Our Deer Park High School’s music students recently participated in the Music in the Parks competition in Hershey, Pennsylvania. All four of Deer Park’s groups – the guitar ensemble, wind ensemble, chamber orchestra and the Phoenix Club vocal chamber ensemble – earned superior ratings. Natalie Martillo was named Best Overall Vocalist for the entire festival, and the Phoenix Club won Best Choral Group.

“Well done to all our talented musicians and their directors,” Fine and Performing Arts Director Bradley Murphy said.

Date Added: 6/6/2025

Six superb senior athletes from Deer Park High School committed to continuing their sports careers in college this fall during a May 29 recognition ceremony hosted by District Administrator for Athletics, Physical Education, Health and Recreation Dominick Fontana in the school’s chorus room.

Anthony Aybar will play football at Nassau Community College. A winner of Deer Park’s Falcon Award, he plans to major in liberal arts.

“I always wanted to play football in college at any level,” Aybar said.
Dimaunte’ Gardner will play basketball at Farmingdale State College. In his Deer Park career, Gardner was named League MVP, All-Tournament Team, All-Long Island, All-County, All-Conference and twice All-League. He has not decided on a major yet.

“I chose Farmingdale because it’s a good program with good players and coaches,” Gardner said.

Juan Gonzalez Mayoral will play soccer at Ithaca College. He earned All-State, All-Region, twice All-County, twice All-Conference and All-League honors during his Falcons career, and plans to major in finance.

“I chose Ithaca College because it offers a strong finance program that wil prepare me for a successful career in business,” Gonzalez Mayoral said. “The college also allows me to continue playing soccer at a competitive level. I was also impressed by the professional opportunities and connections that Ithaca provides for its students.”

Alejandro Pino will play soccer at Long Island University. During his high school years, Pino played exclusively on the MLS Next club team, the highest level of youth soccer in the United States. He plans to major in sports management. 

“LIU gives me the best opportunity to play collegiate soccer at the Division I level and also further my education,” Pino said.

Kelsey Rotzman will join the dance team at Rutgers University. During her Deer Park career, she was named kickline MVP, earned Section XI Class A Game Day Academic All-County honors and was the recipient of the 2025 Suffolk Zone Award. Rotzman plans to major in exercise science.

“I chose Rutgers because of its excellence in academics and its passion for sports,” Rotzman said. “When deciding where I wanted to attend college, I knew I wanted to be close to home, pushed academically and continue my sport. I spent time looking into many schools and dance teams, but ultimately Rutgers was my top choice. Their dance team has a strong passion for supporting other athletes as well as making a difference in their community, and they have given me the opportunity to continue to do what I love while also continuing my education.”

Alana Villavicencio will play softball at Hartwick College. She earned All-League and All-Division honors during high school, and plans to major in political science.

“The Hartwick community and girls on the team are very welcoming,” Villavicencio said. “We bonded very fast.”

“This day really represents how much hard work, dedication and sacrifice that all the athletes and their families have put in,” Fontana said. “To get this far and be successful is obviously a tremendous accomplishment and there’s a lot that goes into it, so this is something to be extremely proud of. There are only a handful of athletes every year from any given school that go on to play at the next level, so if you’re one of those chosen athletes and get a chance to continue your career, it’s well deserved. When you show up to college in August or September, you’re going to put in the same hard work, show your worth and prove yourself. Just stay positive, stay hungry and stay humble, and I’m sure you’ll have the same success at the next level that you had with Deer Park. We wish you nothing but the best of luck.”

Date Added: 6/6/2025

Deer Park High School senior Syed Muhammad Hashmi has earned the New York State Senate’s Youth Leadership Recognition Award. This program honors outstanding students who will become the state’s future leaders. Eligible students include current sophomores, juniors and seniors who excel not only academically, but through leadership in extracurricular and volunteer activities. Hashmi currently serves as Deer Park’s Town of Babylon student representative and as vice president of the school’s student council. In recognition of his achievement, Hashmi received a congratulatory personalized certificate from New York State Sen. Monica Martinez.

Date Added: 6/5/2025

Deer Park High School held its first-ever Trades Fair on May 29, bringing together professionals from a wide range of skilled trades to speak with students about career opportunities. Coordinated and hosted by business teacher Jill Perry-Eising, the event aimed to introduce students – many of whom have had limited exposure to the trades – to a variety of in-demand, well-paying careers across industries such as automotive mechanics, architectural drafting, painting, elevator construction, plumbing, electrical, information technology, funeral services and trades within the developmental disabilities field. 

Guest speakers shared their career paths, the skills required for success and the many benefits of pursuing a career in the trades. 
Participating professionals included architectural draftsman Jim Capone, senior talent acquisition specialist Giovanni Dainotto, software support technician Tanzina Haque, commercial painting co-owners Adam and Jovanna Inga, electrician Tom Lawless, auto mechanic business owner Frank LeCrichia, funeral directors Lindsay Packard and Kirk Thompson, education and training fund director Richard Loeb, and plumbers Bob Ruggerio Jr. and Jason Zove.

“The Trades Fair is part of the school’s ongoing effort to broaden career awareness and prepare students for life after graduation,” Director of Mathematics and Business Christine Gill said.

Date Added: 6/5/2025

This year, May Moore Primary School’s second graders participated in a program to hatch bobwhite quail in their classrooms. The idea began in 2004 when biologist Eric Powers wanted to raise the population of quail to help control the number of ticks in the community; with more quail in local forests, there are fewer harmful ticks.

Each second-grade class received 12 eggs that they were responsible for incubating over 23 days. Students helped keep the incubator at 99.9 degrees and ensured the humidity stayed consistent. They also turned the eggs three times a day. As hatching week approached, students watched for signs that the chicks were beginning to hatch. Some classes were lucky enough to witness a live hatching.

Once the chicks hatched, they were moved into a heated tank kept at 105 degrees. The baby chicks quickly became part of the classroom community. After several days, the chicks were taken back to the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery in Brookhaven, where volunteers will take care of the chicks until they are ready to be released into the wild. 

Dana Grafstein’s quail “egg-sperts” proudly explained to visiting kindergarten classes how they took care of their quail eggs from the time they entered the incubator until the adorable baby quail chicks hatched. The second graders took turns going through every step of the process. 

Finally, the kindergartners had a chance to observe the fluffy babies up close. As they were leaving, Grafstein told them, “When you get to second grade, you will get to help hatch baby quail, too,” which was met with gasps and big smiles from all of the younger students.

“Raising quail was really fun, and when we were quiet, we could hear them chirping,” Kyrie Curtis said.

“The quail are so cute and their eyes have a sparkle to them,” Sebastian Arriaza said.

“I liked learning how the quail used their neck muscles to push themselves out of the shell,” Sarah Hafeez said. 

“Raising quail was pretty amazing because we got to see them hatch and teach the kindergarten students about them,” Dalal Fadel said.

Date Added: 6/5/2025