January 2009 PortAdvances Port Washington Union Free School District

Port Schools Lead the Outreach Efforts Help Families Way in Green Practices The Port Washington School The Port Washington School District is working hard to ini- District has been part of an an- tiate and continue programs that develop a culture of environ- nual Coat Drive since 1990. This mental responsibility in every school building. Students, year, the program was the most teachers, staff and administrators are working with parents and successful ever. “So many the community to make real and lasting changes in their school people help with this project that district – changes that will make the environmental impact of it would be impossible to say every decision of primary importance. what made this such an out- Our school community makes every effort to protect children’s standing year,” says Regina health and safety through environmental stewardship. Dr. Farinaccio, Director of Educa- Geoffrey Gordon, Superintendent of Schools, spearheaded the tional and Community Services. effort to adopt a “no idling” policy for school buses, protecting “We had the support of Parents children and the environment from toxic fumes – the first in New Council and the parent organi- York State. Moving forward, the district is committed to using zations and teachers, adminis- only green cleaning products. In that regard, the Board of Edu- trators and support staff from cation is exploring a “green policy” for the district. In lieu of every school – including St. Peter’s and Chabad – as well as the herbicides, manual weeding is the preferred method to elimi- Town of North Hempstead and the district’s Outreach Commit- nate weeds and poison ivy in the district. There is an integrated tee. More than 3,000 coats were collected, sorted and distributed pest management program using the least toxic approach to com- within a one-week period.” bat undesirable pests. “Many chemicals routinely used expose Information about the Coat Drive was sent home with stu- people in buildings to uneccessary risks,” says Jim Ristano, Di- dents in six languages – English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, rector of Facilities and Operations. “These products can com- Japanese and Korean. Coats and winter clothing were brought promise air quality and present a health hazard to everyone to the lobby of the Manorhaven Pool where volunteers sorted continued on page 3 continued on page 9 Dear Neighbors – There is so much going on in the Port Washington schools that it would require a book to document it all. The Port Advances highlights in each issue just a few of the achievements of our students and staff. Every program we do is geared toward student achievement and helps to turn our young people into adults who will be successful and productive members of society. In Port Washington “green” is not just a color or a buzzword. It is becoming a way of life that has been em- braced by both students and staff. We are proud that in conjunction with the PWEF, Residents for a More Beauti- ful Port Washington, Grassroots, PW Green, and the Town of North Hempstead we have dozens of ongoing environmental education and re- source management programs which include student participation at all levels. Port’s Marilyn Sanchez schools, under the leadership of new Facilities Director Jim Ristano, are continuing and enhancing our commitment to people-friendly and environmentally-friendly prac- Wins $30,000 tices. The Board has also established a committee of community members, staff, stu- dents and BOE members to look at alternative sources of energy, and ways to conserve Scholarship energy usage in our buildings. Marilyn Sanchez, a mem- Four Schreiber musicians were recently selected out of 170 from New York Sate to ber of Schreiber’s class of 2009, be part of the All-Eastern Music Festival. More than 150 students are taking Advanced recently received a 2008 Dis- Placement Art classes. Winter concerts are presented in every school so that family cover Scholarship of $30,000 and friends can enjoy the performing skills of students of all ages. We expect the Arts to be used for her post-high Department to continue to grow in innovative ways under the watchful eye of new school education. Only ten Director Rose Marvel. students nationwide are Programs in the arts as well as athletics provide ways for some of our more non- awarded these scholarships. traditional learners to be connected and empowered in the school community. They The Discover Scholarship are of critical importance to our overall success rates which are the envy of many Program awards up to other districts. For example, our graduation rates are among the highest in the region $300,000 annually to high including our most academically gifted students to students with learning and other school juniors nationwide to disabilities that could impact their academic success. support the costs of post-sec- Of course we are not perfect and the Board, administration and staff are always ondary education. The pro- looking at ways to improve our programs in a cost effective manner. Schreiber High gram recognizes students who School just completed a rigorous self-evaluation and has developed an eight year have shown initiative, creativ- plan for the school under the auspices of Middle States. While not as formalized, ity, determination and per- similar processes take place at other levels and we will continue to strengthen these sonal results, and triumphed in programs. all aspects of their lives – not The Board of Ed doesn’t exclude itself from this process. We have held two Board just academic excellence. Development sessions so that we can be as effective and efficient as possible. We have Marilyn is a high-achieving also sent representatives to the NYS School Boards’ Association convention to see what Schreiber student who is in- other districts are doing that could benefit us. Earlier this year the Board established a volved in school activities and Legislative Task Force to provide us with information so that we can effectively work has earned a 3.3 GPA. In her with our governmental representatives to push for a review of unfunded mandates that application for the Discover cost taxpayer dollars and do little to improve student achievement. Scholarship, Marilyn wrote a We all know that the economic downturn has taken its toll on our community as powerful essay on several fam- well as elsewhere. These are difficult times for all of us, and together we must face ily health crises that she has some tough choices. We will continue to review every program for not only educa- faced and dealt with effec- tional effectiveness but for cost effectiveness as well. To paraphrase President-Elect tively. As a result of her Obama, it is not a question of bigger or smaller. It is a question of smarter. family’s challenges, Marilyn Port embodies America’s resilience: in times of crisis, hope is what resonates in- said that, “I am trying my very stead of fear. The immediate future looks daunting, but the long term outlook for our best in school so I can obtain schools and community continues to be positive and if we all work together we can an excellent education and a achieve great things. better life for myself in the fu- ture.” Marilyn’s English teacher Lynn Kennedy has ad- vised Marilyn on her essay submissions and talks with en- Larry Greenstein, President thusiasm about what Marilyn has accomplished as well as her bright future.

