Williston times 21017

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Serving The Willistons, Albertson, Herricks, Mineola, Roslyn Heights, and Searingtown

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Friday, February 10, 2017

Vol. 66, No. 6

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PAGES 35-46

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A MIGHTY BOW

EWSD eyes 3 holiday additions to calendar Changes reflect district’s shifting demographics BY T E D R YA N The East Williston school board plans to add three Hindu, Muslim and Chinese holidays to the district’s calendar for the 2017-18 school year, district oďŹƒcials said last Wednesday. The Chinese Lunar New Year, Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holy day, are set to be oďŹƒcial holidays on the new calendar, which starts on Tuesday, Sept. 5, school board President Mark Kamberg said. “It shortens February break

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HERRICKS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Herricks High School sophomore Christina Kim achieved a second-place win at the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition on Feb. 1. She earned the opportunity to perform at this event, held at the Congregational Church of Huntington in Centerport, after being named one of 10 finalists selected from a pool of more than 50 applicants.

by one day, and it includes the closing for religious observance of the [three] holidays that have been discussed,� Kamberg said. The school board has not adopted the calendar changes yet, but will vote to approve them at a meeting later this month. The three holidays follow the lunar calendar and their dates change every year. Eid al-Fitr and Diwali fall on June 25 and Oct. 19 this year, respectively. The next Lunar New Year is Feb. 16, 2018. The addition is in response

to the rising number of minority students enrolled in the East Williston district. Asian students made up 24 percent of the student population in the 2014-15 school year, Kamberg said, up from 7 percent in the 2005-06 school year. East Williston’s Hispanic and Latino student population has increased from 3 percent to 5 percent in the same period. “Our numbers have been increasing over the past years,� Kamberg said. Continued on Page 59

Drive to serve leads to board of the United Way W. Park’s Brandon Ray elected by nonprofit Deer Park-based nonproďŹ t that seeks to advance the common Although he’s donned a cor- good. Ray also serves on the porate suit, Williston Park resident Brandon V. Ray has a drive board of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, the Union Baptist for charity. Ray was recently elected to Church of Hempstead and Menthe board of directors for the tor New York, and as the reUnited Way of Long Island, a gional director of external and

BY J ES S I C A C H I N

legislative aairs for AT&T for Long Island. Born and raised in Hempstead and a two-year resident of Williston Park, Ray said he hopes to use his new position with United Way to continue serving communities on Long Island. Continued on Page 59

For the latest news visit us at www.theislandnow.com D on’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Theislandnow and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow


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