reflections from our schools - mount sinai school · pdf fileliam sabo jillian spindel ......

Reflections From Our Schools

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MOUNT SINAI UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

MOUNT SINAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Grades K – 4

Dr. John Gentilcore, Principal Ms. Linda Chase, Assistant Principal

Reflections From Our Schools

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MOUNT SINAI UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Fall 2012 Volume 43 Issue 1

Caring Community

C ongratulations to the elementary school stu-dents on their collective contribution of over 500 pounds of non-perishable food items to a local food pantry. The elementary school celebration

of SPIRIT Week (where the elementary community cele-brates “Community Pride”).

1st grade students making donations

Welcome to Kindergarten!

The incoming kindergartners were invited to meet their teachers and classmates and see their class-rooms on August 27th. The children brought their summer reading logs which are proudly displayed in the school lobby. Each student completed a self-portrait and participated in a scavenger hunt to fa-miliarize them with the classroom routines. They enjoyed working together to located the best place to hang their jacket, wash their hands and graph their birthdays. Afterward, they enjoyed a little treat for a job well done. After the classroom visit was over the students eagerly awaited their chance to board the school bus to take a short ride around the campus.

Many of the children said this was the best part of their visit. The students especially enjoyed riding the bus with Dr. Gentilcore and Ms. Chase and singing “The Wheels of the Bus…” together. Both the teachers and parents look forward to Kindergarten Open House. It is a wonderful tradition that helps to alleviate first day jitters.

Mount Sinai Mirror 2

MOUNT SINAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

O ver one hundred elementary students, parents and faculty members proudly marched down North Country Road during Homecoming 2012. This year’s theme Red, White and Blue was fun for all.

We Love a Parade

O n October 10, 2012 Mount Sinai Elemen-tary School celebrated Unity Day. We, as a school, believe that one of the best ways to stand up against bullying is to stand unified as a community, embrac-ing everyone’s unique qualities and individuali-ty. The students created colorful posters which sym-bolized them all joining together as one. Additional-ly, our student body and faculty gathered as one out on the athletic field and stood in formation of the let-ters U-N-I-T-Y to again demonstrate this powerful message.

Unity Day

Spirt Week

Student and staff celebrate school spirit culminating in the Homecoming Parade. Arda Akcay, Lily Rubenstein, Kate Rubino, Ashley Archilla, Rosalie Eletto



Fire Prevention Week

Now is the time to check smoke detector batteries and review family emergency plans. Many thanks to the MSFD for their presentations. Mr. Loguercio, Mr. Christiano, Mr. Trypaluk, Mr. Koepper, Mr. Poilion, Olivia Mile, Rebecca Sandak, Matthew Galli

Matthew Cucciniello, Mr. Koepper and Katie Fitzgerald

Student Council Underway

The Elementary School Student Council members took an oath of office during their first meeting this month. The fourth grade students received a certificate as well as a special Council pin which they will wear on meeting dates. Pictured above with Advisors Mrs. Sullivan and Mrs. Walker are:

Gabriella Aquafredda

Shannon Auletta

Gabriella Braun

Annabella Cole

Lorenzo DiDesidero

Daniella Graffeo

Harrison Gadzik

Aidan Johnson

Molly Laforge

Jayden Milianesi

Aidan Mulligan

Louis Plumitallo

Liam Sabo

Jillian Spindel

Connor Wilcken

Read for All Season Enjoyment!

This past summer students at Mt. Sinai Elementary School again participated in a summer reading program sponsored by the school library. This was done in con-junction with the Port Jefferson and Comsewogue public libraries and was open to all students. This fall students were recognized for their participation during an ice cream party sponsored by the PTO. Mrs. Christensen, ES Librarian led a book raffle and invited students to summarize some of their ‘favorites.’ A big thank you to our PTO volunteers who graciously helped out at the event.

(Read for all Season Enjoyment Continued on pg. 4)



Remember to read with your children every day! Read for ‘all season’ enjoyment!

(Read for all Season Enjoyment Continued fm.pg. 3)

The Power of One

Our thanks to the PTO for gifting the recent Power of One Assembly to the elementary school. The presentation promoted positive character traits as well as strategies to address bullying.

Challenge Yourself

In an effort to prepare students for NYS Assessments and develop critical thinking skills, a challenge board is available for any student in the elementary school. One of this week’s question was: Which animal makes the best pet for young children? Many thanks to the AIS teachers for making these challenge questions available for the students.

