Education Finance Forum Senator Kemp Hannon Wisdom Lane Middle School Auditorium 120 Center Lane Levittown, NY Reserve Seating with Senator Hannon's Community Office at (516) 739-1700
Goal Set Video IX 3/19
Goal Set Video VIII
Goal Set Video VII
Massapequa Students are National Problem-Solvers
Sixth-grade students from three elementary schools in the Massapequa Public School District have been preparing since September for Odyssey of the Mind, an international competition that requires students to use critical and creative thinking to solve five long-term problems. Schoolwide enrichment teachers Lori Moran and Meredith Marin brought the program to the district, and Unqua Elementary School, Birch Lane Elementary School and Lockhart Elementary School were chosen as pilot sites. A total of ten teams competed before a panel of official Odyssey of the Mind judges, during which they were asked to demonstrate not only analytical skills, but creativity and spontaneity through their projects, as well.
For example, sixth-grade Birch Lane Elementary School students prepared a dramatic performance of “Discovered Treasures” to answer one problem, while Unqua Elementary School students created their own props and wrote a short skit about Greek mythology to solve another.
“The Odyssey of the Mind Program fosters creative thinking and problem-solving skills by exploring open-ended situations,” stated Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Lucille Iconis. “We are very pleased to involve our Magnet students in this national competition.” Of the ten competing teams, three will move on to the regional level of the competition in March. “We wish our young problem-solvers the best of luck,” Mrs. Iconis commented.
Odyssey of the Mind provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to forming their own interpretation of literary classics. They then present their solutions at competitions on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and approximately 25 other countries participate in the program.
Karen Urdahl, Director of Financial Assistance, (516) 299.3863
C.W. Post Long Island University (516) 299.3863
Stacey Munsky Acquaro, Dean of Admissions (516) 686.7742
New York Institute of Technology (516) 686.7742
Patricia Noren, Director of Student Financial Services (631) 244.3368
Dowling College (631) 244.3368
Crystal Krudis, Assistant Director of Student Financial Services (1-800) Adelphi (233.5744)
Adelphi University (1-800) Adelphi (233.5744)
Gary & Lori Beltrani, Tutor Time
Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers 100 Grand Avenue Massapequa, NY 11758 (516) 799.1234
Massapequa High School students and members of the St. Rose of Lima Youth Group participated in a local "famine" on Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, March 15, 2009 as part of world hunger awareness. Students did not eat for 30 hours and participated in other activities, so as to better understand and raise awareness of the suffering throughout the world. In addition, they raised $7,500 for hunger relief efforts. Under the direction and supervision of acting Youth Minister, Joe Viola, they began their famine in the rectory basement at 11:00 a.m. and continued to the Father Graham building.
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Education & Taxpayer Rally to Maintain Long Island School Aid February 28, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Ellsworth Allen Park, Farmingdale, NY
NASSAU BOCES $AVE$ TAXPAYER$ THOU$AND$
"We have the technology" and when used collaboratively it will save taxpayers thousands of dollars yearly. That’s the message that Nassau BOCES Executive Manager of Telecommunications, Anthony Carfora, shared with parents, teachers, school administrators, board members and legislators at an Economic Summit hosted by the East Williston School District in January, 2009.
"When it comes to telecommunications – such as voice, data and Internet services – we have the pieces for cost-savings; we’re working with local school districts to put them all together," he said. Carfora, a 25-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, oversees more than 320 miles of fiber optic connections for Nassau BOCES. "Districts that work with us on integrating their telephone with data and Internet services are saving 15 – 65 percent compared to the cost of implementing these services separately," he said.
According to Carfora, the benefits of "connecting" school districts together are:
• significant cost reductions
• readily available back-up data by storing in an adjacent network
• sharing of expertise—as with technical support and user applications
• opportunities to inexpensively replicate equipment and solutions
• allowing for central network monitoring.
As an example, Carfora discussed a project Nassau BOCES managed on behalf of four local school districts. "We brought them together to connect five of their high schools and 13 elementary schools into one network for Internet services," he explained. "This resulted in savings of $3,200 per month for each district – those are real, measurable dollars that help to reduce costs for taxpayers."
He added: "At Nassau BOCES, the emphasis is always on cooperative services because we recognize the power of group buying. We are also looking to give districts the connectivity they need to save money on additional services, such as surveillance and security, environmental monitoring, transportation monitoring, wireless broadband and video on demand."
