department news
Students engage in shark style presentations in spanish class
In Sra. Cooper's Spanish 4H class, students recently engaged in a creative and competitive activity reminiscent of the TV show "Shark Tank." Their task was to invent products and pitch them in presentations, vying for votes to advance to the final round. After each class selected a winning group, the finalists faced a panel of ENL students who determined the ultimate winner. The winning idea, MejorAtleta, an app designed to enhance basketball skills, stood out among other impressive concepts like Comida-O-Matica (a 3D food printer), Omnivision (multi-functional glasses), and Uberbe (safe transportation for kids). Congratulations to all participants for their innovative thinking!
JFK STUDENTS CELEBRATE NATIONAL WORLD LANGUAGE WEEK
JFK students participated in multiple activities to celebrate World Language Week. Students unleashed their creativity through a poster display titled “The Magic of Language,” showcasing the importance of language learning. Congratulations to our first place winner, Daniella Tejada, as well as second and third place contestants, Noelle Ressa and Jonathan Salerno. Adding even more color, our department proudly presented its inaugural “Welcome to World Language” mural, which served as a canvas for students to express their favorite phrases, reflecting the joy and creativity they experience while learning a new language. The enthusiasm continued with our WL Trivia Challenge, where representatives from each class participated in an exciting final round, testing their general knowledge of languages. Congratulations to our first-place winner, Lucas Linn, as well as Maisie Leo, Mason Schlesinger and Nathan Domb for their top scores in the tournament. Finally, Cougar TV took the celebration a step further with a special segment featuring students from the ENL program. They shared their favorite phrases, inviting their peers to guess the language and the meaning of their phrases. This weeklong celebration truly highlighted the depth and richness of language learning at JFK.
JFK STUDENTS welcome THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON
Students in JFK's Mandarin classes celebrated the vibrant traditions of the Chinese New Year in class this week through different activities. Led by their Mandarin teacher Ms. Chen, students immersed themselves in the Year of the Dragon festivities, adorning the World Language hallway with a burst of color through decorations like dragons, banners, and paper lanterns. Ms. Chen's classes delved into the art of calligraphy, mastering Chinese characters using authentic brushes and ink. As the anticipation for the New Year builds (starting on February 10), students indulged in Chinese snacks courtesy of Ms. Chen. These events, co-sponsored by Culture Club, led by Ms. Fiorentino, the Chinese Honor Society, and students in Ms. Chen's classes, sum up the spirit of the Spring Festival where good fortune is wished for the upcoming year. A special thanks to Ms.Chen for planning these celebrations!
¡Buen provecho! Students savor delicious venezuelan treats
Students in Mrs. Fiorentino’s College Spanish classes just wrapped up an appetizing journey exploring Hispanic cuisine as part of the Food Unit! Delving into the rich flavors of Venezuela, they savored a tasting adventure provided by Los Roques, a local Venezuelan restaurant. From the iconic Venezuelan arepas, delicious pockets of maize dough bursting with fillings, to the crispy delight of los tequeños—cheese sticks wrapped in dough—and the sweet flavors of cachapas—corn pancakes—the students delighted their taste buds with a diverse array of traditional dishes. It was a flavorful exploration that transported them to the heart of Hispanic culinary culture.
WORLD CULTURES CELEBRATED AT JFK'S CULTURE CLUB EVENT
Students showcased global awareness at the John F. Kennedy Culture Club's recent 2023 World Culture Fair! On Monday, November 20th, our school celebrated diversity in a vibrant showcase organized by Culture Club. Students poured their hearts into over 25 cultural displays, treating everyone to a journey through global cuisines and rich, informative presentations. Led by the club advisor, Ms. Fiorentino, this event was a testament to the beauty of our world's diversity. Many thanks to all who joined us for this informative and enjoyable celebration!
Spanish Students embark on an in-class international journey
Sra. Cooper's 4H classes went on an international journey this week! Students in her class welcomed Spanish-speaking English Language Learners, who shared captivating insights into tourist hotspots in their home countries. Through pictures and engaging discussions, these students not only showcased exotic destinations but also discovered striking resemblances between their cultures and the United States. It was a rewarding experience for everyone involved, fostering language practice in Spanish and fostering meaningful cross-cultural exchanges.
SAY CHEESE! FRENCH STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN CHEESE TASTING
Students in Ms. Archer’s French 2R class had the opportunity to savor one of France’s culinary delights. Ms. Archer’s students had a delightful time delving into the fascinating realm of French cheeses during their recent food unit. As part of the celebration for National French Week, students had the opportunity to savor and compare three distinct cheese varieties. Bon appétit!
CULTURAL EXCHANGE: ENL STUDENTS IMMERSE IN SPANISH 3H CLASSES
Our English as a New Language students recently visited Mrs. Fiorentino's Period 7 Spanish 3H class. In this immersive experience, they delved into discussions about family traditions, household responsibilities, and the dynamics of family personalities. This engaging exchange not only saw effortless conversations but also uncovered similarities and differences in cultural practices. It was a resounding success marked by shared insights and a rich cultural exchange. Thank you to Ms. Cabrera, Ms. Fiorentino and Ms. Glick for organizing this exchange. Such experiences that foster cultural awareness make JFK such an exciting place for students to thrive.
JFK STUDENTS EXCET AT AATI's 2nd annual summer tiktok contest
John F. Kennedy School High School is pleased to announce the achievements of our students in the second annual TikTok Contest organized by the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI). We extend our congratulations to the talented JFK students who emerged as winners in this creative competition. In this fun and exciting contest, students were challenged to create a one-minute video summarizing their summer experiences. The students' entries showcased their creativity and demonstrated their abilities.
We are happy to share the names of our winners and the respective categories in which they won:
- Julia Barone- "Most Original Video"
- Brooklyn Iannelli- "Most Cultural Video"
- Luca Kaplan- "Most Unpredictable Video"
- Alyson Moreno- "Most Exciting Video"
- Sara Maltempi- "Most Animated Video"
- Ethan Marino- "Sweetest Video"
Congratulations to each of these students for their contributions to the AATI's TikTok Contest.
We also extend our appreciation to Ms. Alfieri, their Italian teacher, for her guidance and support. Auguri!
