Dr. Kanas' Newsletter
June 18, 2021
BOE Recognizes Retirees and Many Thanks to Our PTO
At Monday’s Board of Education Monthly meeting, our retiring staff was honored. Thank you to the following retirees for the many years of service to the East Williston School District Community:
Patrice Morisco (18 Years of Service)
Ellen Lazarow (15 Years of Service)
Kathleen Cunningham (29 Years of Service)
Patricia Collins (8 Years of Service)
Doris Smith (18 Years of Service)
Daria Reid (25 Years of Service)
Also, at Monday’s meeting, we honored our PTOs for their continued support and dedication to our students and staff all throughout the school year. Below are just some highlights from this past school year:
At North Side, their support provided Kindergarten welcome backpacks school spirit supplies, family fun nights (virtual Pizza Making, Tricky Tim, Jester Jim, and All-Star Bingo Night), virtual assemblies (Harlem Globetrotters, Digital Music, and Drawing Skills), teacher buttons, breakfasts, and June staff luncheon, lawn signs for welcome back to school, 1st day of school, and teacher appreciation day as well as class books for libraries and whole class copies of novels.
At Willets Road, their support provided welcome back breakfast to staff, two full staff luncheons, classroom mini grants, seventh grade gifts for all students, SPARK t-shirts for all students and seventh grade t-shirts for the end of the year celebration as well as favors for battle of the cohorts for fifth and sixth-graders.
At Wheatley, their support provided senior shirts for the Class of 2021, the senior sunrise in September, the senior sunset in June, welcome back breakfast for faculty and staff in September, a staff appreciation luncheon, lawn signs for Class of 2021 and academic awards scholarships.
Thank you to Jennifer DelBroccolo, PTO Coordinating Council President, Sarah Mizrahi and Margarita Daskalakis, Special Education Parent Council Co-Presidents, Lisa Sklow, North Side PTO President, Allyson Moyal and Maura Bush, Willets Road PTO Co-Presidents, and to Rochelle Siskind and Zara Malik Wheatley PTO Co-Presidents and all members of each PTO Executive Board, PTO committees and every parent and teacher member of the PTO. Thank you for all you do for our children and school communities!
BOE Presentations - June 14, 2021
Coronavirus Relief Funding Plan
At Monday’s Board of Education Monthly meeting, Diane Castonguay, our Assistant Superintendent of Business updated the Board and community on the Coronavirus Relief Funding East Williston School District will be receiving, as well as the approved parameters the grants can be used for. The District’s plans for the funds include upgrading of HVAC at Willets Road School and installing HVAC in presently unoccupied rooms at North Side in order to expand the space available for student use. To view the presentation and see full details of the plan click here.
COVID Expenses Update
Also, at Monday’s Board meeting, Ms. Castonguay provided the monthly reports that she has done throughout the year for the Board and Public on how the fund balance set aside for COVID-19 related expenditures has been used to date. To view Ms. Castonguay’s report click here.
Juneteenth
Yesterday, the U.S. government voted to make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday. Juneteenth is the symbolic date representing African American freedom from slavery. While the end of slavery is often recognized as when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, Juneteenth recognizes when the last slaves were actually told about the president’s order in Galveston Texas on June 19, 1865. Resources regarding this new Federal Holiday were shared with the schools. Click here for a beautifully illustrated story book regarding the origins of Juneteenth you may be interested to share with your child.
NASTAR Award
Congratulations to the East Williston Technology Team on being recognized as Nassau BOCES NASTAR Award recipients. This year's NASTARS were chosen based on an individual or team's innovation, integration of technology, and for leading the charge during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure live, remote, and hybrid learning environments that led to student success. Through tireless effort to ensure our students continue to learn in progressive and innovative spaces, our technology team not only embraced the changes this year posed but harnessed them for the better. Our technology teaching assistants, Erik Larsen, Joanne McDonough, Jerry Pokrywka, and Karen Gilligan, our instructional technology teachers, Dr. Audra Beberman, Kim Kelleher, and Rochelle Sroka, and our district technician, Jordan Almonte were all recognized at a virtual ceremony on June 17, 2021. A big thank you to our Director of Technology, Innovation and Information Services, Ed Kemnitzer for leading our technology team with such passion, motivation and encouragement.
