The Rocky Point School District congratulates two students for being honored as regional winners in the Suffolk County Regional PTA Reflections contest.

Rocky Point High School ninth grader Sky Riekert was honored in the division of Special Artists for her work, “Include Me.” Rocky Point Middle School eight grader Bella Veraldi was honored in the division of Dance Choreography for her work, “The Night We Met.”

Both Sky’s and Bella’s work will be moving up to the state level.

The National PTA has a long-standing commitment to arts education. The Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boost student confidence and success in the arts and in life.

Great job and good luck to Sky and Bella!

Date Added: 2/6/2023

Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School students culminated a month of celebrating reading with the teacher races on Jan. 27. After the WARM (We Are Reading More) kickoff, Spirit Week activities and a visit with author Dan Gutman, the teacher races were a fun time of friendly competition among the grade 3-5 teachers, with their students cheering on their efforts!

Thanks to librarian Mrs. Monica DiGiovanni and all the JAE teachers for showcasing the joys of reading!

Date Added: 2/1/2023

To celebrate Lunar New Year, second grade students at FJC created their own paper fans inspired by Chinese traditions during their music class with music teacher Ms. Desireé DeMelfi. Students discussed the rich history and cultural cornerstones of Lunar New Year, and then used their paper fans to perform a Fan Dance, also inspired by Chinese traditions. When performing the Fan Dance to the song “Jasmine Flower,” students were able to respond to musical concepts, such as form and expression, while utilizing their very own artistic creations.

“I am incredibly proud of my second grade students for their willingness to learn about Asian music and cultural traditions,” Ms. DeMelfi said. “The focus exhibited by each second grade class allowed us to progress toward our learning standards in music while enjoying and appreciating aspects from different cultures.”

“I am very proud of Ms. DeMelfi and the second grade students,” Rocky Point Elementary music department chairperson Craig Knapp said. “It is such an exciting lesson to integrate music and art with geography and cultural awareness. Concepts including movement for form and expression are key ingredients for developing appropriate musical foundations in early elementary school. Creative movement in music class offers children an opportunity to develop important skills that support positive social-emotional health, including the ability to name and identify their own feelings, think critically about the world around them and practice self-regulation for positive behavior management. These students are not only learning elements of music. They are also acquiring important social skills. Appreciation of other cultures requires nurturing our sense of tolerance and acceptance. The more we understand and appreciate each other, the more we strengthen the social fabric of our schools. Kudos to our incredibly dedicated Ms. DeMelfi for providing her students with developmentally appropriate music lessons through a culturally relevant lens. We are thankful for her contributions to the Rocky Point Music Department.”

Date Added: 2/1/2023