We are happy to share the names of our winners and the respective categories in which they won:
- Julia Barone- "Most Original Video"
- Brooklyn Iannelli- "Most Cultural Video"
- Luca Kaplan- "Most Unpredictable Video"
- Alyson Moreno- "Most Exciting Video"
- Sara Maltempi- "Most Animated Video"
- Ethan Marino- "Sweetest Video"
Congratulations to each of these students for their contributions to the AATI's TikTok Contest.
We also extend our appreciation to Ms. Alfieri, their Italian teacher, for her guidance and support. Auguri!
KENNEDY's ENL Program Delivers Chills and Thrills
John F. Kennedy High School's English as a New Language (ENL) program kicked off the fall season with a series of spine-tingling Halloween activities this October, marking their first Halloween celebration at the school. On October 18, students embarked on an exciting adventure to Hicks Nursery, where they continued their annual pumpkin-picking tradition, followed by a collaborative pumpkin carving with their peers. The Halloween spirit was in full swing as English Language Learners (ELLs) joined forces with their English 2 and 3 classmates to master the art of carving spooky faces and intricate designs into their pumpkins, a nod to the rich American tradition. The result was an impressive display of creativity and skill. The Halloween fun did not stop there. ELLs teamed up with the Kennedy Art Club members to transform the ENL classroom into a bone-chilling haunted house. This eerie attraction featured paranormal activity and forest chases, all inspired by the spine-tingling depictions of this truly American holiday. The students from the ENL program and the Art Club donned multiple hats as they assumed roles as engineers, technicians, makeup artists, ticket-takers, marketers, and actors to bring to life Kennedy High School's inaugural Halloween event of its kind. The haunted house made a thrilling comeback on Saturday, October 28, just in time for Kennedy High School's Safe Halloween event. The fear-filled fun continued with a full day of fright on October 30th, as the spine-tingling performances continued throughout the day. Many Kennedy students, faculty, and administrators had the opportunity to experience something truly unique and exciting. In the aftermath of the terrifying tour, several students were overheard saying, "That was actually scary!"
JFK INDUCTS NEWEST MEMBERS OF WORLD LANGUAGE HONOR SOCIETies
On Tuesday, October 18, the JFK World Language Department inducted its newest members into the Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese Honor Societies. These students were honored for their excellence in their studies of a world language in a ceremony that included student poetry, speeches, and a video montage featuring departmental highlights. Special thanks go to Ms. Francesca Engelson for organizing this event, Gabriela Tejada for serving as the Master of Ceremony, and to Sophie Clancy, Eliana Conrad, Sara Maltempi, and Jocelyn Yeung for their poetry reading and for leading the oath for each of the languages. Congratulations to all the inductees!
CULTURE CLUB AND ENL STUDENTS LEAD DANCE DEMONSTRATION
On Monday, October 2, the John F. Kennedy Culture Club in partnership with the ENL program hosted a Latin dance class. Students from the ENL class demonstrated how to dance bachata, cumbia, merengue and salsa. The students, club advisor Ms. Fiorentino, ENL teachers Ms. Cabrera and Ms. Glick would like to thank everyone who attended this fun event.
students participate in cinco de mayo celebration
Students in Ms. Schickler's Spanish 1 class recently celebrated Cinco de Mayo by sampling Mexican food. Prior to the event, students had been learning vocabulary related to restaurants and engaged in simulations in which they had to order food. Students even had the opportunity to make guacamole in class. Everyone had a great time.
Spanish students learn about history of food trucks
Spanish 3H students in Ms. Fiorentino's class learned about the history of Food Trucks in America during our food unit. They were evaluated on their presentational communication skills through speaking and writing. They also included a visual of their Food Trucks. Several World Language Classes voted for their favorite Food Truck. The winners are: 1st Place: Rani Davidoff, Shelby Pugatch and Giavanna Shvarts. 2nd Place: Sophia Benno, Olivia Silver and Samantha Weiner. 3rd Place: Sarah Lieberman and Jolie Yablon.
Students enjoy dance performance
Mrs. Fiorentino’s classes had the opportunity to take a field to the Patchogue Theater of Performing Arts to see a performance of cultural dances from Argentina, Cuba, Colombia, Spain and more! Students even interacted with the dancers on stage! Following the show, students visited a Peruvian restaurant where they tried Peruvian chicken, rice and beans, yuca frita, and tostones. The kids had a great time!
JFK Celebrates world language week
The JFK Department of World Languages would like to congratulate all students who participated in our poster contest commemorating World Language Week under the theme “Language is a Path to….”.
Congratulations to our first place winner, Stephanie Pedone as well as second and third place contestants, Jyd Parcia and Daniella Tejada A big thank you to all faculty, staff, and students who voted in this year’s competition.
Students also participated in the 2nd Annual World Language Trivia Challenge. Congratulations to our first place winner, Vik Singh, as well as our second and third place winners, Jeremy Wang and Jacob Levy.
Congratulations to our first place winner, Stephanie Pedone as well as second and third place contestants, Jyd Parcia and Daniella Tejada A big thank you to all faculty, staff, and students who voted in this year’s competition.
Students also participated in the 2nd Annual World Language Trivia Challenge. Congratulations to our first place winner, Vik Singh, as well as our second and third place winners, Jeremy Wang and Jacob Levy.
Students compete in district wide contest
Congratulations to Jyd Raia Parcia and Stephanie Pedone who were selected second and third place winners in the district-wide World Language Poster contest held at Brookside.
In addition, congratulations to the winners of this year’s World Language Poetry and Essay Contest.
1st Place Italian 3R Poem– Paulett Gonzalez,
2nd Place Italian 3R Poem– Gianna Piscazzi,
3rd Place Italian 3R Poem – Haniyyah Myricks,
1st Place Italian 3H Poem – Noella Ressa,
2nd Place Italian 3H Poem– Giovanni Scimeca
1st Place Italian 4H Essay– Sara Maltempi
2nd Place Italian 4H Essay– Liliana Rogina
3rd Place Italian 4H Essay– Jamie Pellegrino
1st Place Italian 5R Poem– Michael Kreuder
2nd Place Italian 5R Poem – Massimo Marino
1st Place Mandarin 2H Essay– Emma O’Reilly
2nd Place Mandarin 2H Essay – Conor McMillan
3rd Place Mandarin 2H Essay – Juliet Cener
1st Place Mandarin 3H Poem– Mason Tso
2nd Place Mandarin 3H Poem– Joleen Shau
2nd Place Mandarin AP Poem– Danielle Berkowitz
1st Place Spanish 2H Essay– Stavros Karounos
1st Place Spanish 3H Poem – Victoria Pacheco
1st Place Spanish 4R Essay – Alexander Leiderman
1st Place Spanish 4H Essay – Gabriella Tejada
2nd Place Spanish 4H Essay – Caylin Puig
3rd Place Spanish 4H Essay – Jocelyn Nashtatik
2nd Place Spanish AP Poem– Stephanie Prestia,
3rd Place Spanish AP Poem– Dylan Estrin
In addition, congratulations to the winners of this year’s World Language Poetry and Essay Contest.
