Huntington School Briefs
Current J. Taylor Finley Middle School seventh grader Joseph Saginaw, a “graduate” of the Huntington School District’s SEARCH program and former Math Olympiad team member, is on the cover of the C.W. Post College Saturday Gifted and Talented program bulletin.
Maryann Daly, SEARCH chairperson and a teacher in the program said that Mr. Saginaw “is a student who has the whole package as a person. He is a gentleman in every sense of the word, which you rarely find in a person this young. Joe is well thought of by everyone and it is a tribute to his parents who have raised him this way.”
Mr. Saginaw is one of seven students nominated by Mrs. Daly for the 2009/10 National Young Leaders State Conference.
Toaz History Lesson
Robert K. Toaz Junior High School left a rich legacy in every area of school life when he closed in June 1982. Today, the Huntington School District is considering reacquiring the building and school grounds to deal with a space crunch that has been ongoing and is expected to intensify in coming years.
Decades ago the Toaz student council asked each homeroom to submit suggestions for a school motto. These were extensively discussed and eventually put to a vote. The winning motto was “Shoulder To Shoulder.”
The Toaz Victory Song was written by homeroom 203, which graduated in January 1943. The music was composed by Wallace Cirillo and Larry McGaul, under of the direction of vocal music teacher Marian E. Herriman. “Every loyal pupil of Toaz learns this song,” states the 1951-53 student handbook. “It is sung in assemblies and at other school functions.”
The song goes as follows:
“In loudest praise,
Our voices raise,
A song of victory for junior high;
Our cheers will ring,
We’ll proudly sing,
And always wave the gold and blue on high. “Whether at work or play we’ll try to do our best,
We’ll show the world that we can always stand the test;
Dear school to you,
Our hearts are true
Forever may our banner proudly fly.
With all our might,
We’ll do what’s right
As we go on for Toaz Junior High.”
Principal’s Challenge
Jack Abrams Intermediate School students met Principal Mary Stokkers’ “challenge” by writing poems describing who they were for a recent “dress-up” day. “I went around to each room to guess,” Mrs. Stokkers said.
Adopt-a-Family
As the holiday season approaches, the faculty and support staff at Washington Primary School is reflecting on the past year and looking forward to 2010. They also realize there are many in the community not as fortunate. So the group has decided to adopt a needy family from the school.
The family consists of a single mother and several children. New clothing and toy donations are being collected as well as some monetary donations, which will be used to purchase still other items.
College Center Hums Along
The Huntington High School College Counseling Center was recently visited by U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman John Lee, who spoke to students about life at Annapolis and the many benefits of attending the Academy. Mr. Lee is a 2006 graduate of Huntington and is a senior at the Academy.
A rep from Elmira College was also recently on the seen to provide information to interested students.
Pies, Pies, Pies
Washington Primary School first grade teachers continued a tradition when their classes made pies for the Thanksgiving holiday. Parents helped out in classrooms as the youngsters learned about the necessary ingredients and how to mix them, the purpose of the crust and how to set it in the tin and all the other details involved in pie-making.
Students worked in small groups and were proud of their finished products. Teachers explained there are hungry people in the community who cannot afford to purchase many of the items that comprise a Thanksgiving Day meal. A week earlier the school collected hundreds of food and non-perishables for donation to the Helping Hand Rescue Mission.
Once the students completed their work, the pies were dropped off at Mission, for eventual distribution to families throughout the community.
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