______________ VALLEY STREAM _____________
HERALD $1.00
Superintendent says goodbye
Central High hosts virtual authors
Town rejects cannabis sales
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Vol. 32 No. 51
DECEMBER 16 - 22, 2021
Progress, and more to do District 13 welcomes new acting school superintendent istration from Stony Brook University. In 2007, she was brought on as director of curriculum, Dr. Judith LaRocca will instruction and technology for become Valley Stream School the New Hyde Park-Garden City District 13’s acting schools Park Union Free School District, superintendent Jan 15. The out- where she oversaw curriculum, going superintendent, Dr. Con- testing, professional developstance Evelyn, will ment, data managestep down after a ment and technolosix-year tenure Jan. gy infrastructure. 14. Picked by Evelyn LaRocca, now the for the assistant district’s assistant s u p e r i n t e n d e n t ’s superintendent for post, LaRocca has instruction, will held the position oversee the learning since since 2016. She experience of roughhas continued to ly 2,000 children JuDiTH laRoCCa enjoy a close partacross the district’s Superintendent, nership with Evelyn fo u r e l e m e n t a r y over the past five District 13 schools in a year years and was widevexed by constant ly considered her change, uncertainty and hard- logical successor. LaRocca is ship brought by a global corona- poised to carry on the touted virus pandemic—with no end in progress made by her predecessight. sor into the future, but questions LaRocca got her start in edu- loom as to what will happen durcation as a middle school math ing the pandemic. teacher for the Massapequa Regarding Covid-19, teachers School District in 1996. In 2003, and students continue to experishe took on her first administra- ence positive cases of the virus tive role as a staff developer and as an ongoing reality. In the last shared data expert for the East- two weeks, 21 students and six ern Suffolk Board of Coopera- staff members in the district tive Educational Services, dur- have self-reported as testing posiing which time she earned her degree in school district adminContinued on page 11
By JuaN laSSo jlasso@liherald.com
Juan Lasso/Herald
THE fouR EaglE Scouts, from left, Haiden Danto Scanlan, Joshua Thomson, Christopher Rakeman and Nathaniel Redillo.
Valley Stream troop honors four new Eagle Scouts By JuaN laSSo jlasso@liherald.com
Valley Stream’s Troop 116 conferred the title of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America, to four members at their Eagle Courts of Honor Dec. 11. The four honorees—Haiden Danto-Scanlan, Christopher Rakeman, Nathaniel N. Redillo, and Joshua Thomson—stood before a crowd of village dignitaries, proud family members and friends, and many fellow scouts at the auditorium of Holy Name of Mary School. Veteran Eagle Scouts were also there to honor and
reco gniz e the hard-won achievement of the honorees. Among numerous awards and proclamations, the four scouts were pinned with the Eagle Scout medal and a new neckerchief with the emblazoned eagle, representing the best efforts and values of the BSA. It is a distinction only 4 percent of scouts attain. Of the many intense requirements needed to earn the Eagle Scout rank is a minimum of 21 merit badges and completion of a communityservice project, commonly known as the Eagle project. Scouts are tasked with planning and leading a project
that benefits other people and tests their leadership skills. Scanlan, who had since the beginning of his scouting adventure in 2010 dreamed of making Eagle, undertook a massive renovation of the Scholar’s Academy’s musical instruments storage room in Rockaway for his service project. While preparedness is a main credo of the Boy Scouts, his initial pre-pandemic project plan did not anticipate the major school health restrictions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. Although his plan had to be rehashed, Scanlan nevertheless persisted. The Continued on page 16
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ew systems are an additional layer of protection.