Carle Place School District
Visual and Performing Arts
COMING SOON... THE FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS WALL OF FAME NOMINATION PROCESS. CHECK BACK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE ONLINE NOMINATION FORM.
Congratulations Carle Place for receiving this honor for the sixth year in a row!
Click the three lines in the upper left corner of this page in order to visit the other pages in our department. Visit our MUSIC PROGRAMS page to find pictures and links to our recent concerts. Visit our FINE ARTS PROGRAMS page to find pictures and links from our recent Art Shows!
Below you will find links to important documents. You can print them all from this website.
Feel free to contact Mr. Limone with any questions: mlimone@cps.k12.ny.us, or: 516-622-6458
Students who are attending this trip MUST join the Google Classroom for important information and updates.
The roommate request form is now available on the Google Classroom. Join now to request your roommates.
Google Classroom code: jlil4vb
Disney Trip 2025- Information Letter
Recording of Informational Zoom Call from 5/30/24
Passcode: +HW=fD7%
Links for last June's events:
Tuesday, June 4th – 7pm
Rushmore 5th and 6th Grade Concert
https://livestream.com/cps/events/11150231
Wednesday, June 5th- 7pm
Fine Arts Awards Night
https://livestream.com/cps/events/11150234
Wednesday, June 12th- 7pm
Rushmore 3rd Grade Concert
https://livestream.com/cps/events/11150236
Wednesday, June 12- 7:45
Rushmore 4th Grade Concert
https://livestream.com/cps/events/11150238
Monday, June 24th- 9:30am
Cherry Lane Grade 2 Moving Up Day
https://livestream.com/cps/events/11021141
The Carle Place High School Music Department Celebrates "Music in Our Schools Month"
Congratulations to all of our students and staff involved in our High School Musical, Little Shop of Horrors!!! We are very proud of the production. Pictures and highlights coming soon!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR STUDENT ARTISTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE 2024 WINTER ART SHOW!!!
Click here to see the works that recieved recognition:
https://sites.google.com/cpscloud.net/cps-fine-and-performing-arts/fine-arts-programs?authuser=0
Congratulations to all of our music students and their teachers for a wonderful winter concert season!
CHECK OUT PHOTOS AND VIDEOS HERE:
LIVE STREAM LINKS:
December 6th – Rushmore 3rd Grade Winter Concert at 7:00 PM
https://livestream.com/accounts/19532499/events/11031480
December 6th – Rushmore 4th Grade Winter Concert at 7:45 PM
https://livestream.com/accounts/19532499/events/11031483
December 6th – Intergenerational Concert at 1:00 PM
https://livestream.com/accounts/19532499/events/11031485
December 12th- Middle School Winter Concert at 7:30pm
https://livestream.com/accounts/19532499/events/11042462
December 13th – Rushmore 5th and 6th Grade Winter Concert at 7:00 PM
https://livestream.com/accounts/19532499/events/11031488
December 15th- Cherry Lane 2nd Grade Winter Concert at 9:30am:
https://livestream.com/cps/events/11021138
December 19th- High School Winter concert at 7:30pm:
https://livestream.com/accounts/19532499/events/11044046
Congratulations to all of our students and staff involved in our Middle School Musical, "13"!!!
Congratulations to all of our Rushmore 5th and 6th graders who participated in Aladdin Kids!!!
Pictures and links to videos coming soon!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CAST AND CREW OF PUFFS!
