Long Beach High School students enrolled in Dr. Tornabene’s IB Biology and Mr. Vaeth’s IB Physics classes recently took part in an engaging presentation highlighting careers in engineering and biomedical sciences. The presentation was led by John Brownell, Co-President of the Biomedical Engineering Society at Hofstra University.

During his visit, Mr. Brownell introduced students to a wide range of engineering disciplines, including biomedical, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering, and discussed the diverse career pathways available to engineering graduates. He also shared insights into engineering-related professions, typical salary ranges, and the academic and experiential opportunities offered through Hofstra’s engineering programs.

In addition, Mr. Brownell offered practical advice on how high school students can begin preparing for college and engineering majors, emphasizing the importance of strong coursework in science and mathematics, participation in hands-on learning experiences, and exploration of personal interests.

The presentation provided the IB science students with a valuable real-world perspective on how their current studies connect to future college and career opportunities, while encouraging them to think broadly about pathways within STEM fields.

 

Date Added: 1/30/2026

Lido Elementary fourth graders in Long Beach recently enjoyed an enriching experience through their participation in Dancing Classrooms Long Island, Social Ballroom program. Through this ten-week program twice weekly, students were introduced to the art of social ballroom dance while fostering essential life skills such as respect, collaboration, manners, self-esteem, and self-confidence.

Over the last few months, the students have worked diligently to learn a variety of ballroom dances, including the Merengue, Foxtrot, Rumba, Swing, Waltz, and Tango. Through Dancing Classrooms, students discover community, creativity, and collaboration skills that extend far beyond the dance floor. Their hard work and enthusiasm culminated in a joyful final showcase that happened in mid-January when parents and families were invited to celebrate and watch the students perform. Teachers were thrilled to join their students on this dancing journey, making the experience even more meaningful and memorable.

Dancing Classrooms is recognized as a collaborative and culturally rich art form found in communities around the world. These dances are traditionally practiced in duets or groups for social purposes such as celebrations, ceremonies, rituals, sport, exercise, or simply for fun. While social dances may be choreographed or performed for audiences, their primary purpose is connection. Improvisation plays an important role in their evolution and is encouraged once students learn the basic vocabulary. Above all, social dance thrives on live interaction. The Dancing Classrooms program left a lasting impression on students, staff, and families alike, celebrating not only dance, but also confidence, teamwork, and joy.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students representing West Elementary School in Long Beach proudly presented a $500 donation to the Long Beach Soup Kitchen. The funds were raised through the school’s annual Turkey Trot Fundraiser. The contribution reflected the collective effort and generosity of the school community, led by its youngest learners. West Principal Amy Dirolf said, “Through efforts like this, our students are learning the importance of compassion, service, and showing kindness to others in meaningful ways.”

This effort is part of West Elementary’s 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge, an initiative that encourages students to take responsibility for their words, actions, and choices and is also part of the school’s upcoming milestone centennial celebration.

A sixth-grade team representing Long Beach Middle School’s Activities Promoting Thinking (APT) class achieved Highest Honors in the 39th annual WordMasters Challenge, a national vocabulary competition. The Long Beach students scored an impressive 169 points out of a possible 200 placing them tenth in the nation. 

They competed in the very difficult Gold Division and team results are based on the cumulative scores of the top ten finishers, including ties. Top finishers included, Jack McNicholas, Caylee Donaghy, Arwyn Donofrio, Laina Sisko, Rowan McLaughlin, Harlen Werner, Peter Latman, Wolfe Scanio, Madeline Eckert, Jackson Ferraro, Slate Koss, and Riley Pilczak. Additionally, Jack McNicholas achieved outstanding individual results scoring a 19 out of 20. The students were coached in preparation for the WordMasters Challenge by Long Beach English Teacher Walter Kramme. 

The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words that are considerably harder than grade level and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships.    

 

Date Added: 1/22/2026

Fifth grade students from Long Beach Learning Activities to Raise Creativity (LARC) delivered an outstanding performance in the first of three meets in this year’s WordMasters Challenge™, with multiple students scoring in the top 5% nationally and two earning perfect scores in the highly competitive Gold Division. Fifth graders Jiya Klarner and August Rodabaugh achieved perfect scores of 20, a rare distinction earned by only 35 fifth-grade students nationwide. Their achievement highlights both exceptional vocabulary mastery and advanced critical-thinking skills.

Additionally, to the perfect scores, several other LARC students placed in the top 5% of scores nationally, including Max April, Blythe Aull, Dylan Davies, Declan Garvey, Tyler Gorman, Charles Johnston, Rafe Kaminsky, Beckett McCaffrey-Ricardo and Ryan McMahon.

The WordMasters Challenge™ is a nationally recognized competition that emphasizes critical thinking and verbal reasoning. The WordMasters Challenge™ encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships. Working to solve the analogies helps students learn to think both analytically and metaphorically. With two more meets remaining this year, Long Beach LARC students have set an impressive standard of excellence and look forward to continued success in the WordMasters Challenge™.