Huntington School Briefs
The Huntington High School drama club’s donation of $1,000 to the hurricane stricken Copiague School District has touched many hearts in that South Shore community.
The Huntington actors had asked that donations be made to a special hurricane relief fund rather than have money spent on flowers to be presented to the teenagers at the conclusion of their fall play. The donation to the Copiague School District was earmarked for its fine arts program.
“Through the generosity of individuals, groups and organizations from all over, we have been able to help with the feeding, clothing and emergency resupplying of the many families in our community that were impacted by this unprecedented event,” Copiague Superintendent Charles A. Leunig wrote in a letter to Huntington drama club advisor Michael Schwendemann. “Whether it was as a result of news reports, word of mouth or the power of social media, we are incredibly grateful that you responded to this need. Your kindness and generosity will go a long way toward helping our community, and the families we serve, return to normal.”
Highsteppers Dance Clinic
The Huntington Highsteppers are hosting a dance clinic on Saturday, February 9 from 1-4 p.m. at Huntington High School. The clinic is open to students in grades 3-8. The Highsteppers are the high school’s competitive dance team.
Members of the Highsteppers will teach clinic participants a dance routine. A $25 registration fee includes a t-shirt. All proceeds from the clinic will be used to defray expenses associated with the Highsteppers’ trip to Orlando, Florida for the national dance championships.
Checks should be made payable to Huntington Highsteppers and placed in an envelope in the PTA mailbox of the student’s school along with the student’s name, grade, school and emergency contact number. Registration will continue through Thursday, January 17.
On the day of the clinic, parents are invited to return at 3:30 p.m. to see what clinic participants have learned.
New Diploma Seals
The New York State Education Department has authorized two new diploma seals for seniors graduating with a Regents diploma with advanced designation. The seals are: Mastery in Math and Mastery in Science. They are available beginning in June 2013.
To qualify for either of the new seals, a senior must pass three “commencement level” Regents exam in each of the respective subjects with a minimum score of 85.
Huntington High School students or their parents who are interested in the new seals are encouraged to speak with a high school guidance counselor.
New Earth Science Course Approved
Huntington School Board members approved a recommendation by the district’s Educational Development Committee to create a new Principles of Earth Science-ESL course for the 2013/14 school year.
“This course will explore various topics, such as energy, natural disasters, natural resources and weather,” according to a synopsis presented to trustees. “The course is developed to accommodate our new ELL (English language learners) students who are unfamiliar with schooling and the skills necessary to be successful in a Regents level science class. This course will imbed teaching science content so that students will be prepared to take the Physical Setting: Earth Science ESL course.”
Woodhull Student Council
This year’s Woodhull Intermediate School student council is a very enthusiastic organization. It is led by faculty advisors Scott Armyn and Christine Barresi and officers Ryan Hoffman (president), Abigail Holmes (vice-president), Abby Semelsberger (secretary) and Julien Rentsch (treasurer).
This year’s projects have included providing relief aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy and selling Woodhull School t-shirts. An upcoming initiative involves supporting the animal rescue agency “Break the Chain.”
Drama Club Parents Donate
The Huntington High School drama club parents recently donated nearly $5,500 worth of sound equipment for the auditorium. Huntington School Board members accepted the “generous” donation during their meeting this past Monday night.
The donated items include two Samson SX 1200 power amplifiers with adapters, two Community CPL 27B speakers, six Shure Lavaliere microphone (collar) PG 185’s, three Shure head mount microphone PG 30’s, three PG 185 microphones, three PG 330 microphones, replacement wind screens and tape, six six-foot microphone output cables and installation of the gear provided over the course of the day by two technicians.
The drama club parents’ organization purchased the items from Rob Saltman Media Design and Installation of Huntington. The total value of the equipment is $5,452.
Greenkill Trip Contract Approved
Huntington School Board members approved a contract with the New York YMCA Camp-Greenkill Outdoor Education Center for the district’s annual sixth grade trip to the facility. Plans call for 141 students and 10 adult chaperones to travel to Greenkill on February 5-8. A second group totaling 115 students and 10 chaperones will be at the camp on February 12-15.
The Woodhull students will engage in a variety of outdoor education learning activities as well as evening guest lectures on birds of prey, the fascinating world of reptiles and the Revolutionary War.
Woodhull teachers Allison VonVange and Keith Meyers are coordinating this year’s Greenkill trip program.