Locust Valley Middle School students danced into spring break recently with Incanto Productions, who showed the students how to dance the famous Italian dance the Tarantella. Members of Incanto ran through the dance’s history and moves step-by-step, and some students took to the stage and donned traditional Tarantella outfits, as well. It was a great week for the Italian classes, who also made pizza at Ralph’s Pizza in Bayville and other treats with the cooking club.
For six days a week, Locust Valley High School senior Orlando Watson is on the water in Bayville continuing his rowing pursuits. It’s something he’s done for two years, and it has led to a scholarship at the prestigious Dartmouth College.
Though it’s been a relatively quick road for the 18-year-old native of England, it has not always been as smooth as the bay water he treads so often.
“In my first regatta two years ago in upstate New York, I flipped in the first hundred meters into the cold water,” Watson said. “But I got back up and did pretty well in the next race.” At that point in March 2022, Watson had only been rowing for a few weeks, but he has come a long way since.
Watson was encouraged to begin rowing by one of his brothers because of his size. After a few times out on the water, he discovered a love for the sport and enrolled in Oak Neck Rowing Academy.
An early goal of Watson’s was to row two kilometers in six minutes and 20 seconds. In his first attempt in 2022, he rowed to a seven-minute and six second mark. From that point, Watson dropped between five and ten seconds each time, eventually getting down to six minutes and 13 seconds in 2024.
“It was stressful because I was on a deadline and wouldn’t have been recruited if I didn’t improve,” Watson said. “You’d have days where you give it your 110 percent and it wasn’t good enough and you’re like am I even right for this sport. Then you get out on the water again and you’re like this isn’t so bad.”
In the two years since he started, Watson has competed at the state, national and international levels, which has seen him travel the east coast from Saratoga, New York to Sarasota, Florida.
All of Watson’s work culminated in him signing his letter of intent to row for Dartmouth in November of 2023. “When they told me the news, I was absolutely ecstatic and I was literally jumping for joy,” Watson recalled. “It felt like after working so hard, there was finally something tangible for all the labor I put in.”
Young athletes from throughout the Locust Valley Central School district went to the high school’s Fred Smith Field on April 27 to learn from current baseball, lacrosse and track varsity athletes at the annual Future Falcon Day.
Organized by the Falcon Pride Athletic Booster Club and the Locust Valley Athletic Department, Future Falcon Day gives the next generation of Falcons an opportunity to practice with and learn from the current varsity stars and coaches.
“Future Falcon Day is one of my favorite days of the year, as we get to see so many of our current Falcons coaching the next generation,” Locust Valley Athletic Director Danielle Turner Cosci said. “Our youngest Falcons have a blast playing on the high school fields, and it is such a great display of Falcon Pride that truly brings out all the best in our athletics.”
After months of preparation and hard work, the talented student-musicians of Bayville and Locust Valley will take to the stage and showcase their incredible talents to the community during the spring concerts. The high school kicks off three weeks of performances on Thursday, May 2, followed by the sixth-grade concert on Monday, May 6, the grades 7 and 8 concert on Tuesday, May 7, the middle school co-curricular concert on Thursday, May 9, the Locust Valley Intermediate concert on Tuesday, May 14, and the Bayville Intermediate concert on Thursday, May 16. All concerts start at 7 p.m. in the MS/HS auditorium.
Locust Valley Middle School Italian classes took a short trip to Ralph’s Pizza and Restaurant in Bayville on April 16 and 17 to learn step-by-step how to make a pizza with the help of their cooks.
Dozens of students stepped behind the counter and learned how to make dough and put sauce and cheese on a pizza. While some groups were in the kitchen, others learned from history of pizza from employees at the Bayville restaurant.
After each group had their chance to learn and cook, they sat down and enjoyed the pizzas they made as a group for lunch.
The Falcon Pride Booster Club and Locust Valley Athletic Department will host the annual Future Falcon Day on Saturday, April 27, from 9-10:30 a.m. Young athletes from throughout the district are encouraged to come to the high school’s turf field and learn from varsity baseball, softball, lacrosse and track athletes. Varsity coaches will be on hand for a meet and greet, and water and snacks will be provided by Falcon Pride. Come down and enjoy a fun morning with the Falcons.
