The Principal’s Newsletter April 30, 2015
Volume VII, Issue IV
A Message From Dr. Woodberry
Principal’s Message.....Page 1
Dear High School East Community,
2015 Top 20..................Page 2
Fourth Quarter is underway! The year has gone by very fast and the last two months will probably seem to pass even quicker. Our students have been working hard all year to excel in their classes however I must emphasize the year is not over yet. With roughly two months and Regents or final exams in some courses, there is still the opportunity to make a significant impact on final grades. Students, keep working to achieve your goals! You will see in this issue that our students continue to be involved in a number of activities both in and outside of school. Pretty soon our juniors will be attending the Junior Social, students will be recognized at the spring awards ceremonies, new class officers will be elected, our musicians will be performing in the spring concerts and the seniors are looking forward to the prom and graduation among other things. We take pride in our students engagement in school activities and are extremely proud of all of their accomplishments. As the warm weather approaches and the anticipation of the summer months
AP Top Performers......Page 2 Robotics........................Page 3 “The Arts” News.....Pages 4-5 Student Spotlight.........Page 5 Gold Medal Chorus.....Page 6 Holocaust Visitor.........Page 6 Science Olympiads.......Page 7 Senior Experience.......Page 8 Trivia Challenge..........Page 9 Mathletes......................Page 9 Scholar Athlete..........Page 10
builds, it is easier to get distracted. I encourage all of our students to stay focused on academics and end the year on a positive note all around. Keep demonstrating respect, acting responsibly and striving for excellence! Sincerely, J. A. Woodberry Principal
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VII, Issue IV
Congratulations to the Class of 2015 Top 20
Valedictorian: Justin Estreicher Salutatorian: Nicholas Petosa Grant Berland Zachary Goldstein Judy Chen Dominique Iaccarino Bari Cohen Jordyn Isikow Melanie Gershman Anja Kenagy Jacob Goldberg
H.S.E. AP Top Performers
Brian Kenigsberg Luke Longo Divya Rao Heesu Shin
Jenny Truong Joanna Wang Akash Wasil Michael Weymouth Tiffanie Yang
AP National Scholars Grant Berland (not pictured), and Michelle Zhao AP Scholars with Distinction Nathaniel Bear, Justin Estreicher, Sarah Im, Divya Rao, Jonathan Bodian, Cheryl Feig, Anja Kenagy, Emily Saltz, Judy Chen, Lisa Giris, Luke Longo (not pictured), Jenny Truong, Matthew Cunningham, Zachary Goldstein, William Ma, Joanna Wang, Karishma Daibee (not pictured), Natalie Huynh, Suzanne Norris (not pictured), Akash Wasil (not pictured), Benjamin Edwards, Dominique Iaccarino, and Manasa Pisipati
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VII, Issue IV
Team #3624 - A Story of Champions After a very dismal and extremely disappointing start, with more devastating technical problems than the team ever experienced, the HHH Robotics Team #3624 pulled together and showed its true mettle during the FIRST Robotics Competition held in Troy, New York. The team rallied around the theme “Bob the Builder - we can do it” and they DID IT! During the competition, the team made several important corrections to both their software and hardware, and began its meteoric rise. In its final qualifying match, Team #3624 (and it’s world class drive team and drive coach), impressed a veteran alliance team and was selected to be their partner in the elimination round. Together the alliance not only qualified for the quarterfinals but moved on to the semi-final rounds of the tournament. A photo finish match moved the Cinderella team into the finals against the much more powerful team. At this point of the tournament, the team already knew that no matter what transpired, they were coming home to Half Hollow Hills with the best finish an HHH Robotics Team had ever achieved. The team played through the best of three finals, and although they did not emerge as the victorious team, Team #3624 left Troy heading to the next competion as champions in their own right. Congratulations to TEAM #3624! - Article Submitted by Dayle Dalia
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
“THE ARTS” NEWS
Volume VII, Issue IV
N.Y.S. Reflections Results High School East is proud to announce three students who have recently been named New York State Award Winners in the annual PTSA Reflections Contest. Two students, who have been selected as Award of Excellence receipients, are set to continue the competion at the National Level. Congratulations on all that they have achieved!
Hayley Cohen (right) - Award of Excellence, Photography Christopher Weller (not pictured) - NY State Award of Merit, Photography Sophia Lettieri (left) - Award of Excellence, Literature
Long Island’s Best Lisa Giris, Grade 12, received two awards at the 2015 Long Island’s
Best exhibition. This prestigious juried exhibition featured works of art created by Long Island High School students, inspired by works of art shown in the Heckscher Museum of Art. There were 311
pieces delivered from 54 high schools. The Heckscher Chief Curator juried the exhibition, and chose 80 high caliber works of art! Lisa
will receive the Renzo Bianchi Scholarship Award of Excellence in addition to an Award of Excellence for Experimental Photography
for her darkroom solarization city scene. Meagan Leotta, Grade 12, was also featured in the 2015 exhibition with her impressive time lapse photographs of a balloon popping. Both students will be pursuing the arts in college in the fall.
