It was the trip of a lifetime for Deer Park High School student Steven Mendell, who was selected by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese last winter as one of only 24 high school juniors to be given the Spanish Honor Society Bertie Green Junior Travel Award. Mendell, now a senior, was given the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico in July with other students from around the country to study the island’s culture and be immersed in the language.

Mendell’s trip began in San Juan and Bayamon, where he befriended the other scholarship winners. The students explored the city and visited famous sites like Castillo San Cristobal, explored caves, and went ziplining in the forest. The group then ventured to Ponce, where they visited Castillo Serralles, learned salsa dancing, tried authentic food of the region and went to the beach. The last portion of the trip was in Fajardo, where Mendell and his fellow scholarship winners went snorkeling, encountered turtles and explored the bioluminescent bay at La Laguna Grande.

“My trip to Puerto Rico was one of the best experiences of my life,” Mendell said. “It was a trip of many firsts. I went to a lot of places and had experiences that will last a lifetime, but probably the most memorable was the friendships I made along the way.”

Date Added: 9/27/2022

Seven outstanding Deer Park High School students were recently recognized by the College Board based on their academic achievements in school and performance on the PSAT or AP Exams.

Denise Offiah, Ezekiel Babarinde and Gabrielle Mayne earned the National African American Recognition Award; Gabriella Ortiz, Kaetlynne Quinones and Tiffany Bala earned the National Hispanic Recognition Award; and Yasmine Sanchez earned the National Hispanic Recognition Award as well as the National Indigenous Award.

“These students have accomplished these milestones during an immensely demanding period of their high school career,” Associate Principal Dina Pannone said. “We couldn’t be more delighted to congratulate them.”

Date Added: 9/20/2022

Across Deer Park’s schools, students from each building – Deer Park High School, Robert Frost Middle School, John F. Kennedy Intermediate School, John Quincy Adams Primary School and May Moore Primary School – came back on a rainy Sept. 6, enthusiastic to start a new school year.

“Rainy weather couldn’t dampen our smiles on the first day of school,” May Moore Principal Tammy Alcalde said. “We opened our doors and welcomed all of our students for another wonderful year at May Moore. We are looking forward to providing a safe, fun, nurturing learning environment for our youngest learners as they begin another year.”

“The rain couldn’t stop a great first day at JQA,” Principal Christopher Molinelli said. “It was so nice to see all of the smiling faces on our students as they entered the building.”

“We had an amazing first day of school at Robert Frost,” Principal Eliana Levey said. “All the students were so excited to be back in a routine, meet their new teachers and see their friends. Everyone is settling in now and getting down to the business of learning, not only academics, but how to be a good citizen of the world. We look forward to a great school year.”

Date Added: 9/12/2022

Incoming ninth graders at Deer Park High School arrived at the school on Aug. 30 for breakfast, kicking off a morning of freshman orientation. After a talk by Principal Charles Cobb, the students met with their guidance counselors and took a tour of the building.   

Date Added: 9/12/2022

Deer Park High School’s Katia Papailler was one of just 20 students recently accepted into the St. John’s University School of Law’s sports law summer program, run in affiliation with the NBA G League’s Long Island Nets and WNBA’s New York Liberty and supported by the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty Foundation.

Now in its third year, the program – which seeks to increase diversity in the legal profession – was held for the first time at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Guest speakers included Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business Associate Professor of Law and Ethics Mark Conrad and University California Los Angeles School of Law Critical Race Studies Project Director Taifha Alexander.

Throughout the course, led by Ronald H. Brown Center of Civil Rights Faculty Director Elaine Chiu, students participated in daily classes where they learned about sports law, civil rights, careers in the legal field, the business of sports, networking, financial literacy, and college admissions. They also participated in community engagement activities focused on social justice and a concluding mock trial experience.

“The eight-day program was a great experience,” Papailler said. “I learned so much and it really helped me figure out my path for the future. Next time I have a college discussion with my counselor, I will know much more about what I want to do. I learned what it takes to be in law school and how to network with all the people I meet. This really made my summer and is a core memory of something I have completed in my life.”

Date Added: 8/31/2022