1st Place Italian 3R Poem– Paulett Gonzalez,
2nd Place Italian 3R Poem– Gianna Piscazzi,
3rd Place Italian 3R Poem – Haniyyah Myricks,
1st Place Italian 3H Poem – Noella Ressa,
2nd Place Italian 3H Poem– Giovanni Scimeca
1st Place Italian 4H Essay– Sara Maltempi
2nd Place Italian 4H Essay– Liliana Rogina
3rd Place Italian 4H Essay– Jamie Pellegrino
1st Place Italian 5R Poem– Michael Kreuder
2nd Place Italian 5R Poem – Massimo Marino
1st Place Mandarin 2H Essay– Emma O’Reilly
2nd Place Mandarin 2H Essay – Conor McMillan
3rd Place Mandarin 2H Essay – Juliet Cener
1st Place Mandarin 3H Poem– Mason Tso
2nd Place Mandarin 3H Poem– Joleen Shau
2nd Place Mandarin AP Poem– Danielle Berkowitz
1st Place Spanish 2H Essay– Stavros Karounos
1st Place Spanish 3H Poem – Victoria Pacheco
1st Place Spanish 4R Essay – Alexander Leiderman
1st Place Spanish 4H Essay – Gabriella Tejada
2nd Place Spanish 4H Essay – Caylin Puig
3rd Place Spanish 4H Essay – Jocelyn Nashtatik
2nd Place Spanish AP Poem– Stephanie Prestia,
3rd Place Spanish AP Poem– Dylan Estrin
Mandarin students excel in essay contest
Students from Ms. Qiu’s 4H/AP Mandarin class recently participated in the 19th Annual National CLASS Essay Contest. The competition, hosted by the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools, asked students to reflect on how the world has changed and how these changes have created opportunities to create a better life. Congratulations to Kayleigh Reardon (Honorable Mention), Kaylin Zhou (Gold), Ava Goldsmith (Silver), Danielle Berkowitz (Silver), and of course their Mandarin teacher, Ms. Lydia Qiu.
JFK Students Celebrate Lunar New Year
JFK students marked the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit with multiple celebrations over the course of two weeks. During the week of January 9th, students decorated the World Language hallway with colorful decorations that included good luck banners and paper lanterns. Students in Ms. Chen’s 2H and 3H classes had a lesson in the art of calligraphy as they practiced Chinese characters with the use of authentic brushes and ink. The festivities culminated on January 23rd with a demonstration in which students prepared authentic Chinese dumplings. The events were co-sponsored by Culture Club and students in Ms. Qiu’s 4H/AP class. Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the Spring Festival, when people wish each other good fortune for the year ahead. A very special thanks to all students who participated, to Culture Club advisor, Ms. Fiorentino, and to Ms. Qiu for co-planning such a colorful and delicious event.
Say cheese! culture club sponsors mozzarella demonstration
On Monday, December 5th, Culture Club hosted an event with Anthony Agostino, from Agostino Mozzarella Company. He demonstrated how to make fresh mozzarella to staff and students. Everyone tasted the finished product in a chicken cutlet sandwich! Simply delicious!
ITALIAN STUDENTS EARN 2nd and 3rd PLACE IN AATI’s PHOTO CONTEST
Congratulations to JFK’s Sarah Maltempi and Liliana Rogina for their second and third place wins in this year’s AATI’s Made in Italy Photo Contest, hosted by the American Association of Teachers of Italian. The contest’s theme is Tracce D'Italia in NY (Traces of Italy in New York). It asks students to submit original photos displaying Italian influence in their communities. Winners are selected based on the artistry of their photos, connection to the theme and the description provided. Congratulations to Sarah, Liliana and to her teacher, Ms. Nicolina Alfieri!
Culture Club Celebrates diversity and cultural awareness
On Monday, November 22, the John F. Kennedy Culture Club hosted its 2022 World Culture Fair. Club members demonstrated their appreciation of cultural diversity throughout the afternoon showcasing foods and cultural information from around the globe. This year’s event had over 20 cultural displays and counted with the participation of over 60 students and staff members. The students and club advisor, Ms. Fiorentino, would like to thank everyone who attended this fun and informational event.
WL DEPARTMENT TEACHERS SHINE oN ACADEMIC FIELD DAY
WL teachers participated in JFK's first academic field day on Election Day November 8. Students had the opportunity to participate in workshops of their choice. In lieu of traditional instruction, students had a special day of instruction that allowed administrators, teachers, and staff to offer a workshop on topics of their choice. Some special topics included the making of cannoli, Spanish tapas, useful travel expressions and travel adventures. A lot of fun was had by all!
JFK STUDENT WINS AATI's ANNUAL SUMMER TIKTOK CONTEST
Congratulations to JFK’s Sara Maltempi on her first place win in the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI) Summer TikTok Contest. The competition asked students to submit a pre-recorded TikTok story that summed up the students’ summer experiences. Sara delighted the judges by making a video about her recent vacation to Italy. This year, the Judging Committee was composed of the AATI-LI Executive Board members. Sara was selected as the winner for having the most unpredictable video. Congratulations to Sara and to her Italian teacher, Ms. Nicolina Alfieri for this recognition. Auguri!
JFK INDUCTS NEWEST MEMBERS OF WL HONOR SOCIETIES
On Tuesday October 19, the JFK World Language Department inducted its newest members into the Spanish, French, Italian and Chinese Honor Societies. These students were honored for their excellence in their studies of a world language in a ceremony that included student poetry, speeches and a video montage featuring departmental highlights. Special thanks to Ms. Francesca Engelson for organizing this event, to Ava Goldsmith and Chris Sanchez for serving as Masters of Ceremony, and to Alexa Gaspar, Jewel Goldberg, Sarina Khan, Massimo Marino, Emma Rezvin, Antonio Scimeca, Gabriela Tejada and Constantino Varveris for their poetry reading and for leading the oath for each of the languages. Congratulations to all inductees!
