The seemingly irresistible urge to fling pumpkins culminated in success for members of South Side High School's Engineering Club. On the day after Halloween, the group participated for the second consecutive year in the Pumpkin Fling, at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County in Yaphank. more

The third annual Halloween Treats For Troops Candy Drive sponsored locally by Dr. Michael J. Rechter of Long Island Dental Excellence collected a total of 1,884 pounds of candy and personal products that were donated by the community — their best year yet. more

A number of uniformed officers were seen entering St. Agnes Cathedral School on morning of Nov. 13. But there was no need to worry — there was no emergency. The police officers and firefighters were participating in the school's 10th annual Community Readers Day program. more

Science is the study of the physical and natural world by using observation and experimentation. It is the process of acquiring knowledge from the surrounding environment through instructional and hands-on activities. South Side High School provides students with the opportunity to expand their scientific boundaries with classes and clubs. But the sharing of knowledge is limited by the available science facilities in our school. The space granted to science education is inadequate for thorough instruction. It is evident that the science facilities require an update. more

On the board Regular Board of Education Meeting, Dec. 9, 8:30 p.m., SSHS auditorium. Special District Meeting, Dec. 17, for the public to vote on the $31.8 million bond issue referendum for … more

The Rockville Centre Youth Council is hosting a presentation and discussion with Phoenix House staff and teen clients about substance abuse among teens on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Rockville Centre Public Library, 221 N. Village Ave. more

Americans are grateful for the safety and comforts that we share as a nation. Throughout the history of the United States, the men and women of the country's armed forces have risked, and in too many cases, given their lives to protect that safety and comfort. The students and staff at South Side Middle School discussed the values and ideals that those service men and women continuously work to protect, and learned about the history of displaying the yellow ribbon. more

As it turns out, we have a new Nassau County executive. Democrat Thomas Suozzi conceded defeat to Republican challenger Ed Mangano last week. Suozzi lost by a mere 386 votes. more

Talk about timeliness. Last week's column, "Responding to a Trio of Tragedies," was followed by three more incidents this week: a principal held hostage, resulting in his school going into lockdown; a 13-year-old boy committing suicide in the Bronx; and a report that two-thirds of all middle school students say they have been bullied. In each case, there was no outlet for rage. It is incumbent on us to prevent anger from escalating to that point. This week, I will examine a number of the anti-bullying programs that are proliferating in the schools, from the elementary to even the college levels. more

Saul Lerner, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District athletic director, recently resigned his post as coordinator of the Nassau County Boys' Basketball Committee because, he said, the Section VIII Athletic Council rejected a proposal of his to fine-tune the seeding process that ultimately determines teams' playing schedules. In 2006, Lerner was the architect of an ability-grouping system that determined a team's conference by its record. Previously, teams were assigned to conferences without much regard to their records. Rather, officials used what they called the "snake," in which teams were seeded and then laid out on a grid that wound back and forth in serpentine fashion. more