Dear Syosset Community,

This time of year always brings Halloween fun into our buildings. I’m amazed at the creativity of our kids’ costumes, and the marches at the schools are a treat (pun intended).

We are asking all students who choose to wear costumes to keep their faces uncovered (no masks or makeup that prevent us from recognizing them). We also expect all costumes to be appropriate for school, which means props threatening in nature will not be tolerated.

To kick-off Halloweekend, the Syosset Fire Department stopped by the High School today for the annual pumpkin drop. Physics students learned the principle that acceleration due to gravity is the same for all objects regardless of their mass. The simultaneous SPLAT at the end punctuates the point in a truly memorable way.

Spotlight on Instruction

Our SySTEM 2 Drones class had visitors Wednesday—science leaders from the Bellmore-Merrick School District. Syosset High School has recently partnered with LIU Post to adapt their Intro to Artificial Intelligence (AI) course for our students. Over the past year, we attended informational meetings alongside Bellmore-Merrick colleagues in hopes to provide our students with an expanded experience in AI, computer science, and robotics.

During their visit, our teachers shared how our Robotics Program has expanded throughout the years and described specifically how our students work in SySTEM 2 Robotics. Students showed off their work, including laser-cut planes, Tello drone programming, and portfolio websites. John Chae, co-teacher of our SySTEM 2 Drones class, described how Python programming and basic AI were worked into our curriculum. We also broke down our co-teaching model, explaining how it has helped give students deeper understanding of the topics. The teams also discussed interdisciplinary collaborations and access to technology. The tour branched out of A6/A7 to include the other technology rooms, showcasing our new CNC machine, laser engraver, and array of 3D-printers.

Our team of educators learned from our Bellmore-Merrick neighbors while showcasing some of the remarkable STEM programs we offer to our students.

Bright Spot

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This past Monday evening, Syosset High School Sophomore Ashleigh Mitnick organized a fitness class at Title Boxing Club in Syosset to raise money for BRCA Strong. The non-profit organization supports women who have been impacted by breast and ovarian cancers. Her mission was to encourage kids whose loved ones are battling this disease to “knock-out cancer.” Ashleigh’s mom has been cancer-free for one year!

The boxing event raised $2,700—way to go, Ashleigh! We are so proud of your dedication to this cause.
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Have a great weekend!

#SyoSpooky
Tom Rogers

Dear Syosset Community,

You could not have scripted a better first-ever Homecoming game under the lights. After a tight defensive first half, the teams traded touchdowns. Port Washington missed a 2-point conversion giving Syosset a 1-point advantage when we scored going into the final minutes of the game. Port marched toward the end zone, but came up short against an impressive goal line stand by the Syo defense. A field goal could have given them back the lead, but our defense came up big by blocking the attempt and sealing the win on the very last play of the game. The final score was 14 to 13. Congrats team! 

Bright Spot

Our team was no doubt given a little extra boost by our expanded cheer squad – this week’s bright spot – a full contingent of elementary school cheerleaders had the awesome opportunity to cheer beside their Varsity role models. The collaboration between upperclassmen and our littlest students represents the true sense of community that makes Syosset so special. I know those youngest cheerleaders will remember a very special night for a long, long time. 

Friday night’s Homecoming-Carnival combo was a truly unbelievable backdrop for the night. 

Before the game started, I was at the carnival – driving robots, shooting laser-guided wiffle balls, eating doughnuts, chatting with kids about their charities, and buying trinkets to support their clubs. It’s always one of my favorite events of the year and it isn’t over yet: you still have a chance to stop by the SHS Carnival tonight until 11pm, and tomorrow between 12pm and 5pm. 

Spotlight on Instruction

This week, fifth grade students at Village Elementary School began their unit on Matter, completing a pre-assessment sorting activity. In groups, students were given cards with items like “sound waves,” “heat,” “gravity,” “dust,” and “ice cream.” They created data tables to sort the card contents as either “matter,” “not matter,” or “unsure.” As students collaborated, they engaged in lively debates about how to classify the cards. Throughout the unit, students will revisit these ideas as they continue to explore the concept of Matter. (For myself, I’d note: ice cream clearly matters!!)

Assessment probes like these are designed to reveal students’ initial ideas about a concept, principle, or phenomenon that they observe. This information is later used to inform instruction across the unit. Perhaps, most importantly, it provides students with a great reason to think about scientific concepts in terms of principles, rather than merely a pile of facts to memorize. Like career scientists, we ask them to wonder aloud and test their creative ideas in the hopes of discovering something new and exciting.
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I want to issue special thanks to all of our faculty, staff, and volunteers for making last night, and the rest of this weekend, unforgettable. A special shout out to NCPD for their presence and to the awesome Syosset Fire Department – not only for having EMS at the ready, but for celebrating each Syosset score with lights and sirens. 

