Eighth graders from Lynbrook North and Lynbrook South middle schools participated in graduation caravans on June 16, surrounded by proud staff members, building principals and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Melissa Burak. The day also served as a way to collect supplies and return items to students that were left in the buildings.

At Lynbrook North Middle School, eighth grade graduates and their families drove through the school parking lot where staff members enthusiastically greeted them. Principal Sean Fallon announced each graduate as they entered. The students received their diploma, any awards that they earned and a yearbook. Mr. Fallon wished them the best of luck in high school.

At Lynbrook South Middle School, staff members lined the front of the decorated school building to cheer on the graduates as they drove into the circle with their families. Principal Joseph Wiener presented the students with their diploma and a graduation program. Each student also received a yearbook.

Many Lynbrook families decorated their cars with balloons, signs and window paint to commemorate the special day. Although it was not the traditional moving up ceremony that each school typically holds, everyone embraced the change with smiles on their faces as the eighth graders prepared to take on the next step of their academic journey at Lynbrook High School.

Lynbrook South Middle School eighth graders Yasmine Afzali, Elizabeth Ortiz and Brady Reis were recently recognized as three of the 215 honorable mention winners in the NPR Student Podcast Challenge. The national challenge encourages students in grades 5-12 to create an original podcast between three and 12 minutes long for a chance to have their podcast featured in segments on NPR’s Morning Edition or All Things Considered radio programs. This year, 2,200 entries were submitted into the competition.

Each student podcast was critiqued by judges based on information and structure, personality and creativity and production quality. Yasmine, Elizabeth and Brady were among 11 Lynbrook South Middle School students enrolled in Roxanne Migliacci’s new Public Speaking 8 elective course to submit their original podcasts into the competition. The course is an extension of the Public Speaking 7 course and is also open to students who have not taken public speaking before. It includes exercise, practice and group activities to allow veteran students to teach their rookie peers. 

As part of the Public Speaking 8 curriculum, students studied a unit about storytelling. They wrote original stories and delivered them to first graders at Marion Street Elementary School during the school year. Building on this experience, students then wrote and recorded original podcasts which some opted to submit into the NPR Student Podcast Challenge. 

Congratulations, Yasmine, Elizabeth, and Brady!