District honors Abby Behr

At its Dec. 18 Board of Education communications meeting, the East Meadow School District honored Abby Behr, a longtime music educator who will retire in January.

Behr, who has been with the district for 25 years, is the director for music and art. She will be replaced by her sister-in-law, Kati Behr, effective Jan. 2.

In her two-plus decades, Behr has overseen a program that has achieved numerous statewide accolades, regularly boasts All-County and All-State musicians, and whose marching band is an annual stand-out at the Columbus Day Parade in New York City.

In 22 years of performing in the Columbus Day Parade every October, the East Meadow band has finished in first place 10 times.

East Meadow’s music program is the only one in the state to have been recognized twice as a recipient of the New York State School Music Association’s Presidential Citation Award.

At last week’s board meeting, various district bands performed classical and seasonal songs for a packed audience inside the Leon J. Campo Salisbury Center. Afterwards, DeAngelo acknowledged Behr for her years of dedication to the East Meadow School District, and presented her with a bouquet of flowers. She received a standing ovation. “We will always remember evenings like these,” said DeAngelo. “Thank you for all you’ve done for our children.”