The Principal’s Newsletter March 5, 2014
Volume VI, Issue III
A Message From Dr. Woodberry Greetings High School East Community,
Principal’s Message.....Page 1
This winter’s weather has certainly been memorable! Hopefully we are finished with the snow for this school year. Through it all excellence continues here at our school. Students pushed themselves to finish the second quarter strong (visit the H.S.E. website to view the Quarter 2 Honor Roll) and are now settled into the second semester. As we continue to navigate through the changes in State policy and curriculum, I am confident that our practices here in Half Hollow Hills will always keep us ahead of the rest. The High School East staff is working hard as always to ensure that our students receive high quality instruction.
Science Olympiad........Page 2
Excellence abounds in and outside of the classroom at High School East. As in the past, a number of our seniors have already secured admission into some of the finest institutions in the nation. Students earned recognition in various local and national academic competitions. We have county champs and sports teams who have had great results in the playoffs this winter season. Our students showed school and holiday spirit in various ways including cheering on classmates at the winter sports pep rally, putting on a holiday show for the James E. Allen Alternative School and participating in a myriad of charitable community service endeavors. We take great pride in all that our students do to uphold the tradition and image of High School East! We are currently in the process of creating the master schedule for the 2014-2015 school year. By the time you read this, students would have had presentations on courses and electives, received recommendations from their teachers for future courses and submitted requests in consultation with their guidance counselors. Parents, please take the time to discuss the course requests with your child. It is very important that students thoughtfully request courses now because request numbers will determine the courses and elective classes offered next year. Finally, as always we thank the Board of Education, the Superintendent and Central Office Staff, the High School East PTSA and of course the parents of our community for making it possible for us to provide the best educational experience for our students.
Trivia Challenge..........Page 3 “The Arts” News.....Pages 4-5 2014 Top 20..................Page 6 Map Project..................Page 7 Math Winners..............Page 7 Can Roll.......................Page 8 Hour of Code...............Page 9 Student Spotlight.......Page 10 Charity Events...........Page 10 Sports Recap..............Page 11 2014 Titles...........Pages 11-12
Remember: Respect, Responsibility and Excellence!
J. A. Woodberry Principal
Page 1
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue III
H.S.E. Olympiad Team Success The High School East Science Olympiad teams competed at the Eastern Long Island Regional competition this month.
The team came in second overall, behind last year’s New York State Champion, 5th place National team, Ward Melville. High School East students won 25 medals in 20 out of 23 events, including four Gold medals. A complete list of medal winners:
- Judy Chen: Silver, Green Generation
- Sarah Cohen: Gold, Disease Detectives; 5th, Chem Lab - Catherine Costanzo: Gold, Forensics
- Ravjot Sachdev: 6th, Rocks
- Amanda Salemi: 5th, Scrambler
- Heesu Shin: 4th, Disease Detectives
- Alex Devarajan: Gold, Technical Problem Solving; Silver,
- Michael Taj: Bronze, Boomilever; 4th, Maglev;
Food Chemistry; 4th, Anatomy
- Jennifer Wang: 4th, Water Quality; 5th, Scrambler
Materials Science; Bronze, Elastic Launched Glider; Bronze,
4th, Compound Machines
- Benjamin Edwards: Bronze, Disease Detectives
- Joanna Wang: Bronze, Disease Detectives; 4th, Water Quality
- Brent Fogel: 4th, Anatomy
- Benjamin Wolfram: Bronze, Elastic Launched Glider; Bronze,
- Samuel Hecht: Gold, Technical Problem Solving;
- Anton Wu: 6th, Chem Lab
- Cheryl Feig: 5th, Food Chemistry
- Sabrina Gallego: Gold, Forensics’ 6th, Chem Lab 4th, Compound Machines
- Marc Klinger: 6th, Rocks
- Dominique Iaccarino: Silver, Materials Science; 5th, Chem Lab