JFK WL Teachers welcome students to the 22-23 school year
JFK Students Dance Through Cinco de Mayo
As part of the Cinco de Mayo celebration, Ms. Fiorentino organized a day of dance with her students and the JFK World Language Department. Anthony Mouras, a professional dancer from the Arthur Murray Dance School, came to JFK and taught our students different styles of Latin ballroom dance. Students were taken through step-by-step dance routines with authentic Hispanic music. Students were enthusiastic and delighted to learn how to dance bachata, a popular dance originating from the Caribbean. Special thanks to Mr. Mouras for his participation and to Ms. Fiorentino for organizing this event.
JFK HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES WORLD LANGUAGE WEEK
AND ANNOUNCES POSTER CONTEST WINNERS
The JFK Department of World Languages would like to congratulate all students who participated in our poster contest commemorating Foreign Language Week under the theme “Make the World your Home with Language.”
Congratulations to our first place winner, Michael Papazis as well as second and third place contestants, Kristina Shau and Stephanie Pedone. A big thank you to all faculty, staff, and students who participated and submitted their ballots.
Congratulations to our first place winner, Michael Papazis as well as second and third place contestants, Kristina Shau and Stephanie Pedone. A big thank you to all faculty, staff, and students who participated and submitted their ballots.
mandarin studies immerse in cultural activities
Students in Ms. Chen’s 4H/AP class had a lesson on the art of Chinese calligraphy as part of a lesson on Language and Identity. A lot of fun was had by all students as they practiced Chinese characters with rice paper and liquid ink. Ms. Chen discussed the importance of selecting the right type of brush and applying the right amount of ink in order to enhance the beauty of the characters. Students in her 2H class had another hands-on lesson on the use of chopsticks as part of the Restaurant unit. Ms. Chen demonstrated the proper use of chopsticks while students paid close attention to technique as she picked up dry beans. After carefully observing and practicing, students were successful with this newly acquired skill. Ms. Qiu’s students also had a lot of fun in their 3H class as they created brochures for the “grand opening” of their restaurants. Student owners pitched their restaurants to potential customers using their brochures.
JFK STUDENT EARNS SECOND PLACE IN PHOTO CONTEST
Congratulations to JFK’s Faith Gunn for her second place win in this year’s contest, hosted by the American Association of Teachers of Italian. The contest’s theme is Tracce D'Italia in NY (Traces of Italy in New York). It asks students to submit original photos displaying Italian influence in their surroundings. Winners are selected based on artistry of the photo, connection to the theme and description provided. Congratulations to Faith and to her teacher, Ms. Nicolina Alfieri!
Spanish students are inducted into jfk's
Sociedad honoraria hispanica
The JFK World Language Department inducted its newest members of La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, to honor students who have excelled in their studies of the Spanish language. The October 27 ceremony, hosted by Jett and Nicole Rosen, included speeches, a video montage showcasing departmental highlights and poetry reading by Jeniana Wilner. Special thanks to Ms. Francesca Engelson for organizing this event and to teachers in the World Language Department who were there to support our students. Congratulations to all inductees!
JFK French, italian and chinese honor society induction
On Monday October 18, the JFK World Language Department inducted its newest members into the French, Italian and Chinese Honor Societies. These students were honored for their excellence in their studies of a world language in a ceremony that included student poetry, speeches and a video montage showcasing departmental highlights. Special thanks to Ms. Francesca Engelson for organizing this event, to Massimo Marino for serving as Master of Ceremony, and to Christen Ayodele, Tyler Bissoondial, Dasha Kharats and Christopher Luisi for their poetry reading and for leading the oath for each of the languages. Congratulations to all inductees!
JFK STUDENT EARNS TOP POETRY PRIZE
Congratulations to 10th grade student Massimo Marino on his first place win in the American Association of Teachers of Italian Poetry Contest (La Gara di Poesia). Massimo recited Inferno Canto XI by Dante Aligieri. He will be honored top prize (grade 10) this Saturday May 8 in a ceremony via Zoom. Congratulations to Massimo and his Italian teacher Ms. Valenti!
JFK HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES WORLD LANGUAGE WEEK
and announces POSTER CONTEST winners
The JFK Department of World Languages would like to congratulate all students who participated in our poster contest commemorating Foreign Language Week under the theme “Live, Learn, Love Languages”.
Congratulations to our first place winner, Stephanie Pedone, as well as second and third place contestants, Michael Papazis and Ariana Khan. A big thank you to all faculty, staff, and students who submitted their ballots.
Congratulations to our first place winner, Stephanie Pedone, as well as second and third place contestants, Michael Papazis and Ariana Khan. A big thank you to all faculty, staff, and students who submitted their ballots.
Stephanie Pedone (1st place), Michael Papazis (2nd place) and Ariana Khan (3rd place).
JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES NATIONAL FRENCH WEEK
JFK students participated in the National French Week by celebrating all things French. The yearly event, celebrated in early November, provides students the opportunity to experience aspects of French culture in daily life. Students had the chance to play a game in which they had to guess the name of twenty famous French delicacies on a poster designed by Monsieur Cirino. The display was showcased in the World Language wing on the second floor and was visited by students from all language classes. Continuing the celebration, students were able to hear interesting and noteworthy facts about the francophone world during morning announcements. A lot of fun was had by all students. Bonne chance!
JFK STUDENT RECEIVES HONORABLE MENTION IN PHOTO CONTEST
Congratulations to JFK’s Christina McQuillan for her honorable mention in this year’s Tracce D’Italia in NY photo contest, hosted by the American Association of Teachers of Italian. The contest asks students to submit pictures finding “Traces of Italy” in the New York region. The picture depicts the student’s father and grandfather making tomato sauce together while keeping up with traditions. Congratulations to her and to her teacher, Ms. Nicolina Alfieri!
department of world languages proudly congratulates this year's honor society members!
JFK SEniors awarded with New york state seal of biliteracy
Congratulations to the following graduating seniors on completing all requirements for the New York State Seal of Biliteracy. This recognition by New York State is awarded to students who have shown excellence in English and attained high proficiency in a World Language. The faculty at JFK High School believes in the importance of being multilingual in today’s world and celebrates the accomplishments of these students.
