The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District is looking to expand its school garden by applying for grant through the Seeds of Change program that could total $27,500.

A pool of more than 500 school and community gardens applying for the grant will be voted on from March 30 until April 19 based on what garden voters feel is most deserving. One vote per day is allowed per email. In order to advance to the next phase, Mattituck must be one of the top 50 vote-getters in the initial voting.

Community members are encouraged to visit the Seeds of Change website to vote. Seeds of Change is a California organization dedicated to promoting community-based gardening programs.

Science teacher Eric Frend said the district is hoping to use the grant to expand its already growing environmental science agriculture program.

The 54 students in AP science follow an “Advanced Placement Environmental curriculum with a twist,” Mr. Frend said. They have an indoor agriculture room where they grow plants and vegetables, such as kale, spinach and tomatoes, in the classroom using aquaponics and hydroponics.

Should Mattituck advance, the grant money would go toward purchasing new equipment for the class, garden and greenhouse, he said. By expanding the offerings and equipment the district hopes to produce more food, which would eventually be incorporated into the district’s lunch program.

The district plans to donate a portion of the food grown in the school’s garden to local food banks and sell some to members of the community so the school can continue to support the program.

The top 50 applicants then move to the final judging phase where Seeds of Change will select 24 grant recipients: 12 school gardens and 12 community gardens. Of these, two school gardens and two community gardens will be awarded a total of $110,000, averaging at $27,500 each. The remaining 10 school and community gardens will each get $10,000.

Last year, Greenport Union Free School District was one of the 10 schools that received a $10,000 grant. The district is using the money to construct a larger garden set to the side of the front of school, making it more visible and accessible to the community, Greenport superintendent David Gamberg said at the time.

Seeds of Change was founded in 1989 with a mission of making organically grown seeds available to gardeners and farmers while preserving heirloom seed varieties that were in danger of being lost due to modern agricultural advances.

Photo caption: Madison True (left) and Raven Janoski work in a soil box in Mattituck High School’s indoor agriculture lab in January 2016. (Credit: Chris Lisinski, file)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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Third grade teacher Sarah Maine and two students — third-grader Helen Schultz and fifth-grader Haylie Dickerson — gave a presentation about the Cutchogue East Elementary School’s growing garden program.

Starting at the kindergarten level, kids learn about composting, quality soil and different seed types. As students progress through the grades they learn about insects in the garden and the interdependent relationship between the animals and plants they feed off of, Ms. Maine said at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.

The children are also responsible for understanding the math involved in the measurements and other aspects of gardening, she said of the elementary garden program, which is modeled off what the high school students are doing.

Helen spoke about what she and her fellow third graders were learning, which focused on the beneficial insects they find in the school garden.

Haylie informed the board of what fifth graders are doing specifically and spoke more about the Carton 2 Garden project. Here, students repurpose juice and milk cartons to use for planting seeds.

Cutchogue-East students created a video explaining their project, shown at Thursday’s meeting, and submitted it to Carton 2 Garden in the hopes of winning $5,000 worth of grant money for the school. Winners are announced in mid-May, Ms. Maine said.

The high school recently applied for a Seeds of Change grant in the hopes of winning either $10,000 or $27,500 for their high school agricultural program. Results have yet to be released.

Photo credit: Cutchogue East Elementary School

nsmith@timesreview.com

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Two new language programs are included in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District’s $40.7 million budget. The world languages and coding programs are both at the elementary level.

The district budgeted to hire a world languages teacher to run 30-minute lessons three times a week with students in grades K-3 and a 30-minute cultural awareness class with sixth-graders once a week, Cutchogue East principal Kathy Devine said at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.

“Research showed we should be starting with the primary grades,” she said. “Children’s brains at that particular point are really susceptible to picking up another language. When you think about a kindergarten classroom the children are learning a language through speaking and listening, so learning another language is not going to be that difficult for them.”

Ms. Devine assured the board that these additional lessons won’t take time from other subjects, but rather will be incorporated into the lessons — especially in music, art, social studies and English Language Arts.

The district plans to evaluate the program throughout the year and implement a world language class for all grades during the 2018-19 school year, board president Laura Jens-Smith said.

Additionally, the district will add a computer coding class for grades 3-8 next school year. The district will offer the class through kidOYO, an online coding program, according to Geraldine Doherty, the school’s director of technology.

The district is looking to partner with other districts on the North and South forks to establish a joint “East End Code” program, Ms. Doherty said. Five districts have expressed interest so far. She is currently working on setting up a contract to present to the school board.

New lunch provider regulations

The board is making a few “changes for consideration” to its food contract as it seeks bids for a food provider for the upcoming school year, board member Barbara Talbot said.

These changes include requirements that all juices be 100 percent fruit juice; that dairy, meat and chicken be hormone- and antibody-free, with no fillers or by-products; that fruits and vegetables be grown in the U.S. whenever possible; that sources within 250 miles of Mattituck be sought first for fruits and vegetables; and that, whenever possible, all foods served contain no high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners.

Ms. Talbot said the board is still deciding between the two food providers who stock the East End and hope to have a bid before the board at next month’s meeting.

These suggestions came after numerous community members voiced concerns throughout the year about the quality of the food the district served.

“It’s important for us because we know as a community a lot of questions came up and we want you know that as a board we are listening and we do take this seriously,” Ms. Talbot said.

nsmith@timesreview.com

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The amount of students who refused to take state-mandated math assessments this week is similar to the English Language Arts opt-out rates in March, according to local school district officials.

Greenport had the highest rate of test refusals in Southold Town, with nearly 81 percent of students opting out of ELA.

Southold had the second largest opt-out turnout, with about 56 percent of students refusing to sit for the exams.

Nearly 51 percent of students at Oysterponds Elementary School, which runs a pre-K through sixth-grade program opted out and nearly 44 percent of Mattituck students declined to take the exams.

