Families of the Islip School District attended the annual Festival of the Arts at Islip High School on May 20, an event that celebrates the district’s outstanding art and music programs. A walkable art exhibition showcased hundreds of student artwork from grades K-12 displayed in the school’s auditorium, hallways and cafeteria, including paintings, drawings, sculptures and mixed media pieces. Musical performances in the cafeteria featured the Islip Middle School Chamber Orchestra and Show Choir, as well as the high school and middle school jazz bands. Visiting families were entertained with an art scavenger hunt, and a special instrument petting zoo gave younger students from prekindergarten to third grade the chance to try out string, brass and woodwind instruments for their upcoming instrument choice in fourth grade. 
 
“The Festival of the Arts is my favorite event of the year,” Director of Fine and Performing Arts Michael Hershkowitz said. “Our community has the chance to experience what the students of Islip experience everyday – absolutely top-notch art and music education. The creativity on display speaks for itself, and I am grateful for the hard work of our Fine and Performing Arts team.”

Date Added: 5/29/2025

The Islip School District recognized numerous outstanding student accomplishments at the spring Night of Champions event, held during the Board of Education meeting on May 7. Elementary and secondary students who demonstrated excellence in art, music, athletics, academics and community service received certificates honoring their achievements in front of their proud families.

“We do Night of Champions several times a year, and they are always the best nights of the year because this is when the effort, the grit, the growth mindset and the stick-to-itiveness get recognized,” Superintendent Dr. Dennis O’Hara said.

Director of Fine and Performing Arts Michael Hershkowitz and music teachers first honored music students who were selected for SCMEA Division 1 All-County honors in band (Zara Canbaz, Owen Chandler, Elena Motto, Nicolette Powers, Henry Sepulveda and Timothy Stolz Jr.), chorus (Abigail Bolanos, Haleigh Casimir, Grace Fernandez-Cabero, Gavin Kirchner, Martino Masiello, Samuel Massa, Julia Sanchez, Savannah Torres and Joseph Zarchy) and orchestra (Chelsea Cooper, Lilah Hirschmann, Taylor Juillet, Christopher Liang and Layla Lazaro); for SCMEA Division 2 All-County in band (Tillie Ancipink, Jackson Bosley, Cassidy Chandler, Ashleigh Galyardt and Anna Stephenson), chorus (Ella Carbello, Donna Mandmiento and Rocco Pollina) and orchestra (Alice Champion, Lily Champion, Alexa Duckworth, Malcolm Friedman and Dominick Lovo); for SCMEA Division 3 All-County in band (Ryan Brown and Nicholas Gulick) and orchestra (Christopher Duckworth and Max Kjeldsen); and for the Long Island String Festival (Ella Fishbein, Malcolm Friedman, Elise Lettieri, Dominick Lovo and Ashley Stephenson).

Next, Hershkowitz and art teacher Lisa Sacco recognized the art students selected for the The Atelier at Flowerfield Juried Art Show (Tillie Ancipink, Abigail Butler-Lentini, Makenzy Covelli, Allison Czekaj, Matthew Levy, Aimee Rich, Kathiangelys Rios Cruz, Julia Sanchez, Aaron Thorn and Madz Weiss).

“This district and the Board of Ed provided these students with the resources, our teachers provided them with the tools, but it’s really the students that took that and ran with it and achieved all the things that we see tonight,” Hershkowitz said.

Athletic Director John Sparacio and several of his coaches presented sports recognitions for the winter 2025 season to high school student-athletes including competitive cheerleaders Jasmin Fields-Robinson (Academic All-County) and Jailany Pacheco (All-Classification); girls basketball players Abbey Dieumegard (All-League), Rylee Moran (All-League) and Teagan Rao (All-League, All-Conference); boys basketball players Devon Carter (All-County), Chase Herrington (All-County) and Vincent Tyre (Academic All-County); girls bowlers Juliana Conlon (All-League), Olivia Conlon (All-League), Isabella Dragos (All-League), Brooke Lemanczyk (All-League), Nicole Matute (All-County) and Tatum Palme (All-County); boys bowlers Anthony Bullaro (perfect game), Gavin Connell (All-League) and Jacob Petelin (2nd Team All-League); girls winter track athletes Nicolette Bastidas (All-League), Madelyn Corrigan (All-League), Judeline Daniel (All-League), Wilorda Frenel (All-League, All-Section), Brianna Gabbidon (All-League, All-Section), Imani Hood (All-League, All-Section, All-County), Guyveline Jean-Charles (All-League, All-Section, Academic All-County), Brooke Martin (All-League, All-Section), Kathryn Quinn (All-League, Academic All-County) and Kaila White-Walters (All-League); boys winter track athletes Ryan Donohue (All-State, All Federation, All-Sectional Relay Team), Collin Haug (county champion), Josiah Patterson (All-County), Evan Rahner (county champion), Adrian Sanchez (county champion), Kaiden White (county champion, All-State, All-Federation); wrestlers Landon Dalaker (All-League), Nico Fallacaro (All-League), Joseph Frangella (All-League), Jonathan Hernandez Rosales (All-League, All-County), Kevin Horner (All-League), Aiden Nassire (league champion), Spencer Nassire (league champion, All-County), Matthew Patterson (league champion, All-County), Cartier Perez (league champion), Dylan Smith (All-League) and Jack Whitehouse (All-League); and gymnastics athlete Isabella Field (All-Long Island, All-State).

