In observance of Veterans Day, Levy Lakeside School held its eighth annual assembly to honor local veterans. This year, 13 veterans representing different branches of the U.S. military were honored, with their grandchildren and/or children in attendance. 

The Levy Lakeside fifth grade Student Council Color Guard performed the opening exercises. Following opening remarks by fifth grader Samantha Lapidus and Principal Libby Trencheny, each veteran was recognized by name and presented with a rose by a family member. Al Belbol Jr., whose father was among the veterans honored, served as the emcee for the event.

“It’s important that we show our children that we should thank our veterans every day, and not just on Veterans Day,” Belbol Jr. said.

Special thanks to the following veterans who were the honored guests for the day: Al Belbol Sr., Mel Cantor, Max Forcht, Michael Garrone, Patrick Keane III, Darren LaForest, Victor Lopez, Ken Magnuson, Ronald Mazza, Alexander Merzlyak, Robert Peckham, Laurence Roslow and Harvey Yormack. New York State Assemblyman Dave McDonough was also in attendance and recognized for his past service in the military.

As the ceremony culminated, students could shake hands and personally thank the veterans for all that they have done to protect our country. Prior to the assembly, Lakeside hosted a special breakfast for them. Each honored guest also received a gift bag filled with items supplied from local businesses. 

Special thanks to the many local businesses that donated food and gifts, and thanks to Belbol Jr. for once again coordinating a special and very important event for veterans and for students.

Teachers throughout the district  are always finding new ways to instill the love of reading in students, particularly the youngest learners. Here are some scenes from Chatterton School, as kindergartners hold an end-of-unit reading celebration. Assistant Principal Michael DeLuca said kindergarteners are learning to read and making great progress every day with wonderful support from their classroom teachers.

Students at Chatterton School are “energy wise” today, thanks to PSEG Long Island and The National Theatre for Children’s Energized Guyz live theater performance. Chatterton students laughed and enjoyed a recent presentation of the Energized Guyz as they interacted with the NTC performers while learning about energy and conservation. 

PSEG Long Island brings the shows to local schools throughout the year to help students learn at a young age how and why it is important to save energy. Chatterton students are among the 40,000 students to see the Conservation Caper this fall. This is the sixth season the program has been offered by PSEG Long Island to area schools free of charge. From September through December, kindergarten through sixth grade students at 100 schools will be entertained by the show. 

The Conservation Caper focuses on four key takeaways and is meant to spark conversations in the classroom on energy efficiency. During the 20-minute performance, students learn:
• What energy is;
• The uses of energy;
• How energy is wasted; and
• Ways to conserve energy.

In addition to the live performances, PSEG provides print and digital resources for teachers that align with the important concepts outlined in the live shows.