Uniondale Union Free School District

Uniondale Union Free School District recently invited three-time New York Times Bestselling author, motivational speaker, podcast host and digital strategist Luvvie Ajayi Jones to Uniondale High School to give a book talk. Each scholar received a copy of her book Rising Troublemaker, an inspirational book for teens that teaches readers to face their fears and be the bravest and most authentic versions of themselves.

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, Uniondale Union Free School District celebrated teachers across the District for their dedication to providing scholars with a holistic, safe and inspiring education. Walnut Street Elementary School music teacher, Mr. Juan Carlos Tavarez, was among the teachers highlighted for his teaching methods.

Uniondale Union Free School District has announced that eight Uniondale scholars have been selected to have their artwork displayed virtually at the New York State Art Teachers Association Legislative Student Art Exhibit. This is the 33rd annual exhibit which features artwork from scholars K-12 across New York State.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Grand Avenue Elementary School recently held a Read and Eat Dessert with Dad event after school. Scholars in Pre-K-5 and their father figures, including but not limited to dads, uncles, older brothers, cousins and other male role models, were invited to the Grand Avenue School to read together and play games.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Fine and Performing Arts Department has had an exciting March. The Knights showed off their musical aptitude and artistic talent at events across the nation.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Grand Avenue Elementary School recently held a Publishing Tea Party. In celebration of early childhood literacy, first-grade classes came together to mark the “publication” of each class book.

Uniondale High School’s Knighttime Jazz Band recently participated in the MADD Battle of the High School Jazz Bands. Held at the NYCB Theater at the Westbury Music Fair, the Knighttime Jazz Band took on East Meadow High School, Ward Melville High School, Hicksville High School and Harborfields High School.

Faculty and students from the School of Education and SUNY Old Westbury recently visited Uniondale High School in a “takeover” of sophomores' and seniors' classes to discuss the possibilities of education and teaching as a career and the experiences available from attending college.

2023)—Black History Month is a time when extraordinary individuals within the black community are honored for their achievements throughout the years. At Legislator Kevan M. Abrahams & Fidelis Care’s Black History Month celebration, Uniondale Superintendent of Schools Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil was honored for her many contributions to the District and Uniondale community. 

During Black History Month the Board of Education of the Uniondale School District recognized some of our outstanding members of our district community. Congratulations to the following individuals: Mr. Joel Bradley, Ms. Blossom DaCosta, Mr. Winston Clarke, Mr. Robert Johnson, Mr. Trevor Parke, Ms. Lenore Pringle, Mrs. Debra Sellers-Duncan, Mrs. Wendy Simpson Thank you for your outstanding contributions to our school district!

Uniondale Union Free School District recently held a Black History Month symposium at Uniondale High School. Titled “Before Me, With Me, Inspiring Me,” the night of inspiration invited attendees to a celebration with song, dance, spoken word, visual art, delicacies, crafts, ethnic goods and an African marketplace. Attendees were encouraged to dress in ethnic attire.

Oceanside and Uniondale students put their thinking caps on last month to talk about the important issues of our time as part of the Bridges program. It’s the start of a new cycle for the program, which began in 2016 when seventh graders from each district began a six-year odyssey to learn about and discuss topics such as socioeconomics, politics, race, immigration, protest movements, and more. This year, that journey began once again for a new group of seventh graders. In addition, Oceanside and Uniondale 9th and 11th graders resumed their participation in Bridges after being interrupted by the pandemic.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Grand Ave Elementary School recently held Pre-K Fashion Week. Designed to promote academic performance through daily activities, each day throughout the week was dedicated to a different predetermined theme. Scholars were tasked with following that theme through their unique fashion choices.

The Uniondale Union Free School District wishes to congratulate Evan Mallory, 5th grader at Northern Parkway Elementary School for winning the District-Wide Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 25th. Congratulations also goes to the two students tied for second place Zyaa Cherenfant, 7th grader at Lawrence Road Middle School and Albert Aquilar Chinchilla, 5 grader from Northern Parkway Middle School.

