It was a weeklong immersion into foreign language study and world culture as Bellport Middle School students participated in Foreign Language Week. Each day, students had ample opportunities to attend and participate in language-based activities to hone foreign language skills and to demonstrate appreciation for one another’s cultures. 
At the middle school level, students are required to take two years of foreign language study. French, Italian and Spanish are offered to students in seventh and eighth grade.  
“World language study is an opportunity to heighten and better understand global issues,” Director of ELL, Bilingual and World Language Programs Monica Pullows-Tetuan said.
Students in Gregory Jeffrey’s French 1A and 1B classes learned about New Orleans’ French culture. He played a personally-filmed video about the city and some of its customs and brought to class a king cake. The students also made Mardi Gras masks, which are part of the carnival culture and symbolism.
Italian students in Rose Menikos’ class honed their verb-conjugation skills. After being assigned a verb, each student wrote down on the petal of a construction paper flower an action word’s various forms of voice, mood, tense, number and person, and then decorated the classroom walls with the new blooms. 
In Shannon Rigney’s Spanish B class, the students studied Mexican music and watched the cultural movie ”Under the Same Moon.” Like the other classes, Ms. Rigney’s classes also played international world culture trivia with the game-based digital platform Kahoot and Jeopardy.
At the end of the week, faculty and staff relaxed over buffets of international cuisine representing the student body’s rich and diverse cultures.

In collaboration with S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth and the Empire State After School Program, Bellport Middle School presented “Progress Through Unity,” the program for this year’s annual Black History Month celebration, held in the school auditorium on Feb. 11.  

After student mistresses of ceremonies Marcine Allen-Boutwell and Madison Roberts welcomed participants, student Autumn Simon led the Pledge of Allegiance and Bishop Charles Bullock of Old South Haven Presbyterian Church in Brookhaven gave the invocation. 

Principal Dr. Jamal Colson set the theme of unity and progress by saying it can be achieved by working together and seeing ourselves as greater. Dr. Colson explained that the middle school is focused on what is possible, or the “Mission Possible,” where attendance, attitude and achievement are three goals incorporated into the curriculum and the futuristic thoughts of students. 

“We share a common bond,” Dr. Colson said. “Not only are we looking at progress through unity. We are looking at continuing the work of those before us who worked so hard.” 

Guest speaker Sarah Kinard (Class of 2013) took the stage and said, “We need to dig in our heels and use all opportunities to propel ourselves forward.” In her recollection of her time as a student in South Country, Ms. Kinard also remarked that she was taught that every action has a reaction and consequence and to take responsibility for one’s actions. “It’s about coming together to accomplish the goal of having students succeed,” she added.

Stony Brook University Assistant Professor of Africana Studies Dr. Zebulon Miletzsky asked the question “How Well Do You Know Black History?” He engaged the audience in a true or false activity in which participants decided if “facts” adequately represented Black history. “It’s not all in the history books,” Dr. Miletzsky said. “It’s never too late to learn.”

The program commenced with performances by Stony Brook University’s Cadence Step Team and a poetry reading of “Us Behind the Mask,” written and read by student Zenaiya Shah. The Bellport Middle School Chorus, under the direction of Kyle Sherlock, also impressed the audience with their performance of “Climbin’ Up the Mountain,” a spiritual adapted and arranged by Patsy Ford Simms. 

After the ceremony in the auditorium, participants were invited to continue the evening’s celebration of black history with dancing and dinner provided by Arooga’s Grille House and Sports Bar, Atlantic Seafood, Café Castello Restaurant & Pizzeria, Café Gia, Del Fuego, Empire State After School Program, Gabby’s Deli & Grocery, La Confianza Deli & Restaurant, Sicilia D’Oro, Stop & Shop, The Journey and Zona Out-East Diner.  

The Bellport Middle School robotics team, the Robo Panthers, placed fifth out of 30 teams participating in the FIRST Lego League qualifier, held at William Floyd High School on January 11. Under the direction of coaches Jeremy Freeman and Matt Gualtieri, the team also garnered the Programming Award in the Robot Design category. Due to the team’s ranking, the Robo Panthers are now invited to compete at the School-Business Partnerships of Long Island’s FIRST Lego League Championship to be held at Longwood High School on March 1. 

The District congratulates the robotics team on their victory and best wishes for success in March.