- Anna Lando: 6th, Entomology
- Nicco Mazziotti: Bronze, Rocks; 4th,Mission Possible - David Morales: Bronze, Rocks; 4th, Mission Possible; 6th, Entomology
- Cynthia Pang: Gold, Disease Detectives; Silver, Green Generation
- Nathan Perfetti: Gold, Entomology; 6th, Rocks - Divya Rao: Bronze, Anatomy
- Akash Wasil: 4th, Disease Detectives; 5th, Food Chemistry Boomilever; 4th, Maglev
- Kaitlyn Yong: Bronze, Anatomy
- Michelle Zhao: Bronze, Food Chemistry
The team would like to thank the Department and Building
Administrations for their continued support, without which this would not have been possible. A special thanks to
Assistant Coach Matt DiPalmo for his help in the entire
process of preparation and competition, and also my unofficial 2nd assistant coach Lauren Barlow for her efforts throughout the season and at the competition. Tom
Affatigato, Terry Goodenough, George Rahbari and Rick
Russo also assisted in preparing our students, while Terry Goodenough, Joe Campanelli, Laura
McGuire, and Kristen Serio assisted in helping the competition run smoothly. The team would also like to take this
opportunity to inform you of our successes at the Athens Invitational competition in
Pennsylvania, which was held on January 18th. Two teams were entered into one
of the most prestigious and challenging Invitational Tournaments in the
Page 2
Volume VI, Issue III
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter Continued from Page 2
country. They came in 8th and 15th, respectively, but due to multiple teams were the sixth ranked school. This represents an improvement on last year, when the team came in 10th as a team, and 8th as a school. Teams that bested High School East included two from three-time defending National Champion Solon, Ohio and last year’s National runner-up and perennial PA State Champion Harriton.
The following students won medals:
- Rachel Anszelovich: 6th, Astronomy
- Sam Hecht: 6th, Circuit Lab
- Anja Kenagy: Silver, Entomology
- Judy Chen: 5th, Compound Machines
- Christopher Lastihenos: 4th, Compound Machines
- Alex Devarajan: 6th, Circuit Lab
- Cynthia Pang: 6th, Astronomy
- Catherine Costanzo: 6th, Write It- Do It
- David Morales: Silver, Entomology
- Benjamin Edwards: 6th, Disease Detectives
- Michael Taj: 4th, Compound Machines; 5th, Boomilever
- Sabrina Gallego: 6th, Write It- Do It
- Benjamin Wolfram: 5th, Boomilever
- Brent Fogel: 5th, Compound Machines
- Joanna Wang: 6th, Disease Detectives
Submitted by Mr. Thomas Page: Coach
Trivia Challenge for a Cause
The students of Half Hollow Hills High School East came together on February 7, 2014 to raise money
for a great cause, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Suffolk. This contest, which was organized by Matoula
Lykos, with the help of Joseph Del Giudice, Christina Constantinou, and Steve Goldman, was a major success. Nearly 150 students got to participate in a Trivia Challenge, racking their brains over facts about the John F.
Kennedy and the latest pop hits. The students formed teams of up to four members, and each member donated $15 to the cause, along with completing an hour-long test made up of 100 questions. It was a wonderful time for all students involved; along with being challenged in a way that they usually are not in school. These
students got to compete and work with their friends, ate candy, and got to help a great cause. These students
also had their eyes on the grand-prize, a one-hundred dollar reward for the entire team. The winning team was made up of Luke Longo, Karishma Daibee, Jennifer Wang, and Vanessa Scott; all juniors here at High School East. However, the greatest victory of the afternoon was the amount of money raised for this charity,
a whopping $2,636. This money will strengthen residential programs, along with providing vital health care and therapeutic services to individuals with disabilities. “It was a really fun time,” says junior Divya Rao,
a participant in the Trivia Challenge. “I didn’t know the members of my group very well beforehand, so I got the opportunity to make new friends! It also tested my knowledge in a wide range of areas and it felt really good to know that I was doing something to help a greater cause.”
