Please scan the QR code below to sign up, and celebrate former teacher Scott Bowden!!! Scott not only has become our historical resource for everything West Side, but his dedication to the West Side Run has never wavered for 31 years and counting! Please consider joining and signing up - see you at the annual West Side Run! Click link to sign up (or click QR code) https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Syosset/WestSideRun
“I am a painter and a storyteller, and this is how I tell my stories.” These are the words of Christopher Agostino, who tells folktales of transformation and wonder through face painting. His one-of-a-kind performance delights audiences using a combination of skillful storytelling through the spoken word, while illustrating the journey through face painting. He has an extensive repertoire of tales that fit grade level curriculum or cultural studies. Thanks to the Cultural Arts Committee, his unique presentation comes to both West Side and Lloyd Harbor. Here, the students at West Side listen as they are taken on mysterious journeys through magical lands and seas while having their faces painted with dramatic body painting as marks of personal identity. Mr. Agostino brings these tribal cultures to life, saying, “The face is my canvas…I bring together the imaginary and the supernatural to bring legends to life.” As the stories unfold, the face painting changes and comes to life...
Each year, Applebee’s sponsors an “Above & Bee-yond Teacher Essay Contest” where four deserving teachers from Long Island are chosen to receive a $500 sponsorship check for their classroom AND an end-of-the-year party hosted at Applebee’s restaurant! When West Side School student, Josephine Pologruto (grade 6) learned about this contest she knew she had to nominate her band teacher Ms. Roddin! At the West Side morning assembly on May 6, Ms. Roddin received a surprise ceremony honoring this amazing award, and she was completely caught off guard and humbled. Thank you to Superintendent Joseph Monastero and K-12 Music Chair Jim Guarini for joining Dr. Barnes at the ceremony. Josephine Pologruto was very proud to read her winning essay and to present the plaque, balloons and flowers to her teacher. Ms. Roddin shared, “It is an absolute privilege working with the students and faculty at West Side.” Congratulations Ms. Roddin – we are all humbled by your dedication and devotion to your students...
Each year our elementary students enter submissions for the World Language AASTP Poster Contest, and this year we are happy to announce that two of our students placed as top 3 finalists – amazing! The contest is for 5th and 6th graders, and the winners are Colin Gilroy who placed 1st (grade 5-Lloyd Harbor) and Dax Hall who placed 3rd (grade 5-West Side). These posters are in celebration of World Language Month in April. AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) selects a theme which students show in their posters. This year's theme was “Celebrando nuestras raíces y culturas en el corazón del universo” which means “Celebrating our roots and cultures in the heart of the universe.” FLES teacher Sandra Rivadeneyra shared, “It’s very exciting, this is the first time we have had two students place in this competition. ¡Felicidades to Colin and Dax!"
Congratulations to our International Thespian Honor Society Inductees - honoring student achievement in theater for their work both on and off the stage. Bravo!
On April 21, teachers Ann McLam (Art) and Morgan Milleisen (Tech) visited “A Step Ahead Prosthetics” in Hicksville along with a group of 8th grade students. Head Prosthetist, Founder and CEO Erik Schaffer along with his daughter Jessica (Marketing Specialist) gave the students a tour of their facility which included fabrication, casting, software and training. All their fabrication is done in house and provides services for individuals all over the world. Anaplastologist, Melissa Schaffer set up a casting experience for our students and explained how she uses silicone and paints to mold and match skin tones exactly creating realistic skins to wrap prosthetic devices. Amy Winters, Ultramarathon Athlete, Guinness WR holder and amputee spoke to our students about her personal experiences and about empathy for those with limb loss.
“May is a milestone month for seniors, as they finalize college decisions and prepare to take their next steps,” shared Director of Guidance Jeannette Alomia. “We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2025. This group of students has distinguished itself through academic excellence, creative achievements in the arts, powerful performances in athletics, and most importantly, through their generosity, leadership, kindness, and collaborative spirit. As they leave Cold Spring Harbor to begin new journeys, we send them off with our warmest wishes for happiness, fulfillment, and continued success!”
Library Media Specialist Whitney O’Donnell and her grade 5 students went on adventures creating “spine label poetry.” This fun activity has students on the hunt for words on the spine of books that when stacked together make a poem by combining all the words into a story – so clever! The students scoured the shelves for the perfect words to create stacked poems that they shared with their classmates. Also, each morning at Lloyd Harbor School, the daily LHTV episode featured a faculty member sharing a poem on air. Featured guests have shared funny and silly poems, like Shel Silverstein's "Sick" and more serious poetry, like "To Learn to Love," read by Ms. Morrison and written by her daughter when she was a senior at Cold Spring Harbor High School.
