In recognition of Veterans Day and as a way to thank members currently serving in the U.S. armed forces, fifth-graders in Kerri Maroney’s class at Great Neck Road School in Copiague collected canned goods and toiletries. In addition to the food and requested toiletries, the students also collected office supplies so that soldiers could send letters home to their families and friends. Pictured are members of Kerri Maroney’s class with veterans within the Copiague School District.
Goods for Soldiers
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Copiague Students Make Healthy Choices
Each year, as part of Red Ribbon Week activities, students at Copiague’s Deauville Gardens East Elementary School participate in the Run Against Drugs. Organized by the physical education department, the program teaches students about the negative effects of drugs and alcohol as well as the importance of making good decisions, and culminates with the annual run. “We talk about making healthy choices and incorporate the run by stressing the importance of staying active,” explained physical education teacher John Sack.
Following this year’s run, the students tied red ribbons on the fence bordering the school field to spell out “Red Ribbon.” Additionally, each student was presented with a rubber bracelet, provided by the PTA, that reads, “A healthy me is drug free.”
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SEW Honors the Local Veterans (Watch the Video)
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Fall Sports Recognized
Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School recently held its annual Fall Varsity Sports Awards Dinner honoring the best and brightest of the fall 2013 athletic season, hosted by the Booster Club. This season the district honored members of the cross-country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, girls and boys soccer, tennis and volleyball teams.
Continuing a yearly tradition, five special memorial awards were handed out to outstanding athletes for demonstrating leadership on and off the field. This year Alessandra Altruda (girls soccer) was awarded the Michael S. Cohen Award, Stephanie Fischer (field hockey) received the Barbara Day Award, Lindsay Griffiths (gymnastics) was the recipient of the Delores Sandefur Award, Olivia Johnson (volleyball) received the Deborah Tekosky Award, Andrew Marino (cross-country) was the recipient of the Christopher Urban Award and Christian Morales (boys soccer) was presented with the Lombardo Award.
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Copiague Students Honor Local Veterans
In honor of Veterans Day, students and staff at Copiague’s Great Neck Road and Susan E. Wiley elementary schools hosted two ceremonies to honor local heroes for their sacrifices.
On Nov. 4, Susan E. Wiley fifth-graders hosted veterans from Dominican Village in Amityville for a special presentation. During the celebration, students read original essays and poems about Veterans Day, sang an armed forces medley with music teacher Karen Swenson, and viewed a photo slideshow that highlighted the veterans in attendance during their years of service.
“This is our fifth year coordinating with Dominican Village to honor our veterans,” said Susan E. Wiley Principal Cynthia Florio. “It’s a time when we can teach our children how and why the United States of America is the land of the free. It also teaches them the true meaning of responsibility, courage, honor and respect.”
At Great Neck Road, the staff and students invited members of the local VFW, as well as relatives of students who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces, to a breakfast celebration. The attendees enjoyed musical performances, a video slideshow and student recitations. As a special touch, students gave a presentation on America’s White Table, which is a table set in many mess halls as a symbol for and remembrance of service members fallen, missing or held captive in the line of duty. It is the table where no one will ever sit.“Today, the staff and students of Great Neck Road Elementary School are proud to honor the members of the United States armed forces,” said Principal Joseph Agosta. “Time and again, ordinary people have served our nation in extraordinary ways so that all Americans can pursue the happiness our founding fathers envisioned. By their service, they have kept America strong, and they have protected our way of life for more than two centuries.” “It’s a real honor to have the young people here acknowledge us as veterans,” said United States Navy Veteran and Board of Education trustee Everett E. Newman III, who along with Board President Michael Greb attended both ceremonies. “It made me feel really good and special. All of the service is worth it when you see these young children.”
GNR Veterans Breakfast
SEW Veterans Celebration
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Marching to Syracuse
It was a weekend of music for the 97 members of the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Marching Band. Beginning Friday, Oct. 25, the students set out to perform during their championship weekend with their first stop in Scranton, N.Y. There, the musicians rehearsed and performed in an intense six-hour setting before moving on to Phoenix, N.Y., where they competed in an indoor competition and clinched an “outstanding” rating. To complete the weekend, the band, along with director Eric Dobmeier, performed “Leonardo: Dreams of His Flying Machines” at the Carrier Dome on the campus of Syracuse University. Competing against bands with as many as 210 members, the Copiague Eagles placed seventh in the LS2 division with a score of 80.9.