Abramovich, Johsua
Bergfeld, Nate
Berke, Jordan
Bernardini, Salvatore
Bolles, Averyl
Cammiso, Ashley
Cheung, Hugh
Cohen, Alexa
Cohen, Gabriel
Cohen, Mikaela
Dalkir, Alara
Fernandez, Ana
Ferraro, Benjamin
Field, Jennifer
Finkelstein, Randi
Frank, David
Gorelin, Mikayla
Graber, Jordan
Hasseck, Summer
Hernandez Laura
Iskols, Danny
Ivers, Jonathan
Jiang, Linda
Jutsen, Madeline
Kaffeseder, Brianna
Kaur, Jasmine
Kava, Noah
Kealy, Tyler
Krayevsky, Alexis
Lawrence, Olivia
Levy, Jasper
Leyderman, Nicole
Maisonet, Dylan
Milch, Mikaela
Mjeshtri, Melissa
Moore, Emily
Moran, Cooper
Natal, Jason
Poliviou, Kira
Pragias, William
Prainito,Alicia
Racer, Jack
Rodriguez-Zehnder Zoe
Salerno, Caterina
Saperstein, Samaya
Satcowitz, Kendall
Schochner, Julie
Schuman, Jaclyn
Shapiro, Alison
Skulnik, Jake
Tesorioro, Luca
Tsahalis, Panayiota
Turkiewiez, Justin
Ungarsohn, Casey
Vu, Tiffany
Weinstein, Ashley
Weinstein, Jared
Zilberzweig, Jenna
Italian students profiled in regional literary journal
Students in Mrs. Alfieri’s and Mrs. Valenti’s classes published work in the 16th edition of “Il Giornalino”. This Italian Journal, published by the Calandra Institute in partnership with Queens College, consists of writings from students in Italian classes throughout the greater New York area. We are proud to see our students’ work recognized in print in the poetry, essay, fiction and non-fiction categories. Congratulations to Joshua Abramovich, Jake Aurigema, Jake Arlia, Olivia Basile, Jillian Beksinski, Elizabeth Bohlert, Joseph Braccio, Madisyn Burns, Nicholas Carlino, Anthony Civello, Bailey Croce, Shanna Daliendo, Daniel Delgado, Matthew DiFonzo, Cameron DiGangi, Victoria Dragonetti, Brittany Falcone, Eric Flitsch, Thomas Glynn, Aidan Heeley, Pierce Infuso, Richard Ippoliti, John Leone, Joshua Levine, Ethan Lido, Christopher Luisi, Tyler Kealy, Christina McQuillan, Gabriella Magliano, Massimo Marino, Giuliana Mazzaferro, Casey Miccio, Lani Miller, Hannah Montuori, Isabella Pace, Nicholas Parma, Anthony Pizzirusso, Sam Romanov, Brandon Sabillon, Jayson Sabillon, Caterina Salerno, Antonino Scimeca, Jake Skulnik, Justin Skulnik, Jason Shapiro, Christopher Spirito, Julian Tavalaro, Cecilia Totino, Christina Weber, Danielle Wender, Julia Wender, Zoe Wender, Arsal Zafar and Alex Zavelson. Special thanks to their teachers, Mrs. Alfieri and Mrs. Valenti for guiding these students through their creative process. We are very proud of their work.
The issue can be found on the Calandra Institute’s website at:
calandrainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ilgiornalino20.pdf
The issue can be found on the Calandra Institute’s website at:
calandrainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ilgiornalino20.pdf
JFK WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES CONTEST WINNERS
The JFK Department of World Languages would like to congratulate the participants and winners of our fourth annual district-wide language contest. Students from all high schools submitted entries in our poem, essay, poster, photo and comic strip categories. We are very proud of our students' artistic vision, as our poster theme, "Bring Others Closer to your Heart with Language," reinforces our very own district philosophy "Closer to their Hearts." Congratulations to this year's winners, Joanna Vaccaro (1st place, Ms. Alfieri), Brigid Lamaze (2nd place, Ms. Alfieri) and Linda Jiang (3rd place, Mr. Reilly). Thank you to the entire World Languages department for judging and to the faculty, staff, and students who submitted their ballots 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 Gōng Xǐ!
ITALIAN
2H Essay
1st Place - Antonino Scimeca, JFK - Ms. Valenti
2nd Place - Massimo Marino, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R Essay
3rd Place - Robert Aruanno, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Essay
3rd Place - Jake Aurigema, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Essay
1st Place - AJ Pizzirusso, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Jason Shapiro, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Chris Spirito, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Essay
3rdPlace - Jake Arlia, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Essay
1st Place - Pierce Infuso, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Josh Lenze, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Aidan Heeley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2H Poetry
1st Place - Ethan Lido, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R Poetry
1st Place - Casey Miccio JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Nick Parma, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Poetry
2nd Place - Bailey Croce, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Poetry
1st Place - Zoe Wender JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - John Leone, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Poetry
1st Place - Julia Wender, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Jillian Beksinski, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Grace O'Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
AP Poetry
1st Place - Christopher Luisi, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Tyler Kealy, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Joshua Abramovich, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2H Comic Strip
1st Place - Aiden Gokcei, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3H Comic Strip
1st Place - Kayla Riopel, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Comic Strip
1st Place - Jonathan O'Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Joseph O'Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Thomas Scheno, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Comic Strip
1st Place - Isabella Guimaraes, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2R/2H Photo
2nd Place - Lia Codignotto, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R/3H Photo
1st Place - Dante DiMartinoi, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Michelle Salerno, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R/AP Photo
1st Place - Victoria Torchia, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Nathaniel Lerner, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
MANDARIN
2H Essay
1st Place - Danielle Berkowitz, JFK - Ms. Qiu
3rd Place - Dean Anderson, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Poetry
1st Place - Gaven Chen, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2nd Place - Casey Moskowitz , JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Comic Strip
1st Place - Jacqueline Moskowitz, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Photo
1st Place - Kaylin Zhou, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2nd Place - Kayleigh Reardon , JFK - Ms. Qiu
SPANISH
2R Essay
1st Place - Phaylinda Estimable, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3rd Place -Sean Stone, JFK - Ms. Schickler
2H Essay
3rd Place - Christopher Sanchez, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3R Essay
1st Place - Ava-Leigh Solomon, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3H Essay
1st Place - Michelle Brown, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place -Ryan Macolino, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R Essay
1st Place - Morgan Tesser, JFK - Mr. Engelson
4H Essay
3rd Place - Sierra Schlesinger, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Essay
3rd Place - Kira Poliviou, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
AP Essay
2nd Place - Ashley Cammiso, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place - Jennifer Field, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2R Poetry
1st Place - Gianna Bernardini, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place - Nick Rice, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2H Poetry
1st Place - Julia Zinerco, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Valentina Genovese , JFK - Ms. Valenti
3H Poetry
3rd Place - Gabby Ostroff, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
4R Poetry
1st Place - Samantha Greenberg, JFK - Ms. Engelson
2nd Place - Alexa Kourkoumelis, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Poetry
2nd Place - Emma Gochman, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Poetry