As part of Locust Valley High School’s celebration of Earth Day on April 19, the Animal and Environmental Awareness Club held a poster contest for students to showcase their artistic talent and environmental messaging. Molly Bowden took first place in the most creative category, Angelina Grygoriak and Francesca LoCascio won first place for the most unique category and Ronald Castro and Carlos Mauricio earned first place in the best message category. The rest of the fantastic posters were placed on the windows of the high school hallway.
The club then hosted guests from the Wildlife Center of Long Island, who told the members about their work helping to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned wildlife. The Wildlife Center volunteers also brought in a turtle, falcon and an opossum that have been nursed back to health at their headquarters.
The top 15 students in the Locust Valley High School Class of 2024 were honored for their academic dedication on April 15.
Each student invited teachers throughout the district who helped them become the impressive students and people they are.
“Each of us is encouraged to pursue pathways that fit our passions and also to eagerly accept new challenges and ventures towards activities and areas that will help us to grow as individuals,” top 15 senior Mary Fitzgerald said to her fellow honorees. “Let us be committed to exposing our talents and creating, shaping and igniting others.”
“As a teacher, being selected as an influential figure in the life of one of the top 15 students of a class in not only a great honor, but validation of our efforts as educators,” science teacher Louis DeRose, who was the guest of top 15 student Gianna Palleschi, said.
The top 15 students are Stephania Atsidis, Catherine Blackman, Amanda Cerda, Charlotte Charon, Isabella Croke, Nicholas DiLorenzo, Mary Fitzgerald, Vicente Godoy Moncada, Riley Haas, Areesha Khalid, Spiro Lampoutis, Kelsey Neves, Gianna Palleschi, Orlando Watson and Carly Wolfe.
Locust Valley High School students traveled to the Nassau County Emergency Medical Services Academy in Old Bethpage to participate in training scenarios on April 13.
Students handled tools to help them access cars that have been in an accident and ventured into an out-of-service train car to practice emergency scenarios where they treated and evacuated injured passengers.
“The dedication and passion of these students are indeed remarkable, highlighting their crucial role in shaping a future where safety and well-being are paramount,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kristen Turnow said. “Their commitment to learning life-saving skills not only equips them with invaluable knowledge, but also serves as a beacon of hope for building a safer and more compassionate society.”
The students participate in the emergency medical technician course, dedicating six hours after school every week from November to May to intensive studies and hands-on training. At the end of the course, each student will take knowledge and skills exams to earn their EMT certification.
The Locust Valley High School French, Italian and Spanish honor societies welcomed 53 new members during a ceremony on April 11. Inductees achieved a grade of 88 or above in their language class and an 85 overall grade cumulatively.
As they entered the auditorium, inductees were met with a beautiful introductory piece from the high school chamber orchestra. Students Catie Blackman, Rebecca DiDomizio, Kai Hoy and John Zatwarnicki performed songs and poems in each language represented.
In April, Locust Valley Intermediate School students learned about some amazing resources in their neighborhoods, as representatives from the Locust Valley Library, Nassau County Police and The North Shore Land Alliance visited for Community Day.
Locust Valley librarians took third graders on a virtual tour of the library to show them where they can find age-appropriate books, games and movies in the building. They also introduced students to different clubs hosted at the library where students can meet new friends with similar interests.
Fourth graders learned about the benefits of nature preservation from a representative of the North Shore Land Alliance. The representative showed students programs where they can get involved in cleanups and plantings in their neighborhood with their friends and family.
Fifth graders learned how to be safe and kind to each other online through examples shown by a Nassau County police officer.
Locust Valley Middle School recently honored nine students for their acts of kindness throughout March. Justin Acosta Pineda, Dila Agir, Lauren Baxter, Jameson Blydenburgh, Liam Doherty, Hayden Elferis, Gavin Hoban, Thomas Simon and Eliana Wieczorek were observed by classmates and staff performing acts of kindness around the school.
The acts of kindness included asking the teacher how they could help a new student get up to speed in class, sharing supplies to help another group finish their project and helping a student on crutches around the hallways all day.
