Westbury Union Free School District held its Westbury Middle School moving-up ceremony in June 2025, where administrators, teachers and families gathered to recognize eighth-graders advancing to high school and to present a slate of student awards.

Doctor Tahira Dupree Chase, superintendent of the Westbury Union Free School District, told the graduates, “You are the hope and the promise for tomorrow,” and urged them to carry gratitude and the lessons learned at the middle school into high school. Principal Dionne Jagan opened and guided the program and introduced student speakers, staff and award presenters.

The program combined short speeches from students with multiple staff-led award presentations. Adrianna Garcia, one of the top-10 students at Westbury Middle School, told classmates, “Congratulations. We did it.” Olivia Hellman, student body president and a top-10 scholar, addressed the crowd on leadership and was later recognized among award recipients.

Presenters named award recipients and described the accomplishments that led to each selection. Kevin Ehrlich presented the Donna DiOrio Memorial Award to Dutson Toussaint for notable academic and social growth. Doctor Charmaine Gardner presented the Howard Levy Memorial Award to Monica Alvarado Alvarado for marked improvement in mathematics. Doctor Letia Hill Wallace presented the Dr. Brian Copeland Memorial Award to Olivia Hellman for high achievement in science (presenters said she maintained a 95 average in a Regents-level course). William Talasik presented the Diane Douglas Counseling Award of Excellence to Dolisa Plaisir; Kishana Clyburn presented the Dolores Russell Memorial Award to Mishka Damancier.

The Horace B. Samuels Memorial Music Award went to Blair Long; presenters noted Long’s sustained participation in band, chorus and select ensembles, a high rating in solo/ensemble performance and a 95 on a vocal NYSMA recital. Coach Toni DeMeo presented the inaugural girls tennis awards to Sana Galloway Montanique and Nyla Bostick for their contributions to Westbury’s first middle school tennis teams. The Dragon Award for nurturing was presented to Carla Ortiz, and Naliah/Nalaya Gunter (presenters used both spellings in the program) received the NASA Bar Association Mentor Program recognition for mentoring and leadership.

David Zimbler, principal of Westbury High School, accepted the graduating class and addressed students about expectations as entering ninth-graders, closing by challenging them to continue the effort and growth they demonstrated in middle school.

The ceremony also listed the district’s top-10 scholars (Olivia Hellman, Michael Wilbur, Megan Park, Adriana/Adrianna Garcia, Michelle Hernandez Lazo, Kayla Goldstein, Naiva/Naeve Jackson, Tyesha/Tayesha Etienne, Bella Sylvia and Camila/Camilla Tavares) and included musical selections by the senior chorus. Administrators asked families to allow graduates to exit first and recognized PTSA leaders for their volunteer work.

The program emphasized students’ academic progress, extracurricular leadership and community support, and concluded with the formal conferral of diplomas and a transfer-of-colors to the incoming class. The district and school encouraged graduates to return and to remain connected as they move on to Westbury High School.