William L. Buck Elementary School Kindergarteners Visit the Long Island Children’s Museum

 (APRIL 2023)—Expanding a child’s creativity and increasing their social engagement skills are important parts of setting a student up for success. Towards that goal, Valley Stream 24’s William L Buck. Elementary kindergarten students recently visited the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City. 

“Field trips are great for hands-on learning as well as creating childhood memories,” said Johanne Gaddy, Principal of William L. Buck Elementary School. “Scheduling a trip to the Long Island Children’s Museum gave our students the opportunity to learn and explore outside of the classroom while making real-world connections to what they’ve learned in school.”

The young learners watched Mo Willems’ Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! Afterward, they toured the museum and engaged in its many interactive activities.  For example, the kindergarteners played with bubbles as a sensory experience. They were able to observe the size, shape, and reflection of the bubbles. Students were also able to experiment by stepping inside a big bubble as well as creating bubbles with giant wands. 

The Long Island Children’s Museum is a not-for-profit learning space that is dedicated to educational play. Children are encouraged to explore and use their imaginations as they move through the museum’s exhibits, programs, and performances. At the museum, children learn various skills, including independence, and are inspired to be the next generation of outstanding citizens in the fields that they choose. 

 (MARCH 2023)—Valley Stream 24 School District’s Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary student, Asmin Aurna, has been selected as one of Scholastic’s Storyworks writing contest winners for the months of December and January.

“Asmin is one of the many students in our school who are masterful in their writing and in their comprehension skills,” said Rosario Iacono, Principal of Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School. “At Valley Stream 24, we strive to instill the importance of mastering English. Communication is critical in all aspects of our lives, and knowing how to effectively use the English language in both the spoken and written word is a life skill with countless benefits. Writing in elementary school supports our students' developmental skills in critical thinking and processing information.”

Asmin’s entry presented a strong understanding of the story and proficiency in organizing a response to the prompt based on the mini-read, Designing for Difference. Scholastic’s Storyworks receives hundreds of entries every month and participants are required to demonstrate their critical reading skills and apply their thinking to their writing. 

 (MARCH 2023)—Valley Stream 24 students were busy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day through various hands-on classroom lessons and activities with the theme of the Irish holiday. “Holidays are always an exciting and festive time in Valley Stream 24 Schools. It’s great to see everyone in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and wearing green,” said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24 Schools. 

For example, students used Lucky Charm cereals to create a graph to see how many different kinds of marshmallows they had in the cereal. They also colored in their paper St. Patrick’s Day hats to wear throughout the day.  Reading Clever Tom and the Leprechaun by Linda Chute was another themed activity after which students wrote about why they thought the Leprechaun was tricky. 

A final St. Patrick’s Day activity involved students creating crafty clover leaves with various art materials.

 (MARCH 2023)—American paralympic athlete, Dennis Oehler, visited Valley Stream 24’s William L. Buck Elementary School for an assembly to speak to students about treating people with disabilities with kindness and respect. 

“Special thanks to William L. Buck PTA for sponsoring this event for our fourth and sixth graders,” said Johanne Gaddy, Principal of William L. Buck Elementary School. “This was a great opportunity to have meaningful conversations about being kind and respectful to everyone around us.”

Dennis Oehler, a 1978 graduate of Deer Park,  is a paralympic athlete from the United States who competed mainly in category PS4 pentathlon and TS2 sprint events. He competed in three Paralympics for the United States, winning a total of 10 medals including four golds. Mr. Oehler was inducted into the Long Island Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in the Track and Field Category with the Class of 2000.

 (MARCH 2023)—In recognition of Read Across America Week, students in Valley Stream 24 Schools participated in various activities designed to promote a love of reading.  Read Across America was launched by the National Education Association in 1998 to celebrate and encourage students to read.

At Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School, students shared messages and stories that express kindness and love for Read Across America Week. Students read stories like Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy, One by Kathryn Otoshi, How Full Is Your Bucket? by Mary Reckmeyer and Tom Rath, and Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. Brooklyn Avenue students ended the week by sharing stories that celebrated each other’s uniqueness.

At  William L. Buck Elementary School, students participated in a school-wide Sustained Silent Reading period. Students from kindergarten through sixth grade stopped what they were doing and enjoyed reading a good book in silence. Students were encouraged to bring blankets or bears and get comfortable throughout the building to enjoy the love of reading.

At Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School, students had a great time during their Read Across America school event. Students were divided into two teams, with team members attempting to answer questions read to them by teachers. Students enjoyed the friendly competition as well as answering questions about literature.