- Article Submitted by Ms. Matoula Lykos
Page 3
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue III
“THE ARTS” NEWS NYC String Quartet Trip This December, the String Quartet students of High School East and West took a wonderful field trip into the heart of New York City, Times Square! This was a fantastic opportunity for our Half Hollow Hills students to represent our district, and give the upperclassmen of the group an experience that they will not forget. The students performed at the unveiling of the 2014 sign that was displayed on New Years Eve. Thank you to Karen Romeo and Dr. Lilla for attending this very special event with the students. Submitted by Mrs. Leanne Strom High School East Orchestra Director
PTA Reflections Winners
This year, High School East had six winners from the annual PTA Reflections Contest. The winners were: Photography Amanda Ladenheim, 12th grade Joshua Zegans, 11th grade Visual Arts Jessica Radecki, 9th grade Nicole Tubman, 9th grade Literature Sophia Lettieri, 9th grade Melanie Cassino, 9th grade
Congratulations to all! Page 4
Volume VI, Issue III
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Art Visions Show Advanced Placement Drawing and 2-D students exhibited recent work at the 10th anniversary Art Visions show at LIU Post. This show
features the top visual arts students from across Long Island. Stefanie Alpert, grade 12, under
the instruction of Kimberly Norris submitted an expressive self-portrait. Amanda Ladenheim, one of Allyson Uttendorfer’s photography
students, submitted a conceptual photograph inspired by her AP concentration theme jux-
taposition. Amanda, grade 12, took home an
Honorable Mention Award in Photography for
her piece. A total of 50 students exhibited work in this show representing over 15 school districts. -Article Submitted by Ms. Allyson Uttendorfer
Coffeehouse Night
On February 7th, the TRI-M students of High School East hosted the annual Coffeehouse Night in the auditorium. Doors opened at 7 PM with over a dozen performances starting at 7:30. Coffeehouse night is a TRI-M tradition and always brings in parents and students to come and enjoy a night filled with music, coffee provided by Starbucks, and delicious baked goods made by members. It is a great moment for members to connect with people through their music. This year, the money raised is going to the Coltrane Home. The home was residence to the famed American Jazz Musician, John Coltrane. The Coltrane home in Dix Hills has been saved from demolition and was purchased by the Town of Huntington and given to the “Friends of the Coltrane Home” which is a NY State non-profit organization founded specifically to support the home. Overall, Coffeehouse Night was a tremendous success and members already cannot wait for next year. - Article Submitted by Ms. Monica Benstock
Page 5
High School East is proud to announce the Top 20 students of the Class of 2014
Shari Bieber Daniel Bockelman Steven Cavataio Justin Cohen Sarah Cohen James DeFillippo Dana DeSousa Shivali Devjani Alyson Givre Samuel Hecht
Matthew Kronrad Christopher Lastihenos Matthew Sekuler Daniel Shnitkin Zachary Silber Jared Silverberg Jillian Udell Rachel Warren Lawrence Wolf-Sonkin Kaitlyn Yong
Class of 2014 Valedictorian:
Christopher Lastihenos Class of 2014 Salutatorian:
Justin Cohen
Page 6
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue III
Collaborative Map Project Mr. O’Brien and Mrs. Cullen combined their Global 9 Honors classes to create a Classical Cities Project. Student groups were assigned one of eight cities from the classical time period (600 BCE - 600 CE). They researched information about their city in terms of the city’s role in economics, politics, religion, and cultural achievements. They created index cards with this information and illustrations. Mrs. Uttendorfer’s art classes assisted by creating Classical City World Maps that were then turned into game boards. The 90 students came together for three periods in the cafeteria the week before December break to play a game in which they moved around the classical world maps and gathered information on the role these cities played in the empires that we have been studying. The activity ended with a debate among the cities as to which was the most significant city in the classical world. - Article Submitted by Ms. Cynthia Cullen
Congratulations to top scorers at the 21st Annual Suffolk Math Tournament High School East Winners Include: 9th grade level individual winners: Anton Wu, 1st place Rinni Bhansali, 3rd place (7th grader) Lower Division (9th/10th grade level) winning team: 2nd placeRinni Bhansali, Victoria Jin, David Morales, Brian Rhee, and Anton Wu From Left to Right - Top Row: B.Epstein, B.Liao, B.Rhee, V.Jin Bottom Row: D.Morales, A.Wu, and R.Bhansali
Page 7
