Port Jefferson School District

The Port Jefferson School District is pleased to announce that Mrs. Amy Laverty has been named Principal of the Edna Louise Spear Elementary School. She was appointed at the Dec. 8 Board of Education meeting, and will begin her new role on Jan. 1, 2021 taking over for Mr. Thomas Meehan, who will retire at the end of December. Mrs. Laverty previously served as Pre-K-8 Assistant Principal in the District. After an extensive search and interview process, the interview committee ...and Board of Education were unanimous in their decision to recommend and appoint Mrs. Laverty as the Elementary School Principal. We are so pleased to have Mrs. Laverty at the helm of the Elementary School, Superintendent of Schools Mrs. Jessica Schmettan said. She has a comprehensive educational philosophy and possesses the leadership abilities and positive energies that encourage collaboration among our teachers, students and families. We congratulate her on this new role. #PortJeffProud

Edna Louise Spear Elementary School teacher Ms. Samantha Grabher gave her virtual students a unique perspective on learning to manage their virtual lessons. She invited Cadet Stephen Grabher, who is completing his sophomore year at the United States Military Academy at West Point, to speak to them. During the virtual visit, Stephen answered questions from both the fourth and fifth grade class regarding remote learning. Stephen currently has one of his classes online and th...erefore could relate to some of the issues that our elementary school remote learners are experiencing, Ms. Grabher said. Students asked questions that pertained to participating online, completing work and asking questions in front of other students online. Cadet Grabher gave them some ideas on how to manage the number of assignments virtually. He recommended students always reach out to teachers when they are struggling with work, creating a priority list to help them complete the most important assignments first and discussed the importance of taking breaks during their independent work time. As a member of the men’s Army lacrosse team, he also voiced that finding a hobby or activity to relieve stress can help students refocus when it is time to complete assignments online, Ms. Grabher said of her brother’s suggestions. #PortJeffProud

Congratulations to senior Peggy Yin who has been selected as a semifinalist in the 2020-2021 Coca-Cola Scholars Program. Peggy is one of only 1,609 semifinalists who were chosen from among 99,403 applicants this year because of her outstanding leadership, academic achievements and dedication to the Port Jefferson school community. Peggy was notified of her status and is now moving to the next round of the selection process to potentially become a Coca-Cola Scholar and receive... a $20,000 college scholarship. Peggy is consistent in her leadership, academic, musical and community actions, Principal Mr. Eric Haruthunian said. She is passionate about all the projects she is involved in and brings pride to our school community for her bright and encouraging ways in empowering those around her to make positive changes in the world. We congratulate her and wish her well in the next phase of the competition. #PortJeffProud

Being mindful of community needs is one aspect of the Port Jefferson Middle School Student Council. This year for their annual food drive, their call to action for sixth, seventh and eighth graders was met with a successful campaign to benefit Long Island Cares, one of the region’s most comprehensive hunger assistance organizations. The students’ efforts resulted in 908 items and $100 in cash that was donated to the nonprofit. The Student Council members were responsible for ...all the details of the event, from advertising, collecting and sorting items to packing everything for distribution. This year, I believe our students really understood how their actions have positive effects in the greater community, adviser Mrs. Allison Giannusa said. Good citizenship and civic responsibility go a long way in promoting the lifelong, constructive values of our students. #PortJeffProud