It was a night to recognize the dedication of both students and staff as the East Islip High School District held its Feb. 13 Board of Education meeting.

First up for recognitions was the LEGO Girls robotics team, consisting of East Islip Middle School sixth graders Jayne Elliott, Sonali Kamath and Antonia Rezza. In the FIRST LEGO League Long Island 2024-2025 season, the LEGO Girls competed in the Qualifiers against over 100 other teams. Their hard work and ingenuity paid off, earning the trio first place in both Robot Performance and their Innovation Project. As a result, they were invited to advance to the FLL Long Island championships, which will take place March 9 at Hicksville High School. While the robotics aspect of the competition often grabs the spotlight, FIRST LEGO League emphasizes much more. Each year, teams are challenged to tackle a real-world issue, applying creativity and problem-solving to propose meaningful solutions. This year, the focus is on problems impacting our oceans. The LEGO Girls went above and beyond by consulting with experts in the field to research the issue and develop an innovative solution. At the Board meeting, they shared their journey and findings through a five-minute skit based on “The Little Mermaid.”
 
Next, student musicians selected for SCMEA honors ensembles were recognized, including Nathan Aich, Kyle Aliaga, Payton Aparicio, Arianna Bayram, Joe Carpenter, Julia Caviedes, Michael Cifelli, Braelynn Cook, Brady Ferreby, Genevieve Griffin, Hannon, Angelina Patricia Kasten, Sadie Mathers, Savannah Pabone, Adriana Perez, Trent Perry,  Giancarlo Rojas, Magaly Salazar, Madison Thorp from Division I; and London Aparicio, Carlo Badala, Louis D’Ambrosio, Jayda DeMaio, Sabrina Gabuna, Emma Gagliano, Colbie Gravano, Jonathan Grippi Clark, Owen Kowalik, Tyler Labbate, Zion Lee, Lucas Massa, Meghan Mullins, Olivia Mullins, Anndrea Pumay, Mark Speiss, Matthew Stamatelatos, Taegan Tantillo, Kaia Thornton, Lindsey Weber and Thomas Zukowsky-Cronin from Division II; and Gabriel Acevedo, Kylen Curry, Eva Daugherty, Francesca Dima, Gabrielle Errico, Casey Flad, Julianna Giancaspro, Ike Jin, Evan Kornely, Olivia LaBella, Sanaa Lee, Eric Li, Paige Mathers, Jillian Petti, Cormac Zusmer and Peyton Zusmer from Division III. Also recognized was senior Erin Ackerman, who was named an All-Eastern musician.

“Our teachers here focus on music literacy and they’ve worked really hard to teach our children how to read music and understand the language of music,” Director of Art and Music Dr. Rob Wottawa said. “Because of that, not only do we have 54 students that were recognized for Divisions I, II and III, we have 21 for All-County, which is a total of 65 students in our district, and they all deserve a round of applause.”

Lastly, the Board recognized staff members who will be retiring at the end of this school year, including teachers Donna DiNapoli, Patricia Emmons-Fritz, Lisa Falacara, Katrina Finnegan, Teresa Frisina, Melissa Henderson, Bridget Lopiccolo, Peter Ludlow, Corinn Murphy, Robert Schwender, Moira Timmer, Carol Wilson; psychologist Tina Ruggiero; special education aide Debra Fitzpatrick; and senior stenographer Stephanie Parker.

“These dedicated teachers have given an extraordinary amount of time, energy and passion to our students and our schools,” Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Administration Dr. Aileen O’Rourke said. “Over the course of their careers, they have helped shape the lives of countless students, contributed to the district’s growth and been an integral part of our school community. We are deeply appreciative of their service, their commitment to excellence and the positive impact they have made on the East Islip School District.”