The gymnasium at FHS bellowed with the roars and stomps of the high school’s Navy Junior ROTC, during the annual Inspection and Battalion Parade.

With 220 members this year, students performed their drills before the board of education, administrators, local war veterans and families. Students passed their inspection, which was conducted by Christopher Kendrick, U.S. Navy Commander and U.S. Navy Executive Officer of Navy Recruiting District, New York.

“To all the cadets, thank you so much for stepping forward to be part of this organization,” said Commander Kendrick said. “Your involvement is going to set you up for success, whatever that may be, whether that’s in the military or in your community.”

Commander Kendrick joined retired U.S. Marine Corps. Major Donald R. Moore Jr. and retired U.S. Navy Chief Louis Lopez, both current members of the high school’s department of naval science, to present various awards to the programs outstanding cadets. 

High school Principal Joe Mille expressed how proud he was of the students.

“You are the backbone of this school. You’re reliable, dependable, professional and you do what is best for this school,” Mr. Mille said. “There is not another group of men or women that I would be prouder to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with. You are what makes this school so great.”

Faces were beaming in the FHS cafeteria during the Board of Education’s November meeting, as Board members recognized the top 10 students of the Class of 2019, and its Red Devils varsity football team for bringing home the Long Island I Championship title. 

“It’s a very exciting evening for all of us, a night of celebration for many things,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham said. “The accomplishments of our students at the high school is quite amazing and I’m overwhelmed to be here this evening with all of you.”

Dr. Kuncham went on to congratulate the top 10 students, which he acknowledged are all girls. “This is the first time we have total girl power here, and not only the top 10 but the top 17 students are all girls. Congratulations to all.”

The top 10 includes Leah Hochman (valedictorian), Laura Chumpitaz (salutatorian), Dehandra Blackwood (3), Selah Rose (4), Hailey Brown (5), Clara Petta-Gonzalez (6), Valentina Vinasco (7), Daisy Abello-Reyes (8), Savanna Natoli-Alabre (9) and Elizabeth Hastings (10).

The board also honored the Red Devils football team, after completing its 2018 fall season undefeated and as the reigning Long Island Conference I Champions. The Red Devils are also ranked number one for large schools in New York State.

“They were undeterred, they were disciplined, they were committed and they continued doing what they were supposed to do on that field, which led them to the championship title,” Dr. Kuncham said. “I know you will continue those same efforts in your everyday lives and we’re very proud of you. You are our superheroes and I know that more championships will come in the future for you.”

“The football team brings the community together and what this football team did is pretty amazing,” said Board President Michael Pomerico. “It was a wonderful feeling to be there and watch these students win that championship game and bring it back to Freeport. It was tremendous.”

Dr. Kuncham also highlighted the efforts of the coaching staff. “Thank you for everything you do, every single day for our kids, for our schools. You are amazing.”

Students and staff of the District’s Archer Street, Leo F. Giblyn, and New Visions schools participated in the Girls on the Run, where girls and their running buddies completed a 5K race.

Girls on the Run is a nonprofit organization that works to encourage pre-teen girls to develop self-respect and a healthy lifestyle through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games, culminating in a celebratory 5K run. 

The district mission is to make girls aware of their limitless potential to boldly pursue their dreams. The 5K run gives students a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals.

The Distirct Board of Education was honored to be presented with a $41,756 check from the Freeport Education Foundation during its November board meeting. 

“I’m very delighted to say that the hard work of the Freeport Education Foundation board members has resulted in many grant projects for our teachers, our students and our schools for the last three years,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham said. “I’m delighted to say that over $126,000 has been raised and distributed to our schools.”

The board greatly appreciates this donation, as it will be used to support the implementation of 16 innovative grants in the District. 

The District is proud to announce that the Red Devils varsity football team won this year’s coveted Rutgers Cup, during the Nassau County Football Coaches Association banquet at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

This is the 12th time the Red Devils won the Rutgers Cup since 1937. Freeport holds the record for the highest number of Rutgers Cup wins across Long Island.

This recognition follows the team’s successful season, as the reigning Long Island Conference I Champions. This is Freeport’s sixth Long Island Championship win, with victories in 2016, 2010, 2009, 2003 and 2000. 

“Our football program is second to none and a constant reminder of what can be achieved through commitment and determination to succeed,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham. “Congratulations to everyone on the team and to coach Cellan and our coaching staff for another outstanding and most memorable season.”

