The grounds of Archer Street Elementary School and Bayview Avenue School were bustling with students and staff for the schools’ annual turkey trot. 

Students and staff wore decorative Thanksgiving crowns, held up crafty turkey signs and marched two laps around their buildings.

Both events acted as a means for the schools’ to donate raised funds to organizations. Archer raised $2,200 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Bayview’s fundraiser is still on going and the proceeds will be split between St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Mission United. 

Leo F. Giblyn Elementary School second grade dual language students and their parents worked together on a Thanksgiving themed STEAM challenge.

They designed and constructed a farming tool that the pilgrims could have used to till, cultivate and clear the land. The tool also needed to dig holes. Students and parents took their challenge to the next level by making their tool be able to irrigate the land as well. 

The teams had to select the materials, discuss the plan, construct the tool, and present it to the class. Some teams changed their design to make improvements or adjustments if it was unsuccessful. 

This activity was done in both languages, Spanish and English. The parents and children had a wonderful time throughout the planning, designing and engineering process.

The Freeport High School Red Devils varsity football team are the reigning Long Island Conference I Champions, after defeating the William Floyd Colonials in an intense, action packed game, 42-14, on Nov. 29 at Stony Brook University’s LaValle Stadium. 

Senior captain Makhai Jinks scored the first touchdown of the game from an 8-yard run and then added another touchdown to the scoreboard from a 1-yard run in the second quarter. Senior Chayse Gordon also contributed a point to the scoreboard in the first half by executing an extra point field goal kick.

Makhai continued to advance Freeport at the start of the second half, with a 5-yard run touchdown. The Red Devils tacked on an additional two points with a successful two-point conversion by senior Dakarai Stevenson. The second half saw two more touchdowns by Makhai and a touchdown by junior captain Jayvian Allen with an 11-yard run. Chayse continued to add to the scoreboard with three successful extra point field goal kicks. 

This is Freeport’s seventh Long Island Championship win, with five other victories against Floyd in 2018, 2016, 2010, 2009 and 2003. The Red Devils also won over Commack in overtime in 2000. 

The Red Devils continued their undefeated winning streak this season, with a total of 24 consecutive victories since 2018. They also claimed the Nassau County Conference 1 title, after defeating the Farmingdale Dalers 30-7. 

The Freeport School District was honored to welcome NASA chief technologist and professor Cornell University Dr. Mason Peck to Freeport High School.

Dr. Peck spent the morning enjoying breakfast with students, staff and administrators in the school’s DLC, where students presented their research projects and had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive his professional feedback. Dr. Peck also gifted students with NASA pins. 

After the presentation of the student research, Dr. Peck was greeted by hundreds of students from across the district as he entered the school’s performing arts center. Following introductions from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham and Director of Science Dr. Vincent Pereira, Dr. Peck’s presented his keynote address on the CubeSat project.

Dr. Kuncham said the district hopes Dr. Peck’s visit “inspires an interest in our students to move toward math, science, engineering and technology fields in the future.”

The Red Devils defeated the William Floyd Colonials 42 -14 to win the Long Island Championship.