The Budget Has Passed. Thank You.
Yes- 508
No- 187


Proposition #2 Has Passed.
Yes- 555
No- 138


Congratulations to Elizabeth O’Brien (564) and Donna Noesi (523) winning the Board election.


El presupuesto ha sido aprobado. Gracias.
Sí- 508
No- 187


La Proposición # 2 ha sido aprobada.
Sí- 555
No- 138


Felicitaciones a Elizabeth O’Brien (564) and Donna Noesi (523) por ganar la elección de la Junta.

The Babylon School District is pleased to announce that four of Babylon’s students were awarded scholarship monies at the Town of Babylon’s and Covantage EcoTech’s Scholarship Contest during their annual Earth Day celebration held on May 4.

The program, which is open to any student residing within the Town of Babylon, focuses on scientific research done in the fields of sustainable energy or environmental-based research. Babylon Junior Senior High School 11th graders Erin Corcoran, Madaline Graham and Nicole Santucci earned a $100 scholarship for “The Effect of Different Concentrations of Oxybenzone on Ulva lactuca.” Babylon Memorial Grade School sixth grader Olivia Muller earned a $175 scholarship for investigating, “Which material biodegrades the fastest in salt water?,” which addressed the environmental impact of degrading common household items in salt water ecosystems. 

Additionally, Olivia Muller placed first in the Grade School Science Fair, advancing to the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Elementary Science Fair. 
“Congratulations to all representing Babylon science,” said Director of Science Melissa Callahan. “We are looking forward to seeing what their future scientific endeavors have in store.”

Babylon Memorial Grade School Student Council members recently went on a field trip to benefit those in need as part of the “Kids United Against Hunger” initiative. This program provides young people with the opportunity to volunteer at the Harry Chapin Food Bank in Hauppauge to assist and sort food, personal care items, household supplies, pet food and school supplies. After volunteering, the goods are then delivered to Long Island Cares’ network of 590 community-based member agencies. The district would like to thank advisers Cathy O’Connor and Joanne Fasano for assisting the students with their altruistic efforts.

The Babylon School District is thrilled to announce that three Babylon Junior-Senior High School students took home the top three placements during the Long Island Language Teachers Student World Language Competition 2019. 

The district congratulates Isabela Gaskill (first place, Vocal Performance – French), Julia Drake (second place, Vocal Performance – French) and Lauren Wilkens (third place, Vocal Performance – French). 

In order to enter the competition, the students submitted videos of themselves singing in French, which impressed the judges so much that they were declared winners based on their efforts. The students were awarded with medals and certificates as prizes for their victories. 

The Babylon Junior-Senior High School’s Music Department recently returned from their four-day trip to Williamsburg, Virginia where they successfully performed in the World Strides Music Festival. A total of 144 students attended and represented the Senior High Chorus, Symphonic Winds, Senior High Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and Senior High Band. 

All of the attending groups received a rating of Silver, and the Concert Band, which was a combined group consisting of the Symphonic Winds and Senior High Band, who won first place in their respective category.  

In addition, student-musician Sydney Altbacker received a Maestro Award, which is given out by the adjudicators to students “who display extraordinary musical ability and sensitivity.” To cap off the awards ceremony, Sydney also won the Ovation Award, the most prestigious student award given out at the festival. It is given to a student whose contribution to their music program transcends the making of music; as the student represents that spirit of determination, inspiration and service to others that exists in all.

“Mr. Kroll, Mr. Leech, Ms. Tomei and myself are so proud of all of the students and their accomplishments,” said Director of Fine Arts and Music Angela Turk. 

In recognition of National Poetry Month, students and faculty from the Babylon Junior Senior High School recently celebrated Poem in Your Pocket Day as hosted by the past and current advisers of the National English Honor Society.