2 Port Schools Lead the Way continued from page 1 nearby.” In Port Washington, we are reducing the use of clean- ing supplies that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and petrochemicals to minimize air pollution and damage to soil and groundwater. As part of this work, the Board of Education has established an Alternative Energy Committee, chaired by board member Rob Seiden. The committee includes community volunteers with ex- pertise in the areas of environmentally sound business practices and help explore how to best manage buildings that are used by hundreds of people every day. “We know that people want to do the right thing,” says Mr. Seiden. “We are working with the Town of North Hempstead to implement school-wide recycling because when students and staff are given information, procedures and The Board of Education’s Alternative Energy Committee, chaired by Rob the recycling bins, we know we will be able to do something good Seiden, meets regularly to explore ways to improve energy use and for the environment.” The Town’s Keeping It Green School Outreach implement environmentally sound practices. Program has helped us increase school participation in recycling of electronic and comingled waste (cans, bottles, paper and card- board) and lamp bulbs which contain mercury. Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman visited the school district to present the recycling con- tainers and has also given the school free pick-up service for re- cycled materials for two years. In this regard, Dr. Gordon says, “Our partnership with Residents for a More Beautiful Port Wash- ington has resulted in both an advanced environmental curricula and a pilot recycling program. Port schools are recognized as county-wide leaders.” Employees are encouraged to implement environmentally sound practices. Computers and lights are turned off every night. Lights in many areas only go on when the room is in use. Ther- mostats are set no higher – and often lower than – 68° in the win- ter and 74° in the summer. Many communications – from memos to homework assignments – are e-mailed and not printed. The school district supports a broad-based, three dimen- sional approach to environmental education. Some of the cur- rent practices are featured in this publication. Ongoing partnerships with local organizations including Port Washing- ton Green, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and the Weber Environmental Club Port Washigton Education Foundation help equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to incorporate caring for Weber is pleased to announce the continuation of Weber the earth into every decision they make. Green, the school’s Environmental Club. Our club goals are to raise awareness in regard to global warming and to offer new tips and strategies to save energy and our planet. Weber is in full support of recycling throughout the school. Weber Green is doing this because our planet is in danger. Stu- dents are learning to reduce, reuse and recycle more often. We- ber Green wants to make small changes in our everyday lives to save energy. Be on the lookout for our next goal: to sell reusable drink- ing containers so we stop using commercial water bottles. By taking better care of the earth we will all benefit.

Please Note In an effort to conserve paper and postage Port Advances is consolidating material into one issue. Updates will be posted on our website: portnet.k12.ny.us until the budget Counselors-In-Training for the AT LAST! Summer program worked with issue is mailed to every household in the spring. Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington to clean up Sunset Park near the Town Dock as a service project.

3 GO, PORT! The fall athletic season was a banner time for Schreiber High School and the community at large. For the fourth year in a row, all Port teams were recognized by New York State and received Team Scholar-Athlete awards. Many of our teams achieved mile- stones, individual athletes garnered recognition, attendance was up at athletic events and sportsmanship was evident as our stu- dent body and community turned out to support our teams. The boys’ cross country team was the Nassau County champion. The girls’ varsity tennis team won the Long Island Champion- ship for the second year in a row. Junior swimmer Gabby Borutecene became Schreiber’s first swimmer to be named All State and represented Port at the Stephanie Joannon, Director of HPEA, and Don Zuvich, soccer team state tournament in the 200-meter individual medley. Coach coach, congratulate Stefan Brossard. Joe Lennon presented the MVP award to Gabby. The boys’ soccer team thrilled the crowds when they ad- a first round playoff victory over MacArthur. Amanda Cohen vanced to the county finals. They played the best competition received the MVP award from coach Maria Giamanco. all season and showed they were worthy of all that praise. Se- The girls’ varsity soccer team was the recipients of the Sports- nior striker Stefan Broussard was named to the All-State team manship award for their conference. Coach Mary Romano rec- as well as Newsday’s All-Long-Island team. Coach Don Zuvich ognized junior Kelly Certuche as MVP. The girls’ cross country recognized Stefan as MVP. Ken Case, varsity football coach for team, coached by Robin Cooper, recognized Meghan Byrnes as the past eight years, presented the Leo Costello Award (MVP) MVP, Sara Giraldo as Most Improved and Tana Giraldo received to junior Jason Sirotkin. the Coaches Award. Coach Joe Lederer presented the Ellen The girls’ volleyball team also played in the highest ability Herman Award (MVP) to Erin Sperling for varsity field hockey, conference in Nassau as they made the post season and scored along with Coach’s Awards to Jamie Mallon and Sahar Moazami.

Delayed Openings and School Closing Information about delayed openings or school closings will be posted on the district website and recorded on the main district telephone num- ber, 767-5000 and also on 767- 5030 (Transportation Office) at approximately 6:00 a.m. The school district also uses the Connect-ED® service to let parents know if there is a Save the Date! delayed opening or school closing. Every household with chil- dren in the Port Washington school district will receive one The Port Washington School District’s telephone call to let them know this information. Messages sent Board of Education in an emergency will go to all numbers listed in the student’s invites you to a records so that parents are contacted for example, on their home Community Town Hall Meeting: telephone, office phone, cell phone and e-mail. An example of an emergency message would be an early school closing due to Education in Difficult Times weather conditions. It is very important that parents keep their Tuesday, January 27, 2009 child(ren)’s school updated if their home telephone number is 7:00 p.m. changed to make sure that they will receive important alerts. Schreiber High School Auditorium If a delayed opening is declared, the fire department sirens will not sound, and parents will obtain information from Con- Please join us to hear a brief presentation nect-ED®. Bus schedules will be adjusted accordingly depending ask questions on the delay. All morning programs and services are canceled share your perspective during delayed openings. Students attending non-public schools and participate in the budget process. will be equally affected by a delayed opening decision.

4 PORT WA SHINGTON GEOFFREY N. GORDON, Ed.D. 516-767-5005 Union Free School District Superintendent

NICHOLAS A. STIRLING, Ph.D. 516-767-5040 Administration Building Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment 100 Campus Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 KATHLEEN A. MOONEY, Ed.D. 516-767-5050 FAX 516-767-5007 Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and General Administration MARY M. CALLAHAN 516-767-5010 Assistant Superintendent for Business, District Clerk

Dear Parents and Staff:

When we began our partnership seven years ago, I spoke of the importance of my own vision regard- ing forthright communications. This letter continues that vision and tradition that we have worked on together since 2002. Specifically, this letter addresses one of the most important issues in our community, country and international society; that is the issue of preserving the environment and what specifically we are doing as a school system both educationally and in terms of actions to ensure that our students are learning what they need to do to meet that objective.

