Dear Parents, Faculty and Staff,

It's been an amazing year of growth for our students in the North Merrick School District! The culmination of the school year was on full display at the Community Open House on May 20 at each of the three schools. Students and their families strolled the hallways and classrooms to view the extraordinary variety of projects they completed over the year. Kudos to our faculty for their creativity in showcasing student work.

After months of rehearsals, the Theatre Arts cast and crew delighted audiences with this year's production of Matilda, Jr. followed by the Districtwide Orchestra, Band, Jazz Band, and Chorus entertaining family and friends with their musical talents at the spring concerts. The poise of our students on stage is always so impressive!

The school year is almost at a close as we get ready to honor our kindergartners and sixth graders with special milestone ceremonies. These end-of-year ceremonies are always a proud, if bittersweet, moment for parents and faculty alike.

The North Merrick Summer Program will start up in July with something for every student to keep the learning going right through the next couple of months! Enjoy the summertime with your families, and we look forward to welcoming you back in September!

The North Merrick curricular and instructional initiatives over the course of this school year were captured in an engaging video presented by Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Jaclyn Guidice, at the Budget Hearing on May 14. View the video below, and learn first hand from the voices of our administrators, teachers and students!

Fifth and sixth grade students had the opportunity to participate in before - or after-school Robotics Clubs at the three schools this school year. The Robotics Clubs were actively engaged in designing, building, testing, and competing with their robotics teams. Using Lego Spike Prime Kits, they learned coding as well as problem solving and critical thinking skills while having lots of fun.

The students worked collaboratively in groups and were quite determined to challenge their robots to perform multi-step tasks, such as stopping and going in a straight line, making an 180 degree turn, moving within a square marked on the floor, and avoiding or knocking objects over! The students brought their imaginations to life by constructing robots that transformed into a hopping frog, a breakdancing man, or super-safe deposit box.

North Merrick students celebrated the rare total solar eclipse on April 8 with engaging learning activities during the school day so they would understand the science behind the phenomenon. Teachers also shared a read-aloud of the book ECLIPSE by Andy Rash with their classes. Students were provided with ISO certified safety glasses to view the eclipse with their families at home. This special event was a perfect complement to our district's hands-on science curriculum.

This year's Field of Flags was hosted by the Old Mill Road Student Council, which selected the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to receive all donations from the flag sponsorships. The opening ceremony was held indoors on May 16 due to the rainy weather, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm for this annual event.

Commander Robert Dishman and members of the American Legion Post 1282 attended along with Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow. North Merrick Board of Education President Megan Ryan gave the opening remarks. "It is always so inspiring to see the American flags and specialty flags waving gently in the wind," notes Dr. Seniuk. Please stop by to see the flags on the front lawn of H.D. Fayette School, which will be on display to honor Memorial Day and Flag Day through June 15.

Old Mill Road Student Council (left to right) - Samantha Jones (Co-Adviser), James Wolfanger (Secretary) , Gabby Greci (Treasurer) , Paul Teta (Vice President), and Angela Greco (Co-Adviser). (Not in the photo - June Larson, President)

The Spring Family Engagement Night was once again held outdoors on the H.D. Fayette blacktop with a wide array of learning stations led by North Merrick faculty. This year's theme focused on interactive block-based activities for a scientific twist on a Block Party!

Students were builders with Legos and Jenga blocks, magnet tiles, and Play doh. They matched silhouettes with #-D shapes, contained Hexabugs in caves, boggled their minds with word play, crafted sensory stack ups as fidget tools, and enjoyed many more block-inspired activities. Special thanks to all the teachers for their clever ideas and to Maria Castle and Amanda Hocevar for organizing this beloved North Merrick tradition!

It's time for students to soar and explore in the North Merrick Summer Enrichment and Lunch Bunch programs! Go to SCOPE Space Camp, strengthen language skills in the Spanish Academy, perform in the Instrument Music Academy, or learn drama techniques in the Theatre Arts Academy! Also in full swing are the Reading Support and ENL Extended Year Programs. See flyers and registration links below.