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The Bellport High School Student Council recently hosted a successful Thanksgiving food drive. During the month of November, the students worked to collect nonperishable goods that were then donated to 20 families within the South Country Central School District, as well as to the nonprofit Lighthouse Mission. All of the donations were loaded onto the district’s mobile library bus, sorted into Thanksgiving baskets and delivered.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Members of the Bellport Middle School Student Council and National Junior Honor Society recently worked together to collect nonperishable food for community members in need. All items will be donated to the nonprofit Lighthouse Mission. “It was a great turnout for a great cause,” said Student Council Advisor, Jeremy Freeman.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
The Bellport High School National Honor Society hosted a successful blood drive on Nov. 18. It was the first blood drive they have been able to hold since the COVID-19 pandemic. During the event, 73 people stepped up to donate blood.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Smiles of appreciation were in
abundance on Oct. 28 as 17 Bellport High School senior football
players paid tribute to the staff members who made a major
impact on them during their time in the South Country School
District.
Each player penned and hand-delivered a
special note of thanks to one staff member of their choosing.
They also lent them their game jersey to display or wear on Oct.
29.
“This was a great way to allow our young men to say
thank you to the adults who really inspired them along their
journey,” said Assistant Coach Kai Watkins. “It was also a way
for the staff to be recognized for some of the outstanding work
they have done throughout the years that made a lasting
impression.”
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Three Bellport High School seniors have been recognized by the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program as National Hispanic Scholars. Joel Cruz, Margaret Fuentes Velasco and Rianna Raghunandan earned the honor by scoring in the top 2.5% of all PSAT/NMSQT test takers in their junior year and by maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
The talents of the South Country
School District’s student-artists were showcased during School
Board Recognition Week, hosted by the New York State School
Boards Association, which recognized the district’s volunteer
board of education members.
During the recognition, each
board member was presented with a colorful, student-made
portrait. The artists included students from across the
district: Emma Davis, Devon Dinowitz, Emilia Gomez, Axel Haynes,
Maeve Jablonski, Alexandra Leong, Leonardo Mignola, Elaina Muro,
Elena Nazario, Jordan Saliba, Naomi Schindler-Shul, Anna
Schultz, Peyton Sullivan and Fabiana Vargas.
All
portraits are on display in the district’s board of education
meeting room in the district office.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Bellport High School seniors Boris
Berja and Rianna Raghunandan have been selected by QuestBridge
as 2021 National Finalists for demonstrating outstanding
academic achievement.
QuestBridge is a national,
nonprofit institution that connects the country’s most
exceptional students with leading educational institutions and
further academic opportunities at some of the nation’s top
colleges and universities. As finalists, Berja and Raghunandan
will potentially be matched with a full scholarship to one of
QuestBridge’s partner colleges.
In its prestigious
selection process, QuestBridge searches for academically
talented students who match the partner colleges’ level of
academic achievement and can potentially thrive on their
campuses. Finalists are chosen from a pool of applicants who are
in the top 5-10% of their class, have received mostly A’s in the
school’s most rigorous classes and have realized strong
standardized test scores, if taken.
In addition to being
academically talented, Berja is a member of his school’s
National, Math and Science honor societies and vice president of
the French Club. He also participates in the Outdoor Club and
Students for Environmental Quality Club.
Equally
involved in her school, Raghunandan is a member of the chamber
orchestra, Key Club, and National, Tri-M Music, Science and Math
honor societies.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Eighty-eight Bellport High School
students were inducted into the National Honor Society during a
virtual candle-lighting ceremony on Nov. 8.
To be
eligible for membership, the students were required to maintain
an average GPA of 90 or better; meet the standards of
leadership, service, citizenship and character; and complete six
hours of community service.
The South Country School
District extends its congratulations to the following inductees:
Seniors:
Kayla Coq
Rachel
Ellenwood
Courtney Fagan
Margaret Fuentes Velasco
Riley
Nagle
Michael LeBrun
Leonardo Mignola
Kayleigh Py
Nicholas Vital
Juniors:
Avery Ferrara
Paul Gilbert
Aidan Littwin
Rajkumar Murugan
Mirka
Zapata
Sophomores:
Shane Abrams
Ethan Amendola
Pietro Ancona Jr.
