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Sewanhaka students recognized for music, academics and inclusion; student advisory highlights district collaboration
Summary
At the Feb. 25 board meeting the district highlighted student accomplishments including All-State and National Merit recognitions, unified-sports and Special Olympics participation and a student advisory retreat; New Hyde Park Memorial was named a national Unified Champion school.
The Sewanhaka Central High School District used the Feb. 25 board meeting to spotlight student achievements across the district, including music and arts honors, National Merit finalists and an inclusion award for New Hyde Park Memorial High School.
Student advisory committee senior Marco Valley of New Hyde Park told the board that 45 students from the district's five high schools met Feb. 6 at the Elmont Public Library to discuss district policies, a cohesive district culture and student proposals on topics such as cell-phone rules and leadership opportunities. "We recognize that this decision shouldn't come solely from the perspective of an administrator, teacher, or student," Valley said, "but rather it should be synthesized from all three perspectives." The group said school-based committees will continue work this winter and expects another full-day meeting to prepare for spring.
Awards and recognitions presented at the meeting included students accepted to New York State School Music Association All-State ensembles and students named as 2025 National Merit finalists from multiple district high schools. The board also congratulated district spelling-bee winners who will advance to the Scripps regional competition.
Inclusion and Special Olympics Mallory Paladro, the district director of special education, outlined the district's Unified Sports participation and Special Olympics partnership. The district said all five high schools have unified bowling teams and will move into unified basketball; New Hyde Park Memorial will also field a team in Special Olympics motor activity training for track and field. New Hyde Park Memorial was named a National Unified Champion School by the Special Olympics for meeting standards in unified sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole-school engagement; the district said the school is one of 13 statewide to receive the honor.
Other student activities noted in the superintendent's update included the district music festival, a districtwide mental-health "PS I Love You" event, Black and Caribbean American History Month curriculum highlights, student service projects that donated books to Cohen Children's Medical Center and cards to senior residents at local facilities, and a district gymnastics fundraising effort that raised $872 for brain-cancer research.
What the board heard: student leaders reported collaborative work on policy topics and student well-being; district staff presented the Unified Sports and Special Olympics participation as expanding inclusive opportunities. The district asked the community to attend upcoming school performances and district events and congratulated students and staff for recent recognitions.
