Coalition for Glen Cove

Students and Parents speak

Letters to the Glen Cove Record Pilot 2003

Thank you Glen Cove Schools. You gave our daughter, Aja, a two-year scholarship to study at the BOCES Cultural Arts Center in Syosset, which whe just graduated from. It was a great opportunity to continue her education in the arts. Not all schools on Long Island offer this chance. In the fall she will be continiuing her study of the arts at Pace University

Deborah and Marty Katz (Glen Cove Record Pilot, 19 June 2003)

Deasy pre-k teacher Mrs. DePrietro brings out the best and the positive in each child. Every day she greets the children with a warm smile. At first I was very nervous about putting my son Brandon through the Glen Cove Schools. I was going to put him in private school. After this year with Mrs. DePrietro, I am so happy that we chose the Glen Cove pre-k program. Her dedication to the students is so unbelievable. Mrs. DePrietro will be a teacher that Brandon and the rest of our family will remember for the rest of our lives. She is the teacher who goes above and beyond. This year has gone by so quickly and we will miss her a lot. I wish she was moving up to kindergarten with my son!

I want to thank Mrs. DePrietro for being such a wonderful teacher and giving my son such an enjoyable learning experience. She definitely has our vote for the Teacher of the Month award. I am sure all of her students and their families would agree with us.

The Aviles Family (Glen Cove Record Pilot, 12 June 2003)

Graduation speech by valedictorian Vedran Lekic, Glen Cove class of 2000

Good Afternoon,

Whether we like it or not, whether we admit it or not, or simply whether or not we like to admit it, Glen Cove has had an extensive, I will venture to say even profound, impact on all of us. While at moments like this, when sentimentality reigns unabated, nobody is likely to question my claims, I fear that time when piercing logic of reason enters the picture, and so I feel the need to bolster those claims with some hard facts.

                The vast majority of us have been in this High School for four years that certainly did seem like a sentence at times; at other times, they seemed like a blessing. Regardless, those of us who are here graduating had to have been in this building or places such as Taco Bell, a large portion of that time. We were thus forced to congregate, to socialize, to exchange gossip, rumor, even an occasional idea, and between all that had to learn at least something to graduate.

                While we were here we were all fortunate enough to work with some truly exceptional people – teachers whose dedication, ability, and flattery bought their way into my speech. Despite a system that seemed to encourage apathy and punish devotion, they managed to put Glen Cove on the map.

I am sure we could, a chorus, in one voice, recite the names of these exceptional people. I would like to speak about the few who have done a lot to shape my experience in Glen Cove for the better. I want you to understand that unavoidably, but regrettably, I cannot mention everyone who deserves mention as I am racing the setting sun. I would love to spice up my speech with vignettes from Mrs. Austin’s, Mr. Swirnoff’s, or Dr. Welch’s class, or one of my numerous sessions with Mrs. Mills; alas, I cannot.

I know firsthand the amount of work that Mrs. Bradford has put into making the Glen Cove Law Club a name that instills fear in the likes of Roslyn and Great Neck. For me Mock Trial has been a trying, at times laborious, but always a fulfilling experience. Through it all, Mrs. Bradford invested daily effort to shape us into future lawyers; I wish only to say: “Thank you Mrs. Bradford for the bagels on Sunday mornings.”

I would like to thank Mr. Z for all of his relentless energy in making us a part of the world of music today – and yesterday. This man, who to me seemed to be a veritable storehouse of trivia, jokes, and names of countless graduates, also stopped at nothing to teach us all how to be singers, dancers, and actors; but above all, he taught us how to behave both onstage and off. He even strove to learn and instruct others how to pronounce my name.

Let us move on to Kessler – that name that sounded so scary when we were sophomores. He often succeeded in fighting against that imposing, terrifying tide of apathy that has seemingly gripped this school. He has taught many how to write a paper, introduced us to Zinn, and motivated so many to do better. At any rate, the world can always use another idealistic liberal.

Finally, let me take the time to thank Mr. Fitz for the part he played in making me who I am. What can I say about this witty, funny, intelligent, energetic, devoted, and utterly underappreciated educator? Well, I think I have said a lot already. If I didn’t have Fitz to talk to, I would be ignorant of Ovid and Opera and Nietzche and Sartre and, oh yeah, Chemistry. If I ever felt that I needed to improve my vocabulary, I could talk to him and hear the likes of loquacity, precocity, and a host of sesquipedalian words. I know that many of you have discovered a valuable resource and friend in Mr. Fitz, and I can only wish that he get the just recognition he deserves.