Pictured: Inaya Bhatti, Brianna Tom, Julia Fusco

Metamorphosis

Mr. Walsh’s fourth grade class recently observed a monarch butterfly’s life cycle. Pictured above Jillian Spindel



The Mount Sinai Elementary School’s Arts in Ed-ucation Committee booked “The Ned Show” to per-form at our school on September 19th with monies donated from the PTO. This show taught students how to be champions in school and in life. John Mothershead demonstrated different ways for stu-dents to be bucket fillers, how to learn and move on from their mistakes, how to set good goals for them-selves and how to respect one another. John was full of energy as he told stories about his cartoon character “Ned” and about being a champion, all the while showing the students some interesting yo-yo tricks. “The Ned Show” correlates with our Character Edu-cation Program by telling the students to never give up, encourage others, and to always try their best! The students and staff were actively engaged during the show and truly enjoyed themselves. Our goal, along with the goal of “The Ned Show”, is that the children take the information and secrets that they learned and use them in their everyday lives to be-come a champion at home and at school.

NED

Pictured above Lyle Harriman

“Just Read It!”

W hen given the opportunity to create literacy slogans, fourth graders Aidan DeBuccio, Derek Takacs and Thomas Zarif got right to work. They submitted their creations: “Defy your limits!, Let’s do it!, Just read it!” to their teacher Mrs. Matz and ES Assistant Principal Mrs. Chase. When Superinten-dent Crocetti got the news, the student work made it quickly to the electronic sign at the school en-trance. As discussed at Back to School Nights, par-ents are encouraged to continue to read with their children each and every day, read as many non-fiction as fiction selections and promote sound study habits. Defy your limits! Just do it! Just Read It!

Bus Behavior Counts

T he Elementary School will continue the Peaceful Bus initiative again this year. Teachers and bus drivers will work together to promote positive bus behavior. ES teachers volunteered to visit buses to discuss safety rules and behaviors. Each week stu-dents on a different bus are selected for recognition. Good bus behavior counts!



Johnny Appleseed Birthday Safety Sally “Visits the ES” “The Safety Sally Mobile Laboratory” visited the ES in October. Kindergarten through second grade children participated in lessons promoting bus safety throughout the year. Pictured above are:

Pictured above are Mr. Siani’s 1st grade class

A s part of the science curriculum third graders in Mount Sinai Elementary School participate in

the Outdoor Education Program through Western Suffolk BOCES. Students in Mrs. Breutsch, Mr. Kadletz and Mrs. Mullen’s classes spent the day ex-ploring Long Island estuary and seashore ecosys-tems. Students had the opportunity to observe and interact with a variety of different creatures that make these ecosystems their home. Some of the fascinating sights included fiddler and horseshoe crabs, snails, shore birds and a variety of fish that use the estuary as a nursery for their young. The outdoors can truly be the best classroom!

Third Grade Field Tip to Sunken Meadow State Park and Preserve

Kindergarten students celebrated Johnny Apple-seed’s 238th birthday on September 26th. The chil-dren participated in various activities including apple tasting, sequencing the stages of an apple tree and creating apple trees with painted handprints and ap-ple tasting!

Box Tops Add Up

Box Tops for Education have helped America’s schools earn over $475 million dollars since 1996. You can help the Mount Sinai Elementary School by clipping box top coupons from hundreds of partici-pating products. The Parent Teacher Organiza-tion placed a collection box in the lobby of the Ele-mentary School. and recognize the children‘s partici-pation; providing certificates and giving “Mustang Dollars” for the school store. Pictured are: Daniel Badami, Samantha Cromer, Jacqueline Flannery, Nolan Barton, Chase Dickson, Michael Russo



Artist Veronica Chen

Musician

Kyle Pearl

ATHLETES Amanda Dowler, Kyle Salvati, Andrew Aschettino, Ryan Harris Isabella Lynch, Skylor Wong, Kathryn Rubino, Colin Rooney


MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL Grades 5 – 8

Mr. Peter Pramataris Ms. Elizabeth Hine Principal Assistant Principal

Mount Sinai Middle School Named 2012 National Blue Ribbon School

M ount Sinai Middle School has been named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School in the per-

formance category of “Exemplary High Performing.” Mount Sinai Middle School is one of four schools on Long Island and the only middle school in Suffolk County to win the award. We are proud to be a school that focuses on providing students an academic atmosphere in which every student will develop curiosity, demonstrate the self-discipline to persevere, engage in problem solving strate-gies, employ critical thinking skills, embrace risk-taking, take pride in developing good work habits, and become self-directed learners and independent thinkers. It is a school that is committed to the community it serves and is focused on career and college readiness by challenging students to become lifelong learners and offering oppor-tunities that differentiate and accelerate instruction. The award is the product of the tremendous work all of the teachers and staff put forth each and every day. When you combine the teachers’ hard work with the dedication of students and parents of this great community the out-come is “the best in learning and living.” The entire school celebrated the Blue Ribbon Award on October 10, 2012. Through the generosity of Ken Hild of Ken Hild Photog-raphy we were able to take professional photos commem-orating the accomplishment. We also appreciate the ef-forts of custodian Brian Paddleford for creating the Blue Ribbon banner which was donated to the school by the PTO. Congratulations to all!


MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL

2012-2013 Middle School Student Council Elections

On Friday, September 21, the Mount Sinai Middle School Student Council held their yearly elections for Class Representatives. This year, six representatives were elected for each grade level. For 5th grade, those elected were Andrew Arcuri, Matthew Campo, Iliana Conroy, Sydney Kearns, Jillian Koenig, and Brooke Ru-benstein. Kaitlin Jensen, Christian Law, Jackson Law, Gracie Munnich, Kierin Orlando, and Kayleigh Robinson were elected as representatives for 6th grade, while Vanessa Cole, Caroline Fiordalisi, Charlotte Fiordalisi, James Giambalvo, Julia Hecht, and Savannah Maher

were elected for 7th. Elected representatives for 8th grade were Phaedra Conroy, Chelsea Cullin, Elizabeth Deller, Kaylee Orlando, Chris Rode, and Emily Vengilio. Congratulations to all representatives!

March On: Many Exhibit School Spirit at the 2012 “Holiday” Homecoming Parade

O n Saturday, September 22, the Middle School Student Council and National Junior Honor Society took part in the annual Homecoming Parade. In compliance with this year’s theme - “Holidays” - Student Council members voted and decided to focus on a menagerie of holidays for their float, rather than just one. Amongst the holidays depicted on the float were Thanksgiving, New Years, Valentine’s Day, and Fourth of July. Days leading up to the parade, Student Council members stayed after school to assist with the painting and the designing of the float. All in all, it was a true “celebration!”

Middle School “Goes Blue” and Promotes “Unity in the Community”

On Wednesday, October 10, Middle School staff and students joined together in honor of Unity Day. Stu-dents and staff were encouraged to dress in blue on this day, and the response was incredible. Staff and students in all shades of blue band-ed together to show their unity. Bracelets bearing the message “Unity in the Community” were sold

during lunch periods, and messages of positivity, unity, and tolerance were announced over the loudspeaker at the start of each period that day. Repeated at the end of every message, all of which were read by students, was Student Council’s interpretation of the day’s theme: stu-dents encouraged repeatedly, “Today, try to be more un-derstanding of those who are different from you.”

(Unity Day Continued on pg. 10)


MOUNT SINAI MIDDLE SCHOOL

(Unity Day Continued fm. pg. 9)

September “Students of the Month”

Student Subject

Kiana Hammarth Grade 5 Isaac Kisten Grade 6 Ethan Madera Art Korey Testa English Language Arts Alexa Tabile Family and Consumer Sciences Samantha Mena LOTE / Spanish Kevin Kelly Math Emily Robinson Music Victoria Johnson Physical Education Benjamin May Science Rebecca Bilello Social Studies

Thomas Lownds Technology

September “Citizens of the Month”

Student

Grade

Alyssa Van Dett 5 Jacob Merlo 6 Gianna Fusco 7 Sophie Looney 7 Sienna Masullo 7 Joseph Pirreca 7 Alexandria Sanatore 7 Benjamin May 8 Patrick Seminario 8

7th Grade Folk Art A Window to the Times as We Learn About Day of the Dead

Back to business and the Art room has hardly skipped a beat. I am grateful to have such excellent groups to work with that range from grades 5-7. Currently our 7th graders are working diligently on a new and exciting project called “Day of the Dead”.

