NEWS briEfS South student promotes peace through art

Valley Stream South High School said her drawing represents a need to cherish the environment. their teammates, which will be felt for years to come. Mangal has been a member for six years and Andreo for four. Stepping into the captain positions for the upcoming season, are Innaya Ilyas, a soon-to-be senior, and Adam Bacchus, a soon-to-be junior. It’s rare for a junior to be offered a captain position, but Zawislak says Bacchus has shown growth and potential that make him a perfect fit for the leadership role. She has no doubt he will be supported by Ilyas as they lead the team to what will undoubtedly be another remarkable season.

8th grader Sudan Belvanis had her artwork selected by a panel of judges to be featured in the Shanti Fund 2023 Peace Art Calendar earlier this year. Her poster—titled The Way of Peace is the Way of Truth, based on a quote from Mahatma Gandhi—also earned the young artist a $301 prize.

The Shanti Fund is a Long Islandbased nonprofit focused on building ties between newly arrived immigrants from South Asia and those who have been in the country for some time. The theme for this year’s calendar was Peace and Environment.

“My drawing depicts the destruction that we as humans are inflicting on our home, which is one that we should truly love and cherish,” Belvanis said of her poster.

This is not the first time Belvanis has won an environmental-themed poster contest. Last year, she won first place in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Create a Watershed Super Hero for a drawing of her hero, H2O.

–Brendan Carpenter

At 24, search for new superintendent is on

The Valley Stream District 24 Board of Education has recruited the help of an educational consulting firm, District Wise Search Consultants, to lead the search for the district’s next superintendent following the retirement of Superintendent Don Sturz by close of the school year.

“Dr. Sturz has moved our district forward in countless ways over the course of his tenure as our educational leader,” said board president John Maier in a statement. “While we are sad to see him leave, we of course wish him every great success and happiness as he moves ahead into the next chapter of his life.”

The firm will be hosting a public forum to get a sense of what top traits and characteristics parents and residents want to see reflected in Sturz’s replacement. The forum will take place on March 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the William L. Buck school gymnasium. Residents can also tune in to the meeting via Zoom through the link provided at ValleyStreamSchoolDistrict24.org.

All information gathered at the forum will be used anonymously to tailor a report for the Board of Education. Those who prefer to air their suggestions and opinions privately can send a confidential email at VS24SupSearch@districtwisesearch.com.