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11/30/2021 - Connetquot Celebrates 50th Day with the Science of Root Beer Floats

On the 50th day of school, students arrived at Connetquot Elementary School dressed up as if it was the 1950s. The second graders also celebrated with root beer floats, connecting to Connetquot’s science curriculum as they identified the three states of matter. During the float experiment, the students observed the chemical reaction as root beer, a liquid that takes the shape of its container, reacted with solid ice cream and released carbon dioxide gas bubbles. The root beer tried to free up the air bubbles in the ice cream, creating a bubbly foam which rose to the top.

11/29/2021 - EIHS Recognizes 49 AP Scholars

A total of 49 current East Islip High School students were named AP Scholars for 2021 by the College Board, recognizing their exceptional hard work. The Advanced Placement Program recognizes several different award levels for college-level student academic achievement on AP courses and exams.

Eight seniors – Bill Ahmad, Michael Baldino, Hannah Bohlsen, Jack Bolen, Tiffany Chen, Chiara Mosca, Miranda Stockton and Jake Thompsett – were named 2021 AP Scholars with Distinction.

Twelve seniors – Ryan Bauco, Ryan Bayreuther, Zoe Elder, Ashley Flyntz, Allyson Golini, Isabelle Irizarry-McAdam, Liam Kearney, Joy Petersen, Jake Riordan, Toniann Santamaria, Carson Tessitore and Jenna Thompsett – were named 2021 AP Scholars with Honor.

Twenty-nine students – seniors Morgan Amato, Ameer Bashar, Rachel Beiner, Emily Blair, Gwendolyn Daniello, Robert Delarosa, Brianna Fairbrother, Grace Gerondel, Michael Giannini, Jordyn Harrynarine, Shirley Huang, Wendle Huang, Peter Jacobsen, Luke Kupstas, Emily LaMorte, Daniel Locke, Molly Magnifico, James Mendolia, Haley Mierzejewski, Kristyn Murphy, Samantha Panzella, Nicholas Perone, Amanda Romano, Kuba Sousa, Samantha Tucci, Gianna Viviano and Tobey Weichbrodt, and juniors Eamonn Dreyer and Abbey Lacy – were named 2021 AP Scholars.

Additionally, Bill Ahmad, Jack Bolen, Chiara Mosca, Joy Petersen and Miranda Stockton earned AP Capstone Diplomas, and Rachel Beiner, Jordyn Harrynarine, Wendle Huang, Peter Jacobsen, Samantha Panzella, Kamilah Pasha, Kuba Sousa, Carson Tessitore, Samantha Tucci and Gianna Viviano attained AP Seminar and Research Certificates.

11/29/2021 - Lauren Rigo Signs with SUNY New Paltz

High school senior Lauren Rigo signed a national letter of intent on Nov. 17 to play lacrosse at SUNY New Paltz next fall. Rigo, who plays attack, is a four-year Scholar-Athlete. She plans to major in psychology.

11/29/2021 - Army Sergeants Discuss Robotics With East Islip HS Tech Classes

Three U.S. Army members – Staff Sgt. Alfred Simeone, an alumnus of East Islip’s Class of 2002; Staff Sgt. Matthew Petiprin; and Staff Sgt. Sawyer Taro – visited East Islip High School’s robotics and video production/broadcast television classes on Nov. 23. The sergeants discussed their experiences in the military, including Army robotics programs and drone technology. The presentation helped students in these courses make connections to several real-world applications of what they are currently learning in their respective technology courses.

11/22/2021 - A Tie-Dye Triumph for the French Club

East Islip High School’s French Club recently held its ninth annual tie-dye bake sale campaign for the She’s the First Foundation, which sponsors education for girls in third-world countries. Club members made tie-dye T-shirts and sold tie-dyed bracelets and cupcakes, surpassing their goal of $400 and raising over $600 for the foundation’s work.

“My thanks to the club’s officers, the staff and the generous students of East Islip for supporting our cause,” French Club adviser Lauren Pinka said.

11/22/2021 - SADD Club Brings a Great Message to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and RCK Fifth Graders

The high school’s SADD club recently visited each fifth-grade class at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and RCK during the last day of Red Ribbon Week to discuss the hazards of alcohol, drugs, bullying and cyberbullying. SADD members encouraged the younger students to join clubs, participate in sports or get involved with community organizations instead of making poor decisions. The club also introduced the fifth graders to its annual Red Ribbon antidrug slogan contest, which will see two winners each chosen from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and RCK.

“This program is valuable to both the high school and elementary school students, as the high school students get to practice leadership skills and the elementary school students get to hear a great message,” SADD adviser Bridget Lopiccolo said. “I thank all the administrators, principals and teachers for supporting this program for the past 18 years.”

