School Notebook: Boys Volleyball Team Honored, Orchestra Performs

Here's a quick round-up of recent student achievements, teaching accomplishments, projects and happenings within the school district.

Suffolk County Champs Honored
The Lindenhurst Varsity Boys Volleyball team - which last Fall - was honored at the most recent Lindenhurst Board of Education Community Forum at .

Coaches Kevin Muscarello and Angelo Cioffaletti were on hand to hand out certificates to each member of the "," which finished the season 12-0 and made it to the against Massapequa. That's when the team fell in three games.

No matter, though, since the team clearly did Lindy proud. It had the League I Player of the Year (Gerard Gigante) and several all-county players, and Head Coach Muscarello got the nod for Coach of the Year.

Lindenhurst Schools Athletic Director Anthony Amesti offered words of praise for the team, noting that it not only captured the county crown, but it was also designated a Fall this year by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association for maintaining an overall unweighted GPA of 90 or higher (94.53) for the 2011 Fall season.

The team also recognized by Section XI as winners of the Outstanding Sportsmanship Team Award, Amesti added.

Viva Vivaldi
Following the presentation to the volleyball team, Coordinator of Fine and Performing Arts Rose Marvel introduced music teacher Deb Vaccaro and the fifth-grade Alleghany Avenue orchestra.

Vaccaro led her students in a performance of classical music by Vivaldi featuring Baroque-style bow techniques Vaccaro taught the students to achieve the sound of the piece.

"The Baroque style dates back to late 1600s-early 1700s," Marvel noted.

Vaccaro explained the style of Vivaldi: "His pieces usually had a thin wisp of sound that gradually built up using layered tones."

Then she had the students in each section - violin, viola, cello and bass - demonstrate each of those tones and techniques before they began the piece. Techniques included Baroque-style bow movements, staccato and short "attacks," which, Vaccaro said, are common in Vivaldi's music.

"The result is a robust sound," Vaccaro said, adding that she was very proud of her students who learned what she characterized as the "most sophisticated piece of music" she's ever taught elementary students.

"They really captured the the heart and soul of the music," she said, and the audience agreed, offering a standing ovation.

Display of Creativity
In addition to the musical performance, artwork done by the students at Alleghany Avenue was on display at the BOE community Forum on .

Art teacher Nicole Pappas' first-grade students presented images of trees that demonstrated "line, shape and texture" techniques they learned, explained Marvel.

The second-grade students presented Winter scenes using "mixed media," including tempured paints, Marvel said.