North Side’s Moving Up Ceremonies
In the spirit of this year, where our staff and students have worked so hard to keep tradition in spite of the obstacles presented by COVID-19, our fourth graders and their families enjoyed an in-person moving up ceremony, even though it looked a little different from years past! Instead of one fourth-grade moving up ceremony, there were eight, with each individual class having its own ceremony in order to meet social distancing guidelines. All throughout the week, North Side fourth-graders were celebrated at their very special Moving Up Ceremonies. Congratulations to all of these students as they continue their journey at Willets Road Middle School next year! Below are pictures from Monica Gibson and Carson Scordo’s class ceremony and you can click here to view more photos.
Willets “Palooza” - a Spectacular Event!
What a way to wrap up our seventh-graders middle school experience! Willets “Palooza” was a day of extraordinary school spirit filled with indoor and outdoor activities consisting of four square, soccer, kickball, spike ball, and there was even a dunk tank! It was a day of so many memories with the grand finale being an energetic clap out. Willets teachers and staff lined the hallways clapping, cheering and dancing as the Willets Road Class of 2021 proudly paraded through. The energy was contagious and memorable! Check out the pictures and video below and click here to see more of this fun filled day.
Congratulations
Wheatley’s 17th Annual In Recognition of Excellence
On June 16th, Wheatley’s 17th Annual In Recognition of Excellence dinner was held outdoors in the Wheatley courtyard.
At this event, the In Recognition of Excellence award was given to a group of students who have demonstrated outstanding service to school and community, demonstrated respect and concern for fellow students, and set high expectations for themselves as they have achieved their goals.
The recipients of this award were then asked to select one teacher, staff member or coach from their experiences at North Side, Willets Road, and Wheatley who had the greatest positive impact on their life.
Congratulations to the following recognized students and staff:
Nadeem Al-Okla - David Einsidler (North Side - Retired), Vanessa DiMascio (Willets Road) and Steven Cadet (Wheatley)
Adam Aldad - Patrick Shanahan (Willets Road), Kevin Meyers (Wheatley) and Stanley Orlovsky (Wheatley)
Angel Chavez - Sharon Forrest (North Side - Retired), Vanessa DiMascio (Willets Road) and Steven Cadet (Wheatley)
Karen Chu - Lauren Cifelli (North Side), Scott Hoefling (Willets Road) and Timothy Schwalm (Wheatley)
Stephanie Clarfield - Frank Bannerman (North Side), Patrick Shanahan (Willets Road) and Patrick Clarke (Wheatley)
Sarah Hassan - Daria Reid (Willets Road), Jo Beth Roberts (Wheatley) and Birthe Seferian (Wheatley)
Ubaidullah Hassan - Christine Truskiewicz (North Side) Lynn Flynn (Willets Road - Retired) and Daniel Walsh (Wheatley - Retired)
Rayhan Meghji - Jeanne Rose (North Side - Retired), Patrick Shannahan (Willets Road) and Lauren Blum (Wheatley)
Natalie Scudero - Sharon Forrest (North Side - Retired), Lynn Flynn (Willets Road - Retired) and Robert Gadamowitz (Wheatley)
Gabriella Testani - Amy Potter (North Side), Daria Reid (Willets Road) and Gena Topping (Wheatley)
Track & Field Athletes are Nassau County Champions
Congratulations to the following Wheatley Track and Field athletes who were most recently crowned Nassau County Champions:
Scott Schmuck, Declan Brady, Bryan Schmuck and Nadeem Al-Okla won the boys 4x800m Relay County Championship!
Julianna Mendes, Emilia Keys, Caroline O’Brien and Julia Schriefer won the girls 4x800m Relay team County Championship!
Nadeem Al-Okla won the 3000m steeplechase County Championship, with Scott Schmuck earning 2nd place!
Emilia Keys won the 2000m steeplechase County Championship!
Julia Schriefer won the 1500m and 800m race County Championship!
Thank you to Coach Donald Paulson and Coach Capobianco for such a successful season!
Spring Sports Awards
Last night, the Athletic Department hosted the Spring Sports Award night to honor our student-athletes’ achievements, contributions and efforts from this past spring season. Thank you to Michael Scaturro, our Director of Health, Physical Education, Athletics, Medical Services and FCS, and to all our coaches for a successful season.
Congratulations to all the athletes who were recognized and received awards. You can click here to view the ceremony's program and below is a listing of the students and the special awards they won.
