A former college basketball player and a current cross fit coach, Castellanos imparts her wisdom on our athletes and helps them understand how to treat their bodies and rest and recuperate as needed. During the regular school day, Castellanos works in our district as a physical education teacher at Ann MacArthur Primary School. She is a believer that movement is medicine and that students are at their happiest when they are up and about.
As National Athletic Training Month ends, Castellanos’ spring work is just beginning. Please join us in thanking Ms. Castellanos!
After months of preparation, building unique products, business and marketing plans and presentations, 11 members of the Locust Valley high School DECA Club recently returned from the New York State Career Conference with several accolades and a new piece of history.
Senior Vito Ricciardi earned a medal for being one of the top 10 in his presentation in one of his role plays, while junior Chelsy Arrata became the first member in the club’s history to qualify for the DECA International Career Development Conference for placing fifth in Professional Selling. Club members Ann McAree and Mia Lu won their seminar, an event where students had to come up with a product to solve a consumer issue on the spot.
Team members competed in a mix of roleplays and presentations, working with teammates on the fly for some events and reciting carefully prepared product launches by themselves for others.
“It’s very nerve-racking,” Arrata said of the presentations. “But once you get going in the middle of your presentation, you feel a lot better about it.”
“It made it a little less nervy to have a partner because you know you have each other,” McAree said of the roleplays.
Upon their return, the team members have been excited to embrace the last few months of the school year as they continue to build and fundraise towards further successes next year.
The endorsement, which was bestowed upon only 26 schools and districts in New York, recognizes schools and districts that embrace and support visual arts instruction using a sequential, standards-based curriculum while increasing inclusivity, equity and accessibility in arts education. The recognition celebrates programs that are shaping the future of creative learning; inspiring innovation, preparing students for a rapidly changing world and ensuring that every learner has access to high-quality visual arts experiences.
This achievement is a testament to the high standards the district’s arts educators have built together. Congratulations to teachers Tom Camilleri, Jessica Cestaro, Donna Chaplin, Dana Ettinger and Melanie Mooney.
“This recognition reflects the incredible collaboration, creativity and commitment to our art teachers, who work every day to ensure that all students have meaningful access to the visual arts,” Coordinator of Instructional Technology and the Fine and Applied Arts, AnnMarie Buonaspina said. “We are proud of the work happening across our schools and grateful to be recognized as a model program in New York State.”
The winter may have been cold and snowy, but it didn’t stop Falcons athletes from soaring to success. Fourteen varsity athletes earned All-Class, All-Conference, All-County and County Champions during the winter season. The boys swimming team, bowling team, girls basketball and indoor track and field teams were each named Scholar-Athlete teams for achieving a GPA of 90 or higher.
The varsity cross-country team earned its first-ever conference championship in the fall, and the winter track and field team took the baton and continued that momentum. The 4x8 relay team finished top three in the conference championships, and Lillian Thompson set a new school record in the 3000-meter event.
Marcus Houghtaling, Declan Mueller and Liam Roberts competed in the New York State championships in February. Houghtaling and Mueller punched their tickets as county champions, while Roberts earned second place. Senior Aidan Russo qualified for the Nassau County championships, finishing in fifth place.
Seven members of the boys varsity swim team achieved All-Conference honors in just the second year of the growing program.
On the courts, the varsity girls basketball team made it to the playoffs, and head coach Mike Guidone reached 200 wins. Boys basketball rallied around their teammate, Francesco Allocca, giving him an amazing career send-off with two more points on senior night.
Attention: Karen Horoszewski, Assistant Superintendent for Business. Interested, qualified and experienced providers can obtain Request for Proposal documents in the Administration Building, online at www.locustvalleyschools.org or via email request to khoroszewski@locustvalleyschools.org.
Visit the purchasing page on the district website for details: https://www.locustvalleyschools.org/page/purchasing
Out of the 1.3 million entrants, these students are among the 15,000 chosen from across the country, representing the top one percent of U.S. high school seniors. They are eligible for National Merit Scholarships to be awarded between April and July.
https://www.locustvalleyschools.org/page/human-resources-appr
Positions include: Business Teacher (MS/HS), Business Teacher, Leave Replacement (HS), Career and Technical Education Media (MS), Elementary Teacher, Elementary Teacher, Leave Replacement, English as a Second Language Teacher (Elementary), Psychologist, Psychologist, Leave Replacement (HS), Special Education Life Skills Teacher, Special Education Science Teacher (MS/HS), Speech Teacher (Elementary), Teaching Assistants and Teacher Aides.
Meanwhile, the middle school’s robotics team, the Falconbots, competed in the Long Island Championship in the FIRST Lego League Explore program as one of the top 30 teams in the competition.
The team put in hours of after-school work in the weeks leading up to the event, improving their innovation idea presentation and performing a skit for judges showing how they could help archeologists piece together shards found at dig sites.
While students did arts and crafts, played games and socialized with members of the high school’s student government, parents learned cyber safety techniques and healthy habits to prepare their children for the modern digital environment from Yale University-trained clinical psychologist Dr. Marie Bragg.
Dr. Bragg, an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health at the NYU School of Medicine, showed parents how to utilize apps and services that limit social media use, and spoke about the techniques that companies use to market to children.