Below is a break down of math refusals by grade for each district.

Mattituck-Cutchogue School District

*26 students in grades 7 and 8 took the Regents Algebra or Geometry tests instead of the math assessment.

Southold School District

Greenport School District

*12 eighth grade students took the math Regents exam instead of math assessments.

Oysterponds School District

nsmith@timesreview.com

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THIRD-QUARTER HONOR ROLL

Mattituck Junior-Senior High

HIGH HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Eshi Baldano, Amy Li Berninger, Alex Bradley, Ty Bugdin, Alexander Burns, Karen Carrillo, Joseph Considine, Caitlyn Deerkoski, Sean Gambaiani, Demitria Genovese, Cheyenne Harris, Benjamin Hinsch, Thomas Hoeg, Grace Izzo, Joseph Kelly, Colleen Kelly, Brendan Kent, Colette Kodym, Amy Macaluso, Kyle Makely, Christopher Massey, James McDonald, Eric Momente, Carter Montgomery, Nicholas Parks, Johanna Pedone, Melanie Pfennig, Hannah Prokop, Corinne Reda, Ally Robins, Sascha Rosin, Tyler Seifert, Emily Sidor, Gage Suglia, Christopher Waggoner, Amanda Young.

Grade 11: Alexandra Beebe, Alexander Bellavia, Ashley Burns, David Conroy, Mackenzie Daly, Joy Davis, Jane DiGregorio, Elizabeth Dwyer, Sean Feeney, Samantha Fine, Daniel Folk, Brianna Fox, Jaime Gaffga, Cavan Gardner, Rebecca Hammerle, Shawn Howell, Jacob Kupecki, Justin Lake, Anthony Lopez, Chelsea Marlborough, Grace McKeon, Lucas Micheels, Mauricio Moran, Emily Mowdy, Jakob Olsen, Dennis O’Rourke, Greta Peters, Joseph Stuckart, Alexandra Talbot, Martha Terry.

Grade 10: Sarah Bihm, William Burns, Max Cantelmo, Yeimy Castellanos, Dorothy Condon, Christian Demchak, Gabrielle Dwyer, Anne Finnegan, Caleb Foley, Jillian Gaffga, Savvas Giannaris, Bryce Grathwohl, Gabriella Hassildine, Christopher Imbriano, Rachel Janis, Antonio Marine, Iliana Martinez, Sean McDonald, Catherine McGrath, Cassidy Mullin, Tyler F. Olsen, Mikayla Osmer, Katherine Parks, Matteo Pellegrini, Trevor Poole, Amber Rochon, Lily Russell, Madison Schmidt, Julie Seifert, Thomas Silleck, Matthew Sledjeski, Madison Storm, Christina Tomao, Courtney Trzcinski, Goksel Zaim.

Grade 9: Jennifer Canizalez, Kianja Christian, James DiBartolo, Shelby Dufton, Gabrielle Finora. Justin Garbarino, Claire Gatz, Grace Golder, Miranda Hedges, Max Heilman, Mackenzie Hoeg, Charlotte Keil, Abigail Kerensky, James Kowalski, Jenna Lisowy, Payton Maddaloni, Shannon Massey, Jessica Mazzeo, Taylor Montgomery, Christopher Nicholson, Jillian Orr, Jordan Osler, Emmet Ryan, Jessica Scheer, Grace Shipman, Rylie Skrezec, Joshua Starzee, Emily Sullivan, Kathryn Thompson, Matthew Warns, Thomas Wilton.

Grade 8: Luke Altman, Rudy Alvarado-Carillo, Mia Xing Berninger, Silvia Borrayo, Ainsley Brewer, Jackson Cantelmo, John Condon, Kylie Conroy, Kayla Corrigan, Nathaniel Demchak, Antonia Dris, Kendall Fabb, Connor Fox, Gabriel Gamboa, Katherine Hamilton, Annabel Hammerle, Jaimee Hanly, Madison Hansen, Sadie Heston, Weronika Jachimowicz, Savanna Kelly, Julia Klibisz, Sean Kobel, Alex Koch, Julie Kosmynka, John Lajda, Rashad Lawson, Paul LoCascio, Jada Marine, Isabella Masotti, Samantha McNamara, Olivia Minguela, Emma Olsen, Lauren Onufrak, Nikita Palianok, Filippo Pellegrini, Hanna Prager, Emma Reidy, Rylie Rittberg, Matthew Rodgers, Abigail Rosato, Nikki Searles, Abigail Seifert, Lily Slovak, Tara Terranova, Jillian Tuthill, Ashley Young.

Grade 7: Joseph Aiello, Darcy Baker, Ryan Bordsen, Sidney Brewer, Rudolph Bruer, Liam Buckley, Francis Buonaiuto, Nicolette Cianfrogna, Isabella Cianfrogna, Shane Clark, MacKenzie Conroy, Luke Couch, Jude Couch, Cassidy Czujko, Ben Dufton, Samuel Dufton, Kaitlin Elmore, Ariel Elmore, Ethan Evers, Lillyann Fogarty, Sheyla Garcia, Ella Glover, Garrett Grathwohl, Lucy Hasel, Thomas Haynie, Lucien Heilman, Samantha Hildesheim, Delaney Hudock, Vincent Imbriano, Mia Khan, Andrew Lopez, Brady Mahon, Olivia Mannino, Evan McCaffery, Robyn McCaskie, Emily Nicholson, Zachary Olsen, Dimitra Pando, Daniel Rosato, Bridget Ryan, Julia Salvador, Ava Grace Sannino, Matthew Seifert, Aaliyah Shorter, Cassandra Stevens, Anna Szarka, Edward Thompson, Abby Tyler, Luke Woods.

HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Jennifer Avila Ramos, Alya Ayoub, Remy Babajanians, Elizabeth Barry, Katherine Celic, Charley Claudio, Emily DiVello, Sean Hall, Matthew Heffernan, Angel Hernandez, James Hoeg, Samantha Husak, Tina Imbriano, Pawel Klibisz, Jacey Lengyel, Matthew V Mauceri, Alexander Mautarelli, Ryan McCaffery, Joseph Mele, Mathew Montefusco, Karolina Morawski, McKenzi Murphy, Taylor Nietupski, Pandeli Pando, Lilian Perez, Joshua Prager, Tyler Schroeck, Julianna Sluyters, Dylan Wilsberg, Mary Kate Wilton, Feng You.

Grade 11: Larysa Andreadis, Brittany Benediktsson, Jack Bokina, Ashley Chew, James Clementi, Rebekah Conner, Liam Corbley, Alissa Dabrowski, Sarah Davis, Megan Dinizio, Maegan Farrell, Brian Feeney, Kaitlyn Ficarra, Rebecca Foster, Jacqueline Galdamez SantaMaria, Ghana Haase, Jorge Herrera, Sophie Jacobs, Leah Kerensky, Taylor Larsen, Jordyn Maichin, Wyatt Malave, Stephen Masotti, James McKinnon, Madison Osler, Jillian Pedone, Alexandria Peters, Riley Peterson, Tucker Phillippe-Johansson, Jennifer Rutkoski, Jeremy Salazar, Britney Santos, Jake Sciara, Connor Smith, Thomas Sullivan, Logan Urick, Andrew Voegel, Carly Woods.

Grade 10: Miranda Annunziata, Lauren Bihm, Charles Bordsen, Kaitlyn Brisotti, Ryleigh Canberg, Jake Catalano, Annabel Donovan, Kaitlyn Driscoll, Michelle Escalante, David Fasolino, Melina Harris, Charlie Hasel, Abigail Heffernan, Claudia Hoeg, Kristen Lisowy, Kyle McFadden, Christopher Merz, Kacper Michalak, Brian Molchan, Brian Nicholson, Teagan Nine, Tyler C. Olsen, Ashley Perkins, Edin Ramirez, Marvin Ramirez, Meghan Riley, Wylee Sanders, Francesco Sannino, Matthew Schroeck, Ryan Seifert, Madelyn Shannon, Christopher Siejka, Mia Slovak, Jaden Thompson, Francesca Vasile-Cozzo, Benjamin Webb, Desmond Whitehurst.

Grade 9: Margaret Bruer, Joseph Corso, Matthew Czujko, Cole DiGregorio, Julia Gammon, Viktoria Harkin, William Hickox, Emily Javier, Madeleine Jimenez, Hayden Kitz, Adam Kobel, Matthew Krupnick, Marissa Lechner, Tyler Marlborough, Paige Mather, Kyle McCaskie, Eric Palencia, Rachel Park, Cade Patchell, Veronica Pugliese, Dane Reda, Sarah Santacroce, Julia Schimpf, Mathew Schultz, Tyler Shuford, Colby Suglia

Grade 8: Christopher Catalano, Cassidy Celic, Emily Chew, Jessi Clementi, Jose Cojon, Renee DePinto, Hunter DiVello, Madison Fitzpatrick, Harold Griffiths, Dimitri Hatziminadakis, Berkan Ilgin, Jonathan Jacobs, Antonio Jimenez, Sophia Kalish, Dylan Kapustka, Hudson Kaufer, Nidia Martinez, Steven Moeck, Thomas Nemschick, Myah Orlowski, Fernando Perez, Thomas Peters, Daniel Puluc, Olivia Sciara, Nishant Seodat, Bryan Soto, Claire Stevens, Dylan Szczotka, Aniah Thompson, Brighton Tucci.

Grade 7: Kevin Abarca, Karen Alvarado, Erkam Arklan, Elian Cichanowicz, Daniel Cirincione, Eric Duerwald, Burke Evers, Anastasia Farr, Olivia Goerler, Liam Hall, Maya Hamilton, William McGrath, Rachel Orlowski, Andrea Palencia, Angel Perez, Veronica Regalado Ventura, Jane Rocco, Cristina Rodriguez, Carson Russell, Kathryn Schuch, Julienne Schuch, Ella Schultz, Faith Ann Shipman, Desiree Sill, Kylee Tryniszewski, Zachary Warren.

COMMENDED STUDENTS/Effort Roll

Grade 12: Kyle Schultz.

Grade 8: Xavier Allen, Chris Dinizio, Tia Flythe, Jadyn Maichin, Kira Schroeder.

Grade 7: James Guzman.

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The Mattituck High School Class of 2017 celebrated its graduation Saturday morning. Principal Shawn Petretti announced that over $88,000 in scholarships would be distributed during the commencement ceremony at Mattituck High School.

Salutatorian Thomas Hoeg and valedictorian Tyler Seifert both addressed their classmates with speeches.

See more photos from the ceremony below:

Valedictorian Tyler Seifert of Mattituck and National Honor Society member Joseph Mele of Mattituck toss their caps in celebration. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Mattituck’s Glendy Lopez hugs her son, Anthony Lopez. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Graduates Amanda Young of Mattituck, Lilian Perez of Laurel, Corinne Reda of Cutchogue, and Autumn Reichardt of Mattituck. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Mattituck’s Julia Stapon and Emily Divello celebrate their graduation. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Graduate Carter Montgomery of Mattituck poses with girlfriend Taylor Berkoski of Cutchogue, who made a cardboard cutout of his face to cheer him on during the ceremony. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Graduate Chance Anderson of Mattituck poses with Mattituck’s Caroline Goss and John Valderrama of Rocky Point. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Mattituck’s Autumn Deridder congratulating graduate Chris Schroeder. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Mattituck’s Autumn Deridder hugging graduate Santo Emanuele. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Mattituck’s Cindy Cruz and Jocelyne Merino pose with English as a new language teacher Denise Cheshire. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Mattituck’s Cindy Cruz and Jocelyne Merino pose for a graduation photo. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

Salutatorian Thomas Hoeg addresses the class of 2017. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

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Mattituck High School graduates won’t have to wait for their next milestone anniversary to celebrate with fellow alumni. For the first time ever, former students of all ages will have a chance to get together at an all-class reunion. Modeled after Greenport High School’s all-class reunion, which has drawn hundreds, the event will take place July 21 and 22.

