Middle Country Central School District in the Media

Middle Country Central School District’s New Lane Elementary School students recently had the opportunity to learn about and benefit from the Love on a Leash therapy dog program during a visit to the school by several of the organization’s therapy dogs and their owners.  

“We know that school can be stressful for some students, they can get overwhelmed due to various factors, so we wanted to provide a healthy outlet for our students to release their stress and wind down,” said Phyllis L. Saltz, Principal of New Lane Elementary School. “Our students find comfort and a way to de-stress around these specially trained dogs. The sessions also provide an opportunity for our students to learn new social skills while interacting with the therapy pets.”

Love on a Leash is a not-for-profit organization that provides a platform to encourage volunteers to engage in a meaningful and productive therapy dog program. The organization’s mission is “to bring comfort, happiness, and healing to more people nationwide by increasing public awareness of pet therapy.”  The organization provides its volunteers with an accessible certification process that qualifies them to provide pet therapy in their community as part of a qualified therapy team.

Middle Country Central School District students, family, board members, administrators, faculty, staff, and community members recently gathered at the Dr. Karen J. Lessler District Conference Center located in Centereach High School to honor the late Dr. Karen J. Lessler during a solemn and heartfelt dedication ceremony. 

“We are grateful to be able to dedicate the District’s conference center in honor of Dr. Lessler,” said Dr. Roberta Gerold, Superintendent of Middle Country Central School District. “Her passion for her community, students, education, and family was limitless.  It’s reassuring to know that visitors who pass by or visit this conference center will have a moment to remember Dr. Lessler and reflect on her legacy as a great educator, mother, wife, and friend. I especially want the members of the Lessler family who are with us this evening to know that Karen’s impact on this district and community will be felt for generations to come.”

Dr. Lessler served on the Middle Country Central School District Board of Education for over twenty years. She held the position of president of the Board for eighteen years. During her tenure on the Board, Dr. Lessler received numerous awards and recognition, including the Person of the Year Award in 2006, Volunteer of the Year in 2008, Teacher of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 2006 and 2015, the Education Award at the 28th Annual Women’s Recognition, the Town of Brookhaven and the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association Distinguished Service Award in 2015. Dr. Lessler was also invited to interview and nominated by the Senate and Assembly Education Committee for an at-large Board of Regent position in 2015 and served as the Long Island spokesperson for St. Jude’s Children’s Research hospital for 10 years. The Middle Country Central School District dedicated the District Conference Center to Dr. Lessler in recognition of her over twenty years of devotion and service to the district. 

“It was heartwarming to see everyone who gathered to honor Dr. Lessler. She was a leader and a friend who served our students and community for over 20 years with compassion, intelligence, vision, and heart,” said Board President Dawn Sharrock. “Thank you to Legislator Nick Caracappa, Ron Edelson of ZE Creative Communications, and Danny Haffel of Johnson Controls Inc. for their generous donations that allowed the memorial plaque in Dr. Lessler’s honor to be created.”

On Friday, January 27th, Newfield High School student Raiyah Reid became only the third female in Newfield High School Varsity Girls Basketball history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.  Raiyah is currently a junior at Newfield High School and has been a part of the Newfield High School Varsity Girls’ Basketball program since the eighth grade.

“To score 1,000 points in your varsity basketball career is truly unique. You simply don’t see many players–female or male–achieving this laudatory milestone on varsity public school basketball teams,”  said Joseph Mercado, Director of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics. “We are incredibly proud of Raiyah.  The fact that she is the third female to achieve this momentous accomplishment speaks volumes about the Newfield High School basketball program and our coaches. Congratulations to Raiyah Reid!”

In honor of Dr. Martin King, Jr. Day and to kick off Black History Month, Eugene Auer Elementary School hosted an assembly organized by fourth-grade teacher Ms. Jeanine Buttino, with the help of Principal Kenneth Gutmann.

“Educating our students about Dr. King’s leadership and legacy is a great way to teach our learners about equality and the civil rights movement, said Principal Gutmann. “We are also looking forward to honoring Black History Month with the many classroom activities and lessons planned for the month of February that will be highlighting the countless African Americans who have contributed so richly and heroically to our country’s history and culture..”

During the assembly, selected students from each grade level shared with their fellow classmates what dreams they envisioned for the future. After, students listened to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech as well as listened to teachers read various books in honor of Dr. King and Black History Month.

Stagecoach Elementary School teacher Elaina Fein’s third-grade class recently received 12 Hess trucks along with the Hess toy truck STEM curriculum guide to use as classroom STEM learning tools. The award of the trucks and curriculum guide was the result of Ms. Fein’s successful application to a program sponsored by the Hess Corporation and the Baylor College of Medicine promoting the educational use of toys.

“STEM is vital in our early learners’ education. It incorporates critical thinking, collaboration, and analysis which are vital in the real-world contexts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” said Shaun Rothberg, Principal of Stagecoach Elementary School. “Exposing our students to STEM early in their education better prepares them for success throughout the educational and life journey.”

The Hess Corporation and Baylor College of Medicine sponsor the STEM Educational Outreach Program which offers free learning kits that include the Hess toy trucks and the STEM curriculum guide. This year the program gave away up to 1,000 STEM kits.

“Our third-grade students were excited to receive the toy trucks and to explore the principals of speed, velocity, and friction related to driving, racing, and track design,” said Ms. Fein. “Thank you to the Hess Corporation and the Baylor College of Medicine!”

