Archive
World Languages Honor Society Induction 2020
Congratulations to all of our inductees!
Click below to watch the ceremony:
Spanish Honor Society Benefit for Bolivia
The Spanish Honor Society is collaborating with the West End Day School and the Alalay Foundation in Bolivia in a two-directional community-building project. The foundation's mission is to help change poverty conditions in high-risk children and families in Bolivia.
In 2015, Arte Fogata was created in partnership with this foundation to provide engaging workshops for children in disadvantaged circumstances. This provided an opportunity for the children to explore creatively in a safe, nurturing, and positive environment. The concept of this is based on the idea that relationships matter.
This year, the West End Day School has arranged a pen-pal system among the children in Bolivia. In order to build upon this idea of strengthening communities, the Spanish Honor Society will be interpreting the messages between these two schools. We hope to convey to all these communities that connection is universal and language differences do not need to be a barrier.
The SHS has created a “Wish List” of materials that they hope to be able to send to the children within the Alalay Foundation.
Barnes and Noble Wishlist: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/account/wishlist.jsp?giftlistId=gl47809690579
Blick Wishlist: https://www.dickblick.com/lists/wishlist/RRPD8TU0LQTFV/publicview/
Mardi Gras at Mepham!
On Wednesday, February 26, students at Mepham celebrated Mardi Gras through an ELITE event facilitated by Ms. Hayes. Students made masks and enjoyed traditional Mardi Gras fare provided by Top Hat in Bellmore. The students also played a Mardi Gras Kahoot trivia game. Special thanks to French Honor Society officers: Presidents: Candace Casimir and Alyssa Flores, Vice-Presidents: Jessica Serken and Artina Krkuti, Secretary: Tim Penny, treasurer: Ben Checkla for assisting in the event!
Congratulations to the Winners of this Year's World Language Contest 2019!
The Mepham Department of World Languages would like to congratulate the participants and winners of our fifth annual district-wide language contest. Students from all three high schools submitted entries in our poem, essay, poster, photo and comic strip categories. This year’s themes focused on the ideas of unity, interpersonal connections and cultural awareness. Thank you to the entire World Languages department for judging and to the faculty, staff, and students who submitted votes for the poster contest. We wish to thank all of our students who participated and the teachers who helped make this event a huge success. Félicitacions! Congratulazioni! ¡Felicitaciones! 恭喜！Gōngxǐ!
Poster Contest
Diana DiToro- First Place
Emma DeOliveira- Second Place
Jill Silverstein – Third Place
French Poetry
Level 4H
Kelsey Laverty- First Place
Level 3H
William Barlowe- First Place
Cara Trenkle- Second Place
Karina Salmeri- Third Place
French Essay
Level 3H
Katherine Olson- First Place
Amanda O'Brien- Second Place
Jami DeLuca- Third Place
French Photo
AP French
Julia Gallagher- First Place
Italian Essay
Level 2H
Nicholas Saunders- Third Place
Italian Poetry
Level 3H
Sophia Zizzo- Third Place
Level 4R
Kaitlyn Exner- Third Place
Italian Photo
Level 2R/2H
Sonny Stellman- Third Place
Level 4R/4H
Tyler Trupo- First Place
Gianna DiPrima- Second Place
Level 5R/AP
Katherine Aluotto- Third Place
Mandarin Poem
Level 2H
Jonathan Marfisi- Third Place
Level 3H
Vincent Yang- First Place
Kathryn McNerney- Second Place
Julianna Rosenthal- Third Place
Mandarin Comic
Level 3H
Helena Fu- First Place
Mandarin Photo
Level 3H
Brenna Camacho- First Place
Sophia Wang- Second Place
Mandarin Essay
Level 3H
Alessandra Bracco- Second Place
Spanish Essay
Level 2R
Samantha Nadler- Second Place
Level 3H
Delaney Lobell- Second Place
Level 4R
Casey Ward- Second Place
Kaylee Schwenk- Third Place
Spanish Poetry
Level 3H
Mark Thomas- First Place
Shayna Giunta- Second Place
AP Level
Alyssa Dioguardi- Third Place
Spanish Comic
Level 2H
Ruby Mattes- First Place
Level 3H
Ariel Yosha- Second Place
Level 4R
Robert Wigand- Second Place
Rachel Eisert- Third Place
Spanish Photo
Level 2R/2H
Gabriella Simal- First Place
James McCarthy- Third Place
Level 3R/3H
Katelyn Pierce- First Place
Delaney Lobell- Third Place
Level 5R/AP
Aiden McCormack- First Place
Sreeshty Ray- Second Place
Christian Murcia- Third Place
Department of World Languages Helps Those in Need
Bellmore-Merrick World Languages students and teachers took part in several events over the last few weeks to raise funds to support the recovery efforts in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Students at Grand Avenue Middle School and Merrick Avenue’s International Buddy club held bake sales while students and teachers from Mepham, Merrick Avenue, and Kennedy collected much needed items to send to the affected areas. Ms. Schickler worked with the New York City Fire Department to organize sending them on a flight that delivered them to Puerto Rico last week. Students from Calhoun and Mepham contributed by purchasing tickets for a bagel lunch raffle and the Mepham World Languages Department raised funds through a gift basket raffle at their honor society induction ceremony. Kennedy High School’s language department helped promote the Key Club and Culture Club’s Baila con Puerto Rico Zumbathon fundraiser. Finally, the Spanish Honor Society at Mepham donated all funds raised from their annual fall breakfast to this worthy cause. Once again the students of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School district joined together to help those in need, raising over $6,000. Thank you to all of the students and teachers who participated and for the many generous donations!
