Students in the life skills program from throughout the Locust Valley Central School District came to the high school auditorium in June to show their incredible artistic talents to classmates, friends and family.
Life skills students had their drawings and paintings exhibited and played along with some of their favorite songs using rhythm sticks. Students showed their incredible creativity and team work, and had a chance to dance together as a group to celebrate another amazing school year.
Locust Valley High School seniors dressed to impress as they gathered as a group for the last time before their graduation at The Crescent Beach Club in Bayville on June 11 for their prom. Students started the evening by taking in the incredible sunset on the beach and marveling at each other’s lavish outfits before heading inside to eat, use the photo booth and dance the night away.
Locust Valley High School students and staff joined World War II veterans, current servicemembers and world leaders in Normandy last week for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
Seniors Matthew Borruso, Sonny Consolazio, Michael DiLorenzo, Riley Haas, Spiro Lampoutis and Kelsey Neves submitted essays and poems as part of a contest that tasked students to demonstrate their appreciation for the sacrifices made by the brave young men on June 6, 1944.
Chaperones Daniel Durante and Principal Patrick DiClemente were joined by Superintendent of Schools Kristen Turnow, board of education president Margaret Marchand and vice president Lauren Themis in guiding the students, while also learning more themselves.
The Locust Valley representatives arrived in France on June 2 and spent the week leading up to the commemoration visiting historic sites like the Patton House near the La Fiere Bridge, which American forces held during an especially bloody battle, and speaking to General Dwight Eisenhower’s daughter and granddaughter Susan and Caroline, as well as veterans of the last Great War on Omaha Beach.
“You can sit in your classroom all day and read every textbook there is and watch every movie or documentary, but nothing compares to being on those beaches and meeting those heroes first hand,” Consolazio said.
“I think what was most impactful for me was the blend of past and present,” Neves said. “Seeing active servicemembers walk through the visitors center at Pointe du Hoc and take off their hats for those that came before them was so memorable.”
Students were shocked to see the level of reverence the people of Sainte-Mere-Eglise hold onto even to this day, as many celebrate the occasion by putting American flags outside their houses and some even don American military uniforms of yesteryear.
“It’s something I’ve never even seen in my own country,” DiLorenzo said. “It was unbelievable to see them (the people of Sainte-Mere-Eglise) be so patriotic for my country.”
The trip was a continuation of the Locust Valley Central School District’s efforts to instill an appreciation for American history in the student population and community. In September 2023, Locust Valley hosted the Remembrance Project in conjunction with Patton Legacy Sports and local organization Operation Democracy to teach a D-Day specific unit into history classes and bring a football game between American airborne units that originated at Locust Valley’s sister city Sainte-Mere Eglise, France in 1944. DiLorenzo and Consolazio took part in that game and the preceding events including a veteran luncheon and jersey signing ceremony.
In the wake of the second world war, Locust Valley worked to send money and resources over to Sainte-Mere-Eglise to help rebuild the village and gained a reputation as a selfless community because of it.
“It was important for me as the instructional leader of the district and our board that we got to see out students develop an even better appreciation for the battle that was fought there and the restoration of our sister city that we had a hand in,” Dr. Turnow said. It’s our history and I think it was important for them to see how one community could come together for a selfless cause and help another one rebuild.”
Locust Valley High School’s Tri-M National Music Honor Society held its first coffeehouse event for local artists on June 5 to give students and staff members an opportunity to showcase their talents, while also raising funds for future trips for the high school’s performing groups.
Tri-M students, especially the seniors, were excited to start a new school tradition, while also taking to the stage again to show their vocal and instrumental prowess. Thirteen acts took to the stage on the night, and community members enjoyed coffee and brownies after the show.
During the last weeks of May, Locust Valley High School students were honored for their academic, athletic and extracurricular efforts throughout the school year. At the Senior Academic and Community Awards, high school staff and local organizations celebrated students’ acts of service and success in the classroom. The following week at the Senior Athletic Awards Night, our great Falcons coaches and players were lauded for their many accolades and their dedication to their teammates through thick and thin. Finally, 21 International Baccalaureate candidates received their diplomas after two years of tireless research and work culminating in challenging testing and essays.
In early June, Bayville Intermediate School fifth graders spent a day at West Harbor Beach for the annual beach party. The Bayville Elementary Parents Council provided food and ice cream, inflatable basketball and soccer games, and a dunk tank for students as they enjoyed a perfect day to get in the water and have fun in the sand!
Fourteen Locust Valley Middle School students were recognized by staff for their thoughtful acts as part of the May edition of Caught Being Kind on June 6. Students Aleena Asim, James Fox, Jayson Harrison, Kylie Horowitz, Brooke Markowski, Maddie Mazaa, Nancy McDonald, Julia Michalski, Jayden Nicholeau, Baileigh Parsons, Charlize Pierro, Chloe Shen, Tapasya Sreenivas and Charlotte Tucker were seen performing kind acts such as helping classmates with assignments, finding money and bringing it to the middle school office and giving candy to a teacher as appreciation for their efforts throughout the year.
The high school world language department held its third annual volleyball tournament in late May for International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme candidates ahead of their awards night. Teams representing France Italy and Spain took to our beautiful fields for an outdoor tournament to celebrate the completion of the students’ IB language studies.
Team Italy donned tie-dye shirts signed by each other and matching sunglasses on their way to winning the trophy. Afterwards, students enjoyed Italian ices on a perfect spring day.
Five Locust Valley High School students committed to continue their athletic careers on spring signing day on May 29.
