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5/28/21 - Statement from the East Islip School District

At its meeting held on May 18, 2021, the Board of Education certified the results of the 2021 annual election and budget vote based on a canvass of votes from the election machines and absentee ballots that was conducted by designated election inspectors.

After the certification of the results, it was discovered that there were two tabulation errors as follows: Candidate Michael Dorgan received 915 votes instead of the reported 675 votes, which makes Mr. Dorgan the purported winner of the seat currently held by incumbent Jessica Carney. Candidate Joann Walsh, who ran unopposed, received 1,871 votes instead of the reported 1,405 votes which, while a tabulation error, has no impact on her election to the seat previously held by Christopher Nicolia. Other than these two tabulation errors, there are no other discrepancies between the canvass of votes that were tabulated by the election inspectors and the results certified by the Board of Education.

The Board of Education has been advised by school counsel that the proper procedure for correcting inaccurate election results that have already been certified is the filing of a proceeding with the Commissioner of Education in accordance with Education Law Section 2037. Accordingly, to preserve the integrity of the election process, the Board of Education will file a proceeding with the Commissioner of Education to seek a determination that annuls the incorrect canvass of votes for candidates Michael Dorgan and Joann Walsh that was certified by the Board of Education and directs the canvass of votes for these candidates be corrected.

5/26/2021 - Outdoor Concert Series Presented

By spring 2021, the district’s music students and teachers had completed half of a school year without an authentic performance experience and were looking for hope. Guided by Robert Wottawa II, the district’s director of art, ENL, music and world languages, the administrators and music teachers discussed the idea of a safe, outdoor spring concert series, and made the necessary plans and adjustments in regard to repertoire and instruction. To compensate for the loss of sound at these outdoor events, SDE Productions assisted with the sound system to ensure attendees could hear every note.

The concert series began on May 11 at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, with band and orchestra students performing in small groups on the blacktop while the community listened on the field nearby.

On May 13, the musicians of Ruth C. Kinney Elementary School took the “stage” on their own campus, divided into groups by instrumental section, allowing the attending families to hear the individual nuances of each instrument.

At East Islip High School, challenges arose due to a busy schedule of athletics teams, construction and outside practices, but a May 12 concert by the school’s band, orchestra and chorus students was successfully presented at the old football field behind the fieldhouse.

“Each group performed with precision, dynamics and clear articulations,” Wottawa said. “Our families had tears in their eyes and expressed how happy they were to see their children perform.”

This was followed by a final May 17 event at which the high school’s honors-level ensembles had the chance to share their last performance with the community.

“Many of these student-musicians are seniors and juniors, and this concert had a lifelong impact and will resonate in their memories as a time that our school community came together to support our musicians and teachers,” Wottawa said. “Overall, I could not be prouder of the dedication of our teachers, custodians, buildings and grounds crew, security officers, and administrators – and the patience of our parents and students – as we navigated uncharted waters with an outdoor concert series. We can count our blessings that our music program overcame each challenge with grace and perseverance.”

5/26/2021 - Catch-A-Career Continues to Provide Valuable Experience

At the East Islip High School career exploration program’s annual Catch-A-Career Breakfast, held on April 29 with the support of the East Islip School-Business Partnership, 25 business professionals in different job fields – including Northwell Health, Zebra Technologies, Sunrise Counseling Center and the New York Islanders – met both in person and virtually with 45 students to speak about careers the students were interested in.

“With the help of our School-Business Partnership members, we were able to be creative and bring our students the same Catch-A-Career experience this year, just COVID-friendly,” said Bridget Lopiccolo, who developed and organizes Catch-A-Career with fellow teacher Paul McHugh.

5/26/2021 - Special Business Meeting Thursday, May 27th at 6:30 p.m.

5/26/2021 - RCK Students Dress Up for Disco Wednesday

RCK students dressed up for Disco Wednesday on May 26 as part of the school’s Wacky Wednesdays initiative to help foster a positive school community.

“May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and having themed Wednesdays throughout the month has enabled our school to enjoy these festive days,” Principal Janet Jones said.

5/24/2021 - Diagnostic Tool for School and District Effectiveness (DTSDE) Survey

Parents: https://survey.k12insight.com/r/20-21EastIslipParents

Elementary students: https://survey.k12insight.com/p/20-21EastIslipElementaryStudents

Secondary students: https://survey.k12insight.com/p/20-21EastIslipSecondaryStudents

5/24/2021 - A Great Day for Senior Girls Golfers

The six seniors on the high school’s girls golf team – Juliana Chillemi, Danielle Muroff, Sarah Piccinini, Jacklyn Schiano, captain Sophia Stryjewski and Marie Tohill – were honored for Senior Day at Timberpoint Golf Course on May 19. Each golfer was greeted by family and friends as they came off the ninth hole and presented with a bouquet of flowers and a poster signed by their teammates. After the match, the seniors and their parents shared a cake on the course terrace.