Uniondale Union Free School District recently celebrated the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars across the District participated in various activities, including an art and essay exhibit, a musical tribute and a panel discussion to reflect on Dr. King's legacy, as well as the ongoing struggles in American society.

2023)—Uniondale High School recently welcomed spokespeople from the U.S. Army who spoke to scholars about the large variety of career opportunities in the U.S. Army. Representatives talked about careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and robotics and about the importance of these specializations in how they have advanced the Army.

Seven Uniondale Union Free School District scholars have been selected to have their artwork featured in Cornell University’s 2023 Long Island Gardening and Calendar and Guide. The calendar features a daily guide on “best practices,” such as seasonal guidelines to be aware of for gardening on Long Island, along with QR codes with further information. Coinciding with the factual information are beautiful pieces of artwork of nature produced by scholars across Long Island.

On the first day back after the winter break, Uniondale Union Free School District held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the newly-renovated cafeteria. Upgrades included freshly painted walls by RJ Painting, new floors by Parson’s Flooring and new furniture provided by Ridgewood.

Uniondale elementary students learned about coding and robotics at Super Science Saturday — and parents participated too. "The world is moving into a super-technical, robotic age," said Uniondale High School technology teacher Jack Drevnyak, "and we want our students to be prepared for careers in the future, or to get into high school and pursue these STEAM courses, so that when they do graduate, they can land a good job."

Some members of Uniondale's ENL/Bilingual and World Language department were featured in a story highlighting what districts in Long Island are doing to meet the challenges of English language learners through the pandemic.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Lawrence Road Middle School and Uniondale High School debate teams recently participated in the American Debate League Fall Classic—the first in-person tournament of the school year. The event was held at In-Tech Academy in the Bronx.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Lawrence Road Middle School recently held a Thanksgiving celebration for their English as a New Language (ENL) scholars. This was the largest Thanksgiving event held at Lawrence Road, with over 160 scholars in attendance.

Uniondale Union Free School District is proud to announce that Mr. Frank Abel, retired Band Director at the Uniondale High School from 1996-2011, has been inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame as an Educator of Note. The Music Educator of Note Award celebrates excellence in music education on Long Island.

Uniondale Union Free School District held its first of five Super Science Saturdays on October 22nd at Northern Parkway Elementary School. Organized by the District's science department, each week will focus on a different theme that will include engaging hands-on projects that are fun for the whole family.

WPIX News coverage video about Uniondale High School's College and Career Room and student achievements.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Walnut Street Elementary School and Grand Avenue Elementary School Pre-K scholars recently cast their votes in their first election. 

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Smith Street Elementary School recently held a book celebration for Pre-K scholars. All scholars were gifted the book Thank You Omu by Oge Mora.

Students at Uniondale High School who are part of the My Brother's Keeper program spent the day with Nets player Treveon Graham and general manager J.R. Holden.

Named the “Cougar Camp-Read-A-Lot,” Uniondale Union Free School District’s California Avenue Elementary School recently held a camp-style family literacy night for scholars in grades Pre-K-5. Developed to capture the imagination of young readers, families participated in various interactive activities and workshops to promote reading skills. There were raffles, a photo booth, food and free books for each scholar. Over 400 scholars attended the event.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Grand Avenue Elementary School recently participated in Red Ribbon Week, an annual celebration to advocate for the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and staying drug and alcohol-free. The national week-long celebration from October 23rd to the 31st included daily activities for scholars, faculty and administration. This year’s Red Ribbon Theme at Grand Avenue was “My Life is a Work of Art.”

Uniondale Union Free School District’s California Avenue Elementary School recently held a Cougar College and Career Pep Rally, encouraging young scholars to begin preparing for their future. The school was filled with college spirit, with scholars and staff all wearing college attire.