Poem in Your Pocket Day encourages staff and students alike to carry around a poem in their pockets to share with others as a means of spreading a love for literacy. In the school library, which was transformed into an inspirational setting adorned with a beautiful archway made entirely out of books, students recited both classic poetry and original works. They also called upon classmates to do the same. Babylon Junior Senior High School Principal Al Cirone, Assistant Principal Jennifer Mangone and English teacher Michael Birnbaum were just some of the faculty members who recited poetry for all to hear. 

As an additional dynamic component to the fun-filled day, student members of both the band and orchestra provided musical accompaniment, welcoming classes to the event as they arrived. 

“It has been one of my goals as an educator and as the director of ELA to take a humanities-based approach to learning, in which there is an integration of many disciplines exploring and engaging in a specific topic,” said District Director of English Language Arts Teresa Collins.

According to Mrs. Collins, there are plans to incorporate a modified version of Poem in Your Pocket Day to both the Babylon Elementary School and Babylon Memorial Grade School in the near future. 

In celebration of Music Wednesday, better known by its French title “Musique Mercredi,” the Babylon Junior-Senior High School French National Honor Society hosted the annual student/faculty talent show this past April, bringing together members of the school community for a night of fun and fundraising.

Teachers took to the stage with students as they sang, danced and raised $1,500 for Be Like Brit, an organization whose goal is to continue the compassion of Britney Gengel by serving the children of Haiti through sustaining a safe, nurturing home rooted in the virtues of faith, hope and love.  

After an introduction by French instructor teacher Melissa Anderson and a display of multilingual talents by members of the French National Honor Society, student Shannon Ford kicked the night off with a stunning solo dance routine. Music instructor Charles Leech and the Jazz Band ran through a rendition of “That’s How We Roll,” Sydney Altbacker and Director of World Languages Michelle Scharff played a Spanish number called “Un Ano,” while art teachers Cheryl Schweider and Patricia Stork joined students as “The Dancing Bobs” in a comedy dance routine.

Throughout the evening, there were also poetry slam performances, and massive power ballads delivered by student-musicians. French 1a, French 1b and French 3 classes were all engaged in a humorous lip sync battle, bringing laughter to all of the attendees. 

Babylon Junior-Senior High School’s National English Honor Society recently hosted the inaugural “Afternoon of Storytime and Crafts” earlier this month, as younger district students were invited to attend the classroom setting for an afternoon filled with literary fun.

Due to the efforts of senior Nick Buonagura, along with English teachers Joan Johanson and Barbara Small, the students were given ample time to engage in a number of crafts and activities, and were even provided with a snack. The crafts included listing words that coordinated with the five letters which make up “April,” and decorating plates with a lovely spring theme. 

Prior to the student’s dismissal, Nick engaged everyone in a story time session as he read aloud from “Hurray for Spring!” by Patricia Hubbell, bringing smiles to the faces of all attendees. 

The Babylon School District is thrilled to announce that a number of Babylon Junior-Senior High School students recently committed to attending some of the nation’s premier colleges and universities, along with a branch of the United States military, during a signing ceremony held at the library.

The district congratulates Liam McKeown (U.S. Navy), Erin MacQuarrie (Stony Brook University/lacrosse), Alexa Tenety (Mercy College/softball), Antonio Tufano (Western New England University/baseball), Olivia Trama (Adelphi University/track and field), Anna Schipf (Western Connecticut State University/lacrosse), Brendan Watt (New York Institute of Technology/lacrosse). 

District Director of Guidance Dennis Murphy and District Director of Interscholastic Athletics, Physical Education and Health Michael DeJoseph both expressed their pride toward the students before Superintendent of School Linda J. Rozzi said a few words of her own. 

“We could not be prouder of you,” said Mrs. Rozzi. “Everyone in this room has been an outstanding ambassador to Babylon schools and will continue to be outstanding ambassadors when you’re off at college and the military.”

