Attention High School students and parents/guardians:

Super Saturday is back! This year, beginning May 7, we are offering six (6) one-hour Regents Readiness workshops after school from 2:10-3:10 pm in each content area designed to provide content review, test-taking strategies and practice questions. Students are also invited to join us on Super Saturday, May 18 from 9 am-1 pm to engage in two (2) Regents Review sessions for the exam(s) of their choosing.  Each two-hour review session will provide students the opportunity to examine all components of each exam, improve upon their test-taking strategies and hone their skills in a cooperative and active learning environment.

Transportation is provided for the six (6) Regents Readiness workshops, however, students must provide their own transportation for Super Saturday. Space is limited, so students should sign up as soon as possible. Students can sign up by filling out the online form by following this link or scanning the QR code!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the 1 East office at 631-874-1741.

The William Floyd Distinguished Alumni honorees for the Class of 2019 include (l-r) P.J. Cinque, Wendy (Murphy) Gross, Kristine (Fafejta) Gawlowski, Jamie (Oldham) MacPherson and John Sumwalt.

On Friday, April 5, the William Floyd School District in collaboration with the William Floyd Alumni Association, honored its 11^th class of Distinguished Alumni, a group of five individuals who have and continue to make great contributions to the world. The honorees – P.J. Cinque, Kristine (Fafejta) Gawlowski, Wendy (Murphy) Gross, Jamie (Oldham) MacPherson and John Sumwalt – experienced a day full of activities designed to inspire current students and reconnect with alumni while celebrating their accomplishments and bringing a sense of pride to the William Floyd community.

Culinary Arts students who prepared and served a delicious meal for the honorees –  sponsored by the William Floyd Alumni Association.

The honorees kicked off the day with a reception in the Rita Rech Museum of William Floyd School District History, which included a brief educational history of the community led by William Floyd High School social studies teacher, Ron Gross. Next, the distinguished honorees visited classrooms to interact with students, share their experiences and answer questions before gathering in the high school main lobby for the plaque unveiling ceremony by the Distinguished Alumni wall. Following the unveiling, the honorees and their guests enjoyed a fully-catered luncheon prepared and served by the William Floyd High School Culinary Arts students under the guidance of world-class chef Rich Daly and teaching assistant, Wendy Waldron. After lunch, the in-school portion culminated with a tour of the high school. In the evening, the honorees gathered for an awards dinner and reception at The Inn at East Wind in Wading River.

Congratulations once again to this year’s honorees!

P.J. Cinque, Class of 2005, a professional musician with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Kristine (Fafejta) Gawlowski, Class of 1986, a humanitarian who selflessly donated her kidney to save the life of a co-worker’s husband and employee at Tangier Smith Elementary School
Wendy (Murphy) Gross, Class of 1984, an educator at the William Floyd Learning Center
Jamie (Oldham) MacPherson, Class of 1995, the executive director of Global Regulatory Affairs at Akcea Therapeutics
John Sumwalt, Class of 1990, a deputy inspector with the Suffolk County Police Department.

Additional photographs and a video of the plaque unveiling ceremony are available below!

Photo album

Video

Third-grade students at Tangier Smith Elementary School recently welcomed award-winning children’s author Brian Heinz, who has penned popular works such as Nanuk: Lord of the Ice, A Coming of Winter in the Adirondacks, Red Fox at McCloskey’s Farm, Mocha Dick: The Legend and Fury and more. During his presentation, Mr. Heinz spoke to the students about the writing process and the steps involved before a book finally makes it to publication. He also spoke about some of his own adventures that have helped shape his stories such as the hiking trips he has taken with his wife in the Adirondack Mountains and how they have encountered wild animals along the way! The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to discuss writing with Mr. Heinz. Students from the following classes participated: Michelle Montalbano & Caitlin Contes’s class, Melissa Unger’s class, Ashley Wingler’s class, Kristina Wrigley’s class and Chanda Zadrazil’s class.

Vanessa Verni’s social studies class is pictured after discussing the similarities between governments and personal support systems.

William Paca Middle School recently held a school-wide Mental Health Day event to help educate students on the topic of mental health and help put an end to stigmas that are often associated mental illness. Students participated in activities across all subjects with a focus on dealing with emotions, acknowledging certain behaviors and coping with stress. School counselor Caroline Reed and social worker Alyssa Cabrera were the lead facilitators of this schoolwide effort.