Let me preface this environmental discussion by letting you know how pleased I am with the Class of 2009. They are off to a fantastic start and I expect will be one of the finest classes in the United States. Already college acceptances are pouring in, including acceptances at universities like Princeton, Harvard, Penn, and the finest state universities in the country. As you may be aware, this is the most difficult year in the history of the United States for students applying to college, because this is the apex demographically in both the number of students and applications. Simply put, the most students ever are applying to the most colleges ever, making the competition particularly keen. But our students, even in these difficult circumstances, are already rising to the top. This is a wonderful class that originated programs like “Rock and Wrap-it-Up” to feed the hungry, have record numbers in Advanced Placement Art and Photography, and have already won two county champi- onships in athletics.

Moreover, we must make an important mark in preserving our environment. Three years ago, working with “Grassroots,” an environmental organization based in Port, we became the first school district in New York State to have a Board of Education “no idling” policy. Our school buses, as well as private automobiles, are not permitted to idle their vehicles on school grounds. This, of course, preserves natural resources, and more importantly, protects the environment from damaging toxins. Preservation of air quality in our environ- ment is extremely important as we look at the increasing number of cases of asthma, autism, emphysema and other diseases potentially or actually related to airborne toxins.

Likewise, while we all are concerned with global warming and emissions of airborne toxins, our envi- ronmental program is much more than policy alone. Last year entering into a partnership with Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and the Town of North Hempstead, Port was selected as a pilot program in recycling. Our students have already become leaders throughout the entire county, initiating recycling of glass, plastics and paper. Moreover, also working in partnership with Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, we have educational programs throughout our elementary and middle schools which include “Gifts from the Earth” – 1st Grade, “Recycling Wizard” – 2nd Grade, “Pond Study” – 3rd Grade, “Port Washing- ton Living Environment” – 4th Grade, “Aquifer Program” – 5th Grade, and “Plastic Waste” – Middle School. At Schreiber, we offer curriculum programs like Advanced Placement Environmental Science and voluntary clubs like “Tree Huggers.” The goal in working with our community organizations is both to educate students now and provide life-long understandings and habits that will protect and preserve our environment in the future.

Among other community groups with whom we have worked are the Town of North Hempstead, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, PW Green and “Grassroots.” We are very grateful for the excellent work by so many in helping us become a nationwide leader in environmental education.

Finally, regarding the environment, we are a completely green cleaning district. All of our products are required to be environmentally safe and to have the green seal of approval. Thus, as we spoke of accomplish- ments in academics, the arts, athletics and service to others, our four pillars of education, we must always work together to remind our children, students, schools and community that preserving the environment always is a paramount goal.

My family and I wish you all the best in the new year and thank you for the privilege of being the Superintendent of Schools in Port Washington. I will continue to work harder than ever to be of help wherever I can. In my belief, the community of Port Washington is symbolic of the greatness of our democracy, and our students are as fine as any students anywhere.

I have never been more optimistic about the future, and while we are in difficult economic times, our determination and constructive view of education and careful accountability to Port taxpayers will help ensure that America’s best days are still in front of us.

Best regards,

Geoffrey N. Gordon, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

GNG/da Weber Students Explore Local Ecosystems Weber’s sixth grade Green House students were given an opportunity to learn firsthand about the many ecosystems and biomes right here on the Cow Neck Peninsula. After loading their bus with buckets, nets, and rubber boots, the students – along with their teachers Jack Grande and Ruth Robles – took off for Half Moon Bay Beach near the tip of Sands Point. While enjoying the view of Manhattan and a crisp, cool day, the stu- dents divided into several groups and rotated through four activities which enabled them to explore and learn about some of the many ecosystems present right here in our own neigh- borhood. Music teacher Lisa Dunaj has taught strings in Port Schools for more than 30 years. She is pictured here at the last concert before she retires. Every Child a Star in Elementary Music Program Music is thriving in and out of the school district. At the el- ementary level, every student receives a classroom music program that offers an oppor- tunity to sing, play and move while learning skills and con- cepts in the various elements of music—rhythm, melody, har- mony, form and timbre. Learn- ing these skills and concepts prepares the children to par- ticipate in performance en- sembles including our chorus, The first group, wearing rubber boots and carrying small nets, orchestra and band. Every stu- Director of Creative Arts Rose began a study of the tidal pool by searching for the different forms dent in the fourth and fifth Marvel oversees concerts in every school. of life it contained. Among the seaweed they found loads of small grade participates in the cho- shrimp, several crabs, lots of snails and even a jelled fish egg sack. ral program. Three hundred and thirty students participate in They carefully placed their finds and some water in buckets. the string program and three hundred fifty students partici- Meanwhile, another group ventured out to a sandbar with nets pate in the band program. This means that half of all elemen- and waist high boots and went seining, under the watchful eye tary school students participate in our performance groups. In and instruction of teacher Jack Grande, a long time fishing enthu- order to achieve these numbers, it takes very caring, dedicated siast. With a long fishing net held on each end by a student, the teachers who have a passion students went about 20 feet out into the water and dragged the for music and for teaching, and net back along the bottom. Several catches were quite successful, the knowledge and expertise turning up flounder and silver fish, along with crabs of all sizes. to share with their students on These were added to the buckets. a daily basis. Music teachers in The other two groups examined the marsh areas, went beach Port Washington work hard to combing and shell collecting, charted the temperature of the provide a comprehensive se- air, sand and water in each of the different areas of the beach, quential music program. and even quietly contemplated their surroundings to be in- Many of our young stu- spired for the poetry and creative writing they would do later dents also participate in the based on their experiences at the beach. They also examined music organization festivals the erosion that has taken place on the beach and considered such as Long Island String Fes- how and why it happened. All students had an opportunity to tival, All County, and rotate through each activity. NYSSMA. Thirty three stu- After a picnic lunch on the beach, the students gathered their dents were recently selected to gear and buckets filled with their catches of the day and headed participate in our All County back to their Weber classrooms, where a fish tank prepared Division I festival which will with the appropriate water was filled with a diversity of speci- Bonni Cohen, new principal of take place in January and five mens that the students had collected. The students will have Manorhaven School, welcomes students will perform in the the opportunity to observe, monitor and study the specimens children and families to the LISFA in late February. for the rest of the school year. winter concert.

