Fall 2014 Edition - Mount Sinai School District

Reflections From Our Schools
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MOUNT SINAI UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Reflections From Our Schools
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MOUNT SINAI UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Fall 2014
Volume 51 Issue 1
MOUNT SINAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Grades K – 4
Dr. John Gentilcore, Principal
First Day of School
Ashley Kandell ,Olivia LoMonaco, Emily Kandell
T
he first day of school is a very exciting day for
all, especially the kindergarten students. It’s
their first time riding on a school bus and being in an elementary school as a student. The learners come in and
are greeting by happy staff members who help them get
to where they need to go. Their classrooms are filled with
fun activities that are waiting for them to participate in.
From the first day of school, they are forming friendships
and getting into their classroom routines. On the first day
of kindergarten, the students participate in “getting to
know you” activities and listen to stories about first day
feelings. Most students come in with a smile and leave
with an even bigger one!
Ms. Linda Chase, Assistant Principal
Character Education
As part of the
Mount Sinai Elementary
School
Character Education Program Mrs.
Viscosi, the Elementary
School
Social Worker, visited each 1st grade
class and did a lesson about tolerance. Mrs. Viscosi read the book titled
The Legend of the Square Pumpkin. Spookley In this story the pumpkins tease Spookley for being different, that is
until the storm comes and Spookley saves the day! The
lesson reminds all the students that while we are similar
in some ways it is our differences that make us unique.
The students all agreed that we never tease someone for
being different. After all, the things that make us different
are the things that make us special.
MOUNT SINAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Box Tops for Education
Students learned that if there was ever a fire, they needed
to have a plan, get out of the house and go to a neighbor. They also saw that even though firefighters had a lot
of equipment – they weren’t scary, but there to help
them. Finally a highlight of the visit was that all of the students got to the board the hook and ladder fire truck. It
was a wonderful program and we want to once again
thank all of our wonderful Mt. Sinai Volunteer Firefighters
for visiting!
First Day of School
Lost Tooth
B
ox Tops for Education is one of America’s largest
school loyalty programs. Box tops can be found
on hundreds of products. With each box top that
is handed in worth 10 cents, our school district has earned
over $23,000 in the years the PTO has been running this
program. Participation last year generated a recordbreaking $2700 that was in turn given back to the school
for student programs. Thank you to the PTO for all of
your support and to every family who participates by collecting Box Tops for Education!
Fire Prevention
Olivia Salmon and Mrs. Pantino
Ella Woodruff, Abigail Brown, Piper Davino, Caroline Pilon, Matthew Fitzgerald, Nicholas Davino, Jax Boeckel and Milan Afzali
On October 16th, the Mount Sinai Fire Department
came to visit the kindergarten students. The firefighters
talked to the boys and girls about what to do to stay safe
if there was ever a fire. They also spoke to the students
about what to do with their families so they are always
prepared.
O
livia Salmon received the very
first lost tooth
award on the
first day of school. Boys
and girls don't mind losing
that tooth when they know
that Mrs. Pantino helps
them celebrate this milestone with a certificate, a
new toothbrush and their
tooth! Don't want to leave
out the tooth fairy!!
Mount Sinai Mirror 2
MOUNT SINAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Math Workshop
At the end of their talk, students were asked to share bus
safety rules with their parents and sign a student
“contract” committing to bus safety. Thank you First Student drivers, Mrs. Madonna, teachers and parents for
helping to support this very important program.
T
he elementary school had five nights of Math
workshops this past September. Parents in each of the
grade participated in hand-on activities that focused on
the current math units their children were completing in
class. First grade parents created wrist Renkenreks
bracelets to help with number combinations to
ten. Fourth grade parents explored tape diagrams as a
strategy to solve word problems. The workshops were
well attended and future workshops are on the horizon,
keep an eye on the district website for date of future math
workshops.
4th Grade Buddies
Peaceful Bus
This is the third year that the Mount Sinai Elementary
School has implemented a Peaceful Bus Program. This
is a program where administrators and teachers collaborate with bus drivers to help students behave safely and
appropriately on their bus ride to and from school. Members of the committee work together to come up with different ways to reward students demonstrating safe bus
behavior. Students earn certificates and rewards and the
students on the bus with the most compliments from their
bus driver earn free seat day in our cafeteria.
The program kicked off at the beginning of the year with
our teachers boarding buses in the morning to talk with
the students and bus drivers about the students’ responsibilities when they are riding on the bus; how to behave on
the bus; and what to do when a problem arises. Teachers
brainstormed with students and wrote down the different
ideas that they came up with on a laminated bus that is
hung in our cafeteria. This serves as a reminder to students of what is expected from them as well as how buses are being rewarded for wonderful student behavior.
Mrs. Sullivan and Mrs. Lederle‘s classes worked collaborating for some fun pumpkin math and science fun.
Working with their buddies the boys and girls used their
skills of observation to investigate the weight and height
of their pumpkins. They also were able to perform a floating experiment. Some were surprised that their very
large and heavy pumpkin did not sink! Together they
brainstormed some great story ideas, and decorated their
pumpkins. We can’t wait for our next adventure together. Mount Sinai Mirror 3
MOUNT SINAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
“Stand Up!, Stand Out, The Bullying Project”
O
n September 11, 2014, the fine actors from Theater
Three in Port Jefferson put on a remarkable performance entitled “Stand Up! Stand Out! The Bullying Project” at our Elementary School. Through puppetry, music, song, dance and fairy tales, the students followed a
day in the life of a little girl at school who was bullied by
classmates. They received a powerful message of what it
feels like to be bullied and what it’s like to stand by and do
nothing. They also learned wonderful strategies for how
to stand up to bullies. A discussion followed the assembly which allowed students to ask the performers questions. This assembly was sponsored by the PTO and
serves as the launch to our Character Education
and Bucket Filling programs.
