Western Suffolk BOCES recently recognized Jay Murphy, the district’s coordinator of instructional technology, as the 2020-2021 Model Schools Administrator of the Year. Murphy has worked tirelessly over the past year to inspire an active integration of technology in the learning process, with instructional technology growing exponentially in the district under his leadership. During these turbulent times, Murphy continues to serve as a catalyst to keep learning alive, from spearheading initiatives to ensure that every student had access to remote instruction during the pandemic to enhancing digital spaces once the schools were ready to reopen their doors.

Some of Murphy’s recent accomplishments include presenting on the topic of cybersecurity at the New York State School Board Association’s annual conference, and serving as a keynote speaker at the 2020-2021 Long Island Math Conference. In addition to organizing and facilitating Superintendent’s Conference Days, livestreaming events for the Deer Park Board of Education, rolling out Chromebooks to over 2,000 students and ensuring that staff had access to technology that would yield enhanced instructional opportunities, Murphy continues to plan and facilitate quality digital learning experiences for the students of Deer Park. He has a strong passion for curating and creating customized resources made specifically for Deer Park’s schools, regularly publishing the “TECHnically Speaking” educational technology newsletter as well as curating web pages featuring digital resources for parents, students, teachers and staff. He has also offered intensive professional development opportunities for district staff, facilitated parent workshops to further educate the community and utilized technology to keep the community safe by regularly providing districtwide COVID-19 updates.

“I attribute much of my success to the hard work and dedication of the technology team and the willingness of district staff to embrace technology,” Murphy said. “I am grateful to be part of the Deer Park team, one that has risen to the occasion of the tech-filled needs of the pandemic.”

During the 2019-2020 school year, a group of 16 JFK fifth graders completed the Memory Project international art exchange with art teacher Briana Nussbaum, with the goal of exchanging artwork with students in Pakistan.

To complete their activity, the JFK students met with Nussbaum several times during their lunch periods, bringing their lunches to the art room, learning about the students in Pakistan and brainstorming ideas for their artwork. The fifth graders used various art media and incorporated themes of friendship, peace and happiness.

The artwork was set to be exchanged at the end of March 2020, but the process was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in the 2020-2021 school year, Nussbaum was finally able to send the artwork from the students in Pakistan to her students, who are now sixth graders at Robert Frost.

“When I found out that we would not be returning to teaching in school for the remainder of the school year, I made sure to bring my students’ artwork home,” Nussbaum said. “They had been working so hard and I knew how much it meant to be a part of this special opportunity. I was in touch with members of the Memory Project organization, and they were so happy to help and make this work. Our students were thrilled to find that the art exchange was complete. This opportunity allowed my students to connect with students from another country and learn that we can all be united through our art.”