Islip High School proudly announces its receipt of the Silver with Access Award on the 2024 Advanced Placement School Honor Roll, a testament to its unwavering commitment to educational excellence and inclusivity. This prestigious recognition, which the school has received for the second consecutive year, comes from the College Board, and highlights Islip High School's outstanding efforts in providing rigorous AP courses to the student body.

For the past several years, the district has focused its attention on broadening access to advanced coursework for all high school students. Those efforts are bearing fruit. Islip students are participating in the AP program at impressive and increasing rates. Although the overall rating is Silver, in two of the three New York AP School Honor Roll Recognition categories, Islip High School achieved Gold status.

Islip High School’s metrics were as follows:
College Culture: Percent of students in the graduating class who took an AP exam at any point in high school regardless of the score. At Islip High School, 58% of the Class of 2024 took an AP exam, earning the school a Silver rating in this category.

College Credit: Percent of students in the graduating class who score 3+ on any AP Exam in high school. At Islip High School, 45% of students in the graduating class scored a 3+ on any exam, earning the school a Gold rating in this category.

College Optimization: Percent of students in the graduating class who took five or more AP Exams in high school, where at least one exam was taken in ninth or 10th grade. At Islip High School, 11% of students attained this distinction, earning the school a Gold rating in this category.

For two years in a row, Islip High School has demonstrated its dedication to not only achieving high academic standards, but also to ensuring these opportunities are available to all students. The Access Award reflects the hard work and commitment of the entire school community, from faculty and students, to parents and local supporters, in creating an environment where every student can excel in college-level courses.

“We are thrilled to see our students’ dedication to their studies being acknowledged,” Assistant Principal and AP Coordinator Lisa Ward said. “This award is a testament to our school’s dedication to academic excellence.”

“Receiving the Silver with Access Award for the second year is not just an honor, it's a clear indication of our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where every student has the chance to challenge themselves and succeed,” Principal Dr. Lara Gonzalez said. “This recognition encourages us to continue our efforts in expanding access to our AP courses.”

The Silver with Access Award celebrates schools that are leaders in AP program implementation, emphasizing both achievement and access. Islip High School’s repeated success in this regard not only celebrates its ongoing achievements, but also underscores its role in promoting equitable educational opportunities. Only 10% of all qualifying schools in the U.S. and Canada achieve the Silver AP School Honor Roll Award.

Date Added: 12/18/2024

Wing Elementary School welcomed approximately 20 student volunteers from Islip High School’s Book Buddies and Buccaneer University organizations on Nov. 25. The IHS students visit the school once a month during lunch and recess with the goal of fostering a love of literacy through reading aloud to kindergarten and first grade students. Book Buddies, an English Honor Society initiative, has been participating in these monthly read-aloud activities and has recently been joined by Buccaneer University.

“The afternoon was seamless,” Islip High School counselor Nicole Hall said. “The Wing students were so well behaved and our high school students had a blast. Our students were asking when they can return before they even left.”

Date Added: 12/18/2024

The College Board recently recognized 34 current Islip High School seniors for achieving AP Scholar designations for 2024, a result of their outstanding hard work and success in college-level AP courses and exams. The Advanced Placement Program recognizes several different award levels.

Twenty-three students – Olivia Auerbach, Melina Bennett, Rafael Bonilla, Juliana Conlon, George DiJulio, Isabella Dragos, Keira Ferrera, Mushfiqa Jahan, Aliannah Madriz, Amy Marconi, Melanie Marroquin, Nicole Matute, James Mugan, Harris Mukhtar, Mia Nano, Malik Nayab, Riley O’Malley, Djimon Senior, Jake Teuschler, Caden Tierney, Isabela Ulloa, Lauren Wade and Aiden Zaneski – were named AP Scholars, granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

Five students – Reese Breslin, Guyveline Jean-Charles, Adrian Pantaleon, Kathryn Quinn and Kaitlyn Riordan – received AP Scholars with Honor designations, granted to those students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

Six students – Isabella Field, Emily Flora, Elizabeth Ford, Ryder Miranda, Jake Mulholland and John Oggeri – were named AP Scholars with Distinction, granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Additionally, four Islip seniors – Isabella Field, Emily Flora, Jake Mulholland and John Oggeri – earned AP Capstone Diplomas, and 10 seniors – Jamie Atlas, Ankita Dhar, Isabella Dragos, Elizabeth Ford, Aliannah Madriz, Nicole Matute, Riley O’Malley, Layla Quinn, Kaitlyn Riordan and Djimon Senior – earned AP Seminar and Research Certificates.