Summer Reading Celebration
This past summer
students at Mt. Sinai
Elementary
School
once again participated in a summer reading program sponsored by the school
library. This was done
in conjunction with the
public libraries in our
area, Port Jefferson
and
Comsewogue.
This fall students were
rewarded with a certificate for their participation AND a new book of their choice! 225 students joined
the gathering and a great time was had by all! You can
tell by the big smile on Nicholas Gounaris! A huge thank
you to our PTO who provided the new books and to the
PTO parents who graciously helped out at the event.
Keep reading Mt. Sinai students!
UNITY DAY
On Wednesday, October 22nd the Mount Sinai Elementary School celebrated Unity Day. Unity Day is recognized nationally as a day to put aside the traits and
characteristics that divide us, and focus on what unites
us. Although it was originally a movement against bullying, it has grown to encompass a sense of pride in the
qualities and traits that bring us together.
On Unity Day 2014, the Mount Sinai Elementary School
students and staff participated in a variety of team and
community minded activities. A sea of orange could be
seen as you entered the classrooms and hallways. Many
classes paired with each other - intermediate students
assisted primary students with character education building projects and literature.
Everyone was on
board….except Mother Nature.
Due to inclement weather, our building wide activities
were postponed to October 30th. On that day, orange prevailed once again, and the entire elementary family joined
together in the field behind the school as a sign of our
solidarity and commitment to being united. With the support of our wonderful, volunteer Mount Sinai Fire Department, we were able to take several aerial photographs of
not only our student body, but of the pictorial collage that
spelled out UNITY 2014! Thank you to the Mount Sinai
Fire Department, Dr. Gentilcore who tamed his fear of
heights and to all the members of the 2014 Unity Day
committee led by Mrs. Chase who made this day a reality
that the students will never forget!
Wear Pink
On Friday October 10, 2014 The Mount Sinai Elementary School honored everyone who has battled breast
cancer. Pictured here are Kennedy Orlando and Sarah
Blandi
Mount Sinai Mirror 4
MOUNT SINAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
September
Athletes—Kelly Hughes, Jackson Paplin, Justin Kit and
Evelyn Miller, William Stoner, Lucas Laforge, Avery Nardi
and Kate Squicciarino
Artist Kate Rubino
Musician of the Month
Gabriel Perez
October
Athletes- Dante Gervino, John Graziano, Kennedy
Kearns ,Kyla OrlandoTommy Frycek, Logan Geraghty,
shealyn Nauronis & Emma Wells
Artist Isabella Barone
Musician Sophia Clark
Mount Sinai Mirror 5
MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades 5 – 8
Mr. Peter Pramataris
Principal
O
Ms. Elizabeth Hine
Assistant Principal
Spirit Week/Homecoming Parade 2014: A Bunch of Heroes!
n Saturday, September 20, members of the Mount Sinai Middle School Student Council marched to represent the
middle school in this year’s Homecoming Day Parade. This year’s theme, “Superheroes,” was depicted in the form
of many students’ favorite childhood game – Legos! The middle school float displayed Superman, Spiderman, Ironman,
and Batman in their Lego form. The Lego superheroes surrounded a cluster of cardboard buildings, as well as a beautiful city skyline, all painted by members of the Council. A very special “Thank you” goes out to all those who contributed
their time in helping to make the Middle School float and participation in the parade a success, including Mr. Pramataris,
Ms. Hine, Student Council advisors Ms. Hild and Ms. Pomaro, Ms. Bowie, Ms. Cavalluzzo, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Graham, Mr.
Hagenburg, Ms. Lang, Middle Island Equipment, and our driver Gary Miller of Dignity Memorial.
Wacky Wednesday
Mismatched Day
Mount Sinai Mirror 6
MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL
2014 – 2015 Middle School Student
Council Elections
O
ver fifty students campaigned in this year’s Middle School Student Council Election. From September
10th through September 14th, candidates in grades five
through eight petitioned, made and displayed posters,
and delivered speeches during their lunch period. Student Council acquired many new and wonderful members, either as Representatives or General Members.
Winning the Grade 5 Election were Alexa Carannante,
Jordan DeBlasio, J.P. DiDonato, Brianna Rode, and Elliana Williams. Those elected as Representatives in
Grade 6 include Gabriella Braun, Daniella Graffeo, Harrison Gudzik, Macrae Taylor, and Connor Wilcken. Winning as Reps for Grade 7 were Audrey Bilello, Grace
Plumitallo,
and
Stephen
Wilcken. Finally, the Grade 8
Election for Representative and
then Officer resulted in a win for
Gavin Code (Secretary), Katherine Gudzik (Vice President),
Julie Pfeffer (President), Nicholas Rodriguez (Treasurer), and
Jameson Wessels (Historian).
“Dream, Dare, Do” Assembly
On November 6th, students in the Middle School were
recipients of a PTO gifted assembly called Dream, Dare,
Do that was presented by Camfel Productions. Stories
from teens were accompanied by current movie clips and
music that students found inspiring and relevant in a three
screen multimedia format. The message reiterated our
goals of students being an Upstander against bullying and
setting goals to reach for their dreams. One of the key
quotes flashed on the screen during the presentation was
…. “If it does not challenge you, it does not change you.”
David Flood’s “Look on the Inside” Assembly
David Flood, a youth inspirational speaker, gave two
assemblies at the Middle
School on September 23 as
part of their DASA and
character education programs. Thanks to the funding by the PTO, he addressed
students in grades 5-8 and challenged them with three
tasks – Think of others as yourself and find similarities,
thank an adult in the school for all they do, and invite
someone to your lunch table so that no student eats alone
in the cafeteria. The personal stories he shared with students and staff were both humorous and poignant. He
remained in the building to speak to students during the
lunch periods in order to make connections and further
his message.
