Students from W.T. Clarke Middle School competed in National Geographic’s GeoBee on Jan. 13. Seventh grader Shelby Tell took first place in the schoolwide contest, while eighth grader Nick Johnson captured second. 


Students qualified for the school’s competition by winning their individual social studies classes’ GeoBees. The geography competition is designed to inspire students to learn more about the world. Questions cover geography, ancient and world civilizations, and cultures.


Shelby will now take an online qualifying test in hopes of moving on to the state level of the competition, where students will compete to participate in the national championship. National awards include cash prizes, scholarships and an all-expenses-paid expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II.


The district congratulates Shelby on her achievement and all students who participated. To learn more about the National Geographic Society and the GeoBee, visit www.nationalgeographic.org. 


Photo caption: 
1) W.T. Clarke Middle School students Nick Johnson and Shelby Tell were the top two competitors in their school’s National Geographic GeoBee on Jan. 13. 


Photo courtesy of the East Meadow Union Free School District 

On behalf of the East Meadow Music and Art Department, we would like to take this opportunity to announce the second annual East Meadow Children’s Concert.  The concert is scheduled for Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 2:00 P.M. at W.T. Clarke High School / Middle School. The theme for this performance is Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  This is a free concert open to students and their families in Kindergarten through Third grade in the East Meadow community. 
 
This concert is geared towards our primary grade students and will feature performances from our W.T. Clarke High School ensembles as well as an "Instrument Petting Zoo" hosted by our middle school music students following the show.  In addition, we will be showcasing select student artwork from our kindergarten Enrichment Through the Arts program in the W.T. Clarke lobby.  The Children’s Concert is a wonderful way for your child to begin to explore their potential instrument choices.
 
We are asking each concertgoer to register online at the following link in order to ensure we have enough space for all of our community members: 
 
Concert Registration Form: 
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/east-meadow-childrens-concert-tickets-88907700325
We know this will be a wonderful opportunity to inspire our young students and showcase the talents of our young musicians! 

Students at Parkway Elementary School participated in a thought-provoking assembly by award-winning singer-songwriter Jared Campbell on Jan. 9. 
The show consisted of engaging singalongs that reinforced positive character-building messages. A special superhero-themed show was presented to students in grades K-2 that centered on learning respect, playing it safe and showing up to school ready to learn. For grades 3-5, the show highlighted the themes of social and emotional well-being and kindness for all.  

East Meadow High School seniors Stephanie Sparkowski and Jenna Laird were recognized as part of Newsday’s Long Island’s Top 100 High School Athletes of the 2010s. Softball coach Stew Fritz was also recognized as one of the top 10 coaches of the 2010s. 

Stephanie is a four-sport varsity athlete. She plays soccer, lacrosse, basketball and volleyball and is a kicker for the varsity football team. Stephanie also played for the United States in both the Under-14 and Under-16 women’s national soccer teams in 2014-15 and 2016-17, respectively. Stephanie has committed to the University of Michigan.

Jenna plays shortstop for the varsity softball team at East Meadow High School. In 2018, she was in the top five of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Inc. record books in hits and batting average. Jenna will attend the University of Missouri in the fall.  

Coach Fritz led the Jets to the state Class AA semifinals five times since 2013, winning the state championship in 2014 and 2017. He steered the team to six Nassau crowns, won five Long Island titles in 2013-2014 and three in a row from 2017-2019. Over the course of the decade, Coach Fritz had 168 wins. 

The district congratulates Stephanie, Jenna and Coach Fritz on being included in this recognition and is proud to have them as a part of the East Meadow community! 

Abishek Ravindran, a senior at W.T. Clarke High School, was named one of the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020. He was selected among 1,993 applicants for his research project titled “Implementation of Novel Sector Weight and Google Trends Data Objectives using MOEA/D Curtails Systematic Risk for Quintessential Investors.” 

Abishek broadened his perspective as a student by conducting research in a field he hadn’t examined before. "Though I always thought of research as only relevant to natural and physical sciences, conducting research within economics and behavioral science has been really eye-opening in terms of the possibilities,” he said.

Regeneron STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Scholars were chosen based on their exceptional research skills, commitment to academics, innovative thinking and promise as scientists. The scholars hail from 192 American and international high schools in 39 states and Guam.

Erika Rotolo, Abishek’s science research teacher at W.T. Clarke High School, was a trusted advisor during his research journey and she is proud of his prestigious accomplishment. "Abishek has dedicated a great deal of time and hard work to his astonishing research project, and this recognition is well deserved,” she said. “We are all so proud that he has been recognized as a highly esteemed Regeneron Scholar.”

Abishek thanked his school community for allowing students like himself to explore new topics and dive deep into research. “I cannot thank Mrs. Rotolo and the Clarke community enough for supporting me throughout this process,” he said. “They truly cultivate each individual's interests."

As a reward for being selected, Abishek and W.T. Clarke High School will be awarded $2,000 each. On Jan. 22, 40 of the 300 scholars will be named Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists. Finalists will compete in Washington, D.C., in March for more than $1.8 million in awards. The district congratulates Abishek on this impressive achievement!

For more information on the Regeneron Science Talent Search, visit: https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts.