Community Update

It happens to be Teacher’s Appreciation Week – and nobody appreciates their teachers like the Syosset parent community. To acknowledge the hard work of our faculty and staff, each PTA unit hosts imaginative staff appreciation lunches for the team at every school in the District. I’m grateful to be invited to join in this opportunity to highlight our staff’s dedication and skill. From all of us, a big thank you to the PTA for putting together these thoughtful (and tasty) recognitions.

One example of the lasting impact of a dedicated teacher came to us via social media. News12 Anchor and Syosset alumnus Doug Geed posted a photo of a greeting card he received from his 6th grade teacher, congratulating him on his recent retirement after 37 years on TV. Ms. LaValle preceded him into retirement by more than 20 years, but her impact left a lasting mark on Doug – and many others who commented on his post with fond memories of her. Wow! Talk about a #SoSyo moment - a teacher who never forgets her students, and the students who remember her too! Thank you, Doug, for sharing this, and Ms. LaValle for your amazing example of dedication to your students… no matter how long after you (and they) have left our doors.

A reminder that this coming Monday, May 13th, there will be a Budget Hearing and Monthly Board of Education meeting beginning at 8pm at South Woods Middle School. There will be two Audience to the Public portions of the meeting:

• An opportunity to comment on the school budget, and

• The monthly opportunity to address the Board solely on topics relevant to the school district.

Syosset High School was proud to welcome author David Yoon to speak at the 8th Annual Book Day program. Yoon is a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature Honor book recipient. Coinciding with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, his novel, Frankly in Love, is a timely story about a Korean-American teenager who is torn between his American identity and the traditional expectations of his Korean parents.

Each year, through Syosset High School’s Book Day, the community of teachers, students, and administrators comes together to read and discuss a book at the confluence of identity and belonging. All 9th grade students read this novel as part of their coursework – and then were able to hear from the author directly through an engaging presentation about creativity, humanity, identity, love, and artificial intelligence. Students were also invited to participate in a personal writing workshop with the author, a book signing, and a Hanbok Tassel Making Workshop sponsored by The Korean Club.

Turning the page to another great library story – the American Association of School Librarians has selected Syosset High School’s library as the National School Library of the Year! Ours is only the sixth library in New York State to receive this recognition in the award’s 50+ year history. This tremendous recognition comes with a $10,000 award that will support the continued growth of innovative library programs. The Syosset Library Learning Commons is a future-focused, innovative space that is dedicated to inspiring students to be lifelong learners. Congratulations to our amazing librarians Kristina Holzweiss, Trish Sergi, and Dr. Sarah Wasser on this tremendous accomplishment – and for illustrating the powerful impact school libraries have in building community and fostering a sense of purpose.

In Syosset, we foster an environment where students actively engage in shaping their learning journey. This approach instills in students a profound sense of “agency”, both as learners and as integral members of our wider community.

Baylis fifth grader Evelyn Koo is a very capable student and also a talented artist. At the culmination of the library digital citizenship unit, fifth graders schoolwide were given a voluntary project to create a poster that would inform both adults and peers about how to be safe online. The posters were later entered into the New York State Office of Information Technology Services “Kids Safe Online” poster contest, which is meant to spread cybersecurity awareness to kids… by their peers.

Well, Evelyn’s vibrant and informative poster was chosen as the winner! It conveys critical information like, “Hackers can steal deleted personal info!” and “You never know who someone might be…” It will be on display at the NYS Cybersecurity contest in June. The poster will help to encourage other children her age, and even remind adults like me to: "Stay safe or it’s game over!"