Mount Sinai Mirror 7
MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL
Legislator, Sarah Anker’s Press Conference
T
he middle school hosted a press conference for
Legislator Sarah Anker and members of her staff
on November 6th as she promoted a Music Video contest
in support of Suffolk’s Stop Bullying website
www.suffolkstopbullying.org. The contest rules are posted
on the website and the winning video will become part of
the website banner on the first page. Judges will include
Mike Delguidice from Big Shot; Anthony Mingoia from
Patent Pending, a former Mt. Sinai graduate; and Danny
“Energetic” Rivera.
7th and 8th Grade Halloween Ball:
Truly Spooktacular!
The 5th Annual 7th and 8th grade Halloween Ball was
held on Friday, October 24 in the middle school cafeteria.
Prizes were given to students with the most creative,
scary, comical, and overall-best costumes. Giggles were
abundant and toilet paper was flying as teams of students
competed in a Mummy-Wrap contest.
Each team
wrapped one gallant and good-natured team member into
the most stylish mummy that they could create. Chaperones found it hard to keep a straight face as they assessed the runway-ready mummies. A truly “thrilling”
time was had by all!
Mount Sinai Mirror 8
MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL
5th and 6th Grade Halloween Social
O
ver 230 students were in attendance at this
year’s grade 5 and 6 Halloween Social, held immediately after school on Friday, October 24; this
was the largest turnout in Student Council history! Students danced the afternoon away in the “spooktacularly”
decorated middle school cafeteria, and a truly fantastic
time was had by all.
Science Club!
The first quarter of the year has been an exciting one
for the Science Club! Our members have been taking
part in some creative challenges that have put their problem solving skills to the test. We developed a variety of
strategies to transport fragile equipment and then tested
our hypothesis in a relay race. Then, we worked as civil
engineers in designing towers built to last out of nothing
but spaghetti and marshmallows. Teamwork, good communication and perseverance led our groups to success.
Now our 5th and 6th graders are working as automotive
engineers to design a miniature soapbox racer that excels
in transforming potential energy into kinetic energy with
minimal energy loss. Will they be successful? We’ll find
out at our next meeting!
Community Outreach and
For the month of October, the Community Outreach
and Service Club members worked hard to develop activities and crafts for the 4th Annual Safe Halloween, in which
the club ran a room for the Mount Sinai community. The
students brainstormed activities, created samples of the
various activities and crafts, as well as donated supplies
and candy for the community to use and enjoy throughout
the day. Several students also volunteered their time, on
a Saturday, to help out at the event.
Mount Sinai Mirror 9
MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL
T
Student
Joshua Skubliskas
Shawn Wells
Paul Gomes
Trevor Marsala
Michael O'Brien
Jake Ritchie
Joseph Tacopina
Rachel Anker
Margaret Kopcienski
Andrew Sartori
Nicole Schwartz
Joseph Walter
“Bagels and Books” event for the
Faculty and Staff
he Middle School Library
recently sponsored a Bagels
and Books event for the faculty
and staff.
New books purchased for the library were on display for teachers to peruse and checkout. New exciting fiction novels and biographies for fun reading and reports were added to the
library’s collection. Also, new nonfiction is now available
that enhances the middle school curriculum and common
core standards. Bagels, croissants, and other treats were
provided for munching while looking at the books! Happy
Reading!
Grade
5
5
7
7
7
7
7
8
8
8
8
8
October Students
September “Students and
Citizens of the Month”
Student
Students
Student
Julia Endelson
Jake Sausa
Katherine Fedotov
Asad Azim
Hashleen Grewal
Jericho Vernon Dimayuga
Nicolas Nigohosian
Lindsay Stancampiano
Emma Tyrrell
Denver Dagostino
Emily Burrus
Victoria Ravel
Katherine Gudzik
Subject
Adam Smester
Molly Laforge
Shane Bombace
Julia Jones
Peter Guardino
Bhavana Talluri
Julia O'Brien
Matthew Miller
Emily Foley
Aspen Dagostino
Danielle Cavalier
Audrey Bilello
Sean Wolf
Subject
Grade 5
Grade 6
Art
Art
English Language Arts
Family and Consumer Sciences
Math
Music
Physical Education
Science
Social Studies
Spanish
Technology
October Citizens
Grade 5
Grade 6
Art
English Language Arts
Family & Consumer Sciences
Math
Math
Music
Physical Education
Science
Social Studies
Spanish
Technology
Citizens
Student
Grade
Victor Albert
Owen Castro
Jordan DeBlasio
Reese Pedra
Landon Steffens
Michael Trepeta
Emma Viscount
Gianna Juliano
Dillon Salvati
Raymond Wong
Clayton Arcuri
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
7
Student
Julia Desiano
Christopher Fazio
Christopher Gulli
Liam Auth
Andrew Cook
Rebecca Muroff
Nicolas Nigohosian
Joseph O'Brien
Andrew Ramos
Anya Reilly
Brendan Scharf
Nicole Schwartz
Grade
7
7
7
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
Mount Sinai Mirror 10
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
Grades 9 – 12
Mr. Matthew J. Dyroff
Assistant Principal
Mr. Robert Grable
Principal
Mr. Chris Heil
Assistant Principal
Spirit Week and Homecoming 2014
Homecoming festivities were once again coordinated by the Mount Sinai High School Student Government.
Each year, Student Government Officers meet with the Class Officers to discuss the theme for Spirit Week. Student
Government Officers and Student Senators work very hard to promote school spirit by creating an unforgettable experience for the district. Their reward is always knowing that spirit is alive and well in Mount Sinai!
