Grant Toch takes Oath of Office
On Wednesday, May 12, Grant Toch was sworn in as a trustee of the Great Neck Board of Education. Board members convened virtually via Zoom and watched as District Clerk Stacey Pedone administered the oath of office at the Phipps Administration Building. Superintendent Dr. Teresa Prendergast and Assistant Superintendent for Business John Powell were on hand to congratulate Mr. Toch, who ran unopposed for the board seat of Donald Ashkenase, who passed away suddenly in March. Mr. Toch will immediately fill the vacancy and begin his service on the Board.
South High wins Fed Challenge
A team from South High School has won the High School Fed Challenge, an academic paper competition sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The team’s award-winning paper will be published in the 2021 Journal of Future Economists.
Team members are Jing Deng, Kevin Ou Yang, Katelyn Wang, and John Xie. Their faculty advisor is Sydney Gilbert, English teacher at South High.
The theme of this year’s Fed Challenge competition was Economic Inequality. The team’s paper, “Impacts of Financial Literacy on Income Inequality: How do Education and Economic Opportunities Matter?”, is one of 12 academic papers from the tri-state area that will be featured the 2021 Journal of Future Economists.
Over the course of two months, team members worked together to formulate a topic, conduct research, gather information and perform calculations. The students also consulted with a mentor in the finance sector to gain a better understanding of financial matters. They met weekly with Ms. Gilbert to review, edit, and proofread their paper.
The High School Fed Challenge is an educational program that encourages participation in economic studies and careers. The competition is open to students in grades 9–12 within the Federal Reserve’s Second District.
National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners
Three seniors from the Great Neck Public Schools have been named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP). Congratulations to Alice Liu and Lauren Yu of North High and Bradley He of South High on earning this national recognition.
A total of 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 16,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. “National Merit Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies,” according to the organization.
Alice, Lauren, and Bradley were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors based on the following criteria: academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the student; and a recommendation written by their high school principal.
The National Merit Scholarship Program includes several rounds of evaluation. The first round recognizes high school seniors as Commended Students based on their outstanding performance on the Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Less than one percent of the highest-scoring entrants in each state advance as Semifinalists in September, followed by the announcement of Finalists in February.
This year, the Great Neck Public Schools had 49 Commended Students, 29 Semifinalists, 28 Finalists, and three National Merit $2,5000 Scholarship winners.
Adult Learning Center summer program offers English & TASC Prep classes
If you are an adult and want to learn English or improve your English-language skills, or if you want to earn a high school equivalency diploma, the Great Neck Public Schools Adult Learning Center offers a variety of classes during the day and evening designed to meet your needs.
The Adult Learning Center Summer Program will begin on June 29 and run through July 29. Classes will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.–noon and 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Students must commit to all 15 sessions in order to register.
Registration for summer classes will take place at the Adult Learning Center on Wednesday, May 26, or Thursday, May 27, from 9 a.m.–noon, or from 6:30–9:30 p.m. Preference will be given to Great Neck residents and returning Adult Learning Center students.
A full range of English-language classes will be offered, from beginning literacy to advanced ENL (English as a New Language). In preparation for the TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion, formerly known as GED) examination, classes are available to improve math, reading, science, social studies, and writing.
The non-refundable processing fee for classes is $50 for those who live or work in Great Neck (proof of residency or employment is required) and $65 for non-residents. Payment, at time of registration, can be made in cash, credit card, check, or money order (payable to Great Neck Public Schools).
The Great Neck Adult Learning Center is committed to the health and safety of all students and staff. Classes are available in-person and online. Students who wish to attend classes in our building should know we are following all of the recommendations from the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention including but not limited to daily health screenings, temperature checks, social distancing, use of personal protective equipment (face masks), and daily cleaning and disinfecting.
The Adult Learning Center is located at 105 Clover Drive in Great Neck. For more information, please call the Adult Learning Center at (516) 441-4950, or visit us at www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/alc.