  (FEBRUARY 2023)—Following the recent announcement of Dr. Don Sturz’s retirement as Superintendent of Valley Stream District 24 Schools at the conclusion of the current school year, the Valley Stream District 24 Board of Education engaged District Wise Search Consultants to conduct the search for the District’s next Superintendent of Schools. 

“Dr. Sturz has moved our District forward in countless ways over the course of his tenure as our educational leader. While we are sad to see him leave, we of course wish him every great success and happiness as he moves ahead into the next chapter of his life. Thank you Dr. Sturz for your commitment and passion for our community and our schools,” said John Maier, President of the Valley Stream District 24 Board of Education. 

In one of the first steps taken by District Wise Search Consultants, a community forum has been scheduled to solicit input from the community on the attributes and characteristics community members feel are most critical in the next superintendent of schools. The forum has been scheduled for:

Date and Time: Monday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. 

Location: William L. Buck Elementary School gymnasium. 

For those that are unable to join in person, there will be a virtual forum via Zoom. The link can be found on the District website at www.valleystreamschooldistrict24.org. The participation of all stakeholders is vital during the process. All information gathered will be included anonymously in a report that will be prepared for the Board of Education. For those who are unable to attend the meeting, or for those who prefer to provide their suggestions and opinions privately, a confidential e-mail address has been established by District Wise Search Consultants at VS24SupSearch@districtwisesearch.com

(FEBRUARY 2023)—With the month of February all about the theme of love, students in Valley Stream 24 celebrated Valentine’s Day with various meaningful activities and classroom lessons.

Students in all three District schools participated in Nassau County’s Annual Valentines For Veterans program,  creating festive cards that included thank you messages to the veterans for their service to the country. The letters and cards will be distributed to veterans in hospitals and nursing homes on Long Island. At Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School, Councilwoman Melissa Miller and Town Clerk Kate Murrary visited to thank the students for their hard work and accepted the cards on behalf of the veterans.

Also at Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School, students created heart-shaped cards for first responders expressing their gratitude for the importance of their service to the community. Parent volunteers were able to deliver the cards to NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola.

Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary students practiced their baking skills to make heart-shaped waffles in the spirit of Valentine’s Day. Students followed directions to make their batter and bake it with their waffle maker. 

William L. Buck Elementary School students studied the work of mural artist, James Goldcrown. The students practiced recreating his style by using chalk pastels drawing heart shapes, overlapping, and blending their shapes.

(FEBRUARY 2023)—In honor of P.S. I Love You Day, recognized annually on the second Friday of February, Valley Stream 24 students wore purple, the official color of P.S. I Love Your Day, and participated in a variety of classroom activities focused on mental health, suicide prevention and standing up to bullying.

“P.S. I Love You Day provides a wonderful opportunity to educate our students about the importance of mental health,” said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24 Schools. “Too often, young people have trouble expressing their concerns, fears, confusion, and emotions. They are experiencing feelings they’ve never had before and don’t understand. That can lead to depression, behavioral problems, and in extreme instances, the unthinkable – suicide. In our district, teaching our students about the importance of mental health is part of our social-emotional curriculum. P.S. I Love You Day is another tool we use to bring greater awareness about these issues to our students.” 

At Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School, students acknowledged P.S. I Love You Day by creating a big book of “Love All Your Chapters.” Students posted messages about the importance of kindness and good health. Students also had the opportunity to take P.S. I Love You Day-themed selfies.

At Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School, students came together by wearing purple for outdoor photos to visibly show a unified message against bullying and fighting depression. The P.S. I Love You Day t-shirts were provided by the Robert W. Carbonaro PTA.

At William L. Buck Elementary School, students set up high-five stations to let their peers know that they were loved. Students also created a chapter book to represent this year’s theme of “Love All Your Chapters.” Each student wrote about an event in their lives that was challenging, an event that had a positive impact, a good memory, and ended their chapter with something that they are looking forward to in the future.

  (FEBRUARY 2023)—In honor of career and technical education month, William L. Buck Elementary School hosted its second annual Career Day with a theme of “Sweet Success.” Led by the school’s student council, the day started off with opening remarks by council members who then served as escorts for each of the invited guest speakers. 

“Our second annual Career Day was a sweet success. Thank you to our student council and the Career Day committee for providing awesome sweet treats and making this event possible,” said Johanne Gaddy, Principal of William L. Buck Elementary School. “Career Day is a great opportunity to introduce our students to a variety of jobs and professional fields they might be interested in. This day sparked a lot of curiosity and interest for our students as well as self-awareness about what their skills and strengths are.”

