Huntington School Briefs
Sue Jeno is retiring. The longtime J. Taylor Finley Middle School special education teacher will be feted at a party on June 14 at The Harbor Club in Halesite. The party will run from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $75. The event will feature open refreshments, dinner and a DJ and dancing. The price of a ticket includes a contribution toward a retirement gift.
Those interested in attending should RSVP to Angela Long at Finley.
Mary Bruno Passes Away
Retired Huntington School District employee Mary Bruno has passed away. She was 89 and would have turned 90 on July 23. Visitation was held at MA Connell Funeral Home. A funeral mass was held at St. Hugh of Lincoln Church in Huntington Station. Interment followed at St. Patrick's Cemetery.
Mrs. Bruno was hired as a food service worker in the district on November 16, 1966. She began work as a school monitor in July 1970 and was appointed as a teacher aide in September 1976. She retired July 1, 1982, but spent much of the following three decades working as a substitute teacher aide in the district, as well as in the SCOPE after school child care program.
Mrs. Bruno was the mother of Huntington elementary school teacher Joan Marie Balsari, who passed away last fall after a 15 month battle with breast cancer. Mrs. Bruno was also predeceased by her husband, Vincent. She is survived by her sons, Vincent, Jr. and Tommy and daughter, Germaine and six grandchildren.
Jefferson PTA Makes Donation
The Jefferson Primary School PTA has donated $2,379 to the Huntington School District to purchase SMART Boards at Jefferson School. Huntington School Board members formally accepted the donation during their meeting this past Monday evening.
BOCES Sends Letter
Western Suffolk BOCES Board of Education President Jeannette Santos recently sent a letter to the school board presidents in each of the 18 component districts that comprise WS BOCES.
"Please be assured that we remain mindful of the difficult choices you have had to make this year as you developed your district's budget," Ms. Santos wrote. "We pledge to work to do our part to contain costs while providing a positive learning environment for students in our component districts. We look forward to maintaining the positive relationships we have built over the years with you and we believe our goal to educate youngsters for the 21st century is one we share with you."
Finley Moving-up Ceremony
The J. Taylor Finley Middle School moving-up ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m. in the Huntington High School auditorium. "Our students will be recognized for outstanding achievement in all subject areas, as well as good citizenship, character and commitment, just to name a few," Principal John Amato said.
SCOPE's Annual Dinner Meeting
SCOPE Education Services will hold its annual dinner meeting for Suffolk superintendents and school board members on Thursday, August 9 at 5 p.m. on the Oakdale campus of St. John's University.
State Pension Fund Gains
The New York State Common Retirement Fund earned an estimated 5.96 percent rate of return in the 2011/12 fiscal year, according to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The fund has an estimated value of $150.3 billion.
The returns for each of the fund's eight asset classes ranged from a high of 17.6 percent for its real estate holdings to a negative 6.4 percent for its non-U.S. equities portfolio. "The financial markets took investors on an up and down ride last year, but the New York State Common Retirement Fund's diversified investment portfolio coupled with a long term view have helped us weather these large swings," Mr. DiNapoli said.
The retirement fund is the third-largest public pension fund in the nation. It is one of the highest funded plans in the country, according to the Pew Center on the States. Over the last 20 years, 82 percent of the costs of benefits have been funded from investment returns.
Next BOCES BOE Meeting
The next public meeting of the Western Suffolk BOCES Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Seminar Room of the Western Suffolk BOCES Conference Center located at 31 Lee Avenue, Wheatley Heights.