Denise Geis, who graduated from Mattituck in 1991, said she wanted to do something different this year to break away from traditional reunions that honor one particular class.

“Last year was my 25-year reunion and there were seven of us,” she said. “We’re trying to bring Mattituck unity and trying to bring some of that back to the locals.”

She said the two-day event is designed not only to bring the community together, but to raise money for scholarships for Mattituck High School students.

“We realize how important education is,” Ms. Geis said. “We want to help raise money for scholarships and educational programs to help people realize their dreams.”

So far the alumni committee has donated one scholarship to a graduating senior on the track team. Committee members hope next month’s all-class gathering will help raise enough money so that scholarships can continue to be awarded.

The Crazy Fork restaurant will host a pig roast Friday, July 21. The four-hour event, which starts at 6 p.m., costs $10 per person. The next day, a family barbecue will be held at Veterans Beach. The all-day event begins at noon and will feature a DJ, games and raffles with items donated by local businesses, Ms. Geis said.

“We want to get together in the community and enjoy a family-friendly barbecue,” she said, adding that about 80 people have expressed interest so far. “We really want to help others. That’s the goal and the whole thing we want to do.”

Greenport High School’s reunions occur in alternate years, and the third took place last summer. Similarly, Ms. Geis said she hopes Mattituck’s all-class get-together will be held every other year, so as not to conflict with Greenport’s celebration.

“We want people to have a great time and get to know people they didn’t really know,” she said. “They can talk to people celebrating their 60th reunion, or 50th or 25th, or get reacquainted with old friends … It’s a nice big circle of people to bring unity to the community.”

To register visit mattituckcutchogueallclassreunion.myevent.com.

Donations to cover reunion costs and fund scholarships can still be made, via check payable to Mattituck Cutchogue Alumni and mailed to Ms. Geis, P.O. Box 209, Mattituck, NY 11952. Donations can also be deposited directly at Chase Bank in Mattituck.

Photo caption: Graduate Chance Anderson of Mattituck poses with Mattituck’s Caroline Goss and John Valderrama of Rocky Point following the commencement ceremonies last week. (Credit: Elizabeth Wagner)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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Although only in elementary school when the attacks on the Twin Towers occurred, Tracy Grim recognizes the important role the events of September 11th played on New Yorkers and Americans as a whole.

Now, sixteen years later, Ensign Grim, of Cutchogue, is reminded of and inspired by it everyday.

An ordinance officer serving in the United States Navy, she has been stationed on USS New York for the past 15 months — a ship that has 7.5 tons of melted steel from the World Trade Center built into its hull.

“It’s really special to be on a ship carrying so much pride and carrying something that pretty much our whole country believes in: fighting for our freedom because of what happened on 9/11,” Ensign Grim said. “That’s really special.”

The Navy said the hull of the ship — longer than two football fields at 684 feet – is 105 feet wide and weighs more than 24,000 tons and represents the strength and determination of the American people, who “recover, rally and take fight to the enemy and honor the memory of those who were affected by the attacks.”

Named for the State of New York, the ship is adorned with other representations of Ensign Grim’s home state.

She said the cafeteria, or mess deck, is divided into thirds, with each section named after one of New York’s National Football teams — the Bills, the Giants and the Jets. New York Mets and Yankees symbols decorate the ship’s well deck, and a painting of the Twin Towers graces the hangar bay door.

“It has so much New York pride,” she said. “And being from New York and going on a tour of the ship before I even chose it, me as well as my parents were just so moved by the pride and how much importance this ship holds to the country.”

Ensign Grim said it’s the perfect place to continue her career, which began when she a student at Mattituck High School participating in its Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program.

“Throughout high school in the NJROTC program, I enjoyed the morale of the program, the organization, the commitment,” she said. “It really helped me develop life skills. Everything kind of fell into place for me and it was something I was passionate about.”

Following graduation in 2012, she received a scholarship paid for by the Navy to attend Villanova University in Pennsylvania. She graduated in 2016 and was commissioned into the Navy as an officer.

Ensign Grim now works as an ordnance officer. This means she’s in charge of the ammunition and guns kept on the ship, ranging from 9mm pistols all the way up to missiles the ship carries.

Docked in Mayport, Florida, the crew aboard the USS New York is aiding with humanitarian efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Irma. Ensign Grim called the work — which includes collecting water, food and medical supplies that will be taken to places such as the Caribbean affected by the hurricane — some of “the most rewarding work we can do.”

She said her favorite part of being on USS New York is the pride all the sailors feel about the work they’re doing and the ship they’re on, which propels them to exceed expectations set for them on inspections and certifications.

“This is a ship all sailors want to be on,” she said. “The morale is great. The leadership that I have above me is great … Everyone I work with is just so proud to be part of the crew of the USS New York.”

Photo: Ensign Tracy Grim aboard the USS New York. (Courtesy of: Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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The elections in Riverhead Town will have an immediate impact on the Mattituck-Cutchogue school district.

Laura Jens-Smith, who was elected Riverhead Town Supervisor Tuesday, defeating eight-year incumbent Sean Walter, said afterward that she plans to step down from her seat on the Mattituck-Cutchogue Board of Education, of which she’s served since 2011 and is currently the board president.

“I am going to give it up,” Ms. Jens-Smith said of the school board seat. “I have to meet with [district officials] and figure out a transition, but I would say I will probably step down at the December meeting, just to give them time to decide what they have do.”

She said she was not sure if she was required to step down from the school board to fill the supervisor seat, but would do so even if it wasn’t required.

