Lorraine Poppe, a beloved and transformational educator for 44 years, died on Tuesday after a long period of declining health. more

Part five in the series “Educating the 21st Century Child.”Mepham High School broadcast teacher Stu Stein often holds class in the dark, and with virtually every surface in his … more

The governor’s recently passed 2017-2018 budget includes a healthy increase in state aid for the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. more

The drug addicts’ brain scans that Dr. Stephen Dewey takes appear in psychedelic shades of red, yellow, green and blue, each indicating a level of brain activity — or inactivity. Red means excited. Blue is dormant. Dewey is the laboratory director for behavioral and molecular neuro-imaging at the North Shore-LIJ Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. In that capacity, he’s put hundreds of addicts’ brains to the test — the positron emission tomography test, that is — seeking to understand precisely what happens to the mind when a pot smoker lights up or a heroin junkie shoots up. And, he has found, it isn’t pretty. more

The Meadowbrook Alternative Program, which the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District offers as an alternative to the mainstream, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. more

Jake Thomas and Alex Vargas, both 21, played baseball together in 2011 at Calhoun High School under legendary coach Joe Corea. In 2010, Thomas led the Colts squad that captured the Nassau County Class AA title. In 2012, Vargas played a critical role in the Colts’ victory at the Long Island Class AA championship. Major League teams recently drafted them both. more

More than 300 eighth-graders were recently inducted into the Junior National Honor Society at Grand Avenue and Merrick Avenue middle schools. more

The Bellmore-Merrick Community Parent Center and the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District will host a Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mepham High School, 2401 Camp Ave., Bellmore. more

New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a report on Jan. 14 titled “School District Revenue Growth Slows.” Before I get to it, a quick primer on education funding. more

Stefan Serie, a Merrick Avenue Middle School health teacher and multi-sport coach who recently lost his job, apparently because of his appearance on the Bravo TV series “Princesses Long Island,” is threatening to sue the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District if he doesn’t get his position back. more