The Stars of Flower Hill School
Flower Hill School Principal Marlon Small and faculty members presented Star Students of the Month Awards to 22 boys and girls on every grade level who have distinguished themselves in their classrooms and around the building.
October’s honorees include Elizabeth Sheran, Christian Reyes Pineda, Cecilena Monge Moreira, Giovanna Lanfranco, Katy DeBellis, Iverson Menjivar Quintanilla, Caitlin Rosa, Isaac Joseph, Thomas Milner, Carlos Chaparro, Steven Portillo-Yanes, Dashiell Ramirez, Keira Coulter, Logan Toth, McKenzie Walleshauser, Tyler Paragallo, Annika Galvin, Brenda Jandres-Benitez, Angelina Jolie Bijou, Nina Varvatsas, Cristy Dayanne Elvir and Theadora Carnesi.
“These wonderful children are working hard in their classes, showing respect and responsibility and treating their classmates, teachers and paraprofessional staff members with kindness and consideration,” Mr. Small said.
Flower Hill is well-known for its enthusiastic students and supportive parents. Teachers say that the youngsters in their classes are inquisitive and genuinely interesting in learning new things. “We have a great group of young people in our school this year,” Mr. Small said.
October’s Star students were announced over the building’s public address system and given special commemorative certificates. The youngsters posed for a photo, which will be posted near the main lobby for the Flower Hill community to view.
“It is delightful to be able to recognize students who have done such a fine job in school,” Mr. Small said. “Students are already working hard to win an award for November.”
Mr. Small began his career in the district in September 1999 as a fourth grade teacher at Huntington Intermediate School. Three years later he was named dean of students at the school, a position he held for a year before moving with his family to Georgia. He went on to work as a sixth grade social studies teacher in DeKalb County, Georgia and the following year was named assistant principal at Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School in the Gwinnett County Public Schools.
Returning to Long Island in July 2005, Mr. Small was hired as assistant principal of Birchwood Intermediate School in the South Huntington school district. He was named Flower Hill principal in July 2006 and has guided the school ever since.
A 1992 graduate of SUNY College at Old Westbury with a bachelor’s degree in American studies, Mr. Small earned a master’s degree in elementary and special education at Adelphi University in 1999. He later obtained a professional diploma and state administrative certification at Dowling College in 2002. He is currently concluding his studies at Dowling for a doctorate in education.
Prior to coming to the district, Mr. Small was a case worker at Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth in Melville, where he assessed and matched foster children with appropriate homes, completed assessments of youth and family and developed goals and objectives for treatment and provided group, family and individual support to foster children and families.