2nd Place - Karly Etheridge, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
AP Poetry
2nd Place - Penny Tsahalis, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2R Comic Strip
1st Place - Hailey Spiegel, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3H Comic Strip
1st Place - Sophia Warren, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place - Michelle Brown, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R Comic Strip
1st Place - Angela DeLeon, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Julia Levine, JFK - Ms. Cooper
AP Comic Strip
1st Place - Jasmine Kaur, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place -Danny Iskols, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R/4H Photo
2nd Place - Seth Gorelik, JFK - Ms. Cooper
ITALIAN
2H Essay
1st Place - Antonino Scimeca, JFK - Ms. Valenti
2nd Place - Massimo Marino, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R Essay
3rd Place - Robert Aruanno, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Essay
3rd Place - Jake Aurigema, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Essay
1st Place - AJ Pizzirusso, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Jason Shapiro, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Chris Spirito, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Essay
3rdPlace - Jake Arlia, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Essay
1st Place - Pierce Infuso, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Josh Lenze, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Aidan Heeley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2H Poetry
1st Place - Ethan Lido, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R Poetry
1st Place - Casey Miccio JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Nick Parma, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Poetry
2nd Place - Bailey Croce, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Poetry
1st Place - Zoe Wender JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - John Leone, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Poetry
1st Place - Julia Wender, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Jillian Beksinski, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Grace O'Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
AP Poetry
1st Place - Christopher Luisi, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Tyler Kealy, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Joshua Abramovich, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2H Comic Strip
1st Place - Aiden Gokcei, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3H Comic Strip
1st Place - Kayla Riopel, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Comic Strip
1st Place - Jonathan O'Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Joseph O'Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Thomas Scheno, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Comic Strip
1st Place - Isabella Guimaraes, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2R/2H Photo
2nd Place - Lia Codignotto, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R/3H Photo
1st Place - Dante DiMartinoi, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Michelle Salerno, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R/AP Photo
1st Place - Victoria Torchia, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Nathaniel Lerner, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
MANDARIN
2H Essay
1st Place - Danielle Berkowitz, JFK - Ms. Qiu
3rd Place - Dean Anderson, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Poetry
1st Place - Gaven Chen, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2nd Place - Casey Moskowitz , JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Comic Strip
1st Place - Jacqueline Moskowitz, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Photo
1st Place - Kaylin Zhou, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2nd Place - Kayleigh Reardon , JFK - Ms. Qiu
SPANISH
2R Essay
1st Place - Phaylinda Estimable, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3rd Place -Sean Stone, JFK - Ms. Schickler
2H Essay
3rd Place - Christopher Sanchez, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3R Essay
1st Place - Ava-Leigh Solomon, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3H Essay
1st Place - Michelle Brown, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place -Ryan Macolino, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R Essay
1st Place - Morgan Tesser, JFK - Mr. Engelson
4H Essay
3rd Place - Sierra Schlesinger, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Essay
3rd Place - Kira Poliviou, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
AP Essay
2nd Place - Ashley Cammiso, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place - Jennifer Field, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2R Poetry
1st Place - Gianna Bernardini, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place - Nick Rice, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2H Poetry
1st Place - Julia Zinerco, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Valentina Genovese , JFK - Ms. Valenti
3H Poetry
3rd Place - Gabby Ostroff, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
4R Poetry
1st Place - Samantha Greenberg, JFK - Ms. Engelson
2nd Place - Alexa Kourkoumelis, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Poetry
2nd Place - Emma Gochman, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Poetry
2nd Place - Karly Etheridge, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
AP Poetry
2nd Place - Penny Tsahalis, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2R Comic Strip
1st Place - Hailey Spiegel, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3H Comic Strip
1st Place - Sophia Warren, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place - Michelle Brown, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R Comic Strip
1st Place - Angela DeLeon, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Julia Levine, JFK - Ms. Cooper
AP Comic Strip
1st Place - Jasmine Kaur, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place -Danny Iskols, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R/4H Photo
2nd Place - Seth Gorelik, JFK - Ms. Cooper
JFK STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN WORLD LANGUAGE WEEK ACTIVITIES
The JFK Department of World Languages recently celebrated World Language Week through its annual poster contest. We are very proud of our students' artistic vision, as our poster theme, "Bring Others Closer to your Heart with Language," reinforces our very own district philosophy "Closer to their Hearts." Congratulations to this year's winners, Joanna Vaccaro (1st place, Ms. Alfieri), Brigid Lamaze (2nd place, Ms. Alfieri) and Linda Jiang (3rd place, Mr. Reilly). New this year was our first ever World Language Trivia Challenge. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Jake Arlia from Ms. Alfieri’s Italian 4H class who came in first place after competing in qualifiers and final round. A big thank you to all students and staff who submitted their ballots for the poster contest. Félicitacions! Congratulazioni! ¡Felicitaciones! 恭喜 Gōng Xǐ!
How does one say "wellness" in italian?
Students in Ms. Alfieri’s 4H and AP Italian class took a trip to the GI room to participate in Wellness Wednesday, as part of John F. Kennedy High School’s Wellness Week, a series of events that promoted salute e benessere. After creating stress balls, students came back to class and spoke in Italian about things that gave them stress. Students also wrote messages in Italian on post-it notes as part of the “Wave of Positivity”.
Jenga en Español
Students in Mr. Reilly’s AP Spanish classes took a trip to the language lab to participate in their own version of Jenga—en español. Each student was given the task of creating an original sentence with vocabulary from the Art unit as they manipulated blocks from their Jenga towers. Students could only advance after creating an original sentence from the unit using advanced functions from the AP curriculum. They remained focused, purposeful and competitive throughout the game as they avoided the collapse of their blocks! ¡Ay caramba!