In addition, the Red Devils claimed this year’s Nassau County Conference 1 title and completed its season undefeated, with a total of 12 victories. The Red Devils has also claimed nine county championship titles as well.

As head coach of the Red Devils for 32 years, Russ Cellan was recognized for his efforts this season during the banquet and received the Nassau County Coaches Association Coach of the Year award, for his second time, and the Conference I Coach of the Year, for his eighth time. 

Students and staff at New Visions School joined together to support members of the community by arranging and donating Thanksgiving food baskets.

Fourth-grade student body president Jenae Omel, vice president Nicolas Pereira, secretary Brishell Collado and treasurer Jordin McCullough worked together in creating the food baskets for families that are less fortunate, and also included turkeys. Some of the baskets were also donated to Our Holy Redeemer Parish Outreach of Freeport. 

Atkinson school students witnessed an inspiring assembly called “NED’s Mindset Mission,” which centered around a loveable cartoon character whose name is an acronym for Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best. Students and staff had fun and related to the positive message NED brought, as it paralleled the school’s daily message: Have a meaningful day, give 100 percent and go for it!

The Dodd Middle School congratulates seventh-grader Nicholas Kemp for creating the winning library map design. Kemp designed a colorful hand-drawn library map that will be distributed during orientation classes. Kemp received a drawing pad and colored pencil set for his efforts.

Eighty Freeport High School students had the exciting opportunity to attend a production of  Broadway musical “Hamilton: An American Musical,” after being selected for the Hamilton Education Program. 

Last school year, FHS teachers Ms. Natalie Bar-Levy and Mr. Joshua Levitt submitted a grant application with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to take part in the Hamilton Education Program. The grant provided discounted tickets so that students could attend the Broadway performance.

Students who participated had to use primary source documents to create a song, rap or skit related to the founding era. FHS student Jordan Figueroa had the memorable opportunity to perform his original piece on stage.

In addition, students attended a meet and greet with the cast of Hamilton and submitted questions that were answered by cast members. The day was a tremendous success and all who participated had an amazing time.

Freeport High School was filled with high spirits, as the district hosted its annual National Honor Society induction ceremony, where 99 students were inducted into the program through a special candlelighting ceremony.

Adviser Eileen Shultis, who led the program, announced the six NHS officers: Gabriel Alvarado, Leah Hochman, Krystal Johnson, Yasmin Kadir, Kayla Placide and Justin Lescouflair. Character, scholarship, leadership and service are the four pillars of the NHS, which each officer highlighted during the ceremony. They spoke about what each pillar represents and how inductees can demonstrate these characteristics. 

On behalf of the board of education, Board President Michael Pomerico congratulated students on the memorable achievement of being inducted into the NHS. 

“The National Honor Society is based on four pillars: scholarship, leadership, service and character. Your desire and drive to push yourself in each of these areas to go above and beyond is a testament to what can be attained when you set goals, put in effort and never give up,” Mr. Pomerico said. “It’s time for you to take the next giant leap. You are amazing leaders. It is up to you to inspire others by your own actions, to get involved and make a difference. Use your knowledge to solve complicated issues through your creativity and collaboration with others. As a Freeport National Honor Society student, your work is not done. I urge you to challenge yourselves to do more, be more, and give more than you already have.”

After the inductees received a medal from Principal Joe Mille, students then held up their right hand and took the Honor Society Oath to solidify their induction into the NHS.

In Ms. Pang’s Family and Consumer Science classes at the Dodd Middle School, students have combined their creative talents and sewing skills to successfully complete their hand-sewn pillows. Throughout the project, they learned various sewing techniques including the three common hand stitches and how to properly sew on a button.

After completing the sewing unit, the students learned about the importance of kitchen safety and how to read and follow a recipe. With their newly acquired knowledge, the students prepared their first recipe of Eggs in a Basket, while also learning how eggs are graded and stored. 

Archer school was alive with holiday spirit, as students and staff members kicked off the Thanksgiving celebrations by marching two laps around the school for its annual Turkey Trot.

Students wore decorative Thanksgiving crowns and held up crafty turkey signs during the march. Through the event, the school raised $2,000 for United Way of Long Island.

Archer Principal Paula Lein said the school was very excited to present the check to United Way of Long Island, and that the students did a beautiful job in their efforts to help the cause.

