Fifth-graders in Jennifer Rosario’s class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School used their math and critical thinking skills to “break out” on Feb. 4.

Using Breakout EDU – which is the educational version of an escape room challenge – the learning came alive as students worked in small groups to unlock the clues. The class was given clues to unlock a series of locks of the boxes. Students used collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication to challenge themselves, all while having fun and learning at the same time.

Thirteen Copiague School District students were recognized at the Feb. 11 board of education meeting by members of the Knights of Columbus in the organization annual poster and essay contests.

The poster contest, now in its ninth year, had a record number of entries at 104 from Copiague student-artists. The goal of the contest is to raise awareness about drug and alcohol abuse. The winners, who received certificates and prizes were: Deauville Gardens West: Carolina Acosta-Rivera and Sandavi McCants; Susan E. Wiley: Ivanna Gonzalez Rodriguez; Deauville Gardens East: Kiarisleidy Baez Fabian; Great Neck Road: Jazlyn Batista, Justin Martinez Canas and Rayana Gooden; Copiague Middle School: Jayden Risch, Joseph Risch and Eliud Bonilla. 

Three Copiague Middle School eighth-grade students were presented with certificates and prizes for their essay contest entries. The contest is in its third year and essays are focused on religious freedom. Paulo Gonzalez was the first-place winner. Diana Carbajal placed second and Ari Chervony was named the third-place winner.

 

It’s an idea that had really “stuck” through the years so the Parent-Teacher Association at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School annually holds a fundraiser to benefit its fifth-grade Booster Club. For $1, students could purchase a piece of duct tape to stick Principal Cynthia Florio to the wall. On Feb. 14, students had the opportunity to place their duct tape and raised more than $300 for the cause.

Fourth-graders in Kelly Lambert’s class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School recently expressed their creativity when they designed their own longhouses. The longhouses could be constructed of any items; some designs featured tree bark, popsicle sticks, straws or branches. The lesson was a culminating activity to their English Language Arts module on the Iroquois.

The students learned about how the men and women worked together to build the longhouses and how some of the houses could be hundreds of feet in length to hold different members of their clan. The fourth-graders showed off their knowledge of the Iroquois and their architectural creations during a visit with the third-grade classes. 

The Copiague Board of Education hosted their biannual Student Recognition Awards ceremony to honor the outstanding accomplishments of its students on Jan. 28 in the Copiague Middle School auditorium.

The event is a way for the board of education to recognize excellence and the successes of students throughout the district. During the ceremony, board members read a list of accolades and accomplishments that students achieved this school year. 

Each of the 17 student-honorees was presented with a framed certificate presented by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon. The district congratulates the following students: Deauville Gardens East: Amelia Bright and Darlene Herrera; Deauville Gardens West: Kieran Erickson and Ny’Shawn Legette; Great Neck Road: Hunter Nicholas Natoli and Hailey Wendel; Susan E. Wiley: Kaitlyn Caldwell and Jonathan Marine Suarez; Copiague Middle School: Iran Sophia Gonzalez, Vaiva Kean, Andrew James O’Connell and Neisy Rivera Garcia; Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School: Ajhani Carroll, Wilson Murcia, Arelee Ramirez, Brenda Reyes and Kyree Scott.

Thirty-one student-musicians will represent the Copiague School District at the 2019 Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association All-County Music Festival in March. Each of these students received outstanding scores on their performance at the NYSSMA solo and ensemble evaluation festivals last May.

Selection to the All-County band and chorus is the highest honor a student of music in grades 5-10 can attain. The district congratulates the following students:

SCMEA All-County I West Band
Esmeralda Claros Sanchez (flute)
Eve Estevez-Rivera (baritone/euph)
Alyson Tenebro (flute)
Rhianna Coleman (Bb clarinet)
Andrew Wagner (Bb clarinet)
Ismael Garcia (trumpet/cornet)
Raisaun Gibson (trombone)
Analiz Rosario (alto sax)
Dyson Brown (alto sax)
Hannah Alara (Bb clarinet)

SCMEA All-County II West Band
Shenn Barredo (flute)
Philip Popielarz (baritone/euph)
Sadia Velasquez (Bb clarinet)

SCMEA All-County II West Orchestra
Alice Sztabinski (flute)

SCMEA All-County III West Band
Ryan Bott (tenor sax)
Zuri Milliner (baritone/euph)

SCMEA All-County I West Chorus
Daniella Jiminez
Mykelle Moore
Linda Paiz Romero

SCMEA All-County II West Chorus
Sydney Forbes
Adam Guglielmelli
Ava Reichelt
Dominique Tetlak
Anthony Woods

SCMEA All-County III West Chorus
Jessica Chochorek
Jaheim Garcia
Shannon Greenlee
Denison Rosa
Ariana Tirino
Morgan Weeks
Oktay Yildiz

 

Students throughout the Copiague School District showed they are doing their part to be college and career ready during a districtwide College Day on Jan. 11.

While faculty and staff showed off their alma maters by wearing their college shirts, the district’s youngest students dressed for success, either in business attire or the uniform of their career choice. At Great Neck Road Elementary School, students became video game designers and created their own video games. Kindergarten students interviewed one of their school’s security guards about her career choice. Fourth-graders listened to a presentation from a military servicemen who spoke about the benefits of joining the military. 

Second-grade students at Deauville Gardens West Elementary School focused on academic clubs in college and how they compete against different colleges. Each classroom learned about mascots, pennants and college academic clubs. At Susan E. Wiley and Deauville Gardens East elementary schools, students explored different colleges by taking online virtual tours of the campuses and discussing college and career options. 

Middle school students also centered their day around different college and career path lessons, while students at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School has recent high school graduates and current college freshmen come back to the school to discuss some of the experiences, highlights and struggles of college life.