Lining the path to Amityville Memorial High School’s main entrance, students applauded and offered high-fives as their peers from Bayport-Blue Point High School arrived on Oct. 28. The two schools participated in their longstanding cultural exchange program, in which students spend a day at another Suffolk County high school.

Each of the 30 students from Bayport-Blue Point was paired with an Amityville student, and attended his or her buddy’s classes throughout the day. But first, students from the two schools gathered in the cafeteria for breakfast and icebreaker activities.

Jason McGowan, adviser of the Warrior Awareness Club, commonly known as the WAC PAC, said that the icebreaker activities help the students get to know each other better. In one game, Link it Up, each student found a peer they shared a commonality with, such as the same birthday month or favorite color. After linking arms, they were then given a discussion topic. Another engaging activity was a rock, paper, scissors competition.

As the day concluded, students came together to reflect on the experience in Amityville’s recently refurbished library, followed by a pizza lunch in the cafeteria. Several WAC PAC students also recorded the activities and conducted interviews with the participants to put together a small video documentary on the program.

Amityville senior Jasmin Lucero said she was excited to see the perspective of the Bayport-Blue Point students, who attend high school about 25 miles away. She also said the cultural exchange was a great chance to showcase one of Amityville’s greatest assets – it’s diversity.

“We’re meeting new people and learning more about what’s out there other than our area,” Jasmin said. “We’re expanding our horizons.”

This year’s cultural exchange program was extra special for Mr. McGowan, who welcomed his son, Trey, a Bayport-Blue Point High School student. In November, Amityville will host students from East Islip High School and in the spring Amityville students will visit the two high schools. 

Children throughout Amityville got a full taste of Halloween on Oct. 29 as the high school was transformed into a place of spooky sights and sweet delights. Amityville Memorial High School hosted its second annual Safe Halloween after school, which was organized by a pair of student organizations, the Key Club and DECA.

Dozens of high school students volunteered their time to welcome and assist children as they traversed the building. As kids walked down the hallway, past the lockers covered in spiderwebs, they could stop at each room to trick or treat. 

Every classroom offered a different activity including bingo, face painting, and a dance party. Children could be wrapped up in the mummy room and color pictures of ghosts, haunted houses and pumpkins in the arts and crafts room. There was also a cupcake-decorating station in the cafeteria and a haunted house in the gymnasium lobby.

Key Club co-presidents Bryan Canales and Jeffrey Reyes-Espinal thanked all of their classmates who prepared the high school for the Safe Halloween event and helped out a the different centers. The Key Club also received several donations, including candy.

“We really appreciate all the work that was put into this,” Bryan said, “and we are really grateful to the people in the community for helping out toward this great cause. It brings Amityville together and gives kids a true Halloween experience.”

Bryan added that it gave him joy to see children in the community having a great time and it brought back his own memories of trick-of-treating as a child.


Money raised from donations was given to the Thirst Project, a non-profit organization that works globally to provide people with clean and safe drinking water.

Amityville Memorial High School social studies teachers Margot Howard, Dawn Mizrachi and Matthew Tomasi presented at the 39th annual Long Island Council for Social Studies conference on Oct. 25 in Melville. Social studies teachers from across the state came to participate in various workshops.
 
Ms. Howard, Ms. Mizrachi and Mr. Tomasi led a workshop on how to dissect the Regents constructed response questions (CRQs) for diverse learners. They provided insight on how to teach various skills towards the new Global Regents. Approximately 80 teachers were present to listen to their ideas.