In an action packed game, the Freeport Red Devils won the Conference 1 Nassau County Championship against the Oceanside Sailors with a score of 42-0.

The Red Devils will play William Floyd on 11/24 for the Long Island Championship at Hofstra University  at 12 p.m.

Go, Red Devils!

Students and staff from J.W. Dodd Middle School participated in a five-mile walk at Jones Beach to honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

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.

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.

Newsday Video

FiOS Video

 

 

The district is proud to announce the selection of several extremely talented student-musicians to perform as All-State Choral participants in the New York State School Music Association All-State Festival in Rochester, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2. The eight students were selected for this prestigious honor based upon a rigorous audition process under the direction of Select Chorale Director Monique Retzlaff. The district congratulates the following students:

Gabriel Alvarado (Vice President of Select Chorale)
Abigail Brown (Select Chorale)
Hailey Brown (Treasurer of Select Chorale) 
Trevon Campbell (Select Chorale)
Leah Hochman (President of Select Chorale) 
Mayralee Martinez (Librarian of Select Chorale) 
Alia Nunge (Select Chorale)
Sincere Williams (Select Chorale)

Bayview Avenue School hosted the “Deeper Learning: The Neuroscience of Learning Math” symposium on Oct. 3, where Nigel Nisbet, vice president of content creation at MIND Research Institute, spoke to Long Island teachers and district administrators on techniques to engage students and enhance the learning experience in mathematics.

Anthony Murray, director of math and technology, introduced Nisbet to the crowd and thanked the Freeport administration and Bayview school for hosting the amazing opportunity. 

“I think mathematics is one of the greatest intellectual achievements of human kind,” Murray said. “We are all in a position where we can influence, encourage, promote and redesign learning experiences for our students. This enables us to produce future-ready students.”

Nisbet engaged the crowd with various exercises that included ST Math’s “Jiji The Penguin.” With these exercises, teachers and administrators experienced a visually creative instructional program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of math. 

New Visions School was named this year’s champion for the Freeport Memorial Library's Annual Summer Reading Challenge contest. Each summer, the four elementary schools in the District compete for the most books read over the summertime, where students visit the Freeport library during the summer months and report to the librarians about books that they have read. This year, New Visions students read and reported on the most books out of all of the elementary schools. 

Third-grader Sabrina Turcios, first-grader Cassandra Turcios, and fourth-grader Jennah Newton tied as the three top readers, reading 86 books each. The three students were awarded crowns and named “The Reading Royalty of New Visions.” In addition, New Visions School also received a trophy. The trophy will be placed in the New Visions library and the top readers will have their photo on the wall of fame in the school’s library as well. 

The high school’s Performing Arts Center was filled with peace and harmony for the district’s 10th annual Peace Concert & Art Exhibit, which honored International Day of Non-Violence and International Day of Peace. All eight schools were represented, as students entertained the audience with their own arrangements that highlighted world peace. 

As guests arrived for an evening of inspirational performances, they had an opportunity to view an impressive student art exhibit that reflected peace and historical leaders who promoted peace.

Board of Education President Michael Pomerico spoke on behalf of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham. Pomerico said that International Day of Non-Violence commemorates the launch of the celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday worldwide. “I’m grateful for those great spirits who led the world to peaceful resolutions: Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman, Dalai Lama and Mahatma Gandhi. They dedicated their lives to a cause greater than themselves and inspired others to join them.”

“This is a mission that we have embraced at Freeport Public Schools,” Pomerico continued. “We are raising our children to be peace pilgrims by teaching them mindfulness through the district. Our children are the future, who will inspire others to find inner peace that will lead to world peace.” 

“When we gather here, we fill our hearts with melodies and messages of peace through the children of all eight schools,” said Ruth Breidenbach, director of arts and community relations, as she welcomed parents and community members to the concert and introduced each school.

The sounds of applause filled the Performing Arts Center, as each school took center stage to share their musical talents. When the final performance ended, the atmosphere was one of peace and hope for the future. Dr. Kishore Kuncham, Superintendent of Schools, has long been a guiding force for the annual peace initiatives that have taken place in the district for 10 years. The celebrations of peace in Freeport Public Schools have become well-known and supported throughout the community. Given the turmoil and stresses present in our current world, it is vital to maintain peace within ourselves in order to bring a sense of peace to the world around us. 

The streets in Freeport were flowing with the color yellow on Sept. 29, as district Board of Education members, administration, staff, students and community members wore yellow T-shirts, symbolizing peace and hope, during its annual 5K Peace Walk to celebrate International Day of Peace.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham opened the event by highlighting the significance of world peace and tolerance. He also introduced those in attendance, including members of the Board of Education, Freeport Village officials, and local and state elected officials. 

To kick off this annual event, a peace pole was unveiled in front of Archer Street School. “As many of you know, the peace pole project is an international movement,” Dr. Kuncham said. “You can see similar peace poles throughout the world. In 180 countries, peace makers, and peace leaders have taken part in the peace pole projects, including the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, former President Jimmy Carter and so many others. We are joining that group today by dedicating the peace pole before we begin our peace walk.”

Archer school Principal Paula Lein said the peace pole will help keep the meaning of peace at the forefront, and keep peace in the schools, in the community and worldwide. 

“Now more than ever, we need to appreciate and respect each other and find ways to make our lives harmonious and joyful,” Lein said. “Let’s all strive for world peace, and that begins right here and right now.”

Archer chorus students entertained the crowd by performing K’Naan’s “Wavin’ Flag.” Students waved flags from different countries during the performance to symbolize world peace.

The well-attended 5K walk started and ended at Archer school. The purpose of the walk is to celebrate peace and spread harmony throughout the Freeport community. 