This theme focuses around the annual Mexican celebra-tion on November 1 and 2 to honor loved ones who have passed by creating “calacas” or skeletons. Students have already created clay skulls and are working on building a skeleton body to match made out of plaster. The work is endless and the creativity is overflowing. This project has challenged our students as well as connects to their per-sonalities with a multi-cultural story. Please stop in the Middle School soon to check out our final sculptures on display by the auditorium. A special thanks to all of my classes who continue to work well the project and with their peers. I look forward to having these many “calacas” on display for our Annual Art Show on April 11, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria and courtyard as well.

Ms. Trapani


MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL Grades 9 – 12

Mr. Matthew J. Dyroff Assistant Principal

Mr. Robert Grable Principal

Mr. Chris Heil Assistant Principal

The Importance of Extracurricular Activities and College Admissions

A strong academic transcript coupled with above average SAT/ACT scores carries great weight in the college application/admission process. Likewise, but often over-looked, is the importance of stu-dents’ participation in extracurricu-lar activities such as athletics, mu-sic ensembles, clubs, volunteerism, internships, etc. Not-ing participation in such activities on a college application provides the admission counselor with additional infor-mation reflective of the student’s personal interests, lead-ership qualities and commitment to a cause. Further, a student’s desire and willingness to get involved outside the classroom are suggestive of his/her personality and what he/she could bring to a college’s campus. As noted above, opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities are plentiful via after school activities or community based organizations. In this regard, stu-dents are encouraged to demonstrate a genuine commit-ment to a club or activity rather than the number of extra-curricular activities in which they participate. As such, participation should reflect a student’s commitment and passion for a sport, instrument, hobby, greater cause, etc. When prepared, students are encouraged to pursue lead-ership roles by running for an officer’s position, being a team captain, or by initiating a volunteer effort. Students interested in joining the various clubs offered at the high school are encouraged to review the club of-ferings which are available on the high school’s website. Lastly, students are reminded to use the “Resume” capa-bilities of Naviance under the “About Me” tab to document their involvement in extracurricular activities.

Dignity for All Students at Mount Sinai High School

Effective July 1, 2012, The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) was instituted in New York State. Its purpose is to combat biased-based bullying, harassment and dis-crimination in public schools, and includes awareness and sensitivity in the relations of people including individuals of different races, weights, national origins, ethnicity, reli-gions or religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexes, sexual orientation, gender identities or expres-sions.

As such, it is essential to our students’ academic and so-cial growth that we continue to collaborate our efforts to assist them with making decisions that will preserve their well-being and foster a healthy and risk free learning envi-ronment for all students. Subsequently, On September 13 and 14, 760 of the 833 students enrolled at Mount Sinai High School viewed the documentary “Bully” at a private viewing at AMC Theaters in Stony Brook as part of our continued efforts to provide a safe and risk free learning environment for all students. This documentary provided our students with an oppor-tunity to put human scale to the number of kids who are bullied annually and offers an intimate look at how bully-ing has affected the lives of five kids and their families. Coupled with the new DASA legislation, it is important that our students understand the frequent, but not so ob-vious, consequences of bullying, as well as the power and value of everyone’s acceptance by others. Further, on October 10, in conjunction with our elemen-tary school and middle school, the high school celebrated its first Unity Day. Students and staff all wore blue as a sign of unity and togetherness. Likewise, many students and staff attended the Boys’ Varsity Soccer game that afternoon to support our students and athletes. Thank you to the First Student Bus Company, New York Families Against Bullying, and Mount Sinai High School’s Student Government for their continued support and gen-erosity. First Student donated eight buses on each day to transport our students to and from the Stony Brook thea-ters. New York Families Against Bullying donated 1,000 blue bracelets that read “Unity in Our Community” of which were sold during lunch periods to supplement the many activities and events of which our student clubs are

involved. Like-wise, the Stu-dent Govern-ment officers truly embraced this cause and played an inte-gral role in get-ting students involved.


MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL

Mount Sinai Soccer

T his year the Mount Sinai soccer programs are proud to announce their participation in three Kicks for Cancer games. Kicks for Cancer was introduced in Mount Sinai in the fall of 2010 and started with the girls’ varsity program. Since that time, the cause has spread throughout our district with participation from the high school boys’ programs, girls’ junior varsity and middle school programs. One hundred percent of the proceeds are donated to a wide range of cancer societies designat-ed by the Suffolk County Girls Soccer Coaches Asso-ciation (SCGSCA). This year, Mount Sinai raised over two thousand dollars for the cause. We want to thank the Mount Sinai Community for their continued support.

