As a follow-up to their visit to the Sweetbriar Nature Center, third-grade students at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School in Copiague received a visit from Sue Krause and a few of her flying friends. As part of the “Birds of Prey” assembly program, the students met owls, falcons, and hawks and learned about the adaptations that help the birds survive out in nature. Sweetbriar Nature Center is a private not-for-profit that provides natural science education services and engages in native wildlife rehabilitation services.
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Birds of Prey
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Operation Smile
For the past few years, students in the Copiague Middle School Student Council have organized a fundraiser for Operation Smile. Operation Smile is a non-profit organization that treats facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates for children all around the world. This year, through the sale of flower-decorated pens, the Student Council, and their advisor Stephanie Colagiacomo, were able to fund two operations for children in need.
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Monsters in Lit
Combining talents for art and literature, students at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School used their imaginations to create and bring to life monsters in literature. Seniors in Michael Ferretti’s and Dan Barresi’s Monsters in Literature classes collaborated with the students in Deirdre Whiston’s Drawing and Painting I & II classes in a cross-curricular project.
Mr. Ferretti’s students created a monster profile, which included size, shape, clothing, and other distinguishing features for short stories they were writing. The students in Ms. Whiston’s Drawing and Painting I class were responsible for taking those profiles and creating a visual image. Mr. Barresi’s students created a transformation scene featuring Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Drawing and Painting II class took the written work and created a dual image featuring the transformed character.
John Seppala, a senior in both the Monsters in Literature and Drawing and Painting classes, got to create a character and bring it to life. “It was a good way to use creative license,” he said about taking someone else’s words to create his art piece. In response to seeing his words come to life in a fellow student’s drawing, he stated, “I already had this image in my head of what my monster looked like, and to see how close the drawing came to what I imagined was really cool.” “The kids in my class were fascinated to see the simple words they used to describe their monsters transformed into an actual image,” said Mr. Ferretti. Added Ms. Whiston, “My students really enjoyed the openness of the assignment and having the opportunity to interpret in their own way.”
, Administrator for Pupil Personnel Services
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Copiague Business Students Place First in Regional Competition
Congratulations to the following members of the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Distributive Education Club of America (D.E.C.A.) for placing first in their categories at the Suffolk County Regional Competition. They qualify to attend the state competition in March.
Tatyania Bellamy: Public Speaking
Isabel Conlon: Wholesale Selling
Emily Hall: Decision Making Marketing
Daniel Handy: Economics
Sarah Jordan: Decision Making-Human Resources
Nicole Mangels: Broadcast Advertising
Allison Nahrevar: Mathematics
Jacob Ohrnberger: Mathematics
Georgiana Patterson: Job Interview
Andrew Preda: Public Speaking
Nubia Villatoro: Public Service Visual Advertising
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Creating Awareness Through Art
This year, the Copiague School District teamed up with the Knights of Columbus to sponsor a “Substance Abuse Art Poster Contest” for ages 8-14. Congratulations to Deauville Gardens fifth graders Isabel Febo and Ayanna Fields and Copiague Middle School seventh-grade students Richard Saintil and Daniel Apolinario. These students received a $100 savings bond and certificate from the Knights of Columbus.
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Head of the Class
Following 13 years of dedication, hard work, and perseverance, ten students at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School in the Copiague School District were recently honored by being named one of the top ten students in the Class of 2011. Superintendent of Schools Charles A. Leunig and High School Principal Jeanette Altruda congratulated each of the students on this accomplishment and wished them the best of luck on their college application process.
Valedictorian Daniel Handy has been Class President for all four years of high school, was a recipient of the distinguished Board of Education Student Recognition Award, was named an Advanced Placement Scholar, and has been a member of the award-winning marching band since seventh grade. His rise to success with the marching band started with him being the youngest member of the band, processing to section leader, then to treasurer, and finally to the prestigious position of Band President. Daniel is co-founder and treasurer of the Ecology Club, vice president of the National Honor Society, and is also actively involved in DECA, and Key Club. He is also a student representative for the Shared-Decision Making Committee, a group whose sole purpose is to design and implement policies that will benefit the school community.
Emily Hall, Salutatorian of the Class of 2011, is committed to the preservation of the environment and natural resources. Along with Daniel, she is a co-founder of the Ecology Club and serves as the current president. Emily has participated in many local beach clean-ups and has been an active member in several fundraising ventures designed to raise money for various ecological organizations. Additionally, she is vice president of the high school band, where she plays both the clarinet and baritone saxophone, and is involved with peer tutoring programs, Key Club, and DECA.
