School News, December 21

Hampton Bays Elementary School students in Amy McNamara’s class recently spent time writing holiday cards to Hampton Bays alumni who are serving in the military. Cards were sent to Texas, Washington, Kansas and Nevada. Ariela Blakaj, left, and Vivian Rozzi show off their work. COURTESY HAMPTON BAYS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Bruce McGowin, a Southampton artist, author and illustrator, recently visited members of Southampton Elementary School’s Authors & Illustrators Club. During the event, the students asked McGowin questions about what inspired him and how he became an author/illustrator. McGowin shared his drawings, books and love of art. COURTESY SOUTHAMPTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Members of Southampton High School’s Interact Club volunteered their time on December 9 to feed homeless community members at First Presbyterian Church of Southampton. The students spent time serving and interacting with the guests. COURTESY SOUTHAMPTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

As part of its mission to promote and celebrate the diversity of languages and cultures represented at Southampton High School, the school’s World Language and Culture Club recently hosted a successful International Feast fundraiser. The event featured food donations from families and faculty members from different cultures. Among the many dishes were Spanish paella and tortilla, Native American fry bread, Italian lasagna, meatballs and baked ziti, Irish shortbread and shepherd’s pies, Polish kielbasa and pierogies, and fuchka from Bangladesh. Faculty, families and adult participants of the district’s English BOCES classes enjoyed getting together and tasting the different foods in celebration of the community’s multiculturalism. COURTESY SOUTHAMPTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

East Quogue Elementary School kindergarten students are in the spirit of giving, not only for members of their community but their animal friends outside too. Anne Culhane’s class read Eve Bunting’s “Night Tree” about a family’s tradition of decorating a tree in the forest for the animals. Using pipe cleaners, Cheerios and fruit, the students then created edible decorations and hung them for the birds and other animals that might find them this holiday season. COURTESY EAST QUOGUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

East Quogue Elementary School kindergarten students are in the spirit of giving, not only for members of their community but their animal friends outside too. Anne Culhane’s class read Eve Bunting’s “Night Tree” about a family’s tradition of decorating a tree in the forest for the animals. Using pipe cleaners, Cheerios and fruit, the students then created edible decorations and hung them for the birds and other animals that might find them this holiday season. COURTESY EAST QUOGUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Hampton Bays Elementary School first grade students celebrated the holiday season with their annual “Holidays Around the World” show. Dressed in colorful outfits, each first grade class stood to recite facts and poems about the various holidays they had studied in class. They also entertained the audience by singing festive holiday songs. COURTESY HAMPTON BAYS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Second and third grade students at Southampton Elementary School were back practicing their swimming skills during recent swimming lesson sessions at the YMCA. They practiced kicking skills using kickboards, going underwater and the backstroke. Advanced swimmers swam laps and learned how to dive. COURTESY SOUTHAMPTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Members of the Westhampton Beach Middle School Student Council are collecting toys as part of their annual holiday toy drive. The students created signs and collection boxes with a goal to amass as many toys as possible during the month of December. All of the toys will be donated to Toys for Tots. From left are student council members Samantha Mazurkiewicz, Leah Centeno-Peipman and Mikey Kessler. COURTESY WESTHAMPTON BEACH SCHOOL DISTRICT

From left to right: Juniors Ashlee Lewandoski and Grace DiBlasio, senior Michelle Kryl, and Lillian Jeznach, Associate Professor of Engineering at Roger Williams University