School Notebook: Baldwin team wins Medical Marvels
The Baldwin High School team that won first place in this year’s Medical Marvels included, from left in front row, students Bianca Samedy, Chelsea Panky, Thalia Kontoleon, Kaylah Deriphonse and Reyna Palmer, joined by social studies teacher Kelsey Krassner, on left in back row, Principal Neil Testa and social studies chair Lauren Albert. Credit: Baldwin High School
A Baldwin High School team's idea to tackle the issue of human trafficking has won a local competition for the second consecutive year.
The team — Kaylah Deriphonse, Thalia Kontoleon, Reyna Palmer, Chelsea Panky and Bianca Samedy — beat out 17 other local groups to place first in this year's Medical Marvels, a competition coordinated by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in conjunction with Northwell Health's Center for Workforce Readiness and Northwell Health Talent Acquisition.
The 10th annual competition challenged freshman and sophomores to submit three-minute videos and scientific posters about how to stop human trafficking and help its victims. Baldwin's team proposed a task force approach that included a coalition of community members to provide support with a focus on educators who can see changes in students.
"Our hope is to raise health in our communities by creating formative opportunities that will introduce career paths for future top researchers, innovators, leaders and clinicians," said Ines Vanboom, assistant vice president of workforce readiness at Northwell Health.
A panel of scientists, clinicians and health care administrators evaluated videos using a five-point scoring rubric based on such qualities as innovation, clarity and measurement of success.
A Commack High School team placed second, while teams from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore and Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School tied for third.
SMITHTOWN
In East Norwich, fourth-graders at James H. Vernon Elementary School learned about birds and how to identify them during a visit from representatives of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay. Credit: Oyster Bay-East Norwich School District
'Fund the Mission'
Smithtown High School West's Relay for Life Club recently raised more than $10,000 — he largest amount of any school nationwide — as part of the American Cancer Society's "Fund the Mission" Challenge, a 72-hour online fundraising contest. The money, which went to the nonprofit, was raised through donations and sales of bagels, T-shirt and bracelets.
The school also had three teams and three individuals — Irene Cacace, Alison Kelleher and Amanda Froehlich — who placed in the top 10 among teams and individuals nationwide. Cacace placed third by raising $1,492, and Kelleher and Froehlich placed eighth and ninth by raising $1,070 and $820, respectively.
VALLEY STREAM
In Bohemia, students at Edward J. Bosti Elementary School in the Connetquot School District recently learned about marine life – including crabs, clams and mussels – during a “Seaside Safari” workshop through the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Credit: Connetquot School District
Future Teachers Academy
The Valley Stream Central High School District has launched a new club at each of its schools called the Future Teachers Academy, which gives students the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of teaching.
One recent meeting at Valley Stream North High School enabled participating teens to learn about the credentials required to become a public-school teacher from two representatives of LIU Post. They also learned how to specialize their educations according to their teaching interests and future ambitions.
"This is a way of introducing our students to the profession of teaching and the necessary higher education requirements to pursue it," said Cliff Odell, the district's assistant superintendent for personnel and administration .
COUNTYWIDE
In Stony Brook, members of R.C. Murphy Junior High School’s Community Connections/Home and Careers Club recently sold homemade dog biscuits to benefit the Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter in Port Jefferson Station. Credit: Three Village Central School District
Read Across America
Many schools promoted the importance of reading last month during the National Education Association's National Read Across America Week.
In Amityville, pre-kindergartners at Northeast Elementary School were treated to readings of Dr. Seuss books — such as "The Cat in the Hat," "Oh, the Places You'll Go" and "Green Eggs and Ham." They also cooked their own green eggs and crafted crazy hats in honor of Dr. Seuss.
In North Bellmore, fourth-graders at Newbridge Road Elementary School engaged in "buddy reading" and studied such story elements as plot and setting, while sixth-graders participated in interactive read-alouds of books that reflected different religions.
In Manhasset, children at Munsey Park and Shelter Rock elementary schools shared their favorite books with one another and participated in a crazy hat day in honor of Dr. Seuss' children's book "The Cat in the Hat."
In Shirley, Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School’s Community Cares Club collected more than 200 items – ranging from cake mix to paper goods – as part of a “Birthday-in-a-Tin” drive to benefit residents through the William Jackson Mastics and Shirley Community Emergency Food Pantry. Credit: William Floyd School District
In Ronkonkoma, children participated in a variety of dress-up days and ended the week by bringing in their favorite books to read and share with their peers at Helen B. Duffield Elementary School.
In Southampton, students read more than 400 books in such locations as boxes, blanket forts and under tables inside the elementary school's library. The week culminated with a theme day in which students dressed as their favorite book characters.
In Valley Stream, students at Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School enjoyed a virtual visit by alum Celeste Taylor, who is an Olympic gold medalist and basketball player at Duke University. Taylor shared how her love of reading was ignited by her experiences at Brooklyn Avenue.
ISLANDWIDE
Quill Awards
In Smithtown, seventh-graders at Accompsett Middle School learned about such activities as wool spinning and candle dripping during a visit from representatives of the Smithtown Historical Society as part of the school’s Colonial Day. Credit: Smithtown Central School District
Ten Long Island students and one high school newspaper were recognized for their journalistic excellence with first-place Quill Awards during Adelphi University's Press Day.
Winners, their high schools are categories were: Conor Burns, Chaminade, most outstanding reporter; Katie Tian and Qi Wang, Jericho, best news story; Isabel Connolly, Kellenberg, best feature; Benji Rabinovich, Roslyn, best sports story; Katelyn Roberts and Lucy Wu, Shoreham-Wading River, best opinion piece; Kimberly Shrestha, Valley Stream North, best visual; and Gianna Devita and Gabriella Reiss, East Meadow, best arts review.
Lynbrook High School's Horizon newspaper won first-place in the best newspaper category.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
