Community Update

December 13, 2024

Dear Syosset Community:

As we count down to winter break, the senior administrators and I hosted a holiday breakfast to show our appreciation to the people behind the scenes of our District operations — from the Business office to Transportation, HR, Facilities and more. We are so thankful for these dedicated individuals who work year-round and often on weekends to ensure our students have the best possible experience at Syosset.

On behalf of their peers Districtwide, some talented South Woods musicians showed their appreciation with performances of holiday classics old and new. It’s always a beautiful reminder of who we work so hard for—and how our students’ hard work pays off in harmonious ways!

The student performers were all dressed up because their next stop was White Oaks Rehabilitation and Nursing Center to give our local seniors a special show. Talk about inspirational, some of the seniors began singing along! There’s nothing better than concert season in Syosset. Stop by one of the many shows we have in the coming weeks (and after the winter recess, too). I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Albany Update

As we announced earlier this week, the Board of Education unanimously voted to opt-out of the State’s regionalization plan. Our letter was transmitted to the State and they have since acknowledged receipt. During public comment Monday night, some folks expressed concern that doing so might jeopardize State funding. I reassured the audience that funding was not contingent on participation.

Rather, our worries about Foundation Aid stem from the fact that affluent communities often haven’t benefited from previous state aid “reforms,” so the more dramatic the reform, the more volatile the possibilities. I mentioned Monday that I was encouraged by early news from the Governor’s office that she did not plan to cut funding for districts with enrollment loss. Now we need to see if she’ll increase assistance to districts with enrollment gains, like ours.

Although we’re not participating in any regional plan, our Albany advocacy efforts continue. As I shared at the November meeting, the State extended special education eligibility without also extending State reimbursement; there aren’t enough seats to serve preschool special education students; and not nearly enough attention has been given to creating the capacity needed to serve students experiencing mental health crises. I hope to see these issues addressed in the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal in late January.

The Next Syosset Mascot

Our Mascot Selection Committee held its first meeting this week. The group discussed means for obtaining community input, as well as criteria and processes to use to evaluate the many ideas that are sure to come, and identify the most viable options among them. We will keep sharing updates about the team name and mascot search at syossetschools.org/mascot.

Stay tuned for a community survey in early January where we will be requesting all of your mascot ideas! If you have any questions in the interim, please email us at mascot@syossetschools.org.

Spotlight on Instruction 🔦

As I mentioned in an earlier update – I really appreciate hearing from my student cabinet members. I told our fifth graders that they are literally the only people who can describe school from the “customer” perspective. So, I was delighted when, without prompting, they mentioned schoolwide enrichment among their “bright spots.” This year, we launched a new initiative that provides opportunities for every student to participate in extra learning experiences that extend our core curriculum with higher order thinking skills (specifically metacognition, creative and critical thinking, and problem solving). These inquiry-based lessons cross multiple content areas, allowing students to explore their interests, develop new skills, and increase their self-awareness. It was a big shift and our kids (without prompting) totally noticed!

One example at Baylis Elementary had students building mazes incorporating the properties of gravity and magnetism. The science lab encouraged students to test their mazes using a marble, paper clips, and magnet wands. Students conducted different tests with various materials to see how they could lift the paper clip and move it through the maze (spoiler alert: the wand magnets worked really well!). I’m super-proud of our enrichment specialists who are truly “extra” – our kids noticed!

#SyoStars ⭐

Syosset High School junior Gary Han has been named a 2025 YoungArts Award winner for his exceptional skills as a classical viola musician. Gary is among 800 high school students nationwide selected as the most accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists. The YoungArts program recognizes and supports exceptional young artists, offering workshops, scholarships, and other opportunities to nurture their talents and encourage continued growth. This prestigious award honors individuals whose artistry and depth of performance go above and beyond their peers at this stage in their careers. Congratulations, Gary – we can't wait to see where your musical journey takes you!

South Woods seventh grader Ava Walia returned to her elementary school, Robbins Lane, to read her younger peers a story. But, it was not just any story – it was one she wrote and published! The book, called Ava and Grandpa Harjeet’s Journey is about her grandfather’s struggle with liver and kidney disease, and the search for an organ donor. Her grandfather has also inspired her work with Donate Life New York State, where Ava is an ambassador, raising awareness and funds for organ, eye, and tissue donation. We love to hear not only about the altruism of our students – but also their service as positive peer role models to the next generation of compassionate students. Great work, Ava!

South Woods eighth grader Matteo Marin is a chess whiz! Check.

Matteo competed at the U.S. Chess Federation’s National K-12 Championship – one of the largest and most prestigious scholastic chess events in the country. Check. Facing fellow 8th graders, Matteo represented Syosset well, coming home with a first place medal in his category. Checkmate! Way to go, Matteo! I’ll make sure to avoid your table on the next tech-free Tuesday in the school lobby!

Bright Spot

Our Village first and second graders stayed toasty with Frosty this week. They were on a field trip to Northport's Engeman Theater to see a production of FROSTY starring one of our very own Village alumni Nicole Rampanelli, who is thrilled to be making her Engeman debut as Mayor Mom. Nicole recently graduated from SUNY Cortland with her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Musical Theatre.

The students were over the moon – giving high fives to Frosty during the interactive show. The students were trying to save Frosty from melting, and when called on, first grader Theo Singer shouted: “YOU NEED MAGICAL POTIONS!! We need to save Frosty.” We even got a compliment from the theater’s director and cast who said our students were among the most well-behaved groups ever to walk through their doors.

Nicole dedicated her performance in memory of her brother Mikey and our students went home with Nicole's autograph. Lucky for us, she will be popping by Village again next week to help lead the Winter Sing Along.

This coming week is our *last* school week in 2024. Let’s make it a great one!

#There'sSnowPlaceLikeSyo
Tom Rogers