The District News The Newspaper of the Center Moriches School District

Volume 22 Number 1 www.cmschools.org December 2015

Center Moriches UFSD 529 Main Street Center Moriches, New York 11934

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Technology Committee Presents Smart Schools Improvement Plan By Ricardo Soto, Assistant Superintendent

On Thursday, November 19, 2015, the Cen-ter Moriches Technology Committee presented the Smart Schools Improvement Plan Proposal to the Board of Education for consideration and approval. The committee was represented by Marcus Babzien, Michelle Kennedy, Dawn DiPeri, William Nofi, and Ricardo Soto.

New York State voters approved the Smart Schools Bond Act on November 4, 2014, which allocated two billion dollars for the im-provement of educational technology and in-frastructure for schools in New York State. The Center Moriches School District’s alloca-tion is $1,034,558. The use of the funding, which is based on a reimbursement model, can only be used for four projects; installation of high-speed broadband or wireless internet con-nectivity, modernize educational facilities for pre-k programs and/or replacement of trans-portable classroom units, the acquisition of technology equipment, and security improve-ments.

According to Mr. William Nofi, technology committee member, “The plan was the result of six months of infrastructure analysis, com-mittee deliberations, and a review of the dis-trict’s instructional program to ensure proper alignment.” The Technology Committee com-municated frequently, vetting various pro-posals, prior to reaching consensus on the items proposed to the Board of Education for approval. Multiple emails were sent, conversa-tions were had with other surrounding districts, and an immediate and future cost analysis was established. In review of the process followed, one committee member commented, “We are very pleased with the work that went into our proposal. We feel that it represents what is needed for our kids and is cognizant of the long term fiscal responsibilities that may im-pact the district.”

In their proposal, the committee submitted a chart that compared the technology that is available to students in neighboring districts. The results of the comparison demonstrated that Center Moriches is currently not on the same level in the area of technology integra-tion. In fact, most of the surrounding districts have district wide Wi-Fi, utilize a cloud based

platform (Google), and provides more 1:1 computer device access to their students. When discussing the comparison data, Ms. Kennedy, Clayton Huey’s Media Specialist, commented that “this proposal will help our students be-come more adept with the technologies that is a part of their world.” The committee feels that as ‘digital natives’ students are comfortable navigating information through a technological lens. Ms. DiPeri, technology committee mem-ber, went on to say that “Learning and using technology will open many doors for our stu-dents both in their academic career and be-yond.”

The proposal also itemized the educational benefits of the expenditure items submitted by the committee. Committee members provided a myriad of instructional advantages for the use of technology in the classroom. Specifically, the ability of a teacher to reach multiple learn-ers by delivering material in varied formats, the accessibility of information on the internet, and the opportunities available for students to collaborate with their peers. The committee members also spoke about the benefits of voca-tional explorations, the active role of students in their own education, and the unique possi-bility for virtual learning opportunities.

At the end of the presentation, there was lit-tle doubt that the Technology Committee had proposed a plan that was linked to the instruc-tional program and the student achievement goals of the district. At the close of the presen-tation, the Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the preliminary Smart Schools Improvement Plan. As stipulated by the New York State Education Department, the plan will be posted on the district’s website for 30 days to allow for commentary from the community. After the 30 day commentary peri-od, the Board of Education will hold a hearing, which will be part of a normally scheduled Board of Education meeting, to allow for com-mentary and the finalization of the plan. Once the plan is finalized by the Board of Education, the plan will be submitted to the NYSED for approval. For more information on the Smart School Improvement plan, please visit the Dis-trict’s website at www.cmschools.org.

Clayton Huey Trivia Night

Page 2

Students Partner With

Brookhaven National Lab

Page 2

Representative Fred Thiele

Visits Clayton Huey

Page 6

Parent University:

Social Media

Page 8

January

January 8: PTA Harlem Wizards

January 12: PTA/SEPTA Meeting

January 13: Board of Education Meeting

January 18: School Closed– MLK Day

January 21: Incoming Gr. 9 Orientation

January 23: SAT Exam

January 26-29: HS Regents Exams

January 25: MS Late Winter Sports Begin

January 27: Board of Education Meeting

January 29: MS Winter Dance

February

February 6: ACT Exam

February 9: PTA Meeting

February 11: CH Family Craft Night

February 10: Board of Education Meeting

February 15-19: School Closed –

Mid-Winter Recess

February 23: SEPTA Meeting

Upcoming District Events

2 The District News December 2015

The District News

The Newspaper of the Center Moriches School District

Board of Education

Mr. Joshua P. Foster, President Mr. Darrell L. Iehle, Vice President

Ms. Annette Rank, Trustee

Ms. Robyn Rayburn, Trustee

Ms. Wendy R. Turkington, Trustee

Ms. Patricia A. Galietta, District Clerk

Ms. Diane M. Smith, District Treasurer

Administration

Mr. Russell J. Stewart, Superintendent

Ms. Carol M. Perkins CPA, School Business Official

Ms. Raina Ingoglia, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, Data Coordination and

Buildings and Grounds

Mr. Ricardo Soto, Assistant Superintendent for

Student Services, Personnel and Instructional Technology

Mr. Jeremy Thode, Associate Principal, Director of Health, Physical Education, Business,

Fine & Applied Arts and Athletics

Mr. Edward Casswell, High School Principal

Ms. Melissa Bates, Middle School Principal

Ms. Kim Hardwick, Elementary School Principal

Ms. Linda Greening, Elementary School Assistant Principal

Contact

Center Moriches

Union Free School District

529 Main Street

Center Moriches, NY 11934

Tel: (631) 878-0052

Fax: (631) 878-4326

Editors-in-Chief

Mr. Ricardo Soto

Ms. Michelle Kennedy

www.cmschools.org

Clayton Huey hosted its First Annual Trivia Night on November 17, 2015. The turn-out was tremen-dous as over 75 students from grades 3, 4, and 5 rep-resented 14 teams. Students headed to their respective tables in the APR (All Pur-pose Room) as the night began, selecting their team captain and team name. Due to the large number of supporters, the 5th grade competition was re-located to the library to ensure there was enough room for all to see the competition and enjoy the event.

