Artist Michael Albert (center) with assistant principal Camelle Person (left), teaching assistant Joseph Sidaras (right) and teacher Brianna Clarke (seated) with WFLC students.

The William Floyd Learning Center recently welcomed modern pop artist Michael Albert the creator of “Cerealism,” a technique of creating collages made from cereal boxes. The students, working with Mr. Albert, used cerealism to tell a story about themselves – who they are and what they are thankful for, a theme that coincides with the school virtue of the month – gratitude.

Camelle Person, assistant principal, William Floyd Learning Center, arranged for the visit as she has worked with Mr. Albert previously. She felt that it is important for the students to learn that art can play a vital role in providing a voice or a message. “The students had a great time cutting apart recycled cereal and food boxes to make their very own masterpieces,” said Mrs. Person. Mr. Albert left the students with autographed postcards and bookmarks of his artwork and one very important message – “You are what you crEATe!”

On Saturday, November 17, the William Floyd Colonials knocked off Ward Melville in a back-and-forth battle at Stony Brook University’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium by a final score of 34-17 to secure their 11th Suffolk Championship. This victory also clinched William Floyd’s spot in the 2018 Division I Long Island Championship game against Freeport (11-0) on Saturday, November 24 at 12 pm at Hofstra University.

The Colonials faced adversity at the onset falling behind Ward Melville early 10-0. However, it’s difficult to keep Coach Paul Longo and the Colonials down, as they changed the momentum with one play – a 60-yard jet sweep by Ronale Thomas putting them on the board and only trailing by three, 10-7.

After that initial score, the Colonials executed what may have been the two “plays of the game,” two consecutive onside kick conversions behind senior kicker Sebastian Paniccia and the special teams unit – the first of which helped set up William Floyd’s second score, a 34-yard touchdown pass from Mack Driver to Tyshawn Lopez, giving the Colonials a 14-10 halftime lead.

Ward Melville took the lead back in the third quarter going up 17-14. The Colonials answered right back and marched down the field to grab the momentum back with a touchdown drive of their own. Nick Silva barreled his way through the defense to help set up Driver’s 1-yard touchdown run to put William Floyd back on top, this time for good.

Following great stops on defense including an interception by senior lineman Keith Winfrey and a big fourth down stop, the Colonial offense once again moved down the field to put the finishing touches on their Suffolk Championship victory. Silva carried the load on offense, converting a 12-yard touchdown run, increasing the lead for William Floyd to 27-17. Driver would deliver the final score with his second touchdown run of the game late in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to its eventual final score, 34-17.

With this victory, the Colonials now own 11 Suffolk County Championships (2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2018). They are now looking to add a sixth Long Island Championship to their trophy case with previous Long Island titles occurring in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2012.

For the Long Island Championship game, tickets are $10 at the gate charged by Section VIII (Nassau County). Tickets can be purchased in advance for $7 via the Go Fan website at this link or the Go Fan – High School app (please search for Section VIII). Please note there is a $1.35 convenience fee charged by Go Fan for use of its services.

Congratulations to Coach Longo, the coaching staff and the student-athletes who have played their hearts out to get back to the LIC. One more win. Go Colonials!

Photos from Saturday’s Suffolk County Championship victory are available in the album below!

Pictured left to right: Brianna Ditillo, Makayla Willets, Head Coach Kaleigh Nolan and Kamryn Berberich.

Kaleigh Sidaras, rookie head coach for the William Floyd Colonials girls’ varsity soccer team, was announced as the Suffolk County Girls Soccer Coaches Association (SCGSCA) League AA “Coach of the Year” at the SCGSCA Awards Dinner held on November 19 at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook. Sidaras, who served as an assistant coach for the team last year, finished her first season at the helm with a 9-6-1 overall record (8-5-1 league record), falling one spot short of making the playoffs despite an excellent .563 winning percentage.

The transition from assistant to head coach was somewhat smooth for Sidaras, given the relationships she developed with the student-athletes as an assistant coach and her knowledge of the system.

