news

Accolades For Our District

2012

3/15/12 - A North Middle School eighth-grader is the winner of the school-level National Geographic Bee and will compete on the State level later this month. One winner from the State competition will advance to the national competition to be held in May in Washington, DC. To qualify for the State exam, August won the school's oral exam and achieved a qualifying score on the written exam component. The Bee involves all grades. Preliminary rounds are held in every social studies class, with the student who received the highest score in his/her class competing in the school-wide Bee. That winner then takes a written exam to qualify for the State-level Bee. Commenting on his love of geography, August said: "Geography shows me the beautiful nature on Earth, man-made or natural. I also like to find information on diversity and different cultures. It motivates me to become more cultural and open-minded. The knowledge of geography is the best thing to have." Ellen Bronheim, social studies chairperson, has been North Middle's Geographic Bee coordinator for over 20 years. The Bee is organized by the National Geographic Society. The 2012 National Geographic Bee is sponsored by Google Inc.; at the state level, the Bee is also sponsored by Plum Creek.
3/15/12 - Brian Mannix, a South Middle School social studies teacher and technology staff developer, has been named one of 11 recipients of the sixth annual Nassau BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) Education Partner Award for 2012. The Award recognizes those whose impact on public education in Nassau County can be measured in a tangible way. The Award is open to everyone who is involved with, or is a supporter of, education, preschool through adult education. Nominees were judged by a committee of educators and community leaders based on the information provided in the nomination form. Education Partner recipients will be honored by Nassau BOCES at a gala ceremony in May.
3/8/12 - South High School's Science Olympiad A Team medaled in 13 of the 20 events, coming in second overall, at the Western Long Island Regional Science Olympiad, competing against 72 other teams. The Team now goes on to compete in the C Division State Championships to be held in Buffalo later this month. Olympiad events included identifying rocks, minerals, fossils, and trees; sending homemade vehicles down ramps, with the hope that they would stop at an exact mark; and having handcrafted balsa wood towers withstand specified weights.
3/8/12 - In another recent science competition, a team of South High students took Third Place out of 16 teams in the 11th annual Bay Scallop Bowl, one of the regional National Ocean Sciences Bowl competitions. The Bay Scallop Bowl was a round-robin, double-elimination, academic tournament. Team members were: Lindsay, Brian, Joseph, Eve, and Lauren. Dr. Truglio, faculty advisor, proudly explained that "this was South's rookie year for this competitionand it was only the second time in regional history that a rookie team place among the top three!"
2/23/12 - Twenty-two seniors from North and South High Schools have advanced to Finalists (from Semifinalists) in the prestigious 2012 National Merit Scholarship Competition. These students are now among more than 15,000 who will be considered for some 8,400 Merit Scholarship awards that will be announced in the spring and summer.
2/23/12 - South High students Shelby and Lakshmi were named winners in the 2011-12 Long Island High School Psychology Fair. Shelby won Best in Category in Educational Psychology, and Lakshmi took an Honorable Mention in Cross Cultural Studies. Participation in the Psychology Fair is open to students who have completed a research project in psychology. Students are selected for participation based on an evaluation of the abstracts they have submitted. At the Fair, entrants were required to support their project with a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation, followed by a 5-minute questioning period by the judges.
1/26/12 - Nineteen student musicians in the Great Neck Public Schools excelled at this year's All-County Music Festival held at the Tilles Center, in early January. Students earned positions of recognition after being tested for proficiency at rehearsals just prior to the All-County concerts. A comprehensive article about All-County appeared earlier listing the 140 choral and instrumental All-County participants, grades 5-12. Students were grouped in divisions by grades: Division V--grades 11 and 12, Division IV--grades 9 and 10, Division III--grades 7 and 8, Division II--grade 6, and Division I--grade 5.
1/19/12 - A South High School senior has been named a co-recipient of the "Best Basic Research Poster" award for cancer research by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at their annual convention. This was the first time this recognition was presented to high school students; previously it has only gone to professional researchers. Sharing the award was a student at Commack High School, whose father is a social studies teacher at South High.
1/12/12 - Six students, three from North High School and three from South High School, have just been named Semifinalists in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search. Intel is often considered the nation's most prestigious pre-college science competition. A comprehensive article on the Semifinalists and their award-winning projects will follow shortly.
1/5/12 - Six students from South Middle School and two students from South High School have been accepted to perform in the New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA) Honor Concert Bands in Syracuse, in early March. These students were selected by a statewide panel of NYSBDA music educators after evaluating recordings of their performances. More than 350 applications were submitted for High School Honor Band consideration; Great Neck's musicians are among the 96 selected. Some 220 students applied for the Middle School Honor Band, with about 93 students selected to participate.
1/5/12 - Seven young musicians were selected for the 2011-12 Long Island String Festival Association (LISFA) Orchestra, Elementary Division (grades 5-7). The concert will be held in early March. The middle school performers are sixth-graders; elementary school performers are all fifth-grade violinists. Performing from North Middle School will be a sixth-grade violinist. A six-grade cellist will represent South Middle School. Elementary performers, all fifth-grade violinists, include: two students from Baker School; two students from Lakeville School; and one student from Saddle Rock School. Participation in LISFA is an outstanding accomplishment. This musical experience brings together Long Island's highly talented, young string musicians. These students help to set an example of excellence for their classmates in the instrumental music programs throughout the district. They are taught by Jacquelyn Tomlet, North Middle; Alan Schwartz, department head, South Middle; Anne Fogarty, Baker; and Juan Garcia, Lakeville and Saddle Rock.
1/5/12 - Kudos to a ninth-grade violinist from North High who was selected Associate Concertmaster (first violin, second seat) in the LISFA Orchestra, Junior High Division (grades 8-9). That concert was held in November. Her instrumental music teacher at North is Joseph Rutkowski.

2011

12/22/11 - Saddle Rock School's talented young artists were winners in the third annual Town of North Hempstead Recycled Artwork Contest. A fifth-grader was a winner in the "Use of Recycled Materials, Grade K-5" category. Her piece, "Window of Seasons," depicts the four seasons--winter, spring, summer, and fall--each in windowpane. The entire fourth grade, nearly 100 students, worked on the "Flower Screen (in the style of Jim Hodges)," taking "Outstanding in Creativity" in the Group Projects category. Contest faculty sponsor was Rosemary Sloggatt, art teacher. These projects will be on display through Jan. 6, 2012, along with other Contest winners, at the Great Neck Arts Center, 113 Middle Neck Rd.
12/15/11 - Three North High School students took First, Second, and Third Places in New York State in the US Cyber Challenge (USCC). This online competition, sponsored by Cyber Foundations and conducted in collaboration with the SANS Institute, consisted of a series of tests in three fields of cyber security: networking, operating systems, and system administration. Participants were provided with online tutorials and video education materials to expand their knowledge about each field, followed by an exam on each topic. Exams were administered during October and November. Nationally, over 2,000 students participated in USCC.