Congratulations to the Copiague High School Class of 2011 Top 10:
Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School
Daniel Handy, Valedictorian
Emily Hall, Salutatorian
Jacob Ohrnberger, Third
Nicole Mangels, Fourth
Shanice McKenzie, Fifth
Amber Perrier, Sixth
Alex Attanasio, Seventh
Stephanie Diegue, Eighth
Maxwell Woelk, Ninth
Andrew Preda, Tenth
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Copiague Board Honors Outstanding Students
Eighteen students in the Copiague School District were recently selected to receive special recognition from the Board of Education for their outstanding achievements. These awards are presented only twice a year to a small number of students for their extra-special accomplishments. The students were publicly recognized for their excellence in athletics, academics, community service, and for being positive leaders and role models to their fellow students.
Congratulations to:
Deauville Gardens Elementary School – Osman Reyes-Ramos Jonathan Reyes, Dominic Benson-Sustad, and Konrad Szczypior
Great Neck Road Elementary School – John Kosak, Joshua Checo Marte, and Rainie Moore
Susan E. Wiley Elementary School – Sebastian Grajales, Rachel Korba, and Rianna Rivera
Copiague Middle School – Jade Dickenson, Margarita Reyes, Rose Spanato, and Maegan Tosun
Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School – Joseph Amorosino, Nicholas LoCascio, Stephanie Sutter, and Thandiwe Weza
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1,000 Points and Counting
Chelsea Williams, a senior guard on the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Basketball team, marked a major milestone in her athletic career by scoring her 1,000th career point. During the team’s January 26 game against Riverhead, Chelsea secured her 1000th point on a layup in the opening minute of the game. She finished the game with 28 points and moved her career total to 1,027. According to Newsday, Chelsea is leading Long Island in scoring with an average of 21.7 points per game.
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Drop Everything and Read
The Susan E. Wiley Elementary School in Copiague proved that reading can truly take you places as they recently kicked off their 2011 PARP Program with a schoolwide Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), where students gathered in the hallways to read their favorite books. The Parents as Reading Partners Program, which is held each year, encourages students and their parents to read together and stresses the importance of reading each and every day. This year’s theme of “Australian Outback Safari” featured numerous activities for the students, including V.I.P. guest readers, “read my shirt day,” and a family literacy night.
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Standout Musicians
Twenty student-musicians from the Copiague School District were recently selected to participate in the Suffolk County Music Educator’s Association (SCMEA) All-County Festival. The festival, which is divided into three divisions, will be held this March and incorporates students in grades 5-10. The students selected represented the best from across Suffolk County and were chosen based on their New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) scores as well as teacher recommendations. “This is an honor these special students, music teachers, and our district as a whole can be very proud of,” said Coordinator of Fine Arts Jennifer Pierre-Louis.
Congratulations to the following students on this outstanding achievement:
High School
Barbara Chelchowski, Clarinet
Duvanny Banegas, Alto
Trevor Coady, Tenor
Roger Gonzales, Tenor
Janiece Morgan, Alto
Marissa Ramirez, Alto
John Romano, Tenor
Middle School
Mikayla Angel, Flute
Sheryl Amorsino, Soprano
Marcia Aracena, Alto
Andre Morgan, Alto
Angela Nagtalon, Soprano
Corinne Palin, Soprano
Tiana Roe, Soprano
David Szabo, Baritone
Steven Szabo, Alto
Sofie Wilson, Bass Clarinet
Lauren Zisman, Trumpet
Deauville Gardens Elementary School
Kevin Buffolino, Trumpet
Great Neck Road Elementary School
Giuseppe Dattolo, Trumpet
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Hearts Are Healthy in Copiague
For weeks, kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Great Neck Road Elementary School in the Copiague School District have been learning about healthy hearts and incorporating jump rope and other heart-healthy activities into their physical education aerobics program. The unit culminated in the annual Jump Rope for Heart activity, during which students jumped rope, among other activities geared toward increasing their heart rates, in an effort to raise money for the American Heart Association.
The event, which was organized by physical education teachers William Bennett and Barbara Olsen, taught the students about leading a healthy lifestyle, including eating right and exercising.
