Rye Neck High School freshmen welcomed Mohamed Alsiadi, a professor and musician, as a special guest speaker in their Global 9 classes to further make connections to their studies on Jan. 9. During his visit, Alsiadi shared insight about the Arabic culture, language, art and music. 

“Alsiadi is very knowledgeable about Islam and Islamic culture, which we have been studying recently,” social studies teacher Marcella Scalise said. “The students have been learning about the historical beginnings of Islam and the influence of Islamic empires, including during their Golden Age.”  

During his visit, he discussed the origins of the Arabic language and taught the students how to say and write or draw specific Arabic words. He also discussed the arabesque form of Islamic art, played the oud and explained its significance. 

“I hope the students saw the connection between the historical topics relating to Islam and how it is today,” Scalise said. “I want them to have respect of all cultures, and it was helpful to have someone from the culture come in and speak to them.” 

Alsiadi moved from Aleppo, Syria, to New York City in 1996, and later became a professor of Arabic language, literature and culture. He is the lead professor and director for the Arabic studies program at Fordham University and the chair of the US-Mideast program at the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights at Rutgers University. 

Members of the Rye Neck High School Sequoia Club – whose mission is to develop ideas and strategies to help their school be more environmentally friendly – have been educating their peers about the importance of recycling. Through their efforts, the students hope to make a difference in their community. 


Club members recently created and placed tops on recycling bins throughout the building to encourage students to discard items in the correct recycling bin. The students got the idea for the project after noticing how many bottles and cans were being wasted when food or liquid was thrown into a recycling bin. 


“The students decided to pursue the recycling project because they want to make a difference with recycling in their school,” said Chelsea Gillespie, a math teacher who advises the club. “The intent of these recycling containers is to encourage students to only put bottles, cans and paper in the corresponding bins. The recycling containers have two perfect shapes that fit bottles and cans and paper. We hope that with this change, students would be influenced to recycle more in school and outside of school.” 


There are a variety of recycling containers throughout the building. Near the main entrance, there is a large recycling bin for white paper, along with bins for all other paper, bottles and cans. Two recycling bins for bottles are located in the hallways, as well as large recycling bins in the cafeteria and small recycling bins in almost every classroom. 


After the holiday recess, club members will implement the second part of their recycling project – the Sequoia card program – which will reward students who recycle or do something beneficial for the environment. 

Fifty-one members of the Rye Neck High School faculty and staff participated in the “I Am” project on Dec. 6. Under the organization of school counseling intern Madison Hojnacki, the event was designed to promote college awareness among high school students while highlighting traditional and nontraditional pathways to accessing higher education.

“The program was a success, as students connected with adults in learning about post-high school opportunities,” school counselor Frank Gizzo said. “The students learned so much about the staff and connected with their stories.” 

During the collaborative experience, teachers and staff wore ID badges with brief information and facts about their own education and experience. They engaged in meaningful conversations with the students and discussed how some of them commuted to school while others resided on campus, took a gap year or were the first ones in their families to go to college. Others shared that they played sports and switched majors and even careers before ending up in education. 

Rye Neck Middle School students created their own winter scene masterpieces during the art department’s Paint Night event on Dec. 6.

Using a white canvas, acrylic paint and brushes, 44 students in grades 6-8 followed step-by-step instructions from art teacher Dara Goodman to complete their seasonal paintings, which included a moon and birch trees. Meanwhile, fellow art teachers Trisha Appel, Jennifer Dallow and Karen Fontecchio provided the students with personalized attention and helped them stay on task. 

In addition, Rye Neck High School junior class officers Aaron Caplan, Natalie Goldberg, Gabe Miller, Anna Murphy and Katie Victory and their adviser Linette Milo volunteered to guide the middle school students throughout the evening. Junior Anna Maulucci also volunteered to assist throughout the evening. They helped with the supplies, setup, cleanup and overall organization of the event. 

At the end of the night, event organizers raffled off six prizes, which included a small canvas and paints for students to continue to paint at home.

The art department’s Paint Night raised money for the high school junior class. The fundraiser is held to benefit students as they raise money for their respective classes.

A group of Rye Neck High School seniors – who are studying about oceans in Anne Palombo’s Environmental Science class – spoke to Rye Neck Middle School sixth graders on Dec. 4 to encourage them to care for the environment. 

During several presentations, the seniors discussed how trash in their local community floats into the Long Island Sound and then into the Atlantic Ocean. They shared different ways that students can help stop that pollution and make a difference in the world. 