12/8/11 - A total of 418 students from Great Neck North and South High Schools have been named Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars by the College Board for their exceptional scores on college-level AP examinations. Scoring for AP exams is done on a five-point system, with 5 being the highest score and 1 the lowest. Of the award recipients, 265 were graduated in June 2011, and 153 are seniors. The AP Scholars who have not yet graduated are eligible to receive additional AP Scholar awards next year. The College Board designates students as National AP Scholars, AP Scholars with Distinction, AP Scholars with Honor, or AP Scholars. The College Board's AP Program provides academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. Over 47 percent of Great Neck students who take AP exams perform well enough to merit one of these awards, compared with about 18 percent of students worldwide.
12/1/11 - Student members of the North High School music department participated in the annual Balanced Mind Curriculum Conference, held in early November, at the Long Island Mariott Conference Center in Uniondale. Twenty-eight chamber music students performed during the "Chamber Music in the Schools: Play for Your Life" workshop presented by Joseph Rutkowski, North High instrumental music director, and Alan Schwartz, South Middle music department chair. This was the twelfth time North students have participated at the Conference with Mr. Rutkowski.
11/23/11 - Great Neck North and South High Schools have been named 2012 GRAMMY Signature School Semifinalists by the GRAMMY Foundation. They are among 126 music programs in the nation (and only six in Nassau County) to receive this honor. The GRAMMY Foundation recognizes and honors public high school music programs that promote and support music education as an integral part of their curriculum. From the schools selected as Semifinalists, up to 40 will be named GRAMMY Signature Schools. Selection will be based on submitted printed and audio materials highlighting the school's choral, string, and wind/percussion programs. Performances by other ensembles, e.g., jazz, guitar, and piano, may also be included. A distinguished panel of music industry and educational professionals determines the winning Signature Schools. Signature Schools receive monetary grants. Winners will be announced in March 2012. North High's music teachers are Joseph Rutkowski, instrumental, and Roger Ames, vocal. (Neil Saggerson is fine & performing arts department head.) Music teachers at South High are Michael Schwartz (performing arts department head), Mark Boschen, and Anthony Virgilio, instrumental; and Pamela Levy, vocal. Both North and South High have been named GRAMMY Signature School Semifinalists numerous times and have gone on to receive the distinction of being named GRAMMY Signature Schools--North in 2000 and South in 2003, 2005, and 2007.
11/10/11 - The Great Neck Public Schools has three Semifinalists in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, one of the most prestigious student competitions in the science community. They are South High students. These talented young scientists were supported in their work by science research teachers Dr. Carol Hersh, Dr. James Truglio, and Dr. Daniel Pilloff. The winning-project descriptions that follow are excerpted from the written abstracts or summaries that were a required part of each student's research project.
11/10/11 - One hundred forty students from the Great Neck Public Schools have been invited to participate in the 2012 All-County Music Festival to be held in early January at the Tilles Center, located at CW Post Campus-LI University. They were chosen from thousands of music students to perform with the finest young musicians in Nassau County. They serve as a standard of excellence for their musical peers and an inspiration to their schools. This annual Festival embraces student musicians from grades 5-12.
10/27/11 - Three South High School students have just been named Semifinalists in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. Jennifer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation, said, "The Siemens Competition give students the opportunity to conduct original research and discover the many ways science impacts their world." The Competition reveals the brightest high school minds in contention for this coveted teen-science prize.
10/27/11 - Five secondary students--two from South High and one each from North High, North Middle, and South Middle--were selected for the 2011-12 Long Island String Festival Association (LISFA) Orchestra. This musical experience, held in November, brings together Long Island's highly talented, young string musicians. Participation in LISFA is an outstanding accomplishment. These students help to set an example of excellence for their classmates in their instrumental music programs. They are taught by Joseph Rutkowski, North High; Michael Schwartz, South High; Matthew Trinkwald, North Middle; and Alan Schwartz, South Middle.
10/27/11 - Four secondary students--two from North High and two from South Middle--have been named Long Island Young Scholars of Mathematics by the Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students at SUNY College at Old Westbury. They join 68 Long Island Scholars selected from among 700 top-ranking math students who competed for this honor. Acceptance was based on: entrance exam, nomination by school principal or math teacher, school transcript, recommendation by math teacher, and a short essay. Jong P. Lee, Ph.D., Institute founder and director, said, "Our students are instilled with a lifelong love of mathematics. Many of our graduates--over 10 percent--go on to win prestigious awards, including national and international math, science, and engineering contests." The Institute is supported by the Nassau County Mathematics Teachers Association, the Suffolk County Mathematics Teachers Association, the Nassau County Interscholastic Mathematics League, the Nassau County Association of Mathematics Supervisors, and the Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools.
10/20/11 - Two South High School seniors were named winners of the 2011 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards in Writing. They are among 520 winners nationwide, from 1,649 high school students nominated by their English departments, when they were juniors. Each nominee was required to create two writing samples for submission. The first, in prose and/or verse, was drafted and revised over time. The second was an impromptu essay, written during a teacher-supervised session of no more than 2 hours, on a topic provided by NCTE. A sampling of past topics have included: "Elections--The World of Politics and Dirty Campaigning," "Students Who Don't Fit," and "Fictional Character as Teacher." Entries were judged on the state level. NCTE contest guidelines indicate that submitted writing should exhibit the "power to inform and move an audience through the control of a wide range of the English language." The Achievement Awards in Writing, established in 1957, are designed to encourage high school students in their writing and to publicly recognize some of the best student writers in the country. Winners receive NCTE certificates of commendation and recommendations for admission to their selected colleges and universities.
10/13/11 - Three South High seniors have been named Scholars in the 2011&endash;12 National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) sponsored by the College Board. They are among some 5,000 students nationwide, from over 124,000 high school juniors who took the qualifying 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and designated themselves as Hispanic, to be recognized by NHRP as either Scholars or Honorable Mention Finalists. Winners are recognized based on their test scores. In addition, Scholars must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher; Honorable Mentions, a GPA of 3.0&endash;3.49. NHRP, established in 1983, provides recognition of the exceptional academic achievements of Hispanic/Latino high school seniors and identifies them to subscribing four-year postsecondary institutions.
10/13/11 - Two outstanding pianists have been selected to perform at the sixth annual Piano Showcase at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Conference. One is a South High School junior, the other, a fourth-grader at the Kennedy School. The Piano Showcase will take place in Rochester, in early December. Only 12 students statewide, from 52 applicants, were selected for this prestigious honor, and two come from the Great Neck Public Schools. The South High student will be performing Beethoven's "Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13, No. 8, movement 1." He also plays the clarinet in South's Chamber Orchestra. He is a student of Michael Schwartz, performing arts department head. The Kennedy pianist is the youngest student selected for the Piano Showcase. He received a perfect 100 score at his evaluation. Maxim will play Chopin's "Fantasie Impromptu" at the Showcase. His music teacher at Kennedy is Amy Kempton.
