Community Update

March 28, 2025

Dear Syosset Community:

Berry Hill art teacher Lori-Ann Pizzarelli’s literacy-themed mural outside the library has been collecting student and staff contributions for the better part of the past two school years, illustrating some of the most beloved characters from notable children’s books. I was so honored to be asked to make a contribution to this special project as it is winding up. Principal Allison Wasserman and I painted Harry Potter’s pet owl, Hedwig, with a lot of coaching from Ms. P.

Many thanks to the Muslim Student Associations at HBT and the High School who invited the Board and Administration to Iftar celebrations for Ramadan. I unfortunately had Covid during last year’s event, so this year, I saw what I was missing – informative presentations, delicious food, and wonderful conversations. Congratulations to Arish Mokaria & Fatima Yasir at HBT and Bisma Nasim & Raheel Nabi at SHS for organizing each event.

Spotlight on Instruction 🔦

Hedwig wasn’t the only nod to the Potter series, South Grove’s third through fifth graders got their Quidditch-inspired Physical Education (PE) lesson off the ground. The activities reinforced problem-solving and collaboration skills while staying active. Students wore "house colors" and brought in props to add to their "house points." They watched a clip from the movie to prepare for multiple rounds of Quidditch, where they rotated positions and practiced key skills like passing and catching the quaffle. They got bonus points for finding the "golden snitch," which was hiding somewhere in the gymnasium. Students managed their own scores, teaching integrity and honesty.

Meanwhile, our K-2 students are preparing for next year as members of the "Quidditch Training Academy." By taking on different roles, working through challenges, and adapting strategies, they build skills that extend beyond the "game." Special thanks to our PE teachers for their dedication to fostering skill-building opportunities in such imaginative and engaging ways!

Also in PE at Baylis – second and third graders completed a multidisciplinary lesson that merged ball-rolling with bank-rolling! The interactive exercises were used to teach students about financial literacy and money management. Each hoop color represented a different money value with yellow representing “bankrupt.” The goal was for students to “earn money” by scoring in the proper hoops – and then use the money to create a nutritious and balanced plate for lunch. What a creative way to learn about currency and nutrition!

#SyoStars⭐

The Syosset Chamber Orchestra was given the extraordinary honor of being named National Grand Champions at the National Orchestra Festival, ASTA National Convention in Atlanta. This amazing honor underscores these students' exceptional musicianship and dedication, and places them as the nation's premier school orchestra. The Chamber Orchestra, led by Ms. Stephanie Merten, performed works by Caroline Shaw, George Walker, Aldemaro Romero, and Dmitri Shostakovich. The convention last weekend included 21 top high school orchestras competing for the National Grand Champion title. The Syosset Chamber Orchestra's achievement highlights our students’ talent as individuals and as members of an elite music program. This morning, Ms. Merten told me we stunned the judges! Congratulations to this amazing group!

Business students in our Virtual Enterprise course have entered competition season – and already, many of our “firms” have qualified for national competitions! Students pair up into groups and create businesses that they build the entire school year. In order to qualify at the national level, our firms competed in multiple rounds against 120+ schools from Long Island, Westchester, and New England. “Cube Co” was recognized for its business and marketing plans, while “The Project,” “Quick Court,” and “Puri5” will be competing in the finance and human resources spaces. In the next couple of weeks, our students will head to the Jacob Javits Center in New York City to compete against schools from across the country. Good luck, teams!

Syosset is an amazing place to live – and we are excited to see that Niche.com agrees. They ranked Syosset the 11th best place to raise a family in America! Niche cites our community’s safe neighborhoods, strong sense of pride, and (of course!) excellent schools among its attractions for families looking for a special place to live. So while we don’t chase rankings for recognition, we nevertheless always graciously accept a compliment!

Bright Spot

Since my older brother is deaf, I grew up in a bilingual household immersed in American Sign Language (ASL). So I jumped at the chance to chaperone our ASL learners on their field trip to Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf earlier today. Our students had prepared an ASL-interpreted song from “The Greatest Showman” to perform for their peers at Mill Neck as part of a morning-long talent show. The students were then given a tour of the program and grounds where they met (and conversed) with the students. During recess, our kids mingled with the Mill Neck students, striking up an impromptu basketball game, and playing with younger students on the playground equipment.

Mill Neck has a tradition of allowing graduating students to create posters to display in the hallways. I was particularly inspired by this one: “Don’t follow your dreams, create them.” As we were leaving, we invited Syosset alumna Eve Pollack, a social worker at the school, to hop on our bus and recount her journey. She initially fell in love with ASL and deaf culture as a Syosset 9th grader and persisted in her studies through college – even designing her own Minor in ASL and Deaf Culture. Determined to work with deaf youth, she eventually earned a Masters in Social Work and ultimately joined the Mill Neck team. Congratulations, Eve, on literally creating your dream, and thus inspiring both Mill Neck’s students and ours.

South Woods’ school musical, Annie Jr., is this weekend. You still have a chance to catch it tonight at 7:30pm, or tomorrow (...tomorrow!) at noon. I had an unbelievably great seat for yesterday’s matinee and can confirm the show is amazing! I’ll have a full wrap up of all of our Spring shows next week.

A reminder that the District is closed this coming Monday, March 31st. See you next week!

#SyoStage

Tom Rogers