Shoreham-Wading River: SWR students chosen as Young Scholars of Mathematics

What a wonderful feeling it was Monday morning to wake up to the light of the sun.

It’s also a wonderful feeling to be selected from a large group of students who are good at what they do. Math is a difficult subject, but not to Shoreham-Wading River High School’s Jaclyn LaSita and Christine Joseph. Out of 75 applicants also great at math, they were chosen by the Institute of Creative Problem Solving as the Young Scholars of Mathematics for gifted and talented students at SUNY College at Old Westbury. Jaclyn and Christine now have 60 hours of class ahead of them on projects using algebra, geometry and number theory, material they’ve never seen before. Sounds like they’ll both be solving the mathematical problems of the world someday. (I’d just be happy to know the next set of winning lottery numbers!) Congratulations!

Would you like to know about two other Shoreham-Wading River High School students who stand heads above the crowd in their field? When it comes to musical performance, Abigail Fayette and Melaina Badalian are outstanding and both are well on their way to achieving the highest honors a music student can get. Abigail and Malaina have been selected to perform for the New York State School Music Association All-Eastern ensembles, with the festival scheduled for March 31 in Baltimore, Md. Abigail also performed with the string orchestra at NYSSMA’s all-state concert in Rochester in the fall and Malaina was picked as one of 29 french horn players to perform with the symphonic band. Well done!

North Shore United Methodist Church in Wading River has a group that is pretty special, one whose members know the wonderful feeling of being a bright light to someone in need. NSUMC partners with Life and Hope Haiti to support the medical and educational needs of the Eben-Ezer School community in Milot, Haiti. This school supports 200 children in grades K-6 along with their parents. “Since February of 2009 North Shore United Methodist Church has helped build a new well for the school, along with five new classrooms, a library, a kitchen, a playground and related equipment,” says member Diane Burkhardt. She says current projects include improving the school’s bathroom facilities and making potable water accessible to the nearby community.

Their next mission trip is Feb. 17-24, so this Saturday, Feb. 12, the group will host a spaghetti dinner and talent show to support the effort. The spaghetti dinner will be served from 5 to 6 p.m., with the talent show to start at 6:15, featuring drama, music and magic. Tickets are $10 for ages 13 and up and $5 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and under eat for free.

Diane tells us, “It’s good food and good fellowship — and all for a good cause.”

Enjoy the sunshine this week and that special part of you that puts you at the top of the heap and, of course, the fact that whenever you are kind and supportive, you are a bright light to someone.