Five students in Islip High School’s Keep Islip Clean club – Katherine Cottral, Katerina Mennecke, Jaci Narducci, Steven Plotke, and Anika Tahsin – were inducted into the Town of Islip’s KIC Junior Commissioner program at Town Hall West on May 22. In this program, teachers from high schools throughout the Town of Islip select students in their schools to serve as environmental ambassadors for their districts. Each month, the students meet town officials to plan local clean-ups and recycling programs they then share with their high school.

On the following day, the KIC Junior Commissioners led their club to Seatuck Environmental Center for a Pond Day field trip. At Seatuck, KIC club members volunteered to remove an invasive swamp iris species from the pond at the environmental center. These invasive plants grow in large floating islands of flowers that have to be chopped up into pieces before removal from the water. Students also planted native milkweed in a garden to attract monarch butterflies to the area. Students ended the field trip with a nature walk through the Seatuck marsh trail.

Date Added: 6/9/2023

Islip High School’s family and consumer science class recently participated in a fun Cupcake Wars project, creating recipes and displays for cupcakes while learning about cooking, baking, teamwork and collaboration. Working together on group projects like Cupcake Wars helps students develop social and communication skills as well as problem-solving abilities. Some of the school’s staff members joined in as guest judges, evaluating the cupcakes and displays based on taste, presentation and creativity.

“Involving the staff was a great way to foster a sense of community and teamwork within the school,” FACS teacher Alexandra Catalano said. “It gave staff members a chance to interact with students in a fun and positive way and encourage them to collaborate and support one another.”

In addition to the educational benefits, creating cupcakes can also be a fun and enjoyable activity for students, allowing them to use their creativity and imagination to come up with unique and tasty recipes and giving them the opportunity to share their creations with others.

“Overall, the Cupcake Wars project can be a rewarding and enriching experience for students, providing them with both culinary and social skills that can be useful in their personal and professional lives,” Catalano said.

Date Added: 6/8/2023

Islip High School students in Wayne Mennecke’s anatomy and physiology classes recently participated in Wim Hof Wednesday during laboratory time. Wim Hof is a Dutch motivational speaker known as the “Iceman,” known for the ability to tolerate cold temperatures by controlling the pace of his breathing. A dive reflex lab measured the students’ slowing pulse rates in a process known as bradycardia, which simulates the same sense of relaxation and calm that Hof experiences. By wearing snorkels and masks, the students trained themselves to control their anxiety and slow their breathing to tolerate placing their faces in cold buckets of water.

Date Added: 6/5/2023

Islip High School guitar students Aidan Ferrara and Aaron Thorn were recently named the co-recipients of the Historical Society of Islip Hamlet’s John Monteleone Scholarship. Both students will receive $250 checks to use to further their musical endeavors.

Guided by music teacher Zachary Butterfield, Ferrara and Thorn volunteered to perform at “An Evening with John Monteleone” on April 27, impressing the audience full of Islip alumni and community members. Monteleone, an Islip alumnus and one of the world’s greatest instrument builders, and director Trevor Laurence introduced their feature length film “John Monteleone: The Chisels are Calling” at the event, which was presented by the Historical Society of Islip Hamlet, the Islip Public Library and the Islip School District Fine and Performing Arts Department.

Date Added: 6/6/2023

Freshmen at Islip High School had the opportunity to travel with classmates to visit two colleges during the school’s first ever ninth-grade college trip earlier this spring.

Accompanied by district and building administrators, students first travelled by bus to the College of New Jersey in Ewing Township. While at TCNJ, they enjoyed breakfast in the dining hall, toured the campus, learned about the admission process and various programs, and experienced Lions Day festivities.

Next, the Islip freshmen traveled to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where they enjoyed lunch at the dining halls, toured the historic campus and explored the bookstore. Before boarding the bus back home to Islip, students dined on cheesesteaks at the famous Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia.

“Our students shared that they enjoyed learning about the different buildings and majors, and that showing interest in the college and being involved in extracurricular activities is important in the application process,” Assistant Principal Meghan Stern said.

“We were thrilled to offer our ninth graders a chance to travel out of state to visit two colleges in person,” Principal Lara Gonzalez said. “The tour was what we hope will be the first of many as we develop a multigrade college awareness continuum at Islip High School. Our college program will include opportunities for students in grades nine to 12 to explore various options both within and outside of our region.”

Date Added: 6/5/2023