Mrs. Zegers’ sixth-grade team, Team Princeton, at Atkinson school had an adventurous experience when visiting the Nassau BOCES Brookville Environmental Education Center. It was a fun day of team building, as students participated in activities that helped them step outside of their comfort zones. Despite the freezing temperatures, all of the students had a great time working together to accomplish all of the challenges the naturalists presented.

The fourth-grade teachers at New Visions School held their annual Thanksgiving feast, where fourth-grade students gathered together to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with their friends and teachers. Students and staff sampled and ate various types of food, which included plantains, yellow and white rice, cornbread, turkey, stew chicken, yams, lasagna and more. Prior to the feast, students shared with the class something they were thankful for.

Archer Street School’s fourth-grade class welcomed Freeport police officers to the school, where each class officially adopted their police officer for the school’s annual Adopt-A-Cop assembly. On behalf of their individual classes, students promised to write at least one letter per month as well as invite the police officers to at least two class activities this school year.

The Caroline G. Atkinson school held its peace pole dedication ceremony as part of the district’s International Peace Pole project.

This is the third Peace Pole dedication for the district. The beautiful dedication ceremony was planned and conducted by Atkinson students. They sang the song “One Day” and wrote and shared their own thoughts about what peace means to them. Students also shared quotes on peace from activists including Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Jimi Hendrix. Two homing pigeons were released to commemorate peace.

The district was honored to welcome Dr. Rainer Weiss, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in physics and professor at MIT, to the high school, where he presented his discovery of gravitational waves to students, faculty and invited guests, and interacted with students throughout the day. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham said that he was thrilled and honored to have Dr. Weiss at the high school, and called the day historic for Freeport schools. “The purpose was to have somebody of that stature, a Nobel Prize winner, being able to inspire our students to be the future scientists and the future leaders of the world.”

During this memorable and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students, Dr. Weiss witnessed students mimic his black hole experiment and student research presentations. Dr. Weiss said he was impressed with the science program at Freeport schools after listening to the active science curriculum and the opportunities the district offers students.

“To hear somebody of that stature observe the work we are doing here and describe it as extraordinary, amazing and rare is gratifying,” Dr. Kishore Kuncham said. “We are providing world-class opportunities and partnerships for our students to better themselves, to shine and to be motivated.”

Dr. Weiss also engaged students and staff one-on-one in intriguing conversations about science and took a tour of the high school science research lab. “Getting to meet a Nobel Laureate is an experience of a lifetime and a great moment for Freeport students and the Freeport School District,” Vincent Pereira, director of science, said. “Dr. Weiss showed our students the wonders of doing science and the qualities to keep persevering until you reach your goal.” 

To show their appreciation for his time at the high school, the Freeport administration and staff presented Dr. Weiss with a gift basket toward the end of the day.

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Fourth-grade students of the Leo F. Giblyn School received a special visit from Christopher Pendergast, the ALS Ride for Life founder who is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Mr. Pendergast and other members of the ALS Ride for Life organization educated students about the disease and how the organization works to raise awareness and funds to find a cure. Students heard Mr. Pendergast’s story battling with the disease and learned about how he uses his wheelchair to move around and communicate with others. 

At the end of the presentation, students watched an inspiring video on how the ALS Ride for Life began, how it has grown and how it has helped others battling with the disease throughout the years. To show their appreciation and support, fourth-grade students sang “We Won’t Stop Dreaming” for Mr. Pendergast and members of the ALS Ride for Life organization.

The purpose of the presentation was to help prepare students for the upcoming event in May 2019, where participants of the ALS Ride for Life visit Giblyn during their ride. 

Bayview Avenue school hosted its annual Career Awareness Expo, where students grades K-4 received a special visit from professionals who spoke on the vast career paths students can pursue as they continue their education.

Nearly 25 presenters visited each class and inspired students while discussing their current occupations and the education and training required and shared their personal career experiences. Students heard from custom cake designer Noret Bazemore, EMT Debbie Hopkins, Registered Nurse Maya Kazanjian, and Anja and Bracey Smith who spoke on the field of Virtual Reality & Future Technology.

Students were kept engaged during each presentation and encouraged to ask questions on the various career options.

