The Principal’s Newsletter June 16, 2014
Volume VI, Issue V
A Message From Dr. Woodberry Dear High School East Community, It has been a terrific year for us here at High School East. We could not have had a finer group of students, educators, parents and community members working together to achieve academic success. The college acceptance rates for our graduating class are truly remarkable and a direct result of our professional learning community’s (K-12) efforts to educate our children. As the school year comes to a close, I can fondly say that it has been a pleasure serving as the principal of this great school. Good luck to the Class of 2014! I wish everyone an enjoyable and safe summer!
Principal’s Message.....Page 1 Student Spotlight.........Page 2 French Contest............Page 2 Tennis Stars..................Page 3 “The Arts” News.....Pages 4-5 Mural Project...............Page 6
Remember Respect, Responsibility and Excellence
Spanish Contest...........Page 6
Dr. J. A. Woodberry Principal, High School East
Thunderbird Awards....Page 7 Lucy Macchia..............Page 8 Research Symposium...Page 8 Cultural Exchange......Page 9 Poetry Slam..................Page 9 DECA Honors............Page 10
Newly Created Library Banners for High School East Inspired by the 2014 AP Art History Installation
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
Student Spotlight: Tia Quashie We are excited to inform you that Coca-Cola has chosen Tia Quashie as one of the winners of the Apprenticeship Experience with Steve Harvey and a $5,000 educational Scholarship. An Apprenticeship Experience with Steve Harvey includes 2 trips (totaling 4-5 nights) for the winner to the U.S. city of their choice. Tia will also receive a $1,500 stipend; the opportunity to participate in the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program, including working with members of Steve Harvey’s team and learning what it takes to run the Steve Harvey Morning Show and Family Feud. A $5,000 educational scholarship will also be awarded to Tia for her hard work, dedication, and efforts. Congratulations for all that she has achieved!
AAFT National French Contest
The National French Contest/Grand Concours is an annual competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. Congratulations to the 2014 High School East Winners! - Submitted by Ms. Sophie Sirulnick Alia Rizvon - 2nd Place Suffolk County / 8th Place Nationally Hyunsu Shin - 3rd Place Suffolk County / 9th Place Nationally Vaidehi Patel - 5th Place Suffolk County/ 11th Place Nationally Danielle Roedel - 7th Place Suffolk County / 14th Place Nationally Katherine Thompson - 9th Place Suffolk County / 11th Place Nationally William Ma - 6th Place Suffolk County / 14th Place Nationally Arshita Pabbi - 7th Place Suffolk County/ 15th Place Nationally Anja Kenagy - 9th Place Suffolk County/ 17th Place Nationally Manasa Pisipati - 9th Place Suffolk County/ 17th Place Nationally Kevin Bennett - 6th Place Suffolk County/ 17th Place Nationally Shantanu Havaldar - 7th Place Suffolk County / 18th Place Nationally Madison Tuckman - 9th Place Suffolk County/ 20th Place Nationally
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
High School East Tennis Champions High School East has been blessed to witness two amazing student-athletes over the course of the last six years. Zain Ali and Kyle Alper have been the face of the Boys Tennis team since 7th grade, and have helped build the program to where it is today. Both students emphasize team-work, support, and helping the team grow. Team accomplishments, under the leadership of both athletes, are outstanding. The team has won the league since they were in 7th grade, as well as the county tournament since they were in 8th. The team currently has 100 straight wins, with an overall record of 121-1 since they have been a part of the team. Zain is planning on attending Tufts University in the fall, to major in computer science and finance. Other than opening his own tennis club in the future, he plans to become a financial engineer and work in New York City. Kyle is attending Quinnipiac University, where he will major in business. After college, his goal is to go into the trade and marketing sector. Both students plan on playing tennis throughout their college career. On the tennis court here at High School East, Zain has a number of personal accomplishments that mirror his wonderful personality. Overall, he amounted 135 total wins while playing at the varsity level. He made the Suffolk County playoffs since he was in 8th grade, winning the tournament outright his junior and senior year. Coincidently enough, this year he defeated Kyle for the Suffolk County singles championship. He has made the New York State playoffs since he was in 8th grade, an accomplishment that requires him to be one of the top three players in all of Suffolk County. He earned 3rd place in the State Tournament two consecutive years, this year and last. Kyle has been on the squad since 7th grade as well, with a total record of 114-4 throughout his career. He made his way into the Suffolk County tournament since he was in 10th grade, winning the tournament as a doubles player both his 10th and 11th grade year. He earned a spot in the New York State tournament for doubles those two years, as well as a singles player his senior year. He best finish at the State-wide tournament was 6th place in doubles as a junior. We are extremely proud of these two student-athletes here at High School East, and wish them luck on all their future endevors. The tennis program will not be the same without them. They have truly made East a powerhouse during their time here. Congratulations to them both!
