President's Message

Dear Colleagues, 

We have come to the end of yet another school year! Thank you all for your service to your districts and communities. 

I also want to express our appreciation for your support of N-SSBA’s events and efforts on your behalf. Executive Director, Bob Vecchio and Administrative Director, Lorraine Mentz have worked hard to provide us with another extremely productive and successful year.

We thank and applaud them and I cannot wait to see what is in store for next year! 

It is an honor to serve and support you as your president and I am deeply appreciative of the support you have all shown. I look forward to the exciting opportunities next year may hold. 

We will also have our work cut out for us next year as we continue to fight for a funding formula that is fair and predictable, and against the underfunded and unfunded mandates that are ever increasing. We will need this short respite to renew our energy to fight the good fight for the sake of the children we are charged to serve. 

So, I wish you all a relaxing, fun filled summer with family and friends and whatever adventures you have planned or may come your way! For those facing personal challenges, I hold you in my heart, thoughts and prayers. 

As the song goes, ‘see you in September, see you when the summer’s through…’🎶 

Heartfelt regards,

N-SSBA's Annual New School Board Member Dinner

On June 20, 2024, 48 newly elected school board members attended a workshop which featured several veteran board members to learn about their new roles as members of the governance teams for school districts across Long Island at the Hamlet Golf & Country Club in Commack.

Some of the topics covered included; school board members roles and responsibilities, knowing the difference between oversight and overstep, use of social media, finding common ground, working together as a governance team, how to handle disagreements on the board, and the importance of goal setting as a team.

We want to thank our sponsors SCOPE Education Services, COUNSLR, and STETSON Cybergroup for their support of our event.

Congratulations to our new colleagues and we wish you all the best in your service to Long Island's public schools.

Rocky Point students present at

Brookhaven National Laboratory Symposium

Rocky Point Middle School sixth grade students participated in the Brookhaven National Laboratory Open Space Stewardship Program Symposium on May 30. Rocky Point Middle School has been a part of this initiative with the GATES program for the past 17 years. Dr. Melvyn Morris, a manager of special programs in BNL’s Office of Educational Programs, introduced the program to the school in collaboration with science teacher Audra Mammina, who has been the teacher mentor since its inception. 

This year, 22 students – Blake Barth, Kristopher Citarella, Grayson Ernst, Sofia Fedurina, Lucas Finamore, Collin Fishman, Carter Ford, JP Harris, Salvatore Lasurdo, Gianna Malvetti, Jayden Marciano, Grace Moriarty, Jacob Mulhare, Connor Neligon, Kristopher Ocasio, Shane Piccolo, Meridith Schmidt, Enza Troise, Giulietta Troise, Jackson Wright, Mina Zapata and Jack Zipfel – met for 15 sessions, learning and conducting field investigations under the guidance of Dr. Amanda Horn, an educational programs administrator at BNL.

The students worked with Dr. Horn to create the poster presentation which they presented at the symposium. Rocky Point’s students were the youngest presenters of the students representing the 16 schools and 38 projects showcased. Students presented their research to BNL staff, high school students and educators from the participating districts, and adult visitors to the symposium.

The students also interacted with the other student researchers and scientists. They engaged in conversations encompassing science disciplines such as DNA barcoding, atmospheric studies and ecological sustainability. 

“Rocky Point Middle School parents who attended the event were impressed by their children’s accomplishments and how well they were able to express themselves,” said Jachan Watkis, Rocky Point’s math, science and technology director.