More information to come.

The district was honored to be presented with a $125,000 check from New York State Sen. John Brooks at its Sept. 26 Board of Education meeting.

“Senator Brooks has become a great and true friend of Freeport schools and our community. He has become an ambassador and an advocate for public education. These funds will be used for school programs and services,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham. “We thank Senator Brooks for being a champion for public education at Freeport Public Schools.”

Senator Brooks noted that the contribution is a recognition of all the accomplishments within the district. “I’ve had a chance to be here many times to see your great programs and the accomplishments of the students. This money will help along the way,” he said. “You’re a district that faces challenges, but you meet them well. This school district does an absolutely excellent job, and I’m really happy that we’re able to do this.”

Board of Education President Michael Pomerico spoke on behalf of the Board and thanked Senator Brooks for his generous contribution. “We always speak about advocacy and Senator Brooks is always willing to meet with us, whether it be here in our buildings or at his office in Albany,” Pomerico said. “He always has an open door for us, he fights for us, he understands our challenges and our needs, and we appreciate all you do for Freeport Public Schools.”

The district honored the efforts of Freeport alumni and former NFL New York Jet and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Jerry Mackey by naming him Freeport’s Unsung Hero at the Sept. 26 Board of Education meeting.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham recognized Mackey as someone very special to the students, community and Freeport schools.

“Jerry has devoted his time and energy as a volunteer with our football team for over 10 years. If that is not enough, Jerry has served as a mentor, motivator and inspirational teacher, who has guided and influenced our student athletes to be the best they can be,” Dr. Kuncham said. “Jerry is genuinely passionate about the work that he does here, and we thank him for his contributions to our students and our families.”

At the meeting, Mackey received a plaque from the district and a proclamation from New York State Sen. John Brooks. Mackey said he was honored to receive the acknowledgements from the district and the state.

“This town, this program and my family and friends that I grew up with in Freeport mean a lot to me. Freeport is in my blood and I have an undying loyalty to my program,” Mackey said. “I have a passion for the community and giving back, and making sure that these kids enjoy their time here because it was very special to me.”

Students of Mr. Anthony Aniano’s and Ms. Kristina Ridini’s seventh grade math class at J.W. Dodd Middle School began sharpening their technological skills by utilizing and exploring their new personal Chromebooks. The Chromebooks were given out to seventh grade students in early September as part of the third and final phase of the district’s Smart Schools Bond Act.

The math students are now logged into and are using the Glencoe Math Workbook Series online. With this, they were taught how to open the application, find a specific page, enlarge or reduce the text, and more. Students were assigned homework from the online textbook in an effort to help them practice using these new skills. Each student was also given a stylus and was shown how to complete and save their work directly on the Chromebook.

At Caroline G. Atkinson School, Ms. Schwarz’s sixth grade ELA class was recently taught how to use Google Classroom for the first time. Ms. Schwarz’s enthusiasm was contagious as she guided the students while teaching them how to sign into the class and navigate through assignments prepared especially for them. Following the tutorial, students were asked to read a document and/or study a video that led them through the process of creating a “hook” for their upcoming Writer’s Workshop Narrative. After completing the research, students were engaged and excited to post their responses.

Forty-nine past and present students from the high school earned the designation of Advanced Placement Scholars for excelling on the 2018 AP exams. This number has increased through the years. Graduated seniors Javier Lechuga, Franco Ramirez and Zoe Stetson earned the National AP Scholar designation, which is the highest designation one can achieve.

With three students named National AP Scholars, 18 students were named AP Scholars with Distinction, five students were named AP Scholars with Honor and 26 were designated as AP Scholars, including junior Tamia Cerrate. 

Advanced Placement courses are open to high school students who have demonstrated the required academic skills and are recommended by their teachers to take AP courses. While taking these courses, students must maintain an average of 85 percent or better to remain at the AP level. This allows students to earn college credits during their high school career, advanced placement or both for successful performance on the AP exams. As college admissions become more competitive and tuitions more costly, participation in AP courses has become an increasingly important component for acceptance to the top colleges and universities. Successful completion of AP courses is also considered a good indicator of future success by most colleges.

The district congratulates the following students on achieving this honor:

National AP Scholar
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more exams.
Javier Lechuga,* Franco Ramirez* and Zoe Stetson*

AP Scholars with Distinction
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.
Daisy Abello-Reyes, Nina Banks,* Dehandra Blackwood, Kira Brizill,* Hannah Cotter,* Alexander Dasque,* Nicholai Dasque,* Michael Desir,* Joseph Frye,* Leah Hochman, Jocelyn Jovel,* Joseph LaRocca,* Javier Lechuga,* Michelle Luongo,* Kenny Martinez,* Franco Ramirez,* Zoe Stetson* and Jack Zhang.*

AP Scholars with Honor
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
Saif Ali, Ethan Burrell, Christopher Merino,* Erick Rivera* and Magnolia Robinson.*

AP Scholars
Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.
Jocelin Aguilera,* Cesar Andreu,* Audrey Arias,* Hailey Brown, Kevin Brown,* Maya Brown,* Myles Carter,* Tamia Cerrate (junior), Chad Elder,* Papa-Sam Essuman,* Anthony Ezeji,* James Hastings,* Ashley Hernandez,* Kaytline Hernandez, Misael Marquez,* Jessica Moreo,* Peter Muzac,* Jason Peralta,* Susan Perez-Pinales,* Clara Petta-Gonzalez, Selah Rose, Gerard Smikle , Jordyn Smith,* Nia Tomlinson,* Miranda Urena* and Valentina Vinasco.

*Class of 2018