To find out how much your 2019-20 taxes will increase under the Proposed Budget versus the Contingent Budget,
CLICK HERE.

‘The Budget Vote & Trustee Election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, 2019 from 7 am – 9 pm in the William Floyd High School east lobby.

A Message from the Board of Education: The proposed budget for the 2019-20 school year focuses on continuing the social, emotional and academic growth of our students at all levels, while being sensitive to our community and staying at or below the property tax cap for the eighth consecutive year. Our district, which continues its upward trajectory, continues to make additions and upgrades in an effort to educate the whole child and reach new heights. This proposed budget takes additional steps to further increase the graduation rate, which reached an all-time high of 86.1% last August. Although we are pleased with the progress that we have made, there is still more to be accomplished!

This year’s proposed budget includes adding six middle school teachers for the nine-period day at the middle school level, an expansion of the William Floyd Learning Center with a sixth-grade section, five special education teachers, one school counselor, a variety of technology upgrades and more, all with the same goal of providing the best education possible for our children and increasing the graduation rate. It has been and continues to be this Board’s mission to provide opportunities that are successful and sustainable. Please read the brochure linked below to see a list of additions and the differences between the proposed and contingent budgets.

Then, on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, please remember to come out and vote. No matter how you vote, it is important to let your voice be heard. Thank you and we hope to see you at the polls!

The printer-friendly and screen reader accessible versions of the Budget Brochure are available at the links below. Federal law requires print materials regarding the budget vote and trustee election to be printed in English and Spanish. A copy of the combined English/Spanish version of the brochure will be arriving in mailboxes by the second week of May.

Click here for the Budget Brochure in English
Click here for the Budget Brochure in Spanish

Click here for an Absentee Ballot Application in English
Click here for an Absentee Ballot Application in Spanish

Are you registered to vote in the School Budget Vote and Trustee Election? Click here to find out.

To view the 2019-2020 Tax Calculator, please click here.

Propositions, Trustee Election & Voter Qualification & Registration
Proposition 1: To adopt the annual budget in the amount of $246,356,125 of the William Floyd School District for the fiscal year 2019-20, and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the school district.

Election of the Board of Education Trustees: To elect three trustees to the Board of Education for terms of three years commencing July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2022. The three seats are currently held by trustees April Coppola, Robert Guerriero and Lorraine Mentz.

Voter Qualifications & Registration: In order to vote on the William Floyd School District budget and election of trustees, residents must be registered. Voter eligibility requires that you are: a United States citizen, at least 18 years of age, a district resident for at least 30 days, and a registered voter with the District’s Board of Registry or with the Suffolk County Board of Elections. District voter registration applies only to voting in the William Floyd School District. Residents may register at any William Floyd school through May 14, 2019 or at the District Office through May 16, 2019. Voter registration at District Office will close at 5 pm on May 16, 2019, but will continue throughout the date of the vote at the Suffolk County Board of Elections. Absentee applications are available on the district website or by calling the district clerk. For further information or to verify voter eligibility, log onto www.wfsd.k12.ny.us or contact District Clerk Carolyn Visintin at (631) 874-1117.

Please note that translations for on-screen text are provided in more than 90 languages at the left side of the page above directly above the Upcoming Events calendar.

Kyle Meier and Debbie Metz with fellow participants in last year’s Bike-a-Thon.

On Saturday, May 4, from 10 am-1 pm, the Mastic Sports Club Kyle’s Sports for Special Needs and AMBUCS Long Island, is hosting a Bike-a-Thon event at William Floyd Middle School with the assistance of the William Floyd High School Key Club and William Floyd student-athletes. The event is designed for riders in kindergarten through fifth-grade to have fun while raising money for children (residing in the William Floyd School District) who are in need of an adaptive bicycle. The rain date is Sunday, May 5, at 10 am.

Matthew Austin at last year’s Bike-a-Thon.

The William Floyd High School Key Club, under the guidance of their advisor, Michelle Montalbano, along with high school student-athletes and physical education chairperson, Brian Babst, will be on hand to assist the students along the course and to cheer the participants on.