A summary of the mental health activities students participated in include: reading an article on the correlation of screen time with mental health followed by taking a quiz about cell phone addiction; participating in yoga in physical education classes; learning about how governments are set up and comparing that with a person’s support system; writing about positive experiences in their lives so they can reflect on them when feeling anxious or upset; rating positive and negative experiences on a scale in math class and encouraging others to stay on the positive side; creating glitter jars in science class which illustrates how when a jar is shaken it represents chaos and disorder but eventually it settles in the jar to help them cope and relax during a stressful time; empathy for others in home & careers/health; playing/using music as an outlet; learning positive sayings and expressing feelings in foreign language classes and creating “mandalas” or circles in art class to represent wholeness.

Additionally, the Bridge Crew, a student-led group designed to “bridge the gap” for incoming sixth graders led by seventh- and eighth-grade students who have been making a positive difference in their school, were stationed in the cafeteria during lunch periods asking their peers true or false questions on the topic of mental illness. When students answered correctly, they received a prize and had their names placed upon a “Stop the Stigma” sign.

LISEF Honorable Mention winners Angela Ochoa (left) and Victoria Cordova-Morote.

Two William Floyd High School student scientists, Victoria Cordova-Morote and Angela Ochoa, recently received honorable mention awards at the Long Island Science & Engineering Fair junior varsity division for their research comparing the vertebrate biodiversity using environmental DNA within Zostera (seagrass) marina patches.

According to their science research teacher, Victoria Hernandez, the students hypothesized that as bed density increased, vertebrate biodiversity would increase. “The data supported their hypothesis wonderfully!” said Mrs. Hernandez. “As bed density increased, vertebrate biodiversity increased. Additionally, sparse beds were almost the same statistically as their control region.”  This project was completed in collaboration with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center.

William Floyd Middle School recently held their annual Showcase Night as a way to give parents and community members a peek at the great programs, events and opportunities available to students in their school! Members of next year’s incoming sixth-grade class also had the opportunity to attend to preview their future school and the exciting programs and clubs they can participate in next school year. In addition to highlighting various successes in academics, music, art, sports, clubs and more, attendees had the opportunity to participate in several workshops including a “Birds of Prey” presentation with science teacher Mario DiDomenico, informational presentations and various performances by the school’s talented student-musicians and performance groups! Additional photos in the album below!

L-r: Sarah Kelley as Tall Alice, Kenneth Harkin as the White Rabbit and Sydney Cortes as Alice.

OCEAN Arts along with the incredibly talented students of William Paca Middle School will bring Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. to life for three exciting shows beginning Friday, April 12 at 7 pm followed by two performances on Saturday, April 13 at 1 pm and 7 pm.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll in 1865, was a popular children’s story about imagination and escapism. It was brought to the screen by Walt Disney in 1951 and has remained a family favorite. This stage version incorporates the wacky characters of the original with the well-loved songs of the animated film. The combination is an entertaining stroll down the rabbit hole of imagination.

There are three Alices in this musical interpretation of the Disney classic animated film, and each actress will bring her own quirky charm to the stage this weekend.

“Audiences of all ages will love watching this beloved story retold and may even find themselves transported to Wonderland,” said director Kelly DeChene, who returns with music director Michael Drodz for a fifth OCEAN Arts production.

The dreamlike setting of Alice in Wonderland Jr. compels the students to think outside the box of what they have done before, and what they expect.

“This production has required much imagination to bring this story to the stage and, the students have executed this flawlessly, which I am so proud of,” said DeChene, who always asks the students to trust her vision as they begin a production, and this was especially important for the Alice cast. “It has been an incredible journey and pleasure to take the students of this cast and crew down the rabbit hole!”

Alice in Wonderland Jr. will be presented William Paca Middle School, 338 Blanco Drive, Mastic Beach, on Friday, April 12 at 7 pm, and Saturday April 13 at 1 pm and 7 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $11 at the door. Children 2 and under are free on an adult lap. All tickets are general admission, no reserved seating. Purchase advance tickets at the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community library. Visit www.oceanarts.org for more information on that organization.

Alice in Wonderland Jr. at William Paca Middle School, the recent productions at William Floyd High School and William Floyd Middle School, as well as the annual theater summer camps are the result of an ongoing dynamic partnership between OCEAN Arts, the Community Library Friends of the Arts and the William Floyd School District. This is the eighth year OCEAN Arts, formerly the cultural arts committee of the William Floyd Community Summit, has produced the high school musical and 2019 will be the sixth summer camp.

OCEAN Arts artistic director Kyle Imperatore looks toward the future. “We’ve come so far these last few years,” he said. “Our partnership with the school district just keeps getting stronger and there are great things to come.”