Michael Limone
District Director of the Visual and Performing Arts
516-622-6458
Lora Elsirgany
Rushmore Avenue Orchestra Teacher
516-622-6440
Joseph Geluso
Rushmore Avenue Band Teacher
516-622-6459
Simone Giacalone
Cherry Lane/ HS Fine Arts Teacher
516-622-3156
Kevin Kavanagh
MSHS Band Teacher
516-622-3124
Daniel Krause
MSHS Fine Arts/ Photography
516-622-3121
Jenique Nijboer
MSHS Fine Arts/ Ceramics
516-622-3123
Kerri Hauff
Rushmore Avenue Music Teacher
516-622-2000
Josef Martin Christ
MSHS Orchestra Teacher
516-622-3126
Emika Smith
Cherry Lane Music Teacher
516-622-1013
Jessica Younker
MSHS Chorus Teacher
516-622-3162
Michael Limone is the District Director for the Visual and Performing Arts here in Carle Place where he has directed both the middle school and the high school theater programs and taught middle school and high school Theater Arts classes. Now in his 28th year in Arts education, his career began in CT, where he taught for 11 years and served as the Vice President of the CT Drama Association and as the CT Representative on the New England Drama Council. He was a member of the founding committee that brought a Theater Certification to the State of CT. He’s brought original works to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland with his students on two separate occasions. In addition to his teaching career, Michael has continued acting and directing since college, where he majored in English and Acting at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Carriage House Players, an acting company that presents an Annual Summer Shakespeare Festival at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, NY. The foundation of his acting training is based upon the Stanislavski Method and the training he received at both UCONN and HB Studios in NYC. Michael is a current Board Member of the New York State Theater Education Association (NYSTEA), the Chairperson of the Theater Advocacy Committee for NY and the Co-Chairperson of the Long Island Region for NYSTEA.
Josef Martin Christ is a Middle/ High School Orchestra teacher at Carle Place. Mr. Christ initially studied Viola and Piano at the Luis Gianneo Conservatory of Music located in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Following this, he earned his associate degree in business administration from La Guardia Community College, where he was awarded the Thomas Samuels Scholarship.
Mr. Christ continued his education at the Aaron Copland School of Music where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. While attending The Aaron Copland School of Music, he actively participated in various music ensembles such as the Aaron Copland School of Music Symphonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, String Ensemble, and Baroque Ensemble. Mr. Christ was awarded the Harry and Gerda Joseph Scholarship for his contributions towards positive change within the school. In 2020, Mr. Christ graduated with a degree in Music Education from Queens College. Presently, he is pursuing a Master of Science in Music Education degree at the Aaron Copland School of Music, and also actively performing as a member of the Queens College Choral Society.
Lora Elsirgany is Carle Place’s elementary strings teacher. She has been teaching in Carle Place since 2000. The following programs are taught under her direction.
Joseph Geluso is our band teacher at the Rushmore Avenue School. He is responsible for teaching all of the wind instruments as well as instruments of the percussion section. Performance groups include the Rushmore Concert Band and the Rushmore Jazz Ensemble.
Simone Giacalone has been teaching art for 20 years. This is his 6th year helping students improve their art skills at Carle Place. During the summer, I enjoy taking vacations to Disney World with my family and spending time at the beach. I'm very proud to be a part of the Carle Place School District.
You can visit my website at: https://sites.google.com/cpscloud.net/mr-giacalones-art-class/home
Kerri Hauff is Rushmore Avenue’s elementary general and vocal music teacher. Rushmore Avenue School offers general music classes for all grades 3 through 6th. She also teaches each grade level vocal music (chorus) as well as an after school select choir offered for the 5th and 6th grade. Each grade level performs at a winter concert and a spring concert. Ms.Hauff has been teaching music for 10 years. Prior to teaching at Rushmore, Ms. Hauff was teaching orchestra and general music in an arts concentrated middle school in Queens, NY for 4 years. She has also taught marching band at the competitive level in several school districts on Long Island.
She received both her bachelor's degree and master’s degree from Hofstra University with a focus in Music Education. Outside of music, Ms. Hauff has also taught globally! She taught English studies in Seoul, South Korea from 2017-2018. Ms. Hauff also has a deep love for the fine arts as well as she loves to draw and paint. She is looking forward to her career at Rushmore and spending it with the staff, students, and families within the Carle Place community.
Kevin Kavanagh (Drum Set) – Middle/high school concert band director, jazz band director and pep band coordinator at CPHS for the past 29 years. Over those years, Mr. Kavanagh’s bands have performed from Boston to the Bahamas. He has also taught private music lessons out of his home studio, preparing students for all kinds of musical situations. Mr. Kavanagh graduated from L.I.U. (C.W. Post) & the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. He studied classical percussion with Mr. Ronald Gould – principal percussionist with the NYC Ballet and studied drum set with Frank Bellucci and Dom Famularo. Mr. Kavanagh has performed live with many different pop, rock and jazz acts over the years and has also done some recording session work as well.
