Celebrating William A. Shine
The Great Neck Public Schools is honored to host an event celebrating the life and legacy of former Superintendent Dr. William A. Shine, who served as the leader of the school community for more than 20 years. The event will be held on Thursday, June 2, at 4 p.m. in the auditorium of his namesake building, William A. Shine-Great Neck South High School, 341 Lakeville Road.
The District is hosting this event in partnership with Dr. Shine’s wife, Susan Shine. The program will feature speakers, student music performances, and a video tribute.
Dr. Shine served as the Superintendent of the Great Neck Public Schools from 1982 until his retirement in 2004. During his 22-year tenure, Dr. Shine established himself as a visionary leader who made an immeasurable impact on the public school system and the entire community. He was widely regarded not only as a brilliant educational leader, but also as a mentor and a friend. Dr. Shine passed away on Jan. 28, 2022, at the age of 93.
The public is invited to attend this event in person or virtually. Individuals who wish to attend in person are asked to RSVP using an online form: https://bit.ly/DrShineEventRSVP. The event will also be live-streamed and recorded for remote viewing. For additional information, contact the GNPS Office of Community Services at 516-441-4094.
Rotary recognizes middle school students
The Rotary Club of Great Neck annually recognizes students from North Middle and South Middle schools who demonstrate an exemplary level of community service and a commitment to “service above self.” Award winners were applauded by Rotary representatives, proud parents, school administrators, and faculty members during an in-person ceremony on May 18.
Receiving this year’s Rotary Youth Merit Award are: Ava Jonisch, Gabriela Sedagatpour, and Taylor Weber from North Middle School; and Kyra Capodanno, Dalia Castilho, and Irina Chian from South Middle School.
South High projects advance to state, national History Day contest
Projects created by South High School students were awarded second and third place at the New York State History Day competition. Jillian Chang and Sebastian Lennox won second place in the Website Category at the state competition and will now advance to the National History Day Contest. Melody Song was awarded third place in the Individual Performance category at the state competition.
Jillian and Sebastian’s award-winning website submission is titled, “Fishin’ Wars: Reaffirming Native American Fishing Rights.” This is the second consecutive year that teammates Jillian and Sebastian have won awards in the Group Website category. In 2021, their project advanced to the National History Day Contest after earning second place at regional and state competitions.
Melody Song’s award-winning project, “nNHD News: Treaty of Versailles,” won third-place honors at both the regional and state levels of competition.
The theme for this year’s National History Day Contest is “Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.” The top three projects within each category at the Long Island History Day competition qualified for the New York State competition in May. The top two projects from each category at the state level will advance to the National Contest, to be conducted virtually in June.
The faculty advisor for the South High History Club is Fran Tria, social studies teacher.
GNPS/TV current programming
Current programming on Great Neck Public Schools Television (GNPS/TV) includes the South Middle Cultural Heritage Celebration, South High Spotlight, North Middle Spotlight, and Village School Exhibition.
GNPS/TV programs are available on demand, 24/7, on the school district website at www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/tv. Programs can also be viewed in the incorporated villages of Great Neck on Optimum Channel 75 and on Verizon Fios Channel 32. Airing times in program descriptions below are for Optimum and Verizon viewing.
South Middle Cultural Heritage Celebration
This year’s South Middle Cultural Heritage Celebration was filmed by GNPS/TV high school students and presented virtually in January. This annual event celebrates the cultural mosaic of the South Middle community through dances, songs, and presentations. Enjoy student performances of the Chinese YoYo, Lion Dance, Ribbon Dance, Korean Fan Dance, Hispanic Dance, Indian Dance, K-POP, Korean Drum Dance, and more. South Middle Cultural Heritage Celebration airs at 7 and 11 a.m., and 3 and 7 p.m.
South High Spotlight
Tune in to the South High Spotlight for a glimpse into exciting activities from the first half of the school year at South High School, including Battle of the Bands, Charity Volleyball Tournament, Fashion Show, Music Night Coffee House, a Halloween montage, and the Theatre South musical production of Grease. South High Spotlight airs 8 a.m., and 12, 4 and 8 p.m.
North Middle Spotlight
This episode of North Middle Spotlight highlights recent performances and school activities, including the Club Fair, Float Your Boat Regatta, a Halloween montage, One Acts, and North Middle School Theater Company’s production of Disney’s Descendants: The Musical. North Middle Spotlight airs 9 a.m., and 1, 5 and 9 p.m.
Village School Exhibition
Village School’s annual Exhibition is a celebration of student work at the culmination of the fall semester. It is an evening event wherein students are given the opportunity to share a semester’s worth of work — moving it from the confines of the classroom into a space where it can be exhibited for others to ponder, question, and enjoy. Village School Exhibition airs at 10 a.m., and 2, 6 and 10 p.m.
GNPS/TV Programming
GNPS/TV programming reflects the offerings of the Great Neck Public Schools and the achievements of its students and staff. Programs are student-produced.
For further information, please contact Robert Zahn, director of educational television and broadcast media, by e-mail at rzahn@greatneck.k12.ny.us, and by phone at (516) 441-4676.