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Halloween Extravaganza
Every year in late December, the physical education teachers at Copiague’s Great Neck Road Elementary School transform the gymnasium into a winter wonderland filled with winter-themed activities for students. This year, for the first time, teachers William Bennett and Rachel Cone transformed the gym into a Halloween Extravaganza.
During the special two-day event, the students worked on their cooperation, hand-eye coordination and patience through such spooky activities as the “Bat Cave,” where they used a scooter to navigate an obstacle course; the “Zombie Head Toss,” which had the students tossing bean bags into a bucket; and the “Graveyard,” where the kindergarten through second-grade students participated in a coloring activity, while the third- through fifth-graders completed a word search.
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Flute Fest
On Saturday, Nov. 16, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School will host the Long Island Flute Club’s Flute Festival. According to Copiague Coordinator of Fine Arts Jennifer Pierre-Louis, the Flute Club will host “master classes” and feature performances from the Hofstra University Flute Ensemble.
In exchange for hosting the event, Copiague flutists will be allowed to attend the master classes for free. Copiague students attending are: Kathleen Burgos, Jessica Chochorek, Ashley Corias, Kennedy Daal, Mariana Espioza, Nyallah Fowler, Jayleen Garcia, Giselle Genao, Shelby Haynes, Shaina Jones, Cecilia Libertella, Yolivette Marine, Adrianna Michal, Bianca Reyes, Donna Rivera, Angela Rivera Blanco, Kaela Rodriguez, Samantha Sattler, Oasis Toney, Patrick Vega Salinas and Morgan Weeks.
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Top Ten Announced
Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School has announced the top 10 students of the Class of 2014. At the top of their class are valedictorian Krystal Howell and salutatorian Alessandra Altruda.“Throughout their educational careers, these 10 students have shown determination to succeed in all of their academic endeavors,” said Principal Jeanette Altruda. “In addition to their standout performances in the classroom, they have also left an indelible mark on their community through various service-oriented projects. I am very proud of these students and offer them my congratulations on this achievement.”
Krystal Howell, with a weighted GPA of 102.245, has earned the distinction of being named valedictorian of the Class of 2014. Throughout her academic career at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School, Krystal has excelled academically. Taking multiple Advanced Placement courses, including her current course load of four APs, Krystal has been named an AP Scholar with Honor by the College Board. In addition to her academic success, Krystal is also president of the Bringing Unity Through Youth club, a member of the math team, a Girl Scout, a volunteer for the Homeworker Helpers club and a sales associate at P.S. from Aeropostale, where she also serves as an ambassador for the company doing community service projects. She plans to study international business in college.
With a weighted GPA of 101.904, Alessandra Altruda ranks second in her class of 311 students. Having taken 10 AP courses, including literature and economics, Alessandra has been recognized by the College Board as an AP Scholar with Distinction. Heavily involved in her school community, she serves as president of the National Honor Society and DECA, vice president of the student council, captain of the girls varsity soccer team, and as a volunteer for the district’s Saturday Academy. This fall, Alessandra plans to study economics in college.
The district congratulates the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Class of 2014 Top 10:
Krystal Howell, Valedictorian
Alessandra Altruda, Salutatorian
Stephanie Fischer, Third
Zachary Wilson, Fourth
Janiece Morgan, Fifth
Lindsay Griffiths, Sixth
Ashley Simon, Seventh
Albert Collado, Eighth
Isabel Colon, Ninth
Veronica Zieba, Tenth
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Fall for Kindness
Working together to spread cheer and goodwill in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, members of the Copiague Middle School Student Council, along with their adviser Stephanie Colagiacomo, created special cards to be delivered to the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook, as well as other local hospitals. Following a positive energy theme for the year, the students’ goal is to spread kindness to those around them.
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Fall Ball
This fall, the Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School boys varsity basketball team took first place in the Town of Babylon Varsity Fall League held at the West Babylon Youth Center. “Our team finished the regular season with only one loss and earned the No. 2 seed for the playoffs,” said head coach Steve Rebholz. With the leadership of Kevin Roberts and Prince Charles Hickson, who was also named MVP, the team was undefeated during the playoff run and won the championship.
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Great American Smokeout
On Nov. 15, fourth-grade students at Copiague’s Great Neck Road Elementary School participated in “Today’s Smoke,” a presentation by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. The goal of the program is to educate students about being tobacco-free. During the event, the fourth-graders viewed a cancerous lung, discussed what is in cigarettes and conducted an experiment that helped them realize the extent to which they need their lungs. The program was held in recognition of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, scheduled for Nov. 21.