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue III
H.S.E. Annual “Can-Roll” Physics is the study of the natural world, which is conducted in order to understand how the universe works. Topics that physicists study include (but are not limited to) motion, causes of motion (forces), energy, momentum, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of matter. Although physics may seem at times to be irrelevant to our everyday experience, discoveries in physics have led to the development of many technological devices. These include electric lights, airplanes, television, computers, GPS, and cell phones as well as just about everything else that we use on a daily basis. All high school physics courses include the study of mechanics, electricity & magnetism, light, and the structure of matter. Mechanics includes topics such as motion, force, rotation, energy, and momentum. One part of the study of motion is the investigation of rolling. Rolling is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Rolling involves a combination of rotational motion and linear motion. One property of objects that influences how they roll is something called “rotational inertia”. In order to give students some real-life experience with this confusing topic, Mr. Grunbeck’s physics classes engage in a “Can-Rolling Contest”. The objective in this contest is to pick a can of food that will roll farther than other students’ cans. Each student brings in two cans of food for this contest. The cans are rolled down a small ramp and then left to roll along the floor. It turns out that the cans with the biggest “rotational inertia” roll the farthest. The winner of the contest in each class receives a super-secret, superduper, prize. After the contest, students gather all the cans and bring them to Mr. Grunbeck’s car. Mr. Grunbeck then delivers the cans of food to the food bank at the St. Hugh’s Parish Outreach Program in Huntington Station to help out less fortunate people in a nearby community. This can-rolling contest not only teaches students about an important topic in physics, but also about social responsibility. - Article Submitted by Mr. Dennis Grunbeck
Page 8
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue III
The Hour of Code Initiative at High School East The Hour of Code is a nation-wide initiative launched by Code.org . Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science education by making it available in more schools. Their vision is that every student should have the opportunity to learn computer programming. They believe computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. The week of December 9th through 15th was designated “Computer Science Education Week”, and our school decided to get involved. Through the joint efforts of the Computer Club and the ACSL (American Computer Science League) Team, our students hosted a week-long event. First, our math teachers, led by the District Math Director Ian Dunst, introduced their students to the event with a video explaining the initiative. Students then came to one of the after-school “Hour of Code” events, where they went online and tried one or more of the available online tutorials. Volunteers from the Computer Club,
ACSL, and our computer classes, helped lead the students through the various options. Over the course of the week-long event over 500 High School East students completed the Hour of Code. Many are continuing to learn more through the Computer Club, ACSL, and our various computer courses. - Article Submitted by Mr. Joseph Del Giudice
Page 9
Student Spotlight: Alex Devarajan Recently, one of High School East’s finest, was named a semifinalist in the 2014 nation-wide Intel Science Talent search; Alex Devarajan. The Intel Science Talent Search is the nation’s most prestigious science research competition for high school seniors. Since 1942, Intel has provided a national stage for the country’s best and brightest young scientists to present original research to nationally recognized professional scientists. Alex is a senior here at High School East, basing his research on Ethyl Pyruvate Attenuates Systemic Inflammation via Inhibition of Inflammasome Activation. In other words, it is a study based on ethyl pyruvate, a chemical found in the body that prevents inflammation. He hopes to use his research to find a cure for sepsis, a fatal blood infection that causes excessive inflammation in the body. Alex plans to become a pre-med student next year, and one day become a practicing neurosurgeon following his studies. Other than spending his last two summers performing research, Alex enjoys reading, music, and playing video games. He has played both the cello and piano for many years. We wish Alex the best in the future, and would like to congratulate him once again on his many accomplishments.