Students and staff from J.W. Dodd Middle School participated in several efforts to honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For Breast Cancer Awareness Day and National Mammogram Day, students and staff wore pink and the Ladies of Dodd researched Breast Cancer Awareness statistics and posted them around the school. They also provided students and faculty alike with pink ribbons, pink pens and pink lollipops. With that, the young ladies went into homerooms and shared these facts with their classmates.

Additionally, students and staff took their efforts outside the school by participating in a five-mile walk at Jones Beach. The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is a powerful and inspiring opportunity to honor breast cancer survivors and raise awareness about the steps that can be made to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. Through their efforts, Dodd staff and students raised more than $1,600 for the cause.

The district was honored to welcome Dr. Greg Olsen, American entrepreneur, scientist and space explorer, to the high school on Nov. 8. Dr. Olsen spoke with students and shared his experiences as the third private citizen who made a trip to the International Space Station. 

Dr. Olsen trained for a year and a half prior to going into space and conducted several experiments in remote sensing and astronomy while aboard the space station. Dr. Olsen shared his incredible experience with students through photos and videos of his time aboard the space station. With that, Dr. Olsen also expressed his struggles when he was a student, and urged students to keep pushing forward, never give up on their dreams, and attributed everything he is today to his interest in pursuing science and math and never giving up.

“We are honored Dr. Greg Olsen came here to share his experiences with our students,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham said. “Dr. Olsen spoke passionately about his journey from space to entrepreneurship. Bringing these amazing opportunities to our students is really critical. I hope our students were inspired by Dr. Olsen to continue to pursue science and math and to never give up.” 

The program ended with an engaging question and answer session between Dr. Olsen and Freeport students.

Students across the district participated in a variety of activities to honor and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. At Caroline G. Atkinson school, students showcased their talents by dancing to songs including “Señor Don Gato” and “La Bamba,” and performing “Bailando Con Las Estrellas.” Students sang “Mi Tierra,” and read a poem entitled, “My Dream.” The sixth-grade dual-language students also danced to a Latin dance mix.

Columbus Avenue students participated in the festivities as well, where students sang and danced to songs as part of the Hispanic heritage celebration. 

At Freeport High School, art class students had the opportunity to videoconference with the Cleveland Museum of Art, where students were introduced to artwork of selected cultures in ancient Mesoamerica. Students viewed objects of ceramic, gold, stone and jade that shed light on religion and rulership among the Aztec, Maya, and other cultures in the centuries before European contact. 

The Leo F. Giblyn School hosted its annual Adopt-A-Cop event, as part of the school’s commitment to help students build lasting relationships with local law enforcement. This program is designed for fourth-grade classes to team up with a member of the Village of Freeport police.

Under the direction of music teacher Shannon Abramovitz, students entertained police officers with several performances, including “Many Thanks Freeport Police!” with lyrics written by Ms. Abramovitz. Students performed the song in nine different languages, including English, Spanish, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Hawaiian, and expressed their sincere gratitude for the sacrifices the police officers make for their local community. 

After each class was paired with an officer, students escorted the officer back to their classrooms, where each officer spoke about the significance of being a good citizen and highlighted that their top priority is to protect them.

The district is proud to highlight the outstanding achievements of the high school’s top 10 students of the Class of 2019. The names of the seniors with the highest cumulative grade point averages were announced, including the valedictorian and salutatorian.

The district congratulates Leah Hochman (valedictorian), Laura Chumpitaz (salutatorian), Dehandra Blackwood (3), Selah Rose (4), Hailey Brown (5), Clara Petta-Gonzalez (6), Valentina Vinasco (7), Daisy Abello-Reyes (8), Savanna Natoli-Alabre (9) and Elizabeth Hastings (10).

Archer Street School held an assembly on Nov. 1 that was led by two United States Army Veterans and the former President of the Nassau County United Veterans Organization. During the assembly, they explained to third- and fourth-grade students the history behind the American Flag, as well as Flag etiquette.

The Archer Street Elementary School held their annual “Pumpkin Day” on Oct. 23, where each student picked their own pumpkin from the school’s patch. Students also participated in various lessons involving the popular fall gourd that went hand in hand with the activity, such as sorting pumpkin seeds, counting pumpkin stems, and comparing and contrasting different pumpkins. 

