Schools Notebook: Canaan wins Eco-Challenge
In Patchogue, a student campaign to preserve the Island's drinking water made a splash.
Nearly 50 third- and fourth-graders from Canaan Elementary School recently took first place in Eco-Challenge, an annual competition coordinated by the Long Island Pine Barrens Society that encourages youth to devise ideas to help protect the local water supply.
Canaan's winning idea consisted of a campaign to create informational brochures that outline the causes of water contamination and what can be done to avoid future pollution. The brochures will be handed out door-to-door to local families and at the first Eco-Night, to be held at the school this spring.
"The kids were thrilled when they found out they won," said third-grade teacher Tom Whaley, who advised the team with fourth-grade teacher Christine Bruno. "It's important for kids to know at that age that our actions greatly affect our world."
To prepare for the contest, Canaan students visited Fish Thicket Preserve, a 100-acre nature preserve in Patchogue, in the fall to get a firsthand look at Long Island's open spaces. Each student then sketched a nature-themed work of art to serve as one of the brochure covers, with Whaley and Bruno selecting the 10 best illustrations.
Next, the kids will create brochures listing water preservation facts and tips and then host the Eco-Night event.
Runner-up was a class from Lincoln Avenue Elementary School in Sayville that proposed a campaign of daily loudspeaker announcements with a preservation tip of the day and the posting of preservation-themed videos on the district's website.
Dress for success
Students in Huntington High School's business classes recently donned everything from pantsuits to sweater vests during a "Dress for Success" event designed to show teens that people show them more respect as a result of their clothing choices. As part of the project, students jotted down the reactions of classmates and shared their experiences in class discussions.
"Students practice the concept that presentation is nine-tenths of everything," said business teacher Suzie Biagi, who noted that other class topics include professional hairstyles and learning how to knot a tie.
Italian traditions
First- and second-graders at Idle Hour Elementary displayed knowledge of Italian traditions earlier this month during a celebration of La Befana, an Italian Christmas legend. The legend involves an old woman who delivers gifts to children in Italy on Epiphany Eve - the night of Jan. 5 - in a manner similar to Santa Claus on Christmas.
At the event, students wore hats with their names translated into Italian and used a microphone to announce their names, ages and hobbies in Italian to parents attending the festivities. A school employee also shared cakes and cookies purchased during a recent trip to Naples.
Drill winners
Riverhead High School's Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps Drill Team beat out nine other tri-state area schools last month to win first place at the Southold Drill Meet held at Mattituck High School. The top finish qualifies the drill team for a spot in the northeast championships in May for the fourth straight school year.
Riverhead students winning first place at the Southold meet were Michael O'Brien in varsity color guard, Matt Mulvaney in varsity academics, Patrick Kruszon in first-year cadet color guard, and Perla Leon in first-year cadet personnel inspection.
COUNTYWIDE
Career Day
Students at Eastern Suffolk BOCES' Centereach Academic Center were recently introduced to various career choices at a Career Day that included representatives from the Suffolk County Police Department, J & R's Steak House and the American Cancer Society.
Presenters were stationed in separate classrooms and engaged in group and individual conversations with the center's secondary special education and at-risk students ages 14-21.
"Find something you like to do and use what you have," Leah-Michelle Jefferson, advocacy director of the American Cancer Society, told students. "Present yourself well. You have the skills. Find them within yourself and use them."
ISLANDWIDE
Play-Educator Award
Two Long Island educators - Joanne Pappas, a pre-K teacher at Green Vale School in Old Brookville, and Jayne Kaht, a teacher at Eastern Suffolk BOCES' Brookhaven Technical Center in Bellport - recently received 2010 Play-Educator Awards from Plainview-based nonprofit Early Years Institute based on their "commitment to incorporating play into the early childhood curriculum."
They were selected by a committee of local early childhood education experts and practitioners and honored at the institute's conference - titled "We Interrupt this Program: Playing and Learning in the Age of Hyper-Media" - held last month at CA Technologies in Islandia.