About Nassau BOCES
The Board of Cooperative Educational Services of Nassau County (Nassau BOCES) is a public agency that serves the 56 school districts of Nassau County. It provides cost-effective shared services, including career training for high school students and adults, special education, alternative schools, technology education and teacher training, as well as dozens of programs to expand educational opportunities and help districts operate more efficiently. Visit www.nassauboces.org for news, information and educational updates.
Long Island Lawmakers Propose Landmark Bill to Combat Suburban Teen Heroin Epidemic First Law in the Nation Would Alert Schools of Heroin-Related Arrests
Nassau County Legislator Dave Mejias (D-Farmingdale) is proposing the first law of its kind in the country that would require law enforcement to notify school officials when an arrest is made for heroin possession and/or sale. This bill would combat the growing problem of teenage heroin addiction in the suburbs by improving communication between police and school officials. Legislator Mejias titled his legislation the “Natalie Ciappa Law” after the 18-year-old high school student from Massapequa who died of a heroin overdose at a party in June of 2008.
“Parents and schools need a head’s up on heroin use before it’s too late,” said Mejias. “The initial signs of heroin use are not easily detectable. This law would give everyone a fighting chance to combat this insidious epidemic. Schools notify parents when a child in their district has head lice; the county should notify schools about possible heroin use and sales in their districts.”
Legislator Mejias’ proposed law would require police to notify the school district about anyone arrested in connection with heroin possession within that specific school district’s boundaries or the arrest of a student from that district anywhere in the county. Private school principals would also be notified of an arrest of one of their students.
Overall heroin related arrests in Nassau County have increased 50% since 2002. According to the District Attorney’s office, since 2007 there have been 37 suspected heroin overdoses in Nassau County and the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse hospital admissions for opiate overdoses are up all across Long Island. Adding to the increase use of heroin among suburban teens is that it is cheaper than ever before—a bundle that had cost $150 in 2006 costs an average of $90 and, in some areas it’s as low as $70 today.
The National Drug Intelligence Center lists heroin and cocaine as the most serious drug threat in the New York area. Additionally, they say that heroin use among high school students is a particular problem with an alarming number of high school seniors in the United States using the drug at least once in their lifetime.
Suffolk County Legislator Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon) who is introducing similar legislation in Suffolk County said, “It is unacceptable for anyone with knowledge of heroin use or distribution to bury their head in the sand and not acknowledge that a problem is emerging on Long Island. The demons and drug-dealers that are peddling this poison to our children do not recognize county or district bounds and that is why Legislator Mejias and I are teaming up to effect an Island-wide approach that will do what is necessary to confront the demons that threaten the safety and lives of our children, head-on.”
Pictured (l to r): Adelphi University’s Richard A. Rotanz, special advisor to the provost for emergency management academic programs; Adelphi University’s Assistant Professor, Emergency Management & Health Services Administration K.C. Rondello, M.D., M.P.H.; Allstate Foundation Chairperson Inez K. Birbiglia; Zabbia Insurance Agency President Robert Zabbia
Through a generous $40,000 grant from the Allstate Foundation, Adelphi University presented three fall 2008 seminars on emergency preparedness, including the special issues faced by at-risk populations and those in hospital management. The grant reflects the Allstate commitment to protecting Long Islanders by helping to raise awareness and emergency preparedness in the face of disasters. The grant will also support the research and development of free publications on emergency preparedness with the goal to inform policymakers, elected officials, public school districts and Long Island residents. In addition, the Allstate grant will support scholarship opportunities for students enrolled in Adelphi?s Emergency Management Graduate Certificate Program, a curriculum that draws on the expertise of faculty, as well as the Federal, State and County offices of emergency preparedness and social services.
