School Notebook: Fundraisers to aid Japan

Long Island students had no shortage of ideas this spring about how to lend a helping hand to Japan.

From charity concerts to origami workshops, dozens of local schools did their part to raise thousands of dollars in response to a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Japan's east coast in March that set off a tsunami that inundated many coastal communities.

In Lynbrook, the high school's Japanese Club helped raise $1,800 for the Japanese Red Cross at an annual Class Skit Night that featured parodies of Disney's "Toy Story" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchises, among others.

In Garden City, the high school's Tri-M Music Honor Society raised more than $1,400 for the American Red Cross through a student recital that included everything from Broadway tunes to top-40 hits.

"[It] was a huge success and a night that will never be forgotten by those who participated," said Garden City's Tri-M president Christine Pando, a junior.

Other fundraisers included a Crazy Hair Day at Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School in Island Park in which kids sported exotic hairdos for a small donation, as well as a Jeans for Japan Day in which teachers donated money to wear jeans for a day. The two initiatives combined to raise a total of $2,245 for the nonprofit AmeriCares.

In Carle Place, high school students coordinated a community tag sale in which they rented table space to several dozen community members for $25 each to benefit three nonprofits: the American Red Cross, Operation USA and ShelterBox.

In Long Beach, West Elementary School third-graders Meghan Raubuck and Summer Ejnes raised $1,000 for the nonprofit Save the Children with a paper crane-making fundraiser.

EAST MEADOW

Business plan winners

W. Tresper Clarke High School beat out 185 others to win first place last month in Junior Achievement of New York's 2011 Business Plan Competition, which required teams to pitch original business ideas.

The school's team -- comprised of students Arjan Singh, Alexandra Knorr, Jelyssa Fuertes and Michelle Colvin -- proposed a business plan to develop and market a high-tech waterproof cellphone case.

GLEN COVE

New head of school

Cindy Dolgin has been appointed head of school at Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County & High School of Long Island effective Aug. 1, replacing the retiring Rabbi Lev Hernnson. She previously was principal of Solomon Schechter Elementary School. In other news, the school announced it will move its campus this fall to Williston Park.

HERRICKS

Tri-M runner-up

Herricks High School was recently named first runner-up in Tri-M Music Honor Society's International Chapter of the Year Competition. To be eligible, Herricks submitted a report detailing its music-related activities this school year to MENC: The National Association for Music Education.

Herrick's music activities ranged from hosting community tea parties before district concerts to "Herricks Idol," an "American Idol"-inspired competition that benefited VH1's Save the Music Foundation.

COUNTYWIDE

LIFACS Challenge

Seven Nassau County students were winners this spring in the Long Island Family and Consumer Sciences' 2011 Challenge. The contest asked middle and high schoolers to create projects that offer a fresh look at real-life challenges ranging from cake decorating to recycling to entrepreneurship. East Meadow: Gary Berteldt, Pat Ly and Pavithran Ravindran of W. Tresper Clarke High School; Farmingdale: Ariela Deleon and Samantha Raifer of Weldon E. Howitt Middle School; Garden City: Rebecca Dibona of Garden City Middle School; Levittown: Casey Pinner of Division Avenue High School.

ISLANDWIDE

NY Science Congress

Nine Long Island students won grand prizes and special awards last month at the New York State Science Congress in Albany. The competition -- coordinated by the Science Teachers Association of New York State -- is an opportunity for students in grades 6-12 to present original research.

Commack: Jeanne Capanelli, Susan Laura Jao and Kayla Neville of Commack High School; East Setauket: Kartik Kumaraguruparan of Ward Melville High School; Herricks: Sahil Abbi of Herricks Middle School; Jericho: April Pun of Jericho High School; Long Beach: Max Tunney of Long Beach Middle School; Oceanside: David Sheynberg of Oceanside High School; Roslyn: Benjamin Kornick and Daniel Sikavi of Roslyn High School; West Hempstead: Christopher McAvoy of West Hempstead High School.