On October 12th, students celebrated National Hispanic Month with an ELITE event hosted by Ms. Larrea and Mrs. Parlagreco. Students viewed an informative slide presentation on the origin of NHM and the Hispanic Americans who have had significant contributions throughout history. Students made their own guacamole and enjoyed a variety of empanadas. It was a delicious and educational experience for all who attended!
ITALIAN CULTURE NIGHT 2018
On Thursday, February 1st, Mepham’s chapter of the National Italian Honor Society hosted its 16th annual Italian Culture Night under the direction of advisor and Italian teacher, Kristen Montuori. The evening was filled with music, poetry, games, and food. Honor Society member and president, Olivia Larocchia sang the classic, “Io che non vivo”. The theme of the evening was “Carnevale” and guests were treated to mask a making and a poem recitation by Amanda LaRossa about the Italian holiday. Guests wore their masks throughout the evening, simulating a true Italian Carnevale! The evening also included the annual game of Tombola, Italian style-bingo, led by honor society officers, Joe Lozito and Gavin Dass.
The Italian Honor Society would like to thank all of the Mepham families as well as the local businesses that helped to make the event successful by donating food and products.
Bellmore Playhouse John Larocchia
Gino’s Tuscany Norman Egan
Moolala Presidio
Gusto Divino Trattoria Cynthia Connors
Bagelicious Rocco’s Pizza of Bellmore
The Oakhurst Company Michelangelo Salon
Left Coast Kitchen Darker Tanning
Flowers by Voegler International Delight Café
Mary Bove Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace
Piccolo Ristorante
World Language Students Receive Prestigious Awards!
Congratulations to Jason Spielmann, recipient of the Morris and Eve Brown Foundation award for excellence in language skills. The $2,000 award is for graduating seniors who will be majoring in language in the fall of 2019. Jason will be attending Wisconsin University. Good luck to Jason and thank you to the teachers that submitted the nomination, Mr. Achtziger, Ms. Montuori and Ms. Zisel!
Congratulations to Louis Saraceni who is the recipient of a $50.oo scholarship from the Società Onoraria Italica. Louis will be recognized for his performance on the National Italian Exam by representatives of the Italian American Community, members of AATI ,and the Società Onoraria Italica, at a luncheon held at NYU. Tantissimi auguri to Louis and his teacher, Ms. Montuori!
Viva La Poesia!
Students from Calhoun, JFK and Mepham participated in the year’s American Association of Teachers of Italian annual contest that took place at SUNY Old Westbury. The events included poetry recitation, singing and cooking. There were 25 Long Island districts that participated with over 300 student contestants. We are very proud of Mepham participants Amanda Gundel, Donatella Acquaviva who both took part in the poetry recitation contest.
AP Spanish Students visit the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum!
On March 13th, students in Mrs. Zisel's AP Spanish and Language course visited the Brooklyn Museum to view the exhibit entitled "Frida Kahlo: Appearances can be Deceiving." Previously, these students had researched various Latino artists. This was a part of the "Beauty and Aesthetics" unit. They had the opportunity to view Frida’s artwork, articles of clothing, and jewelry up close. The students truly enjoyed connecting what they learned in the classroom to what they were able to view at the exhibit. It was an informative and fun experience for all!