September 22 - 26, 2008 Spirit Week and Homecoming 2008 at Ames and Main Campuses of Massapequa High School Student government prepared a week of school activities that provide families, students and parents the opportunity to demonstrate school and community pride and spirit. Dress up day themes - "Profession Day; " "Would You Still be my Friend if I Wore this...Day;" "Disney Day;" "Pajama Day;" and "Blue and Gold Day"
Photos by: Katie Fuccillo, Jr. Photo-Journalist
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Public Schools
Massapequa High Main 4925 Merrick Road Massapequa, New York 11758 Phone: (516) 308-5900
Massapequa High Ames Ames Campus Baltimore Avenue Massapequa, New York 11758 Phone: (516) 308-5800
Berner Middle School 50 Carman Mill Road Massapequa, New York 11758 Phone: (516) 308-5700
Birch Lane Elementary Birch Lane Avenue Massapequa Park, New York 11762 Phone: (516) 308-5100
East Lake Elementary East Lake Avenue Massapequa Park, New York 11762 Phone: (516) 308-5200
Lockhart Elementary 199 Pittsburgh Avenue Massapequa, New York 11758 Phone: (516) 308-5400
McKenna Elementary 210 Spruce Street Massapequa Park, New York 11762 Phone: (516) 308-5500
Unqua Elementary 350 Unqua Road Massapequa, New York 11758 Phone: (516) 308-5600
ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING SETTLEMENTS WITH 8 COMPANIES THAT MARKET STUDENT LOANS DIRECTLY TO STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Companies Used Phony Mail Solicitations Designed to Look Like the Federal Government, Pushed Higher Interest Private Loans on Students, and Employed Unfair Bait and Switch Techniques
Following on His Nationwide Investigation of Conflicts of Interest Between Banks and Universities, Cuomo Secures $1.4 Million and Sets New Industry Standards for Companies Who Sell Their Loans Directly to Students By Mail, Internet, and Television
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced on September 9, 2008 that eight major student lending companies have agreed to adopt broad new reforms of their direct marketing of student loans in order to protect students and their families nationwide. In settling with the Attorney General, these companies have agreed to abide by strict new standards which will put an end to many problematic practices the Attorney General uncovered in an extensive investigation of the industry.
The new standards, developed by the Attorney General’s student loan task force, ban a wide range of deceptive marketing practices such as: mailing phony solicitations designed to look like they come from the federal government; advertising interest rates that are not available to the majority of borrowers who take out loans with the lender; offering prizes and running contests and sweepstakes to induce students to take out loans with a particular lender; and paying off students to get their friends to take out loans with particular lenders.
The eight student lenders who have agreed to abide by these new heightened standards include Nelnet, Inc., Campus Door, Inc., GMAC Bank, NextStudent, Inc., Xanthus Financial Services, Inc., EduCap, Inc., Graduate Loan Associates, L.L.C., and MRU Holdings, Inc., doing business as My Rich Uncle. Seven of these companies have entered into settlement agreements with the Attorney General’s Office in which they agree to abide by a code of conduct and to donate a total of more than $1.4 million to the Attorney General’s national fund to educate and assist students and their families with respect to the financial aid process. One company, My Rich Uncle, has agreed to voluntarily adopt the code.
“These settlements are a major step forward in cleaning up an industry where false and misleading advertising practices have been all too rampant. Unsolicited and deceptive mailings that are sent to the homes of students are more than a nuisance, they can result in students being buried in mountains of debt for years to come,” said Attorney General Cuomo. AOur investigation of direct marketing in the student loan business found a wide variety of problematic practices that put business profits ahead of the borrowing needs of students and their families. I commend the eight lenders who have today signed the code thereby committing to help my office clean up this industry. It is unconscionable for lenders to entice students into loans that are not best for them.”
The Attorney General also called on the rest of the direct marketing industry to adopt the code of conduct. “These eight companies are setting the industry standard. If other companies won’t adopt the new code, it should raise a red flag and students should be asking those companies, ‘why not?’ Students and their families should certainly think twice before taking a loan from any company who has not signed on to the code. This industry has a spotty track record when it comes to protecting consumers and it’s time for the companies to be held accountable,” said Attorney General Cuomo.
The Attorney General’s investigation of the student loan industry began last year with the exposure of conflicts of interest in the relationships between lenders and universities that included kickback arrangements where lenders were paying universities to have the universities recommend the lenders to students. The Attorney General developed a code of conduct for lenders and universities that became the model for a New York law known as SLATE, as well as for a recently enacted federal law which now protects students nationwide.
After addressing these conflicts between lenders and universities, the Attorney General turned to combating deceptive and illegal tactics in the direct marketing of student loans through the mail, the Internet and on television without going through the colleges’ financial aid offices at all. Today’s announcement of a new set of agreements with some of the nation’s leading lenders of student loans marketed directly to consumers will bring much needed reforms to this other major channel through which students and their families obtain loans for college.
Barmak Nassarian, Associate Executive Director, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (“AACRAO”), said, “Attorney General Cuomo’s Office has once again broken new ground by obtaining significant protections for students and families. These settlements improve the amount and quality of information available to educational loan borrowers.”
Chris Lindstrom, Director of U.S. P.I.R.G. Higher Education Project, said, “Deceptive marketing practices can lead students to make ill-informed decisions at a serious financial cost to borrowers. We applaud the continued action and leadership shown by Attorney General Cuomo in protecting the interests of students and families.”
