By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Students showed village and school officials, along with parents and alumni, that there is more to them than high test scores and winning athletic teams.
At Valley Stream South High School, students sang, acted and put on visual presentations for Central High School board members, Assemblyman Bob Barra, administrators and a packed room of parents. Superintendent Dr. Marc Bernstein noted that the students' presentations are a reflection of how successful students are in the district and what that success means for them. "A kid who is successful, is a kid who is least likely to get into trouble," Bernstein said.
Starting the program on Nov. 21 were students involved in the Falcon Report - a television news show which highlights weekly events at the school, South fundraisers and the school's sports teams. The Falcon Report is headed by math teacher Ross Lipsky. Dr. Lombardo's fifth period chemistry class presented an explanation on the evolution of the atomic theory, including a detailed presentation of J.T. Thompson's model of an electric current.
After that, the Cultural Society put on a brilliant exhibition with Chinese yo-yo's that wowed the crowd. Wearing shirts printed with the saying, "That's how we roll," eight students whipped and flipped around the chinese yo-yo's to a techno soundtrack. The club was formed last November, and students involved meet every Saturday to practice their skills with the club's leader, science teacher Jeffrey Hsi. The Long Island Connection, under the direction of Dr. Zatorski, sang the swing 40s hit, "Choo Choo Cha Boogie." Zatorski also directed the Junior High Musical in singing, "Honk" from The Ugly Duckling.
Sophomores Janelle Douglas and Austin Alegria, played the part of the prosecution and defense attorneys from Harper Lee's, "To Kill a Mockingbird." The duo conducted a four-minute rendition of the closing arguments from Lee's classic novel. Students from the clothing and fashion class sewed outfits for stuffed teddy bears that the class will give to needy children at Mercy Hospital during the holidays. The program concluded with a lovely rendition of "A Teenager in Love" by the Women's Choir.
At North, Principal Clifford Odell said the program on Nov. 18 was a success. It consisted of highlighting the successes of the school's Advanced Placement classes, its Anti-Bullying Program (BRAVE) and its leadership and musical initiatives. "It was my chance to highlight the special nature of North High School," Odell said. "It was a day to really say 'be proud of your school.'"
The program included the presentation of several musical numbers from "Oliver" which was performed on the North High School stage this past weekend.
At Central, Principal Dr. Joseph Pompilio said several alumni, including some from as far back as the 1930s and 40s, came to see how Central students are excelling on a daily basis. Pompilio said presentations were broken down into stations for each subject. At the English Department station, teachers showed the audience how students prepared and wrote their college essays. In the Social Studies section, students talked about their trip to Washington, D.C.; while the math department conducted a SmartBoard presentation on eight-time Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, and how his wing span compared to those in the audience. Lastly, the audience headed down to the auditorium to watch a 30-minute scene from the school's rendition of "The Wiz."
"When we speak of character at Central and its students, I'd rather them come in and see what they do on a regular basis," Pompilio said. "We showed the community that our students are thriving here."
