The middle and high school bands, choruses and orchestras performed for huge crowds of supporters on Dec. 5, 10 and 12 after months of work perfecting their selections. Next week the ensembles from Locust Valley and Bayville intermediate school will take to the stage in their auditoriums on Dec. 17 and 19, respectively, to conclude another amazing concert season. These concerts will also be livestreamed via the LVTV YouTube channel.
Thank you to all our performers and instructors for your hard work and to our community for continuing to show your support for the arts in our schools!
The varsity football team and cheerleaders dressed up for the end-of-season awards dinner hosted by the Crescent Club on Dec. 4. At the dinner, captain Nick Spampinato was named the team’s most valuable player, Connor Geertgens and Chris Velsor were each named most improved player, Jackson Hoban and Arthur Rojas were each given coaches awards, and Liam Roberts was named unsung hero. Cheerleaders Gianna Lagalante and Julianna DiLorenzo were named the team’s most valuable players, and Madison Tiberio and Caleigh Encarnacion received coaches’ awards.
The football team also had five players honored as Section VIII award winners. Nick Spampinato and Marcus Houghtaling were named to the All-County team, Kyle Demosthene earned All-County honorable mention honors, Enzo Gangi was named to the All-Conference team, and Liam Roberts was named a county unsung hero.
During the first week of December, the Ann MacArthur Primary School and Bayville Primary School communities put together two incredible afterschool activities to begin the holiday season with Family Gingerbread House Making and the Winter Wonderland, respectively.
Bayville Primary students wore their coziest pajamas and returned to the building on the evening of Dec. 4 for the annual Winter Wonderland event, which started with principal Ross Cohen reading the book “How to Catch a Snowman” in the cafeteria. Students then went through stations where they wrote letters to Santa, built snowmen out of marshmallows and enjoyed milk and cookies. The school’s incredible teachers ran each station and helped make it an amazing night for all involved.
On Dec. 6, Ann MacArthur Primary School hosted the Gingerbread House Making event to bring students and their loved ones together. Run by the Locust Valley Elementary Parents Council, the event saw students and their loved ones showcase their creativity and teamwork while enjoying treats and holiday music.
In late November, National Art Honor Society students in Ms. Melanie Mooney’s class constructed creative and colorful ornaments after a field trip to planting fields at the Bailey Arboretum for inspiration. Students used objects they found in the arboretum such as pine cones to craft these ornaments.
These ornaments will be placed on a tree on Dec. 12 from 4-6 p.m. as part of the “Home for the Holidays” festival.
High school students donated 31 pints of blood to the New York Blood Center on Dec. 5. Between their classes, students went to the mini-theater and made their donations. It is estimated that each pint of blood donated can save up to three lives.
Thank you to all who participated and high school teacher Erica Reilly for putting together the drive!
Members of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kristen Turnow attended the Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club Leaders Circle Reception on Nov. 13. The event served as an opportunity to engage with community supporters and volunteers who have close connections to both the schools and the club.
Locust Valley Middle School commended students Alexanders Almonte, Tyler Fox, Harper Fredericks, Lucas Garcia, Isaac Gonzales, Kody Guzman, Jayson Harrison, Tomas Infante, Maddie Keating, Alex Krauter, Eric Mohan, Kosly Ronquillo, Eloise Spurchise and Fahrid Tobon for their acts of care and compassion throughout November as part of the Caught Being Kind program. Each student was observed helping another member of our school community through acts such as helping classmates understand lessons, cleaning up classrooms with their teachers and holding the door open for other students and staff.
Ahead of Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, students and staff throughout the district celebrated their school community with unique events that showcased their talents and unity.
Ann MacArthur Primary School and Bayville Primary School each had their Thanksgiving feasts, where students, wearing turkey hats they made in class, enjoyed a tasty meal and desserts provided and served by parents. In the afternoon, Ann MacArthur prekindergarten students welcomed their loved ones for a performance of the Turkey Tango and told the audience what they were thankful for this year.
Thank you to everyone who helped show what a special community this is.
It is that special time of year when Locust Valley and Bayville student musicians channel the holiday season spirit and showcase their incredible talents. The sixth grade kicks off the season this week with their performance on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the MS/HS auditorium. All concerts will be live streamed through the LVTV YouTube channel linked in our social media bios.
On Nov. 22, Ms. Pawluk’s first grade class at Ann MacArthur Primary School welcomed their loved ones at a publishing party for the books they wrote and constructed earlier in the month. Each student practiced their public speaking skills, too, as they went to the front of the classroom and read their stories and showed their illustrations to the audience.
Thanksgiving is about reconnecting with family and friends! Ahead of the holiday, Superintendent Dr. Kristen Turnow visited the schools to see our district family and thank the faculty, staff and students for their hard work this year.
