Fifty-five third through fifth grade students from Locust Valley Intermediate School showcased their science skills during the building’s annual science fair on March 2.
During the event, the students presented their experiments to their parents, teachers and student judges from the high school.
Experiments ranged from creating potato batteries and volcanos to solar powered toy cars, coastal erosion and dioramas. Students spent weeks testing their hypotheses and constructing visual presentations of their methods.
Third graders James Barba, Christian McGlone and Luke Sullivan were named the grade level’s winners for their group research on how stalactites are formed. They created their own with clay in a diorama for the science fair.
Liam Benazzi and Logan Keaveney finished in first place in fourth grade with their investigation into how penguins stay warm and dry. On the night of the fair, the judges, parents and classmates put their hand under blubber made out of Crisco and put ice over the blubber to show how warm it keeps them.
Aasher Gill won first prize in fifth grade for his investigation into whether video games are addicting. Gill put out a survey to friends and family and collected data from the Palo Alto Research Center. He said that 40% of respondents were unable to stop playing for long periods of time.
Locust Valley High School’s Varsity Girls Basketball team captured the NYSPHSAA Section VIII championship title on March 1, when they defeated the first-seeded Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks at Hofstra university. The final score was 41-31.
Facing a Cold Spring Harbor team that handed them their only conference loss, the Falcons found themselves in a tight game with the score tied at halftime and heading into the fourth quarter. Guard Payton Tini helped the Falcons pull away late, scoring 14 of the team’s 18 points in the final frame to finish with 33 points on the night.
The 2023 championship win marks the Falcons’ third straight county title since 2019, interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. As the Nassau County winners, the team will now compete against Suffolk Class B winners Center Moriches in the Long Island championship, which is set to take place on March 8 at 4 p.m. at Hofstra University.
When district students and parents arrive at International Night at the high school/middle school cafeteria on March 7 at 6 p.m., they will celebrate many different cultures and be able to contribute to the school’s new Habitat for Humanity Student Build program.
Attendees will receive a complimentary Falcon Family sticker designed by LVHS junior Nicole Contudis. Magnets and key chains with the design and International Night T-Shirts will be available for purchase. Proceeds from the sales will support the district’s efforts to help the Student Build Program construct homes on Long Island.
Locust Valley Middle School will host informative parent orientation meetings on March 9 to discuss students’ schedules for the 2023-2024 school year. Parents of incoming grade 7 students will attend at 6 p.m. and incoming grade 8 parents will attend at 7:15 p.m. Both orientations will take place in the middle school/high school auditorium.
During these orientations, parents will receive a copy of their child’s course recommendations for next year. Course recommendations will also be posted in the Parent Portal. After the orientation, parents will have the opportunity to speak about recommendations with staff.
As a culmination of three weeks of planning and engineering, the fifth-grade students at Bayville Intermediate recently showcased their Rube Goldberg machines – a chain reaction type device designed to perform a simple task.
As part of the Library Enrichment for All Program or LEAP, students spent their library time with their teachers and librarian Dr. Jennifer Farrell working in groups and to create elaborate contraptions out of simple machines, such as levers, pulleys and inclined planes, to complete tasks such as dipping chips in salsa and filling a dog bowl with food.
Some of the students’ parents took time out of their days to help plan and construct the machines from late January into early February.
Locust Valley High School is seeking professionals to speak about their careers and trade work during the school’s upcoming Career Fair, which is scheduled for March 15 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Anyone interested in volunteering as a presenter is encouraged to register by visiting Career Fair Registration Form 3/15/23 (google.com) by March 10. Please contact Ashley Gruter if you have any questions.
The Locust Valley High School boys and girls varsity basketball teams each played in memorable semifinal games at Hofstra University on Feb. 22.
At 1 p.m., the 15-3 girls team took on the 12-8 Seaford High School Vikings. The Falcons trailed by 11 points after the first quarter and seven points coming into the fourth quarter. Guards Reily Roberts and Payton Tini led the way with 19 and 15 points, respectively, as the Falcons outscored the Vikings 20-8 in the final frame to send the team to the county championship with a 45-40 victory. They will take on Cold Spring Harbor at Hofstra at 4:30 p.m. on March 1.
