Andrew Kim at I-SWEEP 2013.Andrew Kim, a tenth grade student at Commach High School, won a silver medal at the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, and Environment Project Olympiad (ISWEEP) competition in Houston, Texas. ISWEEEP is a huge international science fair that focuses on sustainable energy solutions. Students from all over the world present their projects that pertain to three main scientific topics: energy, engineering, and environment. The program is geared to secondary students preparing to tackle global issues through engineering. Students submit their research papers and application, and finalists are chosen and invited to the competitions. This year’s finalists respresented 68 countries.

Andrew partnered with Raymond Yin, who is an eleventh grade student at Ward Melville High School. The young men met three years ago at a John Hopkins summer enrichment program, and then again at Stony Brook University last summer when they decided to work together on the project.

Their project was entered in the energy category, and dealt with the “Efficient Dehydration of Ethanol by Pervaporation using Graphene Oxide Membranes.” The project focused on more efficient ways to obtain ethanol as a fuel, and took second place, ranking the project in the top 30% among the hundreds projects in the energy category.

Andrew explained the project this way: “The biofuels used in the US are mainly ethanol based. Ethanol is extracted from fermented corn grain, and after it is fermented, ethanol usually comes out as a very dilute form. In order to make this ethanol fit for use in biofuels, the excess water must be removed in a process called dehydration. This dehydration step tends to be the most expensive and energy dependent process. The current method for dehydration, called azeotropic dehydration, tends to be a very expensive and energy wasteful process. My project concerned itself with a more efficient process, called pervaporation. Since pervaporation is a membrane-based process, it is important to use a effective material. Graphene oxide, a chemical that has been recently used and praised as a “super material,” was used due to its ability to separate water and ethanol. The results from this experiment show that graphene oxide-based membranes were much more effective than normally used pervaporation membranes. The results of this experiment could be used to help make the biofuel production process much cheaper, and hopefully, biofuels will be more commonly used as a substitute for normal gasoline.”

Andew shared, “The whole experience was great. I was able to meet people from all over the world, from students who live 30 minutes from the fair, to students from the other side of the planet. I plan to continue working in this research area next year in a lab at Stony Brook University. “

In photo: Andrew Kim at I-SWEEP 2013.

Proposition #2 (increasing the number of BOE members )defeated 1605 Yes - 2193 No

Trustee - Hartman 1773

               Tampellini 1654

               Egan        1604

               Behar      1526

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Hauppauge School Budget approved 1510 Yes - 738 No

Proposition 2 - Capital Reserve Fund approved 1462 Yes - 718 No

Trustee

Robert Scarito 1279

Gary Fortmeyer 1271

David Barshay 1223

Geri Richter 1080

Ginger Todaro  970

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Kings Park School District Budget approved 1794 yes - 926 No

Two Trustee Positions serving three year terms expiring 6/30/16

*Trustee - Liz Barrett 1349

*Tom Locascio 1299

Charles Gardner 1237

Pam DeFord 1136

Proposition #2 - The purchase of one bus and one van- approved 1768 yes - 781 No

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Smithtown School District Budget approved 3135 yes - 1717 No

Trustee Vote

*Theresa Knox 3132

Louis Liguori 2904

“Technology that Works in Student Learning”

Members of the Smithtown High School West Virtual Enterprise class celebrate the announcement of the grant award along with teacher Philip Como (L), Smithtown West Technology Aide Mary Gullo, Smithtown West Principal John Coady (R) and Dana Link, a member of Smithtown School District’s Technology Department.Smithtown, NY – Smithtown High School West teacher Philip Como was recently awarded a $1000 Model Schools Grant from Western Suffolk BOCES in recognition of outstanding integration of technology into the classroom.  Mr. Como’s submission, which outlined his Virtual Enterprise/Ecommerce course, was one of five Long Island educators’ technology based classroom components chosen for the award.  The grant was instituted to recognize the use of technology to bolster student learning through the application of school district resources.

The Virtual Enterprise (VE) course is a hands-on course that enables students to operate a virtual business of their design and creation.  Students decide what products or services they wish to offer and then set about building the business from business plan all the way through marketing, sales and customer service.  This year the VE students created, managed and operated Soltech International, a retailer of a variety of solar rechargeable mobile devices. The class ‘sells’ its solar rechargeable products to over 1,000 VE classrooms across the country/world through an online network provided by VE International. During the school year, the students prepare for and present at a Business Plan competition and a Trade Show during which the students are judged and graded for their efforts and accomplishments. 

Great Hollow Middle School once again came together to celebrate the life of Nicholas Dagger, a special member of our Great Hollow community.  Students, teachers, families and friends gathered together to participate in the third annual “Dodge through Hoops for Heart.”  The Physical Education Department kicked off the evening with both students and teachers participating in organized basketball and dodge ball activities. 

With the donations from families, friends, and the sale of over 400 tickets to students and community members, a check for $5,512 was presented to the American Heart Association in honor and memory of Nicholas.  Over the past three years Great Hollow has raised over fifteen thousand dollars.  With these donations, the American Heart Association has in turn given the event basketballs, playground balls, and jump ropes.  The past two years the Dagger’s have decided to donate these items to the Timothy Hill Ranch in Riverhead.  The Ranch is a safe haven for hundreds of children during a desperate time of abuse, neglect, and crisis.