National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

Twenty-seven students in the Great Neck Public Schools have been named Semifinalists in the prestigious 2023 National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC).

John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School Semifinalists are: Joy Huang, Danielle Kobrick, Benjamin Souferian, Shuyuan (Julie) Sun, and Katharine Tang.

William A. Shine-Great Neck South High School Semifinalists are: Ryan Chen, Claudia Cheng, Brayden Chien, Justin Choi, Spencer Hom, Charles Huang, Edward Huang, William Huang, Alok Karkare, Drew Kim, Sooah Kwak, Sebastian Lennox, Kanheng (Martin) Lin, Sophia Liu, Emma Maliar, Riya Mitra, Amit Saha, Amber Sun, Ashley Wu, Joy Yang, Dayoung Yu, and Richard Zhuang.

These Semifinalists are among the 16,000 named nationwide, having scored among the highest in New York State on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which they took last year.

The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. These Semifinalists, who represent less than one percent of seniors in the country, will be identified to colleges and universities in order to increase their educational opportunities.

Semifinalists are invited to complete a detailed scholarship application and provide academic and leadership credentials to be considered as a Finalist in the competition. Approximately 15,000 students will be announced as Finalists in February 2023. Merit Scholarship Winners will be chosen from among the Finalists to receive one or more Merit Scholarship Awards.

Music students selected for All-State

Eight highly talented musicians from North High School and South High School have been selected for the prestigious and very competitive 2022 New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State Conference, to be held in Rochester on Dec. 1–4. In addition, 14 students have been named Alternates for the event.

North High All-State musicians

North High School All-State musicians are: Samuel Friedmann (Bass, Mixed Chorus), Julia Huang (violin, Symphony Orchestra), Owen Roubeni (tenor, Mixed Chorus), Shuyuan (Julie) Sun (flute, Symphony Orchestra), and Maverick Williams (bass, Mixed Chorus). Alternates are: Ryan Cho (Bb clarinet), Man Chun Han (violin), Matthew Kwong (cello), Hwi-On Lee (violin), Mizuki Natsu (cello), and Alex Zhuang (cello).

North High vocal musicians are taught by Dr. Pamela Levy, fine and performing arts department head/vocal music teacher. Instrumental musicians were previously taught by Joseph Rutkowski, who retired in June 2022; current instrumental music teachers at North High are Dr. Esther Noh and Jacquelyn Tomlet.

South High All-State musicians

South High All-State musicians are: Kanheng (Martin) Lin (baritone sax, Symphony Band); Nancy Schoen (soprano, Mixed Chorus), and Joy Song (Bb clarinet, Symphony Orchestra). Alternates are: Jillian Chang (cello), Yonathan Eilon (bass), Drew Kim (violin), Elizabeth Levine (violin), Shira Lichter (violin), Victoria Lin (cello), Nathan Park (tenor), and Sidney Wong (violin).

South High musicians are taught by Michael Schwartz, performing arts department head/instrumental music teacher; Mark Boschen, instrumental music teacher; and Dr. Janine Robinson, vocal music teacher.

At the All-State Conference, sponsored by NYSSMA, the State’s finest student musicians will perform together in various ensembles. Thousands of students auditioned for this competition last spring at solo and ensemble festivals throughout the state.

South High musician selected for All-National honor ensemble

The South High School Performing Arts Department is pleased to announce that senior Dayoung Yu has been selected to play the violin in the All-National Symphony Orchestra, part of the 2022 All-National Honor Ensembles.

This is the second consecutive year that Dayoung will perform with a National Honor Ensemble, presented by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Dayoung’s music teacher at South High is Michael Schwartz, performing arts department head/instrumental music teacher.

The NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles, taking place Nov. 3-6 in National Harbor, Maryland, represent the top performing high school musicians in the United States. Honor Ensemble participants are selected through a rigorous process that includes a recorded video audition. Eligible students have qualified for their state-level honor ensemble program and competed against top students for a spot in these national honor ensembles.

NYSSMA Piano Showcase

South High School senior Xinyi (Zoe) Zhang has been selected to perform in the sixteenth annual New York State School Music Educators Association (NYSSMA) Piano Showcase, part of the 2022 All-State Conference.

There were 95 applicants for this year’s Piano Showcase and only 10 were selected for this prestigious honor. Zoe will perform Étude in C# minor, Op. 2, No. 1 by Alexander Scriabin.

“We are very proud of Zoe for this distinguished honor,” says Michael Schwartz, performing arts department head. “She helps to inspire all of our music students throughout the department.”

The NYSSMA All-State Conference will feature various performances by the state’s finest student musicians as individuals and in ensembles. This year’s conference will take place in Rochester on Dec. 1–4, 2022.

JFK students learn about 9/11

Students in Rebecca Schapira’s fifth-grade class at the John F. Kennedy School studied 9/11 and the impact it had on New Yorkers, the United States, and people around the world.

During the week-long unit from Sept. 9–16, students listened to read alouds including “14 Cows for America” and “September Roses,” and watched the famous “Boatlift” documentary.

Local firefighter and South High School teacher John Motchkavitz visited the class to share his first-hand experiences with the rescue and clean-up at Ground Zero. Touching a piece of the Twin Towers and seeing photos made a tremendous impact on students’ understanding of that tragic day.

After learning about the events that unfolded, students interviewed family members about their experiences on 9/11/01. Students also wrote letters to local firefighters, first responders, and police officers to share their admiration for the responders’ heroism.

Save the date: GNPS Faculty Recital returns Oct. 20

The Great Neck Public Schools is pleased to announce the return of the District Faculty Recital this fall! Please mark your calendar and plan to attend this year’s Faculty Recital on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. in the South Middle School auditorium, 349 Lakeville Rd.

The Faculty Recital is an exhilarating evening of concert-hall-caliber music performed by GNPS faculty and friends. Tickets at the door are $5 for students and seniors, $10 for adults (suggested donations). Proceeds benefit the Music Scholarship Fund. Additional details will be provided as the event date approaches.