Some of William Floyd’s amazingly talented student artists (l-r) Jessica Munoz-Quintanilla, Emily Barros, Fine Arts chairperson Theresa Bianco, Lorraine Wimpelberg and Stephanie Shanley.

William Floyd High School student-artists were recently honored at the “All County & Scholarship Art Show” sponsored by the Suffolk County Art Leaders Association (SCALA) in partnership with the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts (BACCA). The event, held at Babylon Town Hall, featured talented student artists from across Long Island with William Floyd High School students taking home several top honors.

Jessica Munoz-Quintanilla with her award-winning work, “Niagara Falls.”

Senior Jessica Munoz-Quintanilla was named an All-County winner for her painting, “Niagara Falls,” which was created from a photograph that Jessica took while visiting Niagara Falls with her family. Theresa Bianco, chairperson, visual arts, described Jessica’s work as capturing “the atmospheric movement of the water and the mist created when they combine together, hitting the rocks.”

Senior Stephanie Shanley earned an All-County honorable mention for her charcoal drawing titled, “Only Small for a Short Time.” This monochromatic piece shows a large hand delicately cradling a small child’s hand. “Her sensitivity to this relationship is evident in her technique as she lightly shadows and shades the hands together,” noted Mrs. Bianco.

Lorraine Wimpelberg, also a senior, won the “BACCA Recognition Award” for her large pastel drawing titled, “All in My head.” Mrs. Bianco said, “This beautiful piece is near and dear to the artist as she uses her amazing talent to pay homage to one of the shelter dogs that she works with.”

Emily Barros won an “Honorable Mention” award for her painting “Different Sides.” Mrs. Bianco drescribed this piece as “edgy and fun, depicting an entertainer using bright abstract shapes and patterns, from various angles.”

Please scroll through the album below to see the photos of the students with their work!

The William Floyd School District annual College Fair & Career Expo will be held on Wednesday, April 17 from 6-8:30 pm at  William Floyd High School.

This expo is for parents and guardians of students in all grade levels – kindergarten through 12th grade – who are interested in learning about college and future careers for their children, as well as Career and Technical Education course offerings at the high school.

There will be more than 100 colleges, universities, service organizations and technical schools in attendance to provide information about their institutions and offerings! There will also be workshops to assist parents of elementary, middle and high school students with college planning and preparation, specifically on the college search process, financial aid and more! Mark your calendars for an interesting and informative evening as we explore the possibilities for your child’s future!

Click here to download the College and Career Fair Flyer 

The William Floyd School District in collaboration with the William Floyd Community Summit is hosting its annual Summer Resource Community Fair on Monday, April 15 from 6:30 pm – 8 pm at William Paca Middle School! Come on out and get information on the community offerings available this summer for your child(ren)! We hope to see you there!

A full list of organizations scheduled to attend is listed below:

All Faith Soccer
AMF Bowling
Camp PaQuaTuck
Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau
Colonial Youth & Family Services
The Crime Victims Center, Parents for Megan’s Law
Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
Grace Lutheran Church
Lynvets Colonials Football
Mastic Beach Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Mastic Beach Fire Department
Mastic-Moriches-Shirley Community Library
OCEAN Arts
Shirley Assembly of God Church
Suffolk County Legislature Rudy Sundermans’ Office – Third Legislative District
Suffolk County Farm & Education Center & 4-H Club Program / Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
Tri-Hamlet Sports Club
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
VacationLand Daycare
WFSD Family Center (run by Family Service League)
WFSD Food Service Program
WFSD Summer Camp Programs
WFSD Rockettes

Spots are still available for parents interested in enrolling their eligible children in the district’s free Universal Pre-Kindergarten program beginning in September!

The program is a half-day, five day per week program for children turning four-years old by December 1, 2019. Children must also reside within the William Floyd School District and meet all health and immunization requirements. Enrollment is limited so get your application in today! If more applications are received than slots available, a lottery will be conducted. Please watch the video above to learn more about the program.

Please call (631) 874-1668 for additional information. You can download an application and a copy of the handbook at the links below.

This program is funded by New York State.

UPK application (English)

UPK application (Spanish)

UPK Handbook

The William Floyd School District did not use any snow/emergency days for the 2018-2019 school year. As a result, there will be no school on Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24. This schedule would only change in the event that school is closed due to an emergency between now and May 23. Thank you.

