Dr. Gately's District Highlights

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge last Friday's events at The Wheatley School. As I shared with our school community, this remains an active law enforcement investigation, and there are no additional details that we are able to share at this time.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the Old Westbury Police Department, Nassau County Police Department's Third Precinct, and Nassau County Homeland Security for their swift response, professionalism, and partnership throughout the morning.

I also want to recognize our teachers and staff, particularly those at Wheatley, who navigated a very difficult situation while remaining focused on the safety and well-being of our students. Our building and district leadership teams demonstrated steady leadership throughout the morning, and I appreciate the continued support of our Board of Education.

Friday was a difficult day for our school community, and it was a reminder of the importance of the relationships, trust, and teamwork that define our district. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain, as always, our highest priority.

Board of Education Ex Officio Student Member Samantha Wo shared an update on happenings at the schools, including:

Recently at North Side:

• September 23rd: Picture day

• September 25th: First spirit day

• October 7th-8th: North Side Fall Festival

• October 19th-22nd: Book Fair

• October 21st: Jack-O-Lantern Night + Book Fair

Recently at Willets Road:

• October 2nd: Spirit Day + First Friday Night Rec

• October 8th-9th: 7th Grade Trip @ Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center (HTMC)

• October 15th: Book Fair

• October 16th: Friday Night Rec for 5th Grade

• October 20th: Picture Day

• October 23rd: Halloween Party

Recently at Wheatley:

• September 23rd: Meet the teacher night

• October 7th-8th: Picture Day Makeups

• October 8th: Senior Group Photo

• October 9th: Delayed Opening for SAT/PSAT

• October 15th: NHS Induction

• October 22nd: Day of Service and Learning

• October 25th-26th: Homecoming

Across all schools:

• October 9th: Early Dismissal Drill

• October 26th-30th: Red Ribbon Week (this week)

• Fun activities (ex. outfits) to raise awareness against drug and violence

Upcoming:

North Side:

• October 30th: North Side Kindergarten Halloween Parade

• October 30th: North Side Spirit Day - Halloween Costumes

Willets Road:

• November 6th: School Spirit Day

• November 6th: First Friday Night Rec for 7th Grade

Wheatley:

• October 30th: Safe Halloween

Across all schools:

• November 3rd: Virtual Learning Day

• November 6th: First Quarter ends (Wheatley and Willets)

Great schools are built by people who believe in them, and our Board of Education demonstrates that belief every day. As we mark School Board Recognition Month, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our trustees for all they give to our students, staff and families.

At our most recent Board of Education meeting, we proudly recognized our Board for their years of service to our district:

• Mark Kamberg, 19 years

• Robert Fallarino, 18 years

• Len Hirsch, 15 years

• Dr. Nadia Afridi, 2 years

• Bo Hsu, 2 years

• Samantha Wo (Ex Officio Student Member), 2 months

Whether in their second year or their 19th, each trustee’s commitment is immeasurable. On behalf of the entire East Williston community, thank you for your leadership, vision and unwavering dedication to our schools.

I was also proud to present Trustee Bo Hsu and Trustee Dr. Nadia Afridi with a Certificate of Recognition for earning the Level 1 Board Achievement Award in NYSSBA’s Board Excellence Recognition Program. This program honors school board members who work to continually grow their governance knowledge and skills by participating in trainings and workshops.

In addition, the Board received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Thomas R. Suozzi, honoring the vital role our trustees play in shaping the learning experience for students in our community.

To close the celebration, members of North Side School’s 4th Grade Leadership Roundtable shared their own heartfelt thank-yous with the Board. It was a touching reminder of who is at the heart of every decision our trustees make: our students.

NYS Assemblyman Ed Ra presented Michele Cavallaro with the Woman of Distinction Award at our October Board of Education meeting.

This well-deserved recognition celebrates Michele’s commitment to giving back and making a meaningful difference for children and families throughout our community. Michele currently serves as Co-President of East Williston Little League. She is also a past Co-President of the North Side School PTO and has been an active PTO member and volunteer for the past four years. During that time, she helped organize numerous programs, events, fundraisers, and initiatives benefiting our students, teachers, families, and the greater community. Through her coaching and generous dedication of her time, she has helped inspire confidence, teamwork, and leadership in young athletes.

We are grateful for Michele’s generosity and all she does to make East Williston a better place to live and grow. Congratulations, Michele!

We are thrilled to celebrate Mr. Mazur, who has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious Nassau BOCES Fred Podolski Award for Most Innovative Use of Technology. This honor is presented annually to just one classroom teacher across Long Island who demonstrates exceptional creativity, resourcefulness and dedication to advancing student achievement through technology. Mr. Mazur formally received this award at the Long Island Technology and Education Summit on Friday, October 23.

As the Elementary Digital Design Teacher at North Side School, Mr. Mazur continuously pushes the boundaries of elementary instruction. He creates engaging experiences that introduce our youngest learners to foundational concepts such as computational logic, artificial intelligence and coding. Congratulations, Mr. Mazur, on this well-deserved recognition!

Congratulations to our Wheatley seniors who earned recognition in this year’s National Merit Scholarship Program! These prestigious honors celebrate exceptional academic achievement and are awarded based on students’ outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT during their junior year.

We congratulate our Commended Scholars, Ali Ahmad, Michael Bank, Emma Barnett, Thaddeus Bhagan, Joanna Cheng, Vicram Dhama, Mark Finguerra, Divya Jayam, Simran Katari, Connie Lin, Christopher Valle, Samantha Wo, Kayla Xu, Clarissa Zhang

We are also pleased to recognize Ayan Mahajan, whose outstanding performance placed him among the top 1% of students nationwide, earning him the prestigious distinction of National Merit Semifinalist. Congratulations, Ayan, on this exceptional achievement!