A reminder we are closed this coming Monday, October 24th.

#SyoStrong 

Tom Rogers

Dear Syosset Community,

Monday begins School Board Recognition Week—the annual recognition of the volunteer leaders who dedicate countless hours to improve our schools. At the October meeting of our Board of Education, the Syosset Council of PTAs expressed their appreciation for our Trustees’ work. For my part, I’m grateful to work for such a thoughtful and committed group of individuals who have our students, staff, and community’s best interests at heart.

Spotlight on Instruction

When I first arrived at Syosset, I was impressed by the quality of our World Language program, and the astonishing statistic that over 3/4 of our seniors were still enrolled in at least one language. Since then, we have added more languages, longer sequences in languages we already offered and tremendous success achieving the State’s new world language graduation credential with 112 students earning the “Seal of Biliteracy” last year – over 1/5th of the graduating class!

Not content with this success, our teachers have been “leveling up” our programs by transitioning to updated World Language Standards.These standards align to three primary modes of communication: interpretative, interpersonal, and presentational to build students’ proficiency in the “target language” through immersive experiences. For example, during the house and home unit in one SHS French class, students had to find an apartment in Paris for their family. They read real estate ads (interpretive), spoke with other students about the pros and cons of each listing (interpersonal), and wrote a note to a friend describing which apartment they chose (presentational). These experiences build vocabulary and fluency in realistic situations that should build their confidence when conversing with native speakers.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize our World Language Coordinator, Dr. David Balsamo’s contributions to this success. I was delighted to learn, but not at all surprised, that he was selected by his peers to be the next president of the New York State Association of World Language Administrators (NYSAWLA). Congratulations!

Section VIII Parent Meeting

I've been asked by Section VIII, the interscholastic athletics governing body for Nassau County, to notify parents of a meeting they are hosting at the Nassau Coliseum on October 24 regarding their "Team Up for Unity" program to promote sportsmanship and to combat racism at athletic events. For details, see this flyer.

Bright Spot

I am always so impressed with our students’ compassion and efforts to make their world a better place. SHS students are hosting a school wide walk-a-thon to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to kick-off our annual Spirit Week. The 10th grade Peer Helper class organized the walk and chose the CF Foundation as their charity. After first period, the band will lead the way for all grade levels to walk around the perimeter of the campus to fundraise for this important cause. 

Nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. live with Cystic Fibrosis and I was amazed to learn this morning (on the high school’s announcements, no less!) that Syosset High School students have been long-time champions for this cause, having raised more than $100,000 over a 25-year partnership with the CF Foundation. That is truly amazing!

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather, it’s my favorite time of year. Hope to see you next Friday at  Homecoming under the Friday night lights.

#SyoStrong 

Tom Rogers

Dear Syosset Community,

The sun is finally shining after a cold and gloomy week – just in time for a long weekend of fall fun. Reminder: schools are closed this coming Monday, October 10th.

The countdown is on to the biggest sporting event of our year: SHS Homecoming! It has been moved to Friday, October 21st at 6:30PM – and given the excitement at our first night game, I imagine we’ll see quite a crowd. The day coincides with the start of the Syosset High School Carnival, a fundraising and membership drive for the many high school clubs. It’s always a highlight of my year to learn about our students’ humanitarian and cultural efforts, to test drive some of our robots, and to listen to the one-of-a-kind Bard-a-thon (words cannot do this word-a-thon justice). Come support our kids, ride some rides, learn about the great things our students are doing at Syosset High School and make some new friends. Hope to see you there!

Spotlight on Instruction

Thanks to the efforts of student leaders, Syosset DECA has doubled in size this year to 261 members, making it one of the largest chapters in New York! DECA is the high school’s premier business club that works to prepare students for futures in various fields, including marketing, finance, management, and hospitality. Recruitment during the freshman orientation club fair, through hallway flyers, and in-person pitches to business classes has paid off. Now, club members are hard at work preparing for this year’s virtual business challenge later this school year.

Bright Spot

What could be more of a bright spot than our students collaborating in the sunshine? Mrs. Wilson’s second graders teamed up with Mrs. Allevato’s fifth graders for an afternoon of friendship and spooky stories at Berry Hill. The students sat together in the sunshine on yoga mats, reading Halloween stories and learning about each other. The partnership between the two grade levels is helping create special bonds, encouraging connection, and allowing students to serve as role models to their younger peers. 

Enjoy the long weekend!

#SyoStrong

Tom Rogers