9/28/11 - Twenty-two seniors in the Great Neck Public Schools have been named Semifinalists in the prestigious 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP), having scored among the highest in New York State on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which they took last year. Six are from North High School; 16 are from South High School. The NMSP honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. These Semifinalists, who represent less than one percent of seniors in the State, will be identified to colleges and universities in order to increase their educational opportunities. Most Semifinalists will go on to achieve Finalist status in early 2012. Merit Scholarship Winners will be chosen from among the Finalists to receive one of three types of Merit Scholarship Awards.
9/28/11 - A South High senior has been named a 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program Semifinalist. The Program is conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Program. It was created in 1964 to recognize academically talented black American high school students. Semifinalist selection is based on scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), the student took last year. More than 160,000 black students took the 2010 PSAT/NMSQT. Some 1,600 were named Semifinalists based on their cumulative reading, mathematics, and writing skills scores. To ensure national representation, Semifinalists are designated on a regional representation basis. Winners are the highest scorers in the states within each region. Most Semifinalists go on to achieve Finalist status after completing additional requirements. Finalists are eligible for Achievement Scholarship Awards that are announced in April.
9/28/11 - At the adjudicated Long Island Science Congress Junior Division, one student received Highest Honors for his research project, "The Mutagenic Effects of Radio Waves on Drosophila Melanogaster." He also received two special awards for his project: the Micro-Optics Award and the Patricia Ford, MD Award. His research concluded that radio waves from a Blue Tooth earpiece can adversely affect the larvae and offspring of the drosophila melanogaster (the common fruit fly). He also found that a MuMetal shield can be an effective barrier against such radiation. Five students received Honorable Mentions at the Science Congress. Two for their research project, "Effects of Sugar on Pea Plants"; two for their project, "Effects of Chewing Gum on Memory"; and one for her research project, "Propagation of Spider Plants in Different Media."
9/28/11 - Honorable Mention Awards were also won by three students at the eCybermission Competition, a Web-based science, technology, engineering, and math event, sponsored by the US Army, for their investigation on how to minimize the frequency of birds flying into the glass windows of buildings. South Middle faculty advisors for the award-winning students were science teachers Gail Keyes, Thomas Schwartz, and Dr. Doris Stanick.
9/22/11 - Three musicians from North High School were selected to perform in the All-Star High School Band of Long Island at the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Memorial Ceremony and Concert Honoring First-Responders and Veterans, held at the US Merchant Marine Academy on Sunday, Sept. 18. Their music teacher at North High is Joseph Rutkowski. (South High musicians were unavailable to participate in the Concert.) Forty student musicians played in the All-Star Band, representing some 16 Long Island schools. The All-Star High School Band is newly formed under the auspices of Michael Leavitt (North High Class of 1962), president of the Band of Long Island. Both the All-Star Band and the Band of Long Island performed at the Memorial Concert under the direction of US Air Force Band Conductor Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel (Ret.).
9/15/11 - A senior from North High School, and a senior from South High were named Fellows by the Simons Foundation and participated in a seven-week supervised research program this summer. They were among 37 participants from some 230 students, nationwide, who applied for Fellowships. Students were engaged in mathematics, science, or engineering in the program held at Stony Brook University.
9/15/11 - Twelve highly talented music students, plus five alternates, from North and South High Schools have been selected for the competitive All-State Music Conference, to be held in Rochester, Dec. 1-4. Four students are from North High; 13 students are from South High. At the Conference, sponsored by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), the State's finest student musicians will perform together in various ensembles. Thousands of students auditioned for this competition last spring at solo and ensemble festivals throughout the State. Mr. Rutkowski and Mr. Schwartz sang the praises of "these exceptional young musicians…who inspire all of our musical groups…and who contribute their talents and efforts to the daily band, orchestra, or choir class." Both also extolled the work of the music educators in the elementary and middle schools who give these students "their initial and ongoing inspiration and training," and for the "steadfast support of the arts" by the Board of Education and the parents.
9/15/11 - The Great Neck Public School District garnered an Award of Merit in the 32nd Annual New York School Public Relations Association (NYSPRA) Communications Awards competition. The Award, in Photography, will be presented next month during the annual convention of the New York State School Boards Association, held in Buffalo. The photo entry is of students playing chess in an after-school class offered by the district's Adult Program. It was taken last year by Jessica K. Vega, district public information assistant. It appeared in Great Neck's local newspapers in an article publicizing the K-12 chess classes. (The fall semester of Chess Classes for K-12 students, held at the Cumberland Adult Center, begins on Friday, Oct. 14. Call 441-4949 for registration and more information.) The NYSPRA contest continues to be one of the largest of its kind in the nation. It showcases exemplary work by school communications professionals that supports student and district achievements. There were 13 categories in the 2011 contest, from annual reports to Web sites. Over 300 entries were received; about one-third received awards. Judging was by communications professionals from around the country. Photographs were judged on overall quality and composition, effectiveness, attractiveness, creative choice of subject, and effectiveness in complementing accompanying text.
9/8/11 - In June, a South High School junior was a recipient of the 2010-11 Dartmouth College Book Award. The Award, sponsored by Dartmouth College and the Dartmouth Club of Long Island, is "designed to encourage intellectual excellence and to recognize the achievement of a third-year secondary school student." The recipient should "be in approximately the top 5 percent of his/her class, have demonstrated intellectual leadership, and made a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of the school."
6/30/11 - A South High School senior won First Place in the Congressional Art Competition for the Fifth Congressional District. Her winning piece, The Devil Is in the Details, will be on display in the US Capitol (Canon Tunnel) for one year, along with winners from other Congressional districts nationwide. The annual local component of the Competition was held at the Nassau County Museum of Art. She attended the Awards Ceremony and Opening Reception in Washington, DC., at the invitation of Fifth District Congressman Gary Ackerman. High schools in Congressional districts throughout the country submitted visual art to their local Congressional district competitions. In the Fifth District, schools could submit up to eight entries. Pieces were juried by the school art teachers for submission. In addition to the winning piece, Honorable Mentions were won by three other studnets: one, for a watercolor sketch titled Istanbul; another, for her photograph, Nest; and the third, for her watercolor painting, Times Squared. There were four other student entrants. Competition entrants were students of South High art teachers Karen Cuchel, department chair; Katherine Heller, or Lisa Stancati. This year's First Place winner is the fourth South High student to have work displayed in Washington, DC, representing Congressman Ackerman's district.
