Surprise! 4 teachers win school supplies

Four Long Island teachers were surprised earlier this month with something they consider to be very valuable: school supplies.

They were among 1,000 teachers nationwide who each were presented with $1,000 worth of school supplies by OfficeMax in partnership with the nonprofit Adopt-A-Classroom on Oct. 4. The annual program, titled "A Day Made Better," is intended to provide economic relief and encourage national support for teachers.

In Baldwin, fourth-grade teacher Jamie Cohen was led to believe that a light needed repair in her classroom at Brookside Elementary School, prompting her class to relocate to the school's intermediate learning room.

"We walked in to find flowers and OfficeMax staff with the supplies -- and we were all just shocked and mesmerized," said Cohen, who was nominated for the surprise by principal Ivy Sherman. "A lot of children try to bring in as many supplies as they can, but it gets costly."

In Riverhead, kindergarten teacher Kim Benkert was told that the district's public information officer was photographing her dual-language students at Phillips Avenue Elementary School for a story when the surprise was revealed. Supplies included an Epson printer/scanner, a Kodak camera and items ranging from chalk to pencils.

In addition, OfficeMax in Riverhead donated another $3,000 worth of supplies to the school.

"It's important to recognize how often teachers go into their own pockets for our kids," principal Debra Rodgers said. Benkert added: "I don't know a teacher that doesn't spend their own money. It's something you do for a successful classroom."

Other surprised teachers were Maureen Madigan of Gardiners Avenue School in Levittown and Christine Pearsall of Medford Elementary School.

GARDEN CITY

A new language lab

Garden City High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month for a new World Language Lab that will provide pupils with a dedicated space to work on collaborative language projects as well as practice their speaking skills. The lab includes 31 computers, a projector and a SMART board that will allow teachers to integrate video and audio lessons.

It was made possible through a $30,000 donation from the Garden City PTA.

"In times of limited resources, donations such as this make an incredible difference in the academic growth of students," said Peter Giacalone, the district's language coordinator.

GLEN COVE

High note for chorale

Glen Cove High School's Select Chorale is one of eight school choral ensembles statewide -- and the only one from Long Island -- invited to sing this weekend at the fall conference of the American Choral Directors Association's New York Chapter in Rochester.

The roughly 55-student chorale was invited based on its resume of recent concert tours and festival appearances.

"This is one of the greatest opportunities in the history of the chorale," said Ed Norris, the school's chorale director.

JERICHO

Ranked in math, science

Jericho High School was ranked 40th last month in a national list of "Best High Schools for Math and Science" by U.S. News & World Report. To be eligible, a school had to be among nearly 600 gold, silver or honorable mentions two years ago in U.S. News' "Best High Schools" list; rankings were then determined based on the proportions of pupils passing college-level math and science courses.

Great Neck South High School and The Wheatley School in Old Westbury were ranked 86th and 120th, respectively.

ISLANDWIDE

Gold Apple Awards

Ten local educators were recently named winners of Golden Apples Awards from the March of Dimes' Long Island Chapter, based on their efforts "to make a difference through a commitment to education," chapter officials said.

They will be honored at an awards dinner next month in Woodbury.

The awardees are: Patricia Kelly Collins, an integrated co-teacher at Lincoln Orens Middle School in Island Park; Arnold Dodge, chair of educational leadership and administration at Long Island University; Donna Gianfortone, a second-grade teacher at Chippewa Elementary School in Holtsville; Regina Giunta, principal of Western Suffolk BOCES' James Allen Jr./Sr. High School in Deer Park; Mary Hickey, an associate professor at New York University; Mary Meyers, a retired teacher from Massapequa School District; Joanne Pappas, a pre-K teacher at The Green Vale School in Old Brookville; Nicole Mazza, a third-grade teacher at Landing Elementary School in Glen Cove; Bob Spiotto, executive producer of Hofstra Entertainment; and Suzanne Viscovich, principal of Homestead School in Garden City.