Locust Valley High School students Humnaa Abid, Katelyn DiLorenzo and Mateo Santoro and Locust Valley Middle School students Christian DiPaolo and Gabriela Terrones-Abanto were named winners in the visual arts category of the 2023 National Reflections program at the SEPTA level in January.
Judges, art teachers and staff from Nassau County BOCES selected their works for their originality and creativity. The students created their art pieces based on the theme “I am hopeful because…” and expressed themselves in their unique ways. The students have had their pieces entered into the next phase of the program, which is the Nassau County region level.
Robotics teams from Locust Valley Middle School and Locust Valley Intermediate School took home awards from the First Lego League qualifying event at Mineola in January.
Competing with more than 20 teams from across Long Island, the middle school team, “Falconbots,” finished first finalist in the robot design category and the intermediate school team, the “Techno Talons,” won the Rising All-Stars Award. Each team had time in the practice area to work out the kinks with their robot to make sure it ran through the obstacle course as efficiently as possible.
The students spent months coding and running their robots through obstacle courses to prepare for events like these. Both teams continued to grow in their cooperation and problem-solving skills and are excited to continue their robotics pursuits in the future.
Elementary schools in the Locust Valley Central School District took part in The Great Kindness Challenge from Jan. 22-26 by learning about love and respect inside and outside of the classroom.
The Great Kindness Challenge provides participating schools with a list of small acts of kindness for students to do with their friends and family, including sharing snacks with a friend, volunteering in their communities and complimenting classmates.
On Jan. 22 and 23, each school welcomed award-winning singer/songwriter Jared Campbell to spread his message of treating people with love and respect. Throughout the week, each school also had themed days that gave students a chance to dress up in superhero, sports, crazy socks and tie-dye to give them a chance to express themselves.
Locust Valley Middle School’s talented student actors will take the stage on Jan. 26 and 27 to perform the show “Annie Jr.” Come to the Locust Valley High School/Middle School auditorium to watch this great show, which will begin at 6 p.m. If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch online at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/79697 l to support the incredible cast of “Annie Jr.”
After weeks of hard work, the middle school cast is ready to take to the stage and show their rendition of this American classic. They will be joined by therapy dog Maggie taking on the role of Annie’s sidekick Sandy. No tickets are required for in-person attendees and online viewers only need to redeem their free tickets.
Learn more about what the budget pays for and relive some of the amazing feats our students have achieved in this winter’s edition of Soundwaves. Students enjoyed incredible events and classes surrounding such things as cultural celebrations, holiday activities and concerts. Go to Newsletters | Locust Valley Central School District (locustvalleyschools.org) to read this edition online.
The Locust Valley High School Animal and Environmental Awareness Club welcomed wildlife expert Ranger Eric Powers and several animals from the Center for Environmental Education and Development on Jan. 18.
To encourage students to conquer any fears about certain animals and possibly work with them someday, Powers brought a corn snake, chinchilla, dove and a black and white tegu lizard. Students got to pet or hold onto the animals and some where even lucky enough to have the dove land on their heads.
“When I bring out something like a tarantula, I get about half the class that runs away and half the class that runs towards me,” Powers said. “So, the reactions are all over the place, but in general people love animals.”
Club advisers Veronica Ciampi and Donna Fredericks have taken several wildlife courses at Molloy University over the years to learn about more ways they can enrich the club in Locust Valley. It was there that Ciampi and Fredericks met Powers, who was their professor and brought the class to several locations on Long Island to learn more about the various ecosystems and animals.
The club teaches students about the beautiful environment and animals of Long Island and supports conservation organizations with fundraisers and volunteer work. The club donated $450 to the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery this year.
The expansive Continuing Education program provided in Locust Valley is set to begin shortly. This year’s offerings include a wide range of activities such as learning how to play fun games like Mah-jongg and canasta, exploring important Social Security benefits, understanding more about will and estate planning, or getting active with volleyball and yoga.
In-person enrollment will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 6-8 p.m. at the high school. Please note, some classes have limited enrollment. Once class capacity has been reached, a wait list will be created, and individuals will be notified if space becomes available.
Please register before the Wednesday, March 6, deadline by sending in the form attached to the catalogue that was mailed out to residents and is available at the Continuing Education sections of the district website. A valid email is needed to confirm your registration and to notify you of any important class information.
If the registration deadline has passed, please contact Wendy Pierno at 516-277-5541 or wpierno@locustvalleyschools.org to confirm if the class is taking place or has enrollment space before sending in a payment check.
Locust Valley High school students learned about the college admissions process from alumna Zosia Lemaitre on Jan. 17. Lemaitre, a member of the Class of 2021, is a medical student at Johns Hopkins University and also works in the admissions office.
Lemaitre brought admissions literature, talked about her own experiences in applying for college and gave advice on creating a schedule that works best for each student’s study habits. Her advice to students was to be active in their school community and be themselves when going through their college application process.