Spirit Week ran from the September 23 to September 27. The hallways in the high school were transformed
to reflect this year’s “Superheroes” theme. The Senior Class had an amazing Batman display, a testament to the vast
number of people commenting that it was one of the best hallway decorations they had ever seen. The week started off
with American Pride Day on Monday, followed by Twin/Triplet Day, Decade Day, Country Western Day (the first ever!)
and, last but not least, closing the week with Color Day. Classes were judged each day, and in a surprise upset, the juniors emerged victorious for the week with the award for best participants.
The highlight of the week was Wednesday’s Powderpuff football game with senior girls facing off against the
junior girls. The crowd was entertained by the boys’ Powderpuff cheerleading at halftime. In the end, the Senior Class
of 2015, having also won the year before as juniors, finished with two consecutive wins as they defeated the juniors 1714.
The Pep Rally was on Friday where, once again, the boys’ Powderpuff cheerleaders had an encore performance that excited the crowd. Danielle Harloff was crowned Homecoming Queen, her court included Jessica DeMeo,
Julia Gallo, Arden LoRe, and Danielle Runfola. Jeremy Kisten was Homecoming King, his runner ups were Eric Braat,
Seth Brand, Joe Casper, and Grayson Valentino.
The traditional Homecoming Parade took place before the football game on Saturday attracting people from
every part of Mount Sinai. Once again, the Elementary School had a tremendous turnout and the Middle School made
their own float. Groups from the entire Mount Sinai community participated.
Once again, the theme for the 2014 Homecoming was “Superheroes.” Students marched with their class
floats. The seniors’ float was Batman, the juniors’ was Superman, the sophomores’ was Captain America, and the freshmen’s float was Spiderman. Every grade put in their all, but in the end the seniors and juniors tied in the float judging. In
a surprise upset, the Junior Class of 2016 ended up with the Homecoming trophy due to their spirit week judging victory.
Way to go juniors!
This year the Mount Sinai Mustangs took on the Islip Buccaneers in a fight to the finish. The Mustangs
played one of their best games of the year. The game was tied as the fourth quarter was winding down. Islip had the
ball on the two yard line with seconds to go in the game. The Mustangs had an amazing goal line stop at the end of regulation time. In overtime, both teams had chances to score, but, unfortunately, the Mustangs lost 13-6.
American Pride Day
Red, White and Blue…
Danielle Runfola
(Spirt Week and Homecoming Continued on pg. 12)
Mount Sinai Mirror 11
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
(Spirt Week and Homecoming Continued fm. pg. 11)
Twin/Triplet Day
Emily Spagnolo, Jessica DeMeo, Casey Wesolowski, Arden LoRe,
Cassidy Wesolowski, Cassandra Wilson and Sydney Pirreca.
Matthew Becker, Dominick Ciociano, David Fuenzalida, Christopher
Golino and Juan Flores.
Decade Day & Country Western Day
Emily Whelan, Samantha Croston, Emily Shaljian and Erica Shea
Ethan Ludecker and Jack Pilon
Ariana Wasser
(Spirt Week and Homecoming Continued on pg. 13)
Mount Sinai Mirror 12
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
(Spirt Week and Homecoming Continued fm. pg. 12)
Pep Rally
Our Cheerleaders
The cheerleaders…
Powderpuff
T
Alumni Brunch 2014
he annual Alumni Brunch was held on September 20, the morning of Homecoming. The Peer
Leaders hosted the brunch, decorated the cafeteria and
provided a delicious assortment of baked goods, bagels,
egg sandwiches, coffee and juice for our alumni. Members of the Class of 2014 enjoyed a great day and exciting Homecoming weekend.
A great time was had by all.
Jenna Signorile has the ball!
Kasey Mitchell and Sydney Pirreca going for a touchdown.
(Spirt Week and Homecoming Continued on pg. 14)
Mount Sinai Mirror 13
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
(Spirt Week and Homecoming Continued fm. pg. 13)
Homecoming
Julia Gallo, Danielle Runfola, Danielle Harloff, Jessica DeMeo and
Arden LoRe.
Congratulations to Seth Brand who has been named a
Semifinalist in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program and to Sofia Tufariello, Zaineb Qureshi and Keegan
Sabo who have been recognized as Commended Students.
As a Semifinalist, Seth has an opportunity to continue
in the Merit Scholarship® competition and advance to
Finalist standing by meeting a number of additional requirements. Commended Students are being recognized
for the exceptional academic promise demonstrated by
their outstanding performance on the qualifying test used
for program entry. Commended students, however, will
not continue in the competition to be offered next spring.
Over 1.5 million students took the 2013 Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT®) last October and entered the National Merit
Scholarship Program, a nationwide competition for recognition and awards conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
Congratulations and good luck to our students.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
MSTA Team
Danielle Harloff and Jeremy Kisten
National Merit Scholarship Corporation
O
ur MSTA team of teachers,
friends and family came together to support the
fight against breast cancer by donating or participating in the Making Strides Walk at Jones
Beach on Sunday, October 19. We had a beautiful day
and enjoyed the five mile beach side walk while showing
our support for this great cause. We even got a special
greeting from Senator Schumer!
Donations surpassed our $1000 goal and our team of
walkers grows larger each year. Thank you to all who
helped make this our best year yet!
Mr. Grable, Sofia Tufariello, Zaineb Qureshi, Mr. Dyroff, Seth Brand,
Keegan Sabo and Mr. Heil
Mount Sinai Mirror 14
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Mr. Grable, Sofia Tufariello, Zaineb Qureshi, Mr. Dyroff, Seth
Brand, Keegan Sabo and Mr. Heil
C
ongratulations to Seth Brand who has been
named a Semifinalist in the 2015 National Merit
Scholarship Program and to Sofia Tufariello,
Zaineb Qureshi and Keegan Sabo who have
been recognized as Commended Students.
