Inside Islip Schools

Islip High School proudly celebrated its 98th annual graduation ceremony on June 23, a momentous occasion that showcased the accomplishments of the Class of 2023 and provided a platform to honor their hard work and dedication, not only over the past four years, but for their entire educational journey in Islip. The ceremony reached its climax as the graduates, filled with jubilation and a sense of accomplishment, threw their caps high into the air. With the symbolic gesture, they bid farewell to their high school years and embraced the promising future that lies ahead.

Islip High School seniors in the Class of 2023 made the traditional return visit on June 20 to the building where their studies began, Wing Elementary School. Wearing graduation caps and gowns, they marched through Wing’s hallways to the delight of the assembled kindergartners and first graders as well their former teachers.

Attended by 160 seniors from the Class of 2023, Islip High School’s 22nd annual Post Prom was held in the high school’s cafeteria on the night of June 22, immediately following the return of the seniors from their prom at Water’s Edge in Centerport. For this year’s event, the senior class chose a “Casino Night” theme, and it featured over 50 prizes obtained via fundraising and 65 gift basket giveaways donated by the community.

This year’s memorable Flag Day ceremony at the Islip School District’s Commack Road Elementary School held special significance in several ways. The June 14 event marked the last time at the helm for Principal James Cameron, who is leaving the school at the end of the year. The ceremony also honored the memory and birthday of Islip firefighter Billy Moon, who died last December in a firehouse accident. Moon’s children and family joined American Legion Rusy-Bohm Post 411 Commander Richard Abrams for the raising of the flag.

Islip’s Maud S. Sherwood Elementary School hosted its second annual Boosterthon, working with the school’s PTA to raise $18,632, far above the school’s pledged goal of $17,000. Over the course of a week, students learned about gratitude, bravery and perseverance, all while having fun and raising money. The fundraiser culminated in a community-building Fun Run activity, in which students ran, walked, hopped and danced around the school’s track while a DJ provided entertainment and encouragement. With each lap, faculty, staff and parent volunteers helped the children record how far they ran. As a special reward for her spirited students, Principal Briana James held an entertaining “Pie the Principal” and “Dunk the Principal” event, enduring pies to the face and a bracing dip in a dunk tank. The money raised will be used for the National Circus Project, as well as to fund a new outdoor classroom for Sherwood.

Islip High School recognized many remarkable scholars at its May 17 honor society induction ceremony. Seventy students were welcomed to the World Language Honor Society that evening, 63 for Spanish and seven for Italian. Ten students were inducted into the Math Honor Society, 43 into the English Honor Society and 53 into the National Honor Society.

Confirming their commitment to participate in collegiate athletics this fall, six Islip High School seniors recently signed national letters of intent to confirm their commitment to participate in collegiate athletics this fall. They included Olivia Eifert, who will play tennis at SUNY New Paltz; Tyler Vetrano, who joins the volleyball program at SUNY Old Westbury in only its second year of play and will also play soccer for the Panthers; Steven Nataniel, who will run track for Farmingdale State College; Anna Rahner, who is set to play softball at Farmingdale State College; Shawn Ryan, who is slated to play baseball for Mount St. Vincent College; and Ashley Toro, who will join the softball and indoor track teams at Farmingdale State College.

Five students in Islip High School’s Keep Islip Clean club – Katherine Cottral, Katerina Mennecke, Jaci Narducci, Steven Plotke and Anika Tahsin – were inducted into the Town of Islip KIC Junior Commissioner program at Town Hall West on May 22. In this program, teachers from high schools throughout the Town of Islip select students in their schools to serve as environmental ambassadors for their districts. On the following day, the KIC Junior Commissioners led their club to Seatuck Environmental Center for a Pond Day field trip. At Seatuck, KIC club members volunteered to remove an invasive swamp iris species from the pond at the environmental center. Students also planted native milkweed in a garden to attract monarch butterflies to the area. Students ended the field trip with a nature walk through the Seatuck marsh trail.