7 The Home-School-Community Connection: Family Reading Program Spanish-speaking ESL children from the district’s five elementary schools are continuing to read together at a special bilingual literacy program. Held after school at the Port Washington Public Library, the Fall Reading Program is an extension of the Parent-Child Summer Reading Program that was created by ESL teacher Jo Ann Miles in 1997. The program is made possible through the efforts of several individuals including Port Washington Public Library librarian Rachel Fox and Rosann McManus, who is the secretary to the library’s director. Funding for this year’s fall program was obtained through the efforts of the district’s new ESL Director, Mrs. Shirley Cepero. Each week the participants meet with ESL teachers, Jo Ann Miles and Erica Goldsmith and former ESL teacher Lydia Rab to read and discuss popular children’s books. Each reading meeting begins with a story that is simultaneously told in English and Spanish. An ESL teacher reads the weekly story in English while standing side-by-side with a parent who volunteers to read the same story in Spanish. This activity is followed by a grade level appropriate bilingual short story. Improving The children really look forward to this recreational reading activity because they have a chance to practice reading in both Spanish and English. Following this activity, time is devoted to instructional Instruction reading by using a more difficult book that is read in English by the children while under the tutelage The Port Washington School of the ESL instructors. After District is committed to support- reading the book in English, the ing our teachers with profes- parents take turns reading the sional staff development. Spanish version. This is truly a Teaching students of all levels of magical time when the children ability is a complicated job. delight in hearing the musical Teachers need to learn new tech- quality of their native language niques, try them out and then and experience a deep sense of assess their effectiveness so that pride listening to their parents they can reach all students and read aloud. Reading is followed make learning meaningful. by a writing activity in English As part of this effort, with time allotted to illustrate Dr. Nicholas Stirling, Assistant their favorite part of each story. Superintendent for Curriculum, All the participants benefit Instruction and Assessment, by sharing and encouraging lit- works closely with the staff de- eracy and developing a sense of velopment subcommittee, co- Displaying some of the favorite books used by the Parent-Child Reading pride in our varied multi-cul- chaired by Manorhaven math Program are: Rosann McManus and Children’s Librarian Rachel Fox, tural histories. resource teacher Chris Natale. along with ESL teacher JoAnn Miles and ESL Director Shirley Cepero. Teachers have time for staff de- velopment on Wednesdays after school and for extended time on designated days throughout the School Building Tours Reveal Needed Repairs school year. Jim Ristano, the new Director Recently, elementary ESL of School Facilities and Opera- and Pre-Kindergarten teachers tions for the Port Washington attended a workshop to learn School District, recently led tours how to bring their lessons alive of all school buildings in the dis- through storytelling. Heather trict. Mr. Ristano pointed out Forest, a renowned singer and needed repairs and identified storyteller used her unique style maintenance issues for the Board of storytelling, which blends of Education’s Fiscal and Facili- original music, folk guitar, po- ties Committee and a number of etry, prose and the sung and spo- interested residents. ken word, to demonstrate ways BOE member Rob Seiden en- to improve the instruction of couraged the community to be- children who are English lan- come aware of the state of the guage learners. “Heather Forest school buildings, saying, “Ulti- is magical!” says Pre-K teacher mately, it is the residents who Toni Bracchi. “We created inter- pay for the school buildings, so active stories with her and it is important that they have the learned how to sing and tell sto- opportunity to view the facilities ries that are well-suited to the and see firsthand needed im- interests and imaginations of provements and repairs.” young children.”

8 Girls’ Varsity Tennis Schreiber girls’ varsity ten- nis team is the first high school ever to win the Long Island Championship two years in a row, making them the most dominant team on all of Long Island. The team defeated previously unbeaten West- hampton (17-0) for the title. The team was also recognized as a New York State Scholar-Athlete Team. Coach Stan Makover Congratulations to Harvard-bound summed up a great season Kristin Norton for finishing her when he said, “No team ever illustrious high school tennis career got more than two matches out with an undefeated season. of seven against us!” All seven of the graduating seniors will be missed but the twelve return- ing players will ensure another strong season next fall.

Music Festival Selects Four Schreiber Students Four Schreiber high School musicians, (pictured left to right): Jess Block (double bass), Jeremy Geller (bass), Elyse Lauzon (horn), and Dahlia Hassan (cello) were selected for participa- tion in the All-Eastern Music Festival. They are pictured with Performing Arts teachers (back row, left to right): Anthony Pinelli (Orchestra Director for Jess Block and Dahlia Hassan), Mark Brenner (Band Director for Elyse Lauzon) and Phil Glover (Choir Director for Jeremy Geller). All four students were mem- bers of this year’s New York State School Music Association All-State Performing groups.

Outreach Efforts Weber Students and Staff continued from page 1 Help Local Food Pantry them by type and helped cus- tomers find what they After enthusiastically collecting food donations from fel- needed. low students and staff members, students in the Weber Hu- The Coat Drive is coordi- man Relations Club along with their club advisors Meghan nated by the school district’s Duffy and Julie Lax had the opportunity to personally deliver Outreach Committee, which is and stock the shelves of a local food pantry. With the assis- chaired by Parent Council Co- tance of Clare Masi, a Weber staff member and dedicated vol- Presidents Karen Seltzer and unteer worker at the Our Lady of Fatima food pantry, students Joann Sica, Director of Guid- got into the spirit of volunteerism and happily sorted and ance Hank Hardy and Regina stocked the shelves with food that will be shared by the 80 Farinaccio. The committee in- Port Washington families who rely on the help of the pantry cludes volunteers and staff each month. Sister Kathy Somerville, the director of the OLF from every school. In addition food pantry, told the students, “I am so proud of you for your to the Coat Drive, the group co- hard work. It is great to see you working together for the good ordinates the Holiday Drive of the community.” Human Relations club members (as well and Spring Clothing Drive to as their parents and teachers) truly got a lot out of this experi- benefit needy families in the ence and look forward to further volunteer efforts. community.