We are proud to celebrate four talented Wheatley juniors who were selected to participate in Adelphi University’s prestigious “For the Love of the Arts” program! This 10-week intensive drawing and graphic art students a wonderful opportunity to nurture their creativity, develop their artistic talents and learn from distinguished speakers and arts professionals. Congratulations to Emily Yan, Ava Kelly, Kiki Tzoumas and Diya Gupta on this exciting achievement!

Nineteen Wheatley students were also recognized for their artistic talents in the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County’s Student Art Competition! Their outstanding artwork earned them a place in the organization’s 2026-2027 calendar and was showcased during its Family Fun Day on October 3 at East Meadow Farm. Congratulations to ninth graders Constance Chan, Nolan Ledwith, Tejal Venkatesh, Sarah Sun, Maryam Zaidi, Gabby Farahnik, Sofia Michelis, Cooper Waldbaum, Cecilia Bonell, Kayla George, Arista Zhang, Reagan Dunn, Erin Wels, Galit Yarubbayer, Nithya Singhal and Katherine Talty, along with 10th grader Elena Rivera, 11th grader Ava Kelly, and 12th grader Elizabeth Harford. Additionally, Sarah Sun’s artwork was selected for the cover.

Our students continue to shine in science, technology and mathematics, earning prestigious honors at regional and state competitions. Their hard work, curiosity and dedication have led to remarkable accomplishments. Congratulations to all of our student award recipients on these well-deserved achievements:

The American Chemical Society Award recognizes Ali Ahmad for outstanding achievement in chemistry and a passion for understanding the science behind the world around us.

The Al Kalfus Long Island Math Fair is an annual academic competition where students in grades 7 through 12 from Nassau and Suffolk counties conduct independent mathematical research and present their findings to a panel of judges. Sponsored by regional math teachers' associations, the event challenges participants to write original papers and deliver formal presentations. Congratulations to:

• Ana Carolina Aguilar Castro, Gold Medal
• Arsh Gulati, Gold Medal
• Simran Katari, Gold Medal
• Aadita Prajapati, Gold Medal
• David Pothen, Bronze Medal
• Arjun Sankaran, Silver Medal

The South Asian American Women’s Alliance (SAAWA) seeks to encourage and promote leadership and innovation among students in STEM fields to help build tomorrow's workforce among the community. Congratulations to:

• Prashasti Huliya, SAAWA Bright Minds Sparkle- Finalist
• Prashasti Huliya, SAAWA Grade 9/10 Science Fair- 2nd Place, Environmental Science
• Emma Barnett, SAAWA Grade 11 Science Fair- Honorable Mention, Biology

The Long Island Science Congress is an adjudicated exhibit of science projects by students of Nassau County and Suffolk County middle schools, junior and senior high schools, sponsored by the Long Island Sections of the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS). Students presented their independent research in the Spring at the Cradle of Aviation. Congratulations to:

Junior Division

• Ayla Ahmed, Highest Honors, Biology Medicine/Health; Distinguished Project Award; Qualified for NYS Science Congress
• Olivia Choe, Achievement, Biology Medicine/Health
• Avni Gupta, Highest Honors, Biology Medicine/Health; Distinguished Project Award; Qualified for NYS Science Congress
• Prashasti Huliya, Highest Honors, Earth, Space, Energy; Excellence in Science LISTEMELA Award
• Antonia Haddad, Honorable Mention, Biology Medicine/Health
• Brayden Johnson, Meritorious, Biology Microbiology/Genetics
• Olivia Zeng, Honors, Biology Medicine/Health

Senior Division

• Leena Ali, Meritorious, Behavioral Science
• Joanna Cheng, Achievement, Engineering, Technology, and Scientific Computing
• Logan Hamilton, Achievement, Behavioral Science
• Divya Jayam, Highest Honors, Biology Medicine/Health; Excellence in Science LISTEMELA Award
• Ava Kelly, Honors, Biology Animal/Plant
• Michelle Kelly, Honors, Biology Animal/Plant
• Jessica O'Malia, Honors, Biology Medicine/Health
• Aadita Prajapati, Honors, Microbiology/Genetics
• Anamta Sheraz, Meritorious, Biology Medicine/Health
• Serena Sun, Achievement, Biology Medicine/Health
• Megan Talty, Honors, Biology Animal/Plant
• Nathaniel Zachariah, Meritorious, Biology Medicine/Health

The Andromeda division of NYSSEF serves as a local competition to encourage the development of high school researchers. The competition was held this past spring. Congratulations to:

• Prashasti Huliya, 1st Place, Environmental Science
• Aadita Prajapati, Honorable Mention, Biology

The Research Association Invitational Science Fair, sponsored by WAC Lighting, takes place each year as a showcase of the consortium of 10 participating schools' research students. Congratulations to:

• Ana Carolina Aguilar Castro, Honorable Mention, Behavioral and Social Sciences
• Michael Bank, 1st Place, Behavioral and Social Sciences
• Prashasti Huliya, 1st Place, Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Aadita Prajapati, 3rd Place, General Biology

• October 30th at 4:00 pm: Safe Halloween at Wheatley
• November 2nd: Parent University
• November 3rd: Election Day/Virtual Learning Day for Students
• November 9th: District Wide STEAM Fair
• November 16th: Regular Business Meeting of the Board of Education