Schools: Trustee Resigns; Kindergarten Registration Open

Some parents in the Northport-East Northport school district are joining their children in music class.

The district has invited parents to learn and play alongside their children four times per month in the newly expanded third-grade string program.

By including parents, the hope is that they will be able to reinforce the
skills built in class while home.

Enrolled third graders each received a violin and parents were offered a discount to
purchase or rent one from local vendors, or bring their own. The students learn either before school or during recess with teacher Veronica Kiss and their parents are invited to join them either after school on Tuesdays or on Saturdays, four times per month. Parents do not need to know how to play the instrument before attending.

“It was worth the wait because of the joy we saw in the parents and the kids,” said Director of Orchestras Michael Susinno. “It’s one of the few opportunities for parents to come in and witness learning first hand. They loved it.”

 

Trustee Resigns

Ed Nitkewicz, a member of the South Huntington school board who was elected in 2009, has resigned from the board. Nitkewicz, an attorney who has been active in issues involving disabled children, cited personal reasons for his decision. In 2020, he received the president’s award from the New York State School Board Association, and recognized for his work on behalf of students with special needs. His resignation took effect at the end of December.

Kindergarten Registration

Children residing in  the Half Hollow Hills Central School District who will turn five years old by Dec. 31, are eligible for kindergarten in September 2022.

Online registration for incoming kindergarten students opened this week. The application and requirements are available on the Half Hollow Hills website: Click District, then Student Registration. Once the entire application is complete  and the required documents uploaded, parents must schedule a Zoom meeting to review  and finalize registration.
For questions,  call your elementary school main office (press “0”):

Otsego 631-592-3600
Paumanok 631-592-3650
Signal Hill 631-592-3700
Sunquam 631-592-3750
Vanderbilt 631-592-3800

Health Teacher Recognized

Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School health teacher Christopher Homer is a recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago. The recognition was awarded based on a nomination from a university undergraduate student who is one of his former students.
Homer is a health teacher who is known to have positively affected the lives of many students, including those who have not attended his classes. He was described as a caring and compassionate educator who is welcoming, engaging and open-minded. His interactions with students often results in problem-solving current concerns or helping them with important decisions related to their future goals.

Geography Award

A Half Hollow Hills East teacher is one of 78 recipients of of 2021 Geography Educator GeoBoost Grant to support learning about geography.

The American Geographical Society awarded Cynthia Cullen the $300 grant, which will fund the World LEGO Map. Cullen said, “I appreciate the opportunity to incorporate National Geographic’s World Lego set as a way to include a team-building interactive lesson that can be used to illustrate a variety of concepts.”

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