The Locust Valley Central School District is proud to celebrate the achievements of our young scientists at the 2026 Long Island Science and Engineering Fair (LISEF).
Representing our community with distinction in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge were Emilie Baldwin, Zachary Kim and Waverly Shenoy. Each of these students demonstrated an impressive level of scientific inquiry and dedication to their research.
Emilie Baldwin received an honorable mention for her innovative project on water filtration techniques. Notably, this marks the second consecutive year that a project from Locust Valley Middle School has earned an honorable mention at this prestigious regional competition.
This sustained success is a testament to the hard work of our students and the high caliber of our science programs. Congratulations to Emilie, Zachary and Waverly on their remarkable accomplishments!
Come out and support the amazing cast, crew and behind-the-scenes teams who brought Bikini Bottom and its lovable citizens to life. Tickets are $10 in advance and at the doors. Student tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.
Get your tickets today at https://cur8.com/39980/project/137753.
The coaches leapt into action during a practice on Nov. 17, when senior Francesco Allocca collapsed on the court. They expertly performed CPR and operated the AED located right outside the gymnasium, helping Allocca regain consciousness before being taken away in an ambulance. Allocca has since recovered and returned to school, grateful for every new day because of his coaches’ efforts.
“In athletics, we talk a lot about preparation, teamwork and leadership,” Locust Valley Athletic Director, Danielle Turner Cosci said. “On that day, these coaches showed exactly what those words mean when it mattered most.”
The Lifesaving Award is presented to individuals whose actions reflect the highest standards of courage, professionalism and care for students using skills taught by the American Red Cross, such as first aid, CPR, using an AED or epinephrine auto-injector. Francesco Allocca and his mother Pia were in attendance to thank these coaches again at the Locust Valley Central School District offices.
“Every decision, every moment, every act of calm under pressure was essential,” CEO of American Red Cross on Long Island, Jose Dominguez said. “Their actions remind us that heroes walk among us everyday and sometimes they wear whistles around their necks.”
Congratulations to these students on this recognition, and thank you to Ms. Mooney for your belief in and guidance of our artists!
Grant Creedon is the salutatorian of the Locust Valley High School Class of 2026, boasting a weighted average of 108.73. His curious nature has helped him constantly find new classes and interests that have sent him down an exciting path to college and beyond.
Throughout his four years, Creedon’s love for math has only grown. Besides the fact that his brothers and parents work in the business world, Creedon found his interest in the economy from video games such as Fortnite and Minecraft which have their own trading systems.
Creedon said his favorite class was multi-variable calculus with Ms. Papas during his junior year. There, Creedon started off his days with a class that played to his interests and did not have a final examination, a fact that made him feel like he could focus on digesting the material at his own pace.
“It felt like the class was able to focus on higher level stuff rather than teaching for a test or a final,” Creedon said. “We just learned to learn. It gave a lot more freedom to explore.”
In addition to his interest in math and business, Creedon accidentally discovered an unlikely new passion heading into his junior year. Less than a week before classes began in September, Creedon switched into Mr. Canavan’s psychology class with some friends and found himself enthralled with the subject. He ended up having such a great time in the class that he is now hoping to combine his interests to study behavioral economics in college.
Creedon has balanced his studies with athletic pursuits as a member of the football and wrestling teams, as well as with the National Honor Society and helping to donate books as part of the Book Fairies program. His interest in wrestling led him to contact the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania during his junior year. This connection led him to participate in a summer camp at the school, where he fell in love with the campus and ultimately decided it needed to be at the top of his early decision list. While he won’t wrestle there, Creedon’s used his interest and outgoing nature to make inroads and find the best place for him to continue his academic career.
“Without wrestling, I wouldn’t have applied, let alone picked it as the school for me,” Creedon said. “It was monumental in getting me there, and while I don’t think I’ll be continuing wrestling, it was huge in getting me there.”
During his senior year, Creedon has continued to let his curiosity guide him into new and exciting areas. He took to the stage dressed as one of the aliens from “Toy Story” as part the annual Lip Sync Night, belting “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” with his classmates. Growing up, he enjoyed trick or treating at Safe Halloween, and this year he experienced that event as an organizer with his fellow student government members. He also took on the role of Board of Education ex-officio member with Christian Ciccone, where the two keep the Board abreast of the happenings within the school buildings from a student perspective.
“I think it’s been a really good experience,” Creedon said of his ex-officio duties. “It helps with my public speaking since I have to address the Board, as well as the audience.”
Creedon will take his leadership skills and curious spirit with him to The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the fall.
The inductees and audience were treated to fantastic piano and vocal performances from Ryan Raichoudhury and Stella Fraser, respectively.
Team members Sophia Georgiopoulos and Morgan Sullivan and head coach Michael Gilbert ventured to MetLife Stadium, along with over 100 other New York and New Jersey programs, where they spoke with Sports New York’s Jeane Coakley about their excitement for the upcoming season, struck a pose in individual photoshoots and toured Gang Green’s luxurious locker room.
The Falcons are scheduled to open the season on the road at Hempstead High School on Friday, March 20, at 5 p.m. They’ll return home for a matchup with Oceanside High School on Monday, March 23.
Tickets are $10 in advance and at the doors. Student tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.
Get your tickets today at https://cur8.com/39980/project/137753.