Islip High School recognized 25 remarkable students for earning the New York State Seal of Biliteracy during a May 31 ceremony in the school’s cafeteria. This prestigious honor is bestowed on high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. The seal is affixed to each student’s diploma and high school transcript.

Seniors Nikita Cook, Jessica Hagihara and Brianna Henning earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Italian; Nicolas Cerna, Mia Crespo, Ahdalia Davies, Jhey Dizon, Rebecca Elie, Daiana Fuentes Velasquez, Estefany D. Gonzalez, Oscar Guerrero, Diego Guevara, Kayley Guzman Morales, Maria J. Jaramillo Placencio, Rachael Keyes, Jaleesa Marmol, Kathleen Ortiz Blandin, Juan Pantaleon, Simon Ramirez, Stella Reagan, Kacey Schassberger, Abigail Sosa Flores, Stephanie Vega and Brielle Zink earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish; and Emilio Shahib earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Italian with a pending Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish. Additionally, junior Jessica Villavicencio Alvarenga was recognized as a Seal of Biliteracy candidate demonstrating proficiency in Spanish.

Islip Middle School’s entire seventh grade enjoyed a June 6 field trip to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale, where they experienced the “Solar System Tour” interactive show on the IMAX screen in the JetBlue Sky Theater Planetarium. The immersive program provided a detailed look at the different objects that populate the solar system, such as planets, moons, asteroids and comets.

Islip High School guitar students Aidan Ferrara and Aaron Thorn were recently named the co-recipients of the Historical Society of Islip Hamlet’s John Monteleone Scholarship. Both students will receive $250 checks to use to further their musical endeavors.

Islip Middle School students – including sixth graders from the district’s EXCEL program and seventh graders from family and consumer science classes – took a historical food walking tour on Islip’s Main Street on May 19, which included Manhattan Sweets Bakery, The Pizzeria and Coyle’s Ice Cream. This year, Historical Society of Islip Hamlet President Catherine Romano and students from the Functional Academics program provided the middle schoolers with a glimpse into the rich history of Islip’s Main Street. On the walk to the restaurant establishments, stops were made along the many historic markers on Main Street where students were informed about significant events that occurred in the town’s past.

Fifth graders at Sherwood participated in their first Hackathon in May, organized by KidOYO and hosted by the East Williston School District. A coding software used by students at all levels, KidOYO enables students to learn basic coding skills like block coding as well as more sophisticated coding languages like Python. The Sherwood Hackaneers participated in the upper elementary division of the Hackathon competition. The team consisted of eight students – Penny Becker, Quinn Dobson, Julian Kelly, Jameson Lynch, Jeremiah Vargas, Ariston Hamm, Cayden Smith and Lucas Taormina. The fifth graders utilized the KidOYO apps Hatch and Sprite Editor to compete against 18 other schools from across Long Island, earning 10th place overall.

Twenty-five Islip School District teachers and administrators recently completed a 12-week Spanish for Educators course provided by Suffolk County Community College. The classes, held weekly at Islip High School, helped to enhance their communication skills with families and students across the district.

Islip’s 2023 valedictorian Connor Autera was among those recognized when the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association hosted the 29th annual Valedictorians Luncheon at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook on June 1. The SCSSA tradition honored the enviable accomplishments of the county’s highest-achieving graduates from the Class of 2023 and was attended by school district superintendents, high school principals, valedictorians and their parents.

The Middle Country SBMC 05 girls travel soccer team, featuring Islip High School incoming senior Dakota Dieumegard and Class of 2023 graduate Brielle Zink, was recently ranked No. 1 in the country in the under-18 category. The team’s year was an accomplished one, including taking first place in the Jefferson Cup, FC Delco Players Cup, EDP League Cup and USYS Regional Showcase. The team went on to capture the USYS Eastern Regional championship, winning all five games, and earn a finalist spot in the USYS National Championship.

Location: Administration Building - 215 Main Street, Islip, NY 11751
Phone: (631) 650-8200