MOVING UP WITH LINCOLN AVE
Principal Dr. Michele LeBlanc welcomed the assembled students and guests to Lincoln Avenue’s 2014 Moving-Up. After acknowledging the “graduating” Lincoln parents for their six years of support, Dr. LeBlanc specifically thanked the special group of volunteers from the PTA, SEPTA, and Site-Based Team, who “have given countless hours to provide programs and improve our school.”
“In Sayville schools we pride ourselves on academic rigor while building confidence in our students in order to develop the necessary skills to be heard positively and create change for the better.” Dr. LeBlanc was proud to announce that “this group’s progress measured by a number of data points in comparison with others is superior.”
In addition, while honoring the retiring Jane Cozza, whose career had come full circle, Dr. LeBlanc extolled the qualities of the “circle” for its healing power, equality, unity, and completeness. Dr. LeBlanc encouraged the girls and boys “to hold on to that Kindergarten circle, make room in your circle, expand it, and this practice can enrich you as a person, enrich your community, and enrich your world.” Dr. LeBlanc ended her address by introducing Middle School Principal Thomas Murray.
During the ceremony, select Fifth-graders representing each class read personal essays about their shared experiences at Lincoln. Each student was called individually by their teachers to receive the Moving-Up certificate, followed by the naming of those students receiving special awards (see list below).
New this year was an especially entertaining dance routine to honor Mrs. Cozza, performed by a group of students (wearing face masks of the administrators and staff members that included the honoree), which had the audience laughing. Although the musical interlude was the sentimental favorite, For Just a Little While, the Moving-Up ceremony closed with an upbeat new musical arrangement (thanks to the cooperative efforts of Mrs. Cirillo and lyricist Mrs. Woerner) of Frozen’s Let It Go, aptly re-titled Let Us Go!
ACADEMIC GOLD AWARDS
Cameron Batterberry
Robert Burgos
Dean Gennosa
Joseph Golio
Adam Jones
Christian Jones
Conor McGrath
Sanjeeda Rahman
SILVER AWARDS
James Anderson
Kerri Gunther
Emily Hartman
Sarah Hauk
Sarah Kenney
Dylan Krimsky
Rose Maizus
Skylar Morello
Jack Pierce
Matthew Yonkers
Christopher Zender
Katherine Zender
FITNESS AWARD
GOLD
Julia Ayrovainen
Cameron Batterberry
Hannah Blaskiewicz
Jack Cheshire
Caroline Crawford
Jacklyn DuTot
Dean Gennosa
Sarah Gover
Erin Henn
Adam Jones
Dylan Krimsky
Linda McAuliff
Marcus Minutello
Jack Pierce
Brendan Rafferty
Dominique Rinaldi
Erin Schaefer
Tyler Schaefer
Noah Steil
George Werner
Elizabeth Yoskowitz
SILVER
Kristen Alexopoulous
Robert Burgos
Colin Caraher
Alec Cohen
Devon Coiro
Ethan Cooley
Phillip Downey
Brett Doxsee
Nicholas Gibbons
Jenna Guerra
Emily Hartman
Sarah Hauk
James Herbst
Chloe Jeffares
Christian Jones
Sarah Kenney
Louis Maffetone
Rose Maizus
Aidan McCullough
Conor McGrath
Jacob Minerva
Skylar Morello
Giana Morrione
Kyle Pawloski
Hayley Pepe
Brian Tavoulareas
Jose Scalogna
Matthew Yonkers
Christopher Zender
Katie Zender
Matthew Zender;
Triple “C” • Dominique Rinaldi & County Legislature Presiding Officer •Jenna Guerra, Colin Caraher
New York State Comptroller • Hannah Blaskiewicz, Sanjeeda Rahman