I hope that I have, by speaking of my own experiences, made you reflect on all the amazing people you have met during these four years. And yes, your friends do count. But whether you have realized it or not, and I hope you have, I have proven my point – Glen Cove High School has made a profound impact on you. Here, we are still drudging along with amazing individuals holding the school on some kind of positive course. In spite of adversity, we have prospered.

Now I should move on to what this speech really should be about – saying farewell. If I have made you reflect on your own experiences, I will have done my job correctly – allowing you to bring a piece of Glen Cove wherever it is you end up going. I wish you all the best of luck in that journey, and hope to see you all striving to make a difference. I might be overly hopeful, but if you make any kind of effort, you certainly will make that difference, be it in the life of your friends, your lovers, you children, your teachers, or your students. Why stop there? Maybe, just maybe, you will make a difference to society and history! But for you to be able to go out there and make that difference, my speech has to end – and you thought it wouldn’t. Class of 2000, Congratulations and Good Luck!

A letter to the Glen Cove High School Booster Club from Amber Abrams, Glen Cove class of 2000

I would like to thank you for the honor conferred upon me in awarding me the Virginia A. Maccarone Memorial Scholarship. 

I am presently fulfilling a lifelong dream to play Division I softball at an Ivy League school and am pleased to say I was one of five recruits from USA and Canada for Columbia University. I will play in my first tournament on September 16th in the blue uniform of the Columbia Lions.

However, I will never forget all that "Big Red" has meant to me. 

Once again, thank you for helping me make my dreams a reality.

A letter to the Glen Cove High School Booster Club from Michael Peluso, Glen Cove class of 2000

I would like to show my appreciation of the recent scholarship bestowed upon me. It is a great honor to be one of the few selected for such an award and I didn't want the honor to go unrecognized.

Being involved in Glen Cove High School sports has molded me into the person I am today. When you play for Glen Cove, you always know you have a great group of people behind you and that group is the Booster Club. All your efforts make playing at Glen Cove High School that much more special. Whether it is the Varsity Awards night or just selling food during the games, you always know you have someone supporting you. The athletes at Glen Cove High School are lucky to have all of you and you will always stick out in my mind for the things you do.

In closing, I would again like to thank you for the scholarship you have given me. I will be attending Sacred Heart University in the fall where I will be playing division 1-AA football and the money will be a great help in my next four years of education.

College essay by Richard Lee, Glen Cove class of 1999

Many people have passed through my life and had positive influences over me. However, there are two in particular, who have brought about a significant change in my life: one is my AP Physics teacher Mr. Pascuzzi, and the other is my school music teacher, Mr. Roselli. Although they are ordinary people going about their careers as teachers, Mr. Pascuzzi and Mr. Roselli have both impacted my life in different ways.

Mr. Pascuzzi, whom I have known for almost two years, taught me, through AP Physics, that the world revolves around the laws of Physics. However, he did not prove this through media such as a chalkboard, overhead projector, or even a textbook. From the first day of class in my Junior year, he piqued my interests in this branch of science by presenting lively demos that related to everyday life. For example, on the first day of Honors Physics, Mr. Pascuzzi shook a can of soda, plopped it on a desk, and as the class grimaced with anticipation of the can exploding, he tapped the top a few times, and opened the can with a dull hiss. This opened my mind to the world of physics, and from this point on, my mind grew curious as to why things happen. Not only has Mr. Pascuzzi been a great teacher in class, who motivated his students with his enthusiasm, he was also like a close friend. He was always joking around and asking about how we were doing in school and if we were understanding the material that was taught in class. This highly motivated me to try harder and to invest more time and effort in his class. As a result of his influence and the way he imposed physical science upon me, I have decided to pursue an education in the field of Engineering upon graduation from high school.

While my logical side was nourished by Mr. Pascuzzi, the creative side of my personality is to be highly credited to Mr. Roselli, whom I have known for four years as a Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble director. Like Mr. Pascuzzi, his methods of teaching were unorthodox. Quite frequently, he gave us lectures during Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble rehearsals. These lectures were fascinating and intriguing to me, because they came straight from his heart. He talked about his past experiences, gave us advice about how to approach life, tried to relate his adolescence to ours, and taught us how to be “street smart”. As one of the best speakers I have ever heard, his lessons on how to go through life changed my attitude on what is important, and what is (as he would say), “fluff.” I have learned to pursue what I deem to be important such as doing something to its maximum potential.

Mr. Pascuzzi and Mr. Roselli both have taken a considerable role in shaping my identity. They have improved not only my academics and scholastics, but also helped shape my character as well. Because of these two influential men, my personality has become even more multi-dimensional, not only academically and artistically, but also in my outlook on life. Thanks to them, I have now learned the importance of being inquisitive as well as learning to see the “big picture” when dealing with situations in my life, and putting everything into perspective.