Students in the Merrick School district recently teamed up with State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. to help children at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola by taking part in his annual “Extend the Holidays” toy drive. more

In last week's column, I made the case for more time in the classroom. Based on the research, eight powerful arguments were presented for adding more instructional time. The case for maintaining the status quo, however, is just as compelling. more

North Merrick School District attorney Albert D'Agostino is fighting back. After recently finding out that the state comptroller plans to revoke is annual $108,088 public pension again, D'Agostino filed a federal lawsuit on Dec. 10 alleging that his civil rights were violated. The suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court, says Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and three of his attorneys denied D'Agostino his right to due process when they revoked his pension after determining that he was working as a private contractor. The lawsuit claims D'Agostino's 5th and 14th amendment rights were violated, and that he should have been given a hearing as well as adequate notice of the claims against him before his public pension could be revoked. more

Six Kennedy High School seniors have been named Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among 34,000 high school seniors (out of more than 1.5 million) to be recognized for their exceptional academic promise as evidenced by their performance on the 2008 PSAT / National Merit Qualifying Test. Above are, back row, from left, Barri Bruno, Kenneth Dolitsky, Daniel Reisner and Jeremy Roberts; front row, from left, Logan Sorrentino and Stephanie Weiner. more

Ten Kennedy High School seniors were recently inducted into the National Honor Society, which was founded in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. More than a million students take part in the activities of the National Honor Society, with chapters in all 50 states. Selection is based on four criteria: outstanding scholastic achievements, community service, leadership and character. Congratulations to Nicholas Costable, Gilad Gamliel, Daniel Garf, Ian Gray, Ryan Pastuch, Michelle Raider, Daniel Reisner, Daniel Wong, William Yegelwel and Connor Zalud. more

Tracy and David Banner, owners of Banner Auto Repair in Bellmore, recently received a $750 grant from the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance for John F. Kennedy High School. more

At first glance, sweetly smiling sixth-grader Ally Murphy of North Bellmore might seem out of place on a football field. Truth is, she feels quite comfortable there, so much so that she captured second place in the Tri-State NFL Punt, Pass and Kick Championships in the 12-13 year-old division at the Meadowlands Arena recently. more

As evidenced by the recent razor-thin margin of victory achieved by Nassau County Executive-elect Edward P. Mangano recently, every vote counts. Many high school seniors, like me, are approaching their 18th birthdays. It's a significant milestone in many ways, but most important, we are granted the privilege to vote. more

W.C. Mepham High School's chapter of the National Art Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony recently, at which 38 students were inducted into the group. more

The Merrick School District is starting to feel the financial effects of New York state's fiscal woes. "As of this week, we did not get our check for state aid," Board of Education Trustee Gina Piskin announced at a Dec. 15 public meeting. more