Coach Kaleigh Sidaras

“The one transition that I truly struggled with was the understanding that things don’t change overnight,” said Sidaras. “I consider myself a very competitive person who doesn’t take losing well.” She added that building a successful program that will last long term is a process; and everyone involved – youth camps, middle school, junior varsity and varsity – must buy in to the vision.

A point of emphasis from day one for Sidaras was building a “family” culture among the players and coaching staff and that it was important for the veteran players to lead that effort. “Getting the younger players and new varsity players to feel that same attachment to the game and the program can be difficult. The mindset that I was instilling every day was, ‘whatever we do, we do it together,’” she said.

“With the help of some tremendous student-athletes who are leaders on and off the field, as well as my coaching staff which was the primary reason I was able to succeed in my goals this year, I truly feel like we created a ‘family’ environment on this team,” said Sidaras. “The connections the girls made this year and their ability to work together each and every day was something that a coach doesn’t always get to witness. This was a big part of our success as a team and these student-athletes have left some big shoes to fill for years to come.”

Pictured are junior varsity head coach Christopher O’Gorman and varsity head coach Kaleigh Sidaras with their “Coach of the Year” plaques.

Sidaras says that she will look back on her first year as varsity head coach fondly. Despite a few moments and games that she wished turned out differently, it was a good season overall. She is proud of her team, the coaching staff and the overall program as it continues to make strides. A large school championship in summer league, a 9-6-1 overall record and “Coach of the Year” honors will be tough to top in year two. However, Coach Sidaras is already looking forward to the challenges that next year will bring including replacing the seniors who will graduate and keeping that family culture going.

The 2019 girls’ varsity soccer team will lose seven key players to graduation, goalkeeper Makayla Willets, Brianna Ditillo, Heather Strong, Bella Iadanza, Melany Pagan-Rosario, Danielle Zacher and Haley Cruz. “We have some underclassmen who I know will step up to the challenge and become the next set of leaders. It will be their job and responsibility to help the new members of our family buy in,” she said.

There is no doubt in Sidaras’s mind that they will eventually achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship if the program continues along this upward trajectory. “I am excited to be part of this program; I am blessed to have the best staff around; and I’m eager to see where we can go from here.”

Also recognized at the SCGSCA Awards Dinner were Cristopher O’ Gorman, the first year head coach for the junior varsity Colonials, who took home “Coach of the Year” honors for his efforts with the JV squad. Senior Makayla Willets earned “Goalkeeper of the Year” along with All-State and All-County accolades. Senior Brianna Ditillo and junior Kamryn Berberich earned All-Division honors.

Kaleigh Sidaras is a fourth-grade teacher at John S. Hobart Elementary School and Christopher O’Gorman is a physical education teacher at the William Floyd Learning Center.

Members of the National Honor Society and the Future Business Leaders of American at the annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk.

To commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, various William Floyd High School programs – National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and the girls’ volleyball program – participated in fundraisers to help raise money for cancer research and patient/family support.

The volleyball team participated in two fundraisers for cancer research and support – breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Members of the William Floyd National Honor Society participated in the annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” event at Suffolk Community College on October 28 and raised $3,500 with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society and its cancer research and support programs. The group was among the top five in fundraisers for this event.

Also participating in the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” event were the Future Business Leaders of America, which raised $1,200 for the American Cancer Society.

Additionally, the William Floyd girls’ volleyball program raised $1,500 through two charity fundraisers to help support cancer research. In October, they held their annual “Dig Pink” game raising $500 for the Side-Out Foundation’s “game-changing” cancer research programs.

Along with the “Dig Pink” game, the volleyball team also raised $1,000 in support of ovarian cancer research. A portion of the $1,000 raised will be donated to ovarian cancer research while the rest will be put into a scholarship for a student who has been affected by cancer or who helped raise money towards cancer research can win.

Students and staff in the William Floyd School District participated in several donation and food drives to help support local community outreaches and food pantries this Thanksgiving season, and many had the opportunity to enjoy a meal together through various in-school and after-school feasts. Click below to see a snapshot of some of the events!

Click box and arrow in upper right corner above to go full screen.

Students and staff wearing “crazy socks” on “Sock it to Drugs Day.”