Save the date and be sure to join us as Locust Valley Middle School student actors perform “Annie Jr.” as this year’s musical. There are two ways to watch: in person at the Locust Valley HS/MS Auditorium or stream from home on Jan. 26 and 27 at 6 p.m. Visit ShowTix4U – Free Online Ticketing – Schools, Community, Regional to redeem your free ticket and watch live. No tickets are needed for either in-person performance.
Students and staff are encouraged to wear green clothes and Falcons gear for Falcon Friday tomorrow.
Locust Valley High School welcomed 94 members into the National Honor Society on Jan. 10.
Through a combination of character, leadership, service and scholarship, these students distinguished themselves as excellent examples for their peers. For these students, years of tireless work to better their schools and communities culminated in this honor in front of friends and families.
Honor Society officers Emma Finn, Mary Fitzgerald, Spiro Lampoutis and Gianna Palleschi lit candles representing the core values and traits inductees demonstrated and led the new members in the Honor Society Pledge.
Locust Valley High School seniors Michael Hancock and Reily Roberts have been named Nassau County Zone Winners as the top male and female physical education students by the physical education staff.
As three sport varsity athletes, Hancock and Roberts bring their competitive edge to their P.E. classes, encouraging classmates to bring their best to the table.
“In P.E. and in athletics, Michael and Reily are the epitome of what it means to be a student-athlete and leader both on the court and off,” Athletic Director Danielle Turner Cosci said.
All afterschool activities in the Locust Valley Central School District will be cancelled for today, Jan. 9, due to an impending storm. Please stay safe tonight.
The Locust Valley Central School District universal prekindergarten lottery for the 2024-2025 school year will be live streamed on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 4:30 p.m. on the LV Public Relations YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@lvpublicrelations). The results will then be posted onto the central registration page of the district website. For more information, go to the central registration page here: https://www.locustvalleyschools.org/page/central-registration-office.
Eleven Locust Valley Middle School students were celebrated for acts of kindness in December’s Caught Being Kind program on Dec. 8. Christina Boz, Sophia Capozzi, Nicholas Cayirli, Rashleen Joly, Ethan Rodriguez, Isabella Sansone, Natalie Smith, Jordan Sullivan, Hodavia Tedeschi, Jesalin Velasquez and Angelina Ware were honored with certificates identifying their act and pencils with the phrase “Caught Being Kind” on it.
Bayville Primary School students flocked to the school in their favorite pajamas on the evening of Dec. 20 for the annual winter wonderland event. Principal Allison Wasserman read the students “The Polar Express” in the lobby, before students filed into the cafeteria where they enjoyed milk and cookies and created ornaments with their teachers. The film version of “The Polar Express” played in the background, while students worked from tables made to look like train cars.
Ann MacArthur Primary School students had a cozy Friday as they headed into winter break on Dec. 22. They donned their favorite pajamas, sipped hot chocolate and laughed along to a screening of “The Grinch” during their lunch periods. For the second year in a row, the Locust Valley Elementary Parents Council ran the Hot Cocoa and a Movie event, which gave the students a fantastic last school day of 2023.
One of Locust Valley High School’s most entertaining traditions returned on Dec. 20, as students put on the first Lip Sync night since before the pandemic. The event, which saw seven acts perform choreographed dance routines while lip syncing to songs such as “Crazy in Love,” “Feliz Navidad” and “I Want It That Way,” was revived by senior class advisers Mike Gilbert and Deniz Gumusdere and had incredible support from the students.
Through a 50/50 raffle, the Class of 2024 also raised $2,000 to go towards end-of-year festivities.
As part of their International Baccalaureate program project, Locust Valley High School seniors Ella Crocco and Gianna Palleschi held a food drive on the morning of Dec. 20 where students had the opportunity to take a picture with Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves and others if they donated canned goods.
The donated food items will be delivered to NOSH Food Pantry in Glen Cove for distribution during the holiday season.
As IB diploma candidates, Crocco and Palleschi participate in C.A.S. projects or Creativity, Activity, Service experiences demonstrating their leadership in the community throughout their two years in the program.
Young musicians and singers throughout the district showed off their talents after months of hard work during winter concert season. From Dec. 5-21, students from third to 12th grade took to the stage as members of their school’s chorus, band or orchestra and performed holiday selections such as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Siman Tov,” as well as some new pieces like “Light” by Lisa Loeb and “The Mandalorian” by Ludwig Goransson for family and friends.
Thank you to all who came out to support our students.
Ann MacArthur Primary School kindergarten classes visited each other’s classrooms on Dec. 15 to buddy up and read the original short stories they wrote about themselves.
Students wrote books about things they enjoy during their reading and writing unit. They explained subjects including the places they cherish and different personal objects. New friends were made, and new talents were revealed as students bonded through their stories.