Leading up to the big night, teams were pre-selected during their library class after students practiced trivia and took a trivia quiz. Six students from each class were invited to represent their classmates for Trivia Night and all stu-dents were invited to support their peers as they competed against other classes in their grade.

Widespread excitement filled the air as students worked together to answer questions on sports, entertainment, cur-rent events, history, geography, science, and more! According to a staff member, “the teamwork and collaboration be-tween the youngsters showcased the spir-it and enthusiasm among our Clayton Huey family.”

A grade-level winner was determined after three rounds of trivia. Students worked together on a team poster be-tween rounds. The bonus round at the end of the night included the winning teams from each grade: Ms. Rasso’s 3rd grade class, Ms. McInerney’s 4th grade class, and Ms. McDermott’s 5th grade class. After winning the bonus round, the grand winner of the night was Ms. McIn-erney’s 4th grade class! Mr. Joshua Fos-ter, Board of Education President, stated,

“This one event built school spirit, brought the community together, gave kids a sense of pride and provided an ef-fective learning experience.”

The Clayton Huey staff will like to thank Mrs. Nicole Foster for helping co-ordinate the night, and to the parent vol-unteers who helped administer and judge the questions. Danielle Dench, Shannon Luongo and Christine Buff did a great job with the 3rd grade competition, as Ni-cole Foster took charge with the 5th grad-ers. Thank you also to Ms. Valentine and Ms. Defrese for their role in getting the night rolling and for administering and judging the 4th grade competition! The students who competed and those that came out to support their class were ex-cellent participants throughout this very enjoyable evening. Third Grade Champions from Ms.

Rasso’s class: Owen Maragioglio, Kevin Nosek, Nathanael Davis, Kay-la Cascone, Mackenzie Sweeney, Ryan Schildt

Fourth Grade Champions from Ms. McInerney’s class: Robert Sims, Tyler Bonventre, Sean Hipp, Brendan Conelly, Emily Roenbeck, Reese Breheny

Fifth Grade Champions from Ms. McDermott’s class: Jake Sommeso, Paige Mansfield, Jacob Smith, Climele Browne, Petra Platt, Jack Breutsch

First Trivia Night at Clayton Huey By Michelle Kennedy, Clayton Huey Library Media Specialist

Third Grade Competition at Trivia Night

For the second consecutive year, four Center Moriches high school students were chosen to participate in the Partners in Science program at Brookhaven Nation-al Lab. Senior Patrick Campbell, Junior Katlyn Lindahl and Freshmen Kevin Gmelin and Armand Lannerd developed scientific research topics that were of in-terest to them. With assistance from AP Chemistry teacher Maggie Romaine and Library Media Specialist Bonnie Bredes, the students began their research at Center Moriches High School and discussed the writing of scientific research papers.

While at Brookhaven National Lab, the students were invited to a lecture entitled “Looking for Light from Dark Energy: Building the World’s Largest Digital Cam-era for the Large Synoptic Survey Tele-scope” by Brookhaven Scientist Dr. Paul O’Connor. The students also had the op-

portunity to eat lunch and talk with Brookhaven scientists, discussing topics such as international cooperation among scientists and how to become involved in scientific research. It was a wonderful experience for our students as they were able to engage in discussions regarding the work of science with individuals that are active in the field. Junior Katlyn Lindahl commented, “I am excited to be a part of this program. It has helped me to understand more about the scientific process and how one idea can help explain or change our world.” When asked about the program, Science Chair-person, Mrs. Soto stated, “The Science Department is proud of the work of our students and will continue our efforts to increase the opportunities afforded to all students that have shown an interest in the field of Science.”

High School Students Partner with Brookhaven National Lab By Margaret Romaine, High School Science Teacher

December 2015 The District News 3

A Spooktacular Day at School By Danielle Sirico, Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Sirico’s kin-dergarten class had a “Spooktacular Day” celebrating Hallow-een. They kicked off the morning by marching in a pa-rade to show off our “lil’ tricksters” all dressed up in their Halloween cos-tumes. They spent the afternoon en-gaged in Halloween Centers where they employed four-parent volunteers (Ms. Cicciari, Ms. Chernis, Ms. Festinger, & Ms. Lambiase) to plan a simple fifteen-minute activity to go along with the Hallow-een theme.

Each parent planned something hands-on that was fun and engaging. The children made ghosts with a sparkle, a

picture frame to remem-ber the day, and a wreath to decorate their home. To add to the ul-timate spooky celebra-tion, the children were treated to a variety of spectacular dry-ice demonstrations by Ms. Lambiase. Dry ice is the perfect smoke addition

to any Halloween cele-bration. Ms. Lambiase created smoke-filled beakers that erupted into smoke-filled bubbles as the children watched in amazement. This was a perfect experiment to ignite the love of learn-ing in each of our young scientists.

On October 27th, the first workshop in the New Transition Workshop Series took place at the Center Moriches High School. The Transition Workshop Se-ries is being offered to students with special needs to provide an opportunity to learn the essential skills that will assist with their post-secondary endeavors.

According to students that attended the workshop, it was a huge success! Students learned about essen-tial household management skills that will aide stu-dents as they transition to post-secondary life.

The second workshop on November 17th focused on meal planning, including ways to read a store cir-cular, how to purchase food, and how to follow a reci-pe. Students enjoyed learning to prepare a basic din-ner meal including a scrumptious dessert! As stated enthusiastically by one student: “I can’t wait to go home and cook dinner for my family!”

Future workshops will assist students in their quest to achieve adult independence. Such topics will in-clude: time management, budgeting, transportation skills, and job readiness skills. Upon completion of this year’s workshops, students will be better-prepared for life after high school.