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Service-Learning
Seventh- and eighth-grade students in Christine Barteldt’s home and consumer science classes at Copiague Middle School participated in a service-learning project to assist the Sagtikos Manor Foundation. Following their lesson on portion control, the students donated a portion of the chocolate and snickerdoodle cookies they were baking to help the foundation. Altogether, the students donated almost 700 cookies. The foundation will package and sell the cookies to raise funds to maintain and renovate the historic mansion.“It’s a nice thing to do,” said student Kahziah Richardson. “It helps us, as a class, give back to the community.”
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Food Drives
To assist local families in need this Thanksgiving, students in the Copiague School District hosted various food drives. At Susan E. Wiley Elementary School, first-graders in Linda Drenckhahn’s and second-graders in Diana Daniels’ classes organized a schoolwide drive to benefit the Full Gospel Church in Amityville. At the middle school, the Builders Club and their adviser, Maria Ostrofsky, helped stock the shelves at the Copiague Christian Church in Copiague, as well as the middle school’s own pantry. By donating the food locally, the schools ensure the nonperishable items are distributed to families within the district.
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Golden Eagles
The Copiague School District takes great pride in its students and all of their achievements in the classroom and on the playing field. To award its athletically and academically inclined students, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School created the Golden Eagle Award. At the conclusion of every athletic season, the top scholar-athlete on each sports team for the quarter is presented with this award.
The district congratulates the winners of the prestigious Golden Eagle Award for the Fall 2013 athletic season. Pictured from left: Director of Physical Education and Athletics Pete Cesare, students William Estevez (cross-country), Carlos Saravia (boys soccer), Michael Hararah (football), Alessandra Altruda (girls soccer), Isabel Colon (field hockey), Melanie Barreiro (gymnastics), Natalie Korba (cheerleading), Nadia Dudley (volleyball) and Janiece Morgan (girls tennis), and Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School Principal Jeanette Altruda.
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A Thanksgiving Feast
It was a morning of gratitude and celebration at Copiague’s Deauville Gardens East Elementary School as the kindergarten and first-grade classes came together to celebrate their annual Thanksgiving Feast on Nov. 25. During the event, the students – some new to the country and participating in their first Thanksgiving activity – enjoyed a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods, including turkey, cranberry sauce, applesauce and cornbread.
To prepare for the event, the students learned about the first Thanksgiving, the Native Americans and Pilgrims, and the various foods enjoyed on the holiday. They also read fiction and nonfiction books on the subject, created hats and necklaces representing the Pilgrims and Native Americans, and baked cornbread that was enjoyed on the day of the feast.
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Bringing Unity Through Youth
With the holiday season upon us and the knowledge that many men and women serving our country in the armed forces are not able to spend it with their families, the members of Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School’s Bringing Unity Through Youth wanted to give back to those who defend America’s freedoms. Gathered together after school on Nov. 21, the students created holiday cards in English and Spanish and organized a collection drive, with assistance from the senior class, to send candy to the troops. The cards and candy will be sent to the Army Communication Unit, where high school teacher Christopher Porcellini’s brother is stationed.
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Making Wishes Come True
Continuing their annual December tradition of community service, the student council and Positive Energy Group at Copiague Middle School participated in Macy’s Believe “Letter to Santa” campaign. Under the direction of their advisers, Stephanie Colagiacomo and Aglaed Marcedo, the students gathered after school on Dec. 5 to craft their letters to Santa Claus in English and Spanish, with the goal of surpassing the previous year’s total of 800 letters written. For each letter written and delivered to the department store, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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Copiague Suffolk Zone Winners Announced
Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School seniors Alessandra Altruda and Zachary Wilson were presented with the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Suffolk Zone Award on Dec. 4. The two were awarded certificates and gold medals recognizing their outstanding achievements as physical education students, scholars and citizens. The ceremony was held at the Hyatt Regency Wind Watch in Hauppauge.
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A Night of Dinner and Dancing - View the Video Here
A few snow flurries couldn’t keep the local seniors from visiting Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School and taking part in the annual Senior to Senior Dinner. Organized by the Class of 2014 and its advisers, Alline Stanton and Tracy Wenzler, the evening included a performance by the Madrigal Choir, directed by Gina Occhiogrosso, and music by the Hip Hop Club and its adviser, Yvan Garcia. Click the video below to enjoy a few highlights from the event.
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