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AN ANTON MEDIA GROUP SPECIAL
&
Teacher Appreciation Week BY JENNIFER FAUCI
JFauci@antonmediagroup.com
W
hile one week doesn’t seem like enough to recognize and be thankful for all of the hard work and support that teachers give to our children, this year that special week is May 7 through 11. Teacher Appreciation Week is a time for both parents and student to show their gratitude to their educators, and no gift, no matter how small goes unnoticed. These sweet, simple gifts and thoughtful gestures are sometimes all a teacher needs on a rough day to remind them why they chose their career path. Consider these gifts for your child’s teacher. see TEACHER GIFTS on page 15A
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2018
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Catholic Elementary Schools STEM Fair The second annual Diocesan STEM Fair was recently held at Holy Trinity High School and provided a showcase for many of the outstanding projects from individual Catholic elementary schools. The fair, which displayed and demonstrated 85 different student projects, highlights the rigorous STEM education programs that are in place at the Diocesan schools. The program, which is orchestrated by Assistant Superintendent Anthony Biscione, brings together some of the best and brightest science students from all across Long Island. “The program is unique because it connects our schools at multiple levels,” said Biscione. “All of the projects, which are created by elementary students, are peer reviewed by Honors science students from St. John the Baptist and Holy Trinity Diocesan high schools, by science teachers from the high schools, by educators from St. John’s University, and by officials from LITEEA, the Long Island Technology Engineering Education Association.” In addition to the students’ exhibits in the gym, this year’s event included something called the “Mercy Contraption,” a Rube Goldberg type of device that was conceived, created and demonstrated by the students
from Our Lady of Mercy elementary school in Hicksville. While each project demonstrated at the STEM Fair qualified to be part of the event by winning their respective local events, there were a number of projects identified and recognized at the STEM Fair for their outstanding effort. Projects were broken out into two levels: level one was for students from the fifth and sixth grades and level two was for seventh and eighth grade students. Because the focus is on helping
students develop problem-solving skills, the students’ instructions were to pick a problem, identify a proposed solution, then create a prototype that demonstrates your solution. The winning projects included the level one winner by Matthew Zaromatidis from Notre Dame School in New Hyde Park. Zaromatidis’ project explored the design for earthquake-proof buildings. Of the level two competitors, the judges liked David Solan’s app for day-planning best. Solan is a student at St. Patrick School in Huntington. Each level recognized the top three
projects and the winners took home gift cards of $75, $50 and $25 respectively acknowledging their first, second or third place finishes. “Of course, each student who gets to this level is a winner,” stated Diocesan Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Walsh. “Each was recognized with a certificate in an award ceremony that followed the fair.” Walsh and Biscione personally handed out the awards and congratulated all of the participating students and their rightfully proud parents. —Anton Media Staff
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ANTON MEDIA GROUP • APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2018
TEACHER GIFTS from page 13A
BASKET OF GOODIES
MUG
Basket gifts are a fantastic way to combine gifts and can be even more playful with a theme. A journal, nice pens and a bookmark is perfect for the English teacher while an art teacher might appreciate an adult coloring book, a new pencil set and a gift card to a craft store. And it can’t hurt to toss in a bottle of hand sanitizer, which every teacher needs.
Tried and true, but still an affordable gift. Whether they drink out of it or display it on their desk as a pen holder, teachers love mugs. Fun sayings, pictures and grateful phrases are popular to gift onto a mug, or you can create your own image to personalize. Filling the mug with chocolate or candy is a sweet extra thought as well. (Photo source: personalcreations.com)
PICTURE FRAME
GIFT CARDS
Teacher-themed picture frames are a sweet desk memento for the classroom. Include a class photo or a nice poem or quote in the frame so it isn’t empty upon opening.
While gift cards may seem like an impersonal gift to some, they are actually quite practical and your child’s teacher will appreciate these more than you know. Gift cards to Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or even Target will go a long way when teachers need a caffeine pick me up or something to read for leisure. (Photo source: Amazon)
(Photo source: personalizationmall.com)
APPLE The quintessential teacher gift, the iconic apple. A paperweight apple engraved with the teacher’s name, monogrammed with their initials or “#1 Teacher” is a great gift that teachers can use year after year. This apple doubles as a bell and paperweight.