During the last week of October, William Floyd Middle School participated in Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention education program in the nation. Led by school counselor Amanda Dubinsky, students and staff decorated the halls and grounds of the school with red ribbons and took part in various activities focused on making healthy choices and remaining drug free.

Students signing a drug free pledge during their lunch period.

Events included “Sock it to Drugs” in which students and staff wore crazy socks to school and an “I CAN be Drug Free” collection drive in which students and staff donated cans of food to benefit the school’s food pantry. Students also signed a pledge to be drug free during their lunch periods. They also had the opportunity to view the powerful “Wall of Lost Talent” featuring photographs of famous people who have died prematurely due to substance abuse.

“We encourage parents, teachers and caregivers to use this week as an opportunity to talk to students about the dangers of drug use, and the importance of making good decisions,” said Ms. Dubinsky.

Jason Rattansingh (left) with Dominick Caputo (right).

A duo of William Floyd High School student researchers under the tutelage of science research teacher Victoria Hernandez has been informed that their research has been selected for publication in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Emerging Investigators, an open-access journal that publishes original middle and high school research in the biological and physical sciences. The authors, Jason Rattansingh, a William Floyd High School senior, along with his collaborator Dominick Caputo, a 2018 alumnus who is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps, focused their work on analyzing and comparing the microhabitats within soil in Revolutionary War, Civil War and modern graveyards on Long Island.

For this research project, Jason and Dominick collected samples from cemeteries containing bodies that had been exposed to different embalming techniques. The students determined that there were trends based on location and that bacteria appeared to be in competition with one another. Additionally, bacteroidetes, a phyla associated with arsenic metabolism, were in higher concentrations within the Civil War cemetery. This finding is significant as arsenic was the main component in embalming techniques during the Civil War. According to Mrs. Hernandez, it is important to note that this finding is an inference and there may have been other factors contributing to this variation.

“I’m so proud of all that Jason and Dominick have accomplished,” said Mrs. Hernandez. “They achieved the goal they set for themselves at the beginning of their high school research careers – getting published in a peer-reviewed research journal,” she added. “They are both brilliant young men who will no doubt accomplish all that they set out to do.”

Jason and Dominick’s work on analyzing soil in graveyards from different eras has won several awards at various science competitions including earning first place in the environmental division at the Junior Varsity Long Island Science & Engineering Fair, as well as “Honors” at the Long Island Science Congress and an “Honorable Mention” award at the New York State Science and Engineering Fair’s Andromeda Competition.

Special thanks to Dr. Bruce Nash, Assistant Director for Science, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center, for his assistance and guidance, as without him, this publication would not have been possible.

For other up-and-coming William Floyd student-scientists, Dominick Caputo attended Tangier Smith Elementary School, William Paca Middle School and William Floyd High School; Jason Rattansingh attended William Floyd Middle School and William Floyd High School.

Kristine Gawlowski (left) is pictured with Artie and Amy Surrey as they are photographed by a member of the news media.

A connection made at Tangier Smith Elementary School is changing the lives of many and touching countless others.

Left to right: Tangier Smith principal Toni Komorowski, school monitor and kidney donor Kristine Gawlowski, kidney recipient and Mastic Beach FD volunteer Artie Surrey and his wife, Amy Surrey, a teaching assistant.

When Amy Surrey, a teaching assistant at Tangier Smith Elementary School began spreading the word about the need for a kidney transplant for her husband, Artie Surrey, a volunteer firefighter with the Mastic Beach Fire Department, the community rallied around them and began searching for a donor. Artie suffers from polycystic kidney disease or PKD, which requires him to be on dialysis three times a week for about four hours per day in order to stay alive. He joined the nationwide kidney donor list on November 30, 2017, and Amy, along with Carlo Grover, Chief of the Mastic Beach Fire Department, created a Facebook group, “Community Group for Artie” and kidney testing drives were underway. Many from the community were tested and none were a match in those drives and on the nationwide list.