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Hope for Youth
Members of the Copiague Middle School Builder’s Club organized a bake sale, where they raised close to $500, to benefit Hope for Youth. Hope for Youth is a not-for-profit welfare agency located in Amityville that provides residential, foster care, preventative and outpatient services to children, youth, and their families.
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Celebrating Culture
To culminate their unit on China, the third-grade students in Jeanie Mullins’s, Stacey Barrett’s and Lynne Groveman’s classes celebrated with a special day. The three classes worked together to explore tangrams, an ancient Chinese puzzle, after listening to Ann Tompert’s book “Grandfather Tang's Story.” Afterwards, they partnered with Melissa Clive’s class to end the day with a Chinese feast. During their luncheon, the students exchanged red envelopes, which included a special treat and wished each other “Gung Hey Fat Choy,” Happy New Year!
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Copiague Basketball Teams Slam Dunk Into the Playoffs
Congratulations to the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball teams for making it to the playoffs. Best of luck to the girls as they advance to the semifinals against Deer Park. The game will be held Farmingdale College on February 28 at 7:30 pm.
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A POPular Night of Music
For one night only, student-musicians at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School showcased their musical talents for family, friends, Board of Education members, and district administrators and staff during their annual POPS concert. “The POPS concert is always one of our favorite nights,” remarked Principal Jeanette Altruda. “We’re offered the wonderful opportunity to see the various talents of our students.”
The concert band, conducted by Director of Bands John Wevers, started off the night with a bang by performing a medley of Journey’s greatest hits. Mr. Wevers also took to the stage with members of the jazz band as they performed three selections for the audience, “La Virgen de la Macarena,” “Peg,” and “MacArthur Park.”
The choral group, backed by professional musicians including music teachers Larry Wurtzel and Gina Occhiogrosso, began their portion of the concert with War’s 1975 hit, “Low Rider.” In addition, the choir members performed such numbers as Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock,” and Aretha Franklin’s power anthem, “Respect.”
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Copiague Booster Club Honors Woman in Sports
To commemorate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Booster Club presented a plaque to Cindy Ricci, an active member with the Copiague Youth League, for her many years of dedicated service and contributions to the young women of the Copiague community. The National Girls and Women in Sports Day is celebrated in all 50 states as a way of honoring the achievements and encouraging the participation of girls and women in sports.
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“Et Tu, Brute!”
Copiague Students Place First in Shakespeare Competition
On Friday, March 11th, sixteen student-actors from Walter G. O'Connell Copiague High School, along with their drama teacher, Sylvia Walsh, traveled to Hofstra University to compete against high schools from across Long Island in the 62nd Annual Shakespeare Festival.
The students performed selected cuts from Julius Caesar, Act II, scenes I and II, set in a modern day boardroom, and won the top award for best scene. The actors were praised for their mature acting work, character development and ensemble performance. “Our students not only applied outstanding commitment during the rehearsal process but also displayed professional courtesy at the competition as well,” stated Ms. Walsh. “I am very proud of their theatrical efforts and their well-deserved award!”
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Teen Tech Week
In March, students at Copiague Middle School participated in Teen Tech Week. The week, which was organized by librarian Dawn Koziarz, encourages teens to use libraries’ non-print resources for education and recreation, and to ensure the students are competent and ethical users of the technologies available to them.
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Random Cards of Kindness
Kindergarten students at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School in Copiague showcased their compassion by becoming “Love Letter Pen Pals.” Organized by the kindergarten teachers, the students created cards filled with uplifting and positive messages of encouragement for children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Once completed, the letters were sent to the organization Love Letters: Random Cards of Kindness, Inc., where they were forwarded to children between the ages of birth and 18 years.
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A Soldier Says Thank You
Earlier this school year, students in Nancy Csorny’s third-grade class at Great Neck Road School in Copiague organized a “Stockings for Soldiers” fundraiser in which they collected batteries, toiletries, and writing paper and envelopes, as well as other requested items, and handwritten letters.
To thank the students for their generosity, Staff Sergeant Johnathan Schmanski of Alpha Company, 3/214th Aviation Regiment, and his wife, Army Specialist Cathrine Schmanski visited the classroom and presented them with a special surprise. The students were presented with an American flag that had been flown aboard a U.S Army Unmanned Air System during a combat mission over the skies of Afghanistan on January 9, 2011.
During the visit, Staff Sergeant Schmanski and Army Specialist Schmanski also took the time to speak with the children and answer their questions.
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