SEPTA and United Teaching Assistants of Harborfields President Susan Broderick collected more than 120 new backpacks to be distributed to students in need.
In June, Broderick partnered with Nicole Anderson — founder of non-profit organization “Blessings in a Backpack” — fellow teaching assistants, school psychologists and community members to bring students joy at the start of a challenging school year. Each school received approximately 30-40 backpacks, which were then hand-delivered to students.
Looking for Successor in South Huntington District
Dr. Bennardo
The South Huntington school district has placed an ad seeking a successor to Dr. David Bennardo, the popular superintendent who announced earlier this month that he will retire at the end of the school year.
The ad on the website of the New York State School Boards Association shows an application deadline of Oct. 23, with a start date of July 1 for the new superintendent.
“Seeking a dynamic, empathic leader with a clear vision, excellent communication and decision-making skills, and a proven record of achieving stellar academic results for a diverse student population. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in partnership with the Board of Education to build upon a strong educational foundation,” the ad reads. The next superintendent is expected to have “strong writing ability, technological savvy, and experience developing budgets during difficult fiscal times. Candidates should expect a thorough search process with multiple interviews before the Board of Education.”
Writing Competition Winners
Half Hollow Hills West senior Yashita Chaudhary was named a finalist in the 2020 Young Investigators Writing Competition for her submission in the biology discipline. Hills East senior Jillian Martin was named a semifinalist for her entry in the engineering discipline.
This competition invited high school students from Long Island to write brief articles in newspaper or literature review format to describe and engage the public in scientific societal controversies. Specifically, students entering grades 10-12 explored dilemmas regarding experimental therapy, neutral algorithms, environmental policy, and sustainable engineering.
Huntington Students Honored
Six Huntington High School students have earned honors in the 2021 National Merit scholarship program. Mia Brown, Chloe Buffone, Grace Kenny, Ella Siepel, Grace Wildermuth and Bryan Wong have been officially “commended,” placing them among the top seniors out of more than 1.5 million participants.
The six commended students join National Merit semifinalist Andreas Seferian as Huntington’s honorees in the 2021 scholarship program. The highly regarded National Merit program recognizes 50,000 exceptional American seniors.
Elwood Students Recognized
Elwood-John H. Glenn High School seniors Brennan C. Finnegan and Rithika Narayan for being selected as semifinalists, and Devin Lee and Juliana Weber for being named commended students in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.