Extracurricular Charity and Community Service Activities
Here at High School East many extra-curricular clubs and activities are involved in both charitable and community service events; this holiday season was no exception! The Science Explorers club organized pizza sales to raise money for the Heifer Foundation. The Heifer Foundation envisions a sustainable world where hunger and poverty no longer exist. Their mission is to grow and support individuals from all walks of life who are in great need. The National Art Honor Society supported to local community by volunteering hours at the Ronald McDonald House, a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children undergoing critical medical treatment in area hospitals. The students created holiday inspired murals, for everyone to enjoy! A community organization, the Sunshine Toy Drive, benefited from the help of our very own National Honor Society, as it collected toys throughout High School East during the weeks leading up to the holiday. Both the Amnesty and Asian Clubs of High School East worked along side the PTA to collect pajamas for Suffolk County Battered Women and Children. Our staff, students, and community members donated over 300 pairs. Student Government helped create a Holiday Show for both James E. Allen schools. This entailed coordinating High School East Cheerleaders, Kickline, Expressive Dance Group, Jazz Band, and Vocal Jazz for the successful event. More toys were collected through the Interact Club here at High School East, as well as at a local Walmart. These toys were collected and distributed through Project T.O.Y. of Suffolk County. Lastly, the Ichtus Club held multiple bake sales to raise money for the charitable organization “Bread Run”, whose goal is to provide services and food for both the hungry and needy on Long Island. We are extremely proud of our clubs here at High School East, and look forward to spreading more holiday cheer in 2014.
Page 10
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue III
Winter Sports Recap Fencing Teams The following student athletes placed at the Brentwood Holiday Tournament this season: Amanda Lewis: 1st place Foil, Anja Kenagy: 3rd place Sabre, Sarah Im: 3rd place Épée, Tiffany Kim: 5th place Foil. In addition, the whole team won the Jeff Wolfe Award for highest overall placement at this tournament. Season Records were as follows: Girls 8-2 and Boys 6-4. Boys Track Team 2013-2014 Winter Season Highlights: 1) 4x400 relay won the Millrose Trials (3:25.95) at the Armory (NYC) and represented Long Island at the Millrose Games. Relay members: Luke Longo, Sam Chimezie, Jonathan Perrier, Jake Burcham. 2) 4x800 relay finished first the Yale University Invitational on January 15 in 8:05.63 and set a new meet record in that event. Relay members: Sean Grossman, Andrew Freedman, Gregory Makarius, Jake Burcham. 3) Jake Burcham won the Stanner Games (NYC) 600 meter run in 1:20.84 which is the fastest time on Long Island. 4) Sam Chimezie is the #1 ranked High Hurdler in Suffolk County. His time is 7.68 (55HH) Girls Track Samantha Fondacaro, Stefanie Alpert and Sabrina Martinez were ranked in the top 30 in the county with Sabrina at an impressive #10 spot. Congratulations to the HSE Girls 4x200 relay team, consisting of Mary Chimezie, Lauren Keschner, Rosie Oroyemi and Christy Perrier. The team broke the HSE record and placed FIRST at the Stanner Games. Wrestling The wrestling team has placed the highest they have in five years in every tournament that they wrestled in this season. They had many highlights over the course of the season including three All-League Wrestlers. Senior Michael Macchia finished 4th in the League II Tournament. Freshman Philip Spadafora and Junior Jack Scurti were both crowned champions. All qualified to compete in the Section XI Championships. Philip Spadafora went on to place 4th at the Suffolk County Championships. Philip was only the second wrestler in school history to place in the Suffolk County Tournament as a freshman. The 2013-2014 Thunderbird wrestlers were also recognized as a Scholar Athlete team.
A special CONGRATULATIONS to our League Championship Teams:
Boys Swimming & Diving: 8-Time Suffolk County League I Title Champs
Page 11
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Half Hollow Hills High School East
Volume VI, Issue III
Boys Basketball: Suffolk County League II Title Champs
50 Vanderbilt Parkway Dix Hills, NY 11746 Principal’s Newsletter Volume VI, Issue II Produced by: Mr. Ben Wiley Assistant Principal High School East bwiley@hhh.k12.ny.us Phone: 631.592.3115 Fax: 631.592.3454
Girls Basketball: Suffolk County League II Title Champs Interested in submitting an article to Perspectives? Want to share wonderful news about High School East? Go to the High School East website, click on the Newletter Tab found in the left column, and follow the link to submit. You can also email Mr. Wiley directly. All prospective articles and ideas will be reviewed, but not all submissions will be published. Page 12