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HERALD Collecting food for vets in need
Recognizing top cops in Nassau
E.M. middle schools move up
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Vol. 23 No. 29
JUlY 13 - 19, 2023
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Connecting arts with curriculum East Meadow teachers explore creative ways to broaden lessons through the arts,” said Richner, who is the wife of Herald Publisher Stuart Richner. “It really Not every child learns the was a way to empower teachers.” Most of the teachers who sign same say. One child may thrive in the classroom, while another up are from one of the district’s might flourish by being active. In five elementary schools, but the East Meadow School District, some come from the two middle students are given schools as well. Parthe opportunity to ticipation isn’t manlearn through the datory, but those arts. who take part The Arts Ambasreceive credit sador Program is a toward their profespartnership among sional development. the school district, T he three-day the Tilles Center program starts with and the Nassau a trip to a live theCounty Museum of ater production and Art. Together they this year’s selection provide professional HEATHER was “The Lion development for ANASTASIo King” on Broadway. teachers to give Art Department The following day, them ideas of how chair, participants split to integrate a work East Meadow their time between of art into their cur- School District the Tilles Center riculum to teach and the county anything from math Museum of Ar t, to English. where they discussed themes The idea was the brainchild they had seen in the show and of Kelly Nixon, the district’s connected them to art pieces. On director of music and art. She the third day, they met once wanted to create a program that again at the museum, where combined the two cultural insti- they looked at more art, but in tutions, according to Nancy the afternoon they got together Richner, a consultant who in teams to consider their currichelped facilitate the program. ulum and how they could use art “You can teach anything Continued on page 20
By MAlloRY WIlSoN
mwilson@liherald.com
Courtesy Town of Hempstead
The Challengers from East Meadow The East Meadow Baseball Softball Association’s Challenger League competed in the annual Nassau County Challenger Tournament on June 17. Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin stopped by to greet them. The tournament featured teams from all over coming to compete at Garden City Community Park.
Weingartner shares his experience with aphasia to spread awareness By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com
April 18, 2018, started out as a normal day for Salisbury resident Matthew Weingartner. The then 30-year-old was studying to be an electrician for Local Union 3. One minute he was in class, and the next minute he woke up in a hospital bed. “Everything went black,” Weingartner recalled. “The paramedics rushed me to Weill Cornell in the city.” It turned out that Weingartner had suffered a massive ischemic stroke from a blood infection that traveled to a valve of his heart, causing a clot to break loose and make its way to his brain. It left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak without difficulty.
From the stroke, he developed aphasia, a disorder caused by damage to the portion of the brain responsible for language. The disorder impairs the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing. “In the hospital, I just felt confusion,” Weingartner said. “For maybe a month or two after, too, I don’t know, I was just focusing on getting better.” Now, 35, Weingartner continues weekly physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy and has made great strides in his recovery. He stays positive, and works hard in his rehabilitation so he can return to full functioning. After working so hard for years, he knew he wanted to do something to show others what aphasia is, and let others with the disorder know that Continued on page 2
T
he beauty of the arts is that we can connect them to almost anything.