Throughout the District, students spent the month of November collecting food for those in need.
Under the direction of teachers Jeremy Freeman and Erika Hawthorne, the Bellport Middle School Student Council collected nonperishable food items from Oct. 15-Nov. 20. The food was then sent to Pastor Mike Caiazzo at the Lighthouse Mission to add to the organization’s collection of food for the community.
At Brookhaven Elementary School, the students’ reach had a global appeal. After Halloween, students donated their uneaten candy, which was then sent to military troops abroad. 
The Bellport High School Student Council also held its annual Thanksgiving Drive. This year, the organization collected more than 900 nonperishable items for those in need.

Members of the Bellport High School varsity, junior varsity and Bellport Middle School baseball teams came together in front of Best Market to collect nonperishable food items for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, located at Mary Immaculate Church in Bellport. This is the team's third consecutive year collecting food for the community. 

The district is pleased to announce that Brookhaven Elementary School second grade teacher Victoria Suarez has been named a 2019 Educator of Excellence by the New York State English Council. This award honors teachers who are leaders in the classroom, who collaborate with colleagues and serve as mentors for new teachers.

During the Nov. 13 Board of Education meeting, Principal Dr. Rebecca Raymond presented Ms. Suarez to the trustees and described her as deserving of the award in that she readily seeks out opportunities to support her students’ continual growth, seeks professional learning opportunities, attends and presents workshops, participates in numerous school committees and extends the learning experiences of colleagues. 

“We at Brookhaven are proud of your achievement and are humbled to work and learn from you each and every day,” Dr. Raymond said.   

Upon completion of a writing unit on personal narratives, seventh grade students in Jessica Arrigotti’s and Ann Metz’s inclusion English as a New Language class at Bellport Middle School shared their works with peers during a writing celebration.

The students have been learning to write personal narratives which include  small moments in their lives. They learned that in writing in this particular genre, it is best to show and not tell, use details to create tension and to include dialogue. 

During the celebration, the finished narratives were placed on desks for peers to read and to write a note or “fan mail” about the narrative, making sure to include positive, encouraging and specific criticism of each piece. After each of the narratives were read, several students volunteered to read their work out loud to the class.

For the third consecutive year, the high school varsity cheerleaders volunteered at the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Cancer Walk, held at Jones Beach on Oct. 20. Wearing Bellport Cheers for a Cure t-shirts, their purpose in attending the event was to cheer on participants, many of whom are survivors spreading awareness about this disease. 

The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event is a 3.5 mile noncompetitive walk to help make a difference in the lives of those touched by breast cancer. The walk raises money to fund research, provide information and support, and to celebrate survivors  and remember those who lost their battles against breast cancer.  

Coach Samantha Berkowitz said that as cheerleaders, the team wears many hats, including being leaders by giving back to others. The team performed cheers created specifically for the walk. “They offered encouragement and signs of hope to everyone,” Ms. Berkowitz said.