The Key Club, whose focus is on community service, has been volunteering throughout the year at Kyle’s Sports’ bi-weekly inclusion program in which children with special needs gather to play sports and ride their bicycles together.

Key Club member Matthew Austin has benefited from the AMBUCS adaptive bike program. Matthew, who also volunteers as a coach at Kyle’s Sports, received a bike through AMBUCS at one point. He has since transitioned into a typical bike, but is grateful to AMBUCS for helping him make that step by providing him an adaptive bike and the opportunity to ride. Matthew will be donating his adaptive bike back to AMBUCS, so other riders can have the same opportunities.

Kyle Meier, who also serves as a Key Club member and is the inspiration behind Kyle’s Sports for Special Needs, has also benefited from the program. Kyle is the grandson of Debbie Metz, founder of Kyle’s Sports for Special Needs and the president of AMBUCS Long Island.

Debbie Metz with her grandsons Kyle (left) and Keith Meier.

The Mastic Sports Club Kyle’s Sports Ride-Along Program and AMBUCS Long Island enables all children with special needs or disabilities the opportunity to ride along with their peers and socially interact within the community and at school events. “I am proud to be the founder and president for two adaptive sports organizations and programs that enrich the lives of children with special needs and disabilities. Inclusion is for every child,” added Mrs. Metz.

Although all are welcomed and encouraged to attend, the riding portion of the event is only open to riders in kindergarten through fifth grade. Skateboarders and scooter riders are welcome and all participants must wear a helmet.

Attendees are encouraged to park across the street near the Kyle Sports’ Playground at the Moriches Athletic Complex. There will also be face painting, music, cotton candy, food and more available. Come on out for a great time! Click here for the event flier.

For more information about each organization, please visit www.msckylesportsforspecialneeds.com and https://www.facebook.com/AMBUCSLI/.

Attention High School students and parents/guardians:

Super Saturday is back!

This year, beginning Tuesday, 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.

William Floyd Board of Education members Jeananne Dawson, vice president, and Robert Vecchio, president, will be honored at the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association dinner on May 29.

William Floyd Board of Education members Jeananne Dawson and Robert Vecchio have been selected as the recipients of two Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association (N-SSBA) awards for dedicated and distinguished service to their districts and community, respectively. Both will be honored at the N-SSBA 59th annual dinner meeting on Wednesday, May 29.

“On behalf of the William Floyd School District, I would like to congratulate Mrs. Dawson and Mr. Vecchio on these well-deserved honors. We are fortunate to have a seven-member Board of Education, led by these two amazing advocates, who continually place the needs of our students and community first,” said Kevin M. Coster, Superintendent of Schools, William Floyd School District. “Under their stewardship, our district has achieved new heights in student success and programmatic offerings while putting forth responsible budgets that are sensitive to the needs of our residents.”

Jeananne Dawson, who serves as vice president of the Board of Education, will receive the “Dedicated School Board Service Award” for her 40 years of dedicated and distinguished service to the William Floyd community as a Board member. This award is given to a Board trustee with at least 24 years of dedicated board service. Fellow trustee April Coppola, who nominated Mrs. Dawson for this honor, described her as a role model and mentor who always puts William Floyd’s students first. In her nomination letter she wrote, “I admire Mrs. Dawson because she raised a family and worked a paying job, all while continuing the good fight to make sure William Floyd students get what they need, but most of all what they deserve.”

A resident of the community since 1975 who joined the Board of Education in 1979, Mrs. Dawson had the pleasure of putting two children through the William Floyd School District: her son, Mark, Class of 1991, and her daughter, Michelle, Class of 1994. During her tenure, Mrs. Dawson has overseen many accomplishments including helping to create a growing sense of vision and community; advances in curriculum and consistent growth in academic progress; a brand new Career and Technical Education program with a plethora of offerings; new in-house alternative programs (Floyd Academy and William Floyd Learning Center); the overwhelming approval (91.2%) of the forthcoming $39.4 million capital project; a graduation rate on an upward trajectory (86% in August 2018); an increased Moody’s Financial Services bond rating signifying the sound fiscal operations of the district; and numerous school and individual student accomplishments.

