Honoring Our Veteran, Ms. Marilouise Kelly
The American Flag flies in the Hampton Bays Public Schools this month for our neighbor and local hero, Marilouise Kelly.
Marilouise was born in Flushing, New York and grew up in Elmhurst Queens with her two siblings, Paula and Bobby. Marilouise attended Mount Sinai School of Nursing and graduated with honors as a Registered Nurse. Marilouise volunteered for the Army Nurse Corps and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at Fort Totten, NY. She was assigned to care for solders returning from combat in North Africa. In 1943, she was sent to England to work at the 231 Station Hospital, 60 miles north of London. The number of casualties and those injured in the “Battle of the Bulge” was enormous and they were treated at that hospital.
Marilouise married Gene Kelly when he returned from combat in Okinawa after having served with the 536 ATB. They married on April 25, 1946 in St. Bartholomew’s Church and were blessed with seven children by 1947 - 3 boys and 4 girls. She attended Hunter College and graduated with a Degree in Education. In 1970 she became an accomplished assistant professor of the faculty of Nassau Community College School of Nursing. There, she contributed as an author to textbooks that forever changed the lives of many nursing students and colleagues.
Marilouise remains an active member of the Hampton Bays Senior Center and is also a respected member of the American Legion and VFW. She attended the opening of the WWII monument and is honored in the Women’s Memorial for America’s Military Women in Washington D.C.
The Hampton Bays Public Schools thanks Marilouise Kelly for her service and is proud to recognize her by flying a flag in her honor for the entire month of January at the Hampton Bays Elementary School!
Health Notice
Please see the attached notice regarding the existence of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) in the Hampton Bays School District. As the news has reported, there are high rates of reported cases of Pertussis throughout Suffolk County. The attached letter mentions symptoms and signs and gives background information on Pertussis. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Suffolk County Department of Health or your child's School Nurse.
Click here for more information (English)
Click here for more information (Spanish)
Guest Chefs
Introducing healthy food into school lunches just got a little easier at Hampton Bays Middle School. The reason: the Guest Chef program.
The monthly program, which began in November, features a local guest chef who visits the school to prepare healthy and delicious meals for the students. In December, Chef Charles from Villa Paul dropped by and served up Italian specialties, including pasta fagiole, Caesar salad, sausage and beef lasagna, grilled eggplant parmesan and apple cobbler.
“We’ve got a local celebrity chef making delicious food. It’s a home run,” Hampton Bays District Superintendent Lars Clemensen said while enjoying lunch prepared by Chef Charles. “We’re getting kids to eat healthy. It’s a good day in the school.”
According to Hampton Bays District Business Administrator Larry Luce, the program is all about introducing kids to healthy meals made from scratch, with new items that students may not have had before. “Getting kids to eat eggplant, wow!” he said of Chef Charles’s visit.
All the food for the program is supplied by the school, and the chef volunteers his or her time, according to Mr. Luce. There is a slight additional food expense for the program, which the district pays at no additional cost to the students.
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Students Recognized for Excellence
The achievements of more than two dozen students were recognized during the December Hampton Bays Board of Education meeting.
Hampton Bays District Superintendent Lars Clemensen awarded middle school students and gifted vocalists Lily Spellman and Ava Bianchi special Patriotism Awards for their service to the school.
“These singers use their powers for good,” Mr. Clemensen said. “Every time we have an event, we can count on these two ladies.”
He went on to report that both Ms. Spellman and Ms. Bianchi had gone above and beyond to show up at the Shinnecock Inlet in the pouring rain on Wednesday, December 7, to sing for the 70th annual Pearl Harbor service for members of the American Legion Hand-Aldrich Post 924.
Fire Prevention Campaign winners in grades K through 8 were also recognized at the Board of Education meeting. Each winner received $25 gift certificates, presented by Joe Modjeska and Leigh Penny of the Hampton Bays Volunteer Fire Department, for their winning entries in the Fire Prevention Poster and Essay Contests.
Winners included: Emma Halsey, Joseph Arroyo, Adriana Mauricio, Evelyn Koziol, Liam Sutton, Alyson Francolini, Meegan Lennon, Alexis Rivas, Daniel Comenzo, Priscila Putzulo, Justin Korczak, Garrett Francolini, Sofia Gonzalez, Tristan Halsey, Lily Candelaria, Maria Jose Duran, Joey Sapio, Cassandra Strobel, Conor Fleming, Melissa Carranza, Sage McMorris, Stephanie Cruz, Raven Stephens, Julia Dzakonski, David Ramirez, Shannon Rey and Alicia Golyski.