9 New Student Registration Three Students Recognized as in the Port Washington National Hispanic Scholars Andrea Ortega, Franco Signorini, and Andrew Weil –mem- School District bers of the senior class at Schreiber High School – have been recognized with National Hispanic Scholar awards by the Col- If your family includes a child who will be entering Kinder- lege Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program. Andrea garten in Port Washington in September, 2009, this informa- is a Social Science Research student, speaks Spanish and tion is important to you. Children must be five years old on or French as well as English and has been a student here since before December 1, 2009 to begin Kindergarten in the fall. Stu- Pre-Kindergarten. Andrew is part of the Math Research pro- dents planning to transfer into the Port Washington School gram and is President of Mu Alpha Theta, the mathematics District can also register beginning January 12. Early registra- honor society. He has played football all four years of high tion helps in planning for necessary staff and also ensures that school – three on the Varsity team – and has attended school any necessary placement tests are completed. here since Kindergarten. Franco is fluent in four languages, is If your child has already verified his or her residency as a a Co-Captain of the Varsity Football team and has been a stu- student of the Port Washington School District’s UPK program dent in Port Washington since he moved here in third grade. or to receive transportation or He recently received Nassau County All-Conference football PPS services, please call the team honors and was selected to the Academic All-Confer- Pre-K office to let us know ence Team where your child will attend The College Board’s Hispanic Recognition Program pro- school in the fall and to be ad- vides national recognition of the exceptional academic vised how to proceed. That achievements of Hispanic high number is 767-4950. school seniors and identifies If your child will attend a them to postsecondary institu- non-public school, please fill tions. Students enter the pro- out the verified residency forms gram by taking the that are on the school district Preliminary SAT/National website and call for an appoint- Merit Scholarship Qualifying ment after January 12, 2009. Test as high school juniors and This is required for students to by identifying themselves as receive transportation, books Hispanic. To be a National and any other services that they Hispanic Scholar, students are entitled to. must also have a GPA of 3.5 If you need help with any or higher. aspect of the registration process, please call Jennie Ramos, our Community Liaison, at 767-5476. Registration for Kindergarten, middle and high school stu- dents only will take place beginning January 12 and continue through Friday, February 13, 2009. You must make an appoint- ment to register your child by calling 767-5470. The registration packet for new students and incoming Kindergarteners can be downloaded from the school district website, www.portnet.k12.ny.us or picked up in the Admin- istrative Annex at 90 Avenue C. Please understand that in accordance with Board of Education policy, no child will be admitted to school without all the necessary forms com- pleted. All documents are required at time of registration. Please note: several documents in the packet must be nota- rized before your appointment. A birth certificate for proof of age and proof of residency are required at the time of reg- istration. Additional information about these documents is included in your packet. Please note that the parent or guard- ian registering the new student must present a picture I.D., such as a driver’s license. The school district has centralized registration for all schools Nassau Zone Champions in the Department of Community Services in the Administra- tive Annex. The Annex is located at 90 Avenue C. It has a sepa- The New York State Association of Health, Physical Educa- rate entrance located on the south side of the Daly Elementary tion, Recreation and Dance Teachers (Nassau Zone) recently School. presented the Outstanding Physical Education Student Award The Port Washington School District looks forward to meet- to Schreiber seniors Amanda Cohen and Juan Muñoz. Amanda, ing our new students and beginning what we are confident will who will attend Hamilton College next year, and Juan, who be a successful partnership. If you have any questions, please will attend York University in Ontario, are pictured here with contact us. their Phys Ed teacher Joe DelGais.

10 New Computer Students STAND as ONE to Equipment Fight Poverty and Injustice Supports Student STAND as ONE is a student organization at Schreiber Achievement High School which fights poverty and injustice at home and abroad. This group was founded by five current Schreiber The Schreiber High School seniors: Gabby Brilliant, Melis Emre, Haley Fuchs, Tatiana Apple Computer “Mac Lab” has Mourarbes, and Vickie Roedel. Schreiber English teacher been well used since its incep- Anne Pellett is advisor for STAND as ONE. tion. At the end of the last school year, some of the computers in the room were more than ten years old and unable to support the advanced level of instruc- tion offered by the Art and Tech- nology Departments and the publication of the award-win- ning Schreiber Times. Technology Director David Baylen and art teacher Peter Koch assist The lab was updated this students. summer with the purchase and installation of 18 state-of-the-art iMac all-in-one computers and a powerful Macintosh Pro Digital Video Editing computer. These multimedia computers can all run the latest versions of both video and photo editing software and provide a uniform technology platform to support the many dif- ferent classes – Computer Graphics, Digital Video Production, Digi- Tatiana Mouarbes, Ali Lifton, Faculty Advisor Anne Pellett, Solomon tal Photography and Website Design – taught in the lab. The lab is Hoffman encourage students to support their efforts at Schreiber. also outfitted with a projection system for group instruction and video presentations. There is also a large-format laser printer to STAND as ONE works to increase awareness within the prepare final proofs for the school newspaper. school community about the current genocide in the Darfur “We are very excited to bring the latest technology to Schreiber region of Sudan and to raise money to alleviate the suffer- to allow students to learn and use digital video editing and ad- ing of the men, women and children who are the victims of vanced desktop publishing skills,” says David Baylen, Technology these crimes against humanity. Director. “The lab update will be a great resource for student work STAND as ONE recently sponsored an event known as in the art, technology and English programs in the school.” DarfurFast to raise funds for the refugees from the geno- cide in Darfur. Students and members of the administra- tion, faculty, and staff of Schreiber High School pledged to give up a luxury food item for one day, such as lunch from Marco Bertolotti the Bayview Deli, a breakfast sandwich from Dunkin’ Do- nuts, or a muffin and latte from Starbucks, and instead, do- Covers Rough nate the money they would have spent on these or other Terrain: Leads snacks to the Genocide Intervention Network’s Civilian Pro- tection Programs. When individuals made their donations, Cross-Country they received a special green ribbon to wear that day to show their support for this worthy cause. More than 250 people Team to Victory participated by making donations and learned about the situ- Schreiber Senior Marco ation in Darfur. Bertolotti was the Nassau $1,010 was raised through DarfurFast to purchase por- County champion in cross table cooking stoves for Darfurian women refugees to make country on Coach Jeremy meals for their families. Without these stoves, these Klaff’s undefeated boys’ team. women will be forced to seek ever scarcer firewood fur- The team represented Nassau ther and further away from the protection of the refugee County in the state tournament camps, making them vulnerable to rape and other harm where Marco placed ninth perpetrated by roving bands of janjaweed militia. If these amongst all public school run- women are provided with portable cooking stoves, they ners and went on to compete in the Federation Championships will not have to place themselves in such potentially mor- placing 36th in the state from both private and public schools. tal danger. Marco received Coach Klaff’s Most Valuable Player award. He This year, STAND as ONE has also made over 400 sand- was also recognized as the overall champion in Nassau County wiches for the Mary Brennan INN, and, for the recent holi- and was named to the All-State and Newsday’s All-Long-Island day season, joined with The Schreiber Times to sponsor a teams. The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams were recognized family. The organization looks forward to educating more as New York State Scholar-Athlete Teams. students about social justice issues.

