The district has appointed Vanessa Langdon as the new social studies curriculum associate, replacing Heather Stewart. Langdon had previously served as a social studies teacher at Deer Park High School since September 2001.

A resident of Island Park, Langdon earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Pace University and a master’s degree in liberal arts from Stony Brook University.

“Teaching at Deer Park High School for the past 20 years has provided me with lasting memories and experiences that I will always hold dear to my heart,” Langdon said. “I am very excited to begin working with my colleagues in a new capacity as curriculum associate. My goal is to support our teachers, community and students, ensuring a collaborative learning environment that celebrates our students’ diversity and achievements while preparing them to be civic-minded global citizens of the 21st century.”

Five high school students were recently honored by the College Board based on their remarkable academic achievements and outstanding performance on PSAT or AP exams. Tovia Manning, Sydney Pottinger and Lindsay Williams were designated as National African American Recognition Program Scholars, and Megan Bush, Pottinger and Gabriel Villacres were designated as National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars.

The high school’s Megan Bush has been named a Long Island Scholar-Artist in the area of theater. Bush was one of only such honorees chosen for the 2021-2022 school year. The Long Island Arts Alliance Scholar-Artist program annually recognizes students who excel academically and in the areas of either music, visual arts, dance, theater or media arts.

“Our department is extremely proud of Megan for earning this prestigious designation and honor,” said Bradley Murphy, the district administrator for fine and performing arts.

High school classmates Emily Franciscovich and Dimitra Pavlatos both recently received gold medals for the Suffolk County Distinguished Youth Award. The students were honored at a ceremony by the Suffolk County Legislature. Promoting and recognizing achievement in four categories, the program challenges Suffolk County youth to become more involved in their communities by requiring 200 hours of volunteerism, 100 hours of personal development, 100 hours of physical fitness and visits to 15 different Suffolk County parks.

Through hard work and sheer determination, Franciscovich and Pavlatos exceeded the 200-hour goal of volunteering at various nonprofit organizations. For personal development, Franciscovich improved her skills in photo and video editing, while Pavlatos enhanced her cooking and baking skills. Both students improved their tennis game for physical fitness and both visited the required number of parks as part of the exploration category.