Middle Country Central School District in the Media

Selden Middle School’s Student Activities group recently participated in this year’s Great Brookhaven Clean Up. The seventh graders chose Gary Adler Park in Centereach for the community service project – located on the same street as the school and named after a former student of Selden Middle School who passed away. The students were fortunate to have Gary Adler’s dad participate in the clean-up day and he expressed how proud he was of all the individuals involved.

Middle Country Central School District students continue their efforts to give back to the Middle Country community in a meaningful way and thanks the Town of Brookhaven for their ongoing support.

 

The Middle Country Central School District (MCCSD) recently announced that Demi Lambadis from Centereach High School and Ryan Bloom from Newfield High School are the Class of 2017’s official Valedictorians, and Kelly McLaughlin from Centereach High School and Leo Chen from Newfield High School are the Salutatorians. This year’s honorees have excelled beyond the classroom, taking on leadership roles, volunteering throughout the community and contributing to the high schools’ many extracurricular activities.

 

“The Valedictorians and Salutatorians emulate what the District strives to instill in students through a well-rounded educational experience. These students are equally as committed to their studies as to giving back to their community and school district,” said MCCSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Roberta Gerold. “We are incredibly proud of all four students who have grown and overcome all challenges that came their way during their 13 years in this District. On behalf of the entire Middle Country community, we congratulate them on their accomplishments and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.”

 

Centereach High School Class of 2017 Valedictorian Demi Lambadis will graduate in June having completed 10 Advanced Placement (AP) classes and three additional college-level courses. Demi will be graduating with college credits due to her success on the AP Exams, earning her recognition from the College Board as an AP Scholar with Honors. In addition to her success in the classroom, Demi has served as both President and Vice President for her class and is the Vice President of her school’s Leaders’ Club. Demi will be attending Lehigh University in the fall and will be pursuing a degree in biomechanical engineering.

 

Newfield High School Valedictorian Ryan Bloom holds a weighted GPA of 101.49 and has the potential to graduate with 42 college credits. Despite his demanding academic schedule, Ryan has been an extremely active member of Newfield. Among his many extracurricular activities, Ryan is the president of the senior class, secretary of the Thespian Honor Society, co-president and editor of the Newspaper Club and a PTSA Council Delegate. Ryan will be attending Northeastern University in the fall and will be studying political science. At the moment, Ryan is unsure if he will pursue a career in law or government work.

 

Kelly McLaughlin, this year’s Salutatorian of Centereach High School, will have completed 11 AP courses and four college-level classes upon graduating in June. She is recognized not only as exceptionally intelligent but a student who understands the need to give back to her community. Kelly has served as the President of her school’s National Spanish Honor Society, an active member of the National Junior Honor Society and a dedicated volunteer as a tutor to students at the Middle Country Public Library. Kelly will be building off her passion for educating others as she’s set to attend the State University of New York at Geneseo to study mathematics and education.

 

Newfield High School’s Salutatorian, Leo Chen, has a weighted average of 100.2 and has the potential to graduate with 45 college credits. His performance on his numerous AP Exams have earned him recognition as an AP Scholar with Distinction. Leo is a member of the Book Club, Tri-M Honor Society, National Honor Society, Select Jazz Band and the Chamber Orchestra. In addition to his musical talent, he was selected as the captain of the varsity track team and the varsity cross country team. Leo will be attending Yale University where he is set to major in computer science.

 

For more information regarding the Middle Country Central School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the District’s website: http://www.middlecountry.k12.ny.us.

 

Middle Country Central School District Centereach High School’s Valedictorian Demi Lambadis.

Middle Country Central School District Newfield High School’s Valedictorian Ryan Bloom.

Middle Country Central School District Centereach High School’s Salutatorian Kelly McLaughlin.

Middle Country Central School District Newfield High School’s Salutatorian Leo Chen.

Middle Country Central School District’s Selden Middle School students Peter Marjowski, James Thomas and Kevin Swayze recently honed their carpentry skills while volunteering their time to build 12 “Cornhole” beanbag toss boards. The students donated the boards to the Suffolk County Police Department 6th Precinct’s “Cops Who Care” community outreach program. The boards will be used for fundraising events to support local underprivileged families.

 

School Receives Visit from Pete the Cat and Accepts 100 Books for Library

Middle Country Central School District’s Unity Drive Pre K/Kindergarten Center recently received a National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) award for the strong collaborative partnership between the school and the PTA. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, the National PTA introduced a nation-wide #ThankATeacher contest. Individuals across the country nominated thousands of teachers and PTAs for their selfless work in bringing students a wide range of educational opportunities.