Ms. Sirico’s Scientists

Ms. Lambiase creating smoke-filled bubbles

High School students learn new recipes

CM High School Focuses on Transition By Michael Gordon, Transition Coordinator

With a new twist on an old tradi-tion, the Center Moriches Music De-partment once again toured the school district and the community on its an-nual Holiday Tour on December 23, 2015. Formally a middle school band tradition, the newest member of the Music Department, Ms. Sara Pinto, has invited the high school instrumen-tal and vocal groups on the tour, unit-ing the Secondary Music Department during this festive time of year.

Mr. Preston, Secondary Chorus Teacher, asked, “What better way is there to share our love of music than to bring it to the community?” Mr. Conefry, High School Band Teacher,

commented, “We are extremely excit-ed that Ms. Pinto has invited the high school groups to perform on the holi-day tour this year. All of the students love to play these festive tunes.”

Rehearsals began early in Decem-ber at the middle school where 7th and 8th grade band students rehearsed twice a week leading up to a preview performance in the high school front lobby (after the Middle School Holi-day Concert) on December 10, 2015. Tour performances occurred at the Center Moriches Administration Building, Clayton Huey Elementary School, and the Center Moriches Main Street area.

Music Department Spreads Holiday Cheer By Paul Conefry, High School Band Teacher

Middle School Holiday Ensemble Pictured left to right: Top – Marita Harris, A.J. Vollkmann, Stefanie Stypulkowski, Lily Murphy, Lane Walther, Alexandra Stokes, Gillian Shrey, Patrick Murray, Alicia Trent, Jake Miller, Jane Adams, Jesse Demateo, Aiden McGovern Bottom – Jeremy Masterson, Joanmarie Leone, Karla Ciriaco, Tomhas O’Leary, Colin Erickson, Robert Leone, Michael Luongo, Isabella Rocha, Logan Jakubowski, Isabella Montesanto, & Director Ms.Sara Pinto

4 The District News December 2015

Giving Kids the Tools to Grow Their Mental Health By Courtney Fabian, District Wide Social Worker

On November 6, 2015, the dis-trict invited Mr. Hakeem Rahim to speak with our eighth and tenth grade students about Mental Health. Mr. Rahim, a Harvard graduate, shared with our students his personal journey of becoming diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder during his sophomore year in high school. He explained how simple daily tasks became a struggle for him, how his friends and family helped him then and continue to support him now, and how he continues to manage his care. Mr. Rahim, a member of the National Alliance on Mental Ill-ness, now dedicates his life to helping youth and communities understand what mental illness is

and why seeking help is so im-portant. In addition to speaking with students, Mr. Rahim lobbies to make changes within our health care system to ensure peo-ple struggling with mental illness can get the assistance they need. The students were engaged throughout the presentation and had meaningful follow up ques-tions concerning personal jour-neys or experiences with a friend or loved ones. Students also learned about celebrities and pro-fessional athletes that struggle with mental illnesses. Mr. Rahim represented strength, hope, and resiliency. Students commented that his message was informative and inspiring. Schools are often the first

place where mental health needs are recognized and addressed. According to the National Associ-ation of School Social Workers, research indicates that 18-20 per-cent of students have mental health issues significant enough to cause major impairment to life functions (Dore 2005), yet only one in five receives the necessary services (Kauffberger, Seligman, 2007). Throughout the school year we are hoping to explore more op-portunities for our students to learn about mental wellness. Mr. Rahim indicated that school is a place where students should de-velop their social-emotional intel-ligence, in addition to their aca-demics. Research supports this

notion and suggests that students who participate in social emotion-al learning programs, such as evi-dence based character education, improve in school performance. In January, we will be offer-ing Challenge Day to our seventh grade and junior class and in Clayton Huey we will introduce our fourth grade students to Why Try. Both programs aim to in-crease our students’ social emo-tional intelligence as well as de-velop opportunities for them to relate to their peers and classroom teachers in a different atmos-phere. We are continuously look-ing for future opportunities where our students will learn more about social-emotional skills, while im-proving upon their own.

Students Unite To Help Those In Need

Let’s begin with a huge ‘Thank You’ to the Friends and Buddies Club who part-nered in the Food Drive with Eastern Long Island St. Paul Community Development Food Pantry of the Town of Brookhaven. The winner of the Food Drive was the homeroom of Mrs. Melissa Mangogna, High School Mathematics teacher, who donated 357 items to the Food Pantry. Their donation alone was able to feed 94 families for a period of three days. The to-tal number of items donated was 850.

Everyone was a winner when they were able to come together to feed those who are in need. It was a very rewarding experience for them to help support the St. Paul Food Pantry and the Town of Brookhaven all while having fun with Friends! Once again, kudos to the Friends and Buddies Club and Mrs. Mangogna’s homeroom class!

The Friends and Buddies Club will be host-

ing many fun events throughout the year. In September, they walked together at Jones Beach to support Autism Awareness; their Fall Feast is in November and the Winter Movie Event is in December.

Friends and Buddies provide a welcoming environment to students with and without disa-

bilities. They focus on forming friendships that carry over into the school building and the local community.

For more information on Friends and Bud-dies or on local food pantry, please feel free to contact Mrs. Fabian, district wide Social Work-er, at 878-0092 ext. 212.

