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East Islip High School’s New Courtroom Is Now In Session

East Islip High School held a pride-filled ribbon cutting ceremony on Dec. 19 for the school’s remarkable brand-new courtroom, a dedicated space for the mock trial team as well as the trial and debate class. Funded with the help of the For the Kids Foundation, the impressive project had been in the works for some time, inspired by the incredible dedication and success of the school’s young lawyers.

“The biggest motivating factor for creating this space was seeing our mock trial team in action,” Superintendent Paul Manzo said. “It was most definitely a powerful motivator. Their passion, preparation and commitment made it clear they deserved an authentic space that mirrors a real courtroom. At the same time, I was driven by the opportunity to create a flexible learning environment that supports all students and one that can be used across disciplines to promote engagement, critical thinking and real-world learning.”

“It was a long time in the making,” FTK President Cheryl Pepe said. “I remember coming in here over a year ago, and there was no floor. Now look at how incredible it is. I am excited for the mock trial team, and I know that this space will turn out the next prosecutors, defenders and judges. I know that they will use this space well, and it will continue to fuel their passion for the law.”

“Having learned what you are able to achieve in the classroom, I do look forward to seeing everything you can achieve now that you have such a beautiful environment that can hopefully take you to new heights,” said Principal Anthony Montemarano, addressing the team and coach Patsy Lester.

“We are really honored that the district and FTK have given us this opportunity,” senior and mock trial star Olivia Stepanenko said. “I’ve been in mock trial for four years, and this was always a dream for the whole team, to one day be in an actual courtroom or something that resembles it when competing at home trials. I think this will really help us because we will be in an environment that looks like a courtroom, and we are all going to work so hard this season and perform much better. We see all the support we have from the administrators and FTK, and it means so much to us.

We are just so incredibly grateful to FTK, the Board, Mr. Manzo and everyone else who made this possible,” Lester said. “The custodians did an incredible job, and I know this is going to help bring our team to the next level. 

 

Two young women, one wearing a navy blue dress and the other wearing a black shirt, are standing in a room with American flags and a podium in the background.
A group of people, some wearing formal attire, stand behind a podium in a room with American flags in the background.
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A group of young people, some seated and some standing, posing in front of an American flag and a podium in what appears to be an official setting.
A group of people, likely a legal team or government officials, standing behind a wooden podium in a courtroom-like setting, with American and state flags displayed in the background.
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A group of people, some in formal attire, are gathered in what appears to be a professional or academic setting, with a red carpet and glass walls in the background.
A group of people, both men and women, are gathered in what appears to be a government or official setting, with an American flag and a podium in the background.
A young woman with long brown hair is standing in front of a green wall, her hands covering her mouth in a surprised or concerned expression.
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The image shows a group of people, including a man in a suit, a woman in a plaid jacket, and several other individuals, standing in what appears to be a classroom or office setting.
A man in a navy blue suit stands behind a podium in front of a green chalkboard.