- Article Submitted by Ms. Allyson Uttendorfer
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Volume VII, Issue IV
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Student Spotlight: Nailah Gerard Nailah Garard is a sixteen year old who is currently a Junior at Half Hollow Hills High School East. She is the CEO and owner of Nai Arts,which is a business that reflects a fusion of two of her passions, Art and Fashion. Nailah is a recent winner of the annual Your Time For Creative Empowerment Creative Arts Contest, and has been awarded a $1,000 College Scholarship from the organization. Participants in this annual contest for High School students, compete for college scholarships by showcasing their talents through art, and their dedication to teen empowerment opportunities. Her winning entry, titled Trapped, is pastels on a lavender color pastel drawing paper. In context of the theme, Nailah wanted to portray a victim of peer pressure. According to the artist: “the girl’s emotions expressed through the work are of extreme loneliness, confusion, and utter terror. The girl is trapped in a strange forest filled with twisted trees and strange creatures. Her overwhelming emotions of fear and vulnerability entrap her in her own, enclosed dark world.” “The artwork is a depiction of the emotions that a victim of peer pressure might experience. Victims of peer pressure feel absolutely afraid of being harassed or ostracized if they don’t agree with what everyone might be doing. Furthermore, they may feel lost and distressed as they lose their own personal values while trying to “fit in”. I hope my piece conveys the message that peer pressure is not something that is trivial, but it is something that is very significant (especially in my age group) that needs to be addressed.” In her spare time, Nailah is on the Varsity Track and Field team, current President of the Model UN club, member of the National Art Honor Society, Amnesty International Club, Art Club, and a devoted student in many honors and advanced placement courses. Congratulations to Nailah on all that she has achieved, and her comittment to teenage empowerment!
Trapped by Nailah Gerard
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VII, Issue IV
Gold Medal Winners The HSE Concert Choir received a Gold Medal at the 2015 NYSSMA Majors Festival in Bay Shore on April 16. The 90-voice ensemble performed three Level V pieces: “The Last Words of David” by American composer Randall
Thompson, a contemporary setting of the World
War I poem “In Flanders Fields” by Paul Aitken, and the finale from Gilbert and Sullivan’s
“The Gondoliers”. The adjudicators were
particularly impressed with the ensemble’s tone and musicality.
- Submitted by Dr. Danielle McRoy
Holocaust Survivor Visit
In February, Mrs. Lidia Mayer and Mrs. Michelle Tuchinsky visited Ms. Kane’s Holocaust class. Mrs. Mayer is the grandmother of senior Jacob Tuchinsky and is a survivor of the Holocaust. She told students in the class her story of survival in Poland during World War II. She was born in 1933 in Lvov, Poland and was the daughter of a prominent Jewish doctor. When the Germans invaded her country, Mrs. Mayer and her parents were hidden in an attic by people who lived in her town from 19421944. She and her family were liberated by the Russians in 1944. She then traveled to Sweden for 4 1/2 years waiting for a visa to enter the United States. She and her parents came to the United States in November 1950. Here she earned her bachelor’s degree and a masters degree in biology and married another Holocaust survivor, Mr. Edmund Mayer. This unique and genuine experience for the students was extremely well recieved and informational, we thank Mrs. Mayer for her visit. - Article Submitted by Ms. Lisa Kane
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VII, Issue IV
Science Olympiad Successes We are pleased to inform you of the successes of the Hills East Science Olympiad team at the State Competition in Syracuse this Spring. The team finished fourth overall in a field of 53 teams, drawn from the 398 teams which competed in New York’s twelve regional competitions in January and February. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the team has placed in the top five teams in New York State, which hosts over ten percent of all of the Olympiad teams in the country. Individual student winners are listed below, with their accomplishments. Judy Chen: 5th Place, Green Generation Catherine Costanzo: 6th Place, Forensics; 9th Place, Write it, Do it Benjamin Edwards: 3rd Place, Technical Problem Solving; 9th Place, It’s About Time Sabrina Gallego: 6th Place, Forensics; 9th Place, It’s About Time; 9th Place, Write it, Do It Casandra Grello: 3rd Place, Cell Biology Dominique Iaccarino: 8th Place, Dynamic Planet Bailey Kaston: 5th Place, Green Generation David Morales: 6th Place, Mission Possible Cynthia Pang: 3rd Place, Disease Detectives; 9th Place, Astronomy Nate Perfetti: 6th Place, Mission Possible
Joanna Wang: 3rd Place, Disease Detectives; 3rd Place, Technical Problem Solving; 8th Place, Dynamic Planet
Benjamin Wolfrom: 1st Place, Bridge Building Anton Wu: 9th Place, Astronomy Tiffanie Yang: 3rd Place, Cell Biology
I would like to thank Assistant Coach Matthew DiPalmo for his work with students in several events, along with the many teachers who worked with students and helped to run the regional competition. I would also like to thank the Departmental and building administrations for their continued support, without which none of these achievements would have been possible. - Article Submitted by Mr. Thomas Page
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VII, Issue IV
THE SENIOR EXPERIENCE CORNER Written for the students, by the students...
