Northport High School tenth grader Addisen Nock has won first place in the Huntington Youth Writes contest for her essay “It’s Just Us.”  The memoir style piece of writing reflects her more than decade long friendship with fellow Northport High School student Lucia Saviano.
Addisen spent time making several revisions to the piece alongside her teacher Allison Coulson. She described how she felt strongly about the topic of friendship. “It’s essentially about how friendship will last no matter what,” she said. Addisen also shared that she was surprised at the recognition and that participating in the contest helped her realize that others could appreciate her writing.  
Mrs. Coulson said the piece was “so heartfelt” and “it was really poetic, and she worked really hard on it. She revised it multiple times and she really wanted to get it right, not only because of the competition but she really wanted to do service to that friendship.”
Mrs. Coulson spoke of the benefit of competitions such as these, saying “I think this can really help them build confidence and also feel like they are writing for a real audience.”
Congratulations to Addisen! 

Two Northport High School students were recognized at the April 16 Board of Education meeting for their work in the subjects of health and physical education. Lillian “Lilly” Clements was honored by her teachers as Rotary Student of the Month for health and Brendan Fenlon received the same honor for physical education. 
Lilly was described as her teachers as a student who goes “above and beyond” the work in the classroom. She started the Healthcare Providers Club to allow students with an interest in healthcare to hear from professionals in the field and meet others with similar interests. She has plans to pursue aerospace engineering in the future. 
Brendan was recognized for being a humble student who is supportive of his peers in physical education class. He is also a varsity athlete, playing both volleyball and basketball where he not only shines on the court, but motivates his peers to be better players and better teammates. 
  Both students were presented by Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics Mark Dantuono to the Board of Education. 
Congratulations to both Lilly and Brendan!

We are thrilled to share some exciting news from the Northport-East Northport 6th grade Orchestra, under the direction of Mrs. Kathleen Vitevitch! This year, the two middle school 6th grade Orchestras had the incredible opportunity to perform at the NYSSMA Major Organization Festival as a combined orchestra. We are proud to announce that our performance, which took place at Brentwood HS on April 4th, 2024, received a Silver rating.

In order to prepare for this prestigious event, we had a combined rehearsal with the 6th grade orchestras. This collaboration began with our annual Night of a Thousand Strings Concert, which took place the day before our NYSSMA Majors performance. By bringing our students together, we aim to foster a sense of unity and camaraderie among them, as they will eventually meet again at the high school level in a few years.

We strongly believe in the importance of enhancing our students' social interactions to help them become more socially adept in today's world. Many students have noted that when we rehearsed together, they knew some of their peers from outside activities, such as sports or dance. This integration not only strengthens their musical abilities but also allows them to form lasting friendships and connections.

We would like to share the thoughts of two of our talented students, Nora Jung and Nina Chang, who had the following to say about their experience:

"We played in a united way and performed beautifully together."

We are incredibly proud of all of our students for their dedication and hard work. Their commitment to excellence is truly inspiring.

Thank you for your continued support of the Northport-East Northport School Orchestra. We are grateful for the opportunity to nurture our students' musical talents and provide them with enriching experiences. Stay tuned for more updates and upcoming events!

With both current and former members of the Northport High School Unified sports program in attendance, district officials unveiled the official Unified Champion School banner, presented by Special Olympics New York. The unveiling took place after the Sparkle Squad halftime show during the first Unified basketball game of the season. 
During the presentation, Athletic Director Mark Dantuono thanked the many individuals who have supported the program and introduced transition coordinator and Unified Sports coach Cassie Reilly to present the banner. Cassie spoke about the process of being selected for this honor and how the district met Special Olympics’ 10 national standards of excellence. She also spoke about the many people who have contributed to the success of the various inclusive programs, including students, staff and families. 
Northport High School is one of only two schools on Long Island to have received this honor and was the only Long Island school to be added to the list this year. The recognition was due to the school’s offering of both Unified Basketball and Unified Bowling, as well as additional inclusive opportunities such as Best Buddies, Sparkle Squad Dance Team, Choose to Include Day celebration and more.  The banner will be displayed at Northport High School as a reminder of the special honor. 
The game continued with a win over Commack High School and members of the Unified Team celebrating this special event.