Family and community members were invited to speak to students about their professional fields. Speakers included nurses, software developers, editors, marketing directors, police officers, business owners, dentists and physicians, and professional make-up artists. In addition, local Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages came and spoke with students in the fifth and sixth grades. She spoke about her life path and the positives and negatives of being an elected official.

William L. Buck students had the opportunity to participate in short interactive activities with the visitors to gain a better understanding of what each job entailed. For example, students had the opportunity to make their own pizzas, practice CPR, watch how cosmetics are crafted, tour a food truck, try on police vests and so much more.

 (FEBRUARY 2023)—Valley Stream 24 Schools celebrated World Read Aloud Day through various activities. World Read Aloud Day, created by the non-profit organization, LitWorld, highlights the importance of sharing stories and celebrates the power of reading aloud to build community,  amplify individual stories, and advocate for literacy.

At Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School, older students celebrated the day by reading stories to their kindergarten buddies. Students celebrated at Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School by having mystery guest readers visit their classrooms. The mystery readers – parents - were also at the school as part of the celebration of Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) month. 

At William L. Buck Elementary School, students celebrated by having the building’s staff and faculty visit each classroom to read aloud to them. The school’s students were incredibly excited to have Principal Johanne Gaddy,  Dr. Scott Comis, Principal of Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School, Dr. Lisa Conte, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Schools, and Dr. Jack Mitchell, Assistant Superintendent for Business, take the time to read aloud to them. World Read Aloud day is celebrated annually in over 173 counties.

 (FEBRUARY 2023)—Northwell Health representatives recently visited the three Valley Stream 24 schools to speak to students about nutrition and making healthy decisions. Students learned about My Plate charts and the benefits of making healthy food choices. Students also learned how important drinking water is and how beneficial and vital water is to their overall health.

As part of the learning exercise, students had the opportunity to play various games with the theme of healthy eating such as the My Plate game. Students also received cookbooks and fresh produce that they were able to take home to enjoy preparing a meal with their families after learning about different healthy food recipes.

“At Valley Stream 24, we endeavor to ensure our students have the skills and knowledge to thrive both in and beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24 Schools. “Educating our students about healthy lifestyle choices now, while they are still young, will hopefully instill in them a love of a healthy lifestyle that will stay with them into adulthood.”

In the spring, the Wellness on Wheels (WOW) truck will visit Valley Stream 24 schools to educate students further about building healthy habits and the tangible benefits of an active lifestyle. 

 (JANUARY 2023)—Valley Stream 24 students recently celebrated the Lunar New Year, commonly known as the Spring Festival. While often associated with Chinese traditions, many Asian countries celebrate their own version of the lunar new year,  highlighting the beginning of spring and the new year based on the lunisolar calendar.

Valley Stream 24 students learned about the lunar new year with educational and interactive activities. This year is the year of the rabbit which symbolizes peace, longevity, and prosperity. At Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School, a Chinese student spoke to his fellow classmates about his family’s traditions and how they celebrate the lunar new year. Afterward, the students worked on their rabbit worksheets and crafted paper lanterns.

At William L. Buck Elementary School, students worked on a week-long project creating spectacular moveable dragons out of paper boxes and craft materials. After finishing their moveable dragons, students and teachers had a parade featuring their dragons.

At Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School, students celebrated the Lunar New Year by creating dragon puppets after learning that dragons symbolize good luck, strength, and health. The Valley Stream 24 students also read and watched videos about the lunar new year and learned about the traditional dragon and lion dances typically performed during  Lunar New Year celebrations.

(JANUARY 2023)—Valley Stream 24 Schools recently hosted its Scripps National Spelling Bee competition. Formerly known as the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, it is a non-profit organization founded by The E.W. Scripps Company that sponsors annual spelling bee competitions in the United States. First-place and runner-up students are qualified to move on to the regional Scripps National Spelling Bee competition. 

Prior to the competitive event, Valley Stream 24 spelling bee participants studied the Words of the Champions official study booklet which contains 4,000 words and also includes the 450-word School Spelling Bee study list.

“Learning how to spell supports our students’ reading and writing skills which leads to their language development,” said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24. “Congratulations to all the students who participated in the district’s Scripps National Spelling Bee. We are excited for our students who qualified to move on to the regional event!”

Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School:
Adriyan De, First place
Zahra Majid, Runner-up

Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School:
Shehran Choudhury, First place
Nigel Lian, Runner-up

William L. Buck Elementary School:
Maximo Papandrea, First place
Jake Marlborough, Runner-up

 (JANUARY 2023)—This year, Valley Stream 24’s William L. Buck Elementary School held its second annual Buck Gives Back Day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday and the national day of service. Activities were planned for students based on grade level. 

Kindergarten and first-grade students created snack bags for Meal on Wheels recipients with donated items from Valley Stream 24 families. Second-grade students crafted cards with positive messages and pictures to include in the snack bags. Third and fourth-grade students created greeting cards for seniors at Bristol Assisted Living in Lynbrook with colorful drawings and positive messages.

Fifth and sixth-grade students worked together for Meals for All benefiting Last Chance Animal Rescue and North Shore Animal League. Students made no-bake, homemade treats for animals at the two shelters that are waiting for their forever homes. The Last Chance Animal Recuse, a not-for-profit charitable organization, also visited William L. Buck Elementary School for a special assembly for grades five and six. The rescue organization’s representatives discussed with the students why rescuing is important and the vital role of a foster family. Students were able to meet their success story dog, Carmen, who loved meeting all of the William L. Buck students.

All of the activities that the students participated in were an extension of the school’s No Place for Hate campaign and One School, One Book initiative led by Traci Ritterband and Kerriann Pieper, school psychologists, and a committee of teachers and students. This month’s book, Lunch Every Day by Kathryn Otoshi, was chosen to support the idea of helping one’s community. All of the students read the book and engaged in classroom discussions and activities around feelings, perspective, empathy, and being an ally to others. The Buck Gives Back Day of Service was an opportunity to move beyond learning about ally behaviors to become allies to people and animals in the community.

 (DECEMBER 2022)—Rohan Murphy, a nationally recognized youth speaker who is an American Paralympian, wrestler, and motivational speaker who has been featured on ABCNews, Sports Illustrated, 20/20 as well as Nike’s campaign, No Excuses, visited Valley Stream 24 recently to spread his inspirational message to the students.

“Thank you to Mr. Murphy for visiting our schools,” said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24 Schools. “Valley Stream 24 prides itself on giving our students the confidence, and support and giving them the right tools to succeed in their lives in their educational journey and beyond. Rohan Murphy visiting our schools was an excellent opportunity for our students to listen to his life experiences, how he overcame hardships and anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

Karen Serro, Robert W. Carbonaro’s social worker facilitated the Rohan Murphy program districtwide in hopes to promote positive messages of hope, kindness, self-love, and overcoming adversity. Rohan Murphy visited all three schools in Valley Stream 24 to speak to the sixth-grade students about going after what they want, being the best versions of themselves, and making no excuses.

“Thank you to Valley Stream 24 for inviting me to speak to their students. Speaking at school is my dream job because I feel like I can make a difference and positive impact with my story,” said Rohan Murphy, American Paralympian, wrestler, and motivational speaker. “I believe that it is vital for people to hear my journey to give them a different perspective in life!”

 (DECEMBER 2022)—The Phyllis Rose Dance Company recently visited William L. Buck Elementary School, bringing their blend of energy, excitement, and knowledge to the students through dance. 

“We truly enjoyed having the Phyllis Rose Dance Company in our school; the students were enraptured by the group’s dance, music, and creativity,” said Johanne Gaddy, Principal of William L. Buck Elementary School. “I’d like to thank the William L. Buck PTA, who helped make this event possible. Thank you for being committed to our students' arts in education and excellence in programming,”

The Phyllis Rose Dance Company put on a spectacular performance of the Winter Holiday Folk Festival, which celebrates the dance, movement, music, and folklore of Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the Winter Solstice, along with many other winter traditions. William L. Buck Elementary School students were able to immerse themselves in various cultures, histories, and traditions through the art of dance and music. 

 (DECEMBER 2022)—Valley Stream 24 understands the importance of family engagement. Building relationships with families to support the well-being of their children and foster an even stronger connection between parent and child is vital for a student’s success and development. Valley Stream 24  hosted family forums designed to give families the opportunity to gather to support their students, learn, and share with each other.

“Family engagement is one of the four pillars at Valley Stream 24 and we pride ourselves on consciously making the effort to increase parent engagement by working with families and school staff to support and improve the development, well-being, and education of our students,” said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24. “It was inspiring and gratifying  to see our Valley Stream 24 families participate in our family forums!”

Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School had an evening of fun-filled activities that celebrated the rich culture of the school during their Love is Family, Let’s Get Connected family forum. Families, students, and staff created their own puzzle pieces and decorated them with graphics representing their own cultures. Students shared what their families created and all in attendance participated in various activities that shared everyone's cultures and traditions.

Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School students gathered to participate in the school’s family forum with the theme of This is Me. Students were asked to speak about their heritage with their families, including the history of their surnames, their flags, and what made their heritage unique. The school gym was filled with flags, cultural items, foods, and presentations about the different cultures of the school’s student body.

William L. Buck Elementary School students took home quilt squares. Students and families were encouraged to design their quilt squares to represent their family heritage. During their Cookies and Quilt family forum, students and families were invited to share their finished quilts and explain to everyone why their family is unique and special.

 (NOVEMBER 2022)—In celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, students in Valley Stream 24 Schools participated in various activities to remind themselves of what they are thankful for. “This is the time of year when we are most reminded of what it is we are grateful for and the value of family and friends. It was truly wonderful and inspiring to see our students come together, celebrate the blessings in their lives, share with each other and publicly acknowledge to each other the things and people they are most grateful for this holiday season, ” said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24 Schools. “On behalf of our Board of Education and Administration, we extend our deep appreciation to the  Valley Stream 24 community for  their unwavering support and commitment to our students' well-being and education.”

At Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School, students participated in a Morning of Gratitude during which they wrote down what they were grateful for. The activity also included the students coloring in their turkey feathers with words of gratefulness to be shared with their fellow classmates. The students also enjoyed a holiday feast before heading into the Thanksgiving break. 

At William L. Buck Elementary School, students participated in their school’s annual Grateful Gallop, an activity designed to engage the students’  minds as well as bodies. Students ran around the Grateful Gallop course and were thrilled to cross the finish line in honor of all the people and things they were grateful for. The students also created gratitude jars to illustrate what they were thankful for. From family and friends to school food, and freedoms enjoyed, students, shared all that they have and were feeling grateful for.

At Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School, students crafted their own placements to be used while sitting down together to enjoy juice and snacks for their “Friendsgiving” feast. They shared with each other what they were thankful for and watched an instructional video on how to color their turkeys on their iPads. Students also created a Thankful Tree where they colored in the trees, cut out leaves to attach, and wrote down what they were thankful for.

 (NOVEMBER 2022)—Valley Stream 24 students honored Veterans Day by participating in various activities and classroom lessons to learn about the holiday and why it holds so much significance for Americans.

“Learning about the sacrifices men and women in our armed services have made throughout our country's history is an important civics lesson for our students. Through the activities and lesson plans we build around Veterans Day, our students come away with a deeper admiration for those who have served and a more profound appreciation for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as Americans," said Dr. Don Sturz, Superintendent of Valley Stream 24 Schools. 

Valley Stream 24 students spent the week reading about veterans and writing thank you letters. Some of the letters will be delivered to the local Veterans Affairs (VA) office and some will go to the local Elks Lodge for distribution to its veteran members. The beautifully written, hand-crafted letters will show the veterans the great appreciation the students have for their service. Along with the letters, students painted their hands with patriotic colors to create the American flag and decorated their envelopes. The students also colored in their Veterans Day posters while watching videos about the day.

(NOVEMBER 2022)— All three Valley Stream 24 schools participated in Red Ribbon Week-inspired Spirit Week, with students participating in classroom activities and lessons designed to highlight the 2022 National Red Ribbon Week theme of Celebrate Life. Life Drug-Free.

Red Ribbon Week was first celebrated in 1988 to promote awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drugs. The week-long celebration is sponsored by the National Family Partnership (NFP), a nonprofit organization created by concerned parents who felt they needed to take action with drug prevention. Today, the organization not only focuses on drug prevention but also advocates for the emotional and physical well-being of youth. . Valley Stream 24  uses this cause to educate students that their physical, mental, and emotional well-being is just as important as their education.

During Red Ribbon Week, Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School was visited by Brian Steckler, an  Elk’s Lodge #1 representative. The organization donated red ribbons to the students and the Valley Stream 24 community to promote Red Ribbon Week. Brooklyn Avenue families were also invited to the school to share the school’s spirit and join in a family spirit day photo. 

Part of the Red Ribbon Week tradition is each day having its own theme.  For example, on Dress Up as Your Future Career Day, Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School students dressed up as what they wanted to be in the future. For some students, that meant coming to school dressed as their favorite teacher or Rosario Iacono, Principal of Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School. On Team Up to Stand Up Day, William L. Buck Elementary School students and teachers wore team shirts to stand up against drug and alcohol abuse.