Albany Avenue Elementary has a PAWsome new program. Every Friday, their 6:1:1 classes are visited by Long Island Therapy Dogs. Students are given time to pet, unwind and practice their reading skills with a therapy dog. Research shows that therapy dogs support psychological and academic growth while increasing social skills and self-esteem in adolescents.

Farmingdale High School senior Rebecca Kenjesky has been named a Merit Award Winner by the Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA) for the 2022-2023 school year. Rebecca’s profile will be featured in Newsday for June highlighting her academic and artistic successes in the area of theatre.

Rebecca has been very involved with Farmingdale’s theatre program, performing in the fall musical and spring drama productions. Her credits include Hairspray (Dynamites), Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), 12 Angry Jurors (Juror #10), Once On This Island (Papa Ge), Puffs (Narrator), and The Little Mermaid (Ursula). Rebecca’s newest role will be Leading Player in Farmingdale High School Playcrafter’s fall production, Pippin.

“Through the course of her four years, I can honestly say Rebecca has worked very hard to incorporate much of the training taught into her work both in and out of school,” said Farmingdale High School theater teacher Glen Beck. “One can see her using acting beats and verbs in her work and telling the story of the journey of a song. She has listened to constructive criticism and is one to grab every opportunity and use it as a learning tool. Rebecca’s personality and persistence will serve her well in her performance life.”

The LIAA Merit Award is the latest honor stowed upon Rebecca. In 2021 her performance as Mrs. Potts was nominated for and advanced to the final stage of the Roger Rees awards for excellence in student performance. Rebecca also represented Farmingdale at Nassau Community College’s Monologue Competition in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, Rebecca has been selected for the All-National Chorus by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). She will perform this November in Maryland at the All-National Music Conference.

“Working with Rebecca has been an absolute joy over the last three years,” said Farmingdale High Schoo teacher and fall musical director Jessica Mischke. “I am continuously impressed with every song she sings and every role she plays. She never ceases to amaze both myself and her peers."

The Scholar-Artist Awards program, sponsored by the Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA), recognizes students judged to be “the best of the best” on Long Island in academics and the arts. The Scholar-Artist Awards program partners with Newsday to continue this vital program for the 17th year. An Awards Ceremony will be held in the Spring to celebrate this year’s class of Scholar-Artists and Merit Award Winners.

I wonder, what could it be? That’s the question Albany Avenue third graders asked as they examined artifacts brought into the classroom courtesy of the Hofstra University Museum of Art’s Art Travelers program. The program helps develop and strengthen critical thinking and visual literacy abilities. Students will go on two field trips to Hofstra’s museum during the school year and have several in-classroom activities led by Museum Educators.