Pictured l-r are: Christine Rosado, director of STEM & CTE; Janet Gilmor, sssistant superintendent for Human Resources; Kevin Coster, superintendent of schools; Lorraine Mentz, BOE trustee; Ron Gross, social studies teacher; Julie Marlette, director of governmental relations, NYSSBA; Robert Vecchio, BOE president; and Kathleen Keane, assistant superintendent for secondary education.

Julie Marlette of NYSSBA talks to George Ober, coordinator of music, William Floyd School District. Ms. Marlette was treated to three stellar musical performances by the high school’s talented students.

On Monday, April 15, the William Floyd School District welcomed Julie Marlette, director of governmental relations for the New York State School Boards Association, for a condensed half-day tour of the district. The morning began in the Rita Rech Museum of William Floyd School District History with welcome performances by the William Floyd High School String Quartet (director: Christopher Shaughnessy), the Brass Quintet (director: Michael Cordaro) and the Acabellas (director: Donia Rivera). Then Ms. Marlette enjoyed breakfast prepared by the high school Culinary Arts students and a brief history presentation of the William Floyd community by social studies teacher, Ron Gross.

Ms. Marlette then toured the high school to see the district’s award-winning Career and Technical Education academies including Automotive Technology, Barbering, Building Trades & Construction, Business, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Medical Assisting and Small Engine Repair, followed by a visit to the Freshman Academy and the Floyd Academy. The tour finished off with a visit to the William Floyd Learning Center to see the great things happening in that building!

William Floyd High School senior cadet Xander Shirley is pictured with his naval science instructors Senior Chief Dwight Becherer (left) and Commander Jay Tweed (right).

William Floyd High School senior Xander Shirley has been selected to receive the prestigious SUNY Maritime College “Presidential NROTC Academy Scholarship,” a 100% five-year scholarship in the college’s electrical engineering program that covers all tuition, room, board and a monthly stipend. After he completes his studies, which includes a one-year electrical engineering preparatory program, he will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in engineering and earn a commission as an officer in the United States Navy.

Shirley, 18, of Shirley, NY, is a four-year member of the William Floyd High School NJROTC and has held various leadership positions in the unit including executive officer and platoon commander. He is graduating in the top 12% of his class and has participated in numerous extracurricular activities such as playing cello in the William Floyd High School symphonic orchestra and as a member of the varsity lacrosse team.

Commander Jay Tweed (USN/Ret.) and Senior Chief Dwight Becherer (USN/Ret.) describe Xander as an “outstanding cadet who is looked up to by others for setting a fine example.”

Cadet Shirley is no stranger to accolades as he was one of just 22 recipients nationwide to receive the “Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement” from the Legion of Valor of the United States, a group consisting of past Medal of Honor and Navy Cross recipients. This award, one of the top honors for high school and college ROTC cadets, is given for scholastic excellence in all academic and military subjects.

Shirley’s school counselor, Danielle DeNunzio, describes him as “a well-rounded young man, who has much to offer,” she said, adding, “He is focused, goal-oriented, and never fails to go above and beyond. He is a positive role model both inside and outside of school, and an exemplary young man.”

Shirley is a decorated NJROTC cadet with awards such as the “Bronze JROTC Award” from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution for his high degree of merit with respect to his leadership qualities, military bearing and general excellence. He also received the unit’s Cadet of the Year honor for 2018, as well as the Honor Cadet award for the highest grade point average in 2016 and 2018.

Additional NJROTC awards and decorations include Distinguished Unit & Unit Achievement, Military Aptitude with Gold Torch, Naval Science Outstanding Cadet, Exemplary Conduct, Academic Stars for honor roll, Academic Team with Gold Torch, numerous exemplary personal appearance & conduct ribbons, countless participation and community service awards and more. He also had the opportunity to travel to Australia with the “People to People” student ambassador program prior to his freshman year.

In addition to his studies, he finds time to volunteer for Boots on the Ground NY, an organization that provides support to service members and veterans in numerous ways including sending care packages, food and more. He has also contributed his time and talents to the New York Blood Drive and Relay for Life, helping to raise much needed funds and awareness in order to help save lives.

Xander Shirley attended William Floyd schools K-12 including Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School and William Paca Middle School.

The William Floyd School District annual College Fair & Career Expo will be held on Wednesday, April 17 from 6-8:30 pm at  William Floyd High School.

This expo is for parents and guardians of students in all grade levels – kindergarten through 12th grade – who are interested in learning about college and future careers for their children, as well as Career and Technical Education course offerings at the high school.

