Officials outline summer activities in Freeport

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State Senator John Brooks held the ‘Summer School & Activities’ webinar on July 2 to inform the community about programs available this summer after Long Island entered Phase 3 of reopening. 

Guest speakers were welcomed from the Freeport School District, Wyandanch School District and the Freeport Memorial Library to introduce their summer activities and current operations. Multiple language options for the webinar were provided.

“I hope you’ll find this information very informative and maybe come up with a couple of ideas of things you and your family would like to do over the summer,” Brooks said.  

The Freeport School District is offering summer learning programs for Kindergarten through seventh grade and a middle school to high school algebra transition program. The Special Education Extended School Year Program for students in the district’s Individualized Education Program is available through an in-person, 30-day program for four hours a day. \

Grab and go meals will also be provided for the rest of the summer months, as well as SCOPE childcare programs. 

Glori Engel, district director of English Language Arts K-12 and Dr. Helen Kanellopoulos, director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services represented the Freeport School District at Brooks’ webinar and said teachers planned to keep their students on their toes throughout July. 

“Everyday, from July 6 through the 30th, we will be posting math and ELA lessons that are grade specific from our Freeport teachers,” Engel said. 

For more information about Freeport Public Schools summer programs visit freeportschools.org, or email Glori Engel at gloengel@freeportschools.orgregarding the ELA programs and Dr. Helen Kanellopoulos for concerns about special education programs at hkanellopoulos@freeportschools.org. 

While local school districts all have programs available for students, the Freeport Memorial Library is offering a variety of activities and events open to the community. Cindy Soto, Head of Youth Services Department at the Freeport Library spoke about upcoming online library programs for adults and children of all ages.

 “Now that we are back in the building, we are going to start doing more programs,” Soto said. 

Storytime events for all ages are available at https://freeportlibrary.info/with no registration needed, but registration is required for craft related programs. Craft kits can be picked up prior to the program at the library. 

STEM and trivia programs are provided for kids ages seven through 12. 

“One of our biggest programs of the year is our Summer Reading Club,” Soto said. “Obviously this year it’s going to be a little different. We used to do everything where the children come in and they report the books to us, but now this year it’s online.” 

Soto encouraged parents to participate in the adult summer reading program when registering their children. 

For more information about summer programs and library hours or operations visit https://freeportlibrary.info/

At the Roosevelt Union Free District summer school is offered to all students who need to meet graduation requirements. SCOPE services are available as well at https://www.scopeonline.usfor children of emergency workers in the Roosevelt Union Free District. 

In the Baldwin School District, virtual secondary summer school is offering credit bearing courses to high school students, a program for middle school students focusing on English language arts and math is also available, and elementary students have reading assignments and math practice to prevent any loss of learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Melody Yanza, the external relations associate for Brooks’s office, explained that parks, preserves, golf courses, driving ranges and tennis, paddleball, handball and bocce ball courts are all open in Nassau County. Playgrounds, dog parks and rifle ranges are also open. 

At Nickerson Beach in Lido Beach, RV campgrounds and cabanas are open while following overarching state guidelines limiting 25 people or less. Yanza detailed that leisure passes and picnic passes are available at administration buildings located in parks, which are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with lifeguards on duty. There is a $15 parking fee, and seasonal permits are available.

In Nassau County, RV campgrounds at Battle Row in Old Bethpage, Summer Recreation programs in Wantagh and Cantiague, pools in Cantiague, Christopher Morley Park, Nickerson Beach and Wantagh Park are all open but only to Nassau County residents. For more updates about Nassau County parks visit https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/1767/Parks-Recreation-Museums