Board of Ed Recognizes Community Service Efforts

The Sayville Board of Education meeting on Dec. 9 started out on a high note – that is, a musical presentation by the Sunrise Drive Fifth Grade Select Chorus directed by Sara Allen.

The performance was followed by citation presentations for community service by Thomas Murray, principal. "We have many measures of academic success but these awards are a measure of children's character, what they do outside the classroom and for the community," he said.

These community service initiatives includes tasks such as cleaning the beaches, volunteering for Relay For Life, helping in homeless shelters, assisting with peer tutoring and more. "Each one of these fine young men and women have donated their time to making our community a better place to live," Murray said. "They deserve to be commended for their services."

The bronze certificate for 50 hours of community service was awarded to: Krista Becker, Paige Becker, Britton Boyce, Mackenzie Burns, Julia Cameron, Lauren Colavito, Blake Cunzio, Emily Faughnan, Frankie Ferrara, Christine Guinessey, Julia Hirsch, Lara Hirsch, Ricki Ifferte, Rowan Mahoney, Marc Nelson, Ryan O'Mara, Emma Patterson, Hayley Patterson, Emily Perun, Patrick Smith and Anthony Vetere.

The silver certificate for 75 hours of community service was awarded to: Jessica Crawford, Michael Farese, Megan Gunther, Tara Litvin, Jill Mediatore, Erin Murphy, Kayla Stockert and Meghan Westman.

The gold certificate for 100 hours of community service was awarded to: Kerry Barrett, McKenna Butler, Mariana Dominguez, Ersa Erdogan, Dalen Ferreira, Diana Ferretti, Shannan Flangan, Sierra Graygor, Caroline Greco, Bryan Henningsen, Aneri Kinariwalla, Erin Koehler, Alyssa Lofaro, Isabella Mangan, Olivia Minogue, Amanda Minutello, Annah Murphy, Emily Nowlan, Clare O'Connor, Jamie O'Connor, , Samantha Pittari, Alyssa Racioppi, Tanner Russo, Emily Sneddon, Sydney Teplitz, Angela Vetere, Savannah Votino, and Rachel Zarett.

The meeting also included a presentation by the Middle School on the Languages Other Than English (LOTE) program and information on how the school thrives to be a bridge for students. "These are the transition years," Murray said. "They are so important for these students social and emotional growth. They connect elementary school with the high school and we are seeking to bridge that gap for them. The transition services each child needs is different depending on that individual. We have a whole transition staff in place – guidance counselors, social workers, psychologist, assistant principal, student assistance counselor – to help these children. Our emphasis is on academic achievement and social and emotional growth. Middle school is key to identifying children in need."

Dawn Lloyd-Matthews, Middle School social worker, spoke about the personal safety curriculum and policies. There are four phases of the personal safety program in the district and all of them now include the bully, the victim and the bystander.

, superintendent, spoke to the board about the energy savings realized in the district. From June to October, the district saved $1,740 in energy costs. Additional construction was also brought to the board's attention for approval. The exterior wall on the outside of the cafeteria is in need of repair because the flashing was not properly installed. There's an issue of water penetration and it is estimated to cost around $29,650 to repair. The repair would be tagged on to the existing bond order.

In other construction news, the Wellness Center has the roof on, the brickwork is going up and it is on schedule to be completed by Feb. 1, according to J.J. Belmonte, assistant superintendent. is back on track, and Belmonte anticipates the front office will be complete following the winter recess. Lincoln Avenue is scheduled to have the grand opening of its media center on Dec. 16.

Concussion management was another topic up for discussion, as trustee Raymond Nelson brought to the board's attention some new developments. St. Charles Hospital is adopting Sayville's , and and girls and boys lacrosse. They will be conducting on-site testing in Sayville's computer lab as a baseline for all athletes in these sports. Starting in ninth grade, student athletes will need to be tested at least every two years. Should an injury occur, the baseline tests will help to determine any concussive incidents. There are more regulations coming into effect as well in terms of concussions and when an athlete needs to sit out of a game and who can provide clearance.

The board also discussed the installation of healthy vending machines, mainly in the gym area for after-school programs in lieu of the chips and ice cream now available. These new vending machines wouldn't cost the district any money. "The district receives 25 percent of the profit from the sales of the items," Belmonte said. "There is no investment on the part of the district; the company maintains and stocks the machine."

During public session, Debbie Pesar, president of the Sayville Soccer Booster Club, asked the board for financial support for signage. The Booster Club is requesting help because it has incurred additional expenses with the school having a championship team. The signs, which cost around $1,000 for printing and installation, are already up throughout town touting the winning Sayville team.