Huntington School Briefs
The Washington Primary School community is sponsoring a Zumbathon on Friday, December 7 at Jack Abrams School from 7-9 p.m. Proceeds will benefit a Washington student being treated for brain cancer. The evening will also feature a Chinese auction, food and refreshments. Additional details are expected to be announced soon.
Trustees Approve Greenkill Trip
The Huntington School Board has approved a field trip to the Greenkill Outdoor Education Center in Hugenot, New York for Woodhull Intermediate School sixth graders. The trip will be coordinated by teachers Keith Meyers and Allison VonVange.
The first group of students will leave for Greenkill on February 5 and return on February 8. The second group will leave February 12 and return February 15. The camp is located about 120 miles from Huntington.
Students will study pond, stream and field ecology and “how in nature everything is dependent on everything else, as in the web of life,” according to a field trip instruction plan presented to district trustees. “Students will also learn other topics, including how animals adapt to their environment, survival skills, orienteering, as well as learning to cooperate as a team.
The trip to Greenkill is the culminating activity for a six-week science unit on ecology.
HHS Senior an Eagle Scout
Huntington High School senior Jordan William Lowe has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. The honor follows many years of participation and service with the Boy Scouts of America. Huntington School District faculty and staff members attended the Eagle Scout ceremony at Jack Abrams School. Refreshments followed. Mr. Lowe played on the Blue Devil varsity football team this past fall. He is the son of Debi Lowe and J. Taylor Finley Middle School guidance Phil Lowe.
Flower Hill’s K-1 Social a Hit
The Flower Hill School PTA recently organized a social for kindergarten and first grade students and their parents. The youngsters came in costume and hit the dance floor in full force. There was a DJ, dancing, crafts, games and snacks. Reports indicate the kids had a blast.
Superintendents Offers His Thanks
Huntington School District Superintendent James W. Polansky paid tribute to those he leads on School-Related Professionals Recognition Day last week.
“Let me take this moment to thank each and every member of the Huntington School District staff, as you all continue to make a tremendous difference in the lives of our students, as well as within the greater school community,” Mr. Polansky wrote in an e-mail sent to employees across the district. “The effort and commitment that each of you puts forth contributes to what we accomplish collectively on a daily basis. Thanks again for all that you do.”
District Expects BOCES Refund
The Huntington School District expects to receive a refund of about $102,000 from Western Suffolk BOCES on its 2011/12 school year general fund assessment of more than $8 million. The exact amount of the refund is now being finalized. The district should receive a check sometime this fall. About $1.7 million is being refunded to the individual Western Suffolk BOCES component districts.
Next BOE Meeting
The next meeting of the Huntington School Board will be held on Monday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jack Abrams School auditorium. The public is invited to attend and will be given an opportunity to address trustees. An agenda and related documents will be posted on the district’s website at www.hufsd.edu prior to the meeting.
New HHS Teacher
Huntington School Board members have appointed Thomas Leninger to serve as a long-term substitute special education teacher at Huntington High School through approximately January 3, 2013.
Mr. Leninger earned undergraduate (adolescent education-mathematics) and graduate (adolescent education-special education) degrees at Molloy College in Rockville Centre in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
Prior to coming to Huntington, Mr. Leninger worked as a per diem substitute teacher in Mineola (Nov. 2009-June 2011), a teacher aide in Baldwin (2011-12) and as a leave replacement special education math teacher in Plainedge. He has coached cross country and winter and spring track and field in Mineola.
Huntington School District officials reviewed ten applications, conducted four pre-screenings and interviewed two candidates before recommending Mr. Leninger for appointment.
Huntington History Lesson
Found in the minutes of a May 1954 Huntington Board of Education meeting comes this interesting item under the heading “Selection of Names for New Elementary Schools:”
“Supt. Warren reported that on the contest with the grade schools for selecting a name for the three elementary schools he had the following to report to make: The majority vote went for the names of Flower Hill, Southdown and Whitson. He said that the committee recommended that the schools in the Station are to be named after presidents and the schools in the Village area be named after locations.
“A motion was made and seconded that the Village schools would be named the Flower Hill School and the Southdown School and that the school in the Station be named as the Washington School.
“The motion was unanimously carried.”
It should be noted that Washington School is located on Whitson Road, thus the students’ desire to name it Whitson School.
Toaz Alma Mater
Robert K. Toaz Junior High School served the Huntington School District from September 1939 through June 1982. More than 10,000 students were educated there. The building was later used by Touro Law School and is now owned by the Good News Church.
Toaz’s alma mater song was as follows:
“We at Toaz will be faithful, loyal, brave, and true;
We at Toaz will be faithful to the gold and blue.
Shoulder to shoulder, this we proudly cry;
Always onward for our school: Toaz Junior High.”