Alligators And French Fries
Alligators and French fries were the topic of discussion at a sing-a-long at the Southampton Elementary School on Friday, Jan. 9. Dr. Jean Feldman, the author and performer of many popular children's songs, paid a visit to the school that brought students and parents out in droves, filling the school's lunchroom. While singing about some of their favorite food choices and wild animals, students were invited to motion along with Dr. Feldman. It was evident that the children were familiar with the tunes as they belted out the lyrics. According to Donna Denon, the Pre-K coordinator, the songs are ones that the students sing at the Winter Bake and Boogie. Hosted by the Southampton Pre-K and The Peconic Teacher Center (PTC), the afternoon concert got students, parents, teachers and even school administrators out of their seats dancing. The Pre-K and the PTC also hosted a childhood conference on Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Tuckahoe School, which 75 educators from the East End attended.

Southampton High School
Congratulations to Southampton High School students Henrique Polido, Dan Rieger, Brianna Frasher, Davis King, Ana Halsey, and Peter Miller who were selected to attend the NYU-Polytechnic Principal's Scholars Dinner Symposium on Dec. 10. The group was able to meet and speak with Dr. Charles Camarda, distinguished Engineer in Residence and NASA Astronaut during the symposium. Dr. Camarda was the keynote speaker who engaged the audience in a compelling discussion, "Return To Flight".

Julia Pucci, a senior at Southampton High School was selected to perform in the All-Eastern Honors Orchestra in Providence, Rhode Island in March. The All-Eastern orchestra is one of several ensembles sponsored by the Music Educators National Conference. Students represent 11 northeastern states and the District of Columbia. Julia works under the direction of orchestra conductor Nancy Caine.

Southampton Intermediate School
On Wednesday, Jan. 14, the sixth grade Academic Enrichment students were truly "enriched" through the presentation of Mr. Morley Quatroche of The Morley Agency in Southampton. Quatroche, whose daughter Emily is in the class, made the business world more accessible to the students through a discussion of the various components of his own business. "Mortgage, appraisal, and insurance" were terms that he explained to the students. In addition, Quatroche also spoke about the current crisis in the banking and loan industries in language that all could understand.

On Feb. 9, Mr. Josh Pearl, a local actor associated with "Actors A La Carte," will be the featured guest speaker for all the students in S.I.S. who will see "Phantom of the Opera" this year. In addition to reading excerpts from the original book by Gaston Leroux, Pearl will also conduct a mini-acting workshop. His workshop and presentation are an excellent background preparation for the students' Broadway experience.

Southampton Elementary School
Julia Kepczynska, a fourth-grade student at Southampton Elementary School, won the challenging school-level competition of the 21st Annual National Geographic Bee. This academic competition is open to students in grades four through eight and promotes the instruction and student of geography. The competition is held annually in thousands of schools across the United States, in the five U.S. territories, and in Department of Defense Dependents Schools around the world. Christian Oakley was the second place winner and Olivia Bruyn placed third. The other finalists were Madelyn Elliston, Kirver Garcia, Melissa Martinez, Enola Mercer, Erin Morgani, Jack O'Brien, and Diana Oliverr. The alternates were Bayron Alvarez, Simon Posada, Coco Ramgopal, Kyerrah Reddick, and Andrew Wesnofske. Throughout the fall of 2008, students enthusiastically prepared for the Bee in geography recesses with Cathy Musick, enrichment teacher and school bee coordinator, and through home study. More than 50 fourth-grade students participated in the preliminary classroom competitions held during the week of Dec. 15. As school champion, Julia will take a written qualifying test that will be submitted to the National Geographic Society. Up to 100 of the top scorers in each state will be eligible to compete in Statewide bees.

Southampton Pre-Kindergarten
Registration for the 2009-2010 school year at Southampton Pre-K will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 4 and Thursday, Feb. 5 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the district office located on Leland Lane. To be eligible, children must turn four years old by Dec. 1, 2009 and be a resident of the Southampton School District. The program runs Monday through Friday and is a half-day, morning or afternoon. At the time of registration, you may indicate your session preference, however classes are developed based on enrollment numbers and morning or afternoon cannot be guaranteed. To register, parents or guardians must bring two original proofs of residency. These include a lease or tax bill, and one utility bill (not cellular phone bills). Parents or guardians must supply the child's original birth certificate and/or passport, immunization records and photo identification (such as driver's license or passport) for the parent/guardian registering the child. These original documents will be copied during registration and returned to you. In addition, an application for enrollment must be completed and is available at the district office on Leland Lane. The program, which is part of the outhampton Public Schools, is located on the second floor of the First Presbyterian Church on Meeting House Lane. If you have any questions, call the Pre-K office at 631-287-3306.