“The lessons focused on actions we can take individually and as a community to reduce plastic pollution, specifically, by recycling and reducing single-use plastic,” Palombo said. “The students also explained the value of local ordinances banning plastic bags and straws.”

Palombo said her high school students have been studying about wind and currents, and while learning about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, they made the connection that floating trash is also a local problem in the Long Island Sound. 

“We focused on plastic and how it impacts wildlife, and we studied microplastic and how it accumulates up the food chain,” Palombo said. “By being aware of our actions and practicing new habits, we can improve our environment.”  

Rye Neck High School students participated in events designed to bring awareness to the dangers of vaping and to increase prevention efforts in their school and community. The events were part of the Students Against Destructive Decisions’ Vaping Awareness Week from Nov. 18-22. 

During the “Escape the Vape” challenge, which was facilitated by high school counselor and SADD adviser Susan Hannon and health teacher Shawn Lincoln in all 10th grade health classes, the students solved a series of puzzle-like activities while learning different facts about the dangers of vaping. Working in groups, they began the challenge by popping balloons that contained facts about vaping and revealed a key. The key led to a lock box which contained puzzles they had to put together. These puzzles contained the next clue that led to another key that opened a miniature locker. The locker had more facts about vaping and a limerick to solve, which then led to a lock box that brought them to the last clue. To complete the challenge, the students were tasked with creating a poster about all the facts they had learned about vaping.

“‘Escaping’ required collaboration, teamwork, quick thinking and definitely patience as they worked through the interactive and challenging puzzles,” Hannon said. “It was so much fun watching the students work their way through the clues. The posters they made were very informative, proving that this was an effective way to get across the message that vaping is unhealthy. It is my hope that the students learned more about the dangers of vaping and will think twice when making decisions to vape or not in the future.” 

In addition to the health "Escape the Vape" activity, all high school students learned about the dangers of vaping and its effect on the brain by viewing student-created public service announcements in their English and social studies classes. This was supplemented by presentations in physical education classes, during which SADD members facilitated peer discussions on the topic. The students were also provided with numerous alternatives to vaping or what to do after they quit, and were provided with information on where to seek assistance, from pediatricians and parents to counselors, coaches and friends, to break an addiction.

“The students really tried to connect with the audience, providing anecdotes, personal stories and their own opinions,” Hannon said. “Students don’t always want to hear from adults, teachers or parents when it comes to their decision making. Sometimes it helps to become aware of the dangers of such decisions like vaping from someone your own age who also needs to make the same decisions.” 

Special thanks to SADD president Katelyn Sansotta, vice president Lucille Velikson, treasurer Natalie Goldberg, secretary Anna Romani and public relations officer Mario Capparelli for their efforts in raising awareness about the dangers of vaping.  

As part of a culminating project on design in Jennifer Dallow’s Studio Art class, Rye Neck High School students created colorful and bright prints depicting their favorite foods, from ice cream and tacos to fish and popcorn. 

“The purpose of the project was for the students to learn the art of printmaking and to utilize design elements they have studied such as line, shape and balance,” Dallow said. “They learned to carve out a linoleum block, print several inked prints and assemble a collage for a final product.” 

The students, who have been studying carving techniques, printing techniques and effects, sketched out their images before transferring their final designs onto a linoleum block. After demonstrating proper techniques and safety, they carved out a reversed image. Once the carving was complete, they printed their designs and learned through trial and error the amount of ink to use on a block print, as well as what color combinations work best for their particular design. 

“Students always surprise me with this project,” Dallow said. “Color combinations are the most fun for them. When they peel the first print, it's like a magic trick, and you often hear ‘wow' and see a look of pride on their faces. This project generates a real sense of community in the art room. For example, when they are rolling inks for printing, they often share color blends and then compare results and get excited to do more.” 

Dallow hopes her students took away a sense of confidence and will remember that they have created a great body of work thus far in the school year.  

“They have learned a few tricks that will help them in future art projects,” she said. “I also heard a lot of peer complimenting, and I hope to see that continue.” 

Rye Neck High School senior Grace West has been named a semifinalist in the Coca Cola Scholars Program. She was selected based on her academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities. 

West, who was chosen out of 93,075 applicants from across the country, is among a select group of 1,928 high school seniors who are in the running to receive a college scholarship worth $20,000.

To become a finalist, West must submit a detailed application, write an essay, provide her high school transcript and recommendations. An independent selection committee will review the applications and select 250 regional finalists by the end of January to proceed in the competition before 150 scholarship winners are announced in March. 

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is a corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program that has provided more than $72 million in scholarships over the last 32 years.