Varsity Baseball
Kyle Rosenberg & Francesco Asaro - Wildcat Award
Gabe Fallarino - Coaches Award
JV Baseball
Connor Quinn & Daniel Gillette - Spirit Award
Varsity Softball
Jessica Shaw - Coaches & Wildcat Award
Jaclyn Denicker - Coaches Award
Dylan Kaufman - Unsung Hero Award
Varsity Golf
Joseph Dolezal & Joyce Chen - Wildcat Award
Grant Callahan - Coaches Award
Patrick Feil - Unsung Hero Award
Varsity Girls Lacrosse
Jaime Behar & Jordyn Behar - Wildcat Award
Laura Hazelton - Coaches Award
Ella Suppa - Unsung Hero Award
Varsity Boys Lacrosse
Ari Mizhiritsky - Wildcat Award
Jack Fiorillo - Coaches Award
James Dearborn - Unsung Hero Award
JV Boys Lacrosse
Adriel Hen & Tyler Richman - Spirit Award
Varsity Boys Tennis
Aaron Raja - Wildcat Award
Nadav Cohen - Coaches Award
Steven Jarrahy & Eli Mizhiritsky - Unsung Hero Award
JV Boys Tennis
Nathan Harooni-Shirazi & Aaron Chang - Spirit Awards
Varsity Boys Track
Nadeem Al-Okla - Wildcat Award
Brad Zhao - Coaches Award
Shawn Khillan - Unsung Hero Award
Varsity Girls Track
Emilia Keys - Wildcat Award
Qianwen Zhang - Coaches Award
Caroline O'Brien - Unsung Hero Award
Congratulations Angel Chavez - Five Towns College
Congratulations to Wheatley senior Angel Chavez who has committed to continue his soccer career and higher education at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York. This comes after many years of hard work and dedication. We wish Angel all the best in this next chapter of his life.
NYS AHPERD Nassau Zone Outstanding Physical Education
Congratulations to Willets Road seventh graders Olivia DelBroccolo and Alexander Golub for earning the NYS AHPERD Nassau Zone Outstanding Physical Education Student Award. This award is given to two middle school students who exemplify and demonstrate a physically active lifestyle, both during and outside of school including good sportsmanship, character, civility, and citizenship as well as demonstrating leadership and positively influencing his/her peers. These students also exhibit exceptional achievement in Health Education and/or Physical Education classes and a high level of physical fitness on approved fitness tests. Great job Olivia and Alexander.
Summer Assignments
To check on your students’ summer assignments, it’s as easy as checking the website. Many of the assignments, which are distributed to your students at the end of school, are posted there. You can click here or go to www.ewsdonline.org > Bulletin Board > Summer Assignments 2021. If you don’t see your assignments listed, they may be posted on an individual teacher’s webpage.
Principals' Newsletters
Next Week's Happenings
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Juneteenth
Sunday, June 20, 2021
10:00 AM - Wheatley’s 64th Commencement Exercises - The Wheatley School
Father’s Day
Monday, June 21, 2021
Willets Road Fourth Marking Period Ends
Regents and Finals at Wheatley (Monday, June 21, 2021 - Thursday, June 24, 2021
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
7:00 PM - Wheatley Athletic Sports Awards
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
9:00 AM - Willets Road Moving Up Morning Ceremony - Willets Road School - (Shanahan/Scala, Lennon/Wetzel, Griswold and Cook)
12:00 PM - Willets Road Moving Up Afternoon Ceremony - Willets Road School - (Tracy, Serzo, Caracciolo, Roaldsen)
7:00 PM - Wheatley Senior Prom
Thursday, June 24, 2021
10:30 - Willets Road Early Dismissal
11:30 - North Side Early Dismissal
Friday, June 25, 2021
10:30 - Willets Road Early Dismissal
11:30 - North Side Early Dismissal
Last Day of School
Last Day of North Side Third Trimester
Have a Good Weekend!
As always, please email me at kanase@ewsdmail.org or call me at 333-3758 with any questions, suggestions and/or any topics you would like to see in this newsletter.
Best regards,
Elaine Kanas, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Follow us on Twitter - #EWLearns
Email: kanase@ewsdmail.org
Website: www.ewsdonline.org
Location: 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY, United States
Phone: 516-333-3758
Twitter: @EastWillistonSD