Freeporters say thank you to school board trustees

Students in the dual language program at Giblyn School performed a song and dance routine to honor Freeport School Board members at the Oct. 28 board meeting for New York State Board Recognition Week, Oct. 26-31. In English, and then in Spanish, groups of students sang “we appreciate you,” and then enumerated how each school board trustee – President Michael Pomerico, Vice President Anthony Miller and Trustees Ron Ellerbe, Vilma Lancaster and Ernest Kight, – bring their own special talents to their position on the school board.

    “It is not an easy task to be a school board member,” said Kishore Kuncham, Freeport’s superintendent of schools. “Thank you for your extraordinary service; you are all amazing advocates.” Kuncham spoke about the board’s “unfailing commitment to the community. There has been a lot of rapid change and financial uncertainty and you tackle difficult and complicated topics. Too often we forget to recognize the people who work without pay.”

    Robin Workman, PTA Council president, said it would sponsor a $250 scholarship for a Freeport High School student with an 80 average for leadership in honor of school board members. “We know what volunteering means,” Workman said. “We see what blossoms from your hard work.”

    Other local organizations presented monetary awards to the Freeport Foundation for Education in honor of Freeport school board members and the Freeport administrators made a donation to St. Judes in each school board member’s name.

    In other news, the board accepted a donation of five used Hewlett Packard laptop computers from the African American Chamber of Commerce of Long Island to be used for the technology classes at Freeport High School.

    The board voted unanimously to provide stipends for teachers involved in the district’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers After School Academies at Freeport High School, Dodd Middle School, Atkinson School, and Archer Street School, Bayview Avenue School, Giblyn School and New Visions School.

    The next meeting of the Board of Education is Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m. at Dodd Middle School.