“It’s just too much,” she said. “There’s enough stuff to do in Riverhead to keep me busy, and the school board is a big-time commitment. I want to be able to dedicate everything to the job.”

As it turns out, the section of New York State’s laws pertaining to towns specifically “prohibits a town supervisor from serving simultaneously as a school board member.”

Ms. Jens-Smith lives in the Riverhead Town portion of Laurel, which also stretches into parts of Southold Town.

Residents in the Laurel school district voted to join the Mattituck-Cutchogue district in 1997.

During the campaign for supervisor, Mr. Walter run radio ads against her that implied at one point that she was on a school board strictly from Cutchogue and later calling it the “Cutchogue-Mattituck” school district.

Photo caption: Laura Jens-Smith on Election night in Riverhead. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)

tgannon@timesreview.com

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Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent Anne Smith recently announced she’ll be retiring in July.

Dr. Smith, who is in her fourth year as the district’s superintendent, announced the decision to faculty on Tuesday. The Board of Education is expected to vote on her resignation at Thursday night’s board meeting.

“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done and I’m excited to celebrate it. It’s an unusual feeling because I still love the work.”

Dr. Smith, who cited personal reasons for retiring, is leaving one year before her contract was scheduled to end. She said the board is responsible for choosing a new superintendent and will hire Eastern Suffolk BOCES to help them conduct their search for her successor.

She began her professional career teaching in the Rocky Point School District, where she met her husband, in 1980. She eventually became the assistant principal at the district’s primary school before moving on the become a principal in the William Floyd School District.

Not long after the birth of her third child, she learned that the principal at the primary school in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District was retiring. She began in that role in August 1996. She soon was asked to add on the title of assistant superintendent, and continued to fill both roles until previous superintendent James McKenna retired and she succeeded him as the district’s superintendent.

She said her favorite part of working in the Mattituck-Cutchogue district, where all of her children graduated, is the community.

“The most important thing to me is the community and the way in which everything is approached,” Dr. Smith said. “Whether we were designing a new science curriculum at the elementary school or the agriculture program at the high school. This approach of people just rolling up their sleeves and getting involved and committing to something. It’s really a creative culture that’s always been here.”

She cited numerous achievements over her two-decade career in the district, including introducing foreign language in the elementary school this year, establishing school gardens and greenhouses, the focus on mindfulness and social emotional learning and introducing coding curriculum in the district, to name a few.

Placing a large importance on teacher development and leadership throughout her career, she said she’s also proud of the projects and work of the teachers in both schools.

One of her biggest professional accomplishments, however, was her involvement in the annexation of the Laurel school, which began during her second year in the district. “That was a big deal in my career,” Dr. Smith said of the five-year project. “It was a significant accomplishment in the district … and a big deal to bring in the Laurel community and really merge the districts.”

Pending the Board of Education’s vote at Thursday’s meeting, Dr. Smith is expected to retire on or about July 31. This allows her to be available to help with transition to a new superintendent as needed, she said.

“It’s a bittersweet, mixed feeling one has when still being so in love with their job and yet kind of looking at the full balance of what’s best overall,” she said. “It’s a journey.”

Photo caption: Anne Smith pictured in September. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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As the snow falls rapidly on the East End Tuesday morning, school districts canceled classes and all activities for the day. 

The Greenport, Southold, Mattituck-Cutchogue, New Suffolk, and Oysterponds school districts will be closed Tuesday. The board of education meetings scheduled for Tuesday night have also been canceled.

Classes were also canceled at Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School in Riverhead, where students are still reeling from the news Monday that the high school will close at the end of the school year.

Southold Town facilities will also be closed Tuesday, according to an announcement late Monday night. The town board meetings scheduled for Tuesday were previously rescheduled for Wednesday.

A winter storm warning remains in effect for Suffolk County through Tuesday at 6 p.m. The National Weather Service said Tuesday’s nor’easter will dump 6 to 12 inches on the East End.

Travel is not recommended.

Bands of moderate to heavy snow will continue to develop across the area Tuesday morning with snowfall rates increasing, the NWS said. Road conditions will deteriorate through the morning commute. Visibilities will continue to drop and could be as low as one-quarter of a mile at times.

The winds picked up even before it began to snow overnight. The north wind is around 22 mph Tuesday morning. Gusts of up to 40 mph are expected. The temperature is only expected to reach 34 Tuesday.

A coastal flood advisory is in effect from 6 a.m. to noon on Tuesday.

tkv@timesreview.com

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The Mattituck-Cutchogue Board of Education adopted a $40,676,947 budget for the 2018-19 school year at its meeting Thursday. 

The budget, which was approved with a 5-0 vote, as board member Barbara Talbot was absent, is a $88,000 decrease compared to the current year’s budget. It has a tax levy increase of 0.15 percent, which stays well below the district’s allowable 0.97 percent tax levy cap.

The budget allows for the expansion of the one-to-one Chromebook initiative to include students in grades 5 to 8, upgrades to the high school TV studio, equipment for the district’s new wellness center, a districtwide icommunication platform, and additional security enhancements.

Security enhancements include the addition of another security guard — the district’s fourth — and an upgraded security entrance. Here visitors will need to get buzzed into the main entrance door where they will be in a holding area behind another glass door that will only be opened after visitors show an ID to someone sitting at a window, business and operations administrator Kevin Coffey explained during a March meeting.

The approved budget also comes with a decrease in teaching positions, as the district is not looking to fill some vacancies left open by retirements. Those include a part-time speech and language position, two elementary teaching positions and one full-time secondary English teacher.

The assistant principal position at Cutchogue East Elementary School is also becoming part time, with that person also absorbing the role of district-wide instructional support administrator.

In addition to the budget, the district is putting up a capital reserve fund for residents to vote on.

The reserve fund, which cannot exceed $6 million over a term of 10 years, would be used to pay for repairs, renovations and improvements throughout the district, Mr. Coffey said.