As a Semifinalist, Seth has an opportunity to continue
in the Merit Scholarship® competition and advance to
Finalist standing by meeting a number of additional requirements. Commended Students are being recognized
for the exceptional academic promise demonstrated by
their outstanding performance on the qualifying test used
for program entry. Commended students, however, will
not continue in the competition to be offered next spring.
Over 1.5 million students took the 2013 Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT®) last October and entered the National Merit
Scholarship Program, a nationwide competition for recognition and awards conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
Congratulations and good luck to our students.
Interact Club most recently participated in Trick or Treat
for UNICEF to aid children around the world. Donations
will be used to provide vaccinations, medical assistance
and school supplies to less fortunate children across the
globe. If you would like to make a donation, please contact Ms. Falco in the High School Counseling Center.
Our students look forward to another successful year
of community service and volunteerism. If you are interested in joining this wonderful organization, please join us
at the next meeting every other Monday after school in
the high school cafeteria.
O
History Club
n Friday, October 24, the High School History
Club sponsored a Family Movie Night for children
in the community. This fundraising event was
attended by children dressed in their Halloween costumes
to watch the film Hotel Transylvania on a jumbo screen in
the gymnasium.
Children and adults sprawled out on the gym floor with
blankets, pillows and popcorn to enjoy the night. The proceeds from the evening will support the continued additions to Mount Sinai High School’s Wall of Honor, recognizing Mount Sinai alumni who have or are currently serving in the armed forces.
The next Family Movie Night will be scheduled during
the winter and the movie Frozen will be shown.
INTERACT Club
The Mount Sinai High School Interact Club meets every other Monday in the high school cafeteria after school.
The purpose of this club is to provide community support
and volunteer efforts to the local and international communities. Over the past few years, the club has donated
to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and UNICEF.
The students also organized coat drives, backpack donations and participated in Stuff-A-Bus in the spring.
Recently, club members were given the opportunity to
volunteer their time and help at the Heritage Park Carnival by selling tickets and cleaning up. Students also volunteered for the Haunted Halloween at Heritage Park and
at Mount Sinai High School’s Safe Halloween on November 1.
Mount Sinai Mirror 15
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
Video Game Tournament
National Honor Society Fall Induction
On Friday, October 24, Mount Sinai High School’s Chapter of the National Honor Society hosted its first “Super
Smash Brothers” Video Game Tournament. Set-up began immediately after school with ten separate gaming
stations and sixty-five student participants.
Lasting over six hours, the tournament was a resounding success; resulting in Kevin Gray winning the recreational bracket and Spero Calamas winning the probracket. The proceeds from the event will help defray the
cost of the National Honor Society students’ annual trip to
New York City.
Scholarship, Service, Character and Leadership are the
guiding principles of the National Honor Society. On
Thursday, October 30, at 8:00 a.m. at a ceremony held in
the library, seven senior students were inducted into
Mount Sinai High School’s Chapter of the National Honor
Society.
The requirements for admission include:
A 91.5 grade point average.
A minimum of fifty hours of community service.
Exemplifying good character traits.
Exhibiting leadership skills.
All applicants were required to submit letters of recommendation, reviews by their classroom teachers and undergo a formal interview process conducted by the National Honor Society Faculty Council.
Congratulations to the new inductees: Michael Basovich, Tina Batinovic, Hayden Burridge, Devon Gaynes,
Emily Griffin, Grayson Valentino and Alexander Zapata.
Celebrate My Drive
O
Kevin Gray (left) shows Timothy Che-
n Friday, October 24, State Farm Insurance
and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department
hosted the “Celebrate My Drive” event at the high school.
Students had the opportunity to drive go-carts wearing
goggles that simulated the effects of driving under the
influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Likewise, students
were required to drive the go-carts while texting a specific
message into their cell phones.
Subsequently, as students tried to maneuver their gocarts through a track outlined by cones under these simulated conditions, they quickly realized that their vision and
attention to the roadway was greatly compromised. Students also had the opportunity to sit in a big rig oil tanker
truck to understand first hand a truck driver’s limited vision. Lastly, students were able to board the Sheriff’s
DWI Mobile Command Center and Course with deputies
to understand the processes and consequences that accompany being arrested for DWI.
Students seemed to enjoy participating in the activities
and were provided with opportunities to understand what
it feels like to drive while distracted and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Hopefully, this experience,
coupled with ongoing reminders, will help our students
make future decisions that will preserve their health and
well-being.
AN INTENSE MOMENT!!!!
(Celebrate my Drive Continued on pg. 17)
Mount Sinai Mirror 16
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
(Celebrate my Drive Continued fm. pg. 16)
Class of 2016 Is Challenged
O
n October 20 and 21, Mount
Sinai High School hosted Challenge Day
for all juniors. Challenge Day, a nationally recognized character education program, is comprised of activities that help
students and staff see past the social
barriers that often yield false perceptions
of others that prompt judgment.
Subsequently, in keeping with the Challenge Day vision that
every child will live in a world where they feel safe, loved and
celebrated; two very energetic Challenge Day facilitators led
students and staff through various large and small group activities and encouraged all participants to “let their guards down
and be real with each other.” Students and staff engaged, at the
comfort level of their choice, in open discussions about their
daily challenges whether it be school, family or otherwise. As a
result of the various activities, students and staff realized that
many others were dealing with similar challenges on a daily
basis. Likewise, all judgments were put aside and we gained a
better understanding of each other.
Challenge Day received raves from our students and staff.