11 Our Community: Elementary School Snapshots

Guggenheim Hosts Seminar on Environmental Health From water bottles and Raptors Teach Manorhaven Students plastic toys to cleaning and personal care items, we are about Their Environment bombarded with conflicting Manorhaven Elementary fourth-grade students put aside information about the chemi- their workbooks to learn about Port Washington’s environment cals in manufactured prod- and its great raptors from Jim Jones, a retired Schreiber High ucts used each day in our School teacher working with Volunteers for Wildlife. households and classrooms. With an informative slide show, Mr. Jones explained how The growing rates of asthma, our shoreline and marsh habitats provide a perfect home for diabetes, cancer, develop- many birds, including raptors such as our county bird, the mental disorders and other osprey. He also discussed the significance these raptors play health problems in our chil- in our ecosystem and the challenges they face from pollu- dren make it clear that something is not right. tion, litter and development that encroaches on their natu- Guggenheim Elementary School recently invited parents ral habitat. Students quickly recognized photos of to “A Growing Crisis: How to Keep Our Children Healthy in Hempstead Harbor where ospreys have made nests on spe- a Toxic World” presented by local expert Patricia Wood, cially-constructed platforms that are placed among the tall founder and Executive Director of Grassroots Environmental trees along the shore line. Education, a nonprofit group in Port Washington. This timely The stars of the show were two live raptors, a red-tailed discussion featured an informative question and answer ses- hawk and a great horned owl. In a way that no textbook sion covering many environmental issues that impact our could convey, Mr. Jones was able to explain the special ad- homes and schools today, including recent data about plas- aptations that make these birds highly effective hunters. tics, pesticides, electromagnetic pollution and nutrition. The While examining the physical characteristics of these birds, program was sponsored by the Guggenheim HSA whose Par- the students could readily understand the sharp eyesight ent Education Committee has organized a series of relevant of the red-tailed hawk and the exceptional hearing of the workshops for students’ families. great horned owl. A visiting scholar at Adelphi University School of Nursing, Mr. Jones also led the students in constructing an owl’s nest Mrs. Wood is a lecturer on environmental exposures and related from sticks that they had collected. As the students weaved health issues. She is also a pesticide education consultant for the their sticks into an enormous nest, they gained a better appre- National Audubon Society and was recently appointed to the ciation of the strength and skill these birds possess. The nest Governor’s Sustainability and Green Procurement Advisory will be placed at the Guggenheim Preserve in hopes that it will Council. Mrs. Wood works with the New York State Department attract a nesting owl. of Health’s Environmental Division and is the author of the Child All fourth-grade students will investigate our local environ- Safe School, a national award-winning program to promote ment with trips to the Sands Point and Guggenheim Preserves healthier school environments and Helping To Heal, a publica- and a presentation on Port Washington’s sand mining history. tion to be released in January 2009. These enriching activities are made possible by a grant from “It was a privilege to have Mrs. Wood speak to our families Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and volunteers about environmental concerns that affect all of us,” says Bar- from PW Green, Volunteers for Wildlife and the Sand Miner bara Giebel, Guggenheim Elementary School principal. “This Monument Foundation. The Outdoor Education program was important forum provided vital tips, information, and changes made possible by a grant written by former Manorhaven PEP that we can make both at home and in school to safeguard our teacher Marilyn Gilbert in collaboration with Sousa fourth- children’s health and future.” grade teacher Diana Conway.