5/26/11 - The competitive annual listing of "American's Best High Schools," a long-standing event published by Newsweek magazine, has, this year, moved to the Washington Post newspaper where it has been renamed "The High School Challenge." North and South High Schools ranked among the top 150 on the national list of 1,905 schools. North High is 99 and South High is 146 in the listing. Other Long Island high schools that made the top 150 list: Jericho, South Side (Rockville Centre), Wheatley (Old Westbury), Manhasset, Cold Spring Harbor, Syosset, Locust Valley, and Herricks. The Washington Post's data was based on a ratio of the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students each year, divided by the number of graduating seniors.
5/26/11 - Twenty high school students are winners in the National French Exam (Le Grand Concours), Nassau County Level. Their teachers are Miriam Hollander at North High, and Harriet Cinco and Mary Ann Schwartz at South High. There were seven winners from North High, and 13 winners from South High.
5/26/11 - Two-hundred thirty-four students from North and South High Schools are winners in the National Spanish Exam, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Their teachers at North High are Department Head Madalyn DeLuccia, Caitlin Gorta, Bessie Karanikolas, Lilian Krowne, and Ivania Marinero. The South High teachers of Spanish are Department Head Lissa Baily, Fatima Colman, Laura Giunta, Christine Montllor-Gil, Gabriel Pastrana, Paula Sanchez-Kucukozer, and Ana Tavares. North High had four Gold, 23 Silver, 20 Bronze, and 59 Honorable Mention winners. South High had 12 Gold, 37 Silver, 27 Bronze, and 53 Honorable Mention winners.
5/19/11 - A South High School student garnered two Third Place Awards at the recent Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), for her project, Strategies Utilized by People with Autism and Neuro-typical Individuals to Determine Emotion in Faces. The competition was held in Los Angeles. In the Grand Awards category, she won in the area of Behavioral and Social Sciences. In the Special Awards category, she earned an award from the American Psychological Association. In her research project, she worked to understand what strategies those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) use to determine the emotions of others based on their facial expressions; this can eventually lead to better treatment of ASD. She worked at South High and at the Genesis-Eden II School for autistic children. She developed a 24-slide PowerPoint presentation of happy and sad faces and showed them to autistic and non-autistic subjects. Subjects were instructed to pick out the happy or sad face from pairs of faces with varying happy and sad facial expressions. Her results suggested that people with ASD judge facial emotions based largely on the expression of the mouth and are not sensitive to the degree of emotion in the mouth, regardless of how exaggerated it may be. She has won four other awards for her ASD research project. She was a Semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search, took a First Place in Behavioral Science at the Long Island Science & Engineering Fair, a Second Place at the Junior Science & Humanities Symposium, and Best in Category at the Long Island High School Psychology Fair. Her faculty advisor is Carol Hersh, science research teacher.
5/19/11 - Sixty-two students were award winners in the 2011 National Latin Exam. Students were tested on four Levels, including prose, poetry, and advanced placement. These students were guided by Latin Teachers Johanne Lynch at North High and South Middle, and Anthony Pontone at South High. North High winners: three Gold Summa Cum Laude; two Silver Maxima Cum Laude, four Magna Cum Laude; and nine Cum Laude. South High winners: 22 Gold Summa Cum Laude; nine Silver Maxima Cum Laude, and four Magna Cum Laude. South Middle winners: six Gold Summa Cum Laude and four Silver Maxima Cum Laude. Latin was not offered at North Middle School.
5/12/11 - A South High student garnered a Second Place in Medicine for his project, "Decreased Density of Striatal NOS Interneurons in Individuals with Tourette Syndrome" at the National Junior Science & Humanities Symposium, held in San Diego. In his project abstract, he explained that Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a disorder of the human brain. Patients with TS perform involuntary movements and vocalizations called "tics." A region of the brain called the striatum is believed to be crucially involved in the generation of these tics. Within this region, there are various types of neurons, one of which is the NOS cell. The goal of his study was to determine if there was a difference in NOS cell density between individuals with TS and individuals without TS. As a result of his work, he found that the density was significantly lower in patients with TS than in patients without TS. This finding is important when considering the nature of these NOS cells since they make adjacent cells less likely to function. Fewer of them in the striatum translates to less inhibition and regulation, which may partly explain how involuntary tics can arise. In the future, more samples should be used to strengthen this conclusion. Perhaps new treatments can be devised to increase the potency of these inhibitory cells in patients with TS. He also won a Best in Category at the Long Island Psychology Fair and an Honorable Mention at the Long Island Science & Engineering Fair for his TS project. His faculty advisor was Carol Hersh, science research teacher.
5/12/11 - Students from South and North High Schools took first and second place awards and South High School took top school awards at the 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers Physics Bowl, Region 3. (Region 3 consists of New York, Maritime Provinces, Ontario, and Quebec.) South High students took First Place in Division 1 (first-year, eleventh-grade students), and First Place in Division 2 (second-year, twelfth-grade students). A North High student took Second Place in Division 1. South High School placed First in the Region in Division 1, and Second in the Region in Division 2. The top five participant scores, taken collectively, determine school ranking. Physics Bowl faculty sponsors are Matthew Sckalor at South High, and Marie Van Nieuwenhuizen at North High. More than 4,000 students participated in this year's Physics Bowl from over 200 schools across the US and Canada, as well as schools in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
5/12/11 - A team of North Middle School students recently took Third Place in the Town of North Hempstead's "Refill&emdash;Not Landfill" Video Competition. The three students created a public service announcement titled, "When Bottles Go Bad." Their video educates the community on the environmental effects of plastic waste associated with disposable water bottles. The students made their video under the guidance of technology teacher Daniel Ciccone. The students' winning video can be seen at http://www.multimediaexperience.weebly.com. It will also air on the Town's cable station and on YouTube. Students will receive an award from Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman and Councilwoman Maria Christina Poons.
