Enjoying updated facilities and a new school year in Elmont

High school students celebrate renovated classrooms, labs, gym and fitness equipment

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Elmont Memorial High School students have a lot to celebrate in their new school year: new classrooms, technology updates, and an addition onto the gymnasium and fitness section of their school.

Over the past six years, the voters passed a bond referendum, which allowed for the capital improvement projects to take place.

At the ribbon cutting on Sept. 9, where all the updates were presented to the public, the Sewanhaka Central High School district superintendent, Dr. Ralph Ferrie, expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the process.

"I think you'll agree, you'll see that we've taken care of our scholars, scholar athletes and scholar performers with these renovations in our new school," he said. "It was six years ago, when I had taken a tour of the school property, and I thought, 'This just should not be in place, the kids having to use this every day,'" he'd said, of the former locker rooms and gym.

The business wing is what Juilene Walker, a senior, appreciates most in the new building. "Our computer labs are the best and offer us so much," she said. "They are available to us early in the morning, which is so convenient for me. I like to come in the morning and get right to work. It helps me a lot."

Khalia Whyte, also a senior, recalled all the changes made that she has been able to observe since she was in seventh grade. "They've really updated a lot for us," she said. "They've given us endless opportunity for us students to succeed and excel on and off the field."

Natalie Hynes, a ninth grader, is thrilled with the updates, enjoying the new furniture in the library.

"Is this my school?" she asked. "I can't believe all of this is Elmont now."