By Courtney Fabian, District Wide Social Worker

Photo taken by Gabriel Rodriguez, 10th Grade Student

Mr. Rahim pictured with Center Moriches Eighth Grade Students and Faculty

December 2015 The District News 5

January January 8: Harlem Wizards Night–HS Gym, 7:00pm January 12: PTA/SEPTA Meeting-Administration Building, 7:30pm

February

February 1: Fifth Grade Basketball Night-HS Gym February 9: PTA Meeting-Administration Building, 7:30pm

Newly elected president of the Center Moriches PTA Stacy Hermsdorf has hit the ground running for the 2015-16 school year. Her powerful and compelling speech at Superintendent’s Conference Day set the tone for what has proven to be an exciting new year of changes and challenges for the K-12 PTA here in Center Moriches. With the helpful guidance of seasoned members Vickie Brockmann, Maria Es-tes, Colleen Sabol-Sommeso, and Erin Rocha, and with the newest members Loriann Patanjo, Danielle Dench, Lisa Marrin and Shannon Luongo, the PTA is ready to provide the very best activities for Cen-ter Moriches students. The first goal the new PTA has set for themselves and the district was to put the ’T’ back into PTA by challenging school administration, faculty, and staff to achieve 100% membership in all three build-ings. The enthusiasm from the top down has been overwhelmingly pos-itive. We are thrilled with the results. Dedicating a specific Vice Presi-dent as a liaison to each building has also opened the lines of commu-nication and streamlined the connection between the PTA and princi-pals. Every teacher, staff member and administrator who joined the PTA was awarded a bright apple graphic for display so parents and students

alike can see how much they care about creating a well-rounded and diverse educational experience through the support of the PTA. Events such as Kindergarten Buddies, Genevieve’s Merchandise, the Scholas-tic Book Fair and the new fall plant sale were all met with great suc-cess thanks to the volunteers. These parents and community members donate countless hours to make these activities fun and profitable. The financial support brings amazing programs to our children. Grade Level Coordinators Michelle Mitchell and Rosanna Davis are always looking for fresh ideas to extend the love of learning during af-ter-school hours and welcome parents to reach out to help plan events for all grades throughout the school year. As we enter the second quar-ter, we hope you will make room in your calendar for the return of the famous Harlem Wizards in January when they will once again take on our faculty in a fabulous game of trick basketball. Also, please be re-minded that Kid Stuff Books should be paid for or returned to the school by December 1st. May the upcoming holidays be joyous days filled with warmth and happiness. We welcome all comments and suggestions via email. Please reach out to Stacy and the rest of the PTA at cmpta-board@gmail.com.

CMPTA 2015 - 16 New Faces - New Ideas By Loriann Patanjo, PTA Middle School Vice President

The cargo climbing net at Clayton Huey Elementary School is officially open! With a $1,000 grant award from the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, our Clayton Huey students have begun using another major tool for early childhood upper-body strength and conditioning. In addition to this grant, money was used from Suffolk Zone’s “Get Moving NY” video contest to secure a crash mat and side mats for the new net. A final huge ‘thank you’ goes out to our PTA who fi-nanced the installation mounts and hoist for

the climbing net. In the last three years, Clayton Huey has

teamed with the PTA and various Suffolk Zone and NYSAPHERD grants to acquire 32 upper-body flex bands, a low-element rock wall, and now a cargo climbing net. As we continue to add new features to our instruc-tional units, the excitement from our students grows exponentially.

Events for the elementary school PE pro-gram for the 2015-16 school year include Clayton Huey Family Fun Night on October 27th, Jump Rope for Heart on December 3rd,

Hoops for Heart on March 31st, PTA Glow Run on May 21st, and Field Day on June 3rd. Other popular units this year will include Scooter Town, Wii Just Dance, Super Bowl Football Station, Fitness Station, and Mara-thon/Glow Run Challenge, to name just a few. Students engage all five components of fitness, as well as important hand-eye and foot-eye coordination activities. Each day brings excitement for K-5 students as we continue to push the envelope while ensuring our learning community gets the best PE ex-perience possible.

Clayton Huey Physical Education Climbs to Success By Elementary Physical Education Staff

Save The Date: Upcoming PTA Events

6 The District News December 2015

On September 17, 2015, fifteen high school students were honored with a special breakfast. These amazing young men and women earned one hundred or more CSIP points during the 2014-15 school year, thus becoming a part of the Community Service and Involvement Pro-gram 100+ Club. During the breakfast, each of the students spoke about his or her community service experiences.

Mr. Casswell commended these students for their altruism and encouraged them to continue to be leaders in the school and the community. The overall sentiment of the group was that helping others gives one a feeling like no other; it changes your perspective on life! These young men and women truly understand the meaning of “giving back” and they know how personally fulfilling it is to do so. Student com-munity service and involvement includes, but is not limited to:

Anthony Alves volunteers at the Peconic Bay Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He s a member of our track team, has volunteered for PTA events, and also participated in the Ride for Life.

Austin Colon volunteers as a martial arts in-structor at the Shaolin Self Defense Center. He also participated in the Ride for Life.

John DeBatto is a volunteer at the Moriches Community Center. He is a member of our soccer and baseball teams, the Multicultural Club, and the Drama Club. In addition, John

assisted the coaches of the varsity basketball and the junior high softball teams, as well as participated in the Ride for Life.

Nick Fiscina is a volunteer for Moriches Bay Little League who helps out at practices. He also helps out in his father’s physical therapy office. Nick is involved in CM sports as well as being a member of the Science Honor Soci-ety, the LOTE Honor Society, and DECA.

Elizabeth Jones is a coach for the Rolling Thunder Special Needs Program. She is also a member of our Jazz Chorus and participated in the Ride for Life.

Katlyn Lindahl volunteers at the Peconic Bay Medical Center. She is also a volunteer sailing instructor at the Moriches Yacht Club. In addi-tion, Katlyn is a varsity cheerleader, a member of our Art Club, and she has volunteered at both Walk for a Cure and the PTA Glow Run.

Ramon Lopez-Flores spends many hours vol-unteering at his church. He has become our school’s number-one supporter of the Ride for Life, helping to double the amount of our do-nation last year. In addition, Ramon is a mem-ber of our soccer and lacrosse teams, Jazz Chorus, and Tri-M.

Patrick McCarthy volunteers at St. John the Evangelist RCC and is a member of their Youth Ministry. He is also a member of our volleyball team, Jazz Band, Jazz Chorus, and Bible Club.

