Six students from Northport High School were accepted to the NYSSMA All-State Performing Ensembles, with an additional 11 students accepted as alternates. The ensembles are resuming in person in Rochester, NY, this December, with students having an opportunity to perform together upstate. 

Students selected scored among the top musicians in New York State, and the recognition is a reflection of their talent and hard work. According to NYSSMA, over 6,500 students apply with approximately 900 ultimately chosen to participate. In partnership with their teachers, these students will now begin preparing for their All-State performances. 

“Being chosen for an All-State Performing Ensemble is a highlight of any young musician’s career,” shared Dr. Izzet Mergen, Director of Fine & Performing Arts for the district. “These students have combined their raw talent with hard work to achieve this designation, and with the support of our committed music educators, I have no doubt they will exceed expectations in their performances.”

Students of Northport High School’s Environment Team (E-team) are continuing their work to protect the environment by working with Citizen's Campaign for the Environment (CCE). E-Team members Skyla Fabbricante, Catarina Rasizzi, and Tom Secrest volunteered with CCE by assisting their team in notifying North Babylon homeowners of an opportunity to have Suffolk County pay for sewer hook-ups to the homes in the Carlls River watershed. 
The objective of Suffolk County’s sewer expansion program is to protect our waterways and to reestablish the health and functionality of wetlands.  The wetlands protect Long Island mainland from flooding and storms, something that is becoming increasingly critical to the area.
To prepare for this opportunity, students participated in a 1 hour training with professional CCE staff and learned how to discuss the issue with community members. 
When describing the experience, student Skyla Fabbricante said “I felt good about myself knowing that I'm doing something to make the world a better place, even if it's really small.”
Fellow student Catarina Rasizzi called it a “very fun and cool experience”, and expressed and eagerness to participate in similar activities. 
“Our students learned that doing something good for their environment and the future of Long Island’s waters sometimes involves stepping out of their comfort zone,” said E-team advisor and English teacher Tom Franco. “Going door to door and talking to people about important community issues takes guts. They learned valuable communication skills and did a great job.”
CCE anticipates that students will have an opportunity to expand upon this program in additional communities on Long Island in the future. 

Northport High School senior Jack Breckling has been named a National Merit Semifinalist. Jack earned this prestigious recognition thanks to his scores on the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. 
Jack will now have the opportunity to become a National Merit Finalist and progress with his scholarship application. This process is highly competitive and is determined based on his academic performance, extracurricular activities, community service record, leadership and employment experience and more. Additionally, he must be sponsored by a Northport High School official and provide a well written essay. 
National Merit Scholars will be announced between April and July of 2022. 

Congratulations, Jack!
 

Northport High School social studies teacher Janis Schachter has been recognized globally for her work in media literacy, earning the silver level Schurz Press Freedom Teacher Award from the Global Youth & News Media. 
Ms. Schachter was notified of her win during a surprise Zoom meeting with Chairperson of Social Studies Sean Hurley and fellow social studies and law teacher, David Scott. An international jury of 19 experts in journalism, media literacy and press freedom chose three laureates for the new Schurz Press Freedom Teacher Award, with Ms. Schachter being the silver level award winner. 
“Janis deftly helps her students learn critical media literacy skills that they can take with them throughout their lives and at the same time, through her work using Committee to Protect Journalists resources, avoids the common pitfall of also creating a hostility toward journalism,” shared the jury who selected her. 
“Too often and in too many countries news and media literacy instruction skips the part about the need for journalism and the high personal price some pay to do that job,” said Dr. Aralynn Abare McMane, the director of Global Youth & News Media. “This year, we wanted to work toward correcting that by recognizing those on the front line of education who make sure those lessons are taught well.
“Ms. Schachter is an incredibly gifted and dedicated educator who encourages our students to seek out information and subsequently develop informed opinions based on factual information from reliable sources,” said Chairperson of Social Studies, Sean Hurley. “Not only does she foster an environment of inclusivity and self-expression, but she ensures that our students have the foundation for news literacy needed to be productive citizens in the modern world.”