Finley's Yorker Club Swings into Action
The Yorker club at J. Taylor Finley Middle School has a devoted core membership. The organization is a research club for students "interested in history - past and present," according to faculty advisor Esmeralda Tello.
"Last month our students wrote essays on the theme, "Does Patriotism Still Matter?" Ms. Tello said. The papers were submitted to the Huntington chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for inclusion in a nationwide contest featuring a $10,000 scholarship top prize.
This month students are learning about the history of Huntington Station. "This topic is of high interest to students and I am extending the lessons to my core classes," said Ms. Tello who works as a Finley social studies teacher.
Late last month, the Yorkers welcomed a committee of local historians to speak about their knowledge of Huntington history and to offer their expertise to students contemplating various local history research topics.
The presenters included Huntington Station historian and author Dr. Al Sforza, local historian Rex Metcalf, town historian Robert Hughes, Irene Moore, chairperson of the African American Historic Designation Council, Kim D'Ambrosio, chairperson of the Friends of Huntington Train Station, Nancy Berg, a records management consultant and Sharon Saudino, a freelance educational consultant.
The session was well attended by students from Finley and Huntington High School. Finley Principal John Amato and Assistant Principal Kenneth Parham were at the gathering, too.
"The goal of the Yorkers club this year is to enhance appreciation and knowledge for the town of Huntington through student research projects that look into the town's rich history," Ms. Tello said. "Students will be encouraged to research Huntington history in collaboration with town historians. All students are expected to create a research project that culminates in a paper, website, documentary, dramatic performance or exhibit that will be entered into Huntington's History Day competition in January."
The top projects on the local level will advance to the Long Island regional competition held on the Hofstra University campus. The state finals are set for June in Cooperstown.
This year's National History Day theme is Debate and Diplomacy: Successes, Failures and Consequences. "Although students are encouraged to research local history, national and international topics have also been considered by students," Ms. Tello said.