In recognition of Arbor Day, first grade students from Babylon Elementary School recently took part in a holiday-appropriate nature activity with assistance from STEAM instructor Emily Moran. Prior to venturing outside to study the trees in the school’s courtyard, the students were asked to write in their STEAM journals and brainstorm as to why saplings are different from adult trees. Upon analyzing the trees outside, the students determined that adult trees are taller, have more leaves, and often show signs of wear from the natural elements of nature.

Students at the Babylon Memorial Grade School viewed their reflections in a positive way due to the recently installed “Mirror Wall” which hangs on the school hallway for all to see.

With assistance from technology teacher Danielle Weis, the wall was created not for vanity purposes, but so that students begin to see themselves as a leader; harboring the qualities of a smart, empowered, determined, kind person with positive future aspirations. 

“Our goal is for students to look at themselves in a positive way and see their futures as bright and prosperous,” said Mrs. Weis. “I randomly selected one student from grades 3-5 and those students had an opportunity to add splashes of color to mirror frames.” 

The frames now hang on the hallway for all to see, with the wonderful caption "Leader, Leader, on the wall, there’s a leader in us all!” lining the top of the installation.

Earlier this past March, Babylon Junior-Senior High School’s eighth grade class participated in an overnight field trip to Washington, D.C. in an effort to connect their classroom lessons to real-world events.

While spending time in the nation’s capital, the students visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Korean War Memorial to help further their understanding of the history they are studying this year.  

A highlight for some students was a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where they were able to meet and talk with survivors of the Holocaust.  

Additionally, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery allowed students to witness the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which strengthen their appreciation of the ultimate sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces.  

Sixth grade students from the Babylon Memorial Grade School recently finished up their 10-week tenure in Heather Hosek’s STEAM Club, as they spent their time in the after-school club reinforcing their skill sets in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

Coding with the popular “Ozobot” devices, the young engineers mapped out a series of lines or codes on a piece paper using specially designed markers which led the pathway for the small devices. Their goal was to work collaboratively in an effort to clean up “debris” from the polluted ocean environments they created by using a number of arts and crafts materials. The underwater ecosystems were brought to life as the students added their own special take of sea urchins, nautical creatures and coral to their projects. 

 The students were able to give the Ozobots commands such as “cruise,” “nitro boost” and “spin,” depending on how they colored in the series of blocks on the pre-written line. As a means of troubleshooting their Ozobots’ pathway through the ocean floor, trial and error methods were utilized in the Ozoblocky computer program in order to successfully calibrate their robots. 

Working as a team, the students then fashioned various devices such as shovels and pullies which could easily be attached to the Ozobots in order to clean up the “debris” from the ocean floor. 

In recognition of World Down Syndrome Day which takes place annually on March 21, staff and students from the district recently came together to host a “Rock Your Socks” event which celebrated the unique qualities that everyone brings to school on a daily basis.

This year, the Babylon School District partnered with Café Europa, who created sock-shaped pizzas for the special day. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the pizza sales were donated to the Babylon Buddies, who in turn will donate the proceeds to The Association for Children with Down Syndrome.

The date for WDSD was strategically chosen to take place on the 21st day of the year’s third month, as it signifies the uniqueness of the trisomy of the 21st chromosome which causes Down Syndrome. This day of awareness has been recognized by the United Nations since 2012.

The Babylon School District would like to extend sincere congratulations toward Babylon Junior-Senior High School student Agnes Goldin for receiving a $5,000 scholarship through Distributive Education Clubs of America in partnership with Hilton based on a submitted application and excellent performances during DECA competitions. 

Agnes is one of only three students from New York State to receive a DECA scholarship this year, as DECA and its corporate partners awards more than $300,000 annually in scholarships to students across the nation.

Additionally, she is the first Babylon student to have ever received this prestigious award. She will be accepting her award at the International DECA Career Conference to be held in Orlando, Florida on April 30.

