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HERALD An Easter egg hunt adventure
Welcoming home Jasmin Moghbeli
Breakfast with the Easter bunny
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Vol. 31 No. 14
MARCH 28 - APRIl 3, 2024
$1.00
Proposal to rename new Baldwin track clerk seeking comment on the proposal but was unsuccessful as of press time. Jose ph Scannell died of While driving past the construction of the new Baldwin Huntington’s disease in 2022 at High School Athletic Complex, the age of 59. Residents passed a $16.1 milMerrill Scannell conceived the idea of naming the lion proposition new track after her during last year’s late husband budget vote, giving Joseph, an alumthe school district nus and for mer the green light to elected official, use the capital who once ran the r e s e r ve f u n d t o course as a student. build a state-of-the“I am writing art synthetic turf with a heartfelt field, along with a request regarding brand new grandthe naming of the stand, press box new Baldwin High and track and School track with field. The project’s hopes of honoring completion is a m a n wh o h a s expected sometime made significant this spring. c o n t r i bu t i o n s t o I n t h e l e t t e r, our school, our Mer rill Scannell c o m m u n i t y a n d BRITTNEy emphasiz ed that our (Nassau) Counnaming the track SCANNEll t y, ” S c a n n e l l , a after her late husDaughter Baldwin native and b a n d wo u l d n o t g raduate of the only pay tribute to school, wrote in a March 5 let- the athlete, but also recognize ter to the school board. “My his impact on the community. family and I urge the School He was elected to the Nassau Board to consider naming this County Legislature in 1999, new track after one of our dis- representing the Fifth Legislatinguished alumni.” tive District, which covers The Herald attempted to Baldwin, along with parts of contact the school district’s ContinuEd on PagE 2
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ
hgaldamez@liherald.com
R
Hernesto Galdamez/Herald
Baldwin school district teachers, Board of Education trustees and employees of PM Pediatric Care cut the green ribbon — the color a symbol of mental health awareness — for the new wellness center at Baldwin Middle School.
Prioritizing mental health care Baldwin schools open wellness center at middle school By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
Addressing the pressing need for mental health resources, the Baldwin school district has unveiled the Baldwin Schools Wellness Center in Baldwin Middle School, which will serve as a hub for comfort and support. In partnership with PM Pediatric Care, an urgent-care center with its corporate office in New Hyde Park that specializes in pediatric and adolescent care, the wellness center will provide an array of services intended to meet the needs of both students and the community. A ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 21 inaugurated the facility, with a green ribbon serving as a symbol of mental health awareness. “In our school system, we embrace this idea for understanding that it’s 2024,” district Superintendent Shari Camhi said. “The world is a different place than it once was
and today, you’ll have the opportunity to see one of the examples of different.” The left side of the wellness center space will focus on emotional wellness, and the right side on academic wellness. The left side will feature counseling sessions and art and play therapy. The right side has desks, dry-erase boards and what are called “falcon nest” seats. Onsite counselors, therapists and behavioral specialists are available for students from elementary to high school. The facility, Camhi explained, has been years in the making. She acknowledged the efforts of former U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, who secured over $3 million in funding for the school district’s social and emotional learning programs as part of $15 million in Community Project Funding, one of her final acts in Congress in 2022. PM Pediatric Care’s School Health Program, which partners with over a dozen ContinuEd on PagE 5
enaming the track in his honor is about remembering the spirit of resilience and passion that defined his life and continues to inspire us all.