Thomas Orifici, a student at Babylon Junior-Senior High School, has been named a semifinalist in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. He is one of 16,000 high school seniors from across the country to be named as a semifinalist.

The semifinalists will go on to compete for the scholarships next spring. Half will go on to win a scholarship, becoming a Merit Scholar. Semifinalists are chosen from their scores in the 2020 PSATs, and less than 1% of students will qualify.

About 95% of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced starting in April and concluding in July.

On Sept. 10, students at Babylon Junior-Senior High School remembered the events of 9/11 during their social studies lessons for the day. “The students were engaged throughout the day in the commemoration of this tragic event,” said social studies chairperson Christopher Ryan.

Lessons differed by grade level but offered students a variety of ways to learn about and remember the events of the day. Some teachers offered personal reflections about where they were the towers fell. Students were able to touch a piece of the rubble from the site and learned about Babylon alumnus Paul Rizza from the Class of 1985.

There was an oral history lesson from the 9/11 museum, and some classes watched PBS Newshour “The Legacy of 9/11.” They answered questions about their perspectives on 9/11 and how they believe it has impacted current and past generations of those living in the U.S.

Babylon Junior-Senior High School student-musicians participated in the Village of Babylon ceremony at Argyle Falls in memory of Sept. 11, 2001. Senior Aidan Marrone (left) sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” senior Jack DeVoe and sophomore William Post (center) performed “Dueling Taps,” and sophomore Anna Dempsey (right) sang “God Bless America.”

Babylon School District has rolled out a new user-friendly, easy to navigate website. The website features a fresh new look, and residents can visit the site for school news, important announcements and a calendar of events. A translation button is available, allowing visitors to translate the website content into a variety of languages using Google Translate. Visit www.babylon.k12.ny.us to see all the happenings in Babylon School District. The district’s Facebook page serves as a complement to the website. A link to the page may be found on the district’s website and by searching Babylon School District on Facebook.

“We are excited to launch our new website,” Superintendent of Schools Linda Rozzi said. “By streamlining our website, we are continuing our commitment to make available timely and useful information to engage the Babylon community in a meaningful way.”

Despite the cloudy conditions, Babylon School District students were shining bright as they headed back to school for the start of the 2021-2022 school year on Sept. 9. Administrators and teachers were on hand as the students made their way to their respective buildings.

With their backpacks filled with supplies, the kindergarten students were greeted by their teachers as they made their way to their classrooms. Newcomers to the Babylon Grade School and Babylon Elementary School were all smiles to start off the new school year.

At Babylon Junior-Senior High School, seventh grade students were also welcomed into their new buildings and had the chance to get acquainted with their teachers and classmates. As the day went on, students eased into their new schedules and routines and settled in for a productive year ahead.

Photo caption: Babylon School District opened its doors for the start of the 2021-2022 school year on Sept. 9.