Mandarin Students Celebrate Lunar New YeaR
On Friday, January 17, students in Ms. Qiu’s Mandarin 2H and 3H class got together to celebrate Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat, which officially begins on January 25, 2020. Students worked on dragon craft and received gift envelopes from their teacher. Students have also been working on independent projects in which they choose a Chinese province and conduct research on regional celebrations. Happy New Year to all!
Students socialize en italiano
Italian classes received a special holiday visit from a 17 year old student from the city of Benevento in the Campania region of Italy. Students were treated to a presentation from a native speaker and asked questions about customs and teenage life in Italy. Kids from Ms. Alfieri and Ms. Valenti’s classes were given the opportunity to converse while indulging in delicious Italian treats.
Italian Students celebrate holiday cheer
Students in Ms. Alfieri's Italian 3R and 3H classes showed their holiday cheer by participating in an Italian homemade cookie contest. A lot of fun was had by all as they savored their favorite biscotti and learned about Italian traditions. These students know first hand that Italy is famous for its culinary tradition and its desserts. Squisiti!
JFK Wl honor societies induct their newest proud members
On Tuesday October 29, the JFK World Language Department inducted its newest members into the French, Italian and Spanish Honor Societies. Students were honored for their excellence in their studies of a world language in a ceremony that included student poetry, speeches and a video montage showcasing departmental highlights. Special thanks to Ms. Francesca Engelson for organizing the event and to Salvatore Bernardini for serving as Master of Ceremony, as well as video editor. Congratulations to all inductees!
WL Department and Culture Club
Commemorate Dia de los Muertos
The World Language Department and members of the Culture Club constructed a Día de los Muertos Altar in memory of famous people who have passed away. Day of the Dead is a cultural celebration in Mexico and other Central American countries. This celebration involves family and friends gathering in remembrance of those who have passed away. In Mexican culture, it is viewed as a day of celebration to honor the memory of those who are no longer with them.
JFK STUDENTS RECEIVE HONORABLE MENTION IN PHOTO CONTEST
Congratulations to JFK’s Hannah Montuori and Alexa Rogina for their honorable mention in this year’s contest, hosted by the American Association of Teachers of Italian. This year’s theme "Tracce D'Italia in NY" asked students to submit original photos displaying Italian influence in New York. Congratulations to them and to their teacher, Ms. Nicolina Alfieri! Pictured below, Hanna Montuori's Little Italy in New York, followed by Alexa Rogina's San Antonio Abate Festival in Astoria, Queens.
JFK STUDENTS RECOGNIZED WITH NEW YORK STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY
Congratulations to the following graduating seniors on completing all requirements for the New York State Seal of Biliteracy. This recognition by New York State is awarded to students who have exceled in English and attained high proficiency in a World Language. The faculty at JFK High School believes in the importance of being multilingual in today’s world and recognizes these students with this distinction. We are very proud of these students for understanding the value of being multilingual.
Emma Gold
Ariel Goldfarb
Alexa Goldfarb
Ethan Grimes
Jessi Grossman
James Hayes
Harris Joslin
Jordan Kanner
Jake Levine
Kevin Ivers
Jacklyn Maisonet
Melanie Markowitz
Jonathan Mashal
Hunter Moran
Sidra Naheed
Zoe Weissbach
Gabriella Asaro
Josephine Cheung
Jillian Conlon
Sarah Enella
Justin Kohan
Lauren Rakhimov
Madison Renck
Caitlin Rinaldi
Ashley Romeo
Lille Saperman
Alisha Saxena
Sydney Schwinger
Danieda Segovia
Jessica Sevilla
Kristin Shindel
Daniella Smith
Arianna White
Rachel Zeitlin
Megan Zhou
Jennifer Avezov
Danielle Bagdasarov
Justin Cacciatore
Analisa Coppa
Andrew Dickerman
Sara DiFusco
Alessandra Dippolito
Claudia Dreyer
Joseph Drossman
Faith Fernandez
Peter Giannaris
Calvin Gibson
Makayla Gallo
Jack Oppenheim
Jordan Pitti
Ilana Plotkin
Whitney Sussman
Brandon Wexler
Emma Gold
Ariel Goldfarb
Alexa Goldfarb
Ethan Grimes
Jessi Grossman
James Hayes
Harris Joslin
Jordan Kanner
Jake Levine
Kevin Ivers
Jacklyn Maisonet
Melanie Markowitz
Jonathan Mashal
Hunter Moran
Sidra Naheed
Zoe Weissbach
Gabriella Asaro
Josephine Cheung
Jillian Conlon
Sarah Enella
Justin Kohan
Lauren Rakhimov
Madison Renck
Caitlin Rinaldi
Ashley Romeo
Lille Saperman
Alisha Saxena
Sydney Schwinger
Danieda Segovia
Jessica Sevilla
Kristin Shindel
Daniella Smith
Arianna White
Rachel Zeitlin
Megan Zhou
Jennifer Avezov
Danielle Bagdasarov
Justin Cacciatore
Analisa Coppa
Andrew Dickerman
Sara DiFusco
Alessandra Dippolito
Claudia Dreyer
Joseph Drossman
Faith Fernandez
Peter Giannaris
Calvin Gibson
Makayla Gallo
Jack Oppenheim
Jordan Pitti
Ilana Plotkin
Whitney Sussman
Brandon Wexler
italian students featured in literary journal "IL GIORNALINO"
Students in Mrs. Alfieri’s and Mrs. Valenti’s classes published work in the 15th edition of “Il Giornalino”. This Italian Journal is comprised of writings from students in Italian classes throughout the greater New York area. Students (and their teachers!) were very happy to see their work recognized in print in the poetry, essay, fiction and non-fiction categories. Congratulations to Josephine Cheung, Gabriella Grieser, Brigid Lamaze, Jillian Conlon, Thomas Tiongson, Nicole Alfonsi, John Leone, Olivia Basile, Tyler Kealy, Cecilia Totino, Bryan Perez, Chloe Falcone, Christina Weber, Grace O’Malley, Cameron DiGangi, Jillian Beksinski, Matthew Di Fonzo, Daniel Delgado, Cristoforo Luisi, Gabriella Magliano, Logan Woodiwiss, Colin Ader, Jayson Sabillon, Julia Wender, Anthony Pizzirusso, Melissa Mjeshtri, Vincent Alfonsi, Sam Romanov, Greg Brach, Ahmed Bendary, Joshua Abramovich, Joseph Cummings, Ashley Romeo, Sarah Enella, Isabella Pace, Josh Levine, Christian Palazzotto, Christopher Spirito, Danielle Wender, Jake Arlia, Julian Tavalaro, Cassandra Livingston, Victoria Dragonetti, Caterina Salerno, Jake Skulnik and Victoria Torchia. Special thanks to their teachers, Mrs. Alfieri and Mrs. Valenti for encouraging their students to give their best.