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
“THE ARTS” NEWS
Amanda Ladenheim, grade 12, won the student award for the Annual Gurwin Photo contest. Under the instruction of Mrs. Uttendorfer, High School East was lucky to have student winners the past two years from over 700 entries annually. Jasmine Weber took home the student award last year. This contest is different from other contests in that winning photos are enlarged and then displayed permanently at the Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for the enjoyment of their residents, family members, volunteers and staff. The photos bring endless enjoyment, and the new additions to their Gurwin Gallery are eagerly anticipated each year. Her photo One Fish, Two Fish is a self-portrait included in her Advanced Placement 2-D Photography Portfolio.
Long Island’s Art Show Art students enrolled in Drawing and Painting and Photography recently exhibited artwork at Long Island University’s 12”x12” art show. The 11th Annual exhibition sponsored by LIU Post featured over 100 works in this square format with about 30 school districts participating. Juniors Zachary Winakor, Melissa Rubenfeld, Michelle Baltrusitis, Lauren Keschner, Joshua Zegans, Lisa Giris, and Paige Russo were part of this event. Ms. Norris and Ms. Uttendorfer attended the opening reception at the Hillwood Gallery to honor their students. - Submitted by Ms. Allyson Uttendorfer
9th Grade Band Honors
The combined Ninth Grade Band recently traveled to the annual Music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags Great Adventure. The group received a superior rating and won 1st place in their category as well as best overall band at the festival. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the event!
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
2014 Fashion Exhibition
The High School East Fashion Exhibition took place this Spring, showcasing a number of students’ work and collaborative projects. Ms. Godoy, the fashion teacher at High School East, is extremely proud of her students’ work, and is excited to continue the tradition for many years to come. The exhibition this year mainly focused on self-made clothing, custom T-shirt designs, and clothing created from recycled materials. Students reclaimed old clothing garments, in order to be worn again as current “hip” designs. Also, students were inspired by the famous Victoria Secret’s fashion show to create angel wings and accessories for mannequins. While creating these pieces, Ms. Godoy incorporated multiple artistic time periods, styles, and techniques of artists into her lessons. The show was on display in both the library lobby, as well as the two adjacent display cases located outside the Social Studies wing and art gallery. Fellow students, staff, as well as community members were able to view the amazing work these young fashion designers created. Congratulations, to all those who participated, for a job well done! - Article submitted by Ms. Tania Godoy
Theatre Awards & Recognitions This year’s fall drama, Our Town, was nominated for a number of HuntingTONY and Bacca awards. The superb production was led by Mr. Smyrk and Ms. De Stefano, and has been recognized by the town of Huntington as well as the Babylon Citizens Council of the Arts. Congratulations to the cast and crew of this wonderful production. This years spring musical, Once On This Island, was also nominated for a number of awards and recognitions. The outstanding efforts of Dr. Danielle McRoy and Ms. Stephanie McCarthy, along side the number of student participants and assistants, earned them these nominations. After the show, one of the judges walked back stage and congratulated the students for their outstanding work. According to that judge, it was “one of the best High School musicals she had ever seen.” Congratulations to the cast and crew of this wonderful production.
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
Interdisciplinary Mural Project Mr. Pitman and Ms. Uttendorfer are collaborating on an exciting project. Mr. Pitman’s AP US History and Ms. Uttendorfer’s AP Art History students are creating an American history mural outside of the Social Studies classroom. The mural will become a teaching tool that documents events that define our history, painted in corresponding art styles. For example, the famous photograph from the Great Depression of the Migrant Mother will be painted in a Cubist style, both taking place in the 30s. Overall the classes are planning to showcase 10 major historic events. This project will carry over into the next school year, but since the research is done, sketching has begun. Please take a moment and check out the wonderful work completed thus far. - Submitted by Ms. Allyson Uttendorfer
Spanish Poster Contest Winner: Lauren Peller
The 2014 Spanish poster contest was open to all Spanish and Portuguese students grades K-12 of current AATSP member teachers. The poster contest was an excellent project for Hispanic Heritage Month and a way to celebrate Foreign Language! The national poster contest encouraged the discussion of language study, creative thinking, and artistic expression. Judging was conducted by the Poster Contest Committee and the Executive Council of the AATSP. This contest was open for all eligible K-12 students nationally, and we are pleased to announce that Lauren Peller, a 9th grade student at High School East, has won 2nd place in the 9-12 category. Congratulations on her accomplishment! - Article submitted by Ms. Orsola Dutra
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