If approved by the voters, the fund would be originally funded for $3 million, with $2.5 million from the employees retirement reserve and $500,000 from the unemployment reserve. Over time, the capital reserve can be funded annually with an amount not to exceed $750,000.

The budget vote is Tuesday, May 15 from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Mattituck High School gymnasium.

Additionally, residents will be asked to vote for two candidates to fill two open board seats, each for a three-year term. They include incumbents Doug Cooper and Barbara Wheaton and newcomer Jeffrey Connelly, who appears likely to fill the seat left vacant when former member Laura Jens-Smith resigned after being elected Riverhead Town Supervisor in November.

nsmith@timesreview.com

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Students across three grades in the Mattituck School District read the book “I Will Always Write Back” by Caitlin Alifirenka, Martin Ganda and Liz Welch. The students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, then got the chance to discuss the book with two of the authors — all via Skype.

“The opportunity to speak to two of the authors of the book made a lasting impression on both the students and the adults,” Cutchogue East Elementary principal Kathy Devine said.

Ms. Welch and Ms. Alifirenka both Skyped in to interact with the students.

The book is a true story about two long-distance penpals, Ms. Alifirenka and Mr. Ganda, who lived in Zimbabwe at the time. As their letters continued and their friendship grew, Ms. Alifirenka learned how different their lives were, and began to send funds and resources to Mr. Ganda so he could ultimately complete school.

Mr. Ganda ended up attending Villanova University on a full scholarship. He now lives in New York City and is the godfather of one of Ms. Alifirenka’s daughters.

Ms. Welch, a part-time Orient resident, helped put the story together by combining the letters with interviews of the two friends.

Ms. Devine said the students asked questions about how Ms. Alifirenka felt when she learned about Mr. Ganda’s struggles during the Skype interview in March. The students in all grades then got together for a pizza lunch to get to know one another better.

“The book tells a powerful story about how one girl changed the life of one boy thousands of miles away,” Ms. Devine said. “Hearing the story from the person herself made a greater impact on the students, showing them that one person can make a difference and that kindness counts.”

Photo caption: The authors Skyped into the classroom to discuss their book with Mattituck-Cutchogue students. (Credit: Mattituck-Cutchogue School District)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District was recently awarded a $203,522 grant from the New York State Education Department. The grant, which was announced at the district’s Board of Education meeting Thursday, would go toward the district’s foreign language program.

The funding is for the 2018-19 school year and allows the district to expand the world language and world culture studies offerings.

“We are extremely excited to be awarded this grant,” Superintendent Anne Smith said. “This funding will enable us to expand our K-3 foreign language immersion program to K-6, offset the cost of staff and technology and to continue our efforts to create K-12 learning opportunities that engage, educate and inspire our students to be culturally competent in a diverse global society.”

The board also approved the hiring of Jessica Molina as a probationary Spanish teacher. The grant, which runs until Sept. 20, 2019, will expand the high school world language program, offer K-12 professional development, allow for increased community involvement in the program and add visual learning, which administrators hope will increase the amount of students studying a language in addition to Spanish.

Dr. Smith added that the district’s long-term goal is for Mattituck students to graduate with the New York State Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas, which would signify that students have language and literacy skills in English and another language.

Wellness center

The school board also listened to a presentation on updates to the district’s new wellness center, which is expected to be completed in time for the 2018-19 school year.

The center at the high school is designed as an area for students to focus on their social and emotional health through physical activities such as yoga, said Tricia Desiderio, the director of special education.

The center will be fitted with treadmills, benches, racks, an Airbike, an Inflight multi-press machine and more. The district plans to purchase four recumbent bikes with interactive features for special education students. The total cost for equipment is $85,000.

“It’s a place where we can really tailor what’s being utilized in that room to impact students, whether it be their social emotional health, their mental health, and certainly their physical health through the apparatuses that will be in there,” athletic director Gregg Wormuth said at Thursday’s meeting.

A booster club donation of $16,000 will fund the addition of five Sparc Spin Bikes, according to Kevin Coffey, the district’s business and operations administrator.

Students can access the center during lunch, study hall, physical education classes or after school.

Special education teacher Maureen Buckel is congratulated by Tricia Desiderio. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

Retirements

The Board of Education honored its retiring staff members at their meeting.

Dr. Smith and Ms. Desiderio called each person up to the front individually, presenting each retiree with a gift bag.

“This is our most exciting part of every year and we have a lot of people to acknowledge and thank,” Dr. Smith said.

The retirees present Thursday night included: Cutchogue East assistant principal Deborah Guryn, English as a New Language teacher Marie Ardolino, English as a New Language teacher Denise Cheshire, fifth grade teacher Diane Graeb, bus driver and monitor Nancy Readee, bus driver Gail Haas, special education teacher Madelyn Rothman, special education teacher Ron Roces, special education teacher Maureen Buckel and art teacher Jeanne Fallot.

Dr. Smith is also retiring at the end of this school year, and noted there were several other retirees who couldn’t attend the meeting to be recognized.

Photo caption: Superintendent Anne Smith, center, at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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The Mattituck-Cutchogue Board of Education is holding a special meeting tonight to approve the hiring of Jill Gierasch as the district’s new superintendent.

Ms. Gierasch is currently the deputy superintendent of the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District.

The school board will vote to approve a five-year contract with Ms. Gierasch, beginning Aug. 1 and effective until July 31, 2023.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she has been working in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District since August 2009, first as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction before becoming deputy superintendent in 2015. Prior to that she was an assistant principal in the Three Village School District, principal at the Sachem School District during which she was interviewed by the New York Times, and then was assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and staff development in the Sachem School District.

Ms. Gierasch will be replacing current Superintendent Anne Smith, who is retiring next month after working in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District since 1996, where she began as the primary school principal.

