School Notebook: Mount Fifth Graders Get an Out-of-this-World Lesson

Fifth-grade students at W.S. Mount Elementary wrapped up their lessons on the planets by participating in an interactive program, the e-Missions "Moon, Mars, and Beyond" simulation.

Commander Romanek, flight director at Mission Control from the Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, led live, interactive scenarios for the students, who were organized into five "planet teams." Each planet team used scientifically accurate data to solve problems and work together to locate a mission ship that was orbiting a planet.

Fifth grader Juliana Gaine called it "a cool way to finish our study of planets." "We actually get to work with someone who has been in space and make discoveries of our own," she said.

WMHS English Teacher Lauded

Ward Melville teacher Jeremy Oatis has been named a Distinguished Teacher of 2012 by the Harvard Club of Long Island, one of 12 teachers chosen from among Long Island's 120 school districts to receive the honor.

Oatis has taught English at Ward Melville for the past 11 years and serves as the advisor for Kaleidoscope, the student newspaper and website. He was nominated by former WMHS student Julian Moll-Rocek, who will graduate from Harvard this year. Moll-Rocek described Oatis as an "extremely engaging teacher, drawing out hesitant students such as myself into the discussion, and crafting a welcoming classroom in which curiosity and skepticism are encouraged."

Oatis will receive a scholarship for a "Harvard Experience," which is described as a learning experience on the campus of Harvard University tailored to the subject matter of the recipient's choosing.

Winter Sports Achievements Announced

The Ward Melville athletic department announced the following teams have been named scholar athlete teams:

• 96.783 – Varsity Boys Swimming/Diving
• 96.706 – Varsity Girls Fencing
• 96.412 – Varsity Boys Winter Track
• 96.291 – Varsity Girls Winter Track
• 94.390 – Varsity Boys Fencing
• 93.183 – Varsity Boys Basketball
• 92.889 – Varsity Girls Basketball