Agnes has been a member of DECA for four years, maintaining the role as and president for the past two years. She has been a voting delegate at the New York State DECA Career Conference for four years and was also on the nominations committee during her sophomore year. In addition, Agnes qualified for the International DECA Career conference for three of her four years at Babylon JSHS.

“I could not think of a worthier recipient for this award,” said Babylon Junior-Senior High School DECA adviser Claire Reilly.

As a means of baking delicious treats and gaining real-world financial knowledge along the way, eighth-grade students enrolled in Jenna Schwartz’s Family and Consumer Sciences classes at Babylon Junior-Senior High School recently participated in a fun and educational Food Truck Challenge. 

For the challenge, each group brainstormed and came up with a company name, along with a signature dish for their food truck. They then completed a business plan which included the recipe of their signature dish, a menu, a budget, team goals, and a marketing scheme that included a logo, slogan, color scheme and advertising techniques.

Once the business plan was complete, they met with their “investor” aka Ms. Schwartz, and pitched their food truck/company idea for approval. With their raw materials at their disposal, the students cooked and baked their signature dish in class and then plated their dish the following day for the “selling day.” 

All teachers are invited to the classroom to vote on the best marketing scheme, along with choosing one product to purchase with mock currency. After the sales were made, the students counted their profit and paid back Ms. Schwartz for the initial “money” she invested.
It’s a great project, and the students are not only learning so much along the way, but they are having a great time while doing it,” said Ms. Schwartz. 

Students of all grade levels from Babylon Elementary School were recently paid a visit from renowned children’s poet Darren Sardelli for an informative presentation regarding the importance of keeping a creative mind while writing their own pieces of work. During his visit, Mr. Sardelli recited a number of his original poems from memory, infusing witty literary elements with humorous punchlines which in turn brought upon instant laughter to all in attendance. Prior to leaving the students, Mr. Sardelli brought additional laughs to the audience when he revealed that he was wearing “pizza” socks, which coincided with his collection of poems, “Galaxy Pizza and Meteor Pie.”

In an effort to celebrate the many cultures of the world, members of the Babylon Junior-Senior High School’s World Languages Club, American Sign Language Club, ENL Club, Spanish Honor Society and French Honor Society recently came together to host a multicultural fair that featured elements of Spain, Mexico, France, Italy, China and Central American Indigenous Culture.

During the fair, Spanish Honor Society members taught visitors how to make a Spanish Abanico (fan), while representatives of the French Honor Society decorated locks of love for the bridge called Pont des Arts in Paris, France. Additionally, ASL Club taught various signs and demonstrated to visitors what it is like to be deaf by use of sound-blocking headphones.

Visitors also had the chance to “Spin the Wheel of Pizza,” make Chinese lanterns, create Mexican maracas and create Mayan friendship bracelets.  

According to Director of ENL and World Languages Michelle Scharff, everyone enjoyed learning the dances of cultures featured including the hora, merengue, bachata, salsa, Irish Step and more.

Seventh- and eighth-grade students from the Babylon Junior-Senior High School were recently treated to a highly informative presentation regarding energy efficiency education, courtesy of PSEG Long Island partnered with The National Theatre for Children. 

With assistance from NTC representatives Beth Cassidy and Nick Kwietniak, students and teachers alike were offered the opportunity to learn about energy conservation. During their time spent in Rowe Hall, both Beth and Nick spoke to the attendees about what energy is, its many uses, how energy is wasted and the best ways to conserve energy. 

The district is thrilled to announce that Babylon Junior-Senior High School students Dylan Pané and Pavani Kumar have been named valedictorian and salutatorian for the 2018-19 academic school year, respectively. 

Both students obtained this high honor for their exceptional academic record, commitment to success and diligent learning throughout their careers at the Babylon Junior-Senior High School.

“It’s unbelievable what you two have accomplished so far,” said Babylon Junior-Senior High School Principal Al Cirone during a reception held in the school’s Rowe Hall lobby. “You’ve both worked so hard to get here, both in and out of the classroom, and all of your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Superintendent of Schools Linda J. Rozzi echoed sentiments and stated how each student has served as a fine ambassador representing the class of 2019. The district congratulates Dylan and Pavani. 