Jillian McMahon volunteers at the Moriches

Community Center and the Presbyterian Church of the Moriches Community Food Pantry. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, LOTE Honor Society, Multi-cultural Club, Future Teachers Club, Student Council, and SADD.

Alexa Naples volunteers for the Moriches Bay Little League. She is involved in cheerleading at CMHS and for the Moriches Seahawks. Alexa is also a member of our softball team. She participated in Cheer for a Cure and the Ride for Life as well.

Anthony Navas is a volunteer coach for the Moriches Youth Organization. He is also a member of our volleyball and lacrosse teams, as well as the National Honor Society, the LOTE Honor Society, and Drama Club.

Kevin C. Smith is a volunteer coach for Moriches Bay Little League, including their All Star Team. He is also a member of our baseball team and a travel baseball team.

Shannon Sweeney volunteers at the Bideawee Animal Shelter in Westhampton. She is also a member of our track team and Interact. In ad-dition, Shannon volunteers at our CHAMP after-school program and at many different PTA events.

John Rocco is a volunteer at the Moriches Community Center. He is also a member of our soccer team.

Donald Wood is a volunteer at the Moriches Community Center.

Community Service and Involvement Program Breakfast By Sherry Turpin, CSIP advisor

When the Make-A-Wish Foundation kept their promise to Madison Hawksworth, an eighth grade student of Center Moriches Middle School, and sent her to Disney World this summer, she came home with another wish. Madison want-ed to give back and help grant more wishes for children.

During the month of Sep-tember, Madison, along with her 8th Grade Class, held a Wish-For-Kids fundraiser to support children with life-threatening medical condi-tions. They gathered after school every Thursday in

September to accept dona-tions. Their efforts helped raise nearly $500 dollars! On September 30th, they encour-aged the entire middle school community to wear gold or yellow to support Children’s Cancer Awareness Month.

The 8th Grade Class’ mis-sion is to create a strong and active school community. It works to build school spirit and pride, enhance student life, as well as fundraise for charitable causes. Madison and her class hope to continue their efforts in making a dif-ference in the lives of many!

Wish-For-Kids at Center Moriches Middle School

Pictured top left to right: Brad Turnow, Edward Spillett, Larry Voelger, Kevin Kerman, Jessica Bliss, Melissa Bates, Greg

Schauer, Gina Brienza, and Taryn Glynn. Bottom left to right: Tracy Sigerson, Kevin Scott, Madison Hawksworth, Michele

Farrugia, and Donna Bennett

By Jessica Bliss, 8th Grade Class Advisor

On November 9, Clayton Huey Ele-mentary hosted New York State Repre-sentative Fred Thiele Jr. who had the chance to see exemplary teachers im-plementing math instruction at the pri-mary and intermediate levels. Assem-blyman Thiele also utilized his time to speak to two fifth grade students, Ka-ley Maxwell and Kieran Bren-nan, about their experiences with high-er standards since they have both been exposed to the challenging standards and curriculum for the duration of their intermediate level. Several teachers were provided with an opportunity to engage in dialogue about their experi-ences and the policy making process was explained in detail by Assembly-man Thiele during the discussion. “We were excited to host Repre-sentative Thiele so that he could see the great work our teachers are doing to make progress in meeting the aca-demic and emotional needs of our stu-dents.” said Mrs. Hardwick. “It is time to celebrate our teachers and strength-en our partnerships with our legisla-tors, as teacher voice is critical to any successful implementation of educa-tional reform. I applaud Assemblyman Thiele for his dedication and commit-ment to education and our children as he was quick to accept our invitation to

visit Clayton Huey and had recently spent time visiting our high school at the start of the year.” The more policy makers know about what is taking place in the class-room, the better informed the conver-sations will be in Albany when it is time to make legislative decisions that will impact education. The best way for this to occur is for teachers and ad-ministrators to invite local legislators into their classrooms and engage in dialogue to ensure we are all more in-volved, and knowledgeable, about the process. Working together, policies developed in the future will be based on powerful information obtained from a strong partnership between legisla-tors, educators and community mem-bers who all share the same goal which is to provide the very best possible ed-ucation for every student. There is little doubt that we can achieve that out-come if we are committed to this collaboration.

NY Representative Fred Thiele Jr. Visits Clayton Huey

By Kim Hardwick, Elementary Principal

December 2015 The District News 7

On October 19th, twenty-two seniors from Center Moriches High School contin-ued their college-search jour-ney and traveled to SUNY Stony Brook. When we first arrived on this beautiful cam-pus, we assembled in the Ad-missions Office. Students were informed about a variety of beneficial information includ-ing the admission process, aca-demic programs, clubs and ac-tivities, and student housing.

We then met our guides and began a walking tour of the uni-versity!

Our first stop was the Stall-er Center for the Arts. Here, we learned about the programs and performances that are offered to all students. If the performing arts are a passion, Stony Brook certainly has opportunities for you! We then walked to Gray Quad and visited a dorm room. Some of us were unhappy with the size of the rooms, while

others were able to envision themselves living quite com-fortably there. We then traveled to the sports complex. Here, students are offered workout classes, exercise sessions in the massive weight room, basket-ball time in the gym and so on. The final leg of our tour fea-tured the library, the dining halls and some classrooms. We were all in awe of the size of these facilities and the re-sources that were presented.

Lastly, we had lunch in the Stu-dent Union. Most of us thought the food was really good!

As our college-search jour-ney continues, we left Stony Brook one step closer to mak-ing an informed final decision. College visits are an important step in the process. Our visit to Stony Brook was quite helpful. Hopefully, all of our students will be provided many more opportunities to visit colleges and universities!

Center Moriches Students Visit Stony Brook University By Avery Hoda, High School Senior

Center Moriches HS Students at Stony Brook University

Foreign Language Honor Societies Host International Dinner

A night filled with savory eats and sweet treats, the Center Moriches French and Spanish Foreign Language Honor Societies came together on the night of November 5th for their annual For-eign Language Honor Society Dinner Night at the Center Moriches High School Cafeteria. Friends and family alike brought, shared, and ate various foods from across the globe. Just about every type of food was served that night, from poutine to pasta, flan to fajitas, and everything in between. Guests lined up around the perimeter of the cafeteria to fill up their plates with a variety of these international foods.