College Application/Awareness Process for Senior Students

On Tuesday, September 11, Mount Sinai High School’s Guidance Department hosted a College Applica-tion Workshop for parents of senior students. This even-ing was a follow up to the introductory college workshop held in the spring of students’ junior year. Parents and students received detailed information regarding the ap-plication process; including such topics as required forms, college fairs, financial aid, various website resources, SAT and ACT exam dates, and letters of recommenda-tion. Counselors also explained the next phase in the process, which is the use of Naviance. This includes submitting applications and related paperwork electronically through “EDOCS” for the appropriate colleges/universities. As a follow up, we encourage our senior students and their parents to continue to use Naviance as a resource and to be cognizant of college application deadlines. Should you have any questions or require assistance with the college application process, please feel free to contact your child’s guidance counselor.

FBLA: Fall District Meeting at Molloy College

On Friday, October 12, the following officers attended the annual FBLA Fall District Meeting held at Molloy Col-lege: Sean Sullivan, Emily Abby, Robert Kluger and Christopher Dallao, along with Ms. Clancy, club advisor. The meeting provided valuable workshops in which each officer had the opportunity to attend. Sean, our FBLA chapter chairperson, attended the President’s Workshop, which focused on FBLA’s state charity, Habitat for Humanity. Currently we are running a fundraiser for charity through Otis Spunkmeyer. (Please see information below.). Emily and Robert attended workshops that focused on “Choosing the Right College B.A. Program” and “Suffolk and Nassau Chapter Leadership Conference Experiences in Rochester.” Both students are very excited about en-couraging our members to compete both at the local and state competitions. Christopher attended the “Public Speaking Workshop” and “Choosing the Right College B.A. Program.” Our of-ficers are encouraging him to run for one of the state of-fice positions.

Mount Sinai High School FBLA Chapter ~ Otis Spunkmeyer Fundraiser ~

Help us help Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald Charities! Click here to see the cookies & treats to select from.

Click here to print your order form and have your child submit to the main office of their building.

The cookie dough will arrive during the week of December 17th.

The Mount Sinai FBLA’s cookie dough fundraiser will help to sup-port Long Island’s Habitat for Hu-manity and the Ronald McDonald

House. Our chapter goal is to fundraise $2,000 and offer our assistance with a building project for Habit for Hu-manity, and prepare and serve supper for 50-70 people at Ronald McDonald House’s Long Island location.

The cookie dough will arrive during the week of De-cember 17th.

We thank you for your support!



2nd Annual Mount Sinai Turkey Trot 5K!

J oin Mount Sinai in our 2nd Annual Mount Sinai Turkey Trot 5K on Saturday,

November 24, 2012, starting at 8:30 a.m. Come out and get some exercise, raise money for less fortunate children, and have a great time! Proceeds will benefit

Holiday Magic of Long Island. We will have refreshments, raffles, and awards for top finishers overall and in each age category. Pre-registrants will also receive a T-shirt. Please log on to www.mtsinai.k12.ny.us for more infor-mation.

Athletes Helping Athletes

After being nominated by their coaches and inter-viewed by their peers, the new leaders for the 2012 – 2013 Athletes Helping Athlete program have been select-ed. Twenty-one new members now join the existing twenty to help spread the message of healthy and re-sponsible decision making to the students at the elemen-tary school. On October 18, the new members had an introductory training about the program, and helped set up the activi-ties for their October 29 visit with the elementary stu-dents. Our athletes for 2012 – 2013 are:

Abbondanza, Anthony Callahan, Michael Catterson, Sarah Cavaliere, Nicholas Colacino, Marisa Compagnone, Eric D’Angio, Amanda Dallao, Chris Dawson, Madison Devlin, Zachary Dolese, Caleigh Donadio, Michael Donadio, Mark Drasser, Holly

Elgort, Timothy Fiore, Antonina Fitzgerald, Caro-line Gallo, Julia Graffeo, Anthony Grippe, Anthony Juresich, Shannon Kollmer, Charles Krepela, Lawrence Maloney, Paul Martorana, Daria May, Marina McLean, Hayley Napolitano, Kelly

O’Brien, Thomas Parrish, Christina Paul, Laurence Pellarin, Maria Power, Michael Presser, James Reed, Bryan Reilly, John Sabo, Keegan Spano, Carley Stefanucci, Danielle Wilson, Cassandra Wolfe, Zachary

MOUNT SINAI STUDENT COUNCIL PRESENTS THE 2ND ANNUAL SAFE HALLOWEEN

Saturday, October 27, 2012 Mount Sinai High School 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Donation: $2.00 per child plus a non-perishable food item

Enjoy a place where your children can go trick-or-

treating in a fun and safe

environment!

