Third and fourth graders from James H. Vernon School learned the art of American Sign Language on March 3rd with the help of Oyster Bay High School students in Nicolle Sisia’s College American Sign Language class. The high schoolers, consisting of juniors and seniors, popped into classrooms to teach the elementary students how to communicate using different signs.

Leading up to the visit, the high schoolers were split into groups of three. They then prepared two of their own ASL lessons on a topic of choice such as colors, family, transportation and sports. The high schoolers rotated classrooms and kept the young students engaged by teaching signs in creative ways. They also conducted fun activities related to their topic to test student knowledge. This included facilitating games such as ASL bingo and a matching game with photos. It was a great experience for both the high school and elementary school students who were able to learn something new.

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Date Added: 3/9/2023

Third graders from James H. Vernon School recently held their annual Multiplication Bowl! Students had been working for months on mastering their multiplication facts. On game day, the third grade classes went head-to-head to determine the multiplication champions.Teacher-coaches worked tirelessly to make sure students were ready for the big day! This year's multiplication champions were Mrs. Friedman and Mrs. Spelatis' third grade class! Congratulations to all the third grade students for their effort and persistence in becoming multiplication masters!

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Date Added: 2/24/2023

James H. Vernon students are participating in March Book Madness during their library periods! The contest started with 16 picture books. During the past few weeks, students have heard various read alouds and they have been voting on their favorite books in categories such as Women’s History, Spring Has Sprung, Guaranteed Giggles, and Award Winners. Eight books were eliminated and eight advanced to the next round. By March, the school will have its champion picture book!

Date Added: 2/23/2023

Students from James H. Vernon School received a special visit from motivational speaker Rohan Murphy on Feb. 16, courtesy of the James H. Vernon School PTA. Rohan, a Long Island native who lost both of his legs early in life, shared his inspirational story with students.

Rohan spoke about how he began wrestling at the beginning of high school. This led to a successful athletic career at Penn State University. Students listened closely as Rohan shared how he overcame the obstacles in his life and worked hard to achieve his dreams. He encouraged the students to “be more inclusive in life, not exclusive” and with a student volunteer, showed classes how he wrestled with no legs.

In addition, Rohan spoke about adversity, the importance of perseverance and shared his motto in life, “no excuses.” At the end of his presentation, the students watched Rohan’s 20/20 interview with ABC and the Nike commercial that he was featured in back in 2008. They then had the opportunity to ask him questions.

Through his engaging presentation, Rohan inspired students to live with a purpose and never give up!

Click here to view the photo slideshow.

Date Added: 2/21/2023

Ten students from James H. Vernon School were recognized for their outstanding submissions in Raynham Hall Museum’s 2023 Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest. Open to those in grades 4-6, the contest asked students to write a poem, no longer than 26 lines, about love or Valentine’s Day. Oyster Bay students took home 10 of the 12 awards in this year’s contest. Winners from James H. Vernon School included: 
 
Fourth Grade:
Anna Elize Bakalis, 1st Place
Nikolas Tsioptsias, 2nd Place
Harper Wilson, 4th Place
Alessandra Dimilta, Honorable Mention 
 
Fifth Grade:
Layla Zahirovic, 3rd Place
Reese Davey, Honorable Mention
 
Sixth Grade:
Gibson (Joel) Redondo Ulloa, 1st Place
Milania Watelier, 2nd Place
Olivia Lewis, 3rd Place
Efimia Nikolopoulos, Honorable Mention
 
The students read their poems aloud and were awarded with a prize and a certificate at a special awards ceremony at the Raynham Hall Museum on Feb. 13. Oyster Bay-East Norwich Superintendent of Schools Dr. Francesco Ianni, Director of Humanities Jessica Bader, James H. Vernon Principal Dr. Valerie Vacchio, Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Town Clerk Richard LaMarca, Councilwoman Vicki Walsh, families and teachers were in attendance to support the students. Ms. Bader also served as one of the judges and had the honor of presenting the awards to the winners. 

“This contest was a testament to our students’ creativity and we only hope that they continue to use poetry as a form of expression,” said Ms. Bader.
            
The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District congratulates these 10 students on their achievement! 

Date Added: 2/17/2023