The food was not the only highlight of the night, though, as mu-sical entertainment was proved by Patty Molloy from Positive Lis-tening Radio to set a wonderful dining ambiance throughout the night. In addition, the Center Moriches Jazz Ensemble sang Blue Skies by Irving Berlin and Center Moriches High School student

Austin Roggermen’s had a solo performance of Soldier by Gavin Degraw. The Honor Societies raised enough money to cover each and eve-ry one of their members’ yearly dues and were even able to put some funds towards future events and fundraisers. Everyone in both the French and Spanish Foreign Language Honor Societies would like to thank those who helped make the night an astounding success and look forward to seeing everyone at their next dinner event.

By Jake Nill, High School Senior

8 The District News December 2015

On November 2, 32 students were inducted into the Center Moriches chapter of the National Honor Society. The ceremony was held at the Rockhill County Club in Manorville. Parents, relatives, friends and distinguished guest attended the event, which entailed a din-ner and the induction ceremony.

Students must have an overall weighted GPA (grade point average) of 92 to be inducted into the National Honor Society. It is a recognition that not only looks at the academic progress of students but reviews the child’s growth in the area of character. According to Mr. Edward Cass-well, High School Principal, “Making the grade is not enough. Colleges look for other intangible items that truly measure the worth of our stu-dents, such as character. This is really what the honor society represents. Our kids have character and with it they will do wonderful things in life.”

The National Honor Society induction ceremony was facilitator by the advisor, Mrs. Soto, and current student members, Brandon Impas-tato, Christopher Ponticello, Megan Ricci, Jake Nill, and Matthew Al-mond. Although the focus is about the accomplishments of the students, it is a time for staff and honored guest to provide advice and words of wisdom. Three were chosen this year to speak.

The first, Mr. Casswell, provided the introduction to the students, families, and guests. His message focused on “making your mark,” ref-

erencing the level of commitment that must be applied when entering a task. The second speaker, Mr. Joshua Foster, President of the Board of Education, tailored his message on the future plans of the inductees. Mr. Foster focused on putting in the necessary time needed toward a goal/occupation in life. He stressed that with time and effort all aspirations can be realized. The final speaker, Social Studies teacher Mr. Richard Roberts, was designated as the keynote speaker, which is a position gen-erally reserved for an individual that has worked directly with the induc-tees. Mr. Robert’s speech concentrated on overcoming adversity in life. He spoke about internal strength and resolve and how these qualities can help us triumph against any obstacle that may stand in our way. Whether the message was commitment, time, or overpowering adversity each speaker spoke with a passion that was infectious and added to the depth of the ceremony.

As one parent, Mrs. Lisa Koscinski, commented, “It was a wonder-ful night for our kids and the district. I feel that the students and parents were all honored tonight. We are so proud of our daughter and all the students for all their hard work.” Concerning the evening, Mrs. Soto, the National Honor Society Advisor, stated, “This evening represents one major academic accomplishment for our students, but I am confident that it is only one stone toward the massive wall of success that will be built by every student inducted this evening.”

On December 2, High School Administra-tion presented a Parent University educational forum on school safety and social media awareness. Mr. Casswell, High School Princi-pal, and Mr. Thode, Associate Principal, pre-sented to approximately 60 community mem-bers. Guest speakers included Office Steven Hughes and Officer Nancy Ward who are po-lice liaisons to the school district and Junior Greg Giordano from the Smithtown School District.

Mr. Casswell and Officer Steven Hughes, 7th precinct School Resource Officer, began the presentation focusing on school safety. Ac-cording to Mr. Casswell, there were two spe-cific goals of the presentation, which were to inform the community of the strong relation-ship between the Suffolk County Police De-partment and the Center Moriches District and to provide some insight into current threats that now face our generation. As Mr. Casswell stated at the presentation, “Many in this room come from a generation that performed shelter drills out of fear of attacks from opposing na-tions, but now the drills have shifted to prepa-ration for attacks from individuals. Unfortu-nately, this is the world that we now live in.”

The idea of preparation was emphasized

as Mr. Casswell and Officer Hughes reviewed the various drills that are carefully planned throughout the school year, which include fire, lockout, and lockdown drills. The presenters reviewed the protocols followed in each drill, the training of staff and students for each drill, the coordination with police and emergency service personnel, and the rationale for the im-plementation of each procedure. After the re-view of the protocols, one parent commented that “it is reassuring to know that the Center Moriches School District has established ex-cellent protocols to help secure the safety of our children.” Additionally, the protocols re-viewed by the presenters have been shared with neighboring districts. Through the work of Mr. Casswell and Officer Hughes, the Cen-ter Moriches School District is considered a leader in the area of emergency preparedness.

The second portion of the program dealt with the current threats to our students associ-ated with the improper use of social media sites. Mr. Thode and Officer Ward were joined by Junior Greg Giordano, who had previously conducted presentations for other school dis-tricts. The presenters reviewed approximately nine different sites that are currently popular with teenagers, which included Yik Yak, Snap

Chat, Vine, Kik, and Instagram, just to name a few.

The intent of providing a summary of the sites was to alert parents of the dangers that are involved in the improper utilization of these sites. Some of the concerns communicat-ed to the audience involved the unfiltered, ex-plicit and inappropriate content, the lack of safeguards involving privacy, the possible use of the sites by predators, and the use of photos and other personal content to gain student/family information. Additionally, the present-ers provided a listing of apps that can be used that have greater safeguarding features, such as KeepSafe, Vault, Smart Hide Calculator, and Secret Calculator, which either is pass-word protected and/or is disguised on a phone to resemble an app that has another intention.