5/12/11 - At the recent DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) International Career Development Conference (ICDC), 21 awards were copped by South High School's 29 participants. ICDC was held in Orlando. This large turnout represents one-third of the Club's members and a participation record. The ICDC is the most prestigious DECA competition, attracting over 15,000 students, teachers, and business people. To compete at ICDC, students must first succeed at the regional and state levels. Three students placed in the top three in their events, two students were among the top ten in their event, three students were finalists, six students won awards for top role plays scores, and seven for top test exams. Earlier this year, at the State Career Conference (SCC), a student won the DeVry Innovations and Entrepreneurship Challenge. She was honored at the ICDC opening ceremony. At ICDC, most students competed in the individual series events and team decision making events, such as Business Law and Ethics, Travel and Tourism, and Retail Merchandising. Similar to SCC, these students took a 100-question exam testing their knowledge of finance, marketing, business management and administration, or hospitality and tourism. They also performed a role play, in which they were shown a problem or situation and were required to present and articulate ideas and solutions. Other students participated in research and entrepreneurship events on topics such as Fashion Merchandising and Hospitality and Tourism Operations. These students presented comprehensive research on and creative ideas for an existing business or a business of their creation. After competing in testing or role plays, the top 20 scoring teams or individuals from the 150-200 competitors were named Finalists and advanced to the next round. In the Finals, students performed another role play or presentation. After this final round of competition, the Top Ten and First, Second, and Third place winners were announced. DECA advisors Sheryl Burger and Rick Vine contributed tirelessly to the group effort and cannot be thanked enough for their endless contributions and dedication. Their enthusiasm and expertise continue to fuel South's DECA. From early September to early May, they support members in their endeavors, encourage them to compete and to persevere, enable them to hone their skills, help them to expand their knowledge, and allow them to explore their interests. They constantly encourage students to rebound, learn, and grow from their failures, and cheer, celebrate, and rejoice over their successes. South High Business/Technology Department Head John Motchkavitz and student teacher Cara Burger also supported and mentored the Club throughout the year. The Club also gratefully acknowledges the encouragement and support of the Board of Education and school and district administrators. Participation in DECA gives Club members exposure to the business world, acquiring networking and public speaking skills, along with smiles, laughs, and memories. The Club continues to grow and stabilize with the work of enticed freshmen, energetic sophomores, eager juniors, experienced seniors, and expert advisors.
5/12/11 - Marc Epstein, the Great Neck Public Schools district technology director, is this year's recipient of the Administrator of the Year Award from the Nassau BOCES School Library System. He was nominated for the Award by South High School library media specialists Judith McClellan (department head) and Damon Reader. In their nomination application, Ms. McClellan and Mr. Reader described Mr. Epstein's achievements and responsibilities that made him a worthy candidate and ultimate Award winner. Excerpts follow: Mr. Epstein has worked in his current capacity for 15 years, during which time he has fostered a strong connection to library programs at the district's nine schools. While the district does not have a "Director of Libraries," he has unofficially assumed this role by championing library issues. He represents the district as coordinator to BOCES (Board of Cooperative Education Services), assigns the district library liaisons, and handles all databases and technologies purchased through BOCES. Mr. Epstein is a strong advocate for new library technologies (networking, hardware, software, tech support, eReaders, Follett Destiny library automation software, etc.), and is responsible for most technology-related, staff-development programs offered through the district. He is also responsible for the district's Web site (greatneck.k12.ny.us).
5/5/11 - For the fourth consecutive year (and five times overall), the Great Neck Public School District has been named among the "Best Communities for Music Education in America" by the NAMM Foundation, a coalition of music and educational organizations. The 172 winning districts in this twelfth-annual nationwide survey demonstrate an unwavering commitment to providing music education for their students. "We are proud to acknowledge these districts and are grateful for their commitment to a complete education that includes music. Evidence shows a direct correlation between music education and success in other areas of a student's life," said Mary Luehrsen, executive director, NAMM Foundation. Selection was based on answers to a survey. Districts were measured across a variety of programs and curricula. Entrants answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time facilities, support for the music program, and other relevant factors in their music education programs. Responses were verified with district officials, and advisory organizations reviewed the data. Great Neck's proud music faculty include: Roger Ames and Joseph Rutkowski, North High; Mark Boschen, Pamela Levy, Department Head Michael Schwartz, and Anthony Virgilio, South High; Denise Eisner, Department Head Joseph Rutkowski, Matthew Trinkwald, and Daniel Tomaselli, North Middle; Mark Boschen, Department Head Alan Schwartz, Anthony Virgilio, and Shelley Willcox, South Middle; Anne Fogarty and Cynthia Koncick, Baker; Jennifer Hood, Amy Kempton, and Janine Robinson, Kennedy; Robin Dreifus, Juan Garcia, Jennifer Hood, Robert Pietromonaco, and Christopher Wilson, Lakeville; and Juan Garcia, Jennifer Hood, Chad Lasky, and Christopher Wilson, Saddle Rock. The Best Communities survey was conducted by the NAMM Foundation with the support of these organizations: Americans for the Arts, League of American Orchestras, Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, Music for All, Music Teachers National Association, National Guild for Community Arts Education, National PTA, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, Yamaha Corporation of America, and Young Audiences.
4/28/11 - A North High School senior is one of 60 Regional Finalist in the 2010-11 Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition. YES competitors were required to develop a research project in which they identify a health problem, gather data about that problem, and address the problem based on the data. Her project was "Communication Underload: Validating the Existence of Disconnect Anxiety." After noticing that her friends more often texted each other than talked to each other, she designed a project to research the anxiety that humans might feel when unable to use their cell phones. She isolated 150 high school students (some were allowed to keep their cell phones and the rest were not) and compared their levels of anxiety. She found no significant differences between the groups. Those without phones did not exhibit "withdrawal" anxiety, rather, they were bored. She was previously named a Second Place Winner in the Intel Science Talent Search for her Communication project. Science research teacher Alan Schorn has been her faculty sponsor. The YES Competition, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the College Board, is designed to spur students' interest in the field of public health, specifically epidemiology. Epidemiology is the science of exploring patterns of disease, illness, and injury within populations, with the goal of developing methods for prevention, control, and treatment to improve health.
4/28/11 - South High School took team and individual awards at the Twelfth Annual Long Island FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Regional Competition, held at Hofstra University. The Robotics Team won the Underwriters Laboratory Industrial Safety Award for the third straight year. A junior was named a winner of the Dean's List Finalist Award (named after FIRST founder Dean Kamen, entrepreneur and inventor of the Segway two-wheeled transport device). At the FIRST USA Championship held in St. Louis, 10 Finalist Award winners will be selected from the 94 Finalists to attend a Leadership Conference at FIRST Headquarters in New Hampshire. SBPLI (School to Business Partnership of Long Island) was a major sponsor of the LI FIRST Regional Robotics Competition. Over 1,200 students from 50 high schools from throughout the tri-state area and Pennsylvania took part in the LI FIRST Competition. "All teams demonstrated tremendous teamwork, professionalism, and strategic thinking, but winning teams went above and beyond to overcome the challenges of the competition," said Janet Anderson, acting SBPLI president. Teams spent six weeks building their 120-pound robots using a kit of parts and a standard set of rules. Robots were required to complete specific tasks including placing inner-tube-size inflatable shapes on a wall that varied in height, up to 10 feet. The robots also performed tasks in an autonomous mode, without human involvement. A mini robot (also built by each team) was deployed by the larger robot, traveling up a 10-foot tall pipe. There are 75 students on the South Robotics Team. Many are also enrolled in the school's Robotics class. Team advisors are business/technology department head John Motchkavitz and teacher Matthew Corrigan. For more information about South's Robotics program, please contact Mr. Motchkavitz at 441-4841.
