In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Connetquot Central School District proudly hosted a series of Wellness Days throughout May, bringing students, staff and community partners together to celebrate and support emotional well-being.

Each school in the district participated in activities aimed at promoting mental, emotional and physical health. These events featured dynamic presentations and assemblies from a variety of organizations, including Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Dragon Gate Martial Arts Academy, Youth Enrichment Services, Fit for Life, KidStrong, the Bionic Project, Kerboom Kidz and Northwell Health.

The district’s elementary schools enjoyed interactive sessions such as yoga, mindful reading and crafts, music and art activities, guided painting, self-love meditation and Zumba. Creative activities like affirmation stations and scavenger hunts helped students connect to wellness in fun, accessible ways.

At Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, students explored a Wellness Fair, featuring healthy food samples, mindfulness education and wellness-themed activities, including “peaceful puzzles”, a Zen garden, “calm coloring”, “mindful music” and “fun with fidgets”. Ronkonkoma Middle School hosted a variety of self-care activities, including self-care bingo, an affirmation station, a spirited volleyball tournament in support of the Dezy Strong Foundation and a themed spirit week.

At Connetquot High School, students were encouraged to explore holistic wellness through yoga and meditation sessions, nutrition and food samplings and health and wellness vendors. The event emphasized the importance of mind-body balance and introduced students to local resources for maintaining their overall well-being.

While Connetquot’s commitment to student wellness continues year-round, May’s Wellness Days served as a great reminder of the importance of self-care.

Click here to view the Connetquot champions self-care through Wellness Days slideshow.

 

Date Added: 6/9/2025

During the May 27 Connetquot Board of Education meeting, the trustees and administration recognized exemplary students and faculty for leadership and academic honors.

Helen B. Duffield Elementary School lunch aide Diane Rambold was recognized for her quick decision-making. She performed abdominal thrusts on a second grade student, dislodging a piece of a bagel and potentially saving her life.

Adrianna Clarelli and CJ Connolly from Ronkonkoma Middle School and Maeve Boland from Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School were also honored with the National Junior Honor Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award. This prestigious recognition celebrates the students’ exceptional dedication to scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship. Adrianna, CJ and Maeve are three of the 500 students nationwide to receive this honor, along with a college scholarship to support their educational goals.

Nicolas Dilorio, a sixth grade student at Ronkonkoma Middle School, was recognized for being a 2025 Scholastic Storyworks National Contest winner. In his award-winning entry, Nicolas chose the animal superpower of night vision and explained how he would use it. His writing was chosen over entries from across the nation.

Connetquot supports student growth through emotional awareness and social learning, helping students build self-awareness, manage emotions and strengthen relationships. Each month, the district highlights an EASL theme such as collaboration and teamwork, responsibility, gratitude, citizenship and acceptance. Schools nominate standout students to be recognized as Connetquot’s Caring Leaders for their leadership in those areas. The following students were recognized as Caring Leaders: 

Roman Bradley (grade 8) – Ronkonkoma Middle School – responsibility

Aubrey Dean (grade 5) – Cherokee Street Elementary – grit

Emelia D’Antonio (grade 7) – Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School – collaboration and teamwork

Makayla Dowd (kindergarten) – Helen B. Duffield  Elementary – responsibility

Dylan Getty (grade 5) – Idle Hour Elementary – responsibility

Casey Mammolito (grade 4) – Edith L. Slocum Elementary – collaboration and teamwork

Vince Neckin (grade 5) – Idle Hour Elementary – acceptance

Peter Nicpon (grade 8) – Ronkonkoma Middle School – grit

Evangelos Paravalos (grade 4) – John Pearl Elementary – collaboration and teamwork

Francis Pipino (kindergarten)  – Edward J. Bosti Elementary – citizenship

Parissa Rana (grade 10) – Connetquot High School – responsibility

Gabrielle Takacs (grade 4) – Sycamore Avenue Elementary – citizenship

Alesa Wilson (grade 8) – Ronkonkoma Middle School – gratitude

 

The Connetquot Central School District congratulates Mary Boucher, sixth grade science teacher at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, on receiving the prestigious STEM Star Award from the LISTEMELA organization on May 15!

Ms. Boucher and other awardees were honored at an awards reception, where her innovative dedication to teaching her students and her desire to support and collaborate with fellow science teachers were applauded.

“Ms. Boucher is a bright and shining star in the science department, and we are all better for having her as an exemplary educator in our school district,” said Director of Science, FACS and Technology Education Stephanie Burns.

Date Added: 5/22/2025

Oakdale-Bohemia and Ronkonkoma middle schools successfully held their annual Career Days on May 2, offering students the opportunity to explore a wide range of professions.

Guest speakers included professionals from various fields, including law, medicine, therapy, chemistry, firefighting, finance, hairstyling, IT systems, real estate, business ownership and school counseling, among many others. Each presenter shared insights into their day-to-day responsibilities and provided students with valuable information about the educational and career paths that led to their current roles.

The events encouraged students to ask questions and actively participate, sparking curiosity and helping them envision their own future careers. 

Click here to view the OBMS and RMS inspire future professionals on Career Day slideshow.

 

Date Added: 5/5/2025

Connetquot supports student growth through Emotional Awareness and Social Learning (EASL), helping students build self-awareness, manage emotions and strengthen relationships. Each month, the district highlights an EASL theme with April’s focus being “collaboration and teamwork”. Schools nominate standout students to be recognized as Connetquot’s Caring Leaders for their leadership in these areas.

We’re excited to recognize seventh grader Emma D’Antonio from Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School and Evangelos Paravalos from John Pearl Elementary as April’s Caring Leaders!

Emma was nominated by the school’s nurse, Ms. Dolan. “We are honored to recognize Emma for the positive attitude she displays daily at OBMS. She embodies many strengths, including her outstanding physical adaptiveness to play sports from her wheelchair and introducing wheelchair basketball to her classmates in PE classes. When Emma was recently asked who her favorite player is, she answered, me! This is based on her strong will and perseverance to do great things with her life. Thank you, Emma, for demonstrating emotional awareness and fortitude each and every day.”

Evangelos was nominated by his PE teacher, Mr. Sturtz. “Evangelos always works well with others. He will work with anyone and doesn't care who is on his team,” said Mr. Sturtz. “He encourages everyone to try their best. He is a good leader and lifts his teammates up. He’s always a team player when winning or losing. He’s a hard worker and is polite to everyone!”

Date Added: 4/23/2025