The student loan direct marketing investigation uncovered numerous deceptive practices, all of which are now banned under the Attorney General=s new code of conduct, including:
·using logos and return addresses that made it look like the lender=s solicitation to consumers was from the federal government or the student=s current lender;
·mailing fake checks or false rebates offers on current loans to entice students to take out loans;
·giving inducements to students, such as gift cards, iPods, and GPS devices, to distract students from focusing on the (sometimes onerous) terms of the higher education loans being promoted;
·offering inducements to students to convince their friends to take out loans with particular lenders;
·making false and misleading representations as to the advantages of private student loans over lower-cost federal loans;
·providing illustrations of loan costs or terms that are available only to a tiny fraction of borrowers without disclosing that fact;
·failing to guarantee that advertised borrower benefits, such as discounts on the interest rate of the loan during the repayment phase of the loan, follow with the loan, regardless of who purchases the loan in the future.
The Attorney General’s new code of conduct bans all of these practices and many others. In addition, under the new agreements, in connection with the marketing of private loans, lenders and marketers will provide a warning that students and their parents should exhaust lower-cost federal borrowing options before turning to private loans. Moreover, the code requires lenders to provide timely disclosures of the terms of federal and private loans, ensuring that students have the information they need to comparison shop for those loans.
The Attorney General urges students and their families to seek more information on the New York Attorney General’s website, at www.oag.state.ny.us. On the website, students can also order a free informational DVD to learn more about the student loan process and how to protect themselves.
The investigation and settlements were handled by Assistant Attorneys General Carolyn Fast, Mary Alestra, Melvin Goldberg, Brian Montgomery, Stephanie Sheehan, and Jason Garelick, under the supervision of Consumer Frauds Bureau Chief Joy Feigenbaum.
Massapequa Residents Headline Briarcliffe College Commencement
The 2008 Briarcliffe College Commencement featured not one, but two, Massapequa residents.Journalist Brian Kilmeade of the Fox News Channel delivered the keynote address and was conferred an honorary degree from the college; while, Valedictorian Patrice Watkins addressed her fellow graduates and their families with words to spur them on in helping one another to move ahead in life and their chosen professions.
Briarcliffe College is a proprietary institution with campuses in Bethpage, Patchogue and Queens, and a combined student body of more than 1800. Briarcliffe College is a career education college offering diploma, two- and four-year degree programs in Criminal Justice, Graphic Design, Business Administration, Digital Photography, Accounting, Office Technologies, and Information Technology.
Briarcliffe College President Dr. George Santiago, Jr. and Board Chairman Arthur Loeffler welcome Brian Kilmeade (center), keynote speaker for the College’s 2008 Commencement.
Briarcliffe College Valedictorian Patrice Watkins is joined onstage by Provost Kenneth Thigpen during the recent 2008 Commencement ceremonies.
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Election 2008 Results
The Massapequa Board of Education Election 2008, which was covered earlier by massapequaNEWS via "on-camera" interviews, results are in. The contested race's victors were Christine Perrino and Jane Ryan. In addition the budget passed, allowing a substantial increase in educational spending.
Christine Perrino
Jane Ryan
Massapequa Students Win Awards at National History Day
Secondary students in the MassapequaPublicSchool District used their knowledge of history and creative ideas when they participated in the National History Day (NHD) competition at HofstraUniversity. NHD provides students with the opportunity to research a topic in history in depth. This year’s theme was “Conflict and Compromise in History.” BernerMiddle School students and MassapequaHigh School – Main Campus students spent several months researching their topics with support from their classroom teachers and the technology available to them through the district. Upon completion of their projects, eighteen students competed against their peers from schools across Long Island. Winners and special recognition awards were chosen for several categories.This year’s Massapequa winners are:
Junior Division (Berner)
Historical Paper
1st Place - Jordyn Iger: Origins on Trial:Can We Design an Intelligent Compromise?
2ndPlace - Valentina Viscardi: Flying Second-Class: The Story of the Women Air Force Service Pilots
Individual Exhibit
2nd Place - Lauren Reisig: Equal Vote: Equal Voice
Group Exhibit
3rd Place - Alyssa Yurasits and Gabriella Johnston: United We Stand, Divided We Fell: Protesting Vietnam
SpecialSchool Achievement Award - Dylan Spiro and Jesse Spiro: MunichMassacre: Terrorism Wins Gold
Group Documentary
4th Place in runoff competition - Michelle Goss and Alexandra Giordano: The Cuban Missile Crisis: The U.S. and the Soviet Union Go Face to Face
Senior Division (MHS – Main Campus)
Individual Documentary
1st Place - Charlotte Burger: No Light at the End of the Tunnel. Conflict, Compromise and the Tet Offensive
Individual Exhibit
SpecialSchool Achievement Award - Monica Perrino: Bridge of Hope
All first and second-place winners will participate in the next level of National History Day at the state competition in Cooperstown, New York on May 2, 2008. Those winners will then have the chance to compete at the prestigious national competition held in June at the University of Maryland. Good Luck to everyone!
