Math extra help is available on a walk-in basis every period of the day at both High School East and High School West.

Each high school has a math learning center — East in room 313, West in room G307.

“Students can literally walk in and say, ‘I didn’t know how to do my homework last night. Can you help me?’” said Angelica Babino, the district’s math director.

Typically, students drop in during their study hall or lunch period.

Many who take advantage of the learning centers’ availability end up appreciating the experience and decide to visit daily or every other day — and often the day before a test.

There are two math TAs at High School West, Mark Cimino and Richard Bassin. And one math TA, Carrie Kropp, and two tutors, Liz Manning-Hart and Abigayle Gersbeck, at High School East.

All of the staff at the learning centers are math certified, so the designations mostly relate to how many hours per week each works.

In addition to the voluntary attendees, some students are assigned to a learning center because they have been identified as needing academic support. That assignment sometimes stems from a parent or guardian contacting the student’s guidance counselor to request the extra help.

The middle schools also have extra math instruction for students who are assigned. And a math TA was hired at the middle-school level to combat COVID learning loss. That TA regularly is in classrooms for all math subjects.

“Sometimes, between the counselor and the parent, they know that the student is not going to take that step and walk in there,” Babino said. “We can actually place it on their schedule. Maybe they have lunch seventh period. On their schedule, they also have ‘AIS’ (Academic Intervention Services) seventh period on ‘B’ days, so they’re required to go up there.”

This academic year, Babino’s team has ramped up its direct involvement in Algebra I and Algebra II classes to identify students who could benefit from additional learning support.

Because there has not been a state assessment test in two years as a result of COVID-19, students may not as frequently be identified through traditional means as needing support from the learning centers.

“The Algebra I students, being that they’re coming from middle school, they may or may not be identified. So they may not be scheduled for the extended algebra course that offers them that extra support,” Babino said. “As a result, the AIS providers are pushing into the regular, single-period algebra class that doesn't have that extra support built in.

“And Algebra II is the third math course. So these students in Algebra II didn’t take the algebra regents in ninth grade because it was canceled. And they didn’t take the geometry regents last year because it was canceled. So now, here they are, their third year of math — they have their Regents credits under their belt, but they have never taken one. And now they’re going to have to take the hardest Regents exam. Because of that, we have that additional support there in the classrooms.”

Students in Marcie Krause’s first-grade class at Smithtown Elementary received fresh air while working on their alphabet skills on Friday morning.

A new outdoor learning space in the Smithtown Elementary courtyard is providing students and faculty throughout the school with an open-air classroom on a rotating basis.

The outdoor learning space is particularly valuable given the current circumstances, because it provides an extended mask break while learning continues. But the open-air classroom, complete with a chalkboard, picnic tables, umbrellas and assorted outdoor chairs, will continue to be utilized even once the pandemic is fully in the rearview mirror.

The PTA contributed the umbrellas, while the district purchased the tables. And the custodial staff helped set up the area.

Krause’s class took advantage on Friday. She mouthed a sound, and the first graders said aloud what letter matched. Each student then wrote the letter in the air a few times, before also writing it on an individual whiteboard with a marker.

“We’ve always considered the possibility of creating an outdoor learning space,” principal Janine Lavery said. “But, of course, with the onset of COVID and the challenges that it brought to us, we’ve been bringing the children out regularly. Last year, we moved forward with plans to purchase picnic tables so that teachers and staff could eat outside, but also — outside of lunch hours — it could be used as an outdoor classroom.”

The Smithtown Central School District is well-represented among semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

High School East’s Lilly Chai and Angelina Lent and High School West’s Aaquib Syed all earned that recognition on Wednesday.

High school juniors entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

“I’m glad that hard work pays off,” said Lent, who plans to attend Stony Brook University, where she will play women’s soccer. “I’m just really excited to see that I was a semifinalist.”

Dr. Kevin Simmons will soon have a new role within the Smithtown Central School District.

The Board of Education approved Simmons as its new assistant superintendent for instruction and administration at its meeting on Tuesday night, following the recommendation of superintendent Mark Secaur.

Simmons has served as High School East principal since July 2016 and previously had served as principal of Nesaquake Middle School.

He will remain in his role at High School East during a brief transition period. A successor as principal will be sought immediately.

"What needs to be said to our cherished students is that you have inspired me each and every day with your kindness, intellect and enormous school spirit," Simmons said. "... You have been, and will continue to be, the reason why I have dedicated myself to this most noble profession."

The Smithtown High School East chamber choir lent its voices to remembrance ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday.

In the morning, the group performed at Suffolk County’s ceremony at the Dennison Building in Hauppauge, then at the St. James Fire Department’s ceremony. The choir then again performed the national anthem at the high school’s football game in the early afternoon.

At the firehouse ceremony, High School East student Sofia Regona played a taps solo on the trumpet. And fellow student Emily Garry performed a solo rendition of God Bless America.

The St. James event was particularly meaningful to choir director Mark Hegreness.

During the ceremony, a moment of silence was held for Douglas Oelschlager, who answered the call on 9/11 as an FDNY firefighter, and who also was a captain with the St. James Eagle Hook & Ladder.

Hegreness was teaching Oelschlager’s daughter on the day of the terrorist attacks 20 years ago.

Hegreness has ensured that the High School East chamber choir performs at the St. James firehouse ceremony annually since the service began.

“First of all, it’s a good experience for the students to understand the history and be a part of a community event like this one,” Hegreness said. “And it’s extra special for me to be part of this ceremony.”

The Smithtown Central School district marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11 within each of its schools, including by holding tree-planting ceremonies at both high schools on Friday.

The somber ceremonies served as reminders to never forget those who died on that tragic day and also to recognize the sacrifice made by first responders and rescue workers who have since passed away from related illnesses.

High School East’s ceremony took place at 10 a.m., with a similar ceremony following at High School West at noon.

In both ceremonies, a matching blue spruce tree provided by a local nursery was planted in remembrance, with students participating in the planting of the trees.

The Smithtown, St. James and Nesconset fire departments and color guards as well as members of American Legion Post 833 and VFW Post 10870 attended.

A moment of silence also was observed.

The ceremony at High School West took place at a garden created shortly after 9/11, which displays a steel beam from the World Trade Center.

“I’m both honored and humbled to be with you today for this very special ceremony,” superintendent Mark Secaur told students and other attendees during the earlier ceremony. “… It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since that fateful day — a day when all gave some, and some gave all. It was a day mixed with honor and horror as well as sacrifice and selflessness. Today we honor the memories of the lives lost that day as well as those lost in the years since.”