Members of the Locust Valley CSD community congregated at the high school/middle school cafeteria for a district-wide celebration of Bilingual Night on March 28.
Organized and facilitated by Cyndy Ergen, the district interpreter, the event provided parents with helpful information to ensure that their children succeed in school. Mrs. Ergen shared the district calendar, important phone numbers and many helpful tips that would not only benefit students, but help parents and guardians feel more comfortable being part of the LVCSD community.
Residents were able to catch up with friends and family, speak with school teachers and administrators, meet with local community organizations and bid on raffle baskets contributed by those organizations. Raffle baskets included arts and crafts kits, lawn games and concert tickets to see Mexican singer Ana Gabriel, among others.
Earlier this month, the Locust Valley High School History Club qualified for the National History Bowl Tournament after winning the Long Island History Bowl Tournament at Half Hollow Hills High School West.
The team, made up of John Hartnett, Sophia Del Giudice, Clare Simon and Abigail Vuong, were quick to the buzzer and called out answers to difficult history questions on their way to six consecutive head-to-head quiz matchup wins and a first-place finish in the four-team round robin. Questions ranged in topics from history of arts, sciences, religion, philosophy, language, geography, sports and entertainment.
The team will look to repeat its impressive performance at the national quiz tournament in Washington, D.C. on April 27 and 28.
Locust Valley High School student government members welcomed members of the Bayville Senior Citizen Club and LV Seniors to the school on March 26 for the annual Intergenerational Dinner. High schoolers served pasta, vegetables and cake, which was catered by the Bayville Deli, to their senior guests. Seniors also met a few members of the cast of the spring musical “Into the Woods” after they finished their last performance on Sunday.
Community members are invited to see the incredible filmmaking talent on display at Locust Valley High School tonight at Monday Night at the Movies in the auditorium at 7 p.m. Student films range from PSAs, documentaries and comedies to commercials, dramas and horrors. Admission is free.
Locust Valley Intermediate and Bayville Intermediate School students developed their green thumbs as they planted tomato and basil seeds as part of Agricultural Literacy Week.
As part of the initiative, the students were visited by representatives from the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, who read the book “Tomatoes for Neela.” The group discussed the theme of the story – the joys of cooking with family – before the students planted basil and tomato seeds into small cups of soil. Third graders at LVI then used these seeds in their garden project in front of the school.
The talented Locust Valley Jesters student-actors will present a production of “Into the Woods” this weekend on March 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. and March 26 at 2 p.m. in the auditorium. Presale tickets can be purchased at: ShowTix4U – Free Online Ticketing – Schools, Community, Regional for $12 or at the door for $15. Please come out and support our hardworking cast and crew!
The Locust Valley High School chamber singers welcomed the Hofstra University Chamber Choir for a collaborative concert in the school’s auditorium on March 16. The Chamber Singers took the stage first, performing selections such as “Why a Caged Bird Sings,” “1,000 Beautiful Things” and “Malakatumba” before welcoming the Hofstra Choir for their performance. The university singers performed “The Barber of Seville Overture” and “Pure Imagination,” among other beautiful selections. Before the night concluded, both choirs joined together to perform “On My Dreams” by Jocelyn Hagen. It was a wonderful experience for the musicians to collaborate in a night of song.
As an extension of their classroom lessons, Locust Valley Middle School sixth grade Italian students took a field trip to Ralph’s Pizza and Restaurant in Bayville on March 16.
Accompanied by Italian teachers Eleonora Aiello, Mariantonia Angelo and Melissa Caravello, the 40 students enjoyed learning how to prepare pizza dough, spread the sauce and cheese and evenly apply toppings. Students even had the chance to eat the pizza they prepared and enjoyed fresh zeppoles for dessert courtesy, of owner Pasquale Delprete.
The school’s seventh and eighth grade Italian classes will also be visiting the pizzeria in the coming weeks.
Locust Valley High School hosted a career fair on March 15 in the gymnasium. Forty volunteers came to the school to discuss their career experiences with sophomores and juniors and help them think about their futures. Volunteers represented careers in airline piloting, arts, audiovisual arts, business, child care, communications, education, EMS, engineering, fashion, firefighting, health sciences, law, marine and coastal sciences, marketing, public safety, technology and social work, giving students a wide array of careers to consider.
Locust Valley Middle and High Schools have long maintained a commitment to heart health education, having included a CPR unit as part of its physical education program since 2008. This course is guided by information from The American Red Cross and teaches students the skills necessary to perform the life-saving act on adults, children and infants with the aid of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Students also learn how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on adults, children and infants who are choking. Those in grades 7, 9 and 11 receive a two-year certification, while those in grades 8, 10, 12 participate in refresher courses used to introduce any new information and to keep their skills sharp. Physical Education teachers Tim Bellisari, Matthew McFarland and Nadine Pacifico, lead the course this year.
