In elementary school, students learn the four basic operations of math. In high school, however, students are taught in a way that allows them to forget these operations. In most math classes (beside parts of Honors Pre-Calculus and Advanced Placement Calculus), students are allowed to use calculators. more

When it comes to school, my philosophy is that almost everything follows the “10-year rule.” That is, in 10 years, nearly all students will probably forget almost everything that they have learned unless they continue to use the knowledge they have acquired. Because of this, classes cannot be based on rote memorization. more

John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore recently named one student from each academic department to receive Student of the Month recognition for December in recognition of their achievements in a given subject. more

The Newbridge Road Elementary School PTA, student council representatives and their teacher advisers, Karen Collins, Michelle Hooker and Joan Slutsky, recently prepared 12 food baskets to present to families in need from the community. The project was the culmination of a food drive that the school took part in. more

The Kennedy High School Student Government, PTA, and Guidance Department recently co-sponsored their second annual community service fair. more

To graduate high school in New York, every student must pass a variety of Regents exams. In principle, the exams are a good thing. They ensure that graduates know enough of the basic concepts from each subject to pass a test. In practice, however, the Regents exams show nothing. more

John F. Kennedy High School recently named one student from each academic department to receive Student of the Month recognition for October. more

Editor’s note: Shulman is a Herald student columnist from Kennedy High School, which has students from Bellmore and Merrick. From the time that we are children, we are told to be ourselves –– to be unique. Students show their unique natures daily. How they dress, how they act and how they learn are all different. But there is one part of school where most students do not try to be themselves: their schedule. Why does this happen? Students constantly ask their guidance counselors the question, “What looks good for college?” instead of the asking themselves the obvious question, “What do I actually enjoy?” more

The work of Bellmore artist Barbara Epstein is featured in a Town of Hempstead show at the Merrick Library. The show is ongoing through Oct. 28. Above, Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray greeted Epstein at a Meet the Artists reception at the library recently. more

Editor’s note: Shulman is a Herald youth columnist from Kennedy High School, which has students from Bellmore and Merrick. Most juniors will take the SAT for the first time this spring. Therefore, a common topic of discussion in the halls of Kennedy High School now is SAT preparation, and for a majority of students, the main method of preparation is a tutor. From a small survey that I conducted among my classmates, the median cost of their one-on-one SAT tutors was $95 per hour. The maximum cost was an exorbitant $300 per hour. more