When Amy’s co-worker, Kristine Gawlowski, a school monitor at Tangier Smith Elementary School, learned that it was Amy’s husband in need of a kidney and since they were both O+ blood type, she felt a strong tug on her heart to be tested. Amy was against Kristine being tested at first knowing all that she had been through in her life – two brain tumors, seven reconstructive surgeries, being on a feeding tube for 11 months, and losing her home in Superstorm Sandy – but Kristine was adamant. She began the process of testing in February 2018, and, lo and behold, about eight months later learned that she is a match for Artie. Her doctors have cleared her for the transplant, which will take place on Tuesday, December 4 at Stony Brook University Hospital.

Artie calls Kristine his hero; Amy says that she has gained a sister. Kristine is upbeat and feels blessed that she is able to help another despite all that she has endured.

To help Kristine with her living expenses while she recovers from the surgery, the Mastic Beach Fire Department is hosting a spaghetti dinner on Sunday, December 2 from 4-8 pm at 265 Neighborhood Road in Mastic Beach. The cost is $15 per person and all proceeds will be given to her. For those who are unable to attend the spaghetti dinner but would still like to donate, donations can be made out to the Mastic Beach Fire Department, PO Box 483, Mastic Beach, NY, 11951. Please write Kristine Gawlowski in the memo and send to the attention of Carlo Grover, Chief, Mastic Beach Fire Department.

Please enjoy some of the media coverage of this heartwarming story at the links below:
Newsday/ABC News/CBS News/CBS Radio 880/Long Island Advance/CBS News Livestreaming

December is the month when we get to hear and see all of the great music and inspiring art at the winter concerts and art shows! All concerts and art shows will be held in the William Floyd High School auditorium at 7 pm. Please see below for the schedule.

December 3, 2018 – Tangier Smith Elementary School
December 4, 2018 – John S. Hobart Elementary School
December 5, 2018 – William Floyd Middle School (I)
December 6, 2018 – William Paca Middle School (I)
December 10, 2018 – Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School
December 12, 2018 – William Floyd Middle School (II)
December 13, 2018 – Moriches Elementary School
December 17, 2018 – William Paca Middle School (II)
December 18, 2018 – William Floyd Elementary School
December 19, 2018  – William Floyd High School (I)
December 20, 2018  – William Floyd High School (II)

Update as of 12/6/18: Phone service has been restored across the district. We are still testing the system and making adjustments as necessary, so there may be sporadic outages. Thank you for your patience during this time.

The William Floyd School District is currently experiencing technical difficulties with its telephone system. We have been working diligently to correct the problem throughout the day; however, service has not yet been fully restored and at present remains sporadic throughout the district. To help keep the lines of communication open with our residents as we work diligently to repair the system, we have compiled a list of important email addresses for each school below. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we work to correct this issue. Should you need assistance from a department that is not listed here, you can find it on the drop down menu on any page of the website above. Any other questions, please email publicrelations@wfsd.k12.ny.us.

Transportation: transportation@wfsd.k12.ny.us

Elementary Schools

John S. Hobart Elementary School
Attendance: jbrinskelle@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: dschwaner@wfsd.k12ny.us
Nurse: mmackenzie@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: jwestcott@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principal: dciliotta@wfsd.k12.ny.us

Moriches Elementary School
Attendance: sandraorioles@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: vfahie@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: tergul@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: dredding@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principal: nstallone@wfsd.k12.ny.us

Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School
Attendance: aascanlon@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: vchicarella@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: nficarrotta@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: mcorona@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principal: hmurillo@wfsd.k12.ny.us

Tangier Smith Elementary School
Attendance: tsilverman@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: mmuroff@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: tstone@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: tkomorowski@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principal: jcabrera@wfsd.k12.ny.us

William Floyd Elementary School
Attendance: asferrazza@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: klofgren@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: adimaio@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: kfasciana@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principal: vennis@wfsd.k12.ny.us

William Floyd Learning Center
Attendance: smoran@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: smoran@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: tsanzone@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: gbretton@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principal: cperson@wfsd.k12.ny.us

Secondary Schools

William Paca Middle School
Attendance: edonnelly@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: asalica@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: clawson@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: mgode@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principals: jengmann@wfsd.k12.ny.us; chudson@wfsd.k12.ny.us; jragazzi@wfsd.k12.ny.us

