Community Update

September 20, 2024

Dear Syosset Community:

Our buildings have been pulsing with activity in the evenings with a series of open houses for our families. Over the past two weeks, all of our schools opened their doors to parents and guardians, who took an hour or so to live a day in the life of their children. A special thanks to the student tour guides who volunteered to give up their evenings to show off their schools’ to our families!

Facilities Improvement Bond

We are less than two weeks away from the facilities bond referendum on Tuesday, October 1st. On Monday, during the Board of Education’s monthly meeting, I gave a detailed presentation about the items included in the bond propositions on October 1st. You can watch the presentation at the link below.

Because there are two propositions, we’ve received some inquiries about how these propositions work together. I want to make sure this point is abundantly clear, so bear with me…

Proposition One would address the district’s most immediate needs:

The facilities repairs and maintenance items identified by our architects and engineers;
The replacement of “portable” classrooms with permanent structures before they become unsafe to occupy;
Additional student spaces to accommodate our growing enrollment, and;
Safety and security items to protect students and staff.

Proposition Two would take advantage of current favorable State funding reimbursement rates to further invest in our facilities by:

Adding square footage at 4 elementary schools in the form of gyms that will free up internal space to provide these buildings with additional flexibility to address anticipated future growth; and
Upgrading the grass football/soccer/lacrosse field at HBT to artificial turf, and upgrading the varsity softball and baseball infields to artificial turf to increase safety and playability.

On the ballot, voters will see both propositions and be given the option to vote yes or no on each. However, since proposition two builds on proposition one, both must be approved in order for the items in the second proposition to be constructed. The analogy I have been using is that of a house – proposition one is the foundation, without it, proposition two cannot stand. I’ve made a short video explaining this as well, which you can watch here.

Please send any outstanding questions to facilities@syossetschools.org. We compile the questions and answers and continually update our FAQ. You may be tired of hearing from us – but we love hearing from you!

Community Flyers

A reminder that beginning this school year, all approved community flyers are being posted on our website. You can find them at this link. Before submitting a flyer for review, please take a moment to review the guidelines at this link to ensure compliance.

#SyoStars⭐

The National Speech and Debate Association has named Syosset one of the top 100 schools in the nation for its achievements in the 2023-2024 school year. Out of 3,000 schools nationwide, Syosset High School ranked number 58 for the number of students involved in our speech and debate program, and recognitions earned in competitions, leadership, and service. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for this school year!! Way to go, #SyoForensics!

Twenty-one of our seniors have been named National Merit semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These students qualified for this distinction by scoring among the highest in the state on the PSAT in 2023. They are still in the running to advance as finalists and get a share of $26 million in prize money awarded by the scholarship corporation. Congrats to these super-smart seniors, and good luck in the next phase!

We are proud to share that the Long Island Arts Alliance is recognizing three Syosset Seniors for their amazing artistic achievements. Danielle Kaplan (Theater) and Janice Lee (Visual Arts) have both been named Scholar Artists, and Aaron Liu (Music) has received an Award of Merit. These prestigious distinctions are only given to 40 student artists across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The goal of the LIAA Scholar-Artist Program is to showcase high school seniors who are exceptionally accomplished across five disciplines: Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance, and Media Arts. The impressive range of artistic skills among this year's honorees showcases the strength and breadth of Syosset’s Fine and Performing Arts program. Congratulations Danielle, Janice, and Aaron on this amazing accomplishment!

Bright Spot

By learning to care for our planet, our students are also learning to care for our community. Last weekend, Girl Scout Troop 3753 volunteered with Operation Splash, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of Long Island’s south shore bays, waterways, and beaches through cleanup and advocacy.

The group of 8th graders (and some of their parents!) spent a day cruising along the waterways in Freeport, using a skimmer to collect plastic bottles and bags. They also combed a nearby beach, gathering debris before it could reach the water. Our girls were thrilled to contribute to this important cleanup effort and help protect aquatic life.

Personally, I think this troop has the magic touch – I mean combining community service with a day on the water and at the beach – genius!!! Their efforts are proof that anyone can find a way to make the world a better place while also doing something you love.

Amazing! Keep up the great work, Troop 3753.

Enjoy the weekend – see you bright and early Monday!

#SyoSunny
Tom Rogers