Immediately following the girls’ comeback win, the boys tried to recreate their comeback magic against the Malverne High School Mules. After a tight first half ended with a 17-14 Mules lead, the deficit ballooned to 14 going into the fourth. The boys played an inspired fourth quarter, led by forward Mike Hancock, who scored a team-high 16 on the day. Despite their best efforts, the Falcons were defeated by Malverne in a final score of 57-51.
The Locust Valley community is very proud of the sportsmanship and hard work the student-athletes showed, not only during the playoffs, but the entire season.
Online registration for Continuing Education for spring 2023 is available now on the district website. The district offers a robust list of health, physical fitness and special interest activities and classes. Online registration is open until Wednesday, March 8. If the registration deadline has passed, please call Wendy Pierno at 516-277-5541 or email her at wpierno@locustvalleyschools.org. In person enrollment is one night only on Wednesday, March 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Locust Valley High School.
Locust Valley Central School District’s elementary schools found creative ways to celebrate the 100th day of classes on Feb. 14. Students at Ann MacArthur Primary School were encouraged to dress like they were 100 years old and many students went all out with wigs, canes, glasses and more. Meanwhile at Bayville Primary, students did 100 different exercises to start their day and estimated how many candy hearts were in jars by the entrance of the school. Some students also found fake $100 bills under their seats at lunch and won prizes.
Bayville Intermediate School fifth grader Haichen Cotten and Bayville Primary School first grader Lucas Kim have been chosen to have their artwork exhibited at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook from Feb. 17 through April 8 as part of the 24th annual Colors of Long Island student art show.
Haichen’s watercolor autumnal scene mixes warm and cool colors during his art class with Donna Chaplin. The young artist usually likes to draw cars, planes and animals, so this project was something different for him. “I like knowing that people like my art,” Haichen said. “It makes me happy.”
Lucas Kim had his chalk drawing of Christmas lights selected. He chose a glowing yellow for the top light because it is his sister’s favorite color and a light blue because it is his favorite color.
Both students are looking forward to visiting the exhibit with their friends and family.
Locust Valley athletics have plenty to celebrate as both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams qualified for the playoffs, a shot-put star received All-County honors and five wrestlers qualified for the state tournament.
The boys’ basketball team punched their ticket to the Nassau County Class B Tournament on the back of a four-game winning streak to finish the season, capping an 8-4 conference record. Meanwhile, the B1 conference champions girls’ team go into the playoffs having won 13 of their last 14 games, finishing with a 11-1 conference record and 15-3 overall record.
Locust Valley High School senior Sophia Del Giudice was a conference champion and received All-County honors in girls’ winter track for her performance in shot-put.
The wrestling team took home several accolades, as seniors Charlie Dickman and Evan Shriberg and juniors Justin Dvorak, Jesse Firestone and C.J. Kelly all qualified for the NYSPHSAA Tournament in Albany on Feb. 24 and 25. Dickman, Kelly and Shriberg were all crowned county champions, as well.
A Letter from our Interim Superintendent, Dr. Sampino.
Locust Valley and Bayville schools celebrated Valentine’s Day by spreading love around the district and beyond. At the high school, the girls club decorated the hallways with red. Meanwhile, the LVHS Pre-Health Club continued “I Love My Heart Week” by wearing red and promoting heart health. The club gave out stress balls in the shape of hearts to help students meditate. At Ann MacArthur Primary School, pre-K students worked with their parents on classroom decorations in the shape of hearts. And throughout the district, students sent Valentine’s Day cards to members of our armed forces.
The Locust Valley High School boys and girls basketball teams celebrated their hardworking seniors last week and capped off their respective games with wins by each Falcons team.
On Feb. 8 the girls team thanked Payton Tini for her incredible efforts over the past four years, which helped lift the team to a Long Island record 54-straight wins from 2019 to 2021, two Nassau County titles and a Long Island championship win. Payton Tini, who recently scored her 1,000th point, got to savor the moment during a pregame presentation with her family, teammates and coaches.