Other gift ideas: Tote bag, Christmas ornament, plastic tumbler, a plant and school and art supplies for the classroom.
(Photo source: personalizationmall.com)
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Landing A Summer Internship The end of the school year can be a stressful time for students as they focus on finals and end of year projects and events. Balancing these responsibilities with additional obligations such as sports or clubs can be overwhelming. While at this time it may seem like an onerous task to add the pursuit of an internship, it may ultimately result in many long term benefits. Many experts believe that successfully completing an internship is essential to getting hired after graduation, and that participating in multiple internships can set the college graduate apart from others in the job hunt. Below are some tips to share with your children to help them obtain an internship:
Networking
Use social media sites to network. Post your interest in an internship and the field in which you want to intern; inquire about openings or connections. Use LinkedIn to create a profile and to connect with companies that interest you. Talk to anyone you know with connections
PARENTING MATTERS Graziella Simonetti to companies that interest you. Speak to neighbors, family, friends, parents of friends, alumni, supervisors, and the Career Center at your school. Speak to professors within relevant academic departments to see if they can refer you to anyone or guide you in some way. Consider using a recruiter to provide you with opportunities.
Utilize the Internet
Research to see which sites are most targeted for the field or company where you hope to intern. Utilize popular databases such as Internships. com, WayUp.Com, YouTern.com, Indeed.com, and Idealist.org. Search promising companies and find a contact person. Explore the site to see
if it has information on internships and careers, and look to see if there are any upcoming events that you can attend.
Be prepared
When creating a resume and/ or cover letter, make sure that it is grammatically correct and professionally written. Have someone you trust proof-read it. Do not use a sample template. Utilize the Career Center at your school for support on how to make your cover letter stand out. Before an interview, do your research. Learn about the industry. Research the company. What is its mission? What is its vision, and who are the people who work there? Dress professionally and conservatively on the interview. Review your own social media presence and consider what your profile and pictures say about you to a prospective company that may search you. The Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University conducted a study on
internships, and they found that 63 percent of college graduates who had completed an internship received job offers within six months of graduating compared to the 35 percent of students who were offered a job without ever interning. Completing an internship also impacts salary negotiations. Reflect on where you will get the most hands on experience and be offered the most responsibility. This is often more important than how recognizable a company’s name may be. Be open to different roles and responsibilities other than the ones you are seeking or anticipating. Graziella Simonetti is a parent educator for EAC Network’s Long Island Parenting Institute and works as an early childhood social worker for the New York City Department of Education. She holds an advanced certificate in parent education from Adelphi University and is a NYSPEP credentialed parenting educator. Simonetti is a former kindergarten teacher.
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One Body, One Heart, One Journey
S
tudents and families from Holy Family Elementary School and Parish joined forces with students and faculty from the Holy Trinity Diocesan High School Community to walk and pray through the Stations of the Cross as they keep vigil with Christ during holy week. The Stations of the Cross Walk on March 27 began at Holy Family Church at 5 p.m. and proceeded through the neighborhood that connects the two Hicksville school communities, ending back at Holy Family Parish and school. This exercise in solidarity between the nursery through eighth grade students and families at Holy Family School and Parish and the ninth through 12th grade students at Holy Trinity High School, focuses on the journey Jesus took from his condemnation to his death. Stations of the Cross refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion. The object of the stations is to help faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. The “stations” refer to a series of 14 images arranged in order along a path and the faithful travel from image to image, stopping at each station to say the selected prayers and reflections. The Stations of the Cross procession most commonly occurs during Lent, especially on Good Friday, in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during his passion. The joining of the Parish community with the communities from both schools is symbolic because it acknowledges that as members of Long Island’s Catholic community that we share one journey in faith. “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” —St. Francis of Assisi —Anton Media Staff
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