4/21/11 - Three South High students garnered top awards at the Junior Science & Humanities Symposium (JSHS) and will now advance to the National JSHS in San Diego. Of the 225 students who submitted papers to the JSHS, only 90 were chosen to present their work. Four North High students and one from South High had the honor of presenting their work, but were not among the top award winners. JSHS faculty advisors were Alan Schorn for the North High students and Carol Hersh for South's. The JSHS is sponsored by the US Army, Navy, and Air Force, and administered by Academy of Applied Science.
4/21/11 - North and South High School students took First, Second, and Third Place Awards, and other top honors, at the Long Island Science & Engineering Fair (LISEF). A South High student took a First Place in Behavioral Science. She will now advance to compete at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), to be held in May, in Los Angeles. Second Place Awards were won by two South students. Third Place Awards were garnered by three North students and one student from South. Honorable Mentions were won by two South students. Special Awards included: Air Force Awards, Mu Alpha Theta Award for Mathematics, and American Psychological Association Award. Faculty advisors for LISEF are: Alan Schorn at North High and Carol Hersh at South High.
4/21/11 - A North High School senior has been chosen to be a presenter at Customer Connect 2011, a forum sponsored by Mahindra Satyam. The event theme is "Generation C" (content-centric, community-oriented, and connected). It will be held in early May in Boston. She will be one of 22 speakers and the only student. She will speak about her research project, "Communication Underload: Validating the Existence of Disconnect Anxiety," to an audience eager to know more about the generation she represents. In her research, she studied the effects of separating teens from their cell phones to see if they would experience anxiety similar to withdrawal. She isolated 150 high school students (half were allowed to keep their cell phones and half not) and compared their levels of anxiety. She found no significant differences between the groups. Those without phones did not exhibit "withdrawal" anxiety, rather they were simply bored. She was previously named an Intel Science Talent Search Second Place Winner and a Young Epidemiology Scholar Finalist for her project. Mahindra Satyam is a leading information, communications, and technology company.
4/7/11 - An eighth-grader at North Middle School is the 2011 New York State National Geographic Bee Champion. He competed against some 100 fourth- through eighth-graders from throughout NYS. He will now represent the State at the national competition next month in Washington, DC. He explained the format of the State competition. In the preliminary sessions, students were required to correctly answer eight oral questions presented by State Bee Coordinator Dr. Gale Sookdeo. Fifteen students subsequently qualified for the final round. What followed were two intense tiebreakers and he was part of both of them. The first, to whittle the 15 students down to 10 finalists took over 45 minutes and included some 60 questions. The second tiebreaker was for the Championship--which he won! He is no stranger to the Geographic Bee, having been North Middle's champion for the past three years and then gone on to place among the top three at the State competition. He explained that he prepared more intensely this year than in previous years and studied countries in depth. He finds geography itself "interesting" and enjoys the "world at large." He enjoys politics and watches CNN daily. Social studies department head Ellen Bronheim described him as "devoted to geography with a keen interest in geographic facts. He keeps a complete notebook of information on countries and world geography." Ms. Bronheim said that North Middle has entered the Geographic Bee for the past 19 years, but this is their first State winner. Social studies teacher Jenny Helms has also coached him and worked with him extensively since he was in her sixth-grade class. Ms. Bronheim said North Middle is "extremely proud" of his accomplishment and everyone is rooting for his continued success in May. The Geographic Bee is sponsored by the National Geographic Society, Google, and Plum Creek.
4/7/11 - Great Neck middle school Mathcounts Mathlete teams swept First and Second Places at the Regional Mathcounts Competition held at Hofstra University. South Middle's team took First Place, and North Middle's team took Second Place, competing against some 15 other Nassau County teams. The two teams went on to the State Competition, held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, last month, where they made a very respectable showing. Out of 50 teams, North Middle placed 26, and South Middle placed 30. North Middle's team advisor is mathematics department chair Leslie Blank. Math teacher William Giannone is South Middle's team advisor. "Mathcounts" is not just a clever expression--it is the name of a national middle school mathematics enrichment, coaching, and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging bee-style contests. The program is supported by the National Society of Professional Engineers at the state and local levels.
4/7/11 - North Middle's Science Olympiad Team recently took home two medals at the Nassau County Science Olympiad, competing against 42 other teams, and turned in their highest scores, overall, in the past five years. They took a Third Place in Disease Dectective, and a Fifth Place in MagLev (magnetic levitation). In 13 of the 16 events, North Middle teams placed in the top half of all teams. Team faculty advisors are technology teacher Dan Ciccone and science teacher Zehava Vitberg.
3/31/11 - Two North High students recently took awards at the DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) State Career Conference (SCC) held in Rochester. Both are now eligible to participate in the International Career Development Conference to be held in Orlando, beginning in late April. One earned a Third Place in Food Marketing Series. The other won a Fifth Place in Principles of Marketing. At the SCC, competitors were required to take a written exam and role-play solutions to problems presented. In all, 55 North students competed at this year's SCC. DECA Club faculty sponsor is Richard Marchese. DECA is an international student organization that prepares its members for careers in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship.
3/31/11 - South Middle's Science Olympiad Team recently earned top medals in eight events at the Nassau County Science Olympiad, competing against 42 other teams. The top performers will advance to the State competition in April. The Team is comprised of 27 South Middle (SM) students, grades 6-8, and five South High (SH) ninth-graders. The event is open to students in grades 6-9. Top winners by place and event: First Place&emdash;Ecology; Second Place&emdash;A Is for Anatomy; Third Places&emdash;Dynamic Planet, Microbe Mission, and Sumobots; Fourth Place&emdash;Solar System; Sixth Places&emdash;Disease Detective and Ornithology. Team faculty advisors are Tobias Hatten and Gail Keyes. Ms. Keyes, talking about the competition, said, "Teams prepare for the various tournament events months in advance. In addition, they study areas of anatomy, physiology, geology, astronomy, zoology, chemistry, physics, and meteorology. Final competitive elements are not introduced until the actual event, requiring students to use their cooperative skills to meet the required tasks."
3/24/11 - A senior at South High School is a recipient of the Scholar-Artist Award for the month of March. The Award is a program of the Long Island Arts Alliance in cooperation with Newsday, and is presented by the New York Community Bank Foundation. A committee of art leaders and school officials chose him for this honor based on his theatrical, music, and academic achievements. He was recently profiled in Newsday and on Newsday.com and will be honored at an awards gala at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. The students has held numerous lead roles in Theatre South productions, including Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, Orsino in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Charlemagne in Pippin, Trotsky in The Death of Trotsky, and Frederick Fellowes in Noises Off. He is also a member of the Improv troupe, "Hot Lunch." He is an accomplished bass singer, performing in the NYSSMA All-State Mixed Chorus and the All-County Chorus. He sang the lead in three school operas: Danilo in The Merry Widow, Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi, and, this year, Hoffman in The Tales of Hoffman. He attends the Julliard Pre-College Vocal Division, has been a soloist with the Julliard orchestra, and, in April, will sing tenor as part of a chamber ensemble in the competitive Lincoln Center Young Musicians Concert. He is also president of South's Concert Choir. He excels academically, earning the designation of Advanced Placement Scholar with Honors. Drama teacher Thomas Marr and vocal teacher Pamela Levy helped him prepared his application materials. The Scholar-Artist Awards, established in 2007, recognize artistically accomplished Long Island high school seniors. Two students are recognized each month from September to June, one each from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The Awards honor students in dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts.