The Archer Street, Bayview Avenue, New Visions, and Giblyn elementary schools received a visit from the Quaver Music superstar Perry the Sheep and friends. This one of a kind opportunity was presented to Freeport third- and fourth-grade music students. Quaver Music is a PreK-8 interactive music curriculum used by music teachers across the district. Students have come to know Perry as a sleep-walking, recorder-playing friend in music class. Perry, along with Austin Otto and Gwenda, embarked on an adventure that focused on social and emotional learning. The students enjoyed moving, playing, and singing to the songs like “The More We Get Together” and “Perry the Sheep.” Perry and the Quaver team specifically chose to visit Freeport, since the district is known for placing value on department programs and selecting excellent music teachers.

Students at the high school serenaded the audience in the performing arts center during the schools sixth annual Freeport Idol.

The event is an adaptation of the national singing competition television series “American Idol,” and featured nine student contestants. Each student performed individual ballads in front of judges, who critiqued their work and provided insight after each performance. This year’s judges were Dr. Sherill Spruill, Mr. Justin Friedman, and Dr. Talonda Thomas. The first-place winner received $100, second won $50 and third won $25.

Student participants included Gabriel Alvarado, Abigail Brown, Trentin Chalmers, Kristie Johnson, Karla Martinez, Mayralee Martinez, Essence Newby, Tiffany Tavares and Hailee Yearwood. After the first round of individual performances, the judges selected the top five contestants who went through another round of performances. 

The first-, second- and third-place winners of the 2018 Freeport Idol contest were Trentin Chalmers, Abigail Brown and Mayralee Martinez, respectively. Gabriel Alvarado took fourth place and was also the audience choice winner.  

Beginner and Intermediate ESL students of J.W. Dodd Middle School visited the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. There, students learned about the legacy of Long Islanders in the history of flight and were inspired by the ways in which engineering has impacted lives. Students explored the museums' air and spacecraft exhibits, and then listened to an amazing presentation led by Scarlin Hernandez, a NASA Space Engineer. After that, students watched the film "Dream Big: Engineering Our World," which told a heartfelt story of human ingenuity. At the end of the trip, students left the museum inspired with the belief that they can do anything if they work hard and dream big.

 

The fourth-grade dual language students at Archer Street School performed at the Coral House in Baldwin on Oct. 11 to kick off the annual Long Island Toys for Tots Drive. Under the direction of music teacher Mrs. Jennifer Skelly, students performed a rendition of K’Naan’s “Wavin’ Flag.” This was the third time the Archer Street dual language students were invited to perform.

While students in Mrs. Cunnane’s sixth-grade ENL class are learning a new language in a new cultural environment, they are also doing the same with technology. The mission is to teach students that what doesn’t challenges us, doesn’t change us. Students witnessed this example through Mrs. Cunnane’s display of vulnerability, where she shared her fear of new challenges with the class, but modeled willingness to take it on, to lead the students in their quest to master a new language.

During a lesson for their current Rules to Live By module, students partnered up or chose to work alone on viewing TED-Ed talks on their Chromebooks. The TED talks were pre-selected and assigned in their Google classroom. The assignment required students to watch the TED talks, analyze the message and then share their analysis with the class, along with their interpretation of what the "Rules to Live By" were from the video.

Mrs. Cunnane said the purpose “is to end the module unit with the students creating their own TED talk video based on the Rules to Live By that we have discussed in class.”

On what turned out to be a beautiful day for celebration and football, students, staff, Board of Education members, administrators and community members flocked to the high school for the annual homecoming celebration. 

The festivities kicked off with a parade that featured the flag team, marching band and the JROTC. The parade was anchored by the homecoming court, which was led by senior king and queen, Thornton Brown and Mia Almonte.

While visitors enjoyed games, vendors and some delicious food in the school’s parking lot, the Red Devils were clicking on all cylinders on the field, as they cruised to a 40-0 victory against the East Meadow High School Jets. Jayvian Allen opened the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run, and Terrance Edmond followed with a 3-yard scoring scamper. From there on, it was smooth sailing for Freeport. One big highlight was a Gerald Smikle fumble recovery, which he returned 37 yards for a touchdown. Makhai Jinks put forth a strong effort on defense, leading the Red Devils with nine tackles.

This particular day was about much more than just football. It was also a day to honor  the senior football players, cheerleaders and band members for their commitment to Freeport. As each senior’s name was announced to the crowd, they were greeted with a rousing ovation from the jam-packed bleachers. Freeport pride was certainly on display for what turned out to be the perfect day.