School News

Southampton

Southampton High School inducted 51 students into the National Honor Society during a candle-lighting ceremony on May 22.

To be eligible for membership, students are required to have a cumulative average of 92 or better and meet the standards of leadership, service, citizenship, and character.

The students inducted were Jonathan Amado Rodriguez, Lukas Baumilas, Margaret Carter, Nicholas Castillo Marin, Wilson Cobb, Sarah Corwith Eckert, Jomel Dela Cruz, Isabella Ellams, Sean Emmons, Devon Friedman, Helena Fuchs, Morgan Fullam, Artemios Gavalas, Sean Godfrey, Grant Goodyear, Dylan Halsey, Elijah Halsey, Brigham Hancock, Scott Healey, Lauren Heaney, Taylor Hemby-Ginsberg, Grace Kearns, Benjamin Luss, Alaia Mabulay, Serena May, Grace Middlekauff, Sydney Miller, Kevin Nguyen, Caraline Oakley, Santiago Ocampo, Katherine Ordonez, Avery Owen, Owen Pazera, Tonoa Pender, Alexis Phillips, Sara Quiros, Sarah Ritz, Lauren Rozzi, Sankavi Sampath, Ruben Schneiderman, Vimarsha Sital, Ricardo Sobrevinas, Juliana Stein, Keilly Suculanda-Zhagui, Shayleigh Tribuzio, Remi Wesnofske, Parker West, Caroline Wetter, John Whitall, Maria Wilutis, and Jack Zaloga.

Five Southampton High School students worked alongside aquarist Dan Elefante and teacher Greg Metzger to become the first in the world to raise lagoon shrimp gobies in a lab setting.

To raise 150 of the one-centimeter long species, the students performed daily lab work, including growing algae, keeping zooplankton cultures clean, and monitoring and adjusting water quality of the aquarium.

The students are working toward raising three other pairs of fish that have never before been raised, including rusty Angelfish, bella gobies, and longnose hawkfish.

The school’s 2,600-square-foot wet lab is currently home to 30 species of fish. It includes a greenhouse, an algae culture room, 70 oceanography system tanks, and 18 broodstock system tanks where fish are bred. The lab also provides hands-on experiences for students taking oceanography and aquiculture classes.

Southampton Intermediate School students learned more about the Rogers Memorial Library’s summer programs from librarian Casey Fehn on May 28. As part of Fehn’s presentation, the students were challenged to “escape from their school library” by solving a series of puzzles to gain entry into a breakout box filled with treats.

Riverhead

Riverhead High School’s Class of 2019 valedictorian Joshua Caskie was honored at the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association’s 25th annual Valedictorian Luncheon at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook on May 30.

Michael Bianco, a senior, was also honored for earning a scholarship from Intralogic Solutions Inc. as part of the SCSSA’s scholarship program.

The Riverhead Central School District Board of Education has appointed Bryan Miltenberg as the new principal of Aquebogue Elementary School.

Miltenberg, who will be replacing retiring Principal Phil Kent, has been employed as the assistant principal of Islip Middle School. Prior to Islip, he was the director of academic intervention at M.S. 323 The Scholars’ Academy in Rockaway Park, Queens.

He holds a bachelor of arts in American Studies from Columbia University, a master of science in English education from Queens College, and a New York State School Building Leader certificate from the College of Saint Rose’s Center for Integrated Teacher Education. He is currently working on his doctorate in educational leadership from Drexel University with an anticipated completion date of 2022.

The Riverhead High School Jazz Band earned a Gold rating at the NYSSMA Major Organization Festival on May 23 at West Islip High School.

The jazz band, which is under the direction of Crystal Crespo, was evaluated by a panel of judges on criteria such as technique, artistic skill, and proficiency.

Riverhead Middle School National Junior Honor Society members showed appreciation for their principals and custodians, respectively, as part of Principals Appreciation Day on May 8 and Custodial Appreciation Day on June 4.

To honor their principals, the students presented them with golf-themed gifts and decorated their office doors. For their custodians, they assembled and delivered baskets filled with barbecue supplies.

Westhampton Beach

Westhampton Beach High School Class of 2019 valedictorian Chris Bender was honored at the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association’s 25th annual Valedictorian Luncheon on May 30.

