The Mepham High School community kicked off its St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraising season with a farewell sendoff for a senior graduating early.

On Jan. 15, students and staff gathered in the school gymnasium as Dominick Brown voluntarily ‘braved the shave’ after fundraising more than $500 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Brown’s mother performed the first few strokes of the hair buzzer before handing it over to a member of the district’s Cosmetology program. Fellow friends and family members also shaved their heads in solidarity.

"It means a lot that the people that did shave their heads for me and it showed me their support and what they’re willing to do for me," Brown said.

Brown is eligible to graduate early from Mepham in January and has enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He soon heads to Parris Island, SC for basic training.

Organized by social studies teachers Kerry Dennis and Chris Patten, the annual Chop Your Locks for Charity event is usually held annually in March and has raised nearly $600,000 over the last 10-plus years. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds research and treatment for pediatric cancer. 

“Not only did he work extremely hard to graduate early – and that is uncommon, but now he’s off to serve,” Patten told the crowd. “As a social studies teacher, we always talk about activism and service to your community. This person is not only serving his community, but he is serving the nation."

Click here to view the slideshow.

Date Added: 1/16/2025

Makayla Daube, a member of the Mepham High School girls’ basketball team, scored her 1,000th point during the Pirates’ Jan. 11 game. Daube had previously reached 1,000 rebounds as well. 

She is the first Mepham girls’ basketball player to have both 1,000 varsity points and 1,000 rebounds. 

At the Jan. 11 game, the Pirates defeated New Hyde Park, 68-54, earning them a big Conference AA win. Daube led the way with 26 points, noted coach Jim Mulvey. She had also set the single game record with 34 points earlier in the week versus Herricks. 

The Mepham senior, class of 2025 valedictorian and All County athlete has committed to play basketball at Rollins College in the fall. 

Date Added: 1/14/2025

On Dec. 17, students from both Mepham and Calhoun High Schools participated in annual Poetry Out Loud competitions at the building level.

“Student competitors memorized and recited works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems,” explained Mary Allegretta, an English chairperson at Mepham. “Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy.

Students must win classroom competitions hosted by their English teachers to earn a coveted spot in the schoolwide competition.

The event, hosted each December at Mepham by Fragments advisor Nicole Maresca and the English Department, is now a 17-year tradition at Mepham High School. At Calhoun, chairperson Kim Serpe oversees the competition.

Mepham High School:

1st Place: AriElla Wolfstein, senior
2nd Place: Samantha Bremer, senior
3rd Place: Asher Chang, sophomore
Calhoun High School:

1st place: Ryan Karis, junior (winner for the third year in a row)
2nd place: Uma Magi, sophomore

More about Poetry Out Loud: presented in partnership with the New York State Teachers & Writers Collaborative, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation—lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Through this program, high school students across the country participate in a dynamic poetry recitation competition that is designed to improve their public speaking skills, help build confidence and teach them about literary history and contemporary life. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.4 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. To learn more about the Poetry Out Loud competition, visit PoetryOutLoud.org.

Date Added: 1/15/2025