There will be more than 80 colleges, universities, service organizations and technical schools in attendance to provide information about their institutions and offerings! There will also be workshops to assist parents of elementary, middle and high school students with college planning and preparation, specifically on the college search process, financial aid and more! Mark your calendars for an interesting and informative evening as we explore the possibilities for your child’s future!

Click here to download the College and Career Fair Flyer 

Grace Ryan’s class completed the most hours in the school competition. Mrs. Ryan is pictured with some students in her class.

John S. Hobart Elementary School recently hosted a popcorn party for the classes in each grade level achieving the most hours on Pathblazer, a web-based program that helps students achieve new heights in reading and mathematics. Each week leading up to the party, totals were announced over the loud speaker and displayed on a bulletin board in the school lobby. Students also had the opportunity to earn individual awards such as gift certificates to Applebee’s, Friendly’s, Pizza Hut and Island Cinemas.

“Throughout these months, students were excited about the potential of attending the celebration with their classmates as they strived to have the highest total hours for their grade level,” said Dominic Ciliotta, assistant principal, John S. Hobart Elementary School. “The John S. Hobart PTO sponsored a popcorn party for the leading classes in each grade level.” Popcorn, candy and refreshments were provided to all students as well as a certificate to each class, recognizing their hard work and dedication to using the program.

“We are very proud of all of our students and look forward to them continuing to grow and learn,” said Mr. Ciliotta. “We will be having another competition leading up to the April break where students can earn a pizza party!”

Congratulations to each grade level winner:

K – Stefani Hynes’ class (132 Hours)
1st – Jacqueline Chartrand’s class (112 hours)
2nd – Grace Ryan’s class (170 hours)
3rd – Kristin McNamara’s class (148 hours)
4th – Ana Maria Perrette’s class (144 hours)
5th – Mike Abbene’s class (115 hours)

More photos in the album below!

The group of student athletes from the William Floyd High School Class of 2019 who will play sports in college pictured with Hans Wiederkehr, interim athletic director.

The William Floyd Athletic Department recently held its annual spring signing day ceremony on Friday, April 12, for 30 senior student-athletes who will compete in athletics next year at the collegiate level. Family members, friends and coaches, gathered in the John Pidgeon Gymnasium to celebrate their accomplishments.

“I would like to congratulate all of our student-athletes who are moving on to the next level and will be competing both on the field and off,” said Hans Wiederkehr, interim athletic director, William Floyd School District. “Playing in college is very challenging but I know through your hard work, you have already built a great foundation,” he said. Mr. Wiederkehr also acknowledged the parents who have been on the journey with their children from the very beginning and have played a key role in helping them achieve their goals. He expressed similar sentiments to the coaches for their hard work, dedication and guidance throughout the years.

The following William Floyd student athletes have committed to participate in college athletics next fall and don’t miss the signing day photo album below!

Baseball
Nicholas LoMonaco, Eastern Tennessee State University; A.J. Verga, Molloy College; Chris Feigel, SUNY Oneonta; Anthony Currao, Queens College; Vincent Lyons, Suffolk Community College. Coach: Keith Kobasiuk

Boys Basketball
Greg Trent, SUNY Cortland. Coach: Rob Hodgson

Girls Basketball
Hailey Loughlin, Misericordia University. Coach: Rich Sinclair

Field Hockey
Emily Mehnert, East Stroudsburg University. Coach: Maria Carucci

Football
Keith Winfrey, Stony Brook University; Mack Driver, Utica; Nick Silva, Utica; Gary Anderson, Cortland; Kyle Musselman, Cortland. Coach: Paul Longo

Boys Lacrosse
Zaheim Wilkins, Albertus Magnus College; Jake Stellato, St. Joseph’s;  Ronale Thomas, St. Joseph’s; Mathew Olivero, SUNY Maritime. Coach: Desmond Megna

Girls Lacrosse
Mackenzie Coan, Molloy College; Makayla Willets, Lees-McRae College; Terri Nashe, University of the District of Columbia. Coach: Paul Vassallo

Softball
Tristan Santiago, Becker College. Coach: Fred Luhrs

Boys Soccer
Sebastian Paniccia, Keuka College. Coach: Paul Paniccia

Girls Soccer
Brianna Ditillo, Wingate University; Danielle Zacher, Dominican College; Gabriella Iadanza, Plattsburgh State College; Melany Pagan, Dominican College; Makayla Willets, Lees-McRae College. Coach: Kaleigh Sidaras

Girls Track/Cross Country
Kianna Hawkins, LIU Brooklyn; Naomi Desire, LIU Post. Coach: John Ryan

Wrestling
Dario Molina, Wesleyan University. Coach: Tony Mecca

William Floyd Middle School students working on their sandcastings with famed artists Giancarlo Biagi and Jill Burkee.

