The Mud Puddle

The Rinx opened its doors to Gelinas on January 3 for an unforgettable evening of skating and fun! With around 55 students in attendance, the night was filled with energy and excitement as everyone enjoyed skating, sipping hot chocolate, sharing pizza, and spending quality time with friends.

Students showed off their skating skills, with some gliding like pros while others embraced the challenge of staying on their feet—with lots of laughter and cheers along the way! Despite the chilly weather, the warmth of friendship and fun kept spirits high. A big thank you to everyone who attended, and a special shout-out to the staff members who helped supervise and make the evening a success.

Do you know which states border Lake Michigan or where Mount Kilimanjaro is located? Many of our junior high students do! In early January, seventh and eighth-grade social studies teachers administered geography quizzes to select class representatives for the school-wide Geography Bee. On Tuesday, January 14th, these representatives competed in a building-level Geography Bee that challenged their geographic knowledge and skills. Congratulations to our PJ Gelinas Geography Bee champion, 7th grader Isabel Catalina, as well as our second-place winner, 8th grader Nikolas Feller, and third-place winner, 8th grader Joshua Spata!

A big round of applause to our talented students for their remarkable performance in this year’s school spelling bee! Their hard work, dedication, and impressive spelling skills were on full display throughout the competition. A special shoutout goes to seventh grader Natalie Zhang, who claimed the championship title and will represent our school at the next level of the competition. Natalie’s achievement is a testament to her perseverance and talent. We are incredibly proud of all our participants for their effort and enthusiasm. Congratulations to everyone involved!

Gelinas and Murphy Junior High Schools recently showcased their mathematical prowess at the 2025 MoMathlon, presented by the National Museum of Mathematics with support from Brookhaven National Laboratory. The talented students competed in an individual round, a group round, and a mix-up round of challenging mathematics questions alongside teams from several other Long Island districts. We are thrilled to share that the Gelinas team placed 1st in Suffolk County and 5th on Long Island—an outstanding accomplishment!

Pictured left to right: Arianna Yang, Lydia Xu, Sachita Venkatesh, Michael Wang, Marvin Yin

Congratulations to these students on their incredible achievement and for representing our school community with pride!

At the end of January, the Gelinas Theatre Company held its 3rd Annual Cabaret Benefit Fundraiser! Throughout the week, students participated in master classes with Broadway pianist and conductor Andrew Bourgoin, honing their skills in preparation for their big performance alongside Broadway actress Chelsea Groen. Cast members from Gelinas' upcoming production of Newsies delivered outstanding performances, showcasing their talent and dedication. It was a wonderful evening for the Three Village community to come together and celebrate musical theatre while supporting the arts at Gelinas!

Two Gelinas Science Bowl teams competed in the National Middle School Science Bowl Regional Competition at Brookhaven National Lab yesterday, facing schools from across Long Island and NYC. Team 1 placed an impressive 3rd in the region, with Sachita Venkatesh, Marvin Yin, Yonatan Komargodski, Camila Miller, and Daniel Merenkov demonstrating outstanding knowledge and teamwork. Team 2, represented by Anastasia Merenkova, Irene Yun, Jiaming Zhang, and Aiden Choudhary, also competed with great pride and determination. These students worked tirelessly to prepare, and we are incredibly proud of their dedication and achievements!

The Science Olympiad Team ran a fundraiser this month to raise money for their upcoming tournaments. Ms. DeMartino and Ms. Carlson were voted by the the students to be a part of the Tape a Teacher Fundraiser. Students lined up during their lunch period for the opportunity to test if they could get these teachers to stick to the wall once the stool was removed from their feet. The goal was for the teachers to stick for at 3 minutes, but the 8th grade lunch period managed to keep Ms. DeMartino stuck for 10!

Ms. DeMartino has made a tremendous impact on our entire Gelinas community. She continually plans dynamic and engaging lessons for her students, collaborates with her colleagues, and embraces new technology to better connect with her classes. Her inspiring work at Gelinas has been recognized numerous times.

In 2022, she was named the Long Island Middle Level Educator of the Year. In 2023, she received the Fellow New Teacher Award, and she was recently honored with the incredible title of Master Teacher. This month, we are thrilled to announce that Ms. DeMartino has been recognized by ASSET as a 2025 Bright Light. This prestigious award celebrates her unwavering dedication to our school and her daily efforts to be an exceptional educator.

Beyond her remarkable teaching, Ms. DeMartino serves as the advisor for the National Junior Honor Society and co-advisor for our Science Olympiad team, further showcasing her commitment to fostering excellence and leadership in our students. In addition to inspiring her students, Ms. DeMartino also offers various professional development courses for teachers within Three Village CSD and outside of the district.

When Ms. DeMartino is not teaching, she loves reading and caring for her dog, Romeo, who is well-known for accessorizing with bow ties on a regular basis. She says her favorite part of working at Gelinas is the diverse students she works with in the classroom and through extracurricular activities. Congratulations, Ms. DeMartino, on this well-deserved recognition! Your hard work and dedication continue to inspire us all.

Lily Kukta is a remarkable 7th-grade student with a bright future ahead. She has been an active participant in the Naval Sea Cadet program for over two years, a program that has helped her develop discipline, leadership skills, and respect for others. Through this experience, Lily has also received training in CPR and Stop the Bleed. One of her favorite aspects of the program is visiting various military bases and learning about aviation. She has enjoyed these experiences so much that she is even considering a future in the military.

Outside of her Sea Cadet activities, Lily stays active on the tennis court and is also beginning to play flag football. She has loved her transition to Gelinas, noting that she appreciates the increased independence and the opportunity to meet new people. We are incredibly proud of Lily’s accomplishments and admire her dedication to both her personal growth and her community. We look forward to seeing all that she achieves in the future!

The boys' basketball team continued their undefeated season by defeating archrival Murphy on the 3rd with a score of 56-48. The team was led by Leo Fallon and Max Sobel, who scored 18 and 17 points respectively. The game was a back-and-forth battle, but Caleb Pimentel sealed the victory with two clutch foul shots late in the game. The team extended their undefeated streak with a dominant 57-13 win over Port Jefferson. Two early, big three-pointers from Aafan Aden sparked the team and propelled them to victory! Liam McNeil added 9 points as the team maintained control throughout the game. Strong performances were also turned in by James Delmage, Cooper Hosch, and Jason Miller. The boys capped off their season with a commanding 78-33 victory over West Hampton, finishing the season with a perfect 10-0 record!

The Gelinas Girls Basketball team kicked off their season with an impressive 41-15 victory over Westhampton! Scoring was led by Vivi Speidell and Brianna Tomicic, who each contributed 8 points. Maggie Giachetti showcased great foul shooting, helping to secure the win. Come support the team at their first home game this Wednesday—let's cheer them on to another victory!

2/4/25: Incoming Grade 6 Parent Orientation 7:30-8:30PM

2/5/25: Current 5th graders will visit Gelinas while current 8th graders visit Ward Melville

Your involvement supports various programs and initiatives that benefit our students. Don’t miss the next meeting on February 11th at 7:00pm —a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and stay informed. We look forward to seeing you there!