Soon afterward she also served as assistant superintendent, and continued to fill both roles until previous superintendent James McKenna retired and she succeeded him as the district’s superintendent in 2014. She is retiring one year before her contract was scheduled to end.

The Board of Education meeting is at 5:30 p.m. in the high school library.

*Check back for updates following the meeting

nsmith@timesreview.com

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The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District is celebrating a huge accomplishment  — being named one of New York State’s top 100 school districts.

Mattituck-Cutchogue, which ranked 55th, was the only North Fork School to make the cut. Niche, the organization that created the list, ranked 675 school districts in the state.

“As a school district and a community, we take great pride in being recognized among the top 100 school districts in New York State,” Superintendent Jill Gierasch said. “Providing a quality well-rounded education for all students in a learning environment that supports our high standards for success and fosters lifelong learning has always been our top priority.”

Niche is an organization that researches and ranks colleges, schools, neighborhoods and companies. It looks at data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as test scores, college data and ratings collected from Niche users when ranking school districts.

The best school district on Long Island is the Jericho School District, according to the rankings. It was also ranked the number one district in the country.

43 Long Island districts made the 100 rankings and nine of those were among the top 100 in the nation. Mattituck was named 319th out of 10,758 schools nationwide.

Mattituck-Cutchogue received an A+ overall rating, scoring either an A-, A or A+ in eight of 10 categories —  sports, academics, teachers, administration, college prep, clubs and activities, health and safety, and resources and facilities.

It garnered a B for its food and it’s lowest score, a C+, for diversity.

The district was ranked eighth in Suffolk County. It was named 43rd best place to teach came in 45th out of 689 districts with the best teachers in New York.

“We thank our Board of Education for their tireless efforts and support, our administrators and staff for their professionalism and dedication, our parents for their commitment and involvement and our community for their ongoing support of our district goals,” Ms. Gierasch continued. “We will continue to build on the success we have achieved as we move forward into the 2018-19 school year.”

The next closest ranked North Fork schools were Shoreham-Wading River and Southold, which both received an A-. SWR placed 157th in the state with Southold close behind at 176th.

nsmith@timesreview.com

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The Mattituck-Cutchogue Board of Education appointed Sarah Hassildine to fill a vacancy on the seven-member board at Thursday’s meeting.

Ms. Hassildine, a Cutchogue resident, previously served one three-year term on the board from 2012 to 2015. She did not seek re-election in 2015.

According to a board resolution, she was appointed to serve through the next annual election and budget vote on May 21, 2019.

Her reappointment comes after board member Barbara Talbot resigned in August, citing personal reasons. She would have been up for re-election in May.

Board member Doug Cooper welcomed Ms. Hassildine back.

“She did an excellent job, [she’s] very knowledgeable,” he said. “It’s good to have you back.”

Ms. Hassildine said she enjoyed her time on the school board but did not seek re-election when her only son graduated from Mattituck High School. “I missed it. I was so involved before [he graduated,]” she said.

When she learned about the vacancy, she was one of several people to express interest to the board.

She said she’s thankful to the Mattituck teachers who have invested in her son’s education.

“It’s my way of giving back,” she said, adding that she’s looking forward to getting to work with a new board and recently appointed superintendent, Jill Gierasch.

Board of Education President Charles Anderson was not present at the meeting Thursday evening and did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Photo caption: Sarah Hassildine is the newest member of the Mattituck BOE. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

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A state audit has revealed a discrepancy in routine purchase order approvals in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District, totaling $61,109.

The audit covered the period from July 1, 2016, though Jan. 31, 2018. It found that the district’s claims auditor approved 12 purchases with confirming purchase orders, meaning that the orders were issued after the items had already been ordered or received. For example, a purchase of 30 desktop computers costing $44,670 was made June 1, 2016, and the confirming purchase order was issued 11 days later, according to an audit by the state comptroller, which released its findings Friday.

Confirming purchase orders should not be allowed except for emergency purchases, auditors said.

“Although all of these purchases appeared to be reasonable and for appropriate purposes, the routine use of confirming purchase orders circumvents internal controls and weakens the procurement and budget control process,” auditors said.

Superintendent Jill Gierasch, who began her role in the district in August, acknowledged the mishaps in a response letter dated Sept. 21 and said steps have been taken to address them.

In September 2017, she noted, the district implemented financial software that requires all purchase orders to have a dated and approved requisition before it can be prepared. Staff will also receive additional training on the district’s purchasing policy and a memo will be sent to anyone who initiates a confirming purchase order, reminding them it is against policy, Ms. Gierasch said in the letter.

The audit noted that following proper procedure for processing claims helps control expenditures, ensures that purchases are properly authorized and reduces the risk of fraud.

During the audit period, district officials paid 3,786 nonpayroll general fund claims totaling $26.5 million. Auditors reviewed 71 of those claims totaling $143,757, which contained 198 invoices and purchase orders. Auditors reviewed the claims to verify that they were for legitimate expenses and properly authorized.

Auditors recommended that the district enforce its policy of disallowing confirming purchase orders and that its claims auditor should verify that each purchase has an approved purchase order before placing any orders. 

“The district has taken actions based on the report and will continue to focus on improving our fiscal and operational controls,” Ms. Gierasch said.

joew@timesreview.com

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Past and present members of the Mattituck baseball program and residents in the district are expected to attend Thursday’s Board of Education meeting in support of Steve DeCaro, the varsity coach and high school physics teacher who was removed from the classroom last week for an undisclosed reason.

Board president Charles Anderson confirmed that Mr. DeCaro, who teaches the school’s AP physics class, was not currently in the classroom. He declined to provide further details citing a personnel decision. He said the 6:30 p.m. board meeting Thursday would be held in the high school auditorium instead of the library to accommodate the larger than normal crowd.

“For us not being able to tell the entire situation creates a lot of frustration for parents, which I can understand, but legally I cannot talk about it,” Mr. Anderson said.