Uniondale High School recently participated in Unity Day, a nationwide initiative by Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center to promote solidarity among scholars while raising awareness about bullying. Scholars and staff sported orange attire and participated in various activities where they were instructed on how to address bullying situations.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Walnut Street Elementary School recently celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month in a week packed with exciting cultural lessons. The month-long celebration from September 15-October 15 was the perfect opportunity for educators to shine a light on the community’s diversity and the particular contributions of Hispanic Americans to our country’s history, culture and achievement.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s elementary schools recently participated in Smile Day, a worldwide celebration to spread joy where people commit to performing random acts of kindness. As part of the event, scholars and staff came to school wearing clothing with smiley faces or their favorite outfits.

Held on October 8, 2022, the Uniondale Union Free School District Homecoming celebration was a huge success. To commence the celebration, scholars, family and community members gathered to watch the Homecoming parade, led by the Uniondale High School JROTC Knights Battalion. The festive parade featured scholars of all ages and schools showcasing clubs, sports and activities.

In honor of Fire Prevention Week, Uniondale Union Free School District conducted various training exercises to ensure scholars have the knowledge they need to make appropriate decisions in a fire emergency. The Uniondale Fire Department partnered with the District's elementary schools to conduct numerous training programs throughout the week.

Uniondale Union Free School District has partnered with Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology through the New York State Department of Education’s Pathways in Technology (P-Tech) grant to establish a six-year STEM program for scholars. The program will allow scholars to enter one of two tracks at Vaughn College—animation and digital graphics or electrical engineering technology. Freeport and Wyandanch Uniondale Free School Districts’ scholars also have the opportunity to join the program.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Walnut Street Elementary School and California Avenue Elementary School recently participated in International Dot Day. The global celebration focuses on creativity, bravery and self-expression while encouraging scholars to work together and collaborate with their peers. Scholars and staff dress in polka dot outfits to commemorate the occasion.

Uniondale Union Free School District recently held two ribbon-cutting ceremonies to celebrate the completion of the newly constructed wings at Grand Avenue Elementary School and Smith Street Elementary School. The school board, central administration, principals, bond advisory committee, H2M Architects and Engineers, and Elite and Triton Construction companies cut the ribbons at each school and led a walkthrough of the new additions.

Uniondale Union Free School District’s My Brother’s Keeper organization recently held a back-to-school barbeque celebration attended by returning and prospective new members.

On September 1, Uniondale Union Free School District welcomed all scholars and staff back for the 2022-2023 school year. With recent changes to COVID-19 protocols for schools across New York State now in effect, scholars were eager to rejoin their peers in a setting that will be closer to pre-pandemic learning.

Uniondale Union Free School District recently held a two-day orientation for new teachers. All new teachers met at Uniondale High School, where they learned the District’s procedures, policies, and mission and listened to workshops on the curriculum and instruction.

Matthew Ritter Joins District Central Admin Team as Assistant Superintendent for Data, Planning, Assessment and Accountability

Uniondale Union Free School District is excited to announce the formation of the HS-Latina Mentoring Program in partnership with the New York State Mentoring Program (NYSMP). Two 90-minute sessions will take place every month on Saturday mornings, with the program running from October through May. The launch event for this initiative will take place on Thursday, October 13th at Uniondale High School.

The Uniondale Union Free School District has held its first Board of Education meeting for the 2022-2023 school year, swearing in the new School Board. The Board of Education will remain under its trusted leadership for the new school year, with Dr. Mary Bediako returning as Board President and Board member Natalie Longsworth selected to serve as Vice President.

Uniondale Union Free School District is reinventing summer school. This summer, for the first time since 2019, scholars have the opportunity to return to school for in-person educational opportunities in a completely overhauled summer school program. Enrichment programs are currently offered at both the elementary and middle school level, with a comprehensive spectrum of courses to choose from.

The New York State School Boards Association awarded Northern Parkway Elementary School with their Champion of Change award for their Blacks in Wax Museum exhibit. The school was presented with a banner by NYSSBA Area 11 director, B.A. Schoen.