The artwork of Bellport High School student-artists Giana Porter and Maria Slavnova were selected from 331 submissions to exhibit at The Heckscher Museum’s Long Island’s Best Young Artists 2021 juried exhibit. Additionally, Giana won the Donald G. Hom, Jr. Scholarship Award for her piece, “The Beauty of Day Dreams.”

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at The Heckscher Museum is among the most prestigious juried art shows for high school students on Long Island. Of the 50 high schools that participated, only 83 pieces were included in the exhibition, which runs from April 27-May 23.

To be considered for the exhibition, students chose an artwork on display in one of The Heckscher Museum’s artist exhibitions. They then created their own work of art based off of their chosen inspiration piece. Each student wrote a statement as to why they chose that particular piece of art and how it influenced their work.

Both Giana and Maria completed their submitted artwork while enrolled in their current courses at Bellport High School. Maria takes Advanced Placement Studio in Art – 2D with Brandon Payne, while Giana takes Drawing and Painting 2 with Devin Auricchio.

The South Country Central School District congratulates the students on this outstanding artistic achievement.

Bellport High School is pleased to announce the top 10 academic students from the Class of 2021. The list of names include the valedictorian, salutatorian and essayist and was revealed during the annual Evening of Excellence, held on March 23.

The South Country Central School District’s top seniors include valedictorian Anthony Notartomaso, salutatorian Victoria Monte, essayist Charlotte Kellogg, Jack Armann (4), Kanya Shah (5), Madison Peters (6), Lindsey Belmonte (7), Madison Baumann (8), Cailey Ziegler (9) and Anna Mezzatesta (10).

During the Evening of Excellence ceremony, Principal Timothy Hogan noted that the top seniors possess energy, work ethic, talents and enthusiasm brought to school each day. He also noted that the top 10 students, in addition to the seniors honored at the Evening of Excellence, “exemplify these qualities, particularly given the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic which has had a direct impact on the final two years of your time at Bellport High School.” He continued, “The leadership and grace you have shown in navigating this unprecedented set of circumstances is beyond admirable.”

Teamwork and collaboration were essential skills required by Home Language Arts students in Carol Garcia’s class at Bellport High School as they learned about internet safety through a digital-physical combination platform called BreakoutEDU.

BreakoutEDU is an escape room style immersive learning game that consists of physical and digital puzzle elements, usually with a theme, that must be solved in a set amount of time. Using critical thinking, collaboration and creativity, students are also challenged to open a locked Breakout EDU box that contains clues.

Ms. Garcia, in collaboration with library media specialist Colleen Oates-Robesch, hosted the activity which centered on internet safety and digital citizenship and was completed in a set 45-minute period. In addition to applying the required BreakoutEDU skills in solving the puzzles, the Home Language Arts students utilized their home language communication skills, while sharpening critical thinking and collaboration.

At the end of the exercise, the students received a “We Broke Out” certificate, signifying that they were successful in completing the assignment.

Education comes in all forms and locations, as seen in the case of Bellport High School student Kerri Campbell. In addition to learning her core courses, the high school senior has also been tuned in to a cockpit’s controls as she regularly takes off from an airport runway.

As a senior, Kerri is looking forward to receiving her diploma this coming June but has recently gotten a jumpstart on her future career. The future airline pilot recently passed her FAA Checkride, a Federal Aviation Administration examination a pilot must undergo to receive an aircraft pilot’s certificate or rating for flight privileges. Additionally, her recently acquired private pilot’s certificate allows Kerri to now fly a single engine plane with passengers as pilot in command.

The road to becoming a pilot has been in the making since Kerri was 13 years old when she first joined the Civil Air Patrol. Her interest flourished after attending a Civil Air Patrol National Glider Flight Academy where she flew solo in a glider for the first time at just 16. Kerri is not only interested in powered flight, but gliders and lighter than air aircraft. She plans on obtaining both her glider and lighter than air ratings in the near future as well.

In September, Kerri plans on attending ATP Flight School, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she will begin her professional flight training to become an airline pilot.

Kerri currently attends Bellport High School classes remotely, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Being able to acquire my certification has been a positive outcome of remote instruction,” Kerri said.

The Brookhaven Hamlet resident is also a member of Bellport High School’s National Honor Society and various other clubs. She said she has had little time to participate in many activities other than flying throughout her high school career but is pleased that she could participate in community service projects through Civil Air Patrol membership.

“I have basically spent my whole life flying,” Kerri said. “It has been my whole focus.”

Bellport High School celebrated the 72 top academic students of the Class of 2021 during the fourth annual Evening of Excellence, portions of which were held virtually and livestreamed, on March 23. This tradition celebrates the most inspiring and influential seniors who completed their seventh high school semester with a weighted cumulative grade point average of 93% or higher.

After a presentation of colors by the Cadet Core, the Bellport High School String Quartet, under the baton of Victoria Hartman, performed the national anthem.

During a livestreamed portion of the program, Principal Timothy Hogan thanked teachers Aimee Iuliucci and Amy Krawczyk who produced the video and livestream. He also welcomed viewers and thanked the faculty members chosen by the students as those educators who had a significant impact on their educational journey and who possess energy, work ethic, talents and enthusiasm brought to school each day. These honored educators include Henry Finnegan (Brookhaven), Tricia Bartkewicz (Kreamer Street), William Champlin (Verne W. Critz), Joseph Tortora (Frank P. Long Intermediate), Leck Nhotsoubanh (Bellport Middle School) and Alan Kupferman (Bellport High School).

To the students, Mr. Hogan said, “The Class of 2021 exemplifies those qualities, particularly given the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic which has had a direct impact on the final two years of your time at Bellport High School.” He continued, “The leadership and grace you have shown in navigating this unprecedented set of circumstances is beyond admirable.”

In honoring both the distinguished seniors and the teachers they selected as most inspiring and influential, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Giani spoke about the definition of excellence as “meaning greatness,” as “never easy to do,” being a “quality that people really appreciate because it is hard to find,” and as the “quality of being truly the best at something.” He continued by saying, “This evening, excellence is you.”

Mr. Hogan then announced the names of the top ten students from the Class of 2021 and gave a description of their accomplishments. The top 10 students include, in order, Anthony Notartomaso (valedictorian), Victoria Monte (salutatorian), Charlotte Kellogg (essayist), Jack Armann, Kanya Shah, Madison Peters, Lindsey Belmonte, Madison Baumann, Cailey Ziegler and Anna Mezzatesta. Mr. Hogan also announced in a pre-recorded message, the names of the honored teachers.

The evening concluded with the presentation of all of the distinguished seniors, whose photos were flashed across the screen one-by-one, and a video montage of all of the celebrants.