According to one parent that attended the presentation, “It was a very well done presen-tation. I learned a lot. I now have a much bet-ter understanding of how my daughter’s iPh-one can be used.” Mr. Thode commented, “This is information that every parent should have and we will continue to work to increase the safety of our kids; whether the threats are physical or through the ever changing world of cyberspace.”

High School Students are Honored By Regina Soto, National Honor Society Advisor

Parent University-Social Media Awareness By Jeremy Thode, Associate Principal, Director of Athletics and Fine Arts

Fifth Grade Band

Rocks the House

The Clayton Huey 5th grade band gave a stellar perfor-mance at this year’s Pep Ral-ly! The crowd cheered as they played Rock and Roll Part 2, also known as the “Hey” song.

“We did an awesome job!” says Paige, a fifth grader at Clayton Huey. “I can’t wait till our next concert!” adds Court-ney, another fifth grader. We all look forward to watching our young musicians grow and hearing what they have in store for us in the future.

Seniors Erin Shuster (soprano) and Jake Hogan (tuba) were selected to participate in the New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education (NYSCAME) All-County Music Festival held at Connetquot High School on November 12th and Huntington High School on Novem-ber 19th and 20th.

This honor is reserved for high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated ex-cellence with their instruments or voices. Students who are selected for NYSCAME are considered among the best instrumentalists or vocalists in in all of Suffolk County. Their acceptance is based upon the results of an indi-vidual perfor-mance as assessed by a judge at the NYSSMA solo eval-uation festival in the spring of the previous school year.

When asked about their accomplishment, Mr. Conefry said, “It has been amazing to watch these two musicians grow. I am excited to see where their talents lead them next.” Congratulations to Erin and Jake on their selection!

Center Moriches Middle School student Alexandra Stokes (flute and piccolo) and Center Moriches High School student Jake Hogan (tuba) have been selected to represent their school and district at the annual New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA) All-State Honors Band festival to be held in March in Liverpool, NY. These two students were selected to perform from a group of more than 600 applicants nominated from across New York State. Middle school students Jesse DeMatteo (alto saxophone) Jake Miller (trombone) and Patrick Murray (trombone) were selected as alternates for the Mid-dle School Honor Band while Jenna Vollkommer (flute and piccolo) was se-lected as an alternate for the High School Honor Band. “It is so wonderful to have so many stu-dents recognized for their musical abili-ties,” said Middle School Band Director Sara Pinto. Ms. Pinto went on to say, “As a new music teacher, it is a pleasure to work with

students of such a high caliber.” In order to receive a nomination, student musicians must demonstrate musical talent, accomplishment, citizenship and responsibil-ity. They must also have showcased outstand-ing musical ability on their New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) solo evaluation the previous spring. The final se-lection of NYSBDA All-State Honors Band members is conducted by a committee of NYSBDA board members who carefully re-viewed the recommendations, student NYSS-MA solo evaluation sheets, and the resume of previous accomplishments.

The Center Moriches School District would like to take this op-portunity to thank and congratulate Mrs. Virginia Mesiano for the many years of superb service to the Center Moriches community as a Music Teacher at the elementary level. Mrs. Mesiano, a resident of Center Moriches, began her career with the district in 1997. During her 18 years of service, Mrs. Mesiano has made an indelible impact on the lives of many students; instilling an appreciation for music, the arts, and student collaboration that works in concert with the ac-ademic goals of the district. Her enchanting voice, her warming smile, and her natural charis-ma with children will be sorely missed at Clayton Huey Elementary School. We thank you for the many wonderful student performances that you orchestrated, your contagious; optimistic approach to the field of education, your ability to embrace and showcase the talents of every child, and your gift for uniting a community through the power of a song. Congratulations!

Bidding Farewell to a Center Moriches Legend

Erin Shuster & Jake Hogan

Center Moriches NYSBDA student: Alexandra Stokes, Jesses DeMatteo, Patrick Murray, Jake Miller, Jake Hogan, Jenna Vollkommer (missing from photo)

Recognizing the Musical Talents of Students

By Paul Conefry, High School Band Teacher

December 2015 The District News 9

Students Chosen by NYS Band Directors By Paul Conefry, High School Band Teacher

2015 Suffolk County and Long Island Champions Girls Varsity Soccer

Congratulations to the Center Moriches Girls Varsity Soccer team and Coaches Sara Sullivan and Nicole Novello on their Suffolk County and Long Island titles!

The Center Moriches Girls Varsity Tennis Team had the best season in the history of Center Moriches varsity tennis! The Lady Devils took 2nd place in League 8. While it was a 3-way tie, we beat the other two teams the second time we played them. This year’s record and the level of players return-ing to the team has also giv-en Center Moriches a power rat-ing recommendation to start in 1st place in the League 8 next season!

Our varsity players dedicated themselves to play together as a team and competed admirably in every match. Concerning the team’s performance this year, Coach Arias commented: “I was so proud to see their outstanding character in every match wheth-er it was won or lost. Ultimate-ly, our players handled them-selves wonderfully as winners; each player representing the very best of Center Moriches High School. I want to share my pride and respect for our play-ers, as well as thank the commu-nity and the school district for the support provided to make this possible.”

The team also posted a best-ever result in post-season Divi-sion Tournament Competition. Congratulations to our singles

and doubles players who quali-fied for the season-end Division Tournament held at William Floyd HS.

Kayla Hujber (2nd Singles), and 2nd Doubles Team Brittany Romanoff and Hannah Tebbens played and met tough competi-tion in first round play. Ericka Koscinski (1st Singles and Team Co-Captain) was the first CM girl’s singles player to win past the first-round in a Divisional in recent memory. Ericka gave the top seeded player (#1 in the Di-vision in 2015 and #3 in the County in 2014) a tough battle in the next round.

Gabby Vaillant (Team Man-ager) and Katelyn Vetack (Asst.

