School Notebook: Protein contest winners

Science teams from 34 Long Island schools demonstrated their knowledge of organic compounds last month in the Stony Brook University Protein Challenge, a contest to build models showing the link between protein structure and function.

The first-place winner was Great Neck High South's team: Yifan Li, Tiffany Huang, Daniel Lee and Samantha Phillips. Runners-up were teams from Hewlett High and Longwood High in Middle Island.

A Mount Sinai High team was voted to have the most scientifically accurate model, and Hewlett won the award for the model most liked by students.

"It just comes naturally to our team," said Great Neck South science teacher and adviser James Truglio. "It means a lot to see them coming in as ninth-graders knowing nothing about proteins and to see where they are now as juniors and seniors."

Projects focused on the epidermal growth factor receptor, a key protein in cell communication and growth. Students had to build a model of the protein.

Teams were also asked to build a model of a related protein on the day of the event and to complete a short exam. Models were evaluated on accuracy.

Suffolk County schools competing included Bellport, Cold Spring Harbor, Connetquot in Bohemia, Eastport-South Manor, Half Hollow Hills East in Dix Hills, Huntington, Islip, Longwood in Middle Country, North Babylon, Northport, Riverhead and Walt Whitman in Huntington Station.

EAST ISLIP

New 'life skills' room

Timber Point Elementary School recently unveiled a life skills room that includes items ranging from kitchen appliances to sewing machines that will allow teachers to offer new instruction. The room was made possible by a $10,000 grant from the East Islip For the Kids Foundation, a nonprofit that raises funds for the district.

ELWOOD

Learning about autism

Sixth-graders at Elwood Middle School recently observed Autism Awareness Day with programs and activities designed to increase their understanding of the disorder.

Activities included the creation of T-shirts that incorporated colorful puzzle pieces - which are used to symbolize autism - and lectures by representatives of KIDS Plus, a foundation that promotes physical fitness to help autistic children with their development.

Students also read Cynthia Lord's "Rules" novel about an 8-year-old boy with autism.

WEST BABYLON

Focus on precious water

South Bay Elementary School students learned about the importance of protecting Long Island's drinking water during a recent visit from representatives of the Suffolk County Water Authority. During the visit, water authority administrative coordinator Donna Mancuso used an aquifer model to demonstrate the negative effects that a gas leak or pesticides can have on underground water supplies.

COUNTYWIDE

Business leadership

Nineteen Suffolk County students were first-place winners last month in the Eighth Annual Business Leadership Competition hosted by the Young Professionals Chamber of Commerce, a program of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce. The contest - held at Farmingdale State College - required teens to make presentations in categories ranging from advertising to tourism to graphic design. Winners were:

Commack: Michael Brodsky, Vinny Daigger, Dianna Felberbaum, Kirsten Fischl, Sarah Holzberg, Dan Scholem, Jordan Siegler, Anthony Squeglia and Alyssa Stalzer of Commack High School; Dix Hills: Cody Miecnikowski and Aneesh Shah of Half Hollow Hills High School East; Edwin Alvarenga, Brian Cannarozzo, Lukasz Leonczuk and Tony Lupo of Wilson Tech; South Huntington: Brianne Dillon, Kevin Osse, Rafael Reyes and Nick Scover of Walt Whitman High School.

ISLANDWIDE

'Best Foot Forward'

Career academies at six Long Island schools were recently named winners in a "Best Foot Forward" initiative coordinated by the Long Island Works Coalition, a division of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York & Northern New Jersey.

The initiative - done in partnership with Nike and Ford Motor Co. - asked teens to produce a commercial encouraging donations of used sneakers to be recycled into playground and track surfaces. The schools also collected 4,100 pounds of sneakers. Commercial contest winners were:

Baldwin: overall best video, audience choice, most school spirit, and best student performance awards for Baldwin High School; East Islip: best entertainment value and best message of social responsibility awards for East Islip High School; East Meadow: most creative video award for East Meadow High School; Massapequa: best reality commercial award for Massapequa High School; Mastic Beach: best use of technology award for William Floyd High School; Wantagh: best display of career academy industry award for Wantagh High School.