11/22/2021 - Jessica Peluso to Play Lax for Colorado

Senior Jessica Peluso signed a national letter of intent on Nov. 12 to play lacrosse at the University of Colorado Boulder next fall. Her major is undecided.

A midfielder and draw specialist on East Islip’s varsity lacrosse team, Peluso was named All-County as a junior. She also participated in on the school’s basketball (earning All-County, All-Conference and MVP awards) and field hockey (earning nods for All-County, All-Tournament, All-State nominee and Defensive Player of the Year) teams, and was named a Scholar-Athlete three years in a row.

11/22/2021 - All-State Diver Kelsey Kreuscher Medals at States

East Islip High School sophomore diver Kelsey Kreuscher, competing for the combined Connetquot/East Islip swimming and diving team, earned a medal on Nov. 19 at the New York State Swimming and Diving Championships at Ithaca College. Kreuscher placed 19th, and her two Connetquot teammates, sophomore Lara Booth Alam and senior Morgan Cassidy, placed 14th and 16th, respectively, earning all three All-State honors for finishing in the top 20 in New York State.

“This was an incredible accomplishment and a great finish to an awesome season for all of these girls,” said their coach, Jeff Shiebler.

11/19/2021 - EI Wins County Football Championship!

In a thrilling title game that went down to the wire, second-seeded East Islip vanquished the No. 1 seed Sayville on Nov. 18, winning 35-28 to earn the Suffolk Division III championship.

East Islip quarterback Derek Burrell, who East Islip coach Sal Ciampi called “the greatest single player in East Islip football history,” had a game for the ages, finishing with 178 yards on 20 carries, scoring three touchdowns, and completing seven of eight passes for another 116 yards. Burrell wowed the 3,300-strong crowd at Stony Brook University’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium with a 69-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and when the game was tied with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter, he took the ball and ran for a 31-yard winning touchdown.

Other highlights included a key Leo Lopez interception and a Cooper Parkinson 96-yard fumble return for a go-ahead TD.

East Islip (10-1) will play the winner of Plainedge-Bethpage for the Long Island Class III title on Nov. 26 at Hofstra University.

11/18/2021 - Photography and Cosmetology Collaboration at East Islip HS

In a cross-department collaboration that showcased student skills, East Islip High School’s photography students prepared photographs of work done by the school’s cosmetology students.

Last year, the cosmetology classes did a new project. with all students researching an inspiration photo for their Halloween creations, then working together to plan on how to achieve the look. This year, they also incorporated makeup.

“The students work so hard and having a portfolio of their work is very important, so we wanted students to have professional photographs,” cosmetology teacher Candace Rodriguez said.

“It was pretty cool to photograph the cosmetology students with their awesome makeup skills,” photography student Aidan Kenny said.

“I am so impressed with the artistry of the advanced cosmetology students, and the photography students had fun experimenting with studio lighting and taking portraits of their work,” art teacher Heather Toomey said.

“This was a wonderful collaboration between departments that provided my photography students with the opportunity to practice taking portraits,” said art teacher Amarilis Singh.

11/16/2021 - East Islip 55, Kings Park 21

The high school’s football team is headed to the division finals, thanks to a commanding performance in the Nov. 12 semifinals matchup against Kings Park. The game featured an outstanding performances by East Islip quarterback Derek Burrell and halfback Leo Lopez – the latter racked up 179 yards and two scores on seven carries – as well as a memorable 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Ryan Bauco.

Second-seeded East Islip (9-1) will face undefeated No. 1 seed Sayville for the Suffolk III title this Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at Stony Brook University.

11/16/2021 - HS Gymnastics Team Completes Excellent Season

The high school’s gymnastics team recently completed an excellent season, guided by coach JoAnn Patterson. Evie Orlando and Sophia Pepe earned All-County honors and qualified for the Suffolk County individual championships, where Orlando competed on vault and floor, and Pepe competed on floor. Chloe Garatina, Callie Missig and Reese Stubbmann earned All-League honors, and Nicolynn LaPenna earned All-League honorable mention.

11/16/2021 - Pitcher Kyra Kreuscher Signs with SHU

Senior pitcher Kyra Kreuscher signed a national letter of intent on Nov. 10 to play softball for Seton Hall University next fall. She plans to study education at Seton Hall and pursue a career as a teacher and softball coach.

“Ever since I threw my first pitch back in Little League, it has been a goal of mine to play college softball,” Kreuscher said. “After coach Churchill started contacting me regularly, and I spent a weekend in September with the SHU softball team and coaches, I knew Seton Hall was where I wanted to spend my next four years after high school.”

A five-year varsity starter, Kreuscher earned League IV Pitcher of the Year, All-State, All-County, All-Long Island, All-Tournament, Scholar-Athlete and NFCA Regional All-American accolades, and was named team captain in her junior year. She is also a member of East Islip’s World Language Honor Society and Leadership Club, and participated for the East Islip varsity swim team during her junior year.