Daniel Krause is a High/ Middle school Art teacher at Carle Place High School and is starting his 23rd year as a frog. Mr. Krause has taught all levels at Carle Place, including starting the Kindergarten Art Program. He studied Fine Arts and Education at Greensboro College and Dowling College and completed his masters at Touro College. He was fortunate to have participated in the “Epiphany '' senior art show at Dowling college. He has built sets for the Carle Place theater company for many years. Mr. Krause has had the privilege to work with many students behind the scenes building and painting the sets. He also played collegiate level lacrosse and has coached various sports for the past 23 years.
Jenique Nijboer is a Middle School/ High school teacher and has been a frog for 15 years. Ms. Nijboer has taught all levels of art in all of our schools. Prior to becoming an art teacher, Jenique spent 10 years decorating windows throughout NYC. Companies such as Barneys, Macys, Bergdorf Goodman and French Connection all relied on her creative vision and services. A graduate of FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) & Adelphi University. Jenique decided to go back to school to become an art teacher so she could share her love of the arts with others. Inspired by her former art teachers at Hicksville High School she went on and made her dream into a reality. Jenique loves sharing her love of art with the students at Carle Place and enjoys working with them hand in hand on a daily basis to be creative thinkers & makers. Besides art Jenique loves to spend time with her family, travel and has a strange obsession for all things purple!
Emika Smith is the music teacher at Cherry Lane Elementary and joined the Carle Place district in 2023. She proudly inherited the Cherry Lane music program and is looking forward to continuing to instill a passion and love for music in the youngest students. Prior to teaching in Carle Place, Mrs. Smith taught music to grades K-8 at the Riverhead Charter School in Suffolk County.
Mrs. Smith holds a MS Music Education from the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens and a Bachelors of Music in Music Education from LIU Post. Mrs. Smith plays both clarinet and piano, and has performed in venues such as the Tilles Center, the Staller Center, and Carnegie Hall. She has also traveled to China and Puerto Rico on two performance tours with the LIU Post Wind Symphony.
Mrs. Smith is an active member of the NYS Council of Administrators of Music Education (NYSCAME), Kodaly Organization of New York (KONY NY), and the LI American Orff Schulwerk Association (LIAOSA). She is also a chairperson and active member of Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association (SCMEA). Most recently, Mrs. Smith presented a workshop to NYSCAME members on how to implement centers and group learning in the elementary music classroom. Mrs. Smith enjoys performing in numerous community bands and is looking forward to meeting new colleagues and fellow educators in Nassau County.
Jessica Younker has directed the Middle School and High School Choral Programs at Carle Place since 2018. She implemented the Piano Theory and Practice course in 2019, the 7th Grade General Music Course in 2022, and has run small group lessons and a musical theater elective over the years as well. Mrs. Younker is also the Tri-M Music Honor Society Advisor. Prior to coming to Carle Place, Mrs. Younker taught for several years at the Shelter Island School, teaching music to students PreK – 12. She received Leadership Certifications and a Master’s Degree from Stony Brook University, and her Bachelor of Music from George Mason University. Though singing and piano is her first love, Mrs. Younker enjoys playing the woodwind instruments and guitar as well.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF THE FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT FOR AN AWESOME SPRING SEASON OF CONCERTS AND ART SHOWS!
Check the individual department tabs for highlights and pictures!
Our Fine and Performing Arts Department, Fall 2022:
Back Row (Left to Right): Mrs. Chrissy Shelley, Mr. Krause, Mr. Kevin Kavanagh, Ms. Audrey Wilkens, Mrs. Jessica Yonkers, Mr. Henry Stanziale, Mr. Joseph Geluso. Front Row (Left to Right): Mrs. Lora Elsirgany, Mr. Richard Stein, Mr. Michael Limone, Mrs. Jenique Nijboer, Mr. Simone Giacalone.