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Due to concerns over the COVID-19 Virus, this meeting will be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel, with an online comment area for questions, this allow members of the public to view the meeting remotely. ()

Public Meeting, 6:30 p.m., for the possible purpose of considering a resolution to enter Executive Session to consider confidential legal and personnel matters.

8:00 p.m., Resume Public Session to consider the Business Meeting Agenda and all other matters which may be properly brought before the Board of Education.

This meeting will be conducted via teleconference.

The agenda for this meeting is available on BoardDocs.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and RCK fourth graders displayed their hard work on Jan. 30 at the schools’ annual science fairs, now expanded to include engineering design. Students from both schools showed how much they had learned about their topics from their research, experiments and design process.

The first-place winner at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’s science/engineering fair was Evan Sambo for his project “UV Rays:  SPF Protection.” Also recognized were first runner-up Mackenzie Godbout (“Pop A Wheelie”), second runner-up Casey Flad (“Sweet or Meat”) and honorable mentions Jack Fontaine (“Why Does the NHL Freeze Pucks?”), Sachin Kamath (“Keep Your Lawns Healthy and Moist with Less Water”) and Teagan Kuhn (“Does the Cold Really Drain the Battery Out of Your Phone?”).

RCK’s first-place winner was Juliana Rochford for her project “What Swim Suits You.” Ruby Micali (“Age vs. Memory”) finished second, Ethan Fitch (“Lego Cleanup”) came in third, Mateo Baerga (“Go Bananas”) earned fourth, and Ryan Davis (“Dissolve the Rainbow”) and Ariana Russo (“The Effects that Drinks have on Teeth”) tied for fifth place.

“It was an exciting evening and the projects were truly amazing,” said Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Principal Deborah Smith. “Our future is in great hands. The next generation of innovators showed that their imaginations will take them far.”

The top three winning students for each school were recognized at the district’s Feb. 27 Board of Education meeting.

 

Coronavirus Information & Resources

For details about the coronavirus you can call the Suffolk County Department of Health Hotline at 631-854-0333. You can also get additional information at 

If you have any educational, academic questions, please contact your appropriate administrator or central office administrator. If you are not sure who to contact, please email jdolan@eischools.org or jmann@eischools.org and we will connect you with the appropriate person. Thank you.

 

District Communication

 

Resources

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Both breakfast and lunch will be available for pickup on school days beginning Tuesday, March 17th between the hours of 9am and 11am at the East Islip High School. Meals will be distributed from the west entrance of the High School. Security and staff will be on hand to ensure the orderly distribution of meals. Entrance to the building is not required, nor will it be permitted.

The intent of this program is to provide meals to those families who have qualified for the free and reduced meal program. This program extends to household children ages 18 and under. Please contact Kathleen Cavallo at 631-224-2006 extension 6905 with any concerns.

Good Evening East Islip Community,

Given the evolving nature of the COVID-19 situation, the East Islip School District is prepared for an anticipated closing of at least one week. We are giving you this information now, so you can begin to make plans for your individual family needs. We anticipate getting direction from New York State on a uniform closure within the next 24-48 hours.

In an effort to allow you to prepare for this anticipated closure and for the health and safety of our students, please plan accordingly  for the upcoming week beginning Monday, March 16 through Friday March 20.  

The district has planned and is prepared for a long term closure. We will be sending you more information on Monday, March 16. As of right now, school will be closed and all school activities are canceled. As new information and new direction come to us from the county health department and the state we will update you.

On a personal note, I thank you for your kindness and support as you help us navigate through this challenging situation. Please keep those individuals and families that have been directly affected by this virus in your thoughts and prayers.

Please note that Monday, March 16th, our conference day for faculty and staff , will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Sincerely,
John V. Dolan
Superintendent of Schools

The Board of Education will hold a business meeting on Thursday, April 16 at 8 p.m. in the ECC cafeteria. All community members are invited to attend.

 

The high school’s video production and broadcast television classes launched the “EIHS News” show on March 6, replacing the school’s traditional Friday morning announcements. The show is filmed and edited within the high school television studio by students in those classes. Thanks to a donation from the For The Kids Foundation, East Islip’s newly equipped television studio provides a modern studio environment with the latest in video filming and editing equipment.

On Fridays, teachers will click on the East Islip High School News link located on the school’s , which jumps users to the “EIHS News” . The morning announcement videos consist of a news segment followed by a breakout segment such as a weather report, digital news package, interview or public service announcement. Each video will be posted weekly and archived so that East Islip community members can watch the older archived videos at their leisure. Students and community members can also subscribe to the channel so that they receive notifications when a new video has been posted.

“At its most basic, morning announcements are a way of dispensing updates on ongoing activities, details of the upcoming ones, new regulations and other critical information to the staff and students,” said teacher William Lackner. “By utilizing a more cutting-edge way of delivering the messages to the high school community we are able to modernize and usher this age-old routine into the 21st century. Although information can be easily found in the news, morning announcements are special and important to schools. This is their way of creating solidarity among their students and building a community within themselves. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. With the investment in time and training, we will turn the morning announcements into a wonderful opportunity for students to prepare themselves for life beyond school. After all, they get to learn everything from journalistic principles to video production in the process.”