To coincide with National Youth Art Month, internationally renowned sculptors Giancarlo Biagi and Jill Burkee hosted a sandcasting workshop for William Floyd Middle School art students in the style of Costantino Nivola, a 20^th century Italian-American sculptor, architectural sculptor, muralist, designer and teacher.  Ms. Burkee and Mr. Biagi worked closely with students offering them freedom to express themselves, think creatively, and connect with others while creating perfect, personalized sandcasted sculptures with seashells, wood, fi

Students show off their sandcasted projects with famed artists Giancarlo Biagi and Jill Burkee.

About the artists Giancarlo Biagi and Jill Burkee
Giancarlo Biagi was born in Pietrasanta, Italy. From a very young age, he has been involved with the arts: attending the Istituto d’Arte Stagio Stagi of Pietrasanta and apprenticing at the Tommasi and other local foundries. Maestro Jacques Lipchitz was a mentor and encouraged his sculptural development.

At 21, Biagi moved to the United States, first to New York City, then to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where in 1975 he had his first exhibition in the U.S. at the Shidoni Outdoor Exhibit. As a recipient of a grant in 1978, Biagi returned to New York and attended the Art Students League.

For the past 20 years, in collaboration with his partner Jill Burkee, Biagi has designed and continues to fabricate commissioned works which can be found in museum and private collections: Monte Senario, Florence; Museum della Resistenza, Stazzema; Museo dei Bozzetti, Pietrasanta; The British Museum, London; Annenberg Estates; and the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation, Milan.

In 2007, encourage by gallery friends, Hans P. Kraus, among others, Biagi began to create a line of art furniture for exhibition purposes. His influence in design, materials, and motif comes from antiquity – Etruscan as well as Roman. His techniques are drawn from ancient methods found in the work of the Hittites, Minoan, and Pompeian civilizations. He maintains studios in New York City and Pietrasanta.

Jill Burkee began making jewelry at the age of 12 selling to the local jeweler, Alpine Jewelers, in her hometown of Aspen, Colorado. She attended the University of Washington, and, at age 21 received a grant to continue her studies and work in Europe. She moved to Pietrasanta, Italy, and then to New York City, and continues her lifelong collaboration-in-the-arts with Giancarlo Biagi.

Three William Floyd High School varsity athletic teams recently received the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Scholar-Athlete Team Award for excellence in the classroom during the 2019 winter athletic season! This prestigious award is given to teams with a collective grade point average of 90 or higher for at least 75 percent of the team. The three William Floyd teams are: girls’ varsity basketball coached by Rich Sinclair; varsity bowling coached by James Healey; and competitive cheerleading coached by Alyssa Cabrera. Congratulations to all the student-athletes on this tremendous achievement! Clockwise from top: varsity bowling, competitive cheerleading and girls’ varsity basketball.

The William Floyd music department recently hosted its 36th annual scholarship concert in front of a sold-out crowd in the auditorium at William Floyd Middle School. This year’s event, once again highlighting the talent of the William Floyd music faculty, raised nearly $3,300 in scholarships for graduating seniors pursuing music education in college, adding to the total number of deserving seniors this event has helped achieve their post-secondary educational goals.

“I am astounded by the success that the faculty concert has each year in raising money for college scholarships for declared music majors,” said George Ober, coordinator of music, William Floyd School District. “The music faculty amazes attendees at this event with a wide repertoire of music for all to enjoy. Congratulations and thank you to the music staff and TRI-M Music Honor Society students who shared their time to make this another record-breaking event.”

The event also featured multiple raffle prizes, including a brand new acoustic guitar. Students, parents and community members in attendance also danced and sang along to various performances. Participating music faculty as well as Lorraine Mentz, trustee, Board of Education, and Kevin M. Coster, superintendent of schools, all joined together to perform the finale. Michele Manion, assistant director of special education, served as the emcee for the evening.

This event continues a banner year for the William Floyd music department. In late March, the district earned the “Best Community for Music Education” designation for the third consecutive year (fifth time in total) by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, an award given to communities that demonstrate outstanding achievements and efforts to provide music access and education to all students. This latest award comes on the heels of the entire music department garnering induction into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 for its rich history of excellence in music education.

Please enjoy this brief medley of performances in the video below!