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Westbury board honors longtime community leader, celebrates district spelling-bee winners
Summary
During its April 14 planning meeting the Westbury Board of Education paid tribute to Rosetta "Jackie/Mama" Cain and recognized winners across K-8 spelling-bee categories; district leaders and staff were thanked for organizing the event.
At the start of its April 14 planning meeting the Westbury Union Free School District Board of Education held a brief tribute to Rosetta "Jackie" Cain, a longtime community volunteer and mother of Trustee Rodney Cain, who died shortly after Easter.
President Robert Troiano described Jackie Cain as "a constant presence and force in this community," listing her membership in the NAACP, work with community-revitalization efforts on Prospect Avenue and longtime participation at First Baptist Cathedral. Troiano announced wake and funeral details and led the board in a moment of reflection.
Immediately after the tribute, Dr. Chase and district staff celebrated student achievement in the annual district spelling bee, which ran March 10 at Westbury Middle School. The superintendent recognized coordinators, principals and volunteers and invited board members to present trophies and certificates. Winners were named across three categories (Honeybees for kindergarten, Worker Bees for grades 1-3 and Bumblebees for grades 4-8); top finishers called out in the meeting included Dante Long (Honeybee top speller), various top finishers by grade, and Muhammad Zaman with a top prize in the older category.
Why it matters: The ceremony combined community mourning and student recognition at a single public meeting. Trustees and administrators said acknowledging students at board meetings sets a positive tone and reinforces community partnerships.
Who spoke: President Robert Troiano led the tribute and invited the community to observe the wake and funeral; Dr. Chase led the spelling-bee recognition and thanked staff coordinators including pronouncer Brendan Gallivan and announcer Robin Barnett.
Next steps: No formal board action was required for the tribute or awards. The meeting proceeded to a budget hearing and subsequent board business.
