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Rockville Centre honors top graduates and spotlights student service learning
Summary
The Rockville Centre Board of Education recognized Southside High School’s salutatorian and valedictorian, and heard student-led presentations on service learning, community partnerships and school programs including wood design and Chamber Singers.
The Rockville Centre Board of Education on Feb. 26 recognized two Southside High School seniors as the class of 2025 salutatorian and valedictorian and heard a multi-part presentation on service learning that included demonstrations from kindergarten through high school students.
Dr. Walsh, a district administrator, introduced Elena Mignaronce as salutatorian and praised her “conducting sophisticated DNA research at Cold Spring Harbor Labs” as well as community projects and patient-care volunteer work. Dr. Walsh also presented Daniela Argendizo as valedictorian and cited her memberships in five honor societies, leadership of several clubs and shadowing experience in dental and orthodontic practices.
The board then heard a formal presentation on the district’s service-learning approach from John Murphy, an administrator who described service learning as “the highest form of education where knowledge meets action to create meaningful change,” and from Marie Dalton, who emphasized reflection-focused experience rather than hour-counting. The presentation included students from multiple grades.
Wood design teacher David Beinlick told the board that his students have completed community projects and partnerships with organizations such as Camp Anchor, Camp Sunshine and the Sandell Senior Citizen Center; students Nicholas Mitchell and Sabrina Nordella said their work helped the district raise funds at the Sandell Center’s holiday boutique and build relationships with local businesses such as Slider Joe’s.
High school Chamber Singers members Kaylee Ricciutti and Tatum Gallagher described repeated outreach events, including performances at the Sandell Center and Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital and appearances at school ceremonies. “When we go to the hospital and we see people just…we’re making music and sharing this kind of connection that can’t really be shared otherwise,” Ricciutti said.
Superintendent Michael Gavin (identified in the meeting as Mr. Gavin) noted the district’s new Challenger basketball team for students with special needs and reminded families of new New York State reporting requirements that require the district to verify whether seniors have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). He invited families to contact guidance counselors or the administration for help with the FAFSA process.
Board members praised the student presentations and emphasized the role of service learning in building civic connections and student leadership. Several trustees urged continued attention to sequencing and curriculum alignment so service activities produce measurable learning outcomes rather than only documenting hours.
Presenters and students at the Feb. 26 work session urged continued district support for teacher-led community partnerships, for expanded experiential programs and for the district goal of aligning extracurricular work with academic learning.
The board moved from the recognitions and presentations into its budget discussion after the student program segment concluded.