3/24/11 - North High School's student newspaper, Guide Post, received five Adelphi University Press Day 2011 Quill Awards for distinction in high school journalism, including two first place awards. Awards included: First Place Best News Article for piece titled, "Student Outrage Over Utensil Policy"; First Place Community Action Service Award given to a student who has shown a significant connection to community service and then reported on it. She has worked with the Operation Smile organization; Third Place in Best Page One Layout; Honorable Mention Opinion Article for "New Media"; Honorable Mention for Most Outstanding Newspaper. Commenting on the awards, Guide Post faculty sponsor English teacher Jodi Kahn said, "It was nice to see that the students were recognized for all their hard work and dedication and also to see the broad smiles on their faces." Nineteen schools from throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties competed for Quill Awards this year.
3/24/11 - Five South High School students won awards at recent art competitions. Scholastic Young Artists Three seniors won Gold Awards for portfolios and individual pieces in this year's Scholastic Young Artists Competition. One won a Portfolio Gold Award at the regional level. The portfolio she entered is a series of photographs of hands and feet. Another won a Gold Key for a photo that she entered in the comic art category. Her photos mix drawing and real objects in humorous ways. A third won a Gold Key for mixed ink and watercolor paintings of outdoor city scenes. Two are students in Lisa Stancati's Advanced Placement Digital Photography class; one in Katherine Heller's Advanced Placement Studio Class. The Scholastic organization identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience. These three students will now move on to national adjudication. Art League Winners Two seniors took awards at the "Go Ape" competition sponsored by the Art League of Long Island for Advanced Placement Artists from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. One won Top Honors for a fantasy ink drawing of a figure supporting a gothic cathedral. Her prize was an ape trophy designed by local artist Dan Christoffe. Another won an Honorable Mention for a jacket made of broken mirrors. Both students are in Katherine Heller's Advanced Placement art class.
3/24/11 - Great Neck South High's DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) Club turned in another record-breaking performance at the State Career Conference (SCC) held in early March in Rochester. Twenty-nine of South's 65 SCC competitors scored high enough to now advance to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) to be held in Orlando, beginning in late April. South won over 100 awards at the SCC, with seven students being inducted into the DECA Honor Society. The chapter also received awards for participating in charity fundraising projects. Top Winners South's top winners (first through fifth places) who will compete at the ICDC, by place and participating event follow. First Place in Automotive Services Marketing Individual, Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research, Hospitality Services Team Decision Making; and Hotel and Lodging Management Individual. Second Place in Automotive Services Marketing Individual, Hotel and Lodging Management Individual, Marketing Communications Team Decision Making, Principles of Marketing; and Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making. Third Place in Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan, Hospitality Services Team Decision Making, and Restaurant and Food Service Management Individual. Fourth Place in Financial Services Team Decision Making, Food Marketing Individual, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Individual, and Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making. Fifth Place in Hospitality Services Team Decision Making and Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making. Students won the Stock Market Game and the DeVry Innovations and Entrepreneurship Challenge. Faculty sponsors for DECA are business teachers Sheryl Burger and Rick Vine. Their enthusiasm and expertise help DECA members hone their skills and expand their knowledge and contributed significantly to South's extraordinary performance at this year's SCC.
3/17/11 - A North High School senior, has been named a Winner in the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search. She won Second Place among the top 10 Winners chosen from the 40 Finalists who had competed in a week of rigorous judging, held in Washington, DC. "The creativity and leadership of these Intel scientists and mathematicians hold tremendous potential to move our country forward…as they address real-world problems," said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. The award-winning project, "Communication Underload: Validating the Existence of Disconnect Anxiety," grew out of a personal observation made while sitting with friends. She realized that just about everyone around her was texting. What would be their reactions, she thought, if students were completely separated from their cell phones? Would they experience disconnect anxiety or withdrawal symptoms typically associated with addictions? She decided to measure and analyze mobile phone dependence, a topic not extensively discussed in scientific literature. After analyzing the reactions of 150 participants, half separated from their mobile phone for 45 minutes and half not, she found that the term "disconnect anxiety" (coined by a professional research group in 2008) did not apply. Rather than becoming anxious, the students without their cell phones felt understimulated or bored. She observed that they simply had lost the ability to "entertain" themselves. The winning project was completed in-school under the guidance of Alan Schorn, science research teacher. She was also assisted by South High behavioral science teacher Michelle Sorise, who contributed significant advice on the design of the project.
3/17/11 - The Great Neck Public Schools has been named to the AP (Advanced Placement) Achievement List by the College Board. Great Neck is one of 388 districts nationwide, and six in Nassau County, to receive this newly established award for "simultaneously expanding opportunity and improving performance [by] opening AP classroom doors to a significantly broader pool of students, while maintaining or improving the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher." (AP exams are scored on a five-point system, with 5 being the highest grade and 1 the lowest. A score of 3 or higher is typically needed to earn college credit for an AP course.) According to the College Board, from 2008-2010, Great Neck increased the number of students participating in AP courses from 789 to 936 while improving the percentage of students earning AP scores of 3 or higher, from 87 percent in 2008 to 89 percent in 2010. College Board President Gaston Caperton said, "The AP Achievement List districts are defying expectations by expanding access while enabling their students to maintain or improve their AP exam scores." "These districts are living proof that when access to AP is provided for the range and breadth of prepared and motivated students, districts can achieve even higher learning outcomes for their students," said Trevor Packer, vice president of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. Inclusion on the Achievement List was based on the following criteria: examination of three years of AP data, from 2008-10; increase in participation in/access to AP by at least 4-11 percent (depending on district size); steady or increasing percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and performance levels maintained or improved when comparing the percentage of exams in 2010 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2008, or the district has already attained a performance level in which more than 70 percent of the AP students are scoring a 3 or higher. This year, 431 Great Neck North and South High School students, a record number, were named AP Scholars by the College Board for their exceptional scores on college-level AP examinations.
3/17/11 - A North High School sophomore has been selected to participate in the 2011 MENC All-National Honor Ensembles Concert in late June, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, DC. She will play the flute in the All-National Honor Band, along with 82 other outstanding student performers, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Duffy. She was chosen for All-National based on her audio CD audition, performing five pieces of required music. Earlier this year, she was selected for the All-County Band. Her instrumental music teacher at North High is Joseph Rutkowski. The All-National Concert will be held in conjunction with MENC's Music Education Week. MENC is the National Association for Music Education.
