The district’s Fall Night of Champions, held at the middle school auditorium on January 14, recognized more than 100 students who have demonstrated tremendous recent success in various areas including academics, athletics and music. In attendance at the celebration were district and school administrators, teachers, coaches and families.

Jeff Dailey, the district’s interim director for fine and performing arts, honored students selected to the Long Island String Festival; SCMEA All-County Divisions I, II and III; SCMEA Day of Percussion; and NYSCAME All-County.

Islip High School Principal Jon LaRochester, Assistant Principal Curtis Juengerkes and Assistant Principal Lisa Ward were on hand to recognize students awarded AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction and AP Scholar with Honors; AP Seminar and Research Certificate; AP Capstone Diploma; and National Merit Commended Student honors.

Athletic Director John Sparacio recognized high school student and Athletic Department Sportsmanship PSA honoree Chaiti Paul as well as Suffolk Zone leadership award winners, Suffolk County Volleyball Coaches Association League V Rookie of the Year Jacqueline Bryant, the Islip-Bay Shore undefeated league and county champion gymnastics team, and numerous All-State, All-County and All-League winners in sports from football and soccer to swimming and tennis. Sparacio himself was honored himself by Superintendent Ellen Semel for being named a Certified Athletic Administrator by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

“To all the students recognized at this ceremony, I’d like to congratulate every one of you for your outstanding accomplishments,” said Board of Education President Philip Dineen. “You should all be very proud of yourselves.”

High school woodshop students in Jesse Eilbeck’s class recently built double-handled cutting boards fashioned out of hard maple, cherry and African mahogany using a dowel pin technique, while advanced students Kayla McKenna and Nick Romeo used scrap wood to build end-grain flower vases on the lathe.   

A total of 47 students from Islip were chosen for the Suffolk County Music Educators Association’s 2020 All-County festivals, which feature the top student musicians in the county in grades 5 through 10 (the grade 11 and 12 festival was held earlier in the school year).  Rehearsals and concert performances for these students will take place in March.

Fifth and sixth graders selected for the SCMEA Division I All-County Chorus were Vaughan Gerrard, Sofia Mara and Bridget Slattery of Commack Road; Connor Clifford and Olivia Pacifico of Sherwood; and Addison DeFalco, Lucas Jordan and Juliana Sclafani of the middle school.   

Fifth and sixth graders selected for the SCMEA Division I All-County Band were Nicholas Gulick of Commack Road; Ali Guzman, Matthew Levy and Carissa Zaneski of Sherwood; and Connor Ancipink, Jasmin Fields-Robinson and Jaydn Zink of the middle school.                   

Fifth and sixth graders selected for the SCMEA Division I All-County Orchestra were Fallan Rao of Commack Road; Isabella Conzo of Sherwood; and Ryan Nieves and Avery Roche of the middle school.                   

Middle school seventh and eighth graders selected for SCMEA Division II All-County were Jessica Cruz, Sabrina Frazer, Olivia Johnson, Louise Kane, Jake Mulholland and Jacob Schifter (band); Emma Cirulnick, Skylar Greene, Rebecca Leo, Michelle Quinteros, Annalee Thorn, Daniel Turk and Jolie Williams (chorus); and Alexander Baaden, Lia Guzman, Lauren Limmer, Daniel Rubinson and Delaney Tauer (orchestra).                  

High school freshmen and sophomores selected for SCMEA Division III All-County were Hannah Evans (band); Richie Castronova, Leah Cyran, Brendan Farrell, Maggie Frazer, Isabella Green, Madelynn Lang, Alan Lawrence and Ryan Van Nostrand (chorus); and Kaitlyn Trocchio (orchestra).

Demonstrating the continued strength of the high school’s AP Capstone program, an impressive total of nine seniors – Brian Abair, Brianna Altman, Molly Breakstone, Anastasia Cardlin, Madelyn Germano, Kelly Mak, Brandon Novarro, Darienne Rogers and Sofia Rubinson – were awarded an AP Capstone Diploma this year. Another nine of their fellow seniors – Madison Andersen, Devi Chowdhury, Marianna Colonna, Julianna Flora, Kayla McKenna, Gabriella Reyes, Jorge Rivas, Kristen Scheidel and Gregory Warnokowski – earned AP Seminar and Research Certificates.

A College Board diploma program, AP Capstone centers on the AP Seminar and AP Research courses, each a year long. Students with scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, while those with scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research as well as four additional AP exams earn the AP Capstone Diploma.
        

As the culmination of the high school’s World Language Honor Society annual monthlong toy and clothing drive to benefit community children in need, the Suffolk County Department of Social Services visited the school on Dec. 18.  Club members – joined by WLHS advisers Sarah Ito and Megan Schierhorst, World Language Department Coordinator Priscilla Zarate, and school administrators – packaged the gifts and helped load them for donation.

“Sarah and I are always overwhelmed by the generosity of our WLHS members and the Islip High School community,” said Schierhorst. “We are so grateful to be able to provide toys to those in need this holiday season.”