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Students of the Month Honored
November Students of the Month were recognized during the Hampton Bays December Board of Education meeting.
Three students, one from the elementary school, one from the middle school and one from the high school, received plaques and words of commendation from their respective principals during the meeting. Second grader Josephine Perl, seventh grader Christina Pasca and sophomore Taylor Catz were each recognized for their exemplary scholarship and leadership.
Josephine was nominated for Student of the Month by her teacher, Barbara Ferucci, who assisted Hampton Bays Elementary School Principal Marc Meyer in presenting her student with her plaque. Also joining the educators were Josephine’s little brothers, Nate and Leo. “She’s so special that Ms. Ferucci insisted on being here tonight,” Mr. Meyer said, adding that Josephine loves literature, singing and dancing. Her goal is to travel around the world as a professional singer and dancer, Mr. Meyer said.
Christina is “an absolute pleasure to be around” and “oozes enthusiasm,” according to Hampton Bays Middle School Principal Dennis Schug. “She’s so well-rounded it’s incredible,” he added. Christina not only excels at school—her favorite subjects are science and English—but she also volunteers at a horse rehabilitation center, plays the xylophone, and loves to go sailing with her sister. Her goal is to become a veterinarian’s assistant when she turns 14, Mr. Schug reported.
Taylor was nominated for Student of the Month by his global history teacher, Danielle Russo, according to Hampton Bays High School Principal Christopher Richardt. Mr. Richardt said that he received the nomination from Ms. Russo just as he was signing Taylor’s commendation for making the honor roll. Taylor is an “outstanding young man and a three-sport athlete,” Mr. Richardt said, and he hopes to attend Penn State University and go on to become a sports commentator.
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Let the (Harvest) Games Begin
Students at the Hampton Bays Middle School celebrated the Harvest Games event on Friday, November 18. The night of class competition and games, sponsored by the Middle School Student Council, draws participants from students in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades.
The annual event is more than just good old-fashioned fun; it is also a philanthropic opportunity, with proceeds collected and donated to worthy local causes. This year, more than 1,000 food items were donated and delivered to the Hampton Bays Food Pantry. Additionally, the event raised $385, which has been donated to Maureen’s Haven. Pictured are Laura Zaweski and Leslie Bautista demonstrating how to truly use their heads in the Heads of Corn Relay event!
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Hampton Bays Students Visit Seniors
Members of the Hampton Bays Middle School and High School chapters of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), along with the Hampton Bays Middle School cheer squad, stopped in for their annual visit to the Bishop Ryan Village Community Center for senior citizens.
The visit, the ninth annual, was all about mixing and mingling, according to SADD advisor Tim Tenaglia and Bishop Ryan Social Service Coordinator Florence Raber, who have been working together on the gathering for the last six years.
“It’s all about participating, singing, socializing and refreshment,” Mr. Tenaglia said of why the students return to the senior center year after year. Added Ms. Raber, “They love the young people. This visit really perks them up.”
During this year’s gathering, sophomore Emma Henry played a selection of holiday songs on the piano, including “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” “O Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bells.” Sophomore Keith Davis dazzled the audience on the alto saxophone, playing “Sleigh Ride” and an impromptu set. The cheerleaders also performed a lively rendition of the cheer “Watch Out.”
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Academic All-Stars
Hampton Bays High School is proud to announce that eight out of eleven varsity fall athletic teams have qualified for the New York State Scholar-Athlete Team Award. This prestigious state award is presented to a team who cumulatively achieves a 90 percent grade point average or better during the competing season.
The District would like to congratulate the following teams and their coaches for their outstanding accomplishments both on the field and in the classroom:
Varsity Football Cheerleading, Katie Miedema, Coach
Varsity Boys Cross Country, Fran Arato, Coach
Varsity Girls Cross Country, Dave Oakley, Coach
Varsity Field Hockey, Erin Hutchins, Coach
Varsity Girls Gymnastics, Amy Stangasser, Coach
Varsity Girls Soccer, Marc Kops, Coach
Varsity Girls Tennis, Rodney Way, Coach
Varsity Girls Volleyball, Andy Fotopoulos, Coach
Additional congratulations to the varsity girls field hockey team for being selected as the only team in Suffolk County to receive the Marilyn Cross Sportsmanship Award from the Suffolk Field Hockey Umpires Association. Also, Coach of the Year Awards were given to John Paga (varsity boys soccer) and Kristy Stevens (junior varsity volleyball) both in League VII.
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