On March 10, kindergartners and prekindergartners at Bayville Primary School visited Village Hall to meet Mayor Minicozzi and ask him questions about his important role in government. The questions ranged from why he wanted to be mayor to what his favorite food is. As a special touch, the students could sit at the mayor’s desk, tour the meeting and village courtroom and learn about the importance of local government.
On March 8, Bayville Primary School second graders learned about the ancient Hindu festival of colors, Holi. Assistant Principal Allison Wasserman read a story to students about how the holiday celebrates the arrival of spring in India and represents an opportunity to reconnect with friends and make new ones.
Art teacher Donna Chaplin and second grade teachers painted students’ hands in vibrant colors and had them press their hands down on a canvas to make a rainbow of handprints to hang up in the school hallway. It was a beautiful symbol of the festival of colors and the importance of staying connected with one another.
Locust Valley Intermediate School students unlocked hidden talents last week as they learned how to perform circus acts during physical education class before performing a completed routine for their families on March 10.
Instructors from the National Circus Project, invited by the Locust Valley Elementary Parents Council, helped students become quick experts in stilts, plate spinning, juggling, balancing, flower sticks, diablo spinners and being a clown.
The program culminated in a circus performance in front of more than a hundred people in the Locust Valley High School gymnasium.
Senior class T-shirts are available until March 31 at the link here: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/lvhs-class-of-2023-senior-t-shirt-sale-1628. Show school spirit and help the senior class fundraise for prom.
It’s a big week for the fine arts department in Locust Valley as the high school concert chorale welcomes the Hofstra University chamber choir for a collaborative performance on March 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium and the Locust Valley Jesters continue to prepare for their performances of “Into the Woods” from March 24 to 26.
Admission is free to the LVHS and Hofstra performance. Tickets to “Into the Woods” are available online at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/71491 for $12 and will be sold at the door for $15. Come out and support our talented students!
The girls varsity bowling team at Locust Valley High School celebrated the end of their winter season recently. Seniors Giavanna Scognamiglio, Francesca Speringo, Alisha Uduevbo and Madelaina Venturino led the way for the Falcons throughout the season and supported the underclassmen team members, as they finetuned their bowling skills. The team completed a 11-1 season and placed third at the county tournament in February.
The Locust Valley Central School District celebrated its first International Night on March 7. Dozens of students, parents and faculty received passports when they arrived at the high school cafeteria and got stamps each time they visited one of the 34 countries’ tables or visual presentations.
Community members of different backgrounds brought in food, games, clothing and more from their cultures. Guests sampled foods such as causa from Peru, grasshoppers and taquitos from Mexico and soda bread from Ireland. Guests also took part in activities like Italy’s scopa card game, Japan’s origami and cup-and-ball game kendama and Mexico’s bingo-like Lotería before also opening a piñata.
The night concluded with a series of performances. Members of the Locust Valley High School Italian Club danced the Tarantella with their parents and friends and the Dominican Dance Group came from the Bronx for a performance. Finally, LVHS student and chamber singer Axcl Lopez-Grant sang a Mexican folk song “Mi Sueño.”
Locust Valley Middle School and High School’s world language departments will next celebrate different cultures at Bilingual Night on March 28.
Locust Valley Middle and High School students filled the stands in the school’s gymnasium after their ninth period classes on March 7 to cheer on district faculty members competing in the second annual Volley in the Valley tournament. Organized by the Athletic Council, Volley in the Valley aims to raise school spirit.
Four teams of teachers, staff and administrators coached by students took to the court
hoping to be crowned. The “Mean Green Machine” took home the title in a close game
against the “Notorious D.I.G.” in front of the raucous crowd.
The Locust Valley Central School District Board of Education is asking for input from the community as part of its search for the next superintendent of schools.
Residents are asked to provide their feedback using a tool called ThoughtExchange. Participants will be asked to share what characteristics they desire the district’s next superintendent to possess. Individuals will also have the opportunity to anonymously rate the qualities, so the top choices float to the top. The Board will use this input as part of the overall superintendent search process.
The exchange will be live through March 17. To access ThoughtExchange, visit tejoin.com and enter the code 222076043 or scan the QR code.
Locust Valley High School students modeled outfits from local boutiques on March 2 as part of the school’s annual senior fashion show.
The fashion show helps high school seniors raise funds for their prom. Boutiques and clothing stores Ask Alice, Victor Talbots, lulu, The Spot, Blush, One Last Look, J. McLaughlin, Birch/Interstyle, TessaReed and Valley Sports partnered with the school providing a wide array of outfits and placing advertisements in the show program.
Students were cheered on by their classmates, friends and family as they walked the runway and worked to make their prom the best possible experience.
