Islip High School freshmen Max Kjeldsen and Sara Pellegrino won an award for Best Project in the climate change category of at the Long Island Youth Summit, held April 4 at St. Joseph’s University in North Patchogue. The Youth Summit is designed to engage high school students in an exploration of important current socio-medical, environmental and socio-economic issues. 

Kjeldsen and Pellegrino created a 12-minute podcast titled “Climate Change Causes Problems on Long Island and Surrounding Areas,” discussing the specific impact of climate change on Long Island and the consequences it may cause. The two students were inspired to create the podcast by their experience in Islip’s Living Environment & AP Environmental Science course and their desire to find solutions to this problem at a local level.

“I really enjoyed my time at the program collaborating with other students and experts in the field,” Pellegrino said. “Winning the award was great, but I think the real win was being able to be part of the learning experience.”

“It was a really great experience to be able to discuss this kind of topic with so many intelligent individuals,” Kjeldsen said. “I am happy I was able to go, and I hope to go again next year.”

“It was such a great moment to see them win an award,” counselor Nicole Hall said. “They were sitting in a room with over a hundred finalists, most of them upperclassmen, so to see two freshmen taking charge of their own learning and making a podcast was incredible. I am so proud of them.”

Date Added: 4/24/2025

Islip High School’s Buccaneer University students recently visited Maud S. Sherwood Elementary School to conduct a lesson about leadership. Buccaneer University mentors worked with counselor Nicole Hall to prepare an engaging, interactive lesson for presentation to Sherwood’s Leadership Club students. 

“All of the students enjoyed learning about each other, and our Sherwood students are definitely looking forward to high school after meeting with this group of leaders,” Principal Briana James said. “These kinds of collaborative, meaningful moments are so important. Seeing our young children looking up to these high school students was an incredibly powerful experience that just cannot be taught from a book.”

Date Added: 4/24/2025

Four of Islip High School’s young leaders were selected by Islip American Legion Rusy-Bohm Post 411 to attend the summer 2025 American Legion Boys’ State and American Legion Auxiliary Empire Girls State programs, with an additional student selected as an alternate. Connor Ancipink and Kieran Freelin were chosen as primary delegates for Boys’ State, with Aidan Biscari selected as an alternate. Anna Lettieri and Jadyn Zink were chosen as citizens for Empire Girls State. Representatives from the American Legion visited the high school on the morning of April 4 to congratulate these patriotic young men and women.

Date Added: 4/23/2025

Islip High School held its second annual Choose to Include event on April 3, organized by special education teacher Melissa Horn and her classroom team. As a Unified School through the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools initiative, Islip is dedicated to promoting social inclusion by bringing together students with and without disabilities through sports and other activities. The goal of Choose to Include is to bring awareness and create meaningful connections between all students. By participating in interactive activities and simulations, neurotypical students gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, challenges and strengths of their neurodivergent classmates. This event fosters empathy, breaks down barriers and promotes a more inclusive school environment where all students feel seen, heard and valued.

For the second consecutive year, the high school prepared for Choose to Include with a Chalk and Talk kickoff event the afternoon before at Islip Middle School. This year, Buccaneer University and Functional Academics students spearheaded the activity in hopes of gathering as many of their peers as possible to chalk inclusive and inspiring messages and artwork on the sidewalks of the school entrances. Among the messages were “Celebrate Differences,” “Don’t Stand By, Stand Up” and “Inclusion Starts with You.” Over 75 students were in attendance this year, with Unified bowling, the Art Club and IMS student government making the April 2 event part of their afternoon meetings. 

“It was incredible to witness many groups of students spanning various ages join together with the same mission,” counselor Nicole Hall said. “Including IMS student government representatives allowed the conversation of inclusivity to start even earlier and spark excitement over this important mission. The afternoon was filled with laughter and excitement as they decorated the sidewalk. It allowed students to begin to think about the purpose of Choose to Include and create momentum leading into the tremendous event the following day.”

“The middle school’s student government members were eager to be a part of the event and even asked if there would be more chances to work with high school students in the future,” IMS student government adviser Sara Comiskey said. “The event also got the eighth graders excited about high school next year, with many saying the inclusive messages were powerful and that it was awesome to see so many students attend.”

Date Added: 4/23/2025

Islip High School’s annual college fair, held on the evening of March 25, featured dozens of college and career representatives answering questions from the many juniors and seniors exploring their future options. This event, coordinated by Director of School Counseling Dr. Cynthia Fitzgerald and her staff of counselors, serves as an important part of the school’s college awareness continuum that also features the recent Parent University with a focus on the college admissions process, fall and spring college exploration tours, as well as junior parent conferences with the school counselors.

“We were delighted to welcome representatives from colleges and the military to our annual evening college fair at Islip High School,” Principal Dr. Lara Gonzalez said. “Students and parents had the opportunity to interact, in some cases, with the actual admissions officers who may read students’ applications.”

“The college fair is always a great way to introduce our students to many programs, educational opportunities and military options that may influence their post-secondary journeys,” Assistant Principal Lisa Ward said. “When representatives can talk about the specifics of the institutions they work for, our students get a better understanding of what lies ahead, the culture they may experience and the vast majority of future possibilities. Our students benefit by having the ability to speak to representatives from actual colleges, enhancing their decision-making process.”

Date Added: 4/22/2025