Providing children with access to literature is an important component of remote instruction at Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School in the Amityville Union Free School District. From book clubs to personalized instruction, students are able to continuing their literacy development and gain a love for reading.

Teacher Deborah Ross, who runs a popular afterschool book club for sixth grades, started a virtual book club for all Park Avenue students. Being unable to provide each reader with a copy of the book due to the school closure, Ms. Ross is using Audible, a site with access to audio books. She picked “Alice in Wonderland” as the first selection because it was appropriate for fourth, fifth and sixth graders. 

Ms. Ross created a book club site on Google Classroom, which is the platform Amityville students use for their schoolwork. Teachers spread the word about the virtual book club on their announcement boards. 

The Google Classroom site provides directions on how to access the book and also gives students a place to leave their comments about the story and its different literary elements. Ms. Ross said that sparked great conversations among students. 

Reading teacher Christine Pravata continues working with her students digitally to strengthen their literacy skills. She conducts live lessons with students and shares resources from the Wilson reading program through Google Classroom. That allows her to help her students become stronger readers and thinkers by personalizing instruction for every child. 

Eleven student-musicians from the Amityville Union Free School District earned All-County honors from the Suffolk County Music Educators Association for their instrumental and vocal talents. 

From Amityville Memorial High School, choral students Jeff Cruz (bass) and Keiry Martinez (soprano) were recognized. Edmund W. Miles Middle School had three selections from the chorus, Melissa Fearrington (soprano), Destiny Harding (soprano) and Bryant Rivas (bass), and one selection from the orchestra, Madeline Shingleton (cello).

Sophia Castigione, Kimberly Guevara Torres and Gabrielle Scott were honored from the Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School chorus and Joseph Biju (cello) and Ayaanah Ellis (violin) were All-County orchestra selections. 

Music teachers for the honored students include Megan Ashe, Bianca Ferrante, Christine Klimek and Debra Koraus. Director of Fine Arts Dr. Fran Fernandez congratulated all students and their music teachers past and present on these accomplishments. 

Several students from the Amityville Union Free School District had their artwork selected for regional exhibitions. 

Two students represented the district in the 24th annual Long Island’s Best display sponsored by the Heckscher Museum of Art. Edmund W. Miles Middle School ninth grader Nicholas Brown and Amityville Memorial High School 10th grader Javier Rodriguez had their work included in this highly competitive exhibition. Only 100 pieces of student-created artwork were chosen, out of nearly 400 submissions from 58 schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The Long Island’s Best program challenges students in grades 9-12 to choose a work of art that is on view in the museum as inspiration for their own creative expression. 

This year’s exhibit is available for viewing online following a virtual opening on April 17. Viewers of the online gallery will also be able to vote for the winner of the Virtual Visitors Choice Award. 

More than 20 art students from the district had pieces selected for the annual Children’s Art Show, hosted by the Suffolk County Art Leaders Association. Selections were: 

Northeast Elementary School: were Tatiana Argueta, Farrah Giron, Havah Ishchayil, Samantha Ramos and Arielle Taylor.

Northwest Elementary School: Allison Yanes Bonilla, Micanni DeJesus, Grayson Egan, Gabriel Farnum, Thania Hernandez Ipina and Jaysalyn Diaz Mendoza.
Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School: Josiah Albarracin, Lisbeth Benitez, Chellsie Ramirez Canales, Jorge Hernandez Gamez, Robert Johnson and Laura Hernandez Quintanilla

Edmund W. Miles Middle School: Kayla Faublas, Annabella Hernandez, Armando Hernandez, Hans Torres Paternina and Timothy Pratt. 

Students for both exhibitions completed their pieces under the direction of art teachers Jennifer Dibble, Jayne Grasso, Nicole Pappas, Lydia Robinson and Nicole Scoca.