3/10/11 - The Tribute WTC (World Trade Center) Visitor Center recently presented North Middle School social studies teacher Michelle Mastrande with a 2011 September 11th Teacher Award for her work in establishing a seven-week, multidisciplinary unit on the September 11 tragedy. She was one of five teachers to receive this year's Awards. The Teacher Awards, established in 2008, recognize schools and teachers who have "created exemplary educational projects that uniquely explore the impact of September 11, 2001." As the lead teacher of a seventh-grade teaching team, Ms. Mastrande coordinated and organized the projects, gathered materials, and planned the day-to-day activities. She also brought in speakers, acquired relevant films and documentaries, and arranged for a field trip to the Tribute WTC Visitor Center. Three other teachers made up the teaching team that presented the curriculum on a daily basis. They were: English teacher Marissa Dove, who guided the children in writing their own poems after listening to those of survivors, family victims, and authors; science teacher Hedda Blitz, who led the students in discussions about respiratory disorders, sinus problems, and different types of cancers experienced by rescue workers and survivors; and mathematics teacher Frank LoPiccolo, who engaged the students in math activities related to the rebuilding and explored the economic impact of 9/11. Librarian Marsha Witten was also helpful in obtaining teaching materials and films. Ms. Mastrande explained that this learning unit offered the 130 students in the program a "unique opportunity to have history become especially meaningful through readily available media footage and first-person talks with survivors, family members, and rescue and recovery workers." As a result of their participation in this award-winning September 11 curriculum, many of the students are involved in the planning of their school's fall assembly program in recognition of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. They will also be working with the school's Community Action Club designing and raising funds for a memorial garden in the school's courtyard.
2/18/11 - Twenty-two seniors from North and South High Schools and the Village School have advanced to Finalists (from Semifinalists) in the prestigious 2011 National Merit Scholarship Competition. These students are now among more than 15,000 who will be considered for some 8,400 Merit Scholarship awards that will be announced in the spring and summer. Two Finalists from North High School; 19 are from South High; one is from the Village School. PSAT scores for these students were among the highest in the state and their scores on a second examination were as good or better. Having demonstrated exemplary academic performance throughout high school, these students were fully endorsed and recommended by their high school principals. Each student also furnished biographical data and a self-description of interests, activities, accomplishments, and goals.
2/18/11 - The South High School National Science Bowl Team recently won the Long Island Regional event and advances to compete at the National Event in Washington, DC, in April. The winning Team has five members. Their faculty sponsor is science teacher James Truglio. The National Science Bowl (NSB) is sponsored by the US Department of Energy. (NSB is the only science competition in the country sponsored by a federal agency.) Begun in 1991, NSB is a national academic competition among teams of high school and middle school students who compete in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format similar to Jeopardy. Teams must solve technical problems in all branches of science and math. The NSB high school competition involves more than 13,000 students. The April National event will include several days of science activities and competitions. There will be cutting-edge science seminars and hands-on science activities. All participants will receive certificates and have the opportunity to win small prizes for activities. The teams that advance to the elimination rounds will earn a monetary prize for their school. Top teams also receive trophies and other awards.
2/18/11 - North Middle School science teacher Jonathan Zimmerman has been named one of 14 Education Partners by Nassau BOCES for improving the education of others. Mr. Zimmerman is being recognized as the founder of Comp4Kids, a computer recycling company. Comp4Kids collects, refurbishes, and donates computers to low-income families and the disabled in Great Neck, on Long Island, and throughout the metro area. Computers are distributed through such organizations as United Way, Haven House, and the Family Service League. Mr. Zimmerman began his company almost 10 years ago when, as a teacher, he realized that not every child had a computer at home. He wanted to do something to change that situation. He is often assisted by Great Neck students, who help with this community service project. Education Partner recipients will be honored by Nassau BOCES at a ceremony in May. BOCES considers the program, began in 2007, as their answer to the Oscars--it recognizes "those whose impact on public education in Nassau County can be measured in a very tangible way." Mr. Zimmerman said he was "honored to be included [as an Education Partner] in a group of such amazing people." He was previously recognized as a People magazine All-Star Finalist for his Comp4Kids work.
2/3/11 - Four Great Neck high school students were named winners at the 2010&endash;2011 Long Island High School Psychology Fair. Two South High students were named Best in Category; one for his project in Clinical Psychology, the other for her project in Cognitive Psychology. Three North High students were named Honorable Mentions; one for her project in Clinical Psychology, and the other two for their project in Cognitive Psychology. Participation in the Psychology Fair was by invitation, based on the judging of an entrant's one-page project description evaluated by a team of reviewers prior to the Fair. At the Fair, participants were required to support their project with a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation. No written material could accompany the presentation. This was followed by a 5-minute questioning period by the judges.
2/3/11 - Twenty-three student musicians in the Great Neck Public Schools excelled at this year's All-County Music Festival held at the Tilles Center, in January. There were five North High School honorees; they are taught by Joseph Rutkowski, instrumental director. There were 11 South High honorees; they are taught by Michael Schwartz, performing arts department head/instrumental music teacher, and Mark Boschen, instrumental music teacher. North Middle had two honorees. Their instrumental music teacher is Matthew Trinkwald. South Middle had three honorees; they are taught by Alan Schwartz, music department head. Kennedy School had two honorees. Their music teacher is Amy Kempton.
1/27/11 - The Great Neck Public Schools congratulates its Finalist and four Semifinalists in the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search. The Finalist is from North High School. She is one of seven Finalists in New York State; one of four from Long Island. The 40 national Finalists, chosen from the 300 Semifinalists, will compete in Washington, DC, in a weeklong event in March. They will undergo a rigorous judging process, meet with national leaders, interact with leading scientists, and display their research projects at the National Geographic Society. Winners will receive financial awards. Semifinalists will each receive a $1,000 award. In addition, respective schools receive $1,000 per Semifinalist to support their science, math, and engineering programs. Semifinalists will also be honored with certificates of accomplishment. Intel (the former Westinghouse competition) is the country's oldest pre-college science competition and is considered by many to be the most prestigious.
1/20/11 - The South High School team of four students took First Place in the recent Stony Brook University Protein Challenge, from 34 schools entered. Last year, the South team took a Second Place in the Challenge. South High faculty sponsor/science teacher James Truglio said, "It just comes naturally to our team. It means a lot to see them coming in as ninth-graders knowing little about proteins, to see where they are now as juniors and seniors." Prior to the event, over a period of weeks, teams built models that demonstrated the link between protein structure and function. Projects focused on the epidermal growth factor receptor, a protein that plays a key role in cell communication and growth. Protein models were built using a Mini-Toober, which is "a piece of wire with foam around it," Dr. Truglio explained. At the contest event, teams were required to build another model, this one of a related protein, and to complete a short exam. Models were judged for accuracy.

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