There will be games,

storytelling and plenty of

TREATS!

Jeff Yalden Visits Mount Sinai

S haved head, goatee, ear piercings, tattoos and Harley attire, Jeff Yalden came to speak to Mount Sinai students. Jeff is extremely animat-ed. He was on the stage pacing, then sitting,

then jumping off the stage and interacting with students. Jeff had students on an emotional roller coaster ride sharing his life experiences as inspiration to try to trans-form their lives. Jeff enables the audience to create an image of his stories. One could imagine the conversation between Jeff and his wife’s grandfather about the mundane, and at times the profound. Jeff shared his grandfather’s wis-dom, “The three most powerful words are ‘I love you’” and, “The three most courageous words are ‘I am sor-ry’.” In addition, he shared his own words expressing the importance of relationships and cultivating them. Jeff spelled the word love as TIME. He expressed that no matter the topic of conversation, the importance was tak-ing the time to talk. Jeff told stories about his nephew who has special needs. He relayed the anger he felt when he witnessed lack of understanding and impatience towards his neph-ew, but stressed how important it was to show self-restraint. He shared the phrase, “Anger is like pissing in your pants. Everyone sees it but you are the only one who feels it.” Jeff stressed the importance of a handshake. While shaking students’ hands and commenting to them that they had a firm grip and looked directly in his eyes, he noticed all of them forgot one important aspect. They did not rise from their seat upon greeting someone.

(Jeff Yelden Continued on pg. 14)



This makes a difference. It is important to be caring and respecting of other people, because what you give, is what you get. You can’t demand respect if you don’t give it. Jeff touched on many aspects that adolescents can work on to make a more meaningful life. His energy and genuineness touched students and energized them to make not only a difference in their lives but others.

(Jeff Yelden Continued fm pg. 13)

Best Buddies

O n September 19, Best Buddies had their first meeting and had an amazing turn out! And on

October 3, Best Buddies had their annual Welcome Back Social. At the social, returning and new buddies from Family Residences and Essential Enterprises (FREE) in Setauket arrived to a cheering and enthusiastic receiving line of Mount Sinai students. President Leah Boscarino kicked off the social by wel-coming everyone with the first of many get-to-know-you activities including some games inspired by Project Ad-venture. It was a terrific opportunity for returning mem-bers of both groups to become reacquainted and for new students to introduce themselves to each other and learn what Best Buddies is all about. The hour and a half passed quickly, filled with lots of laughter and cheerfulness. The social was a great suc-cess. We are looking forward to an amazing new year. Next up, on October 24 we will host our matching social in which each FREE student will be paired with one bud-dy from Mount Sinai with whom he/she will develop a friendship which will span the entire year and hopefully longer.

“Live today, text tomorrow”

With a generous $1,000 grant from All State Insurance, Mount Sinai’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), launched its second annual “Allstate Founda-tion Safe Teen Drive Long Island” campaign. SADD targeted texting while driving, an increasingly dangerous activity with tragic results. To get the message out, t-shirts were given to seniors who drive to school. The message was simple, “Live today, text tomorrow.” SADD advisors, Mr. Wilson and Mr. McHugh, both agreed that if this campaign makes someone think twice before texting and driving, then their mission was a suc-cess. SADD is already looking forward to working with All-state on next year’s “Safe Teen Drive Long Island.”