Seniors Michael DiLorenzo signed on to play football at Wilkes University, Johnny Guillen and William Guillen committed to play soccer together at SUNY Farmingdale and Michael Hancock and Reily Roberts will play basketball at SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Geneseo, respectively.
“Through your craft, you have inspired your teammates, coaches and community,” Athletic Director Danielle Turner-Cosci told students during a ceremony in the gymnasium. “Your dedication to athletics and academics has helped to raise expectations for our program, and we are grateful for the impact you have had here at Locust Valley.”
Over the past few weeks, Locust Valley and Bayville students showed off the incredible art works they have worked on throughout the school year. Friends and family came to Ann MacArthur Primary School, Bayville Intermediate School, Locust Valley Middle School and Locust Valley High School to see the beautiful exhibits set up by the student artists and staff.
Young performers from the Bayville and Locust Valley intermediate school choruses stepped behind home plate at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip and sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the Long Island Ducks game on May 25.
Locust Valley High School seniors welcomed veterans and active service members to the school auditorium on May 28 for the annual Flags for Freedom ceremony. The partnership between the district and local organization Operation Democracy, who worked together on September’s Remembrance Bowl football game and curriculum, continued with this celebration of our military heroes.
Veterans from the Bayville American Legion’s Robert H. Spittel Post 1285 and Locust Valley American Legion’s Howard Van Wagner Post 962 served as honored guests, and gifted students with a tri-folded American flag, a copy of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and information about flag code and the origins of the design. The organization Military Blue Star Mothers was also part of the veneration of our veterans.
Army veteran Al Staab, a member of the high school’s athletic hall of fame and a 2006 graduate, was the keynote speaker. Staab gifted the school a flag and an anti-vehicle round that hit the helicopter he served as the gunner for while he served in Iraq.
Flags for Freedom continues the district’s longstanding relationship with Operation Democracy to instill in students the incredible bravery of our service members and the importance of the flag as a symbol of the freedom they have fought for.
Elementary school students from across the district celebrated Memorial Day on May 23 with ceremonies at Ann MacArthur Primary School and Bayville Village Hall. Bands and choruses from Locust Valley Intermediate School and Bayville Intermediate School played patriotic tunes and taps for friends, family and veterans from American Legion Post 962 in Locust Valley and Post 1285 in Bayville.
High School seniors came to the gym wearing their college colors and shared their excitement for the future at the annual Up and Away Day on May 21. Each student met with their counselors to share their college plans and also get a look at their graduation posters, provided by the High School Parents’ Council, lining the walls of the gym.
On May 18, 11 students in the Locust Valley Middle School Model U.N. class were invited to participate in the Syosset Model United Nations Conference sponsored by Syosset High School. Locust Valley was the only outside district invited to attend. Topics included mitigation of space debris, repatriation of artifacts from museums, the plight of climate refugees, and a special crisis committee based on events in the South China Sea.
The delegates from Locust Valley were awarded five of the 12 awards given that day for best delegate and honorable mentions in addition to a special award for “Most Likely to Work on the Actual U.N.” Leo Del Giudice, Maya Karagiannakis, Bella Russo, Thomas Simon and Asher Zito received honors at the event.
Brittany Fassari’s second grade class at Bayville Primary School took to the stage on May 22 to show off their patriotism ahead of Memorial Day. The young stars walked down a red carpet and took to the multipurpose room stage in front of their friends and families and read a book they each wrote on American symbols like bald eagles, the Empire State Building and The White House. Before they departed, students also performed a dance for the crowd with American flags in each hand.
Another spring concert series has come and gone in the Locust Valley Central School District. Hundreds of student-musicians from throughout the district once again showcased their talents for friends and family.
From May 2 to May 16, student-musicians filled the air in the school/middle school’s Howard A. Schmock Memorial Auditorium with beautiful melodies from musical greats ranging from Mozart and Duke Ellington to Paramore and Taylor Swift. Each night, the community packed the auditorium to show their appreciation for the students’ and staff’s efforts.
These concerts, which came just a few weeks after the district was once again named as one of the best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants for the sixth year in a row, once again highlighted the incredible music culture within the community.
Please see below for the 2024-2025 budget results for Locust Valley Central School District.
Proposition 1: School Budget (Passed)
Yes: 904
No: 554
Proposition 2: Capital Reserve Withdrawal (Passed)
Yes: 1,000
No: 415
Proposition 3: Locust Valley Library Tax Levy 2024-2025 (Passed)
Yes: 441
No: 178
Trustee Election (* indicates winners): 3-year terms
Nicholas J. DellaFera: 861*
Michael McGlone: 735
George Vasiliou: 736*
Locust Valley High School athletes put in hard work throughout the spring sports season. Our Falcons continued to balance their academic and athletic pursuits and make us proud on and off the field. As a thank-you to the seniors who donned the Falcon green one more time, teammates, family and friends held senior days for each team to celebrate their leadership efforts. Once a Falcon, always a Falcon.
The annual budget vote and Board of Education election is Tuesday, May 21. Residents must vote in the election district in which they reside. The Bayville Election District residents must vote at the Bayville Intermediate School gymnasium at 50 Mountain Ave., Bayville. Brookville Election district residents must vote at the Community Hall of the Brookville Reformed Church at 2 Brookville Rd., Brookville. Locust Valley Election District residents must vote at the Ann MacArthur Primary School gymnasium at 100 Ryefield Rd., Locust Valley. If you are unsure where to vote, go to https://nb.findmypollplace.com/locustvalleycsd/AmIRegistered or the Board of Education’s Voter Information page of the district website.
