Kind words of appreciation were expressed during the Oct. 12 meeting to the five volunteer members of the Connetquot Central School District Board of Education in honor of School Board Recognition Week.

Under the baton of Brad Drinkwater and assistant James Nagle, members of the Connetquot High School concert choir gave a gift of music by performing for the trustees and the community, showcasing their skills and talents. Additionally, gifts were given to the trustees, ceramic dishes made by students Alyssia Gonzalez, Isabella Hernandez, Christina Li, Alexis McCavanagh, Rebecca Ostroski and Ava Saracino from Vincent Osmer’s ceramics class. The first half of the meeting also focused on the accomplishments of the students made possible by the support of the board of education.

Director of Fine Arts and Music Vincent Malafronte introduced John Armenia Dominic Kauffmann, Jaclyn Petrelli and Katlyn Smith who were selected to participate in the New York State School Music Association’s Winter All-State Conference in December and Isabella Kerr, Lauren Longo, Evan Mistler, Valerie Passannante, Catherine Rozario and Ingrid Van Dood, who were selected as alternates. James Mauceri and Vincent Keddy were recognized for being selected to participate in the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association All-County Middle School and High School Instrumental Jazz ensembles, respectively.

Also in attendance were Isabella Franco Maciel, a Cherokee Street Elementary School student, and Brynn Burke, a student from Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, who received State Awards of Merit in the 2020-2021 Reflections competition.

The Connetquot Public Library Teen Services Coordinator Angela Breslin was also in attendance to announce the students on the library team, The Twelve Musketeers, who won first place in the annual 2021 Battle of the Books competition against 26 regional teams. The students include Hannah Antonyraj, Magdalene Antonyraj, Olivia DiGaetano, Madison Holzmacher, Sophie Jamrozek, Akshat Kamboj, Varsha Karthikeyan, Mayeda Latif, Lilia Livolsi, Laasya Mada, Julia Schropfer and Sydney Stylianos.   

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lynda Adams said the evening was the perfect opportunity for the district to showcase the students’ talents, who are enrolled in programs supported by the board of education.

Board President Lee Kennedy thanked the students and faculty and explained that their accomplishments are why the trustees are here. “This makes my heart feel good,” she said.