“This was a great way for the girls to end their senior days and years of playing varsity golf,” said coach Judith Fischer.

5/24/2021 - Top 10 Students from Class of 2021 Recognized

The high school recently honored the top 10 students in the Class of 2021 in a May ceremony in the school’s forum, led by Principal Mark Bernard. The honorees included valedictorian Shannon Wodicka and salutatorian Taylor Casali, with the top 10 rounded out by Jordan Fasano, Emily Gargano, Markus Higgins, Michelle Mirabelli, Noelle Naccarato, Kaitlyn Rice, Marie Tohill and Kasey Turtell.

5/21/20210 - Valuable Feedback for HS Orchestra Students

The high school’s music students worked hard to learn solos for this year’s virtual NYSSMA festival. Several orchestra students recently participated in a collaboration with Lawrence University music education students in Wisconsin. The high schoolers were paired with Lawrence students who viewed their solo recordings and responded with helpful feedback that the younger musicians could then apply to their NYSSMA solo performances. The university students provided insightful advice on how to improve and demonstrated excerpts on their own instruments. Feedback was recorded in a video-to-video format where the high school students’ performances could be viewed side-by-side with the music.

“This was the second year that our orchestra students collaborated with Lawrence University’s future music teachers,” said East Islip Orchestra Director Giovanna Ruggiero. “It has been a fun learning experience and a great new way to connect with other musicians during this time.”

5/21/2021 - Jakits Takes Third in HCC Contest

High school student Emma Jakits recently won third place in this year's Huntington Camera Club High School Competition. Jakits, who is the president of East Islip’s Photography Club, plans to pursue photography in college and has already been accepted into several excellent photography programs.

“I was such an honor to be chosen and this was such a cool opportunity,” Jakits said.

“I am so proud of Emma,” teacher Heather Toomey said. “She has taken two years of photography here at East Islip and is now in Advanced Placement art with Mr. Figliozzi. She is really dedicated to her work, and has also taken outside photography classes at FIT and SVA during her high school career.”

“Congrats to Emma,” teacher Dan Figliozzi said. “As a photographer, she has an amazing eye and has proven herself in AP Art this year. It has been a pleasure working with her and I am excited to see what she does in her future.”

5/20/2021 - Connetquot’s Second-Grade Scientists

5/18/2021 - Budget Passes!

The East Islip School District's 2021-2022 budget passed on May 18, with residents casting 1,617 yes votes to 777 no votes.

For the Board of Education, voters elected Joann Walsh to Christopher Nicolia’s open seat with 1,405 votes; Walsh was running unopposed after being appointed to this seat last November when Nicolia resigned.

For the open seat held by President Jessica Carney, who did not run for reelection, Charles Kalinowski received 745 votes, Michael Dorgan received 675 votes and Laurie Gapinski-Gould received 429 votes.

For the open seat held by trustee Philip Montuori Sr., who did not run for reelection, Stephen Ruland received 851 votes, Dominick Barbato received 728 votes, Timothy Sassone received 446 votes and Joshua Zusmer received 226 votes.

The district thanks the community for supporting the budget and offers congratulations to Joann Walsh, Charles Kalinowski and Stephen Ruland.

5/17/2021 - Watch Video: Bond Update

5/17/2021 - NAHS Creates Coloring Book for the Community

High school art students in the National Art Honor Society recently created a coloring book to give back to the school community and share their passion for art. The young artists generated some creative designs for others to enjoy and color while earning community service hours. Community members are encouraged to participate in downloading the book (see below attachment), coloring the pages and posting the results.

“It was such a fun project that even Mr. Figliozzi and I participated in creating a page for others to enjoy coloring,” said teacher Heather Toomey. “Don’t forget to tag @eihsnahs #eihsnahs on social media so we can see your coloring creations!”

5/17/2021 - The Study of Self-Portraits at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½

After studying the works of famous portrait artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh, Donna Bernard’s fourth-grade students at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ created portraits of one another as well as self-portraits. The lessons integrated fractions within guidelines on a template.

5/17/2021 - Senior Swimmers Sign with Oneonta

High school seniors James Llewellyn and Jon Stanzione signed national letters of intent on May 13 to continue their swimming careers this fall at the State University of New York College at Oneonta. Both Llewellyn and Stanzione serve as senior captains of East Islip’s swimming and diving team, and the pair broke a 40-year school record as part of the 200-meter medley relay team.

Llewellyn has earned All-State, All-County and Scholar-Athlete recognition. He plans to major in education.

Stanzione has earned All-State, All-Long Island, All-County, All-League, Scholar-Athlete, High Minds in Motion and High Honor Roll recognition, and was the recipient of the Carey Leadership Award. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, Foreign Language Honor Society and Science Honor Society. Stanzione will pursue a double major in geology and earth science at SUNY Oneonta, which granted him a Presidential Scholarship.

