School Notebook: Mount Students Get a Healthy Video Game Lesson

Students at were given the chance to combine a video game experience with a gym class lesson recently, as the school brought in the iGame4 program into physical education classes.

Students had the chance to play with a Nintendo Wii or an Xbox Kinect to play physical games that had them dancing and simulating other activities with the games "Just Dance III" and "Kinect Adventures River Rush." The program is aligned with common core standards.

“This program is a great step in the right direction for health and fitness
education,” said Physical education teacher Jeff Bryant called the activities "a great step in the right direction for health and fitness education."

The school also held a family fun night so that parents could learn about the benefits of active video games.

“We know that children like playing with their video games,” said Christine Pisano, developer of the iGame4 program. “We are hoping that what they gain from this and share with their families is the knowledge that now they can be active when they do it.”

National Merit Finalists Announced

The Three Village Central School District announced last week that the 12 Ward Melville High School seniors originally named National Merit Scholarhip Program Semifinalists have been named finalists in the competition.

As finalists, approximately 15,000 students nationwide will have the chance to compete for 8,300 scholarships in the program's 57th year in existence.

Dr. Alan Baum, principal at Ward Melville High School, said he is "continually amazed at the level of performance of our students."

“These twelve students have much to be proud of and should look forward to a promising future," Baum said. "It is a credit to their educational upbringing and their perseverance and I couldn’t be happier for them. I wish them all the best.”

The National Merit Scholarship finalists are:

• Murali Varadaraj
• Andrew Aicher
• Daniel Hsu
• Rocco Morra
• Stephen Karp
• Jack Zhou
• Jesse Xing
• Allison LaRocco
• Ariel Yang
• Anna Whitney
• Julia Huang
• Kelsey Weymouth-Little

School Board Meeting Set for Tuesday Night

The Board of Education will meet Tuesday night with a session open to the public starting at approximately 8 p.m. Among the items on the agenda are:

• A preliminary review of the district's financial plan and 2012-13 school budget
• A report on the Nassakeag Indoor Air Quality project
• Discussions of school policies including public gifts, interscholastic athletics, and attendance.

School board meetings are held at the North Country Administrative Center in Stony Brook. For the complete agenda, visit the Board of Education website.