Mepham Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Ms. Larrea (WL) and Ms. Parlagreco (AWOD) hosted an event on October 16th, in which students learned about the origins Hispanic Heritage Month. They also learned about the contributions of notable Hispanic Americans. Students made traditional guacamole and enjoyed a variety of empanadas. Gracias Ms. Larrea and Ms. Parlagreco!
Mepham Celebrates Foreign Language Week
The Department of World Languages celebrated Foreign Language Week, March5 –March 9th, with several fantastic activities and events. The department hosted its annual “Mystery Speaker Contest” with Ms. Maresca, Mr. Augugliaro, Mr. Vogel, Mr. Gómez and Ms. Spargifiore delivering morning announcements in various world languages. Each day, students completed ballots, guessing the identity of the mystery speaker.
The French, Italian and Spanish Honor Societies led by Ms. Eisenberg, Ms. Montuori and Ms. Morales decorated the World Language wing to represent each language. The beautifully decorated halls featured informational posters, as well as photos of countries representing the languages.
Throughout the week, students and faculty voted on the best poster in the department’s annual poster contest, the theme of which was “Kindness Connects Cultures.”
Congratulations to this year’s winners:
1st Place: John Carioti
2nd Place: Kate Lanzisera
3rd Place: Luke Lanzisera
Felicitacions! Auguri! ¡Felicitaciones!
Mepham's World Language Department in the News!
The Long Island Herald recently visited Mepham's World Language Department and Ms. O'Neill's Spanish 4H class. See the full article using the link below:
ELITE Breakout for Hispanic Heritage Month
On Thursday, October 17th, students participated in a "Breakout" activity based on Hispanic culture. The students worked in two teams to use their knowledge of Hispanic culture and critical thinking skills to solve clues and to unlock boxes leading to a team prize. The clues were based on geography, art, gastronomy, and music. This interactive and educational activity culminated in a tie-breaking salsa competition to name team “green” as the victors. Special thanks to the Spanish Honor Society and advisors Ms. Feldman and Ms. O’Neill for hosting this event.
See the photos below!
The Department of World Languages would like to congratulate the participants and winners of our fourth annual district-wide language contest. Students from both middle schools submitted entries in our poem, essay, poster, and comic strip categories. This year’s themes focused on the ideas of kindness, communication and cultural awareness. Thank you to the entire World Languages department for judging and to the faculty, staff, and students who submitted votes for the poster contest. We wish to thank all of our students who participated and the teachers who helped make this event a huge success.
French
2H Poetry
1st Place- Julia Gallagher, Ms. Hayes
3H Poetry
1st Place- Julia Caponi, Ms. Hayes
2nd Place- Alyssa Flores, Ms. Hayes
4H Poetry
1st Place- Allison Trenkle, Ms. Hayes
AP Poetry
1st Place- Anna Mouras, Ms. Hayes
4H Comic Strip
1st Place- Kristen Jozwik, Ms.Hayes
AP Comic Strip
1st Place- Allee Tiefenwerth, Ms. Hayes
Italian
2R Essay
1st Place- Jessica Pagano, Ms. Montuori
2nd Place- Caroline Grippo, Ms. Montuori
2H Essay
2nd Place- Eleni Proios, Ms. Montuori
3H Essay
3rd Place- Katherine Aluotto, Mr. Franklin
2R Poem
1st Place- Kaitlyn Exner, Ms. Montuori
2nd Place- Ryan Stevanovic, Ms. Montuori
4H Poem
1st Place- Amanda Gundel, Mr. Franklin
2H Comic Strip
2nd Place- Louis Saraceni, Ms. Montuori
Spanish
3H Essay
2nd Place- Sreeshty Ray, Ms. Langevin
5R Essay
2nd Place- Ian Mass, Ms. McNeil
3rd Place- Danielle Jaghab, Ms. McNeil
2R Poem
2nd Place- Sophia Bonilla, Ms. McNeil
3rd Place- Laci Tinter, Ms. McNeil
2H Poem
3rd Place- Astrid Bonilla Rios, Ms. O’Neill
3H Poem
1st Place- Alyssa Dioguardi, Ms. Langevin
4H Poem
1st Place- Julia Caponi, Ms. Lo Monaco
2nd Place- Ben Berkowitz, Ms. O’Neill
5R Poem
2nd Place- Sara Goldstein, Ms. McNeil
3rd Place- Danielle Jaghab, Ms. McNeil
AP Poem
2nd Place- Rundi Ruan, Ms. Lo Monaco
2R Comic Strip
1st Place- Jill Silverstein, Ms. McNeil
2nd Place- Avery Saccio, Ms. McNeil
5R Comic Strip
1st Place- Rida Zaidi, Ms. McNeil
Posters
1st Place- John Carioti , Ms. O’Neill
2nd Place- Katie Lansizera, Ms. Lo Monaco
3rd Place- Luke Lansizera, Ms. Lo Monaco
Mepham WL Students Excel on National Exams!