William Floyd Middle School
Attendance: jlocascio@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: dcasey@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: dmoeller@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: cschick@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principals: ejackolski@wfsd.k12.ny.us; tjheintz@wfsd.k12.ny.us; jrumpler@wfsd.k12.ny.us

Floyd Academy
Attendance: atraceyhone@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: mweiss@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurse: cmccarthy@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: jdebenedetto@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principal: arodriguez@wfsd.k12.ny.us

William Floyd High School
Attendance: Freshman Academy: dcaputo@wfsd.k12.ny.us; A-Chi and She-Z: devans@wfsd.k12.ny.us; Chi-Lep: ademonte@wfsd.k12.ny.us; Les –Shaw: lpaterson@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal’s secretary: kthrash@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Nurses: East: cmccarthy@wfsd.k12.ny.us; West:malvar@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Principal: pscotto@wfsd.k12.ny.us
Assistant Principals lpisano@wfsd.k12.ny.us; dquartarone@wfsd.k12.ny.us; kcoudrey@wfsd.k12.ny.us; msanders@wfsd.k12.ny.us; cmcneil@wfsd.k12.ny.us; tfabian@wfsd.k12.ny.us; rfelicetta@wfsd.k12.ny.us; bkennedy@wfsd.k12.ny.us;

The Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School Fifth Grade Band.

Click the photo above to go to the News 12 site to vote.

The Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School Fifth Grade Band under the direction of Sharon Kitzis has been selected as one of the top 12 musical performers in the annual News 12 Long Island “Sounds of the Season” competition! The competition has moved into the voting round with only the top five vote-getters having the opportunity to be featured in a special holiday performance both on television and online beginning the week of December 17. Voting runs through Friday – please click here to vote (please note that just five votes per 24-hour period per network IP address are allowed).

If selected among the top five, the band will perform “The Dance of the Reed Flutes” by Tchaikovsky, arranged by Michael Story, from “The Nutcracker Suite.” They will also perform this at the Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School Winter Concert & Art Show on December 10.

“This ensemble is made up of a group of very enthusiastic young musicians, and they are so excited about the chance to perform on television,” said Ms. Kitzis. They love to play their instruments, and are eager to see the results of the voting. The band and I would be honored to represent Nathaniel Woodhull and William Floyd’s music department for all of Long Island to see!”

Keep on voting through Friday, December 7 at this link!

Pictured from left to right are: Head coach Rich Daly, Desiree Fontana (Bellport), Alison Lenihan (Longwood), Brooke Phelps, Katharine Striber and Keira Phelps of William Floyd, Rose Babcock (Westhampton),Brooke Keitel (ESM) and assistant coach Felicia Mannino.

Katharine Stirber (left) and Brooke Phelps

The William Floyd gymnastics team, led by head coach Rich Daly and assistant coach Felicia Mannino, consists of three William Floyd student-athletes along with others from Eastport-South Manor, Longwood, Westhampton and Bellport, who competed with pride and sportsmanship in League III. The team closed out their season on a high note with their second league victory of the season, a 146.325 to 135.125 win over Hampton Bays. The girls were led by senior Brooke Phelps and sophomore Katharine Stirber, who both earned All-League accolades. Keira Phelps, a seventh-grader from William Floyd Middle School, also contributed positively to the team. Congratulations to all the student athletes on a competitive season!

Today, William Floyd High School NRJOTC cadets, under the leadership of Commander Jay Tweed (USN/Ret.) and Senior Chief Dwight Becherer (USN/Ret.), commemorated the 77th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, with a moment of silence held precisely at 12:55 pm – the time in New York when the attack began – followed by a 21-bell salute. This ceremony was held to honor the 2,403 Americans who lost their lives, as well as the 1,178 who were wounded, on what then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called “A date which will live in infamy.” You can watch a video of the 21-bell salute below.

On Monday, December 17, the William Floyd School District along with its partners at the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library, will celebrate the 284th birthday of William Floyd, a delegate to the First Continental Congress and one of only 56 men to sign the Declaration of Independence. Throughout the day, students and staff will celebrate the life and legacy of William Floyd through age-appropriate activities in each school followed by a culminating event at the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library where students will read essays and display posters about the rich history of William Floyd and the local community.