Additionally, Mrs. Dawson has served as the tournament coordinator for the annual William Floyd Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament over the past 22 years, an event hosted by Century 21 Cor-Ace Realty, which raises money for scholarships for graduating William Floyd High School seniors. Since its inception, this scholarship tournament has raised more than $520,000 for deserving students.

Robert Vecchio, president of the William Floyd Board of Education, will receive the “Distinguished Service Award, which is granted to an individual in recognition for outstanding leadership in a school district, and on a larger scale, effecting positive impact on public education as a whole. Fellow trustee Lorraine Mentz nominated Mr. Vecchio, who has served on the Board of Education for 16 years – the last 13 as its president. His two children also graduated from William Floyd schools – Amanda, Class of 2011, and Robert, Class of 2014.

Trustee Mentz described Mr. Vecchio as a mentor – someone who has invested a lot of time in new school board members to help them transition into their roles. In her nomination letter Trustee Mentz wrote, “Mr. Vecchio is an outstanding leader who exemplifies and honors the commitment of school board members across Long Island and New York State…he has always been an amazing advocate for public education and for all students. He is committed to our community and our school district.”

In addition to overseeing the district on its upward trajectory including the increasing graduation rate, increased Moody’s bond rating, introduction of new programs such as CTE, the Floyd Academy and the William Floyd Learning Center, as well as the capital project, Mr. Vecchio has been the driving force behind the creation of the “Our Community Salutes” Military Enlistee Recognition Program that honors graduating high school seniors who have enlisted in the Armed Forces for the service that they are about to undertake. In its first four years, Our Community Salutes Brookhaven Town has honored more than 110 students for enlisting into the armed services after graduation. The organization’s fifth recognition dinner is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15.

Since 2015, Mr. Vecchio has hosted the “Spotlight on Long Island Schools” program airing Saturday mornings on LI News Radio 103.9, focusing on the positive things happening in schools across Long Island. He is a prominent voice for the William Floyd school community, and education as a whole, to elected officials on the local, state and federal levels.

Throughout his Board service, Mr. Vecchio has served as a legislative and executive committee member of the Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association and led the district in joining the Statewide School Finance Consortium, a group dedicated to securing equitable funding for NYS public schools. He was the inaugural recipient of the New York State School Boards Association “Champion for Change” award in 2015, an award honoring an “outstanding school board president for his/her efforts on behalf of students and the community.” Additionally, he serves as a member of the Brookhaven Town Board Ethics Committee and a Board Trustee for St. Jude’s Roman Catholic Church.

The N-SSBA has a membership of 109 Long Island school boards with a mission of advancing education and service to its member boards.

“Success, success, I will do my best…!” William Floyd Elementary School students hear those words and more as part of their school song each Monday morning as they start their week. The melody, titled “The William Floyd Elementary’s Journey of Success,” is based off the tune of “It’s a Small Word,” which was adapted by music teacher Denise Post with lyrics by assistant principal Valerie Ennis.

“The song was created in an effort to enhance student morale and further promote our core values,” said Mrs. Ennis, referring to the virtues that they focus on as a school such as hard work, friendship, cooperation, self-control, action, fitness, determination, team spirit, confidence and skill. “Students in every grade level are offered the opportunity to sing on a rotating basis.”

Please enjoy this video of students Amber Minter, Leighton Wicklow, Farryn Marchese, Matthew Paola, Aysegul Basar and Johanna Brutus singing their school song. Full lyrics below!

Lyrics to The William Floyd Elementary’s Journey of Success
Success, Success, I will do my best, every day will be my test. 
You will see, you will see, the unique special me, at the William Floyd Elementary!

First HARD WORK and then I play, DETERMINED to practice my SKILLS today.
LOYALTY and FRIENDSHIP too. COOPERATION in all I do.

I want friends so a friend I will be; TEAM SPIRIT is what you will see.
HONESTY is important too, that is a rule…at the William Floyd Elementary!

My CONFIDENCE is plain to see; FITNESS of body is important to me. 
I take ACTION in all I do, SELF-CONTROL is important too…at the William Floyd Elementary!

Success, Success, I will do my best. Every day will be my test.  
You will see, you will see, the unique special me at the William Floyd Elementary!

