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Friday, May 19, 2017
Vol. 77, No. 20
Jericho adding Eid, Diwali holidays to school calendar
BAY CONSTABLES THANKED
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
and Susan Parker each have two more years left on their current terms (until 2019). Meanwhile Chris DeFillippo, Andrew Feldman and Joshua Lafazan each have a year remaining on their terms after being re-elected in 2015. They will be up for re-election next spring. On May 11, candidates engaged the community on two long-term topics: universal prekindergarten
A Jericho Board of Education work session held at 8:15 a.m. on Friday, May 12, helped determine future school calendars for the foreseeable future with a major development. Following the lead of many Long Island districts, Jericho is primed for the additions of the respective Muslim (Eid) and Hindu (Diwali) holidays to the school year. Eid consists of two separate dates with Eid al-Adha in and Eid Al-Fitr in June while Diwali is traditionally in late October or November each year. Entering the May 12 discussion, Superintendent of Schools Hank Grishman and his administrative staff had prepared handouts of Monday through Friday calendars beginning two full academic years from fall 2017 – looking at these three additions beginning in 2019-2020. “At the last meeting we asked the superintendent if we can look at 20292020 and calendars that have not been set yet moving forward and continue the discussion from there. It was brought to my attention that a lot of folks didn’t want to put this off any longer, and I respected that suggestion. Depending on how today’s discussion today we could potentially discuss it again or take action on something on May 18 at the board meeting,” Board President William Ferro said at the start of Friday’s session. That introduction was well received and positive comments were widespread. But ultimately the goals changed during the course of the Friday meeting to making the observations part of the 2018-2019 school year. Superintendent Grishman says although it’s difficult to make every date work within a 186-day school year calendar development (Mondays through Fridays). “We have looked at district calendars over the next five years, and in looking at the potential of adding Eid and Diwali days the impact is minimal in the majority of years – a total impact of two days in five years. In terms of running the 186-day school calendar with the additions of Eid and Diwali to school calendars, the answer to that question is yes. Our calendar would look much the same over the next five years with those additions as we looked out until 2022,” he explained. After the meeting Grishman had to continue homework. He’s set to propose such a calendar for Jericho at the board
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Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph S. Saladino (left), Town Councilman Louis B. Imbroto (right), and Town Clerk James Altadonna Jr. (third from left) congratulated two Town of Oyster Bay Constables Rob Walles (second from left) and Jim Altadonna III (second from right), and local Clammer Jeffrey Muglia of Amity Harbor at John J. Burns Town Park in Massapequa for their recent heroic efforts in rescuing two kayakers who capsized and fell into frigid waters off the Great South Bay. After their rescue both individuals were brought to dry land, where they were taken to the hospital by a waiting ambulance.
Syosset Know Your Candidate Night highlights BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Five days prior to Syosset school district’s 2017 election with three trustees’ seats at stake, the community heard from each of the six candidates on their views of critical issues facing the school system and initiatives that can help local families in the long run. The annul “Know Your Candidate” event at South Woods Middle School on Thursday, May 11, set up a frenzied last weekend
before the May 16 election. Several questions posed by the League of Women Voters during the evening led to the candidates’ primary reasons for seeking a seat on the nine-member board of education, with Board President Dr. Michael Cohen among them but up for re-election. The two other board seats to be decided in the election belong to Board Vice President April M. Neuendorf and Laura Schlesinger. Board members Rob Gershon, Tracy Frankel
Girl scouts dance and donate PAGE 10 Autism awareness at Syosset High PAGE 17