He said he couldn’t comment on what the process would be going forward to determine whether Mr. DeCaro returns to his teaching duties. Mr. Anderson plans to read a statement at the board meeting about the situation where he’ll also explain how board members cannot comment further on the decision. Residents will be granted the opportunity to speak.

“As long as people are respectful, they can speak to us,” he said. “We’re going to respectfully listen to their comments.”

In an Oct. 12 email sent to parents, high school principal Shawn Petretti said Mr. DeCaro had not been in the class “for the past few days.”

“At this time, we are unable to determine a possible return date, nor are we able to share details about his absence as this is a matter of personnel,” Mr. Petretti wrote.

Mr. Petretti added that he and superintendent Jill Gierasch are reaching out to qualified teachers across Long Island to find a replacement to take over Mr. DeCaro’s classes during his absence. Ms. Gierasch began a five-year contract as superintendent Aug. 1.

In a statement to The Suffolk Times, Ms. Gierasch said she understands parents and the community have questions regarding Mr. DeCaro.

“Mr. DeCaro is entitled to his right to privacy so I am unable to share the details regarding this decision,” she said. “Our top priority is to always ensure that our students are educated in a safe and secure environment that promotes success. I want to share with our parents that we are progressing in securing a physics teacher who can fulfill our instructional needs and will support our goals for all students. In addition, we will be providing some after-hours instruction for those students who may feel they need extra support over the next two weeks. I will be keeping parents and the community informed as we move forward and I am hopeful that a replacement can be approved very soon.”

Mr. DeCaro said Wednesday afternoon he could not comment “since I know little myself.”

Mr. DeCaro has been a teacher in the district for 17 years. His future as varsity baseball coach also remains unclear. The Board of Education approved him as the varsity coach for the upcoming spring season at the July 9 meeting, according to minutes from the meeting.

He’s coached the baseball team since 2003 and has tallied a record of 238-139-1. He led the team to a state championship in 2015 and was named Suffolk County Coach of the Year by Newsday that season. He earned that honor again in 2017 after leading the Tuckers to the Long Island championship.

Marcos Perivolaris, an all-Long Island shortstop on the 2015 state championship team, wrote an impassioned defense of his former coach to The Suffolk Times in advance of Thursday’s board meeting.

“He pushed me to new limits and treated me, as well as the other 100 students, like we were his children,” said Mr. Perivolaris, who’s a junior at SUNY/Cortland where he plays baseball. “He brought life, energy and a unique personality into the classroom for which I am forever grateful.”

WITH BOB LIEPA

Photo caption: Mattituck baseball coach Steve DeCaro coaches third base during a playoff game in 2017. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

CORRECTION: A quote attributed to Mr. DeCaro was said Wednesday, not Monday.

joew@timesreview.com

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“Living farm-to-table is important here. It’s what the North Fork is known for,” said Pat Arslanian, a middle school English teacher in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District.

Ms. Arslanian is finding new ways to bring farm-fresh ingredients into the classroom — with help from Mattituck High School alumni and local residents.

Since September, about 100 students in four Home and Careers classes have listened as eight North Forkers, some who have come back to Long Island, shared the highs and lows of their careers. Students have been guided on how to make a caramel apple dessert, prepare organic eggplant parmigiana and, on Tuesday, bake fresh bread.

Ms. Arslanian, who also served as the district’s junior high school dean for 13 years, decided to take on the seventh-grade Home and Careers course this year because she wanted a heavier workload. But the New York State curriculum for the mandatory Home and Careers course is demanding, she said. 

“It’s extensive,” she said. “It covers finance, cooking, sewing, laundry — too many different things. Then I started to get a little overwhelmed.” For that reason, she needed to brainstorm ways to reinvent the course content while still meeting the state requirements.

Ms. Arslanian said she decided to bring in local chefs who create farm-to-table cuisine because it’s part of the culture on the East End. To fulfill the “careers” portion, she chose to invite local entrepreneurs to the classroom.

“North Fork careers is what I want to focus on,” she said. “What can you do when you grow up here?”

From there, she said, she reached out to a handful of former Mattituck students and local business owners, including MHS alumna Erica Guja from Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, alumna Gabriella Macari of Macari Vineyards and Jennilee Morris of North Fork Roasting Company. Retired Suffolk County police officer Edward McDonald, who has become an at-home baker, also paid the class a visit. By the end of the 10-week course, students will have heard from 17 classroom guests. 

“I ask them to share their journey with the class,” Ms. Arslanian said. “And every single one of them has come.”

Some of the locals, like Nick Krupski of Krupski Farms, agreed to visit because Ms. Arslanian started chatting about the course outside school.

“I ran into him in the parking lot at King Kullen,” she said. “I said, ‘I’m really sorry, Nick, but could you do me a favor?’ ”

Ms. Arslanian said nothing compares to the knowledge the local guests can offer her students. “When you bring in experts in their field, and they’re younger, and they’re telling you, ‘Don’t be afraid to fail,’ it actually resonates with students,” she said.

Ms. Arslanian said that while the course has been going smoothly, she’s struggled with the short class period.

“I wish they were just a little older. Sometimes I don’t know if they all understand,” she said. “The 41-minute class kills me.”

Even if students can’t fully grasp the information from visitors, Ms. Arslanian said, she’s learned a lot from the visiting alumni.

“It’s really been an extraordinary experience as far as that community-school connection,” she said.

Ms. Arslanian attributes her success in bringing in guest speakers in part to the tight-knit culture in the Mattituck-Cutchogue community.

“What I tell them is that I want students to know they can come home,” she said. “The guests want this community to continue to grow. They have all brought up the importance of networking, and of knowing your roots.”

knalepinski@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Pat Arslanian and baker Edward McDonald prep the classroom before the lesson on Tuesday. (Kate Nalepinski photo)

Correction: A previous version of this article said Jennilee Morris was a Matittuck High School alum, and five North Forkers, not eight, have visited the class. 

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