We look forward to hosting this event annually in the years to
come. A special “thank you” goes out to the PTO and Booster
Club for funding Challenge Day and providing students with a
powerful and motivating experience.
Ayn Rand 2014 International Anthem
Essay Contest
I
n July of 2014, Renee Campbell and Aamna
Qureshi, two students in Ms. Thalen’s English classes were notified by the Ayn Rand Institute that their
entries had been chosen as semi-finalists in the 2014
International Anthem essay contest. Both students wrote
submissions that clearly and thoroughly addressed the
task, and were judged as exemplary models of student
writing by the Institute’s judging panel.
(Essay Contest Continued on pg. 18
Mount Sinai Mirror 17
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
(Essay Contest Continued fm. pg. 17)
Each year, Ms. Thalen has her students write essays that
analyze Anthem and its themes, based on the question(s)
posed for the Institute’s International Essay Competition.
Students develop these essays in class and continue
working on them at home. Once they have gone through
all aspects of the writing process (generating ideas, developing a draft, revising, editing and proofreading), these
essays are formatted following the guidelines set for in
the contest rules. Since entries are received from
throughout the United States, Europe and Australia, earning any recognition sets these writers apart.
Both students earned cash prizes and the opportunity
to list their rare honor on their college applications.
Through their diligence, both Renee and Aamna have
produced writing that is both persuasive and insightful
and which demonstrates their ability to compete in an international field of highly competent student writers.
Best Buddies
On October 1, Best Buddies held our annual W elcome Back
Social. Our President, Julia Pearl, and our other club members started the meeting by welcoming our friends from Family
Residence and Essential Enterprises (FREE) with a big Best
Buddies cheer. The social was filled with laughter, happiness,
games and excitement. We welcomed new members from
FREE and Mount Sinai High School. Altogether, there were
more than sixty members in attendance.
After a quick icebreaker, everyone started creating posters
for our October carwash fundraiser. This fundraiser was very
successful and the proceeds will fund activities and events
throughout the year.
The party continued during our
next socials, which were held on
October 15 and 29. We bowled and
played balloon Ping-Pong while
strengthening friendships with our
buddies. It was a great success, and
we are all looking forward to an
amazing year ahead.
College Application/Awareness Process
for Senior Students
O
Renee Campbell, Ms. Thalen and Aamna Qureshi
n Monday, September 15, the High School Guidance Department hosted a College Application
Workshop for parents of senior students. This
evening was a follow up to the introductory college workshop
held in the spring of students’ junior year. Parents and students
received detailed information regarding the application process;
including such topics as required forms, college fairs, financial
aid, various website resources, SAT and ACT exam dates, and
letters of recommendation. Counselors explained the next
phase in our use of Naviance, which will be submitting applications and related paperwork electronically through “EDOCS”
for the appropriate colleges/universities. Additionally, counselors explained the changes to the Common Application Form;
specifically detailing the FERPA agreement that must be completed on the form itself and then linked to Naviance.
As a follow up, we encourage our senior students
and their parents to continue
to use Naviance as a resource and to be cognizant
of college application deadlines. Should you have any
questions or require assistance with the college application process, please feel
free to contact your child’s
guidance counselor.
Mount Sinai Mirror 18
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
Drug Awareness Assembly for Grade 9
O
n Wednesday, October 15, Mr. Michael DeLeon
visited with ninth grade students to share his story and
caution them to make sound decisions that will preserve
their health and well-being.
Mr. DeLeon was a very successful entrepreneur; he co
-owned a shipping and packaging company in North Carolina. In doing so, he worked long and tiresome days.
His habit of drinking several Red Bull® drinks a day for
additional energy was soon replaced by cocaine. Eventually, Mr. DeLeon’s cocaine and alcohol use became habitual; his addiction eventually resulted in the loss of his
business. He then returned back to New Jersey and lived
with his mother because his wife didn’t want his drug and
substance abuse to effect his children.
While living with his mother, Mr. DeLeon continued to
abuse drugs and alcohol and started dealing drugs via an
affiliation with a local gang. Subsequently, the gang accused Mr. DeLeon of stealing drug money and on Mother’s Day they arrived at his mother’s home to get retribution. Unfortunately, Mr. DeLeon was not home and the
gang took revenge on his mother. Michael arrived home
later that day to find his mother murdered on Mother’s
Day - a direct result of his substance abuse and gang affiliation.
Mr. DeLeon’s story is a powerful one and serves as
firsthand evidence of how his dependency on drugs and
alcohol resulted in the loss of his employment and mother’s life. After serving time in jail, Mr. DeLeon is sober for
several years and is president of Steered Straight, Inc.
As such, he spends his time sharing his story with middle
and high school students with the hope that his mistakes
and misfortunes will help young people make good decisions in the future.
O
n Friday, October 31, nine members from the
Mount Sinai Future Business Leaders of America Chapter
(FBLA) attended the Nassau/Suffolk Fall District Conference at Molloy College. This year’s conference focused
on the following concepts: entrepreneurship, the art of
public speaking, financial literacy, how to build your own
website and which college major is for you.
Pictured above (l. to r.) are Jeremy Kisten, Michael Basovich, Stephanie Dunham, Samantha Romano, Juliana
Palmiotto, Cassie Arnemann, Su Yang, Erin Delaney and
Brett Powers.
Music Assembly
On October 2, the Mount Sinai Friends of the Arts
sponsored a guest speaker for all Mount Sinai High
School’s music students. The guest speaker was Ronald
Sutherland, a retired music educator from Buffalo, New
York. He was the Director of Bands at Clarence High
School, where he had a very successful program. In his
retirement, he stays very busy adjudicating NYSSMA Majors, he is the head chaperone every year for NYSSMA’s
annual All-State Conference, he is heavily involved with
the American Music Abroad program and he gives inspirational, character-building/leadership presentations for
students throughout the East coast.