5/13/2021 - Board of Education Meeting & Annual Budget Hearing - May 18, 2021

5/13/2021 - Lead Testing - May 2021

5//13/2021 - Season Starts With Superb Shutout

The high school’s varsity baseball team began their long-awaited season on May 8 with an impressive 9-0 victory over Half Hollow Hills West at the Moriches Athletic Complex. Senior starting pitcher John Rizzo Jr. set a school record, striking out 20 batters in a complete-game shutout. Rizzo also went 1-for-3 in hitting, driving in three runs. Sophomore Nicholas Rizzo hit a solo home run on the first pitch of his varsity baseball career, Derek Burrell hit a two-run double and Ryan Thompson notched two hits.

5/13/2021 - Universal Pre-K Lottery Information Letter

5/12/2021 - HS Robotics Student Attends NYIT Virtual Engineering Event

High school robotics student Kaitlyn McCall attended the Women in Engineering and Technology event held by the New York Institute of Technology on May 1. During this full-day virtual event, students participated in interactive sessions, met female leaders in the field of engineering and connected with current engineering students at the university. Interactive activities included workshops on robotics, fabricating and laser cutting.

“This was a great opportunity for Kaitlyn, who one day envisions herself becoming a robotics engineer and is very excited about her future career path,” said technology teacher James Connell. “She is a very dedicated robotics student and loves to design and build competition robots.”

“The event was very interesting and extremely fun,” McCall said. “I had the chance to control a real-life robot that was at NYIT from my own home while I attended the event virtually.”

5/12/2021 - Meet EI's 2021 Val and Sal!

East Islip High School’s Class of 2021 valedictorian and salutatorian are Shannon Wodicka and Taylor Casali, respectively.

Wodicka is a member of the East Islip’s National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, Math Honor Society and Math Team. An accomplished musician, she earned SCMEA, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and All-State recognition as a clarinetist; plays in the school’s pit orchestra, pep band and wind ensemble; and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York. Wodicka also competes in varsity swimming and the Connetquot Swim Club, and donates her time to the Exchange Ambulance of the Islips. She will attend Binghamton University, majoring in chemistry and following a pre-med track.

Casali, an AP Scholar with Distinction, is a member of the school’s National Honor Society, Foreign Language Honor Society and Leaders Club. She plays for the East Islip Soccer Club and has earned Scholar-Athlete recognition. Casali will attend The Ohio State University, where she was awarded the National Buckeye Scholarship and Maximus Scholarship, and will major in biology.

5/12/2021 - EIHS SADD/PTSA Fashion Show Tickets on Sale – In-Person or Virtual!

>Tickets are now available for the annual EIHS SADD/PTSA Fashion Show, to be held at the high school on May 27 at 7 p.m., with the option to attend in-person or livestream the show. In order to handling seating due to COVID, we are asking guests to prepurchase their tickets. Seats are limited to 130 in-person seats and unlimited livestream seats. Please don't delay, get your ticket today. Ticket price includes admission and a chance in over 25 raffles.

5/12/2021 - Three Cheers for Scooter!

Scooter, a leopard gecko, resides in teacher Heather Johnson’s fifth-grade classroom at RCK, living his best life as a beloved class pet.

“He is nocturnal, but often is awake during the day,” said student Maureen Schweizer. “Leopard geckos are calm and do not bite, which makes them a terrific class pet. We take great care of Scooter and are happy to have him in our classroom!”

5/10/2021 - Carney to Play Volleyball at St. Joe’s

High school senior Deirdre Carney signed a national letter of intent on May 5 to play volleyball at St. Joseph’s College this fall. She plans to major in elementary and special education while attending the Patchogue campus.

An outside hitter, Carney serves as East Islip’s varsity girls volleyball team captain and was named All-League in 2019 and All-Conference in 2021.

Talented EI Artists Showcased at SCALA Virtual Exhibition

Seven talented East Islip High School students – Robert Camlet, Emma Jakits, Alessandro Jarvis, Brandon Jinete, Kelli Karlin, Nick LaRocca and Sarah Piccinini – were selected for display at this year’s SCALA Art Showcase 2021 Virtual Exhibition, presented by the Suffolk County Art Leaders Association in partnership with the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts. Camlet was awarded the BACCA’s Choice Award on April 28.

“We are excited to have some of our most talented seniors featured at SCALA, showcasing works they created for their AP Art course,” teacher Dan Figliozzi said. “I'm really proud of Rob for winning this well-deserved award,” Figliozzi said. “He is so talented and has continued to grow as an artist throughout this year. He lands at the top of his class, making some of the most exciting digital pieces I have seen all year. His body of work is tremendously successful. Our Senior Portfolio artist, Sarah Piccinini, has been creating a beautiful body of work this year that explores her connection with nature. In these self-portraits, Sarah takes a mixed-media drawing approach, creating works on found cards and using reclaimed unconventional materials. I continue to be impressed with her vision and her voice as an artist.”