Sparacio also recognized the winners of the Suffolk Zone Awards (Sara Geldmacher and Jack Whitehouse) and Islip High School’s NYSPHSAA Student Leadership Conference representative (Vincent Tyre).

“It’s nice to see how many of our students not only do well in the music and the arts, but also excel in athletics,” Sparacio said. “That’s just the beauty of Islip, so many of our student athletes are involved in so many things outside of the classroom.”

Finally, in the areas of academics and community service, Islip High School Principal Lara Gonzalez honored the students chosen for the Long Island Youth Summit (Max Kjeldsen and Sara Pellegrino); this summer’s American Legion Boys State (alternate Aidan Biscari and primaries Connor Ancipink and Kieran Freelin) and American Legion Auxiliary Empire Girls State (citizens Anna Lettieri and Jadyn Zink) programs; the New York State Senate Youth Leadership Recognition (Jenna Haug and Taylor Reising); the Office of State Comptroller Student Achievement Awards (Juliana Conlon and Jailany Pacheco); the Office of New York State Attorney General Triple C Awards (Ryan Abin, Keira Ferrera, Caleb Rader and Kailey Roarty); and the Office of New York State Attorney General Civic Ambassador Award (William Hamm); as well as Class of 2025 salutatorian Ryder Miranda and valedictorian John Oggeri.

Date Added: 5/13/2025

Islip High School held its second annual Choose to Include event on April 3, organized by special education teacher Melissa Horn and her classroom team. As a Unified School through the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools initiative, Islip is dedicated to promoting social inclusion by bringing together students with and without disabilities through sports and other activities. The goal of Choose to Include is to bring awareness and create meaningful connections between all students. By participating in interactive activities and simulations, neurotypical students gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, challenges and strengths of their neurodivergent classmates. This event fosters empathy, breaks down barriers and promotes a more inclusive school environment where all students feel seen, heard and valued.

For the second consecutive year, the high school prepared for Choose to Include with a Chalk and Talk kickoff event the afternoon before at Islip Middle School. This year, Buccaneer University and Functional Academics students spearheaded the activity in hopes of gathering as many of their peers as possible to chalk inclusive and inspiring messages and artwork on the sidewalks of the school entrances. Among the messages were “Celebrate Differences,” “Don’t Stand By, Stand Up” and “Inclusion Starts with You.” Over 75 students were in attendance this year, with Unified bowling, the Art Club and IMS student government making the April 2 event part of their afternoon meetings. 

“It was incredible to witness many groups of students spanning various ages join together with the same mission,” counselor Nicole Hall said. “Including IMS student government representatives allowed the conversation of inclusivity to start even earlier and spark excitement over this important mission. The afternoon was filled with laughter and excitement as they decorated the sidewalk. It allowed students to begin to think about the purpose of Choose to Include and create momentum leading into the tremendous event the following day.”

“The middle school’s student government members were eager to be a part of the event and even asked if there would be more chances to work with high school students in the future,” IMS student government adviser Sara Comiskey said. “The event also got the eighth graders excited about high school next year, with many saying the inclusive messages were powerful and that it was awesome to see so many students attend.”

Date Added: 4/23/2025

The Islip School District’s Inventing Self program continues to thrive, evolving each year with an ever-expanding roster of distinguished guest speakers who volunteer their time to work with EXCEL students. Since its inception, the program has consistently grown, offering students dynamic, hands-on workshops that blend interactive experiences with meaningful conversations. Each session aligns with the program’s 10 core principles, equipping students with the tools to connect with themselves and the world around them in pursuit of happiness and personal growth.

A hallmark of the program, led by EXCEL Program Coordinator Julia Johnson, is its ability to foster lasting connections, with many speakers returning year after year – even from out of state – for over 16 years. At the same time, new voices continually join the Inventing Self Speaker Series, adding fresh perspectives and insights. Among this year’s notable additions was Dr. Michael Dagro, owner of True Potential Physical Therapy in Bayport, who shared invaluable lessons with students. His workshop explored the true meaning of success, the impact of comparison on joy and the importance of embracing failure as a catalyst for growth.

“By introducing new perspectives annually, the Inventing Self program ensures that students engage with diverse ideas and experiences, fostering a supportive environment where they can flourish both personally and academically,” Johnson said. “The culture and community surrounding this unique program continue to grow organically and authentically – a journey that I am honored to witness and nurture.”

Date Added: 4/7/2025