Mr. Sutherland’s main message to all the music students was to be leaders. He stated, “Imagine if 100% of
the students in your ensemble gave 100% effort, 100% of
the time.” To further make his point, he asked all the students to raise their hands as high as they could above
their heads. He then said, “Ok, now raise them higher.” It
was clear that all of the students were able to extend their
hands higher in the air after the second request. He
posed the question, “Why did it take two prompts for you
to do what I asked originally?” Mr. Sutherland had many
examples of successful role models throughout history
who were not only good at what they did, but were decent
human beings. He stressed the importance of good character and kindness to your peers.
Below is a response from one of Mount Sinai High
School’s music students, Samuel Ritter, who attended the
assembly:
“Thank you Mount Sinai Friends of the Arts for
giving me and the rest of the music students the
opportunity to be influenced and moved by Mr.
Ron Southerland. He was an inspiration to me and
taught me what a real leader really is. Students
enjoyed talking to him one-on-one and the things
he said were valuable to not just music, but also to
everyday life. He gave us tips like always try
harder than your hardest, because only then will
you succeed.”
Mount Sinai Mirror 19
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
A.P./Marine Science Classes at Cedar Beach
Shellfish Hatchery
The A. P. Environmental Science (A.P.E.S.) and Marine Science classes were given real world applications at
Cedar Beach on October 7. Under the auspices of its
director and coastal stewards, Mount Sinai High School
students toured the Town Of Brookhaven’s Shellfish
Hatchery at Cedar Beach, Mount Sinai, and performed
plankton studies (microscopic food eaten by the clams
and oysters) at its Nature Center.
Retired Mount Sinai High School teacher Dave Chase
also gave a presentation on the fisheries aspect of Long
Island Sound. The A.P.E.S. classes tested various chemical and physical parameters for a field study comparing
samples from the harbor. Both classes will be collating all
the data and information from the trip into a field report on
Mount Sinai Harbor, including data from the International
Ocean Clean-up, which was performed two weeks later.
These field-oriented courses expand learning beyond the
walls of the high school, as students learn firsthand scientific experiences in the field.
Mr. Chase and Marine Science students at the Mount
Sinai Nature Center at Cedar Beach
Mount Sinai High School Students
Perform International Ocean Beach Clean-Up at
Cedar Beach
O
ver sixty students from Mount Sinai High School,
under the direction of coordinator Ms. Nau-Ritter, participated in this year’s International Ocean Beach Clean-Up
on Saturday, October 18, at Cedar Beach and Mount Sinai Harbor. The American Littoral Society sponsors the
annual event in which students earn up to three hours of
community service for college.
Our students collected over 4,500 debris items over
the 2.5 mile stretch of Cedar Beach. This included over
2,315 cigarettes butts and 2,181 plastic items. Plastics
are particularly of concern due to their impact on marine
organisms since they have a poor ability to naturally degrade in the environment.
The collated data is sent to an international publication for the 2014 beach clean-up by the Ocean Conservancy (see website for information on 2014 cleanup (http://
www.oceanconservancy.org/). The International Beach
Clean-ups have been performed worldwide for over twenty-five years and Mount Sinai High School students look
forward to the next one.
Over sixty students attended the Mount Sinai High School
Beach Clean-Up at Cedar Beach.
Safe Halloween 2014
Student Council’s fourth Annual Safe Halloween was
held on Saturday, November 1, at Mount Sinai High
School. Safe Halloween is a day when children come to
the school and trick or treat in a fun and safe environment. From 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Mount Sinai High
School was transformed into a safe and fun environment
where excited children paraded through the halls in costume in search of tricks and treats.
Children and parents were greeted with treats, organized games and activities hosted by nineteen clubs from
the elementary, middle and high schools. New clubs this
year included the high school’s Tri-M Music Honor Society, Ocean Bowl, and Athletes Helping Athletes.
Over 750 people from the Mount Sinai Community attended this year’s event. Food and refreshments were
sold in the cafeteria thanks to Bagels Your Way. The
Mount Sinai Teacher’s Association once again sponsored
the Haunted Hallway. The cast in the Haunted House
included members of our Student Government.
Non-perishable food items were collected at the door
and delivered to the Infant Jesus Food Bank. A big thank
-you goes out to all the faculty, staff, clubs, and outside
organizations. The day was a great success!
Students collect food items during Safe Halloween.
Mount Sinai Mirror 20
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
September
Art
Casey McCarthy
12
Business
Jeremy Kisten
12
Citizenship
Jenry Nieto
12
Citizenship
Matthew Sirico
9
Citizenship
Peter Mastrorocco III
11
Citizenship
11
Computer Science
James Sarno
Ryan Hecht
English
Courtney Reilly
9
Family & Consumer Sciences
Veronica Venezia
10
Foreign Language (LOTE)
Daniel Giordano
12
Health
Jenry Nieto
12
Math
Thomas Lownds
10
Music
Emily Mantone
11
Physical Education
Nicholas Schmitt
12
Science
Devon Gaynes
12
Social Studies
Casey McCarthy
12
Technology
Vincent Margulies
11
11
Mount Sinai Mirror 21
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
Mr. Scott Reh, Athletic Director
PLEASE NOTE:
For current Athletic Schedules and Directions log on to: www.sectionxi.org
For information on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) www.NCAA.org
You can also access all of the above sites through www.mtsinai.k12.ny.us
Save the Date!
