20 students from the Sachem High School East WBL club visited the Sachem Public Library to see all of the library’s new updates. Head of Teen Services Laura Panter planned a tour for students to learn about the different roles and departments within the library, as well as the different business degrees held by staff members. They visited the circulation desk, teen and children’s sections, the reference desk, studio and library administration.

At each stop, the students were presented with a challenge, trivia question or divergent questions regarding career choices and resources. Student Olivia Damiano said, “it was fun collaborating with my friends in the quick-thinking create a campsite challenge!”

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Date Added: 3/21/2023

Sachem High School East AP World History students in Erin Gearns’ classes recently visited the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. They toured the museum and heard the firsthand account of Mireille Taub, a Holocaust survivor.

Mrs. Taub was born in Paris and took the last train out of France before the French surrendered to the Nazis. Her family survived their train being bombed by the Luftwaffe, or the German Air Force, and she and her family eventually walked to safety by traveling across the Pyrenees, passing through Spain and Portugal and finally arriving in New York on Aug. 11, 1940.

Mrs. Taub shared the survival story of her husband, David Taub, as well as many personal artifacts. Students were able to hold the shoes she wore as she fled France and the yellow star worn by her uncle before he escaped France. They were grateful to meet, hear and learn from such an extraordinary person and left the museum inspired and with a deeper understanding of the Holocaust.

“Due to the advanced age of Holocaust survivors, this is the last generation of students who will be able to learn from them directly,” said Mrs. Gearns. “My hope is that my students will carry these stories with them and teach their children about the courageous people who have shared their stories with us over the past 10 years.”

Ahead of the field trip, Mrs. Gearns learned that she was one of 30 educators selected to attend a prestigious Holocaust Education Program in Israel this summer. Participants selected to attend this 10-day intensive learning experience are taught by the world’s most experienced and respected Holocaust educators and historians at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Mrs. Gearns is grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity and looks forward to sharing her experiences with students and colleagues this fall.

Date Added: 3/14/2023

Throughout Black History Month, the social studies department at Sachem High School East held weekly, interactive presentations to learn about the Great Migration. Led by teacher and department chair Tracey Melandro, students learned about influential individuals who helped lead the migration of American Americans from the rural south to the industrial north.

Most recently, students learned about the art of Jacob Lawrence, a son of southern migrants who created a 60-panel series to portray the Great Migration. Students learned about his artwork and were tasked with drawing one of his pieces, Panel 58, titled “In the North, the African American had more educational opportunities.”

Students drew three girls who had their arms stretched high to write numbers on a chalkboard. The girls wore bright colored dresses, symbolizing that they enjoyed a standard of living that allowed them to focus on schoolwork.

Date Added: 3/1/2023

Students in Mr. Jannace’s AP Human Geography class at Sachem HS East visited the Smith Haven Mall to conduct a field study of the mall’s cultural landscape. Jillian Friello, Director of Marketing & Business Development at the Smith Haven Mall and former student of Mr. Jannace helped students to practice this geographic process and to refine their understanding of the concepts of region, place, culture and economic geography.

Students made observations that forced them to analyze and think critically about why things are where they are. Ms. Friello also taught them to focus on analyzing the dispersion, density, and patterns of stores, as well as the people and facilities within the mall. The purpose of this type of spatial analysis is to develop a better understanding of the concepts of place, region and cultural landscape, which are critical concepts for our student-geographers to master before the AP Exam in May. Students had a great time in the mall, experiencing a familiar place in a whole new way!

Date Added: 2/27/2023

Across the Sachem Central School District, students and staff participated in activities to celebrate P.S. I Love You Day. P.S. I Love You Day is celebrated on the second Friday of February and encourages individuals to spread kindness, stand up to bullying, help end depression and ultimately prevent suicide.

Leading up to P.S. I Love You Day, many of the district’s buildings held spirit week as a display of unity among students and staff. Cayuga Elementary School held a P.S. I Love You Night to kick off the week. Students and their families participated in several activities including decorating coffee sleeves to be distributed to customers at a local business, recording self-love messages, creating Valentines for Veterans and writing positive notes to be displayed in the school.

Both Sachem high schools set up wellness stations for students to visit in between classes. Students were encouraged to give messages of positivity to their peers, write down good news and even took photos with the district’s service dogs, Oakley and Bailey.

At Lynwood Avenue Elementary School, students observed the domino effect of kindness. The building collected more than 600 unopened boxes of cereal and used them to create a maze of dominoes throughout the gymnasium. Students watched the chain reaction of boxes falling, symbolizing how easily kindness can be spread. The cereal boxes were then donated to Island Harvest.

On P.S. I Love You Day, the district was flooded with purple. Students and staff wore special T-shirts and purple clothing to spread the message of kindness and display the culture of caring across Sachem.

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Date Added: 2/14/2023