Summer Recreation campers from kindergarten to fifth grade wore their favorite teams’ jerseys to camp on July 18 for “Fan-tastic Day” at Bayville Primary. The children played games such as capture the flag, kickball, battleship and tug of war. Coach Michael Gilbert, teachers, counselors and counselors-in-training set up the games, made sure everything ran smoothly and even had their own tug of war matchup to end the day as the campers cheered them on.
The summer edition of Soundwaves is now available to view on the Locust Valley district website at Newsletters | Locust Valley Central School District (locustvalleyschools.org). Read about the high school’s Class of 2023 graduation ceremonies, the elementary and middle school graduations and moving-up ceremonies and dedicated staff who retired and attained tenure.
The Locust Valley Central School District welcomed three new members to its board of education at the reorganization meeting on July 10. New trustees Matthew Barnes, Nicholas J. DellaFera and Holly Gaddy Esteves and re-elected trustee Lauren Themis started their terms on Monday evening.
Margaret Marchand was re-elected as president of the board, while Lauren Themis was voted the vice president. Dr. Kristen Turnow took her oath of office as the district’s new superintendent of schools.
Join the LVCSD team!
Locust Valley High School students helped a family in Riverhead construct their dream home in May and June as part of the Habitat for Humanity Student Build program.
The Student Build program gives students a hands-on opportunity to serve communities through fundraising events and building with a construction team on a worksite. During the build events in May and June, students and adviser Bidania Criscuolo met with the homeowner and prepared new flooring, tiled and grouted the bathroom, measured and installed panels and window casings, put down topsoil and leveled and seeded the lawn. It was a day full of hard, but rewarding work that was greatly appreciated by the homeowner.
Locust Valley students held a fundraiser during the school’s International Night in late March to donate funds for this build and a future build, as well.
As of July 2023, the Locust Valley Central School District has switched to the Apptegy communication platform. Parents can update their contact information at any time in the eSchool Parent Portal. Texts will now come from 98900. If you have any questions, please email parentportal@locustvalleyschools.org.
Watch the Locust Valley High School graduation ceremony here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIm9MWeAsu8.
Locust Valley High School seniors gathered on Fred Smith Field on May 30 for the annual Flags for Freedom ceremony. This important event is a collaboration between the district and Operation Democracy to honor veterans and active military men and women.
Veterans from Bayville American Legion Robert H. Spittel Post 1285 and Locust Valley American Legion Howard Van Wagner Post 962 served as honored guests. Veterans and active military members gifted students with a trifolded American flag along with a copy of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. The ceremony helps students understand the importance of the flag as a symbol of freedom.
The ceremony continues the district’s longstanding relationship with Operation Democracy and commitment to educating students on the sacrifices members of our military have made throughout our history. Over the summer, educators will create the Remembrance Project curriculum focusing on American involvement in and patriotism during World War II for the 2023-2024 school year.
Throughout June, the district’s elementary schools and Locust Valley Middle School celebrated graduations and moving-up ceremonies celebrating students for their hard work this year. Students wrote and read poems and speeches and sang songs about their experiences and love for their schools. While they will enter new buildings in the fall, the memories and friends they made this school year will join them in the next stage of their academic journey.
Thank you to all faculty and staff, as well, for helping these students learn, grow and prepare them for the next chapter of their lives.
Locust Valley High School students traveled to the Swan Club On The Harbor in Roslyn for their prom on June 12, and to help preserve the memories of the big night, attendees are invited to visit https://charondesigns.smugmug.com/LVProm-2023/ to view photos captured during prom. A School Messenger email will be sent out with the password to view, download or purchase photos. If you have any questions, please contact Juli Charon at designjcc@yahoo.com.
Despite forecasts, the weather held out for the Locust Valley High School Class of 2023 for graduation ceremony on the morning of June 24. One hundred seventy-nine seniors dressed in green and white gowns with colorful cords symbolizing all their accomplishments marched onto Fred Smith Field to the cheers of their friends and family and music provided by the school band.
Once the students were seated, concert chorale opened the ceremony and entertained the large crowd in the bleachers with performances of the national anthem and “In My Life” by The Beatles. Student speakers Aria Khwaja, Edilberto Rivas Cruz, class president Evan Shriberg, salutatorian Clare Simon and valedictorian Alisha Uduevbo spoke of the resiliency their class showed throughout their four years. Principal Patrick DiClemente and Acting Superintendent of Schools Janine Sampino also shared some words of wisdom with the class, reminding them to embrace the opportunities that come before them and that Locust Valley will always remain their home.
After the speeches, each member of the graduating class was called up to the dais and received their diploma from DiClemente.
To conclude the ceremony, DiClemente told the graduates to turn their tassels, marking their move from students to the district’s latest group of alumni. As a testament to the togetherness of this class, the turf field remained packed with students embracing after the caps were tossed and the ceremony was finished. The Class of 2023 will remain part of the Falcon Family forever!
June 23, 2023
Dear Locust Valley School Community:
The high school Graduation of the Class of 2023 is tomorrow Saturday, June 24th at 11am.
Update related to Weather
Our plan continues to be an outdoor graduation ceremony at 11am on the Fred Smith Field at Locust Valley Middle/High School.
At this time, the forecast for Graduation day reflects temperatures approximately 80 degrees with rain clearing early morning.
We are prepared for an outdoor ceremony and expect a beautiful event.
No ticket is needed for an outdoor ceremony. Seating is offered in the bleachers and on the track area. Graduates are seated on the field.
Given uncertain weather circumstances, outdoor streaming equipment will be modified. Video taping of the event will occur and will be published to our Locust Valley HS Film and TV Youtube account.
Our ceremony is traditionally between 1:05 and 1:30 minutes.