Students and staff at William Paca Middle School recently competed in “William Paca Ninja Warrior,” a fun and physically challenging obstacle course that was inspired by the popular television show American Ninja Warrior. Throughout the week, students were put to the test running the course in their physical education classes. Students who recorded the best times in their respective grade level qualified to compete in the school-wide competition held after school in front of friends and family. They also had the opportunity to compete against some of the William Paca Middle School teachers to determine the ultimate William Paca Ninja Warrior.

William Paca Ninja Warrior winners included: Talim Reyes (sixth-grade boys) and Jariella Mercado (sixth-grade girls); Luis Soto (seventh-grade boys) and Caroline Bull (seventh-grade girls); Anthony Merkel (eighth-grade boys) and Jordyn Wilson (eighth-grade girls). Winning the teachers category were Corey Frederick and Alyssa Cabrera.

The William Paca Middle School physical education staff, Paula Malguarnera, Jason Brodsky and Steve Dorn, came up with this fun and memorable idea to promote competition, physical activity and overall positive health.

Please enjoy a brief compilation video and an album of images below!

Students at William Floyd Elementary School recently participated in their annual school science fair with first-place winners earning the opportunity to have their projects entered into the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Elementary Science Fair on Saturday, May 4. Student projects were also displayed at the William Floyd School District annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Symposium at the William Floyd High School.

Congratulations to the following students who were selected as the overall winners for their grade level:

Kindergarten: Giuseppe Lolacono Jr. for “The Great Cookie Dunk – Do Cookies Sink or Float in Milk?”
1st Grade: Lobsang Druyinstang for “What Makes a Candy Bar Sink or Float?”
2nd Grade: John Wiesman for “What Solution Will Keep Flowers Alive the Longest?”
3rd Grade: Darren Heitman for “What Happens When Virtual Reality is Played for a Long Time?”
4th Grade: Aydan Alqadri for “Apple Over the Fence”
5th Grade: Claira Parente for “Tooth Takeover”

Moriches Elementary School students recently participated in their annual school science fair with first-place winners qualifying for the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Elementary Science Fair this Saturday, May 4. Student projects were also on display at the annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Symposium at William Floyd High School in mid-April.

Congratulations to the following student winners and best of luck at BNL!

BNL Entrants:
Bailey Meyer (kindergarten) – How Many Digits Can You Remember?
Payton Gallagher (first grade) – Skyrocketing Soda
Riley Meyer (second Grade) – What’s The Scoop?
Jaden Miller (fourth grade) – Testing The Waters
Charles Murphy (fifth grade) – How Clean is Your School?

Winners K-3 category:
Payton Gallagher (first grade) – 1^st place: Skyrocketing Soda –
Bailey Meyer (kindergarten) – 2^nd place: How Many Digits Can You Remember?
Riley Meyer (second Grade) – 3^rd place:  What’s The Scoop?
Gabriella Scheifele (second grade) – Honorable Mention: Should You Throw Your Vegetables on The Floor?

Winners 4^th grade:
Jaden Miller – 1^st place: Testing The Waters
Gavin Blankenship – 2^nd place: Does Temperature Affect The Bounce?
Matthew Danielsen – 3^rd place: I see DNA
Gage Ringi – Honorable Mention: Does your drink Have a Glucose Level?

Winners 5^th grade:
Charles Murphy – 1^st Place: How Clean is Your School?
Shealyn Pizzini – 2^nd place: Viscosity of Motor Oil
Joslyn Lawrence – 3^rd place: How long Does Your Water Bottle Keep Temperature
James Start – Honorable Mention: Dental Drama

Tangier Smith Elementary School students recently participated in their annual school science fair with first-place winners earning the opportunity to have their projects entered into the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Elementary Science Fair this Saturday, May 4. Student projects were also on display at the annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Symposium at William Floyd High School in mid-April.

Congratulations to the following students selected as the overall winners for their grade level who will compete this weekend at the BNL Elementary Science Fair!