On Feb. 11, the boys team honored its six seniors before a win over West Hempstead. Charles Ehni, Michael Rice, Preston Rothkrug, Matthew Sarubbe, Phil Strauss and Samuel Tini met family members at center court with flowers, thanking them for their support over the past four years. Each senior played a part in the team’s success this year.
Both Locust Valley teams will compete in the conference playoffs with the boys taking on West Hempstead at home on Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. and the first-seeded girls will play in the semifinals at Hofstra University on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m.
Join the district on March 2 in the Locust Valley Middle School/High School auditorium for a night of fashion, fun, raffles, games, snacks and more as the Class of 2023 presents its Senior Fashion Show. The $5 entry donation and program advertisements will go towards helping to fund the senior class’s prom. Tickets can be purchased online at https://my.cheddarup.com/c/lvhs-class-of-2023?cart=974e6dd2-ee81-4bf1-8410-a9bcda97b3c3%21%2146587612.
Locust Valley Middle/High School will host its first International Night in the school cafeteria on Tuesday, March 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to celebrate the wonderful cultures represented in our schools. Participants will be able to “visit” different countries, sample their foods and explore different cultures.
Register with the Google Form here: https://forms.gle/nJYtgr7uFvpnDXJS7.
If you have any questions, contact Jennifer Masa at jmasa@locustvalleyschools.org or 516-277-5120 or Amy Watson at awatson@locustvalleyschools.org or 516-277-5220.
LVCSD Board of Education Statement on Brian Nolan’s Resignation
The Locust Valley Board of Education has accepted President Brian Nolan’s resignation, effective immediately. We would like to thank Mr. Nolan for his dedication and service to the Locust Valley Central School District. Over the past eight years, he has committed countless hours not only as a trustee but serving as Board president. We wish him well in his future endeavors.
Declaración de la Junta de Educación de LVCSD sobre la Renuncia de Brian Nolan
La Junta de Educación de Locust Valley ha aceptado la renuncia del presidente Brian Nolan,efectivo inmediatamente. Nos gustaría agradecer al Sr. Nolan por su dedicación y servicio a el Distrito Escolar Central de Locust Valley. Durante los últimos ocho años, se ha comprometido innumerables horas no solo como fideicomisario sino también como presidente de la Junta. Le deseamos lo mejor en sus futuros emprendimientos.
The entire Locust Valley Central School District joined together to celebrate P.S. I Love You Day on Feb. 10 with activities designed to help students appreciate the great qualities in themselves and their classmates.
P.S. I Love You Day is held annually on the second Friday of February and celebrated in schools across the region. To mark the event, students are asked to wear purple and stand up against bullying, help those battling depression and prevent suicide.
At Bayville Intermediate School, students in Beth Berglund’s fourth grade students wrote compliments to each other on one side of purple heart flyers and then traits about themselves that they liked on the other. At each school, students were greeted with uplifting music and purple heart stickers as they arrived in the morning.
The Techno Talons and Falcon Brick Movers from Locust Valley Middle School’s sixth grade and Locust Valley Intermediate School, respectively, showcased their talents and creations during the FIRST Lego League competition held at Huntington High School on Feb. 5.
Both teams spent months designing and coding their robots to navigate a Lego field and complete tasks, such as picking up and pushing objects. Students also presented an innovation project with an elaborate skit and answered judges’ questions.
The competition was the first for many of the students. After watching the middle school’s seventh and eighth grade team and the high school team compete on Jan. 29, the Techno Talons and Falcon Brick Movers were eager to showcase their own team skills and technological savvy during the Feb. 5 event.
Locust Valley High School drama students gave powerful performances during the 17th Annual Writers/Directors’ Workshop on Feb. 1. The talented students spent weeks writing their original monologues and scenes with their classmates and performed in front of a large crowd of friends and family in the mini-theater last week. Club adviser Lawrence Lynch produced and directed the performance and worked with students in the weeks leading up to the workshop fine- tuning aspects of each scene.
