Nearly 50 Roslyn students were invited by Federal Judge Joseph Biancoto to attend a naturalization ceremony at the Central Islip Courthouse on Dec. 2, where over 100 people from 33 countries were sworn in as citizens of the United States.
Many more Roslyn students took part by watching a livestream of the ceremony from both the middle and high school.
The students were accompanied by Social Studies Chair Paul Rosenboom, Roslyn Middle School social studies teacher Peter Lizza and Roslyn High School music teacher Christina Cinnamo, who directed representatives of the RHS chorus to perform “America the Beautiful.”
Following the ceremony, students participated in a scripted mock trial exercise in the judge’s courtroom, taking on the roles of judge, plaintiff, witness, defendant and attorney.
“This experience is part of our ongoing synergy with the Nassau County Bar Association,” said Rosenboom. “Being a witness to this ceremony served as the culmination of our debate unit, which is devoted to the complexities that characterize the immigration issue in America, as well as the different perspectives on it. The ceremony and Judge Bianco’s passionate words were an inspiration to our students.”
“Providing our students with real-life exposure into the citizenship process gives them a greater appreciation of what it means to be an American citizen,” said Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Michael Goldspiel. “It was a tremendous learning opportunity for everyone involved.”
