December 2001
The Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students at SUNY College, Old Westbury, is proud to announce that Ankit Chadha, a student in Glen Cove's Finley Middle School, is one of 75 students this year to be named a Long Island Young Scholar of Mathematics. Ankit has been accepted by the Institute to pursue mathematics and science studies. Selection by the Institute implies that a student is among the top 1/10th of one percent in math of all students on Long Island in the student's grade. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, December 6, 2001)
July 2001
Derek Grosso, Glen Cove High School Class of 1997, graduated from George Washington University in May and was recognized as the university's Entrepreneur of the Year. A student in the School of Business and Public Management, Derek maintained a 3.8 GPA in his major field of study. ... The award recognized his academic work and campus involvement and was based on recommendations from the faculty.
Derek founded a student newspaper and electronic magazine at the university, creating a business plan, marketing proposal a d internal structure that would allow the organization to be operated as a small enterprise. ..
In addition... Derek was active within his fraternity for four years serving as vice president for two years. ...He currently works for Kiplinger's personal finance magazine in Washington, D.C. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, July 26, 2001)
July 2001
Brigit Kotsky and Emily Keogler, seventh and eighth grade students at Glen Cove's Finley Middle School, recently competed in the Al Kalfus Long Island Math fair held at Hofstra University. ...both students went on to win silver medals when they competed... against students from Nassau and Suffolk counties. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, July 5, 2001)
June 2001
Recently Finley
Middle School Grade 6 Band, under the direction of Nicholas
Carbuto, performed in the New York State School Music Association
(NYSSMA) major ensemble festival held at Hofstra University. The
band's wonderful performance earned top honors and a Gold
Medal.
The seventh and eighth grade band and jazz ensemble, under the
direction of James Reardon, traveled to Allentown, Pennsylvania to
compete in "Music in the Parks" music festivals. Both
the band and the jazz band earned 1st place honors with a rating
of "Superior." In addition, both bands were recipients
of the prestigious Judges Choice Award.
June 2001
Jane L. Passberger, daughter of Herb and Linda Passberger of Glen Cove, received a bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude, with high honors in English, distinction in the liberal arts core curriculum, and Phi Beta Kappa from Colgate University on May 20. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, June 21, 2001)
April 2001
David Akiva Schwartz, the son of Louis and Elaine Schwartz of Glen Cove and a graduate of Glen Cove High School, was named to the dean's list for the fall semester at Johns Hopkins University. David is majoring in political science and will graduate this May. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, April 5, 2001)
April 2001
Lukasz S. Babiarz, the son of Andrzej and Alina Babiarz of Glen Cove and a graduate of Glen Cove High School, was named to the dean's list at Johns Hopkins University for the fall semester. Lukasz is majoring in neuroscience and will graduate in May, 2004. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, April 5, 2001)
November 2001
by John Hildebrand
This [Glen Cove Middle] school tries to keep its students engaged, and not just on issues of war and peace . At a time when many wonder if creative teaching is compatible with the government's growing demands for student testing, Finley Middle School seems to have struck a reasonable balance.
The school's success in boosting test scores is a matter of public record. Earlier this month, when the state Education Department announced names of schools that had improved most on state exams, Finley was included on the list.
In fact, Finley led all schools on Long Island, in improving its eighth-grade English scores. The latest results from last year show that 63.4 percent of Finley students now meet state standards in English, compared to only 35 percent the year before. Finley ranks several points above the Nassau County average and nearly 20 points above the average for the state.
"There's no reason that we cannot be one of the highest performing districts on Long Island," says Mary Ellen Freeley, now in her second year as superintendent of Glen Cove schools. "We just have to have the will to do it, and they [the teachers] are proving me right." Newsday, Tuesday, November 27, 2001
July 2001
Scholastic, Inc., one of the nation's leading publishers of books for students and teachers, has selected Glen Cove fifth-grade English teacher David Smith as a "master teacher" for their new online professional course. Seeking teachers of exceptional ability who exhibit high standards and thoughtful interaction with students, Mr. Smith was chosen as a model for helping other teachers develop their own skills in teaching reading comprehension. Mr. Smith was only one of three teachers nationwide to be selected by Scholastic for this honor.
Mr. Smith was recently videotaped teaching several lessons with a group of Glen Cove students whose performance Scholastic also found impressive. These lessons will be included in the pilot release of Scholastic's RED program in six major school districts this fall, including New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
"David Smith is the kind of teacher every school needs to develop. His enthusiasm and understanding results in real learning that will help his students succeed in the classroom and later in life. We feel so lucky to have him part of our program," commented Brenda Wilson, supervising producer of the project for Scholastic who donated children's books as well as instructional materials to the Glen Cove Middle School. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, July 26, 2001)
June 2001
The Superintendent of Glen Cove schools, Dr. Mary Ellen Freeley, was recently honored by the University Council for Educational Administration, (UCEA), and received the UCEA Excellence in Education Leadership Award. The council is comprised of 60 member institutions from all over our nation. (Glen Cove Record Pilot, June 21, 2001.)
March 2001
President George W. Bush named Christopher Herte, a math teacher at Robert Finley Middle School, among the winners of a national teaching award earlier this month.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching recognize four teachers from each state, who receive $7 500 grants and trips to Washington, DC.
Herte said he enjoys making math a fun activity for students through events such as family math nights and Pi Day, which is celebrated on March 14, the date corresponding with the first three digits of pi.
"These are lessons that you would teach anyway, but by making it a theme approach it becomes much more memorable for them," Herte said. "When they remember the fun, they remember the math." (Newsday, March 27, 2001)
January 2001
...In the (Gribbin School's gym) members of the Metropolitan Opera Guild from New York (staged) a 40-minute introduction to opera, called "Once Upon an Opera" by composer Stephen Weinstock.
Teachers at Gribbin had prepared the (kindergarteners, first-, and second-graders) for the event, with discussions emphasizing the art form's rousing, romantic stories and use of sumptuous costumes and dramatic sets, while also pointing out that listening -- no squirming, no whispering -- was the key.
On Long Island, ...arts education remains strong, said JoAnn Criblez, Gribbin's music teacher: "Over my nine years as a music teacher, arts in schools ... seem to have stayed at the same high level. It' really important they remain a priority, since they are so important to children's well-being."
For the 375 lucky children at Gribbin, live performances are a regular experience. For several years, the school's administration and an active PTA have made sure they get a full dose of the lively arts. Glen Cove schools have a history of doing that. Since the 1970's, Dale Zurbrick, a music teacher at Glen Cove High School, has been bringing his students to the Metropolitan Opera four times a year.
Over the next three months, as a result of the PTA's efforts, Gribbin students will also see the drama "Salad Story," presented by Theatreworks; "The Rhythm of My Art," ...and "Attack of the Reading Robots."
"Our theme is literacy this year," (principal Francine) Santoro said. "We want to get everyone in the family reading. so (we) picked programs that relate to that. Every one of them involves stories." (Newsday, January 3, 2001)