 

Unity Drive Pre K/Kindergarten Center was selected as one of three schools throughout the country for its constant efforts to work in unison with their PTA.  In the application, Ms. Christine Carrion and her students, were highlighted as exemplifying this strong partnership. In recognition, the National PTA sent children’s book character Pete the Cat to visit Ms. Carrion’s class and presented 100 “I Can Read!” books to Unity Drive’s Pre-K and Kindergarten classes.

 

 

Middle Country Central School District recently honored the winners of its Operation Safe Stop poster contest, an initiative to raise community-wide awareness regarding bus safety. Students were tasked with articulating the message that, “When the red lights are flashing, there’s no passing!” The winning posters portrayed traffic must come to a complete stop, in both directions, when a bus’s lights are flashing—even on a divided highway or in a school parking lot. The District, with student safety being top priority, is looking to convey the potential penalties for first time offenders that include a $250, or more, fine, five points on a license and possible jail time.

 

Every school in the district had the opportunity to have a winning poster.  Winning students were presented certificates at a recent Board of Education meeting for their submissions.  The District’s Parent Teacher Associations also awarded the students with Tropical Smoothie gift cards. The posters will be on displays in the schools and throughout the community for the remainder of the school year.

 

 

The Middle Country Central School District recently announced its April students of the month at a recent Board of Education meeting. Centereach High School senior Dante DeBonis, Newfield High School senior Ryan Bloom, Dawnwood Middle School seventh grade student Aliea Ramlal and Selden Middle School eighth grade student Ilsaa Siddiqui were all recognized for their successes and exemplary leadership skills in their individual schools.

 

“It brings the Board of Education and I great pride each month to honor the excellence of students throughout the District,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Roberta Gerold. “These honorees have excelled both in and out of the classroom—scoring at the top of their classes, participating in extracurricular activities and becoming active role models amongst their peers. It is a privilege to be the superintendent of a District with students that continuously make a positive impact in our Middle Country community and beyond.”

 

Centereach High School honoree Dante DeBonis is held in the highest regard throughout the Centereach community for his constant pursuit of excellence in all that he does. An honor student throughout the entirety of his high school career, Dante never settled at taking the easy path. He challenged himself with a rigorous course load, taking 11 Advanced Placement courses, ultimately ranking 5^th in his senior class.

 

Dante’s academic success is matched by his wide-ranging achievements outside of the classroom. The Centereach High School senior spent all four years on the varsity fencing team—earning him All-County and All-Long Island recognitions and competing in national fencing tournaments. Next year, Dante will be attending Penn State University as a member of the Schreyer Honors College. Due to his hard work, he earned the prestigious NROTC scholarship and will be preparing for a leadership position in the United States Marine Corps throughout his collegiate career.

 

Ryan Bloom of Newfield High School was recognized for his academic excellence and the positive influence he has on the entire Middle Country community. With a 101.4 weighted GPA, Ryan is set to graduate with a total of 42 college credits in June. Despite his demanding academic schedule, Ryan has been an extremely active member of Newfield. Among his many extracurricular activities, Ryan is the president of the senior class, secretary of the Thespian Honor Society, co-president and editor of the Newspaper Club and a PTSA council delegate.

 

Ryan will be attending Northeastern University in the fall and will be studying political science. At the moment, Ryan is unsure if he will pursue a career in law or government work, but many of his teachers think he has his eye set on the White House.

 

Dawnwood Middle School’s April student of the month recipient, Aliea Ramlal, is a high honor roll student and a participant in various clubs including Youth for Humanity, Yearbook Club and the Multi-Media Club. Outside of school, Aliea is an active Girl Scout, a volunteer at the Middle Country Public Library and a volunteer at the Bristol Senior Community in Lake Grove. Her teachers rave about her enthusiasm, determination and ability to effectively collaborate on group projects.

 

Ilsaa Siddiqui is an eighth grade student at Selden Middle School and a high honor roll recipient every quarter this school year. Recognized not only as intelligent but as an extremely thoughtful and caring individual, Ilsaa is a member of National Junior Honor Society, Best Buddies and frequently gave up her lunch period to help the Pennies for Patient’s fundraiser. Her teachers all commonly identify Ilsaa as a driven young student who enjoys solving challenging questions and frequently pushes herself out of her comfort zone to achieve her goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Middle Country Central School District (MCCSD) recently accepted a massive book donation—16,000 books—from Ocean State Job Lot’s Charitable Foundation, a discount retailer which recently opened its 124^th store in Centereach, NY. MCCSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Roberta Gerold, District Board of Education members and Jericho Elementary School students were on hand to accept the generous donation, ultimately aiding in the District’s literacy and reading programs.

