit with students

Local classrooms haven't seen a shortage of political topics in recent weeks.

Dozens of schools have played host to candidates and elected officials ranging from town councilmen to supervisors to senators for pre-election debates and question-and-answer sessions to educate students about local politics and the election process.

In East Islip the high school's Advanced Placement government classes were visited by candidates including Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan and Angie Carpenter, the Republican candidate for Suffolk County executive. The group discussed topics such as the Occupy Wall Street protests and President Barack Obama's health care reform.

"You're not going to call the president if you have a question," East Islip's AP government teacher Eric Bruckner told teens at the event. "You'll understand more about . . . government with local politics."

In Levittown, Wisdom Lane Middle School eighth-grader Gabriel Berry conducted a one-on-one interview for his school newspaper with Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray, who is his neighbor. Berry said he knocked on Murray's door to request the interview, and she offered to visit the school to speak with him.

"I've wanted to do a piece on her for a long time," Gabriel said. "A lot of kids aren't interested in politics, but I want them to learn because it's important."

In Glen Cove, the city's incumbent mayor, Ralph Suozzi, and Republican challenger Paul Meli visited the high school for a debate led by a student panel of eight judges.

In Old Westbury, Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) visited The Wheatley School for an afternoon of pizza and politics with the student government.

"These discussions are a tremendous benefit to me, because they allow me to know what is important to our young people here," Martins said afterward.

In Glen Head, North Shore Middle School was visited by former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, who spoke about the value of public service and being a good citizen.

GARDEN CITY

Music classrooms

Garden City High School broke ground last month on an addition to its music department that will consist of three new classrooms for performing ensembles and multiple storage spaces. The project is expected to be done for the start of the 2012-13 school year.

Those attending included Village of Garden City Mayor Donald Brudie, Assemb. Tom McKevitt (R-East Meadow) and Roger Tilles, a member of the New York State Board of Regents. In a speech Tilles credited the school for creating music space at a time when many have cut their programs.

LEVITTOWN

Slam-dunk fundraiser

Division Avenue High School raised more than $3,000 last month through a basketball fundraiser that featured the Harlem Wizards against a team that consisted of principal Francesco Ianni, Legis. Dennis Dunne (R-Levittown) and teachers.

The fundraiser was sponsored by the school's Parent-Teacher-Student Association, and money raised will be used for college scholarships issued in June to graduating seniors.

SEAFORD

Red Ribbon Week

Seaford School District educated students on the importance of healthy lifestyles last month in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week, a national prevention awareness campaign.

At Seaford Middle School activities ranged from announcing facts about drug addiction over the school loudspeaker each morning to wearing crazy hats to "put a cap on drugs," school officials said. Students also signed drug-free pledges that were hung in the cafeteria.

Harbor and Manor elementary schools' activities included a puppet show based on the dangers of nicotine and alcohol.

ISLANDWIDE

'Read for the Record'

A number of Long Island schools promoted childhood literacy by participating in "Read for the Record," a campaign coordinated by the nonprofit Jumpstart that required kids worldwide to simultaneously read Anna Dewdney's children's book "Llama Llama Red Pajama" on Oct. 6.

The event attracted 2,184,155 students -- a new world record for simultaneous readers, Jumpstart said.

In Lynbrook, Waverly Park Elementary School reading teacher Maria Viviano-Farry read the book over the school's public address system as students followed along by reading the ebook version on their classrooms' StarBoard, which is an interactive whiteboard.

In Manorville, South Street Elementary School pupils heard an online reading by Dewdney and were visited by two llamas provided by Long Island Livestock Co. in Yaphank.

In Levittown, J. Fred Sparke Elementary School pupils wore pajamas to celebrate the day.