12 Salem Students Daly Elementary Vote for President Goes Green! Who says you have to be 18 With funding from the Port to vote? As part of the social Washington Education Founda- studies program, Salem School’s tion (PWEF) and the Daly Home students are learning all about School Association (HSA), sup- the American voting process. To port and advice from Patti Wood begin their studies, third and of the Grassroots Environmental fifth graders from Mrs. Martin’s Education, and the creative and Mrs. Katz’s class visited all thinking of the Daly Compact the classrooms to inform stu- Committee, Daly Elementary dents about the importance of voting and the need to register. School recently sowed an or- Students registered to vote in the Salem Mock Presidential Elec- ganic vegetable garden on school tion by filling out forms during their lunch periods. The goal of grounds. The Garden consists of this learning unit is to educate the children about the impor- eight raised vegetable beds: one for each grade, K-6, and extra beds tance of exercising their right to vote and carrying out the pro- for ESL and Special Interest Use. Each grade has already planted cess of voting. The requirement of voter registration was their fall crops including turnips (Kindergarten), radishes (1st emphasized so that children understand that things need to be Grade), kale (2nd Grade), broccoli rabe (3rd Grade), spinach (4th put in place prior to election day. Grade), and arugula (5th Grade). As part of this organic educa- On the day of the Mock Presidential election, students went tion, students in every class have learned about composting, pre- to one of two voting sites within the school and cast their bal- paring the soil for planting, sowing seeds, watering, and organic lots on a school computer for either presidential candidate, weeding and pest control. Daly students are learning firsthand choosing either Senator John McCain or Senator Barack Obama. what organic farming means and how it bestows nutritional and When the votes were tallied, Senator Obama won with 288 votes, earth-friendly benefits. while Senator McCain lost with 103. As a follow-up, students Each grade is participating in harvesting their vegetables and discussed the national results and analyzed the electoral pro- deciding what to do with them. Some may donate them to food cess in ways appropriate to their grade level, such as graphing pantries, others may cook them for the children to taste, and oth- the percentages carried by each candidate. ers may send them home with families, or sell them at the local farmers’ market. Daly’s organic garden will not be limited to this fall, but will continue throughout the year with four growing sea- sons including summer farming with volunteer families. Daly is also hoping to start composting near the garden so that appropri- ate school waste can be reused. As this is a children’s garden, students will make decisions about it — what to plant, what to do with the harvest and how to deal with pests. Elements of the garden will be integrated with the curricu- lum so that students will research many related topics – the best plants to grow in each season in our climate zone, how far apart to plant seeds, optimal soil conditions for their vegetables, the length of the growing cycle, how to eat/cook the vegetables, recipes, the nutritional benefits of vegetables, why worms are important for the garden and so on. With this real-world, hands-on project, the stu- dents will learn about the entire process that helps bring food to our tables and nutrition to our bodies. Most importantly, Daly children will learn firsthand the importance of pesticide-free organic farming for maintaining the health and well-being of our water and earth, as Sousa HSA Installs Outdoor well as our bodies. Classroom The Sousa Home School Association recently completed the firewood or waste. first phase of the school’s new outdoor classroom: an eco- An outdoor classroom offers various learning opportunities friendly outdoor space where learning can be enhanced by where children can notice the weather, insects, plants, and ev- natural surroundings and good old-fashioned fresh air. erything going on around them. Teachers will be able to ex- The Outdoor Classroom Committee, consisting of both pand on age appropriate curricular themes and projects by parents and teachers, has been working for over a year with incorporating the outdoor classroom into their lessons. Maggie Wood, a well-known “green” architect and a Sousa The Outdoor Classroom Committee is led by co-chairs Juliane graduate. When both phases are completed, the outdoor Littman, Nora Johnson, and Lee Anne Vetrone-Timothy. To help classroom will consist of two seating areas: one that can fund this project, they have written a grant and contacted local accommodate a class and another that can accommodate a contractors and suppliers for donations to help make phase one grade level which will include a children’s literature gar- a reality. Special thanks go to Danny DP Corporation Tree Ser- den. All of the seats were created from trees that are indig- vice and Bonavitacola Landscaping for their time and generos- enous to this area which otherwise would have become ity.

13 Schreiber Debate Team: Can’t Argue with Success The Schreiber Debate Team recently sent 10 members to Twelfth Annual Princeton Classic National High School Invitational Debate Tourna- ment. Students participated in AP Art Open Division Public Forum Debate, debating Resolved: the Choices United States should implement a universal health care system modeled after the French sys- tem. Out of the 96 teams participating, two of the top four places were won by the Schreiber Serve debaters (pictured left to right): Sean Farinaccio, Stephen Nash and Matthew Varvaro. “All of the members of the Schreiber Debate team did an outstanding job at this tournament,” says Students faculty advisor Renee McClean. “They came on strong, and combined hard statistics and data with a little humor and concrete examples. They are an amazing group!” Advanced Placement Stu- dio Art at Schreiber High School has set a new record with its current enrollment of 160 students. 100 students lieve that a rigorous, college Alexandra are enrolled in AP Drawing level art experience is an in- and 60 are enrolled in AP valuable experience for all Hohauser Wins Photo. The Art Department, students. They have de- NCTE Award under the direction of Chair- signed a series of courses in person Mark Graham, has the eighth, ninth and tenth Alexandra Hohauser, a adopted the philosophy of grade to prepare students for Schreiber High School senior, making these courses avail- the AP course, which most has been cited as a winner in able for a wide range of stu- students take during the the 2008 National Council of dents, not just those who plan eleventh and twelfth grade. Teachers of English Achieve- to go to art school. At the “Creating art can be a trans- ment Awards in Writing. To same time, the art classes are formational experience,” say be merely nominated for this of superb quality and will Superintendent Geoffrey competition, one must be in prepare the most motivated Gordon. “Art classes are a the top 1% of the nation’s high and talented art students for powerful force to involve school juniors in student writ- the best art programs in the and motivate students in all ing. Winning places the stu- country. The art teachers be- areas of study.” dent nationally in the top .003%. The winners are among the best student writers in the country. Alexandra was one of only 37 winners from all of New York State. Alexandra was cited for “superior stu- dent writing” by being named recipient of the 2008 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing. In addition, NCTE awarded the Schreiber English department a certificate of commen- dation, “because the superior achievement of each winner is a reflection of the teachers and the English program at your school.”

The Elementary After-School Options Committee seeks parent volunteers to help with gathering data from families. If you would like to participate, please call Regina Farinaccio at 767-5470, or contact Karen Sloan, BOE committee chairper- son, at [email protected]