“These students were chosen for their continued growth, hard work and demonstration of excellence in their art courses during their high school career,” said teacher Heather Toomey. “Each of the seniors has taken a variety of courses and developed their own personal style. I could not be prouder to have them represent East Islip High School in this show.”

“Alessandro is a very talented freshman in Studio Art,” teacher Amarilis Singh said. “His work is detailed, and his efforts made me want to recognize him for this prestigious show.”

Nine East Islip Middle School students were also chosen for SCALA: Sarah Alexander, Danna Perez, Fernancia Pierre, Arianna Rodriguez, Dilana Schwartz, Anna Sweet, Ella Tantillo, Natalia Walsh and Casy With.

5/7/2021 - EI Mock Trial Students Participate in NYSBA Law Day Video

The high school’s mock trial students were recently asked to participate in a video for the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Law, Youth, and Citizenship to celebrate Law Day 2021. Senior Kaitlyn Rice and sophomores Isabella Fantauzzi and Tristan Hearth were featured alongside other mock trial students from across the state, answering the question, “What does the Rule of Law mean to you?”.

5/7/2021 - Exploring Electrical Energy at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students recently enjoyed a hands-on experience with electrical energy. After learning about electrical safety, students made series and parallel circuits on their own, then explored the use of insulators, conductors, switches and loads. Finally, they learned about energy usage and conservation.

5/5/2021 - Virtual Meet the Candidate Event on May 5

5/5/2021 - Moving On Monday for the Class of 2021

In conjunction with the Class of 2021’s Senior Spirit Week, high school counselors celebrated Moving On Monday on May 3 with a group of enthusiastic seniors. Students were encouraged to wear apparel and make signs celebrating their future plans, including college, military, trade schools, employment and travel. The seniors were invited to be photographed in the school courtyard, creating a senior slideshow commemorating their post-high school plans.

“We were thrilled to see how many seniors chose to participate in this celebratory event,” counselor Jessica Pignataro said.

5/4/2021 - East Islip SADD T-Shirt Fundraiser

East Islip SADD is holding a T-shirt fundraiser, with shirts range from youth to adult sizes. The fundraiser ends this week.

5/4/2021 - Presenting a Stellar “Anastasia”

The high school’s dedicated theater students presented a special performance of “Anastasia” as this year’s school musical. For the first time since March 2020, parents and special guests entered the auditorium to watch the recording of the musical production, which was streamed the following week for those in the community who purchased tickets.

“Our musical team this year wanted nothing more than to create an authentic experience for our students and persevered through each challenge due to COVID restrictions,” said Dr. Robert Wottawa II, the district’s director of art, ENL, music and world languages. “Our teachers understood that they would be learning new roles and learning new skills to provide a performance for our students and community. Due to their unending passion for teaching and learning they presented an outstanding musical that included singing, dancing, acting, a pit orchestra, set building crew, lighting and sound engineers and everything in between.”

“Anastasia” was directed by Bethany Affelt, who incorporated her choreographic expertise for several dance scenes and coached the students to improve their singing as individuals and as a group. Affelt also managed the box office and website.

Band director Christopher Neske met with the school’s band and orchestra to rehearse the musical numbers, with the goal of track recording the students. During the performance, Neske played the recording and conducted the East Islip singers from the pit, providing an authentic “live” feel for the audience and vocal performers.

“This was a massive task that included technological knowledge of recording and producing, all while teaching our students the music and putting each harmony together with appropriate dynamics and articulations,” Wottawa said.

Orchestra director Giovanna Ruggiero worked with the students backstage, building the set and working the ropes, backdrops and scenes as well as handling communication from the rear of the stage to the lighting and sound crew for each scene. She also put together a digital program with advertisements from local businesses.

School community organization eiMAPs provided the students with breakfast during final dress rehearsals, and donated vocal masks and the recording equipment used for the pit.

“This stellar, intimate performance allowed for our students, parents and teachers to all share in this magical time,” Wottawa said. “Our students were glowing as they shared their hard work and gifts with each of us. The evening ended with a standing ovation and an overwhelming feeling of joy and a feeling that we accomplished something great together. I cannot be prouder of our teachers, and I love how we worked together to provide this amazing experience for our students. I am truly blessed with an outstanding team and a community that supports us at each step.”

5/3/2021 - 2021-22 Budget Newsletter

Budget Vote
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 • ECC • 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

Voto de presupuesto
Martes 18 de mayo de 2021 • ECC • 6 a.m.-9 p.m.