Throughout the fall, Locust Valley Intermediate students planted and maintained lettuce and cilantro in the school garden under the guidance of librarian Anne Joyce. On Nov. 20, students harvested the bounty and donated the food to the Village Church in Bayville.
Joyce and the school administration received the “Grow with Us Grant” from New York Agriculture in the Classroom through Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Science to provide healthy food system education for the students. This project started in September, which is Hunger Action Month, when Joyce led a discussion of how students can help provide for their neighbors in need. Students read “Last Stop on Market Street,” a story about a boy who helps his grandmother at a food bank to prepare for the harvest.
Tonight is opening night for the Jesters’ production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Come tonight or tomorrow at 7 p.m. to see the incredible creativity and passion of our students on display.
There is still time to get your ticket in advance for $10 each by going to this link or our social media bios. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.
You can also support the Locust Valley Parents’ Art Council by showing your playbill when making purchases at Dulce Delights Frozen Yogurt on Saturday and Sunday from 12-9 p.m. 20 percent of each purchase will go toward the council to support performance and media arts in our schools.
Join the LV Jesters for an enchanting experience as our talented high school students bring to life the eighth installment in the beloved Harry Potter series. This special edition, adapted for high school stages and performers, promises to captivate audiences with its mesmerizing characters and spellbinding story. Watch as our students are empowered to conjure the magic through their own creativity, making the show a truly exciting and engaging experience for students and audiences alike.
Tickets are now on sale for the Locust Valley High School Jesters’ production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Nov. 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. each night. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased online here: https://cur8.com/39980/project/126203 or in our social media bios.
Locust Valley Intermediate School welcomed a pair of impressive guest speakers, two-time Caldecott Medal recipient and children’s book author and illustrator Sophie Blackall and Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission and Flight Operations Audrey Powers on Nov. 14 and 15.
Locust Valley Intermediate students created their own iterations of Blackall’s book covers and lighthouses modeled after the one in her book “Hello Lighthouse.” Fifth grade student-reporters Vincent Lang and Lucia Mandell also interviewed the accomplished author for LVI Studio’s student news. Blackhall spoke to Ann MacArthur Primary and Locust Valley Intermediate students about her journey to becoming and author, and showed them how she draws the characters in her stories.
The next day, the fourth grade had a virtual call with Audrey Powers of aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin. Powers explained how she works to innovate space travel and how she ended up in space with actor William Shatner and other astronauts in 2021. Powers also answered students’ questions about space, other planets and how one day, we could see civilization expand to other planets.
Students were given amazing role models to aspire to be like in these incredible conversations.
On Nov. 13, Locust Valley High School celebrated NCAA National Letter of Intent Day, as seniors Celeste Field, Braydan Haas, Katherine Nabet and Owen Pye committed to their college programs and to continue their athletic careers.
In a ceremony in front of their coaches, family and friends in the high school gym, Field, a gymnast, signed with Clemson University; Haas signed with Manhattanville College to play field hockey; and lacrosse players Nabet and Pye committed to Jacksonville University and Pace University, respectively.
“Through your craft, you have inspired your teammates, coaches and community,” Athletic Director Danielle Turner Cosci said. “Your dedication to athletics and academics has helped to raise expectations for our programs, and we are grateful for the impact you have had here in Locust Valley.”
Locust Valley Middle Schoolers Giavanna Ballato, Jax Blair, Andrea Bonilla-Rivas, Andrew DeNatale, Joseph Jaszczuk, Lyla Nelson-Fraile, Mikayla Pacini and Lawrence Ricketts were recognized for the October edition of the Caught Being King program. Each student received a certificate and a custom pencil for being observed performing an act that helped someone or made their day better.
Last week, the high school’s Tri-M Music and Art honor societies inducted their newest members. Tri-M members Maxwell Bamba, Evie Bergman and Justin Kwok showcased their musical talents, and art students had their incredible works on display for friends and family to see.
Congratulations to the new inductees and thank you to teachers Brianna Brickman and Melanie Mooney for inspiring these students.
Students and staff in the Locust Valley Central School District commemorated the brave military heroes throughout the community with ceremonies for Veterans Day.
On Nov. 8, Ann MacArthur Primary School, Locust Valley Intermediate School and Bayville Intermediate School each hosted ceremonies where students sang patriotic tunes and presented poppy flowers and art pieces to the many veterans within the school community.
Students listened intently as veterans spoke about their experiences and the importance of each branch of the military.
Inspired by the many activities during the Remembrance Project Week in September, students in Ms. Mooney’s Drawing and Painting class created projects based around the poppy flower, which is known as a symbol of commemoration for soldiers who have fallen in the line of duty.
Students incorporated photos provided by some of our local Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in their pieces, which are now on display outside of the school auditorium.
All gave some, but some gave all. Thank you to all who have served and are currently serving in our military, especially our local heroes.