Newfield High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club (SADD) facilitated a successful Driver’s Safety Program through a collaboration of the Town of Brookhaven and Newfield High School Health classes.

“Educating our students about driving responsibly and safely is important, especially during the holiday season,” said Danielle Dineen, Newfield High School SADD advisor. “Through the Driver’s Safety Program, our students participated in an indoor obstacle course and witnessed firsthand how dangerous driving can be if one takes their eyes off the road—even just for a second!”

Al Ferrari, a volunteer retired police officer, and his Driver Safety team visited Newfield High School and presented some difficult truths about driver’s safety, one of which was that Middle Country Road is rated the fourth most dangerous road in New York State. The powerful presentation really resonated with students; many stayed after to personally thank them and express how the program had affected them. 

During the aforementioned obstacle course, students were challenged to not hit any traffic cones while texting, speeding, or wearing vision-distorting “drunk” goggles. Students learned that multitasking while driving is always unsafe and always a bad idea.

“Thank you to Al Ferrari and Tom Indence for visiting our school; Lisa Cook, our school librarian for her technical assistance in preparing for the event; and the Newfield High School custodial team for assisting in the set up of the space,” said Ashley Sabia, Newfield High School SADD advisor.

Jericho Elementary School Fifth-grade students in Middle Country Central School District’ Jericho Elementary School were called to action to demonstrate the values of citizenship and cooperation as part of their Character Education. The students collected donations for Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue in Port Jefferson Station. 

“It is heart-warming and inspiring to see our students come together to give back to their community,” said Maria Rivera Jespersen, Elementary Character Education teacher. “Through their efforts, we were able to donate a few hundred pounds of cat and dog food, hundreds of cleaning supply items, pet toys, and over 30 large custodial bags and boxes filled with assorted items! These are all staple items the rescue shelter needs to help keep the animals healthy and to provide a clean, safe, nurturing home for them.”

Character Education has been part of the Middle Country Central School District’s teachings for the past two decades. In the last two years, a more defined curriculum has been developed and implemented during the elementary school students’ weekly library time. Each of the elementary schools in the Middle Country  School District can choose a project that will engage its students in a community service effort benefitting community members in need or a specific community organization.

The Centereach High School’s robotics team, the “CouGears”, recently traveled to Vaughn College in Queens, New York for a VEX Spin Up robotics competition.

“We are so proud of our CouGears. They showed great ability and determination,” said Thomas Bell, Principal of Centereach High School. “We look forward to seeing the teams competing in more regional competitions this winter. Good luck, CouGears!”

The robotics team competed against 31 other school districts and ranked fourth place for qualifying matches with a 5-1 record. They moved on to compete in the elimination rounds and made it to the semifinals. The team showed great skill in other driver and programming challenges, earning them an invitation to the VEX New York State Championship in March. 

Before heading into their winter break, Middle Country Central School District’s elementary schools were busy sharing the holiday spirit through various activities. Newfield High School’s Drum Club visited New Lane Elementary School to spread holiday cheer by performing with their drums. New Lane Elementary School students also read The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray. Students were given clues and had to figure out where the gingerbread man was hiding. 

At Eugene Auer Elementary School and Holbrook Road Elementary School, the Elf visited to wish all the families a happy and safe winter break. Holbrook Road Elementary School also delivered beautiful poinsettias to Arbors Nursing home in Hauppauge.

Making a surprise visit to Middle Country Central School District’s pre-kindergarten students were the Grinch and the gingerbread man. The young learners spoke to the visitors about what the holidays mean to them and how excited they were to spend time with their loved ones. At Jericho Elementary School, Centereach High School student Adam Piotrowski, an accomplished accordion virtuoso, shared the holiday spirit by playing throughout the school’s halls and classrooms.

At Hawkins Path Elementary School, students, staff, PTA, and Santa served up holiday cheer at Apple Bee’s flapjack fundraiser to raise money to provide meaningful assemblies focusing on kindness, building self-esteem, and making possible visits by local authors. 

Recently Middle Country Central School District’s student-musicians performed at the 64th Annual Senior High School All-County Music Festival presented by the New York State Council of Administration of Music Education (NYSCAME) and the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association (SCMEA). The concert took place at Half Hollow Hills High School East.

 “We are incredibly proud of our students’ accomplishments and dedication to their passion for music,” said Dr. Diana Cook, Middle Country Central School District Director of Music, Fine Arts, and Community Media Relations. “Congratulations to our All-County musicians and thank you to their teachers, Dr. Harold Goldstein, Ms. Joan Meichner, and Mr. Brian Hough who have guided, mentored, and supported these students as they hone and advance their musical skills.”

The students had the opportunity to rehearse and perform with other outstanding junior and senior student-musicians throughout the county performing major masterworks under the direction of master conductors, Marc Greene, Mixed Chorus conductor, Dr. Jennifer Micelli, Treble Choir conductor, and Michael Cordaro, Symphonic Band conductor.

Students were selected to perform at the 64th Annual Senior High School All-County Music Festival on the basis of the outstanding rating they received as soloists in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Solo and Ensemble Festival held in the Spring of 2022, along with their music teacher’s recommendation. 

Newfield High School Band:
Rebekah Giglio, Baritone Saxophone
Cameron Unger, TromboneNewfield High School Mixed Chorus:
Jules Mast, Alto 1
Eli Horowitz, Bass 1

Centereach High School Treble Choir:
Grace D’Acampora, Alto 2

Centereach High School Mixed Chorus:
Emily Strange, Alto 1
Finn Taich, Bass 1
Julian Strano, Bass 1