June 29, 2015
Dates to Remember:
Booster Club meetings: 7:30 pm in the HS Cafeteria
January 5, 2015
March 2, 2015
April 13, 2015 (Nominations)
November 19 - High School Winter Sports
January 20 - Late Winter Sports: (Junior High) Girls Basketball
March 6 - Faculty Basketball Game 7:00 pm—HS Gym
March 9 - Varsity & JV Spring Sports
March 30 - Junior High Spring Sports
13th Annual
Mount Sinai Booster Club
Golf Outing
More information to follow!
& Wrestling
Students who are interested in participating in interscholastic athletics during the 2014-2015 school year must have a
physical examination before they may take part in tryouts.
STUDENTS USING A PRIVATE PHYSICIAN MUST HAVE THE GOLDENROD SCHOOL PHYSICAL FORM FULLY
COMPLETED, INCLUDING BLOOD PRESSURE, URINALYSIS & BMI. FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE
SCHOOL NURSE ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SEASON. THE SCHOOL PHYSICAL FORM WILL BE
THE ONLY FORM ACCEPTED
Pictured: Members of the Cutinella family, Coach Ammirato, Scott Reh and members of the SWR Football team
Members of the Cutinella family receive a check due to the fundraising efforts of the Mt. Sinai High School for
the Thomas Cutinella Scholarship Fund.
Mount Sinai Mirror 22
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
Mr. Scott Reh, Athletic Director
Mount Sinai Mirror 23
MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC & ART
Mr. Stephen Mantone, Music & Applied Arts Director
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN
All-STATE HONORS
Emily Mantone, a
junior, was selected to
this year’s All-State
Symphony Orchestra.
Emily, a cellist, is a
member of the high
school’s
Orchestra
and Chamber Orchestra. She also attends
the Manhattan School
of Music Precollege
and was recently selected as a member of
The New York Youth
Symphony.
In addition to Emily,
three students were
selected as All-State Alternates: Junior, Alyssa Andrews
and Senior, Amber Masullo for Chorus and Junior, Su
Yang for Band. The All-State Festival is held annually in
Rochester (December 4-7) and participation is based upon the students’ performances in last Spring’s NYSSMA
Solo Festival and teacher recommendations.
The student named above will also be participating in
the All-County Festival to be held at Half Hollow Hills High
School East in November, along with Sarah Combs, Hallie Devlin, and Andrew Rodriguez. These students were
selected along with others from all over Suffolk County on
a competitive basis with NYSSMA scores as the main
criteria along with teacher recommendations. All of the
students named achieved perfect or near perfect scores
at last year’s Solo/Ensemble Festival.
SCMEA Tuba Day
This year’s Tuba Day will take place on Friday, November 14 at Nesaquake Middle School in Smithtown.
Participating students from the high school are Matthew
Becker, Marissa Caputo, Alec Donowitz, Matthew Feltman, Brian McKeown, Alexander Mule, Daniel O’Mara,
Sean Reilly, Andrew Rodriguez, Christopher Schiavetta
and Sofia Tufariello. From the middle school we have
Angelo Passafiume and from the elementary school we
have Michael Flamme and Thomas Frycek attending.
Congratulations to all who will be participating.
Featured at the ceremony will be presentations by this
year’s officers: Alexa Mani, President; Leanna Nichols,
Vice President; Daniel Giordano, Treasurer; Yulia Rosenfeld, Secretary and Amanda Uss and Martin Barcelon,
Historians. Students from Band, Chorus and Orchestra
will present performances.The new inductees will be:
Alyssa Andrews, Alexandra Avignone, Hayden Burridge,
Alana Caporale, Marissa Caputo, Hallie Devlin, Ross
DiBetta, Alec Donowitz, Dylan Gins, Caroline Hoeg, Nicholas Jensen, Amanda Loh, Dawn-Abigail Lucas, Emily
Mantone, Daniel Molloy, Daniel O’Mara, Jarrod Randall,
Nicole Ravel, Samuel Ritter, Andrew Rodriguez, Keegan
Sabo, Michelle Samour, Christopher Schiavetta, Emily
Shaljian, Sofia Turariello, Su Yang and James Yeary.
MT. SINAI ADULT EDUCATION
W
e are seeking any input as to what courses
you would like to see offered at the Mt. Sinai School District Adult Education Program. All ideas are welcome.
We are also seeking instructors who would like to teach
an Adult Education course. All interested parties should
send a proposal to the Adult Education Office at the Mt.
Sinai High School, 110 North Country Road, Mt. Sinai, NY
11766 or you can fax to 631-870-2824.
The Mount Sinai High School Music Department
will be presenting
“Spamalot”
on
March 26, 27 & 28, 2015 @ 7:30 P.M.
in the Mt. Sinai High School auditorium
Tickets are $15 for adults
$7.00 for students & senior citizens
(senior citizens may reserve Free tickets for the
Thursday evening performance)
Tickets go on sale in January
MUSIC HONOR SOCIETY HOLDS INDUCTION
The Mt. Sinai High School Chapter of the Tri-M Music
Honor Society will hold its annual induction ceremony on
Monday, November 17 in the High School Auditorium.
Mount Sinai Mirror 24
Upcoming Events
November 26-28
December 9
December 11
December 16
December 17
December 18
December 22-Jan. 2
Thankgiving Recess—School Closed
Gr. 8 Orch., Gr. 8 Band HS Concert Band HS String Orch.
HS Auditorium, 7:30 PM
Gr. 6 Band, Gr. 7 Orch., Gr. 6 Orch. Gr. 7/8 Chorus
HS Auditorium, 7:30 PM
Gr. 5 Orch. Gr. 5 Band, Gr. 7 Band Gr. 5/6 Chorus
HS Auditorium 7:30 PM
Board of Education Meeting, 8:00 PM , MS Auditorium
Elementary Winter Concert, HS Auditorium, 7:30 PM
Winter Recess—School Closed

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