September Students of the Month

Subject Student Grade Art Mattea Cai 12 Business Emily Abby 12 Citizenship Antonio Franklin 9 Citizenship Amanda Prezorski 11 Citizenship Jenna Sicurella 11 Computer Science Roberto Carneiro II 11 English Dylan Whelan 12 Family & Consumer Science Victoria Baeza 11 Foreign Language Bria Midgette 11 Health Thomas Maurer 11 Math Ashleigh Simmons 11 Music Hannah Pawluk 12 Physical Education Alexander Pintabona 12 Science Kelly Napolitano 11 Social Studies Patrick Hanaj 9 Technology Ryan Kubik 12

2012 Powderpuff Game

On September 29, the senior and junior girls met on the high school football field for the annual Powderpuff Game. The game is a fundraiser sponsored by the Stu-dent Government, where the girls play football and the boys cheerlead. Both teams were excited; the girls marched onto the field in their pink and green shirts ready for a good game. During the first quarter, the juniors took a decisive lead over the seniors. Trailing 14-0, the sen-iors knew that they needed to start scoring. As the game went on, the seniors mounted a comeback and by halftime were able to bring the game to tie.

(Powder Puff Continued on pg. 15)



During halftime, the junior and senior boys performed dance routines to cheer on their teams. Both routines were hilarious, impressive, and got the crowd all fired up for the second half of the game. The third quarter brought another touchdown for seniors, bringing the score to 21-14. The final quarter of the game began with a touchdown for the seniors, widening their lead to 28-14. However, the juniors were not ready to give up. They quickly came back with another touchdown, and now only one touch-down separated them from the seniors. The senior de-fense was able to hold the juniors at bay, and the game ended 28-21. It was a tough game for both the juniors and seniors, but it was an event energized the whole school.

(Powder Puff Continued fm. pg. 13)

Spirit Week / Homecoming

The Mount Sinai High School celebrated Homecoming / Spirit Week from September 19 through 21. The Student Council and Class Officers planned the homecoming ac-tivities during the first week of school. The theme for this year was “holidays.” The class choices were:

Senior Class Mardi Gras Junior Class Halloween Sophomore Class New Year's Eve Freshman Class Earth Day

Spirit Week at the high school began with decorating the hallway on September 14. The following days were theme days:

Wednesday, September 19 Twin Day Thursday, September 20 Clash Day Friday, September 21 Black and Red Day

On Black and Red Day, the freshmen and juniors wore red, sophomores and seniors wore black. The Pep Rally was held at the end of the day on Friday in the gymnasi-um. Teams were introduced, the cheerleaders performed tumbling routines, and the Homecoming King and Queen, Patrick McKeown and Lexy Monaco, were announced.

Pep Rally

King and Queen

Spirit points were awarded to classes based upon their participation in Spirit Week festivities and by the end of the week the total was:

Senior Class 7 Junior Class 5

Sophomore Class 4 Freshman Class 4

Many high school alumni returned to Mount Sinai for a brunch sponsored by the High School Peer Leaders. Each grade level was responsible for creating a float. The floats were judged prior to the football game. Spirit points (accumulated from Spirit Week) were added to the judges' total. The Senior Class float, Mardi Gras, won.

Senior

Float

The Game

Pep Rally



National Honor Society

T he National Honor Society has gotten off to a great start this year. For the fall induction on Oc-tober 18, we have three new inductees: Aaron Codding, Caleigh Dolese and Mark Duffy. A

small congratulatory breakfast was held to celebrate this noteworthy accomplishment. This year we are proud to note that with the addition of the three students mentioned above, we have a total of fifty-one members. What an outstanding group.

Codding, Caleigh Dolese and Mark Duffy.

Gillian Dana, Michael Giordano, Jacob Frank and Mason Sofia.

2013 National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student

Congratulations to the following students who have been recognized as Commended Students in the 2013 Nation-al Merit® Scholarship Program.

The students’ high Selection Index scores place them among the top 50,000 of over 1.5 million students who entered the 2013 National Merit Program by taking the 2011 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualify-ing Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academ-ic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2013 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2013 competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar-ship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). "The young men and women being named Commend-ed Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success," commented a spokesperson for NMSC. "These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic develop-ment, is vital to the advancement of educational excel-lence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encour-age them as they continue their pursuit of academic suc-cess."

Mr. Grable, Melissa Gartner, Danielle Stefanucci, Camille Jwo, Sean Sullivan, Sameer Qureshi, Ethan Donowitz,

Nicholas O’Mara and Mr. Dyroff.


Mount Sinai High School Drama Production

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 7:00 P.M.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1:00 P.M.

HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

Midsummer/Jersey is the hilarious high-octane re-telling of Shakespeare’s Mid-summer Night’s Dream set on the boardwalk of a sea-side town in modern-day New Jersey. The story is set into motion by the impending marriage of the Governor of New Jersey, the love affairs

of four beach-bound high school crushes, a lively crew of fairies and the staff of the local beauty salon (run by Patti Quince and Stylist Nikki Bottom). The night takes a magi-cal, mayhem-filled turn when Oberon--angered by his wife who refuses to buy him a muscle car for his birthday--and the impish Puck arrive on the scene armed with a power-ful love-potion-filled flower and a desire for mischief mak-ing. With several weddings and the acting careers of six beauticians hanging in the balance, the lovers take to the boardwalk, backed by pop music and an iPhone-obsessed wood sprite.

(PLEASE CHECK WITH MAIN OFFICE FOR TICKET PURCHASES.)

Students Participating in Project Adventure Activities

O n Wednesday, October 17, our high school sen-iors enjoyed a fun filled morning of Project Adventure ac-tivities. These exercises included physical and mental activities. The class started as a whole for one big group activity up on the turf field. Next, they were divided into five smaller groups and sent to different locations to com-plete the designated activities. In one aspect, the purpose of the activities was to cre-ate a sense of team building; students cooperating with and trusting each other to complete a task. The other activities involved students reacting to questions that were asked by their group leader. For example, “If you have been bullied, please step forward.” These types of questions and the students’ responses enabled them to see that some of their peers have shared similar experi-ences. The overall feedback from the morning’s activities was very positive. One response from a senior summed it up when he said the activities brought “Unity in the Commu-nity.” A big shout out to Ms. Blumenthal for coordinating the morning session and to Mr. Drumm, Ms. Leonard and those who assisted in creating a rewarding experience for our seniors. The morning continued with the seniors being treated to a “Senior Breakfast” in the cafeteria. They also had the opportunity to be measured for and order their graduation caps and gowns. The morning culminated with the whole class going outside and posing for the group senior photo.


MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC & ART Mr. Stephen Mantone, Music & Applied Arts Director

MUSIC HONOR SOCIETY HOLDS INDUCTION

T he Mt. Sinai High School Chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society will hold its annual in-duction ceremony on Monday, November 26 in the High School Auditorium. Featured at the

ceremony will be presentations by this year’s officers: Ethan Donowitz, President; Gillian Dana, Vice President; Michael Giordano, Treasurer; Christopher Balzano, Secretary and Raymond Jensen and Sean Sullivan, Historians. Students from Band, Chorus and Orchestra will present performances. The new inductees will be: Abigail Allshouse, Victoria Baeza, Kyle Cullin, Alec Douglass, Julia Eber-hard, Matthew Frederick, Ankita Kamat, Erika Mani, Kristen Marino, Bryan Reed, John Scalaman-dre, Andrew Silberfeld and Jacob Wright.


MOUNT SINAI HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS Mr. Scott Reh, Athletic Director

Please note: For current Athletic Schedules and Directions log on to : www.sectionxi.org For information on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) log on to www.NCAA.org

You can also access these sites through the Mount Sinai Web Page October 23, 2012 7:00 pm NCAA—High School Auditorium

Booster Club Meeting: 7:30 PM High School Cafeteria

January 7, 2013, March 4, 2013, April 8, 2013(Nominations)

Early Winter Sports: (Junior High)

Boys Basketball & Girls Volleyball Girls Volleyball Tryouts Nov. 7-9 Boys Basketball & Girls Volleyball—First official Practice 11/13

November 14th High School

January 22nd Late Winter Sports: (Junior High) Girls Basketball & Wrestling

March 4th Varsity & JV Spring Sports

March 15th Faculty Basketball Game 7:00 pm—High School Gym

April 2nd Junior High Spring Sports

Students who are interested in participating in interscholastic athletics during the 2012-2013 school year must have a physical exami-nation before they may take part in tryouts. STUDENTS USING A PRIVATE PHYSICIAN MUST HAVE THE GOLDEN-ROD SCHOOL PHYSICAL FORM FULLY COMPLETED, INCLUDING BLOOD PRESSURE, URINALYSIS & BMI. FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL NURSE ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SEASON. THE SCHOOL FORM WILL BE THE ONLY FORM ACCEPTED.

11th Annual Booster Club Golf Outing

June 24, 2013 ~Save the Date~

More info. to follow

reflections from our schools - mount sinai school · pdf fileliam sabo jillian spindel ......

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