Deer Park High School's Best Buddies Chapter, which pairs general and special education students for one-to-one friendships, has received the 2025 Most Outstanding Chapter Award for New York State.
The chapter received the prestigious designation from Best Buddies International for its "dedication to inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities," according to Deer Park district officials. The award was issued this past summer during the organization's Leadership Conference in Indiana.
Seven Deer Park students attended the conference and were presented the award by Best Buddies International founder Anthony Kennedy Shriver.
"There's no end to the skills that students are learning," said Deer Park special education teacher Gabriella Gilmartin, the chapter's co-adviser along with social studies teacher Joe Alo. "They learn compassion, they learn how to step out of their comfort zone and they learn kindness, organization and leadership on both ends: general education and special education."
Deer Park's chapter, which began eight years ago, has grown from about 10 members in its first year to more than 80 today, according to Gilmartin. Members participate in monthly group activities like attending a Mets game, and buddies get together in their spare time for activities ranging from bowling to attending each other's birthday parties, she said.
"From being a small little chapter to now being the most outstanding in New York State, words can't even describe the true emotion," Alo said.
Cosmetology building
The Sewanhaka Central High School District held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month to unveil a new career and technical education cosmetology building that includes a reception area, new salon equipment and more than 40 workstations, according to the district.
The single-story structure, which is about 5,000 square feet, will be used by 96 students enrolled in the district's two-year cosmetology program. It officially opened for customers earlier this month, with services ranging from facials to hair coloring, cutting and styling, district officials said.
"Spaces like this one show students that what they are learning matters, and that it connects to real opportunities beyond school," the district's director of career and technical education, Patrick Dunphy, said in a statement.
New principal
Derek Robinson has been named principal of Southampton High School. He replaced Brian Zahn, now assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Southampton school district.
Robinson had been an assistant principal of Patchogue-Medford High School since 2020. Before that, he was a summer school principal, middle school assistant principal and director of student and family support for the Patchogue-Medford school district.
"My goal is to work collaboratively and build a strong, trusted relationship with the staff, students and families of Southampton to embrace a culture of care and celebrate the diverse community that makes Southampton so special," Robinson said in a statement.
Digital Promise League
The Baldwin, Uniondale and West Islip school districts are among 35 nationwide recently accepted into the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, a network that "connects and supports the nation's most forward-thinking leaders in education," according to its website.
The districts were selected based on factors including their "educational leadership, demonstrated commitment to excellence and innovative vision for learning," according to the league. As members, their leaders will gather annually with administrators nationwide for professional learning opportunities that will help advance teaching and learning within their own districts, the league said.
"Being selected for this prestigious network speaks to our commitment to future-driven educational practices and student success," Baldwin Superintendent Anthony Mignella said in a statement.