We will continue to monitor the weather forecast through the evening and into the morning. In the event of poor weather continuing into the late morning, we are prepared if necessary to move the ceremony indoors. If the ceremony is indoors it will be in the auditorium with attendance limited to ticketed guests. Guests must be prepared with tickets in order to enter; graduates and on-stage guests do not need a ticket. Capacity is limited in the auditorium.
If We Host An Indoor Ceremony…
Tickets are needed to enter the auditorium. Alternative viewing locations are available without tickets – the mini-theater and ms/hs cafeteria.
To support family, friends, and staff interested in viewing the ceremony but unable to attend, we will provide a web-based live stream presentation of the ceremony. The livestream will be published to our Locust Valley HS Film and TV Youtube account and posted on our website.
Live stream available at: (https://www.youtube.com/@locustvalleyhsfilmandtv7373)
Graduation is a special event for the graduates, families, and our school community. Congratulations to all involved students, families, staff, and community members. We are closely monitoring the forecast. If we make any changes, we will inform you as early as possible tomorrow. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Patrick DiClemente, Lisa Czerniecki, Jennifer Masa
Locust Valley High School Administration
Locust Valley district staff members Dr. Melissa Furino, Ashley O’Connell and Kurt Simon were honored by the board of education for receiving tenure at a ceremony at the MS/HS auditorium on June 13. Acting Superintendent Janine Sampino and members of the board of education offered their sincere appreciation for these three hardworking individuals whose efforts have made students feel at home in the school community.
“Our district benefits immensely from the efforts Dr. Furino, Ms. O’Connell and Mr. Simon put in every day,” Acting Superintendent Janine Sampino said. “It is staff like them who make sure our students have an incredible and rewarding experience in Locust Valley and Bayville.”
Tenure Recipients:
Dr. Melissa Furino – School Psychologist, Ann MacArthur Primary School
Ashley O’Connell – Special Education Teacher, Locust Valley Middle School
Kurt Simon – Principal, Ann MacArthur Primary School
Ann MacArthur Primary, Bayville Intermediate and Locust Valley Intermediate school students celebrated the end of the school year with their field days last week. Students at each school got to display their athleticism, school spirit and sportsmanship in front of family and friends in games set up by school staff and physical education teachers. The Bayville and Locust Valley elementary parent councils helped students refuel with water stations at each field day.
As the year winds down at Locust Valley Middle School and High School there has been a lot to celebrate. The middle school held its awards ceremony on June 1, while the high school celebrated the Senior Academic and Community Awards on May 25, the IB Diploma Ceremony on May 31 and the Senior Athletic Awards on June 7.
At the middle school ceremony, Acting Principal Mike LoGerfo and Acting Assistant Principal Amy Watson honored the top 10% of students in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Three students also took home state awards, with Alexandra Armhein and Tallulah Lamb attaining the Triple C Award honoring students’ courage, character and commitment and Ann McAree receiving the New York State Comptroller Student Achievement Award.
At the high school’s Senior Academic and Community Awards, students were commended for their remarkable work in school and for making their hometowns even better places to live.
The IB Diploma Ceremony honored the 34 high school students who completed the rigorous two-year program, which included a final extended essay where students wrote on topics that interested them.
Finally, the Senior Athletic Awards highlighted the athletes who have stood out as performers and leaders on the field. The athletic department also presented coach Michael Guidone with the coach of the Year award.
Each ceremony celebrated the dedication and commitment our incredible students have shown in the classroom, on the field and in the community this school year.
As part of their library class’s gardening unit, Locust Valley Intermediate students planted vegetables outside the school in March with librarian Anne Joyce. On June 2, students harvested the radishes and lettuce and on June 7 they had a feast during their library class while Mrs. Joyce read to them.
Life Skills students at Locust Valley High School and Middle School showed family and friends the incredible musical and artistic skills they have developed this year in the auditorium on June 9. Students played famous songs such as “The Final Countdown” and “A Sky Full of Stars” on the drums and with rhythm sticks and showcased their art pieces from the school year. Some students told jokes to the crowd to keep them entertained in between performances.
Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors of Locust Valley High School competed in the annual Battle of the Grades in the gymnasium on June 6. Students competed in a free-throw contest, three-legged race, capture the flag, tug of war and obstacle course and raced to complete puzzles and play Pictionary for points while waiting for the next activity. In a tight contest, the junior class captured this year’s title.
Seniors will take part in a graduation rehearsal on Wednesday, June 21, at 1 p.m. on the football field or the auditorium in case of rain. Members of the Class of 2023 must return their Chromebooks by Tuesday, June 20, in order to receive their cap and gown for rehearsal.
Locust Valley High School sophomore Celeste Field took home the National Champion Award for vaulting at the 2023 USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program National Championships in Oklahoma City in May and is ready for when the college recruitment period starts on June 15.
Field, 15, prepared a new vault with her coaches for the competition over the past few months and was not sure what to expect going into the championships.
“I was so happy it paid off and I think my coaches’ reactions were probably the best part of the experience,” Field said. “I’m really proud of myself, my coaches and my parents for all the work and dedication we put in to the process.”
Field has spent the year preparing for the competition with coaches Kevin Budney, Amanda Depaola and Rob Wing at Apex Athletics in St. James. She travels to the practice facility every day, leaving school around 1 p.m. and getting home close to 8 p.m. most nights.
“All of my teachers have been very helpful,” Field said. “I miss a lot of school during meet season and they’ve empowered me to go for it. The school has been very accepting of what I’m doing and everyone has helped me a lot.” Field makes up her work and studies often when she’d on the road to events.
After placing ninth in the country in her age group, Field is going into college recruitment with and open mind.
“With my other teammates that have gone through that, it seems like a cool experience,” Field said. “Right now, I’m just excited and grateful that any school might have interest in me.”
