Port Jefferson School District Honored with Best Communities in Music Award by NAMM Foundation.

For the 19th consecutive year, the Port Jefferson School District was named one of the Best Communities in Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation.

The accolade reaffirms the district's commitment to providing outstanding music education opportunities to its students. Since 2006, the Port Jefferson School District has consistently demonstrated excellence in music education, earning the admiration of the NAMM and educators nationwide. This sustained recognition speaks volumes about the district's dedication to fostering well-rounded education, in which music plays an integral role in student's academic and personal development.

Port Jefferson encourages student-musicians to thrive and grow in a supportive community of teachers, classmates, community and family members. One example of this is the district’s active participation in music festivals year-round. Port Jefferson recently hosted the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association (SCMEA) Division One All-County Festival, inviting more than 400 Suffolk County music students in grades 5 and 6 to experience the welcoming and supporting community built by Port Jefferson over the years.

Port Jefferson’s students are also active participants in the music festivals themselves, with 36 students districtwide taking part in the SCMEA festival across three divisions. Earlier this year, six string musicians from Earl L. Vandermeulen High School participated in the Secondary Long Island String Festival based on New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) scoring criteria. Junior Madison Testa even recently performed in the prestigious NYSSMA All-State Winter Conference in Rochester. She had the opportunity to play in an orchestra alongside some of the most talented musicians in the state.

The district’s musical community is so supportive that Port Jefferson even puts on their own festivals, including their annual Chamber Festival. The Chamber Festival is a free concert featuring middle school string ensembles, that takes place on the Long Island Sound’s harbor front.

“It is an honor to be recognized for our community’s immense support for our music program for 19 consecutive years”, said Dr. Michael Caravello, director of fine arts and music of Port Jefferson School District. “This award is testament to the gratitude we all feel for the Port Jefferson community and family members remaining committed to our school, including showing up to each and every festival our students participate in.”

Earl L. Vandermeulen seniors on College Signing Day.

Nine Earl L. Vandermeulen High School senior athletes in the Port Jefferson School District recently celebrated their commitments during a ceremony on College Signing Day. The event was hosted by Adam Sherrard, the District’s Director of Health, Physical Education, Athletics and Nursing. Coaches Jordan Blankenship, Rick D’Elia, Drew Dunleavy, Taylor Forstell, Annie MacIntyre, Jesse Rosen, Brian Snow, and Hana von Oiste also had the opportunity to speak in support of the athletes.

Gavin Argyros from the men’s lacrosse team signed his letter of intent for SUNY Plattsburgh. Baseball player Joseph Aronica committed to Fitchburg State University. Dancer Thalia Dorsett will be attending Towson University. Men’s tennis player Nathaniel Lawler signed his letter for Johnson & Wales University, and wrestler Matthew Wengatz will continue his athletic career at St. John Fisher University.

Men’s swimmers Ryan Sommerstad and Colin Veit both announced their college plans—Ryan will attend American University, while Colin is heading to SUNY Cortland. He will be joined at SUNY Cortland by track and field athlete Gwenivere Connelly, while her teammate Emily Snyder will be attending the California Institute of Technology.

Three high school senior lacrosse players already celebrated their signing day in the fall, with Emma Batter set to play at Mercy College, Patrick Johnston will be attending Assumption University, and Aneglino Orofino committed to SUNY Oneonta.

“All of these athletes have dedicated immense time and effort to their sports throughout their time in Port Jefferson schools,” said Adam Sherrard. “Their commitments to continue their careers in college are a testament to that hard work paying off. All of us in Port Jefferson will be following their college journeys with pride.”

Edna Louise Spear Elementary kindergartners crafted blankets for needy children.

Kindergartners from Edna Louise Spear Elementary School, in the Port Jefferson School District, recently crafted blankets to donate to Project Linus. Project Linus is a national non-profit organization that provides homemade blankets to children in need or who have experienced some type of illness or trauma.

The students, part of Allison Coppi-Roske and Meagan Bellantuono’s class, have spent their school year creating a culture of caring by performing a variety of acts of kindness, including making cards for senior citizens and sending keychains to the U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Wanting to do more, the teachers introduced the students to a new project: creating cozy blankets for those in need.

The kindergartners spent several weeks tying no-sew fleece blankets in class. The blankets have a fringed edge, so they only required students to tie two strips together into a knot. They used their fine motor skills to each tie a section of blanket, gradually creating cuddly blankets. Once all of the blankets were finished, they were given to a Suffolk County chapter of Project Linus to be distributed to children in need.

“We have always looked for ways to give back to the community, even at this young age. We instill in the children that they can make a difference in someone’s life, no matter how small,” said Allison Coppi-Roske. “And we were so impressed by the students’ dedication to this project. Each day, the children would say, ‘Can we work on the blanket today?’ They were so excited to see what the finished project would look like and to give back to those in need.”

Emma Batter, Port Jefferson Royals goaltender and the two-time NYSPHSAA record holder.

Port Jefferson Royals varsity girls lacrosse goaltender Emma Batter recently set two New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) records in less than a week. She now holds the state record for most saves in a game with 28 and most saves in a career with 673.

During Port Jefferson’s game against West Babylon on April 30, Emma made 28 saves—the most in NYSPHSAA girls lacrosse history. (The previous record was 21, set by Hannah Lustyik of Sleepy Hollow in 2019.) Just six days later, on May 6, the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School senior’s first save against Elwood John Glenn set the all-time NYSPHSAA record for career saves, which now stands at 673. The previous record of 665 was set last year by Allie Hanlon of West Genesee. Emma now looks to build on that record in the final three games of her high school career.

“Emma Batter established herself as a real talent in the crease from the first moment she debuted with the Port Jefferson Royals,” said Port Jefferson School District Director of Health, Physical Education, Athletics and Nursing Adam Sherrard. “She has done some incredible things for our program and is incredibly deserving of her spot in the record books.”