Click here to learn more about our own local hero!

Aaren Arias pictured in front of the rainforest mural at Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School.

Aaren Arias pictured below his artwork that he created as a first grader which was selected for a permanent spot in the school’s art gallery.

Aaren Arias, a fifth-grade student at Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School, is the William Floyd School District artist of the month for November.

Eileen Randazzo, Aaren’s art teacher, describes him as a “talented artist” who always puts forth his best work and puts great care and effort into his projects.

His work has a permanent place at Nathaniel Woodhull as his Paul Klee inspired work, “Fish,” was selected for permanent display in the school art gallery as a first grader. He also contributed his talents to a rainforest mural completed last year by the fourth- and fifth-grade art club students.

“It’s really fun and I have always loved doing it,” said Aaren regarding his passion for art. “Seeing all of the colors in video game art and seeing how they were created really got me into it.”

Aaren’s artistic abilities have also been recognized beyond the William Floyd School District, as his artwork was displayed at the annual Suffolk County Art Leaders Association annual children’s art show at Babylon Town Hall last winter. Congratulations, Aaren!

The William Floyd High School Hospitality Academy recently hosted the fourth annual “Taste of the Town,” a popular school-community event featuring numerous local and area food establishments presenting their best dishes for the community to sample. More than 500 people attended the event and all proceeds have gone toward the William Floyd High School Career and Technology Education (CTE) program and to help fill the local food pantry.

“The Taste of the Town is an event that gives our culinary arts students the opportunity to work side-by-side with industry professionals, to network and create relationships with their community and sharpen their hospitality skills,” said Lee Cillo, CTE Chairperson and business teacher, William Floyd High School. In addition to helping the community, the event provides scholarship opportunities for seniors and reinforces the skills that CTE students are learning each school day.

Ms. Cillo added that this event would not be possible without the help and generosity of the many food establishments that graciously contribute to the Taste of the Town. “Overall everyone benefits from the night, the students gain experience, the vendors gain potential new customers and the community gets to sample dozens of savory dishes,” added Ms. Cillo.

In addition to working alongside industry professionals, the culinary arts students, under the leadership of their teacher Richard Daly and teaching assistant Wendy Waldron, served the food to attendees and prepared four dishes of their own for the community to sample.

Special thanks to all of the establishment that contributed to this year’s event: Applebee’s, Arooga’s Grill House, Alitalia Pizza & Restaurant, Avino’s Italian Table, Bernie’s Family Pizza, Buckley’s Irish Pub, Build A Sandwich, Butera’s, Coral Restaurant, Cornucopia, Del Fuego, EmpanadaVille, Frank & Sons Bakery, Giacalone’s Pork and Pasta Deli, H&E Bagels, Hero Haven & More Inc., Ice Cream Cottage, JC’s Restaurant at Mike’s Place Too, John’s Pizzeria, La Volpe Ristorante, La Reina Del Norte, Mama Lisa Restaurant, Mastic Sports Deli & Catering, Miller’s Ale House, New Rooster Kitchen, Onofrio’s Italian Restaurant, Painters’ Restaurant, Papa Nicks, Pine Grove Inn, Porter’s on the Lane, RJ’s Latin & American Grill, Sea Cove Restaurant, Sicilia D’Oro, Spiro’s, Swan Bakery, Swell Taco, Tend Coffee, That Meetball Place, TJ’s Hero Shop, Valentina Brick Oven Pizza and the William Floyd Diner.

WFMS general music teacher Jonathan Dignam in front of one of the 700 houses featured in his “Christmas Lights Long Island map.”

To help spread holiday cheer and encourage families to enjoy the holiday lights that only come around this time of year, William Floyd Middle School general music teacher Jonathan Dignam has compiled a list of the locations of the best decorated homes in Nassau and Suffolk counties on an easy-to-use Google map available on his Christmas Lights Long Island map Facebook page and here for non-Facebook users. The map, which launched just three years ago and has become Mr. Dignam’s “winter hobby,” lists the locations of more than 700 homes that are festively decorated for the holiday season. The map also extends into New York City.