Kreuscher’s spectacular junior season stats include a 12-1 record and a 0.80 ERA, as well as 14.6 strikeouts per game and 2.08 strikeouts per inning (both all-time school records). She put up a .500 batting average with 32 RBI and 6 home runs in 15 games.

“I am really excited for my senior year and for the team I will have behind me when I am in the circle,” Kreuscher said.

“All of Kyra’s hard work has paid off,” coach Jason McGowan said. “She’s not only one of the best players I have ever coached, she is one of the best people. She is a great leader on and off the field and she will leave East Islip as an all-time great. I look forward to coaching her one last season.”

11/16/2021 - RCK Letter-Writing Campaign for Vets

In honor of Veterans Day, students at RCK recently wrote letters to veterans at three different organizations: AMVETS Post 18 in East Islip; the Northport VA Medical Center; and wounded military personnel in Camp Lejeune, NC. This letter-writing campaign was inspired by RCK’s hardworking student council. Additionally, student Lexi Foley read her letter over the school’s public address system on Nov. 13.

11/9/2021 - Timber Point Students Get Creative for Crazy Hair Day

Taylor Marshall’s class at East Islip’s Timber Point Elementary School recently celebrated Red Ribbon Week with a Crazy Hair Day, getting creative with hair colors and styles while pledging to be drug-free.

11/9/2021 - HS Diver Kelsey Kreuscher Earns All-County Recognition

East Islip High School sophomore Kelsey Kreuscher placed third at the Suffolk County diving championships on Nov. 4, qualifying her for All-County recognition. She will advance to the New York State Swimming and Diving Championships, to be held Nov. 19 at Ithaca College.

11/8/2021 - Candy Chemistry at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½

During a recent chemistry lesson, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ fifth graders in Laura Meehan’s class conducted an experiment using the scientific method. Students placed different types of candy in both water and vinegar to see what the reactions would be. They began by making predictions on what they thought would happen, then observed and recorded the results, showing how each candy reacted in the different liquids.

11/8/2021 - Girls Soccer Team Claims County Title

East Islip High School’s varsity girls soccer team won the county championship on Nov. 2 in splendid fashion.

After a terrific 12-1-2 regular season, the second-seeded East Islip team began the Suffolk Class A playoffs with a 2-1 quarterfinals victory over Sayville. In the semifinals game against third seed Hauppauge, East Islip advanced on penalty kicks, 4-3, following two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods and two five-minute sudden victory periods. In the Nov. 2 championship game against top seed Rocky Point, East Islip claimed the title with a 4-0 shutout featuring two goals from Jenna Borelli and one each from Kate Alexander and Dylann Trahey.

“I am extremely proud of the effort the girls displayed in the finals game,” coach Ben Diallo said. “They executed the game plan from start to finish. The goal was to deprive Rocky Point’s forwards quality balls from their back line and midfield. We put them under constant pressure. Scoring first and adding a mental pressure to the physical one was another element of our game plan that worked perfectly. After the first goal, we kept the intensity up and scored the second one. From there, we knew we had them because they had to chase the game for the first time this season and we wouldn’t let them. The third element of the game plan was to remain ourselves and play our brand of soccer. The team was brilliant and disciplined the whole way. I am elated for the girls, the school and the beautiful East Islip community.”

East Islip went on to face Rockville Centre’s South Side High School, losing a close 2-1 contest in the Long Island Class A championship/Southeast Regional Final, held at Shoreham-Wading River High School on Nov. 6.

11/5/2021 - A “Symphony” of Career Exploration at EIHS

At the East Islip High School career exploration program’s annual Catch-A-Career Breakfast, held on Oct. 28, a total of 35 business professionals in different job fields including architects, lawyers, physical therapists, psychologists and social workers as well as local legislators and district administrators and teachers met in person with more than 60 students to talk about careers of interest.

Participating businesses and agencies included Allstate, Country Village Florist, Lee’s Auto Body and Glass, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Newsday, Newsmax, New York Islanders, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Northwell Health, South Shore University Hospital, Suffolk County Police Department, Sunrise Counseling Center, Valley Bank and Zebra Technologies.

“The Catch-A-Career Breakfast is like a symphony in how it all comes together – everyone taking a part to make it all sound and look so beautiful,” said Bridget Lopiccolo, who developed and organizes the morning each year with fellow teacher Paul McHugh and the support of the East Islip School-Business Partnership. “This beautiful symphony that these professionals were part of is our future workforce. The East Islip School-Business Partnership truly has amazing partners that help provide valuable career experience for our

11/3/2021 - AP Science Students Analyze Sunken Meadow Ecosystem

Last month, high school students in Lauren Ferlin’s AP Environmental Science classes traveled to Sunken Meadow State Park where they explored the tidal salt marsh.