Kindergarten: Derek Lupski for “Drinks vs. ‘Egg’ Namel”
1st Grade: Ethan Behrens for “Furry Friends”
2nd Grade: Gabriella Montalbano for “Fish Friend or Foe to Plants?”
3rd Grade: Anthony Biancospino for “How Well Are You Washing Your Hands?”
4th Grade: Avery Morano for “Who Has More Gas?”
5th Grade: Colin Smith for “Goodbye Kidney Stones”

This summer, the William Floyd School District will offer a variety of sports camps for students who are interested in participating.The registration fee varies depending on the camp. Proceeds will benefit the William Floyd Athletic Department for supplies and equipment.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

William Floyd High School NJROTC cadets Nicholas Brown (left) and Cody Neidig (right) with Principal Philip Scotto.

Colby Neidig and Nicholas Brown, junior cadets in the William Floyd High School NJROTC Program, recently participated in the Valley Forge Freedom Foundation Youth Conference in Valley Forge, PA, a four-day conference on citizenship, democracy, the free enterprise system, the judicial system and the American political process.

This year’s conference, consisting of approximately 80 select high school students from across the nation, included thought-provoking lectures, historical tours and experiential workshops, all designed to develop leadership skills and deepen their understanding of the rights and responsibilities of engaged citizens. It also focused on developing the youth to lead civic engagement, become more aware of the U.S. Constitution, patriotism, good citizenship and what it takes to be a leader in society.

Each year, two outstanding junior cadets from William Floyd attend with all expenses paid for by two Military Order of World Wars chapters, one on Long Island and the other in Philadelphia.

Speaking of his experience, Cadet Neidig said, “I gained an appreciation of the founding and structure of our national government.”

Cadet Brown agreed, stating, “I gained a better understanding of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It was a great opportunity to further develop my leadership skills.”

Senior Naval Science instructor Commander Jay Tweed (USN/Ret.) said that this year’s conference was a “milestone” in each of these cadets’ lives.

Yearbooks are on sale until Friday, May 31, 2019, and supplies are limited! The cost is $120 cash or money order made out to William Floyd High School Yearbook. Please bring the payment to Room 136/Chairperson’s office (Ms. Janowicz) or Room 257 (Dr. Incantalupo). After May 31, yearbooks may be purchased for $130 (cash only) on a first-come, first-serve basis at the prom breakfast on June 7. If you have any questions, please see Dr. Incantalupo or Ms. Janowicz.

The William Floyd Colonials boys’ varsity tennis team just concluded another successful season with a 10-3 overall record (8-2 in League play) and a second-place finish in League VIII. Under the guidance of two-time USTA Coach of the Year Dave Pia, the Colonials improved their record by two wins over last year’s team falling just one spot shy of making the playoffs for the eighth time in the past 10 years.

The entire team put forth an amazing effort led by the top two singles players Patrick Barnett (junior) recording six wins in first singles and Sergei Rogers (sophomore) scoring seven wins in second singles. Vincent Fattizzo (junior) had seven wins in the third-singles role, and Matthew Kolongowski had a team-high 10 wins in fourth singles.

William VanSchaick (junior) and Dorian Deleon (sophomore) won nine matches as the first-doubles team scoring some big wins this year against top competition. The second-doubles team of juniors John Centeno and Nicholas Rowehl recorded 10 wins including a big match against Westhampton, a top team. Asa Ostrowski (junior) and Ephrem Romao (sophomore) also recorded 10 wins at third doubles including a team high 10-match winning streak.

Additionally, sophomores Ryan DiGiacomo and Matthew Dominguez played both varsity and junior varsity matches this year and excelled at singles play.

“We look forward to the summer to continue improving our tennis fundamentals and are looking forward to another good season next year,” said Coach Pia, adding that the entire team is set to return next year.

Several players still have an opportunity to earn honors and make their marks in the individual tournaments over the next two weeks.

Additional photos in the album below!

Caitlyn Michiels holds a copy of the letter she sent to Legislator Sunderman.

Due to the efforts of Caitlyn Michiels, a third-grade student in Nicole Meltcher’s class at Moriches Elementary School, each August will now be recognized as “Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month” in Suffolk County. This awareness month encourages parents to have their children’s eyes checked prior to the start of the school year so students can reap the maximum benefits of their education. The law also directs the Suffolk County Department of Health Services to develop educational materials focused on eye health for distribution during the month of August. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone signed this bill into law on April 23 at a signing ceremony at the Mastic Beach Fire house also attended by the bill’s sponsor, Suffolk County Legislator Rudy Sunderman.