Once again students in the World Languages Department excelled on prestigious National Examinations in French, Italian and Spanish. Special congratulations to our Gold winner, Samantha Cates who placed in the 95th percentile for the Spanish Exam!
Congratulations to all of our winners and to their teachers, Ms. Eisenberg, Mr. Franklin, Ms. Hayes, Ms. Langevin, Ms. Lo Monaco and Ms. O’Neill.
American Association of Teachers of French: National French Exam
Level 2A
Bronze:
Laverty, Kelsey
Lin, Eric
Millheiser-Benson, Gina
Honorable Mention:
Jagat, Lana
Johnson, Ashley
Rosenberg, Jenna
Level 3A
Silver:
Casimir, Candace
Waters, Matthew
Bronze:
Flores, Alyssa
Johnson, Avery
Honorable Mention:
Serken, Jessica
Checkla, Benjamin
Level 4A
Honorable Mention:
Jozwik, Kristen
Trenkle, Allison
Level 5A
Honorable Mention:
Connolly, Emma
Hasan, Yusuf
Mouras, Anna
American Association of Teachers of Italian: National Italian Exam
Level II
Silver:
Angelillo, Daniel
Grossman, Matthew
Bronze:
Saraceni, Louis
Scalamandre, Danielle
Achievement:
Depascale, Madison
Magro, Kyle
Level III
Bronze:
Deluca, Mia
Delgiorno, Joy
Pittman, Ryan
Achievement:
Annousas, Madison
Goldsmith, Jonathan
Hegi, Matthew
Lin, Samuel
Mayer, Jillian
Noto, Julianna
Shipley, Chloe
Sustic, Stefania
Level IV
Silver:
Ailincai, Nicole
Achievement:
Barnao, Anthony
Guarascio, Adriana
American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese: National Spanish Exam
Level II
Gold:
Samantha Cates
Silver:
Julian Collins
Anthony D’Amato
Eimann Khan
Tyler O’Neill
Honorable Mention:
Liam Donohue
Level III
Silver:
Caitlyn Cannon
Cristian Farias
Spencer Mattes
Bronze:
Alyssa Dioguardi
Christian Murcia
Honorable Mention:
Natalie Lawoo
Level IV
Silver:
Bronze:
Benjamin Berkowitz
David Collins
Jeffrey Langer
Lindsey Repper
Honorable Mention:
John Berry
Gabriela Daza
Jason Spielmann
Level V
Silver:
Sara Machado
Bronze:
Joel Aguirre
Srikar Indrakanti
Honorable Mention:
Anna Kamelhar
World Languages Honor Society Induction 2017
The Department of World Languages at Mepham High School held its annual honor society induction ceremonies on October 17th. During the induction, French, Italian, and Spanish students were honored for their excellence in their studies of a world language. The ceremony featured poetry and musical performances by students Anna Mouras, Yusuf Hasan, Gavin Dass, Olivia Larocchia, and Anil Bradley.
Thank you to the emcee Kiley Coen for conducting a beautiful ceremony. The induction also included a photo montage that showcased highlights from the students’ language studies. Thank you to Ms. Langevin for once again creating the montage. A special thank you to our honor society advisors and induction planners Ms. Hayes, Ms. Montuori, and Ms. Morales!
Congratulations to all of the inductees!
¡ Escaparse!
February 2, 2018
Spanish teachers Ms. Morales, Mrs. McNeil, and Ms. O'Neill collaborated with Ms. Stack, the librarian, for a "Breakout" activity. Students in Spanish levels 2 and 2H were divided into teams where they worked together to use clues and figure out how to "break in" to a box. Similar to the concept of "Escape the Room", clues had to be interpreted in order to open a series of locks. The theme was food and students applied their language skills to navigate the challenge. It was a fun day for all!
Mepham Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month!
On October 25th, Mepham students celebrated Day of the Dead by learning about the holiday and painting sugar skull canvases. Ms. McNeil organized this ELITE event that featured a presentation, videos and a guided painting experience from a Key to My Art studio. See photos below!
