For the second year in a row, students from Mepham High School’s Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting program have earned second place in the NBC Universal and Adobe national contest “The Edit.” 

The Edit is a digital storytelling contest that challenges students to tell a story about the concept of Wellness.  

According to NBC, over 30,000 students from 600 schools nationwide participated in the contest.  

“The Edit is a great opportunity for BMB students to demonstrate the digital storytelling concepts they learn every day in the BMB program,” said teacher Matt Russell, whose class produced the winning entries both this year and last. 

Juniors Oliver Mattes, Nicole Saraceni, and Mia Haffner teamed up to create the winning entry, which combined interviews, graphics, and a B-roll to tell how physical activity and education help create balance and mental well-being and wellness. 

“Most of the stories we do for BMB focus on school and community events, working on a news story about an important topic like wellness was a different kind of challenge,” noted Haffner, who has been in the program since her freshman year.  

To complete the project the students combined materials provided by NBC and Adobe with curricular materials used daily in BMB.  

Junior Nicole Saraceni described the reporting and editing process during the contest. 

“We scheduled the interviews and crafted interview questions like on a normal BMB story, but this time we also created graphics using the footage NBC gave us,”she explained. 

The BMB program is currently in its ninth year at Mepham.  

Students from across the district can apply for entry in eighth grade. Over the course of their four years in the program, BMB students learn the basics of digital storytelling by creating short films and news packages, studio shows, and live sports coverage.  

You can view the winning story on the Friday, April 11, edition of the nationally recognized BMB Morning Announcements broadcast on BMB YouTube. 

Date Added: 4/22/2025

The Kennedy High School Student Government has been recognized as a 2025 National Gold Council of Excellence by theNational Association of Student Councils(NASC). 

This award recognizes student councils demonstrating leadership, service, and activities that positively impact the school and community. NASC is a program supported by its parent organization, theNational Association of Secondary School Principals(NASSP).  

The Kennedy Student Government serves as the driving force behind numerous spirit-building and community-focused events at the school.  

Their activities include organizing the annual Homecoming dance and pep rally, a Safe Halloween event for local youth, holiday food drives, Jam the Gym nights during sports seasons, and Class Night.  

This year, the student group spearheaded a Dancing with the Teachers fundraiser, contributing to a total fundraising total of $14,400. This includes $2,700 for the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation, $1,700 for the Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard, this district’s food pantry, and $10,000 for the Special Olympics of New York. 

“The student government at Kennedy High School in Bellmore has achieved something truly remarkable,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “Their student-driven initiatives and commitment to making a difference have earned them national recognition as a National Gold Council of Excellence. This accomplishment underscores the incredible impact young leaders can have when empowered to turn their vision into tangible positive change.” 

Matthew Rowe, president of the Kennedy Student Government, said that "winning the National Gold Council of Excellence Award is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and collaborative spirit of the Executive Board, Student Senate, and General Assembly.  

“This award reflects our shared commitment to leadership, student voice, and serving our school and community,” he added. 

"It's very rewarding to witness the passion and initiative of our students. This National Gold Council of Excellence Award is a well-deserved recognition of their exceptional leadership, their commitment to service, and the tangible positive impact they have on Kennedy High School and the Bellmore community,” added Brad Seidman, the faculty advisor for the Kennedy Student Government. “They don't just talk about making a difference; they actively create it."

In an effort to inspire the next generation of innovators, Kennedy High School hosted its annual STEAM Career Fair on April 8, connecting students with industry professionals.

The event brought together professionals from various fields to showcase opportunities in STEAM industries and provide students with valuable insight into the careers shaping the future.

Some were even Kennedy alumni themselves, as the district is ever fostering its connection with past students.

"Our students are energized when they connect with role models and industry leaders in STEM and STEAM, as it helps them form a vision of themselves for the future," noted event co-organizer and Science/STEAM chair Rob Soel. "I truly believe that even a 10-minute conversation with a professional from the "real world" can be an inflection point that sets a student on the path toward exciting and rewarding college and career choices."

The career fair featured over 50 businesses, schools, medical professions and organizations, includingNorthwell Health, KidOYO, Protégé Art Studio, Barracuda Networks cyber security, student members of the Civil Air Patrol and many more.

Workshops and interactive exhibits gave attendees hands-on experiencewith cutting-edge technology, such as virtual reality and flight simulations, robotics presentations and 3D printing demonstrations.

The annual Medical Scrabble fundraiser was held ahead of the fair, where teams of students competed on a science-focused version of the popular board game.

Date Added: 4/10/2025

Students from Merrick Avenue and Grand Avenue Middle Schools faced off against Wisdom Lane and Salk from Levittown School District on April 4 in a Super Smash Bros. tournament.

Each school held its own individual tournament to determine its top eight players, and this competition was to determine the best of the best.

It was a clean sweep, with the GAMS Grizzlies and MAMS Rams clinching all four top spots.

Emilio Pico from Grand Avenue took first place, with Kingston Lambre from Grand Avenue, Matias Cabrera Mariscal from Grand Avenue and Michael Schmerfrom Merrick Avenue taking second through fourth. Mr. Ng leads Grand Avenue’s Esports Team, while Merrick Avenue’s team is led by Mr. Stiglitz.

Esports started at John F. Kennedy High School and Merrick Avenue Middle School during COVID as a way to keep students engaged in the school community. Now these programs are flourishing in all school buildings.

Today, all five schools in the Central High School District have their own esports clubs and compete both in person and online in their respective leagues.

“Students participating in esports learn valuable skills like those on the basketball court or lacrosse field,” noted David Prince, the math chairperson for both MAMS and Kennedy High School. “They learn problem-solving, critical thinking, strategy, and quick reactions, and they always practice good sportsmanship while representing their schools. All that time playing video games is well spent—talented players can become professional gamers, earning sponsorships, prize money, and even scholarships to top universities.”

Looking ahead, Kennedy plans to debut its esports lab, featuring six top-of-the-line gaming computers for students to play on.

“After winning a grant from AMD Processors and Generation Esports, the Esports Lab will make JFK one of the premier Esports schools on Long Island,” Prince added.

Last year, Merrick Avenue eighthgraders Derek Lee, Joseph Poplardo, Matt Kearney and Adam Swerdloff finished out an undefeated season in the Generation Esports National Tournament for Splatoon 3, taking the title of Atlantic LeagueChampions.

Across the district, as more and more students get involved each year, the number of teams and games played continues to grow.

Click here to view the Middle School Esports Teams Face Off in Digital Showdown 2024-2025 slideshow.

Date Added: 4/8/2025

Aiden Weissman, a student in one of the Leadership II classes at Kennedy High School, was presented with the Best Project award at the Long Island Youth Summit on April 4. 

Weissman’s video project examined the influence of teen leadership on Long Island in addressing issues related to the environment, community, and the economy. It also examined how adults can support future leaders and how young leaders can overcome challenges.

He received a plaque and two plane tickets from Southwest Airlines. 

The LI Youth Summit brings together talented high school students for a day of interactive workshops with experts in medicine, the environment, business and the economy, and leadership. It offers students a unique opportunity to represent their high school, interact with peers from across Long Island and experts in various fields of business, and win awards for their projects.  

Kennedy had 16 finalists presenting their projects this year.