Manager) battled through tough doubles teams to make it to the Semi-Finals, handily beating the #3 seeded team in the Divisional from William Floyd, earning All-County status to compete in the Suffolk County Tournament! In the semis, they beat a very tough Mattituck team to place #3 in Division 4! Gabby and Katelyn competed in the Counties as they aspired to qualify for All-State against the top doubles team in Suffolk County. They met the #2 from Division 2 in the first round in a very compet-itive match. Next year, they are going for All-State!

Let’s not forget the valuable contribution to the team from

seniors Sabrina Inzerillo (Team Captain), Claire Woronick, and Mackenzie Walsh. They played every position and match to the best of their abilities with wins that added to the team’s success this year.

The Lady Devils received awards at the Suffolk County Girls Varsity Tennis Awards Dinner on November 3 at Villa Lombardi’s Holbrook, attended by 555 tennis players, coaches, and family members and sup-porters from 45 varsity tennis teams in Suffolk County. Con-gratulations to CM players who achieved Suffolk County Awards:

Ericka Koscinski- All-League Kayla Hujber - All-League Brittany Romanoff - All-

League Hannah Tebbens –All-League Gabby Vaillant – All-County Katelyn Vetack – All-County Sabrina Inzerillo – County

Team Sportsmanship Award With only three seniors grad-uating this year, the 2016 Lady Devils look forward to an even better season due to the commit-ment and experience of every member of the team in addition to Jr. Varsity players joining the team next year!

Center Moriches Girls Varsity Tennis Celebrates Best Season at #2 in League By Joe Arias, Girls Varsity Tennis Coach

10 The District News December 2015

Girls Varsity Tennis Team

It is true there are no playoffs at the middle

school level; no banners to hang or All-League

and All-County Awards to present; nor are

there college or university recruitment activi-

ties for our athletes. However, there is some-

thing else very important to be done. It is the

challenge to begin the process of teaching our

7th and 8th grade students the value and rigor

of everyday training and competition.

As many of us are aware, there are

many layers to youth sports, clubs, trav-

el teams, summer camps, showcases,

training sessions, and interscholastic

competition. Somehow it all blends to-

gether over time as the pyramid of activ-

ities narrows down and focuses upon the

moment a varsity coach selects his play-

ers for the next game. An important part

of that long journey is the middle

school stop, where our young Center

Moriches Boys Soccer Team (with a lineup of

31 players; all of whom remained with the

team from the first practice to the last contest)

put together a very memorable 8-0 season.

These boys shared playing time and learned

to train for two hours every day. Those players

with experience blended with newcomers to

form bonds, helping to raise the level of each

other’s abilities while developing sportsman-

ship skills and a healthy competitive spirit.

These twelve and thirteen-year-old players re-

ceived a steady diet of basics, conditioning, a

breakdown of daily routine, fundamental skills,

and an understanding of how patience is nec-

essary to work together as a successful team.

Our results included 5-2 and 4-2 wins over

Mattituck Blue, 6-3 and 4-2 wins over

Westhampton, and a very difficult 4-2 win

over East Moriches. Other victories included a

3-1 win at Greenport, 8-0 at home to Southold,

and a season ending 5-2 win vs. Mattituck

Gold.

The following players should be con-

gratulated on a memorable season: An-

thony Sunderman, Carlos Sagustume, AJ

Volkmann, Jake Miller, Dan Hillman, Mi-

chael Luongo, Ryan McDermott, Jake

Dagostino, Samuel Schrage, Byron Mi-

guel Perez, Griffin Corey, Nicholas Man-

nerz, Tyler Knowles, Colin Raup, Joshua

Lehr, Liam Murphy, Nicholas Develvis,

Ethan Develvis, LaMax Bell, DeShaun

Henderson, Dakota Mahoney, Anthony Sama-

niego, Tyler McCormick, Tyler Markle, Den-

nis Holborrow, Ryan Stokes, MJ Mastropierro,

Nate Sobel, Patrick Jones, Aidan McGovern,

and Antonio Lucido. Each of their contribu-

tions exemplify how previous experiences and

skill levels from MYO, Long Island Juniors,

various local soccer camps, and other outlets

can come together to form one cohesive

unit.

Winning was not the main objective.

For students to learn the value and rigor

of everyday training and competition

and how to make each other stronger

players for the Center Moriches Soccer

Program was the goal. Congratulations

boys, for a successful season you will

surely never forget!

By Eric Slifstein, Physical Education Teacher

MS Boys Soccer during warm up

In the fall, middle school Physical Education classes par-ticipated in “FitnessGram” testing. This test evaluates cardio-vascular endurance, flexibility, muscular strength and endur-ance. This test also helps teachers to measure student pro-gress and achievement throughout the year.

At the completion of the test, The Physical Education Department highlighted the top three achievers for each grade level in the pacer test. During the pacer test, students run 15 meters by listening to a series of beeps. As time elaps-es, the beeps get faster and faster, essentially making the test more difficult as it progresses.

The Middle School Physical Education Department would like to congratulate the top achievers for each grade: 6th Grade Boys: Jack Kleinman, Richard DeChiaro, and

Jack O’Brien 6th Grade Girls: Leah Kilkenny, Olivia Dench, and Megan

Sweeney 7th Grade Boys: Michael Luongo, Ryan McDermott, and

Samuel Schrage 7th Grade Girls: Marina Alvarez, Gillian Shrey, and Kayla

Mitchell 8th Grade Boys: Dennis Holborow, MJ Mastropierro, Michael Koscinski, and Aiden McGovern 8th Grade Girls: Cassandra Cosma, Sydney Passaro, and

Haillie DeJohn Congratulations on a job well done!

Running to the Max By Kevin Scott & Kimberly Plush, Middle School Physical Education Teachers

“Fitness Gram” pacer test top achievers in grades 6, 7, and 8

December 2015 The District News 11

Middle School Boys Soccer Complete Undefeated Season

12 The District News December 2015