Westhampton Beach Middle School students in Josh Tuttle’s class recently used Google Hangouts to work on Civil War projects with middle schoolers in Wooster, CT.

The students worked alongside their Connecticut counterparts to research and prepare projects on the main battles and political causes of the Civil War, as well as its chief figures and key writings. The students will present their research via Skype this month.

The Westhampton Beach Middle School Builders club donated $620 to the Southampton Animal Shelter on May 30.

The students raised the money during the school year through a variety of holiday fundraisers, which included selling Halloween stickers and Valentine’s lollipops, as well as hosting an Easter egg hunt. The students also made toys for the shelter’s animals using old t-shirts.

Westhampton Beach High School inducted 40 juniors into the National Honor Society during a candle-lighting ceremony on June 4.

To be eligible for membership, the students were required to have and maintained an unweighted grade point average of 92 or better; meet the standards of leadership, service, citizenship, and character; and complete 45 hours of community service.

Jasmine Agme, Clayton Arcuri, Emily Arpino, Molly Brennan, Blake Busking, Nick Chen, Sophie Cline, Jacob Croce, Jennifer Curran, Christopher Daleo, Halle Dixon, Richard Federico, John Paul Ferrantino, Rachel Frank, Danielle Freda, Yunushan Gulsen, Grace Hayes, Jake Hoffman, Kay Horak, Kathleen Kelly, Kathryn Massey, Jocelyn McNamara, Jason Montagna, Spencer Moyle, Ellen Murphree, Nicholas Murphy, Jack Naglieri, Dylan Nijankin, Rose Peruso, Isabella Quinones, Pierce Rosen-Keith, Gage Rubio, Joseph Sarno, Alexandra Schurek, Isabelle Smith, Julia Smith, Avery Solomon, Julie-Anna Stollow, Hanna Tufano, and Sophie Waszkelewicz were the students inducted.

Sag Harbor

Pierson High School valedictorian Hannah Tuma was honored at the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association’s 25th annual Valedictorian’s Luncheon on May 30.

Tuma, who will attend University of Virginia in the fall, is a member of the National Honor Society and served as co-captain of the Lady Whaler’s volleyball team and Model United Nations delegate. John Broich was also honored as the recipient of a 2019 scholarship sponsored by Belfor Property Restoration.

Pierson senior Mark Russo was presented with Southampton Colony Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution senior scholarship for $1000 at a luncheon at the Southampton Historical Museum on June 4.

Russo was chosen for his character, community engagement, academic aptitude, and leadership.

Bridgehampton

Bridgehampton High School junior Alanah Johnson recently won the Town of Southampton’s Youth Bureau Creative Arts contest with the theme “Mental Health Awareness” in the photography category.

The school also hosted the “Beehive Ball” to celebrate Dancing Classrooms, a social development program designed by ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine, on May 31 at 6 PM.

Students in fourth through eighth grades who completed Dancing Classrooms, which was taught by artist-in-residence Jessica Heins, performed merengue, fox trot, rumba, tango, and swing at the event.

Bridgehampton students won the Bronze Award the Colors of the Rainbow Team Match, which is a community building event that teaches students respect, tolerance, teamwork, sportsmanship, and elegance, features dance teams from across Long Island.

Hampton Bays

Hampton Bays Class of 2019 valedictorian Christina Coulton was recently recognized at the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association’s 25th annual Valedictorian Luncheon on May 30.

Midori Villacorta, a senior, was also honored during the event and earned a scholarship from the Teachers Federal Credit Union as part of the SCSSA’s scholarship program.

Hampton Bays third graders in Karen Lombardo’s class recently created informational brochures on their favorite animals after an educational trip to the Bronx Zoo.

Hampton Bays Elementary School held the annual art show on June 5. Spearheaded by art teacher Debra McDowell, the showcase featured works from students in all grades throughout the school year and exhibited a range of mediums, from sculpture and weaving to college and multimedia.

Tuckahoe

Tuckahoe students in the kindergarten classes participated in a Teddy Bear Clinic on May 17, where employees from Stony Brook Children’s Hospital came to speak to the students about how to stay safe.

They discussed wearing a helmet, seat-belt use, where to sit in a car, and overall safety. Following the discussion, students became the caregivers to stuffed animals they brought from home.