Thunderbird Awards We are so excited to share with you that the HSE Thunderbird has done it again! Our newspaper staff and some of their parents, attended the Long Island Press Awards at Hofstra University. There were over 1200 nominations for various aspects of creating a high school newspaper. With approximately 25 Long Island high schools represented, HSE came home with several of the most coveted awards for writing. Listed below are the specific awards won, along with the names of the recipients. We are extremely proud of all of the hard work that our staff consistently puts into creating this award winning paper and look forward to getting even bigger and better in the future! Arts and Entertainment: Collin Giuliani received 3rd place for his article entitled “Grading the Grammys” Alexus Haddad received 2nd place for her article entitled “The Originals” Entertainment and Lifestyle: Amanda Blum received 1st place for her article entitled “Not So Electric Zoo” Government - National: Fatima Ouedraogo received 2nd place for her article entitled “Government Shutdown” School Culture Reporting: Collin Giuliani received 3rd place for his article entitled “Football Anti-Fanatics” Science & Health: Matthew Gillam received 1st place for his article entitled “The Bionic Man comes to HSE” Social Media Analysis: Grace Segers (accepted on her behalf by Natalie Haebich) received 1st place for her article entitled “Tragedy in the Age of Twitter” - Submitted by Ms. Nicole Dalton and Ms. Margaret Davis Thunderbird Advisors
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Volume VI, Issue V
Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Forever Remembered at High School East
In Loving Memory of
Lucy Macchia
September 22, 1929- February 16, 2014
On February 16th, High School East was saddened to hear of the loss of one of their own, Lucy Macchia. Lucy was a dedicated Half Hollow Hills employee of 38 years, and a beloved hall monitor of High School East. Many students, teachers, staff, and administrators will miss her presence in the halls and her uplifting personality. A plaque in her memory will be hung in the newly renovated student center for eveyone to see. Family and friends recently attended a small celebration there, and presented the plaque to Dr. Woodberry. Lucy was a spirited little lady who showed us the size of your body doesn’t show the size of your character or your heart.
2014 Research Symposium This year’s research symposium was attended by over 100 students from both district high schools. Students presented their work in the disciplines of behavioral science, computer science, chemistry, molecular biology, applied physics, mathematics, and engineering. As has been tradition for the past few years, seniors and underclassmen who have participated in local and national research competitions served as the project judges for the event. We said goodbye to 18 graduating senior research students including Intel STS Semifinalist Alex Devarajan, and 3-time International Science and Engineering Fair Finalist Bailey Liao. We wish all of the senior research students the best and look forward to their continued academic and professional accolades. We know they will succeed in all of their future endeavors. - Article submitted by Dr. Michael Lake
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
Cultural Exchange at High School East
This spring, High School East was visited by a secondary school from China, on a visit of cultural exchange and exploration of 21st century learning. Ms. Alfano, the Director of World Languages, escorted the Chinese administrative team throughout the school, making stops in multiple classrooms and educational settings. The group concluded the tour with a special stop in Dr. Woodberry’s office. Here, a token of gratitude was presented to High School East faculty, staff, and student body. A scroll, reading “Revisiting the past helps one to understand the present” was given to Dr. Woodberry. We look forward to continuing our contact with this school, in hopes to build an even stronger environment where students have the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively.
The Annual Poetry Slam
Last week, Mr. Breig’s Modern Poetry and Senior Experience classes verbally sparred at a Poetry Slam held in the High School East Lecture Hall. Students from both classes competed as small teams in hopes of being crowned Half Hollow Hills Slam Champion. They performed poems about a variety of topics, from love and family, to politics and race. Their free verse rhymes were filled with beautiful imagery, wordplay and most importantly, emotion. Poetry Slam is an art form that defies the academic conventions of poetry in favor of innovation and creative self-expression. Slam poets are encouraged to speak their mind and to elicit a reaction from the audience. The applause following many of the poems showed that the students achieved their desired effect. Overall, the event was a lot of fun for all those who participated. Teachers and administrators helped judge the poems and the overall scores of the slam teams were very close. In the end however, The Emperors of Ice Cream, a team made up of Ali Epstein, Leo Tringali, Nicole Keilitz, and Dwayne Young were crowned champions. - Article submitted by Mr. Patrick Breig
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Perspectives: The Principal’s Newsletter
Volume VI, Issue V
DECA Winners Once again, High School East has achieved success. Fifteen DECA students participated in the Stock Market Game.org’s 2014 Competition. The students had $100,000 to invest in the stock market. High School East’s team had two top winners out of approximately four hundred students across Long Island! David Targett finished in 1st Place, and Arnav Srivastava finished in 2nd Place! The team also had two top twenty finishers: Jake Gross in 16th, and Zachary Leff in 17th.
Half Hollow Hills High School East 50 Vanderbilt Parkway Dix Hills, NY 11746
The students should be commended for their hard work and dedication to DECA, and to the business department. This is a fantastic accomplishment, and it is also the second year in a row that Hills East DECA has had a student finish 1st in the competition! Congratulations to all who participated! - Article submitted by Mr. Joseph Cappiello
Principal’s Newsletter Volume VI, Issue V Produced by: Mr. Ben Wiley Assistant Principal High School East bwiley@hhh.k12.ny.us Phone: 631.592.3115 Fax: 631.592.3454 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