Secure Your Oxygen Mask First by Christine Sohmer and Alyssa-Rae
Journeying through your child’s adolescent years is very much like traveling via airplane. With both choices, you prepare yourself for a turbulent ride, give up a fair amount of control and carry Godspeed until the ride is safely over. So, when you hear the stewardess instructing you to “Secure your oxygen mask first” in case of an emergency, the words sound foreign as you always place your child first. But, when you stop to consider what it truly means, it makes sense. How can you take good care of anyone else before you effectively take good care of yourself first? Between the ages of 13-19, your son or daughter will be more of a mystery to you than at “take-off,” so don’t wait for the emergency oxygen, secure a flotation device while supplies last. MassapequaSchool District’s “Parenting for Prevention” workshop educated parents about how to better understand their teenagers by retaining a healthy attitude, staying knowledgeable, and keeping the lines of communication open. Discussed in the “Parenting for Prevention” workshop, hosted by Kimberly Hession, LCSW, Maryann Sullivan and Joanne Waters, SW, was highly thought-provoking (and rhetorical) questions such as, “Do ideas shape society or does society shape ideas?” Let’s be reasonable here. Each parent reading this editorial right now survived his or her own adolescence. And if you looked back openly and honestly, you would admit that all of the evil influences of today existed way back then. The obvious protagonists include alcohol, drugs and violence. So, what interrupted YOUR life, how did it impact you and help shape who you are today.
Effective parenting includes a realistic look at one’s self and any discrepancy between how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you is confusing for the still developing teens in your world. We are shaping who our children become, not by talking any talk, but by leading by exampleas we walk the talk. Keep in mind that it is your son’s job to separate from you and develop his own decision-making abilities, so prepare him well.
Understand that while your daughter is exposed to life, she is trying to figure out what she will take with her for the rest of hers. This is where the giving up of control is at its worst. You, as a parent, must trust and have faith in the fact that your teenager will carry the very values you instilled in them, or at the very least come back to them. What you can do meanwhile is surround yourself with parents traveling on the same plane as you.
Parents who engaged in the School District’s workshop are now better armed with information relative to what potentially surrounds their children in their absence. Under the direction
of Ms. Hession, a parent herself, they were amused by the quiz portion of the workshop:
“How Well do you Know Your Teen?” (1) What is your child’s favorite sport? (2) Who is your child’s closest friend? (3) What is your child’s favorite food? (4) If your child could do anything for a day, what would they chose to do? (5)What does your child do that she/he is most proud of? (6)Do you know your child’s best friend’s parents? Used as a discussion tool, your “one-word answer teenager” is now an expert conversationalist, speaking with authority on the subject they adore most… Communication between parents and children is essential to promoting healthy teen choices.Imagine your surprise as your teenager will openly discuss issues afflicting their peers.Through conversation and connection with your teen, you can create an infallible means to encourage good decision-making skills for life.Ask your son or daughter: “What’s your plan for when (___________) is happening?” Adolescence is the most trying time of a person’s life, or so it seems to an adolescent.Exposed to peer pressure, stress, and the need to be accepted, not to mention hormonal changes within, teens are at risk for harmful influences, whether emotional, physical or intellectual.Parents can reduce “at risk” teens by adopting a healthy attitude, staying informed and keeping the lines of communication open. When parents join together and learn life skills for positive relationships, they form a bond with strength in numbers.It gives them the ability to connect with their own peers and have their own network of support.It is critical that they stick together. The “Parenting for Prevention” workshop provided not only information about themselves and their children – but how to bridge the gap and connect the two. For the parents that did not take advantage of the School District’s workshop, now is the time for them to unite and empower themselves.The next series of workshops, “Parent University,” will be held beginning Saturday, March 8, 2008, 8:30 am-12:00 pm, at McKenna Elementary and will cover such topics as; stress, study/organizational skills, bullying, nutrition, communication, substance abuse and current research on the adolescent brain.Empower yourself with knowledge about your teenager: education is key in understanding—and understanding is the beginning of effective communication.
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