On April 8, students and staff from across the district converged at Locust Valley Middle School/High School to get a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse. Students were sent home with special eclipse glasses by their schools the Friday before so they could gaze at the rare and wondrous event. Eclipse glasses were also donated to the schools by our local libraries.
Locust Valley High School welcomed student filmmakers from 16 high schools from across Long Island for its 18th Annual Film Festival on April 11.
Locust Valley students took home 20 of the 38 awards, including Best in Show, as judged by industry veterans and educators from Five Towns College. The judges awarded the winners in each category a full scholarship to the 2024 Summer Scholars Program at Five Towns College.
The young film makers spent the day in the Harold A. Schmock Auditorium watching each other’s’ animation, broadcasting, comedy, commercial, documentary, drama, horror, music video, PSA and trailer short films. They also enjoyed a lunch cooked by the Locust Valley High School culinary club.
Best in Show winning film “L’Estanger Urbain” from Locust Valley High School students Liam Grohman, Molly Bowden, Lucie Nixon and Andreas Kennedy will have the honor of being screened at the 27th Annual Long Island International Film Festival in July.
On April 4, Locust Valley Middle School welcomed 88 new members of the National Junior Honor Society. New inductees recited the Pledge of the National Honor Society, and current NJHS officers lit candles representing scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship during the ceremony. Talented middle schoolers Stella Fraser and Maya Karagiannakis also performed songs from “The Wizard of Oz” and “Annie,” respectively.
“Scholarship is the foundation upon which this society is built,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kristen Turnow said. “It is the commitment to intellectual curiosity, the pursuit of knowledge and the dedication to academic excellence that sets these students apart. Their thirst for learning and willingness to push the boundaries of their understanding inspires us all.”
April is recognized nationally as the Month of the Military Child as a time to honor the sacrifices made by military families with parents serving in the armed forces, highlighting the tremendous impact children have among the armed forces community. The Month of the Military Child allows us to applaud military families for the sacrifices that have been made for the good of others and the United States with respect, service and leadership.
To recognize and honor the efforts of military and families, the high school is asking that students and staff “Purple-Up” by wearing purple on Monday, April 15.
Please share this message with family and friends to help turn our district and community purple for a day.
Read about the amazing accomplishments students and staff achieved in the classrooms and on the fields during the winter in this edition of Soundwaves. Go to the Newsletters section of the district website to catch up on all things L.V. at https://www.locustvalleyschools.org/page/newsletter.
The Locust Valley Central School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 25th year, the Best Communities designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students.
To qualify for the designation, the district answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“Our recognition as a NAMM Best Community for Music Education for the sixth consecutive year highlights the collective commitment of our educators, students and community to excellence in music education,” AnnMarie Buonaspina, Coordinator of Instructional Technology and the Fine and Applied Arts, said. “It validates our success in creating an enriching environment where music is an essential and vibrant part of our school community.”
More than 40 student films in categories such as animations, commercials, dramas, horrors and music videos will premiere at Monday Night at the Movies on April 8, at 7 p.m., which will take place in the Locust Valley Middle School/High School auditorium. Admission is free to all. Please come to support our student filmmakers before they screen their films at the 18th Annual Locust Valley High School Film Festival on April 11.
Six Locust Valley High School students traveled to Rochester, New York for the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Competition in March. Freshmen Harry Fraser, Dominic Spina and Nicholas Vebeliunas and sophomores Aman Arora, Evan Rafiy and Adhvaith Sreenivas were Locust Valley’s first representatives at the state-level conference. Over the course of two days, the trailblazing students competed in several business competitions and sat in on valuable lectures and workshops.
Locust Valley has been a part of DECA for three years, and the participation in the state event is just a prelude to what the program could soon be. Club adviser and business teacher Lara Olotka is in her first year in the district and has quickly helped students find their interests within the business world. “I always tell the students that business is everywhere,” Olotka said. “The skills that they learn will benefit them whether or not they choose business as a major.”
The marketing and personal finance and investment courses, which each had one class section this year will expand to two each next year. A Virtual Enterprise course is also on its way next year and will task students to run a mock business as a class.