Bridget Barry
Madeline
Budris
James Butler IV
Claire Cannella
Kailyn Ciavatta
Juliette Cuccurese
Justin DeCorato
Evan Dedis
Samantha
DeLillo
Sam Dotterman
Ava Fauci
Olivia Fauci
Francis
Felice
Shanel Fernandez
Giulia Gannon
Ryan Gaynor
Tyler Gentile
Derek Griffin
Stephanie Grosso
Amber
Guiffreda
Kevin Hawaldar
Penelope Henao
Brianna Henn
Amira Hussein
Jaiden Jackson
Brynn Johnsen
Dylan Knakal
Julia Kotasek
Emma Kuegel
Cassandra La Monica
Sean
Lannon
Mason Linke
Taylor LiVigni
Adonis Lopez
Taylor Macioce
Ryan Manitta
Sophia Manna
Sude Maris
Gael Michel
Shane Moody
Connor Murphy
Michael Nesi
Tyler Ocasio
Leah Ofori
Folashade Olabode
Jaidyn O'Neil
Andie Pedatella
Rachel Petri
Rebecca Pino
Aarilin Pitre
Jake Polito
Lily Porfert
Jack Porter
Abbey Py
Bryelle Reid
Emily Robbins
Iesha Rodney
Faith Rubio
Caden Rupolo
Kaelyn Schmidt
Lola Schortemeyer
Matthew
Smolen
Evelyn Soto
Joseph Starpoli
Ella Steckle
Jordan Truce
Liam Vizcaino Figueroa
Connor Wilson
James
Vohrer
Max Yablon
Usman Zahid
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Dressed in Halloween costumes,
students from South Country School District’s South Haven Early
Childhood Center and Brookhaven Elementary School were all
smiles as they participated in an evening trunk-or-treat event
on Oct. 22, at Brookhaven Elementary School. The event was made
possible through a partnership with the two schools’ PTAs.
Deemed a huge success, parents volunteered to decorate their
cars and hand out candy to students who trick or treated around
the school’s parking lot.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Excitement and school spirit filled
the air on Oct. 16, as the Bellport High School Clippers
celebrated homecoming with a parade and football game that
brought the community together.
The celebrations kicked
off during the week of Oct. 12 with fun-filled theme days and
preparations for the parade. Students constructed colorful
floats surrounding the theme of board games. The floats were on
full display during the annual parade, which also featured the
school’s marching band, class courts, cheerleaders, dance team,
and members of the Bellport Fire Department and South Country
Ambulance Company.
The stands were full a few hours
later for the homecoming football game. Cheers rang out for the
Clippers as they took on and defeated Connetquot with a final
score of 42-0. The game also featured superb halftime
performances by the varsity cheerleaders and varsity dance team.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Ten Bellport High School students are
being recognized by the Town of Brookhaven as part of the town’s
eighth annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. The students
were selected for the honor by the town’s Hispanic Advisory
Board for maintaining a cumulative GPA of 95 or higher.
The South Country Central School District congratulates the
following students: Eliana Cruz, Joel Cruz,
Elisha Feliz,
Josselyn Fuentes, Margaret Fuentes Velasco, Jarithsa Molina
Iniguez, Tamara Ortiz Macas,
Rianna Raghunandan, Rylie
Sikeotis, Dominic Tigre.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
In recognition of their exceptional
achievement on national Advanced Placement exams taken last
year, 14 Bellport High School seniors have earned AP Scholar
awards. Eight students were named AP Scholars, while another six
earned the recognition of AP Scholar with Honor.
To earn
Scholar recognition, students are required to score a 3 or
higher on three or more AP exams; for Scholar with Honor, they
must earn a 3.25 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3 or higher
on four or more of those exams.
The South Country
Central School District extends its congratulations to the
following students:
AP Scholar:
Boris Berja, Joel
Cruz, Elisha Feliz, Violet Gordon, Sydney Macioce, Jamie Nobile,
Calvin Pedatella and Jacob Repper.
AP Scholar with Honor:
Clayton Cannella, Harrison Day, Robert Menendez, Colin Murphy,
Rianna Raghunandan and Charlotte Rauch.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Two South Country School District students have been recognized for their musical abilities by the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association. Bellport High School trumpet player Leonardo Mignola has been selected by SCMEA to perform in the 2021 High School Instrumental Jazz Ensemble, and Bellport Middle School percussionist Julius Radino was named to the 2021 Middle School Instrumental Jazz Ensemble. The student-musicians were selected for the honors based on their outstanding musicianship, strong work ethic, dedication and positive attitude.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
A Bellport High School student-musician has been named as an alternate for the New York State School Music Association’s prestigious All-State Music Festival. Leah Silvestre, viola, was selected as an alternate to perform in the Symphonic Orchestra based on her solo performances at the NYSSMA adjudications last spring.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
South Country High School senior Emma
Butler, a talented actress and singer, has been recognized with
an award of merit as part of the Long Island Arts Alliance’s
annual Scholar-Artist Awards. She was one of 20 students from
across Long Island to be selected for the honor after being
nominated by her school.