Click image above to go to lights map.

“I started this map in 2015 because I could not remember where the awesome houses were and would have to bring the newspaper or print out addresses from online,” said Mr. Dignam, who usually checks out the lights with his seven-year old daughter. So the Christmas Lights Long Island map was born – first as a tool of convenience and now something that has brought joy to many. His lights map has had more than 400,000 views since its inception and the Facebook page has amassed more than 3,500 followers.

Mr. Dignam’s comprehensive list was compiled from a variety of sources including newspaper articles, social media groups and online forums, as well as the old “just driving around looking for lights” method. He also relies on tips from his Facebook followers and fellow map users who send him messages daily of new addresses or “duds” that get removed.

“This year I am focusing on adding pictures to the house description so when people click on a house on the map they will see a picture or video,” said Mr. Dignam. As an example, if a person types “65 Elm” into the map and clicks on the green bulb, a picture or video will appear. Map users can also browse by location.

“The great part of this map is that it seamlessly integrates into Google maps on your phone,” added Mr. Dignam. “This way you can just zoom into where you are and click on a location near you and click ‘get directions.’ It’s that easy – very user friendly.” The map is also compatible with Mapquest and allows users to upload up to 26 addresses at a time and it will create the best route to take.

If you would like your home added to the map or know a good one that hasn’t been included yet, you can message him through the Christmas Lights Long Island map Facebook page or email him at jonmtme@yahoo.com.

So this holiday season, grab a cup of hot chocolate, turn up the radio with the “sounds of the season” and set your course for Christmas lights!

Recently, William Floyd High School held its second annual Renaissance Faire for students as a fun way to experience the period of human enlightenment following the Dark Ages affording students the opportunity to participate in period activities such as crafts, games, human chess, ice cream making, music, hair braiding, storytelling, jousting and more. The event was free with the cost of admission being a non-perishable food item with collected items going to the Mastic-Shirley Emergency Food Pantry to help members of the William Floyd community. In total, approximately 500 food items were generously donated by students and their families!

Mr. Hennessey is pictured with members of the senior class council, pictured top row left to right: Makayla Willets, Dario Molina, Arthur D. Reilly, William Hennessey, Jacqueline Giacalone, Dominick Casoria and Brianna Ditillo. Bottom row left to right: Stevie Harmon, Missy Jones, Ashley Forestal and Kristen DaSilva.

Bill Hennessey, president of the Long Island Public Service Employees Local 342 and a 1984 alumnus of William Floyd High School, recently made a generous $2,500 donation on behalf of his union to the William Floyd High School Student Government, which will use the funds to support senior activities such as senior prom, senior prom breakfast and senior day. Generous donations such as these help to offset the costs for seniors and their families to participate in activities, as well as provide the opportunity for more students to participate. Thank you to Mr. Hennessey and Local 342!

William Floyd High School science research students recently participated in “A Day in the Life of the Forge River,” a citizen science project which allows high school students to partner with scientists from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), the Pine Barrens Commission, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center and other local high schools for the collection and analysis of samples collected at different locations along the Forge River.

For this project, students collected water quality data, soil quality data and organisms for DNA Barcoding at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center, and sediment and spider samples which will be analyzed using the beams at BNL’s National Synchrotron Light Source II.

“This event brings students closer together and gives them the opportunity to evaluate a riverine environment right in their own community,” said Victoria Hernandez, science research teacher, William Floyd High School, who co-organized the school’s participation along with fellow science teacher, Anya Swiss.

The Forge River is a shallow, tidal waterway located between the hamlets of Mastic and Moriches, which has been subjected to various adverse impacts over the past few decades such as duck farm and sewage treatment plant discharges, septic system leachate, storm water runoff, loss of wetlands, over-development and shoreline hardening. As a result, the Forge River has had recurring algal blooms, water discoloration, low dissolved oxygen levels, fish and crustacean kills and foul-smelling odors. Efforts at various levels of government and by private environmental groups have been underway over the past several years to turn the Forge River around.