Student Leaders Recognize Trustees for Volunteer Service
They are true volunteers in every sense of the word. Huntington School Board members were recently recognized by some of the students they work so hard to serve during a public meeting in the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School auditorium.
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proclaimed School Board Recognition Week as a way of honoring the thousands of trustees who “continually strive for improvement, excellence and progress in education.”
Huntington trustees Tom DiGiacomo, Bill Dwyer, Bari Fehrs, Jennifer Hebert, Xavier Palacios and Emily Rogan were recognized in poetry and art by Huntington High School and J. Taylor Finley Middle School student government leaders.
Huntington School Board members are elected to three year terms by district residents. They do not draw salaries or receive health insurance or retirement benefits. They are responsible for overseeing the education of thousands of young people in the community as well as a budget amounting to more than $117 million and hundreds of full and part-time employees.
Completely devoted to supporting the most comprehensive classroom and co-curricular program the community is capable of providing, the district trustees spend countless hours each month preparing for and participating in meetings and attending events in all eight school buildings and at other locations throughout the community.
Student leaders celebrated the service of the six trustees by reading short poems personalized for each of the Huntington School Board members. The heartfelt words stirred the emotions of everyone sitting in the auditorium. One by one the trustees were honored before each of them embraced the students who spoke so eloquently.
District Director of Fine and Performing Arts Sarah Gill unveiled portraits of the trustees created by Huntington students. The portrait of fallen trustee Adam Spector was placed on an empty chair situated on the auditorium stage. It was a touching remembrance of a man so thoroughly dedicated to the district and its students.
The portraits were created by students Christina Varady (Emily Rogan), Lois Choi (Jennifer Hebert), Adriana Scarpati (William Dwyer), Christopher Giordano (Thomas DiGiacomo), Aniyah Toro (Bari Fehrs), Sabrina Palacios (Xavier Palacios) and Jasmine Neak (Adam Spector). Huntington High School art teacher Amy Worth coordinated the matting and display of the photos. The student artists are taking classes with teachers Dena Mortell, Mark Belton, Kim Valerio, Pamela Piffard and Mrs. Worth.
Once the ceremony had concluded, the stage curtain opened to reveal dozens of student and faculty musicians assembled in concert form. The choir and band immediately performed “The Need to Believe,” a song written and composed by Mr. Spector with a score arranged by Matthew Gelfer.
The Huntington High School choir members included Khondoker Tazwar Akber, Andrew Aprigliano, Allyson Arleo, Cassandra Berwick, Carolanne Buoniello, Declan Byrne, Miranda Cahill, Chinasia Celestin, Shannon Contino, Julia Dupree, Andrew Gunthner, Kaiya Idler, Amaru Jones, Melany Lanham-Ciancia, Olivia Liepa, Madison Lofaso, Meaghan McArthur, Kevin Arthur McConnell, Kyle Benjamin Meit, Daniel Mollitor, Osvaldo Moreira-Gonzalez, Brianne Neira, Nicholas Newell, Stephanie Powers, Christiana Reinertsen, Darle Riordan, Landary Rivas, Mitchell Robles, Kayla Ryan, Jose Salmeron-Zeron, Emily Sager, Meghan Scolo, Madeline Shea, Justin Waite and Benjamin Michael Whitcher.
The musicians included Finley students Katie Burton and Christina DeLuca and high school students Christian Verfenstein, Christina Bateman, Briana Jones, Annie Trousdell, Camryn Libes, Holly Grabowski, Matthew McBride, Samantha Conte, Jessica Straub, Elisa Medina-Jaudes, Maggie Giles, Gabby Goodridge and Brendan Wirth.
Faculty performers included Finley band director Frank Battista (drums), high school orchestra director Nicole Castaldo (violin), Finley orchestra director Matt Gelfer (bass), Woodhull Intermediate School band director Chelsea Jablon (flute), Director of Fine and Performing Arts Sarah Gill (oboe) and high school choir director Veronica Mainville (conducting).
“What a brilliant performance by a talented group of student and staff musicians, members of which are passionate about their craft and genuinely grateful for the support that the Huntington Board of Education continuously provides,” Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “A tremendous thank you to each and every one of them.”
The trustees followed the performance by unanimously approving a resolution to rename the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School Auditorium in honor of Mr. Spector in recognition of his strong support for the school and his belief in its importance to the community and the educational program it provides. He passed away last June after being re-elected to a second term in May. He had been serving as vice president of the Huntington School Board.
“During Mr. Spector’s time on the school board he tirelessly advocated for the reopening of Jack Abrams School and to restore full day kindergarten,” said Kayla Ryan, president of Huntington’s Class of 2017. “His love for the students and faculty of the Huntington School District, as well as the Huntington community was apparent to everyone who knew him. I had the honor of getting to know Mr. Spector over the past few years and was immediately struck by his sense of humor, deep commitment to his friends and family and his devotion to the board. Despite what he was going through, Mr. Spector always had a sense of optimism and courage that I think we should all try to aspire to.”
After each trustee was honored they were asked to light a candle in honor of Mr. Spector, whose family lit a candle on his behalf. “His sense of hope was captured in the lyrics of his song, ‘The Need to Believe,’ where he stated, ‘But then I think of the life I’ve had and I think about how much I’ve had and I see there is a need to believe.’”