Date Added: 12/18/2024

Islip’s Italian Fall Fest brought together students from both Islip High School and Islip Middle School, as well as their families, in celebration of Italian language and culture in the school community. The event, which took place on Nov. 18 in both middle school cafeterias, proved a fun night filled with food, games, raffles and crafts related to different Italian cultural aspects.

The evening began in the Montauk dining room, where attendees were welcomed by event organizer Giovanna Stanco, a seventh grade Italian and Spanish teacher. Stanco shared what being Italian means to her, and how this led her to teaching not only Italian, but also Spanish. In preparation for the event, students from grades 6-12 were invited to take part in an Italian poster contest, organized by Stanco, with the prompt “What does Italy mean to you?” Students submitted unique posters that represented Italian culture and its influence on their own lives or on the world. On the night of Italian Fall Fest, students and their families were able to admire the posters and vote for their favorite.  

Members of the Marconi Lodge #2232 of Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) donated pasta and set up a display table at the event for families to view. Geraldine Iannello Graham, the district chairperson of the Commission of Social Justice, a branch of the OSDIA, also attended and showcased contributions of Italians and Italian-Americans. After viewing the various displays and posters, the families enjoyed delicious pizza, pasta, and cookies donated by Islip’s very own Amore Pizza, Angela’s Pizzeria and Oconee Diner, as well as focaccia bread baked by high school family and consumer science classes.

Passing through a hallway lined with displays created by the Italian classes, the participants then moved into the school’s second dining room, where different crafts and activities took place, including three craft tables: creating Venetian masks with feathers and rhinestones, designing mosaic coasters inspired by mosaic artwork found in Italy, and creating a map of Italy using pasta. Students smiled and laughed as they played Tombola (Italian Bingo), answered trivia questions on a spinner wheel, competed in Pin the Pepperoni on the Pizza and guessed words related to Italy in a game of Italian Wordle.  

Towards the end of the event, Stanco announced the winners of the Italian poster contest. Finishing in first place was freshman Sharika Karmakar, who designed an eye-catching representation of famous Italian landmarks such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum and the Rialto Bridge. Tied for second place were two seventh graders, Shahmeer Asif and Livia Sosnicki and. Fellow students cheered on all three winners on as they received their prizes. Next up were the highly anticipated raffles, which students excitedly hurried to receive when their number was called.

The night ended with teachers, parents and students in a circle, hand-in-hand, dancing a lively traditional Italian tarantella. Laughter filled the air with what seemed to be the perfect culmination of the evening – having fun enjoying the wonderful Italian culture.

Date Added: 12/12/2024

One of the new initiatives this school year at Islip High School was the implementation of its first AP Summer Institute. Students entering ninth through 12th grades were invited to participate in a five-day, 10-hour course designed to provide them with the skills needed to be successful in their Advanced Placement classes. Eighty-five students participated in all or part of the course offered last August at Islip High School, where they were introduced to course material as well as strategies to support their learning.

In October, at roughly the midpoint of the quarter, students were invited again to meet as a group with administrators to reflect on their experience in AP courses to date. Additionally, students were asked to provide feedback about which aspects of the institute were helpful and what could be offered to support future cohorts of students.

“Taking the AP summer prep class made me feel more comfortable and at ease with taking multiple AP classes,” senior Jailany Pacheco said.
 “The Institute prepared me with study skills that have been useful to me,” sophomore Jacob Secor said.

The students will be invited to meet with administrators again at midyear and the end of the school year to discuss ways to enhance and support student learning in AP courses.

“When I first suggested last spring that we consider offering this type of program to students taking AP courses, I never dreamed that it would be so well received and so well attended,” Principal Dr. Lara Gonzalez said. “I am grateful to our curriculum administrators in English (Barbara Wagner), mathematics (John Ferrito), science and technology (Dan Oggeri) and social studies (Dr. Robert Drysielski) for their willingness to implement a brand-new summer program at Islip High School. The curriculum administrators planned lessons to support students and provided instruction.”

“The AP Summer Institute proved to be a game-changer for our students, giving them the tools, resources and confidence they needed to excel in advanced coursework,” Dr. Drysielski said. “By offering targeted support before the school year began, students entered their AP classes with a stronger foundation and a deeper understanding of the material.”

Date Added: 12/9/2024