Caitlyn, 9, was recently diagnosed with anterior bilateral uveitis, a rare disease that causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye. The condition is the third leading cause of blindness in children. Uveitis is not something that she will grow out of and there is no known cure. Since this diagnosis, she has had to take anti-inflammatory medication and special vitamins each day, have her eyes dilated twice per day with eye drops and even started a low-dose chemotherapy treatment.

In an effort to educate others about the ailment, she reached out to Legislator Sunderman asking for his assistance on creating Uveitis Awareness Day.

Caitlyn Michiels with Legislator Rudy Sunderman and County Executive Bellone as he signs the “Children’s Eye Health & Safety Awareness Month” bill into law.

In her letter to Legislator Sunderman, she wrote, “Because of the rarity of this disease, too many people ask me what it is. I don’t mind telling anyone, but one day I thought, ‘Why should I have to?’ This is why I am writing to you. I would like to create a Uveitis Awareness Day. I didn’t know how to do this and then I remembered that when you came to speak to my girl scout troop you told us to ask you if we need help. Can you help me?”

Legislator Sunderman responded to Caitlyn immediately and worked with her and her family to help bring attention to her disease and the importance of children having their eyes checked regularly. Legislator Sunderman said, “Caitlyn is the perfect example of how one voice, no matter how small, can make a difference. I look forward to working with her on other advocacy initiatives in the future and helping her to spread the word about the importance of eye health.”

Deirdre Redding, Caitlyn’s principal at Moriches Elementary School, described Caitlyn as a kind-hearted person who always looks to make people smile. “She is an excellent student, a good friend and role model for her classmates and peers within our school community,” said Mrs. Redding. “Facing personal challenges, she worked to share her voice as an advocate for eye health awareness and wellness for all children. I am so incredibly proud of her strength and bravery.”

In addition to her involvement with the girl scouts, Caitlyn is an avid lacrosse player in the William Floyd youth lacrosse program, is a member of her school’s book club and healthy lifestyle club. Caitlyn aspires to be a physical education teacher as a future career.

You can view a copy of the bill here.

William Floyd High School Advanced Placement chemistry teacher Kristen Drury.

Kristen Drury, an Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry teacher at William Floyd High School, was recently selected as the secondary school (grades nine through 12) recipient of the POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) Early Achievement Award or the POGIL PEACH for advancing POGIL and demonstrating an exceptional level of enthusiasm for student-centered learning. She was chosen, along with Christopher Mayfield, PhD, an associate professor of computer science at James Madison University, for distinguishing herself among her secondary colleagues around the nation and for advancing inquiry-based learning. The POGIL Project honored her at its national meeting held in St. Louis in June. For her efforts, she received a plaque and a cash prize.

At William Floyd High School, Ms. Drury uses a flipped classroom to provide more time in class for inquiry-based learning. The POGIL method has been an integral part of her teaching style and her passion for guided inquiry learning and the POGIL philosophy led her to become more actively involved with The POGIL Project; she has participated in facilitator trainings, trained colleagues at William Floyd, at various New York colleges and universities, at national chemistry conferences, and POGIL summer meetings, as well as coordinated a network of POGIL mentors to help new and aspiring teachers implement POGIL in their classrooms. According to the POGIL Project, her “commitment and enthusiasm for chemical education can be described as motivating and contagious.”

“I am excited to honor these two outstanding educators as recipients of the POGIL Early Achievement Award,” said Rick Moog, executive director, POGIL Project. “Both Kristen and Chris have had a strong impact on the POGIL community and have contributed greatly to the growth and success of The Project.”

Ms. Drury is an accomplished chemistry teacher and leader in her field. She is a New York State Master Teacher Emeritus (2014), the 2018 American Association of Chemistry Teachers “High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year” and a past recipient of the Empire State Excellence in Teaching award. For the past several years, the College Board has tapped Ms. Drury for her expertise as an AP chemistry reader. She has also been published in the peer-reviewed journal, Chemistry Solutions.

