It was a celebration of reading and literature at Lynbrook elementary schools as students and staff marked PARP Week from March 6-10.

Through several daily themes, students at Waverly Park, West End and Marion Street elementary schools practiced their reading skills and boosted their love of reading. Themes included “Drop Everything and Read,” during which students stopped what they were doing to dive into a selected book, and “Wacky Wednesday,” when students and staff dressed in fun, colorful outfits inspired by their favorite stories. On March 10, students also enjoyed a virtual visit from Melina Gerosa Bellows, author of the “Totally Random” book series about informative facts and questions. Mrs. Bellows discussed her path to success before students asked questions about the facts found in her books.

PARP, or Pick a Reading Partner, also continued at home with parents and students. Home activities focused on a love of reading and included a scavenger hunt at the Lynbrook Public Library. Families also had the chance to win prizes after participating.

Date Added: 3/15/2023

Students at West End Elementary School in the Lynbrook Public School District marked P.S. I Love You Day by promoting positivity and acceptance. The community was reminded of the importance of supporting ourselves and our peers!

Date Added: 3/1/2023

Individuals with extraordinary dedication to Lynbrook Public Schools and the surrounding community were honored during the Lynbrook Council of PTAs annual Founders’ Day Celebration in the Lynbrook High School auditorium on Feb. 13. The night included the event’s first presentation of the Diamond Award recognizing decades of service to the district.

PTA Founders’ Day is celebrated each year to commemorate the founding of the National Congress of Mothers, the precursor to the modern PTA. Members of the West End School PTA, Waverly Park School PTA, Marion Street School PTA, Lynbrook North Middle School PTA, Lynbrook South Middle School PTA, Lynbrook High School PTA and Lynbrook SEPTA presented Honorary Life Membership Awards to 13 worthy individuals, before the Lynbrook Council of PTAs presented the Distinguished Service Award and the Diamond Award.

The Lynbrook Council of PTAs awarded the Distinguished Service Award to Jennifer Denker, while the first Diamond Award went to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Melissa Burak, who will retire at the end of this school year after 30 years of service.
Honorary Life Membership Award recipients included Dr. Christine Doran, Laura Greene, Katherine Kelly-Roth, Karline Wilson Schmieder, Andreia Davies, Peter Deschler, Sandra Gettenberg, Lisa Lanzello, Justin Randazzo, Corey Guglielmo, Michael Kunz, Laura MacLeish, and Jennifer R. Powder.

Following the ceremony, honorees and loved ones enjoyed a special reception in the high school’s cafeteria decorated in green and gold Lynbrook pride.

Click here to view the photo slideshow.

Date Added: 2/16/2023

Through a special collaboration, elementary school students throughout Lynbrook Public Schools have learned about the importance of the hidden shellfish that line New York’s shores.

Students at Marion Street, Waverly Park and West End elementary schools have taken a dive into the Billion Oyster Project, an environmental sustainability initiative that seeks to restore one billion oysters to New York Harbor by 2035. Because oysters are filter feeders, they serve as a natural water filter with many beneficial effects for their surrounding ecosystem.

Elementary school Science Specialists have incorporated the Billion Oyster Project into their curriculum through lessons that relate to the project’s mission. During the fourth grade’s Structure and Function unit, for example, Science Specialists substituted the study of a fiddler crab with an oyster to think about the design of a hard outer body that protects a soft inner body.

Representatives from Nassau BOCES, in association with Cornell University’s Nassau Extension, have visited all fourth grade classes to present special assemblies. The assemblies provided an examining of real live oysters that students were able to see or interact with up close. They learned about the function of the oyster and their importance to New York State and the Hudson River, building an appreciation for just how the Billion Oyster Project will benefit so many in the future.

Date Added: 2/8/2023

Students throughout the Lynbrook Public School District recognized the millions who were massacred during the Holocaust in recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27.

At North and South middle schools and Lynbrook High School, eighth and tenth graders gathered to view “The Barn,” a sobering documentary that features Rachel Kastner and her grandfather, Karl Shapiro, as they follow his story of survival in the face of unspeakable evil. In Ukraine, a Polish farmer hid Karl and seventeen other Jews for a year and a half in a secret basement underneath his barn. The emotional journey takes Rachel and Karl to the place Karl swore he would never return. Although the memories were difficult to recount, Rachel experienced the tight living conditions her grandfather lived through and understood the insurmountable odds he overcame to survive.

The students watched attentively and empathetically connected to the struggle Karl experienced not long ago. Rachel joined the livestream of the documentary and spoke to students to answer questions about the experience. Students submitted engaging questions about the things she learned about her family and the many Jews attacked during the Holocaust. Rachel’s story exemplified the importance of passing down such stories through generations.

At the elementary schools, students honored the victims and their families through artistic expression. Beautiful butterfly murals stand at Marion Street, Waverly Park and West End, which acknowledge the individuals lost and promote messages of hope. West End students met virtually in the morning as Principal Leah Murray read the book, “Martin and Anne,” by Nancy Churnin, which recounts the struggles of Marin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank, who were born the same year. Fifth graders in social studies classes at each building engaged in lessons about the Holocaust, emphasizing the importance of recognizing this harrowing event.

Date Added: 1/27/2023