Deer Park High School and librarian Evan DeNaro welcomed Holocaust survivor Jeannie Parnes Wechsler to the high school library on March 7 and 8. Social studies classes taught by Joe Alo, Marissa Caruso, Hunter Hayes and Kerry Walsh, along with many high school staff members, sat down with Wechsler as she shared her stories and experiences from those horrific years. Over the course of World War II, the Parnes family of two parents and seven children experienced many miracles that resulted in all nine members surviving the war and remaining together.

“Jeannie’s story is one to remind the people of today that events such as the Holocaust must never again come to pass,” Alo said. “It reminds us that we must remain vigilant in taking a stand against the hate and intolerance against people of other religions, races, and ethnicities so that no one experiences an event like this. Jeannie expressed that it was always her mother’s wish that she tell the story of her family during the Holocaust, and by being with students and staff at Deer Park High School, Jeannie was able to continue to fulfill the wishes of her mother.”

At the conclusion of her visit, Wechsler was asked if she had any lasting messages for those in attendance.

“I look out at all of your beautiful faces and I see people of different races and religions all together and learning as one,” Wechsler said with a smile. “This is the way things should be. The similarities in our lives must outweigh the differences and by working together, we can make a better world, a world that we will all be blessed to live in.”

Date Added: 4/25/2024

Twenty-one talented and hardworking Deer Park music students were chosen for the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association’s All-County Festival ensembles.

Deer Park High School freshmen Emily Dong (violin, Orchestra), Lillah Hubert (soprano, Chorus), Aubrey Hyney (trombone, Band) and Kaiya Pierson (alto, Chorus), and sophomores Emily Cannet (flute, Orchestra), William Fox (bass, Chorus), Dylan Girard (clarinet, Band), Ryan Hughes (tenor sax) and Lauren Marable (flute, Band) performed at the SCMEA West Division 3 concert on March 9 at Huntington High School.

Robert Frost Middle School seventh graders Jocelyn Pierson (soprano, Chorus) and Mikaela Ponte (violin, Orchestra), and eighth graders Joshua Beylin (clarinet, Band), John Paul Grande (trumpet, Band) and Timothy Spenelli (baritone, Chorus) performed at the SCMEA West Division 2 concert on March 10 at Huntington High School.

John F. Kennedy Intermediate School fifth graders Addison Sheehan (voice, Chorus) and Jayden Rivers (voice, Chorus), and Robert Frost Middle School sixth graders Hailey Cannet (clarinet, Band), Zoey Eisenoff (violin, Orchestra), Christopher Jackson (alto sax, Band), Natalie Siskoglou (voice, Chorus) and Jillian Wagner (voice, Chorus) performed at the SCMEA Central Division 1 concert on March 10 at East Islip High School.

“We are immensely proud of our talented students who were selected to participate in the Suffolk County Music Educators Association’s concerts this season,” Director of Fine and Performing Arts Bradley Murphy said. “Their acceptance into these prestigious ensembles is a testament to their hard work, dedication and exceptional musical abilities. These students have represented our district with distinction, showcasing the caliber of our music programs and the commitment of our educators. We congratulate them on this outstanding achievement and commend them for being ambassadors of excellence in the arts.”

Date Added: 4/25/2024

Deer Park High School’s varsity boys basketball team was honored at the Suffolk Boys Basketball Coaches Association Brunch, held on April 14 at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook. The team won 14 games this season, made the playoffs for the 14th year in a row, reached their 13th Elite Eight since 2006 and reached their ninth Suffolk County Final Four since 2012.

At the awards ceremony, the SCBCA honored freshman Ethan Nelson, junior DiMaunt’e Gardner, senior Ryan Rose, and volunteer assistant Mike Chin. Nelson was voted All-League, All-Conference, Class AA All-Tournament team and League 3 Rookie of the Year; Gardner was named All-League and Academic All-County; Rose was named Class AA All-Tournament team; and Coach Chin received the Mackwich/Moran award for his service as a volunteer.

The Falcons have high aspirations again in 2024-2025, with 10 lettermen returning and reinforcements coming from a competitive JV and a Robert Frost Middle School team that went 8-2.

Date Added: 4/22/2024

Deer Park High School junior Gloria Min, a violinist in the school’s orchestra and chamber orchestra, recently performed at the New York International Artists Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Min had participated in the American Protege competition last fall and had a winner’s recital.  

Date Added: 4/18/2024

Forty-six students from Deer Park High School’s DECA club competed in New York DECA’s 65th annual State Career Conference, earning three trophies. They were among nearly 3,000 high school business students from across the state in attendance at the annual contest, held March 6-8 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester.  

Top five overall trophy winners, all finishing in second place, were Nora Elmoussaoui, earning fourth place in Food Marketing; Sidra Syed, earning fifth place in Food Marketing; and Luis Rodriguez, earning fifth place in Personal Financial Literacy. These three trophy winners earned the right to move on to compete in DECA’s International Career Development Conference from April 27-30 in Anaheim, California.

Top 10 overall winners were LaSheena Pottinger, finishing seventh in Principles of Business Management, Jaidyn Schab, finishing eighth in Personal Financial Literacy, Kimberly Cho and Nobin Nath, finishing ninth in Financial Services Team, Thomas Wesnofske, finishing 10th in Automotive Services.

Top 10 test winners were Shujana Aurin (Hotel & Lodging Management), Abigail Cullen (Hotel & Lodging Management), Max Ferguson (Automotive Services), Jade Griffin (Apparel & Accessories), Damon Ierulli (Hospitality Services Team), Gloria Min (Financial Consulting), Valerie Ponte (Human Resources Management) and Reza Zorakhsh (Principles of Finance).

Top 10 role play winners were Jade Griffin (Apparel & Accessories), Katia Papailler (Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling), Sarina Saeed and Tonika Sikder (Business Law & Ethics Team) and Luciano Stallone (Accounting Applications).

Seniors Shujana Aurin, Nora Elmoussaoui, Jade Griffin, Calvin Nguyen and Katia Papailler were inducted into the New York DECA Honor Society; requirements for induction include three or four years of membership in the club, an 85 average in all classes, a 90 average in business classes and participation in at least one state conference.

Also, Deer Park High School’s school store received School-Based Enterprise Gold Certification thanks to a proposal written by Elmoussaoui and Griffin.

Finally, Deer Park DECA adviser Gregory Menig was presented with New York DECA’s Outstanding Service Award.

“Congratulations to all of our students on a job well done,” Menig said.

Date Added: 4/8/2024