The POGIL Project is a non-profit organization of secondary school and college level educators who strive to improve teaching and learning by fostering an inclusive, transformative community of reflective educators who design, implement, assess and study learner-centered environments.

William Floyd Middle School Principal Carolyn Schick has informed the district that she will be retiring effective the end of the summer. The Board of Education officially accepted her retirement at the July 1 Board of Education reorganizational meeting.

Carolyn Schick

The district will immediately begin a search for her successor and aims to have a new principal in place by the end of July. The William Floyd School District thanks Mrs. Schick for her positive contributions to the district and wishes her well in her retirement.

Mrs. Schick informed her William Floyd Middle School colleagues on July 1 in an email, the text of which is below.

To the William Floyd Middle School (WFMS) family:

Sixteen years ago, WFMS was born of a collaborative vision focused on creating a school, which would foster academic, physical and social-emotional excellence for William Floyd students. This vision guided its inception and development over the years and not only did it quickly become a good school, it became a great school, one which was highly honored and praised and which held true to its mission. I have had the honor of being the leader of WFMS from its opening in 2003 until today. I have decided to retire after a long and outstanding educational career. I thank all of you for your efforts over the years and your diligence in ensuring that every student has what they need to succeed in life. I am, however, assured by the fact that you will persist in continuing our work, advocating for students and remaining forever committed to their success. Thanks for the memories!

Tangier Smith Elementary School students in Tony Mecca’s and Neal Heaton’s physical education classes recently raised $3,071 to benefit the American Heart Association through the organization’s “Kids Heart Challenge,” an educational and fundraising campaign focused on the importance of heart health and success through physical and emotional well-being. Tangier Smith surpassed their $3,000 fundraising goal and achieved their highest total in the past five years. Mr. Mecca added that first-grade “heart hero” Brianna Koss was the top school fundraiser with $755 and Christine DeFelice’s first-grade class raised the most as a group. “Great job, Tangerines!” said Mr. Mecca. “Way to have heart!”

Please be advised that on June 13, 2019, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill passed by the New York State Legislature, which repeals the provisions of the Public Health Law permitting parents to request an exemption from immunization requirements based upon statements of religious belief. The new law became effective immediately.

As a result, any immunization exemptions previously granted based upon statements of religious belief are no longer accepted, and no new exemptions of this nature will be considered or granted. As of now, the only basis upon which a child may be exempted from immunization requirements is by certification of a licensed New York State physician that there is a medical reason why the child should not be immunized.

This means that all children before they can come to school, other than those who qualify for a medical exemption, must show proof of immunization against poliomyelitis, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, varicella, hepatitis B, pertussis, tetanus and (where applicable by grade level) hemophilus influenza type B (HiB), meningococcal disease and pneumococcal disease.

Any child who is presented for enrollment without proof of required immunizations will not be permitted to attend school, or will be excluded after 14 days if appropriate proof has not been presented. This may be extended to no more than 30 days for good cause shown as provided in the Public Health Law. The immunization requirements will apply to all 2019 summer program enrollments and fall enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year and beyond.

Where a child has not received the full course of immunizations, s/he will be admitted to school if it is demonstrated that s/he has had at least the first dose of each immunization series required by law, and s/he has age-appropriate appointments to complete the immunization series.

More information about the immunizations are required is available from your child’s pediatrician and from the school nurse at your child’s school. Additional information can be found on the district’s website under STUDENT HEALTH.

We ask parents to give immediate attention to this important message.

Summer is here. You may be thinking about what your child will do for meals while school is out. The good news is that the William Floyd School District has once again partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to serve free breakfast and lunch to our community, even their guests! It’s food that’s in, when school is out. There are no income requirements and any child ages 18 years old and younger may come to eat at no charge. This program is completely self-sustaining and there is no cost to local residents. Breakfast will be served from 7:00 am to 9:30 am; and lunch between 11:00 and 1:30 pm in the William Floyd High School cafeteria, 240 Mastic Beach Road, Mastic Beach, Monday through Friday between July 8 and August 23, 2019. Please use the south entrance.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE FLYER