The Senior Experience class from both High School East and High School West recently saw the one act Pulitzer-Prize winning play Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar. The play focuses on the challenges faced by Muslim Americans in a post 9/11 world. The main character, Amir, is an ambitious young corporate lawyer who tries to abandon his Muslim heritage in favor of success in America. The play deals with themes of racism and Islamophobia as Amir finds that it is not so easy to forget his roots. This play is neither a comedy or a satire; but rather a drama meant to keep you on the edge of your seat. By the end of scene two, you can’t wait to find out what will happen next... The play is set in New York City, circa 2012, over the course of a few months. The characters live in a beautifully decorated Manhattan apartment that captures the financial success these characters enjoy. The set was beautiful, the costumes were perfect, and the characters were relatable for the most part. There are plenty of pop culture references, such as Magnolia’s Bakery and South Park that make the play enjoyable to both young people and New Yorkers alike. The play was filled with racial tension and ethnic conflict which made certain scenes uncomfortable to watch. I did not enjoy these scenes but that is what makes the play so powerful; it forces you to examine some truths about life that we sometimes don’t want to see. Akhtar gives a very interesting view of how people view Islam and how people’s stereotypes affect others. The play makes you examine the way you treat people of different cultures. I feel that this play is much more appealing to a high school student than The Kite Runner or Death of a Salesman. It actually makes you think about important current issues. Our class enjoyed how complex and interesting the characters were, how none of them were perfect characters and all had their faults and issues. Those who saw the play really enjoyed seeing the set; it looked like a real apartment and all the props were very realistic. The people who didn’t like it thought it focused too much on Amir; some wished we had more details on the other characters or maybe even a little bit more on Amir’s past. Overall, the response to the play was mostly positive. - Article written by Megan Banks
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VII, Issue IV
Trivia Challenge On Friday, February 27, 2015, students from all grade levels at Half Hollow Hills High School East came together to participate in the Trivia Challenge for United Cerebral Palsy. Students’ knowledge was put to the test, with questions on American geography, sports, pop culture, and music. The event was put together by Matoula Lykos, with help from Ms. Constantinou, Ms. Liegey, and Mr. Goldman, all of whom solicited students to take the exam. On the day of the Trivia Challenge, Ms. Lykos and Mr. Goldman handed out tests, collected donations from each student, distributed candy, and ensured the event ran smoothly. The winning team was composed of repeat champions; Luke Longo, Karishma Daibee, Jennifer Wang, and Vanessa Scott, all of whom managed to outscore many other teams on this difficult test. However, the greatest victory was the $2,900 raised for United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Suffolk. The money donated will go towards helping individuals afflicted with cerebral palsy, by providing them with vital health care and therapeutic services. “The Trivia Challenge was so much fun,” said senior Divya Rao, a participant in the Trivia Challenge. “I got to hang out with my friends while testing my knowledge in a fun and challenging manner. It was also great to know that while I was having fun, I was also helping raise money that would help others in my community.” - Article Submitted by Ms. Matoula Lykos
Math Top Scorers Mathletes member Anton Wu helped carry the team with an almost perfect score of 35 out of 36 points in this year’s New York Math League. The total team score landed High School East in 3rd place in Suffolk County and earned the team a spot as a top-scoring team in the State. Other individuals with scores that contributed to the teams overall placement are Rinni Bhansali, Ray Chang, Matthew Gacek, Sabrina Gallego, Daniel Giaime, Victoria Jin, Bailey Kaston, Cory Levin, David Morales, Cynthia Pang, Brett Peskin, Nicholas Petosa, Brian Rhee, Paul Rhee, Alia Rizvon, Ravjot Sachdev, Daniel Testa, Akash Wasil, Raymond Weisbrot, and Tiffanie Yang. Congratulations on a job well done!
Bottom row left to right: Paul Rhee, Brian Rhee, David Morales, Bailey Kaston, Corey Levin Top row left to right: Nicholas Petosa, Daniel Giaime, Akash Wasil, Anton Wu, Daniel Testa, Alia Rizvon, Raymond Weisbrot Missing: Rinni Bhansali, Ray Chang, Sabrina Gallego, Victoria Jin, Cynthia Pang, Brett Peskin, Ravjot Sachdev, Tiffanie Yang
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VII, Issue IV
Half Hollow Hills High School East 50 Vanderbilt Parkway Dix Hills, NY 11746 Principal’s Newsletter Volume VII, Issue IV Produced by: Mr. Ben Wiley Assistant Principal High School East bwiley@hhh.k12.ny.us Phone: 631.592.3115 Fax: 631.592.3454
Congratulations to John Natalone, for being named a News 12 Scholar Athlete Award Winner John was honored by News 12 for his stellar performance on the volleyball court, at the swimming pool, and in the pole vaulting pit at Half Hollow Hills H.S. East. Other than his All-County athletic honors, John is an amazing student in the classroom; with an unweighted average of 96.7. Following graduation this year, John plans to attend Middlebury College where he will continue his pole vaulting career. We wish him the best in all his future endeavors!
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 Newsletter 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 10