Connetquot High School graduate and current Peace Corps volunteer Victoria Catherine Rooks was recently joined by students, staff and former faculty members for a video fundraiser in benefit of the Save the Children Fund. 

Ms. Rooks spoke to the attendees about her years of experience working with children and families in the African nation of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). She also brought along native arts and crafts, jewelry, T-shirts and posters relating to this land-locked nation north of South Africa in order help raise funds for the Save the Children fund. 

Additionally, a free viewing of the motion picture “Liyana” was shown to the supportive community members who attended the event. The film serves as a documentary, which includes children at orphanages speaking about their stories. Like many children in the nation, they have lost their parents to AIDS-related illnesses and are left in a vulnerable position. The filmmaker works with the children to write their own fairy tale about a girl and her two brothers, drawing from their own experiences, almost as a form of therapy.

“Recently, the movie ‘Liyana’ has been available in select theaters in America,” said Ms. Rooks. “Besides being just a great movie, this film is particularly special to me because it was filmed and created here in Eswatini, by Swazi children with the help of a South African storyteller.”

#MyConnetquot #ConnetquotLEADS

Without having to take a trip to Mexico, students from the district recently learned about the traditional Spanish celebration of Dia de los Muertos during events held right in their classrooms.

Students enrolled in Aimee Padavan’s Spanish classes at Ronkonkoma Middle School participated in a homemade feast, consisting of traditional Mexican dishes such as empanadas, fried plantains, plantain chips and pan de muerto.

The students also used their creative talents to create an “ofrenda” or offering in an effort to commemorate their loved ones who have passed away. For this activity, the students were asked to interview their relatives and trace back their family trees in order to provide facts and information about their loved ones to be shared amongst their classmates on the ofrenda. Prior to watching the Disney film “Coco,” the students took part in a sugar-skull decorating contest which was guest-judged by Ronkonkoma Middle School Acting Principal Joseph Licato. 

Additionally, students in William Bedell’s Spanish classes at Connetquot High School kicked off Dia de los Muertos by decorating edible calaveras, which portrayed sugar skulls, a popular symbol representing the Day of the Dead.  Students also completed reading and writing activities pertaining to the holiday and Mr. Bedell created copal, an incense intended to fill the air with sweet scents during the holiday’s celebrations.

As part of an international organization that pairs student leaders with other students, the Connetquot High School Best Buddies club was recently implemented to help students make friends and develop leadership skills. On Oct. 23, club members and their parents met at the high school cafeteria for a fun evening of games and tasty refreshments.

The current Breaking Boundaries club has been working with the Best Buddies club to help get the program off the ground with organizational and financial support. The club assists with creating events to strengthen one-to-one friendships, along with integrated employment and leadership development for individuals with disabilities.

“Student volunteers for the new Best Buddies club have been so helpful and supportive of the new members, and we expect this to become a highly successful club at Connetquot High School,” said Breaking Boundaries co-adviser Carolyn Klinkhardt Paul.

Community members are encouraged to mark their calendars for March 23, 2019 as the clubs will host the “STAYAWAKEATHON” from 8 p.m.–8 a.m. Additionally, as a means of engaging in more fun activities, the Best Buddies Club will soon host a Superhero photo shoot to be photographed by Connetquot students.

The district would like to thank Connetquot High School Dean of Students Michael Hansen, along with Carolyn Klinkhardt Paul and Eileen Gering for their assistance with bringing the club to fruition.

Retired Connetquot High School music teacher John Leddy recently returned to the school and spoke to students enrolled in Spanish language classes about his recent 500-mile, five-week journey through northern Spain along the world-famous Camino de Santiago.

During his visit with the students, he talked about his experiences, new-found appreciation for history, architecture and tradition as he and his friend joined hundreds of other travelers making their way along the route.  

Mr. Leddy also talked about the wonderful fellow travelers from as far away as Australia that they met, ate meals with and shared stories about their own experiences along the journey. Many pilgrims walk the Camino to the resting place of Saint James, taking different routes from their homes to reach Santiago de Compostela.

Students were impressed with the presentation, and the amazing slide show of photos Mr. Leddy had taken along the trek. Spanish language teachers Eileen McGinnis and Will Bedell joined the students in thanking Leddy for his visit, and remarkable tale of the Camino de Santiago.

Mr. Leddy currently serves as the founding director of the Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band and holds the title of athletic bands, director emeritus and arranger at Stony Brook University.

The district is thrilled to announce that Connetquot High School students Ava Galante and Timothy Ciavolella received Awards of Excellence for their participation at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders held in Boston, Massachusetts.

The theme of each year’s congress is “Greatness Awaits,” as it offers students the opportunity to be mentored by some of the most important leaders who are changing the future for the better. Examples of some individuals affiliated with the Congress include former Chief Technology Officer of the United States Megan J. Smith and Austin Wang, the 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Grand Prize Winner. 

In order to qualify for this award, both students were required to aspire to be physicians, scientists or technologists; have attained a grade-point average of 3.5 or above and possess qualities of a leader.