To qualify, Butler had to
submit a video recording of a song and a monologue, as well as
an essay. She sang “A Part of That” from the musical “The Last
Five Years” and performed a monologue from the musical “Now.
Here. This.” Both the song and the monologue, she said,
resonated with her. For her essay, she wrote about how the arts
have enriched her life.
“It wasn’t difficult to write
about the arts in my life,” Butler said. “Theater has been a
part of me since my first production in the fifth grade.”
Since she first took the stage, she has continued to perform
in annual school productions and was recently cast in her first
professional show at the Studio Theater of Long Island. She will
be performing in the chorus in a production of “Aida.”
“I
love theater,” she said. “I love the sense of camaraderie and
performing on stage after all the hard work we put in.”
When not performing, Butler can be found reading at her local
library, where she recently participated in a Battle of the
Books program. She is also president of her school’s National
Honor Society and a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. She
plans to study psychology in college.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
Students across the South Country
Central School District quickly became acquainted with their new
teachers, routines and programs as they kicked off the 2021-22
school year on Sept. 1st.
Elementary students began the
school year as they stepped off their buses to be greeted by
smiling teachers. They entered their colorful classrooms and
started their day by getting to know their new teachers and
classmates. Secondary students also met their teachers and made
a smooth transition back as they adjusted to their new
classrooms and schedules.
“We are looking forward to a
year filled with outstanding academic and extracurricular
opportunities for our students,” said Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Joseph Giani.
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
The South Country Central School
District Board of Education has appointed Bellport High School
sophomore Brynn Johnsen as its student ex officio board member
for the 2021-2022 school year. She replaces Jack Frankie, who
graduated in June.
Johnsen, who will officially take her
chair alongside the board on Sept. 15, is looking forward to the
advisory position. “I like being able to give back to my school,
and to get involved and encourage others in everything,” she
said.
As a non-voting board member, Johnsen will provide
the board with reports regarding the student body at each board
meeting. She will also lend important insight and feedback to
the board for designing special events that bring students
together.
“I think it is especially important to bring
students together through events during COVID,” she said.
Johnsen earned the ex officio position after running a
successful campaign at her school. As a freshman, she was
elected secretary of student council, a role she thoroughly
loved.
“Ever since the fourth grade, I have been a
representative in student council,” she said. “It is something I
really enjoy.”
Apart from student council, Johnsen can be
found running cross-country, playing basketball and lacrosse,
and performing on French horn in the school band. As well as
being an avid snowboarder and surfer, she has been sailing since
the age of 6 and teaches sailing to children at the Bellport Bay
Yacht Club.
Other extracurriculars include membership in
the school’s Athletes Helping Others club and the science and
math honor societies, with her sights set on National Honor
Society membership this fall. This September, she will also
participate in a training program at her school in which she
will shadow the school’s athletic trainer, Gina Siracusano.
“She is a great mentor and I am looking forward to learning
from her,” Johnsen said of Siracusano. “Athletic training has
always been interesting to me.”
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
For
as long as she can remember, Bellport High School senior
Vivienne Love has had a passion for photography. Her devotion to
the art has since earned her a Scholar-Artist award in the area
of media arts from the Long Island Arts Alliance. She is one of
20 students from across Long Island selected for the honor.
“I am so excited to be recognized for my photography,” said
Love. “I think this is great and will help me with college.”
To earn the
accolade, Love was required to submit an essay discussing how
the arts have influenced her life, as well as a portfolio of her
photography. Her submitted photographs, taken with her Canon
Rebel T6, focus on the theme of youth and depict her everyday
life with friends and family. The shoot was part of an Advanced
Placement art class assignment.
Along with her passion
for photography, Love is a member of her school’s National, Math
and Science honor societies. She is also the historian of her
school’s art club and designs the lighting for all of her
school’s dramatic productions.
She plans to study film,
radio and television in college, with a minor in environmental
science. She has her sights set on an early decision from
Syracuse University.
According to Love, the secret to
her success is to simply jump in. “There is no easy way to
start,” she said. “Just go and do it.”
Photo and release courtesy of the South Country Central School District.
101 Fireplace Neck Road
Brookhaven, NY
631-730-1700
Website
101 Fireplace Neck Road
Brookhaven, NY
631-730-1700
Website
37 Kreamer Street
Bellport, NY
631-730-1650
Website
185 Dunton Avenue
East Patchogue, NY
631-730-1675
Website
599 Brookhaven Avenue
Bellport, NY
631-730-1725
Website
35 Kreamer Street
Bellport, NY
631-730-1626
Website
205 Beaver Dam Road
Brookhaven, NY
631-730-1575
Website
189 Dunton Avenue
East Patchogue, NY
631-730-1500
Website
The links above direct to websites of the South Country Central School District. Photos courtesy of South Country Schools.