14 Do You Know These Steve Shackel If you were a student in Mr. Port Residents? Steve Shackel’s seventh-grade English class at Weber, you might sit down in the corner of his classroom on the living room couch to discuss your Millie Augustino latest paper. Mr. Shackel gets to know every one of his stu- Millie Augustino has dents and helps each of them worked in the Port Washing- achieve success. ton School District since 1960. Mr. Shackel has lived in She has been working in the Port Washington since 1958. Guggenheim cafeteria since His parents – dad is a retired the school opened. teacher from Manhattan Tech Mrs. Augustino was born and mom a retired secretary from the Adult Ed program – still in Port Washington in 1919. live in the house where he grew up. Mr. Shackel was about to She will celebrate her 90th leave town to accept a job in Maryland in 1973 when he got a call birthday this month. As a offering him a teaching job here. The rest is history! child, she lived near Bar Along with teaching middle school, Mr. Shackel taught ESL Beach and attended the in the adult evening program and has run a basketball program Hempstead Harbor School in in Adult Ed since 1973. He coached the Boys’ Varsity Basketball that neighborhood and then team for nine years and has also coached the JV team and Girls’ went to the Flower Hill Softball. Married to Mary in 1972, the couple are the proud par- School and Main Street ents of Christina and Beth, both phenomenal athletes and star School until she graduated basketball players. Christina, a Math teacher in Roslyn, married from Port Washington High Glen Wood (a former student of Mr. Shackel). They are the par- School (now Weber Middle ents of Kara and Kaci. Beth is a PE teacher and coach in School) in 1936. Massapequa. She is married to Dale Scott, a Schreiber alumnus. “My mother taught me to They have a daughter named Teegan and are expecting a baby cook when I was seven years old,” says Mrs. Augustino. “I still in the spring. Mr. Shackel’s daughters and their families also love to make spaghetti and meatballs like I did back then.” Mrs. live in the community. Augustino was married here in St. Peter’s Church in 1942 and How does Mr. Shackel maintain his energy and enthusiasm? has lived in the same house since then. She is the mother of “I love to come to school every morning,” he says. “Seventh grade Anthony and Maria (who works at Schreiber), the grandmother is wonderful! I get to see the kids succeed and often see them in of Michelle, Nicole, James and Eric and the great-grandmother town years later.” Mr. Shackel is in school every day before 8 of Milan and Preston. a.m., greeting his students with a handshake and looking them “I used to pick apples from the orchards all over the area in the eyes. When he asks them, “How are you today?” the only near Guggenheim School,” Mrs. Augustine reminisces. answer he will accept is “Wonderful!” because he believes in a “There are so many changes since I lived here as a child. positive attitude. “If you’re not feeling 100% wonderful,” he There are more people and many more cars, but it is still a advises, “Fake it! Before you know it, you just might feel better great town.” and better.”

Edvin Quijano Edvin Quijano was born in El Salvador and moved to Great Neck when he was 12 years old. The move was a difficult transition for Mr. Quijano. “Even though I played soccer in school, it was hard to fit in,” he explains. “I was glad to graduate and move on into the real world.” Mr. Quijano moved to Port Washington when he married his wife, Carroll, a graduate of Schreiber and his high school sweetheart. They are the proud parents of Edvin, Jr., a third grader at Guggenheim School and are looking forward to a new baby this summer. Mr. Quijano’s parents encouraged their children to work hard and be successful. He has taken their wishes to heart and has been working for the school district since 2002, beginning as a substitute and now as a full-time custodian on the evening shift at Daly School. This job allows him to be involved in his son’s education – he brings him to school every day – and share childcare with his wife, a registered nurse who works the day shift. “Port Washington is a beautiful place to live,” says Mr. Quijano. “I have a great job. My son is getting an excellent education. There is always something to do – we go to the pool, the park and the library all the time.” Mr. Quijano enjoys working on cars – he recently refurbished a 2002 Nissan Altima – and reading and relaxing with his family.

15 Record Number of National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Students Schreiber High School is proud to announce a record num- ber of members of the senior class have been designated as National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Students. Christine M. Bowles, Melis Emre, Amalia M. Hawkins and Alexandra M. Hohauser were included among the approxi- mately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 54th annual National Merit Scholarship Program and were recently announced by offi- cials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These academically talented high school seniors have an op- portunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $35 million, that will be offered next spring. Schreiber’s Class of 2009 has produced the greatest number of National Merit Scholarship Commended Students in the his- Jay Lewis, Schreiber Principal, congratulates National Merit Semifinalists Amalia Hawkins, Melis Emre, Alexandra Hohauser, and Christine Bowles tory of the school – 25. Commended Students place among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 competition by taking O’Lansen, Andrea Ortega, Valentina Semenova, Corinne Tingir, the 2007 Preliminary SAT/Na- Matthew Varvaro, Adam Vojdany, Andrew Weil, Elizabeth Watch Your Mailbox tional Merit Scholarship Quali- Zampino and Julia Zolotarev. for the spring Adult fying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Dr. Geoffrey N. Gordon, Superintendent of Schools com- They are: Joseph Barrett, David mented, “The 29 National Merit Semifinalists and Com- Education catalog. Becker, Dimitri Belkin, Chantal mended Students in the class of 2009 represent another all- Register for new course Berendsen, Henry Bett, Daniel time record in the storied history of Schreiber High School. offerings and old Ehrlich, Yuta Endo, Abigail Their achievement is a great source of pride for the entire favorites. Information Kagan, Joeli Katz, Stacy Kim, community as well as the school system and the families in- Justine Lamanna, Sooin Lee, also available on volved. It is special that year after year the students are con- Jennifer Lieberman, Jonathan tinuing such a positive upward momentum in their excellent school district website. Marks, Esther Michaels, number of achievements. Congratulations to each and every Stephen Nash, Chelsea one of the students.”

PORT WASHINGTON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAR-RTE SORT BOARD OF EDUCATION Non-Profit Organization 2008-2009 U.S. Postage Lawrence Greenstein, President Karen Sloan, Vice President Sandra Ehrlich, Dr. Roy Nelson, Jean-Marie Posner, PAID Robert Seiden, Susan Page Sturman Permit No. 162 Geoffrey N. Gordon, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools Nicholas A. Stirling, Ph.D., Asst. Supt. for Curriculum, Port Washington, NY Instruction and Assessment Kathleen A. Mooney, Ed.D., Asst. Supt. for Human Resources and General Administration Mary M. Callahan, Asst. Supt. for Business Administrative Offices 100 Campus Drive, Port Washington, N.Y. 11050 portnet.k12.ny.us

For information about Port Washington Schools call 767-5000 This publication is available on the district’s official web site at www.portnet.k12.ny.us Produced by the Department of Educational and Community Services Regina Farinaccio, Manager Design and Layout Marianne Hart Printed by The District Printshop POSTAL CUSTOMER Port Washington NY 11050