The students learned about the history of the marsh and the reasons why tidal salt marshes are so unique and important. They collected abiotic data such as salinity, turbidity, temperature, nitrate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen and pH, and used a seine net to collect biotic data in the tidal creek. Many native and invasive species were found, including banded killifish, juvenile flounder, Atlantic silversides, juvenile bluefish, fiddler crabs, Asian shore crab, mud snails, hermit crabs, jellyfish and various seaweeds. This data was then analyzed and used to determine the overall health of this ecosystem.

11/3/2021 - A First Division Championship!

The high school’s varsity girls cross-country team earned its first league championship since 2009, going 6-0 in the regular season, and then on Oct. 28, won East Islip’s first division championship in school history by a convincing 29 points over their next competitors. The team will enter the state qualifier on Nov. 5, competing for a trip to the state championship.

During this incredible season, East Islip took first place in three different invitationals, the Jim Smith Invitational at Sunken Meadow on Sept. 11, the Xavier Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Sept. 25 and the Manhattan College Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park on Oct. 9. At the latter, famed as the largest cross-country meet in the country, East Islip not only came in first but placed six runners in the top 36.

Four members of the team were named All-League First Team: senior Joy Petersen, eighth grader Danielle Simonetti, junior Olivia Simonetti and senior Sam Tucci. Those four as well as seventh grader Kathryn Simonetti were named to the All-Division team.

The deep squad is rounded out by eighth graders Kaylee Garatina and Grace Micali, freshmen Danielle Birner and Sophia Espinal, juniors Sarah Birner and Hailey DeHaas, and seniors Gianna Motto and Jenna Scandale.

“Day in and day out, the girls have been productive at the highest level,” coach John Reynolds said. “In an extremely difficult league, the girls went undefeated in convincing fashion. On the weekends, they dominated all invitationals they have run in. The girls put in tons of hard work over the summer and early fall to give themselves these wonderful opportunities, and have taken on all challenges with great class. They represent East Islip and run with EI Pride every day that they lace up their sneakers.”The high school’s varsity girls cross-country team earned its first league championship since 2009, going 6-0 in the regular season, and then on Oct. 28, won East Islip’s first division championship in school history by a convincing 29 points over their next competitors. The team will enter the state qualifier on Nov. 5, competing for a trip to the state championship.

During this incredible season, East Islip took first place in three different invitationals, the Jim Smith Invitational at Sunken Meadow on Sept. 11, the Xavier Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Sept. 25 and the Manhattan College Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park on Oct. 9. At the latter, famed as the largest cross-country meet in the country, East Islip not only came in first but placed six runners in the top 36.

Four members of the team were named All-League First Team: senior Joy Petersen, eighth grader Danielle Simonetti, junior Olivia Simonetti and senior Sam Tucci. Those four as well as seventh grader Kathryn Simonetti were named to the All-Division team.

The deep squad is rounded out by eighth graders Kaylee Garatina and Grace Micali, freshmen Danielle Birner and Sophia Espinal, juniors Sarah Birner and Hailey DeHaas, and seniors Gianna Motto and Jenna Scandale.

“Day in and day out, the girls have been productive at the highest level,” coach John Reynolds said. “In an extremely difficult league, the girls went undefeated in convincing fashion. On the weekends, they dominated all invitationals they have run in. The girls put in tons of hard work over the summer and early fall to give themselves these wonderful opportunities, and have taken on all challenges with great class. They represent East Islip and run with EI Pride every day that they lace up their sneakers.”

11/3/2021 - A Fantastic “Drippy” Display from the High School’s CORE Artists

Heather Toomey’s CORE Art class at the high school recently made a collaborative work inspired by the American artist Jen Stark. The students viewed Stark’s intricate “drip” pieces, then created their own colorful as well as black and white drips. National Art Honor Society students helped to create the installation, which is currently hanging in the school’s main lobby.

“All of the CORE Art students did an excellent job and I am so proud of their final work,” Toomey said. “They had a lot of fun viewing it on the wall when it was installed, and their hard work is now a beautiful collaborative display.”

11/3/2021 - High School’s CORE Artists

At the end of October, East Islip’s youngest students enjoyed the thrills of the season and the selection of prized gourds during pumpkin patch festivities at Connetquot and Timber Point.

“Not even a nor’easter could put a damper on our special day,” Timber Point Principal Danielle Naccarato said. “Thanks to our unstoppable PTA, our students were able to pick their own pumpkins in our courtyard and leave with a smile.”

“It was so nice to see smiles on the kids’ faces as they enjoyed Halloween fun and the pumpkin patch, hosted by our wonderful PTA,” Connetquot Principal Nicholas Bilotti said.