Two science researchers from Smithtown Central School District are among the 53 Long Island students who have been named semifinalists in the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search, the country’s oldest high school competition in the math and sciences. The top 300 science research students nationwide were chosen for this honor.

High School East senior Anthony D’Amore was recognized for his research, “Habitat Preference Drives Brain Shape in Crocodylomorphs” while High School West’s Alexander Rodriguez was honored for his research on “A Genomic and Pharmacological Analysis of Adenosine Receptors in the Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis.”

Anthony used a novel approach for mapping the endocranial structures within both extinct and extant crocodylomorphs. Mentored by Dr. Alan Turner at Stony Brook University, Anthony worked on par with graduate students to analyze anatomical evolutionary trends by using digital software to provide a novel approach of modeling brain cavities.  

“Anthony spent untold hours mapping structures, analyzing subtle changes of brain shape over evolutionary time, and connecting the information to habitat preferences of both modern crocs as well as extinct species,” said Maria Zeitlin, High School East research coordinator. 

Alex’s work is the first to show that the tiny sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, possesses functional purinergic receptors. These receptors are important because they are involved in physiologic functions such as sleep and coronary regulation. Alex focused on analyzing the genomic and pharmacological properties of purinergic receptors in this basil organism. He hopes that his work will lead to a better understanding of the evolution of these receptors. Alex has been working on his project since his sophomore year in the in-house science research lab at West. 

Dr. Joanne Figueiredo, his mentor and science research coordinator at High School West said, “Alex is an outstanding student who has put together a very impressive body of work.  He has all the attributes of a scientist: he is inquisitive, smart and willing to do all that it takes to accomplish his goals!”

Each scholar receives a $2,000 prize, and individual schools get $2,000 for each of their recognized students. Forty finalists will be named on Jan. 23 and will compete in mid-March in Washington, D.C., for prizes totaling more than $1.8 million. 

Smithtown Central School District’s School of Business and the World Language Department, in conjunction with the Smithtown Industry Advisory Board, held its 15th annual International Business Career Day on Dec. 14 in the library of High School West. 

The event is a collaborative effort of the business and world language departments from High Schools East and West. Students were selected by their teachers to attend and approximately 80 students took part in the day’s events.    
     
After opening remarks by Mary Pat Grafstein, executive director of the Smithtown IAB and work-based learning coordinator for the high schools, and John Coady, High School West principal, keynote speaker William Laraque addressed students about the global career opportunities.

More than 15 guest businesspeople from a variety of fields were on hand to speak with students about their career options. Speakers were from a variety of areas including translation services, law, banking, law enforcement, import/export, commerce and education services. Students were given the choice to sit down and talk with six different guests for a 15-minute period during round-robin style sessions.

Four seniors– High School East’s Kevin Cawley and Grace Young and High School West’s Erick Reuter and Emily Eng – were presented with the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Suffolk Zone Award. The four students were awarded certificates and gold medals for their outstanding achievement as physical education students, scholars and citizens.

HSE: Pictured, from left, are High School East Assistant Principal Jason Pettis, Kevin Cawley, Grace Young and Athletic Director Patrick Smith. 

HSW: Pictured, from left, are High School West Principal John Coady, Erick Reuter, Emily Eng and Athletic Director Patrick Smith. 

Students in David Savage’s Project Lead the Way Introduction to Engineering Design class at High School East recently worked as manufacturing engineers to design a flow chart and manufacture 18 wooden boxes that will be used as part of their Automata project. Each group was tasked with building six boxes following another group’s manufacturing process. The lesson served as a way to facilitate communication between the students. 

At the end of November, students in the Habitat for Humanity Club at High School East participated in a team build in Bay Shore. Learning about teamwork and community giveback, the students worked together on different areas of the home’s construction. 

The High School East Select Chorus Ensemble helped get the community and the schools in the holiday spirit in early December. The chorus visited local community centers and elementary schools to sing some of the classic holiday carols.  

The district’s School of Business in the Career and Technical Education department, along with the Smithtown Industry Advisory Board, sponsored the 24th annual Business Olympics on Nov. 15 at High School West.

Sixty teams of more than 250 students from High School East and West competed in the challenge that focused on developing a successful mobile business. This year’s theme – What’s in the Box – challenged teams to create a  subscription box to sell to prospective buyers. They had to create a promotional and marketing campaign for their box as well as a sample of their subscription box.  

Smithtown Industry Advisory Board members, district administrators and employees, local companies and organizations participated in the event and judged the students on their overall presentation. All student teams were required to have a Google Slide Presentation, a commercial for their business, promotional materials and a marketing plan for their subscription box.

This year’s winning team was Team Default with members Andrew Camilleri, Kyle Flood, Stephen Godas, Nick Baiata and Jonathan Pofcher, all students at High School West.

High School East journalism students had the opportunity to interview a New York Times bestselling author when Kristan Higgins visited their school on Nov. 5. During a roundtable, informal question-and-answer session in the library, students asked Higgins about her books, writing techniques and more. Following her session with the journalism students, Higgins conducted a writer’s workshop on the hero’s journey for faculty, staff and creative writing students.