 

“Reading is a vital aspect of any young child’s development, providing an opportunity to learn new vocabulary, recognize sentence structure and keep students’ brains active and engaged,” said Superintendent Dr. Gerold. “Middle Country is constantly providing students with opportunities to develop these imperative literary skills and thanks to our friends at Ocean State Job Lot’s Charitable Foundation we now have thousands of new options to offer our students.”

 

The donation event was held at Jericho Elementary School, with the books soon to be distributed District-wide throughout libraries and classrooms. Both District representatives and the Executive Director of the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation were on hand to discuss the importance of reading and developing strong literary skills in elementary school students. Robert Martinez, a representative from Suffolk County Legislator Tom Muratore’s office and Town of Brookhaven Councilman Kevin LaValle were also in attendance for the book donation event.

 

“With summer around the corner, this donation serves as a fitting reminder about the importance of reading during the summer months,” stated Superintendent Dr. Gerold. “The District’s dedicated teachers will be eager to see the progress our students have made and to have a front row seat to the incredible strides students continue to make next school year as they advance in reading-levels and read their way through our new selection of books.”

 

 

 

 

The Middle Country Central School District recently hosted its second annual literacy event to celebrate and encourage literacy throughout the District’s ten elementary schools. The night, titled “We Are Wild About Reading and Writing!” featured three sessions filled with an assortment of workshops focused on engaging students through popular literary works and practicing their reading and writing skills.

 

“This year’s literacy event was, once again, a great success and a stellar representation of the District’s commitment to showcasing student growth,” said Dr. Roberta Gerold, Superintendent of Schools. “Our teachers continue to work with students on a daily basis to develop their literary skills, offer assignments focused on increasing students’ vocabulary and aid in enhancing their knowledge of sentence structure. It is an honor to witness the progression of students as they advance through elementary school.”

 

The District welcomed more than 25 acclaimed professional authors from throughout Long Island to share their literary works with students and parents. These authors, along with teachers, hosted workshops intended to develop creative writing skills and highlight books that are reading level appropriate. In addition, a young author’s showcase was held in the cafeteria providing selected students an opportunity to discuss and read aloud a story they have written during the 2016-2017 school year.

 

“As educators, we are here to inspire our students and make their educational experience fulfilling,” said Dr. Kyrie Siegel, Coordinator of English Language Arts K-12. “Events like these provide students a platform to share their accomplishments with the Middle Country community and an interactive outlet to express their creativity.”

 

Members of the Middle Country Public Library, Long Island Children’s Writers and Illustrators, and ThinkBIG! Theater group were also in attendance to host special activities during the evening’s events.

 

 

 

Middle Country Central School District students from Newfield High School and Centereach High School recently participated in a dining etiquette lesson at Pollo Rico in Centereach. The dinner, organized by the District’s Business Advisory Board, invited students in the Career Technical Education (CTE) program for an evening of great food and tips on how to present oneself while dinning in a professional setting.

 

Students dressed in business attire and learned the rules of proper dining etiquette from Linda J. Williams, M.Ed. Certified Etiquette Consultant and Trainer. Williams walked students through utensil placement, when to start eating and when to remove your napkin from the place setting. Middle Country Central School District continues to provide students with opportunities to develop professional skill sets and prepare students for future endeavors.

 

Middle Country Central School District students in Centereach High School’s College Business Law class recently took an educational trip to the Suffolk County Courts in Central Islip. The visit, coinciding with the class’ curriculum of the court system, served as an opportunity for students to experience first-hand the items they have been learning in the classroom. The class received a tour of the courtroom and were guided through the roles and responsibilities of all the individuals involved in a court hearing or trial.

 

A court officer also treated Mr. Bradley’s class to a guided tour of the courthouse – allowing students to explore the cell block, the judge’s chamber and the jury deliberation room. Wrapping up the action packed day, students had the opportunity to sit in on the arraignment process and watch a prosecutor and defense attorney debate their cases. The Middle Country Central School District continually offers students opportunities that bring learning to life.