RCK presented a successful third-grade Wax Museum on March 4, with students researching and acting like selected historical figures. Choices included Neil Armstrong, P.T. Barnum, Simone Biles, Kobe Bryant, Walt Disney, Amelia Earhart, Thomas Edison, Anne Frank, Jane Goodall, George Lucas, Florence Nightingale, Rosa Parks, Fred Rogers, Theodore Roosevelt, Princess Diana Spencer, Nicola Tesla and George Washington.

“Not only did the students dress the part, but each child recited facts about the historical figure when visitors came to their station,” said Principal Janet Jones. “This was a true Night at the Museum!”

For the 18th consecutive year, the high school’s Mock Trial team qualified for the Suffolk County playoffs after going undefeated in the regular season and finishing in second place.

The team will be competing in the “Sweet 16” as prosecution against Commack High School’s defense. The trial will take place at District Court in Central Islip on March 11. This year’s case is a criminal matter in which the defendant has been accused of conspiracy to buy and sell stolen goods. The winning team from Suffolk will go on to compete in the statewide championship in Albany in May. East Islip won the statewide tournament in 2008.

East Islip’s team members included juniors Jacob Arens, Vince Papillo and Kaitlyn Rice, and freshman Tristan Hearth as attorneys; sophomore Grace Gerondel and freshmen Isabella Fantauzzi, Jacob Franchi, Tyler Oquendo and Sarah Strick as witnesses; and junior Ellouise Dransfield and freshman Hunter Lasiak as alternates.

Fourth and fifth graders at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and RCK elementary schools recently competed at the school level for the 34th annual Town of Islip Sharp Shooter Basketball Contest.

Sponsored since 1993 by the Islip Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and the Islip Elks, the Sharp Shooter “Just Say No to Drugs” program offers local students the challenge of scoring as many baskets as possible in one minute, improving their skills in basketball while providing an alternative to drug abuse.

Winning first place for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ at the school level were fourth-graders Andrew Bruno and Madison Greene and fifth-graders Avery Bowden and Joe Cardillo. Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’s second-place finishers included Gabriel Acevedo, Ryan Bradley, Joe Commande, MacKenzie Godbout, Owen Madden and Olivia Shaw.

Taking first place for RCK at the school level were fourth-graders Hunter Guzman and Caitlyn Repiak and fifth-graders Kevin Defilipis and Lily Pasha.

Each school’s first-place winners moved on to participate in the townwide contest’s final round on March 7.

The middle school’s Leaders Club sent their love and support to the residents of the Long Island State Veterans Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ this Valentine’s Day. As in previous years, club members honored the vets for by sending cards adorned with American flags, hearts and quotes such as “God Bless America” and “Thank you for your service”. 

“With my own dad being a resident at Long Island State, I know how important it is for these men and women to be remembered for their heroism that provides us the freedom we can sometimes take for granted,” said club adviser Laura O’Donnell. “Visiting the veterans, some of whom may not normally have visitors or receive cards is very meaningful. It’s important that we provide the younger generations with opportunities to connect with our seniors. It allows both generations to experience cultures they are often so far removed from, and it’s a very special experience for everyone involved.”

In the high school classroom of teacher Gregory Kguloian, brand new desks are proving symbolic of a new way of learning. The recently acquired furniture is allowing students to take ownership of their own educational environment by rearranging the classroom into any configuration they want. The shape of the new desks allows the students to form cooperative groups of any size to help them break away from the “old way” of desks in a straight line all facing the front of the classroom.

“My intention is to let them sit and work together and face in any direction they choose,” Kguloian said. “Our young people can now take ownership of their freedom to learn, while being allowed to modify their own learning space. Desks no longer need to be in rows to facilitate orderly lessons.”

Assistant Principal Jean Marie D’Aversa was responsible for this forward-thinking update to the classroom.

“Mrs. D’Aversa deserves accolades for all the hard work she does here at the high school on behalf of the students and staff,” Kguloian said. “We are lucky to have her.”

Additional features in his classroom are intended to facilitate this new model of seating. A chalkboard and overhead projector features web lessons and Sway presentations in one direction, giant Post-Its display state standards on another wall, a Smart Board offers an interactive teaching/learning format on a third wall, and an out-facing window on the fourth wall provides natural light.

To commemorate the league’s 100th season, the National Football League teamed up with DoSomething.org to invite fans, players, clubs and employees to join Huddle for 100, an effort to inspire a million people to volunteer 100 minutes of their time to make meaningful contributions to their communities. East Islip Middle School’s Leaders Club took on the challenge with a Huddle Against Hunger food drive for the homeless.

“I often to look to DoSomething.org for inspiration for our club initiatives and fundraisers,” said club adviser Laura O’Donnell. “The website focuses on what our youth can do to be inspiring role models, to support their communities, to live healthy lifestyles and to foster respect for one another, and that’s what our Leaders Club is all about.”

For a month, middle school students and staff joined club members in collecting 159 healthy nonperishable food items to help support their community, which were then delivered to the Parish of St. Mary’s in East Islip.