In recognition of the Council for Art Education’s Youth Art Month, students enrolled in both Patricia Stork’s and Cheryl Schweider’s art classes at Babylon Junior-Senior High School are taking part in a series of fun and engaging art projects.

During lunch periods, students were encouraged to assist in painting a community-driven “paint by numbers” canvas. The finished product will display a beautiful field of flowers once all of the designated sections have been filled in. 

In an effort to enhance their familiarity with film photography, students worked on a project in which they take a photo of a fellow classmate, along with an object of their choosing. Taking the negatives from both photographs, the students then merge the two together to form a beautiful layered image.

In coordination with “The Umbrella Project,” students expanded their artistic visions by adding splashes of color and imagination to blank umbrellas. The students chose to create designs such as dragons, the moon and the sun and geometric shapes for their projects.
In honor of the Babylon School District’s Panther logo, the students also created a large sculpture in the image of the exotic feline. As an added twist, those involved with the project have added old computer parts, such as loose keys throughout the length of its body, along with computer mice serving as the panther’s paws. 

In addition to their literary studies during Parents as Reading Partners Month, students from the Babylon Elementary School took part in a series of fun school spirit days every Wednesday throughout the month of March. A number of students recently participated “Mix and Match Day,” as they were encouraged to wear mismatched socks, backward T-shirts and zany hairstyles.  

Forty-five Babylon Junior-Senior High School students enrolled in the Distributive Education Clubs of America recently competed among 2,300 high school students from across New York State at the 59th annual New York DECA State Career Conference on the weekend of March 5.

During their time spent at the conference, the students were able to amass a vast number of awards and accolades based on their efforts.

Babylon’s chapter received the Community Service award for contributions to the New York DECA charity of the national Alzheimer’s Association.

Additionally, eight Babylon students were inducted into the New York State DECA Honor Society for academic and DECA achievement. The district congratulates Kyra DeVoe, Abigail Erickson, George Glenday, Catie Hernandez, Lauren Jurs, Julia Kelleher, Madeline Stein and Kate Watral. 

A number of students also won the following top 10 awards and trophies: Erin Corcoran (Hotel & Lodging: Top 10 Role Play 1, Top 10 Role Play 2, Top 10 Overall, third place in New York State, $500 Scholarship from Johnson & Wales); Kate Hannon (Quick Serve Restaurant Management: Top 10 Test, Top 10 Role Play, Top 10 Overall, fifth place New York State); Lauren Jurs and Erin Conlon (Hospitality Services Team Decision Making: Top 10 Test, Top 10 Role Play, Top 10 Overall); Catie Hernandez (Business Services Marketing: Top 10 Test, Top 10 Role Play, Top 10 Overall); Kristen Szuchy (Restaurant & Food Service Management: Top 10 Test, Top 10 Role Play 1); Meghan Nachemin (Hotel & Lodging: Top 10 Test); Megan Burke (Restaurant & Food Service Management: Top 10 Test); Kyra DeVoe & Emily Nerney (Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making: Top 10 Test); Darby Dreher (Marketing Communications: Top 10 Test); Matthew Ficken (Retail Merchandising: Top 10 Test); George Glenday (Sports & Entertainment Marketing: Top 10 Test); Brooke Greatsinger (Professional Selling-Financial Consulting: Top 10 Test); Julia Kelleher (Financial Literacy: Top 10 Test); Joe Conti (Financial Literacy: Top 10 Test); Nick Buonagura and Heather Falconer (Business Law & Ethics Team Decision Making: Top 10 Role Play). 

Due to their successes at past competitions, both Erin Corcoran and Kate Hannon will be competing at the DECA International Career Development Conference from April 27–30 at Orlando, Florida.