The issue can be found on the Calandria Institute’s website at: https://calandrainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Il-giornalino-2019.pdf
The issue can be found on the Calandria Institute’s website at: https://calandrainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Il-giornalino-2019.pdf
Kennedy WL Students Achieve Excellence on National ExamS
The JFK Department of World Languages would like to congratulate the following students who attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2019 editions of the National French Contest, the National Italian Exam and the National Spanish Examination. This year, over 90 students from Kennedy participated, with many of them earning special recognition in the gold, silver, bronze or honorable mention categories. Congratulations to this year’s winners, their teachers and all students who participated. The department is particularly proud of Jake Arlia’s performance, who in addition to earning a silver medal in the French contest, scored in the 99th percentile on the AATI National Italian Exam for which he will receive a monetary award of $100. Congratulations to him and his Italian teacher, Ms. Valenti. Here is a complete list of our winners:
NATIONAL FRENCH CONTEST- LE GRAND CONCOURS
Level II
Gold
Brandon Lin (Mr. Cirino)
Silver
Olivia Ng (Mr. Cirino)
Max Stone (Mr. Cirino)
Level III
Silver
Jake Arlia (Mr. Cirino)
Bronze
Jacob Kamler (Mr. Cirino)
Honorable Mention
Salianne Chiu (Mr. Cirino)
Alex Feldman (Mr. Cirino)
Level IV
Gold
Jasper Levy (Mr. Cirino)
Honorable Mention
Jordan Berke (Mr. Cirino)
Tiffany Vu (Mr. Cirino)
Level V
Bronze
Joseph Drossman (Mr. Cirino)
Honorable Mention
Zoe Rodriguez-Wender (Mr. Cirino)
Megan Zhou (Mr. Cirino)
NATIONAL ITALIAN EXAM
Level II
Silver
Jake Aurigema (Mr. Cirino)
Achievement
Christina McQuillan (Mr. Cirino)
Alex Zavelson (Mr. Cirino)
Level III
Gold
Jake Arlia (Ms. Valenti)
Silver
Daniel Delgado (Ms. Valenti)
Izabella Donelson (Ms. Valenti)
Cameron Montalbano (Ms. Valenti)
Isabella Pace (Ms. Valenti)
Bronze
Anna Bolles (Ms. Valenti)
Liliana Davis (Ms. Valenti)
Achievement
Cristoforo Luisi (Ms. Valenti)
Colin Ader (Ms. Valenti)
Christina Weber (Ms. Valenti)
Level IV
Gold
Caterina Salerno (Ms. Alfieri)
Achievement
Tyler Kealy (Ms. Alfieri)
Level V
Silver
Justin Kohan (Ms. Alfieri)
Gabriella Asaro (Ms. Alfieri)
Achievement
Jack Adams (Ms. Alfieri)
Daniella Smith (Ms. Alfieri)
NATIONAL SPANISH EXAMINATION
Level II
Gold
Lily Goch (Mr. Reilly)
Jeniana Willner (Mr. Reilly)
Michelle Brown (Ms. Valenti)
Kayla Stern (Ms. Valenti)
Silver
Param Nagpal (Mr. Reilly)
Jett Rosen (Mr. Reilly)
Christopher Prainito (Ms. Valenti)
Bronze
Youssof Bendary (Mr. Reilly)
Samantha Einbinder (Mr. Reilly)
Steven Fingeroth (Mr. Reilly)
Benjamin Hyman (Mr. Reilly)
Lara Indich (Mr. Reilly)
Sophia Israel (Mr. Reilly)
Ryan Macolino (Mr. Reilly)
Arielle Cohen (Mr. Reilly)
Nicole Makai (Mr. Reilly)
Ileane Barrera (Mr. Reilly)
James Lasalle (Ms. Valenti)
Justin Polanco (Ms. Valenti)
Honorable Mention
Dylan Gering (Mr. Reilly)
Sam Luckman (Mr. Reilly)
Max Stracher (Mr. Reilly)
Danielle Farese (Mr. Reilly)
Andrew Tocci (Ms. Valenti)
Sophia Warren (Ms. Valenti)
Level III
Gold
Stamatia Papazis (Mr. Reilly)
Silver
Jordyn Krinski (Ms. Fiorentino)
Sierra Schlesinger (Ms. Fiorentino)
Bronze
Jaydin Fahey (Mr. Reilly)
Julia Levine (Mr. Reilly)
Elizabeth Kirschner (Ms. Fiorentino)
Honorable Mention
Eric Giannaris (Ms. Fiorentino)
Madyson Livingston (Ms. Fiorentino)
Samuel Marchuck (Ms. Fiorentino)
Jenna Markowitz (Ms. Fiorentino)
Moshe Nahmias (Ms. Fiorentino)
Level IV
Gold
Ashley Cammiso (Ms. Cooper)
Madeline Jutsen (Ms. Cooper)
Silver
Salvatore Bernardini (Ms. Cooper)
Jennifer Field (Ms. Cooper)
Jonathan Ivers (Ms. Cooper)
Bronze
Hugh Cheung (Ms. Cooper)
David Frank (Ms. Cooper)
Noah Kava (Ms. Cooper)
Honorable Mention
Nate Bergfeld (Ms. Cooper)
Danny Iskols (Ms. Cooper)
Nicole Leyderman (Ms. Cooper)
Dylan Maisonet (Ms. Cooper)
Alicia Prainito (Ms. Cooper)
Jack Racer (Ms. Cooper)
Alison Shapiro (Ms. Cooper)
NATIONAL FRENCH CONTEST- LE GRAND CONCOURS
Level II
Gold
Brandon Lin (Mr. Cirino)
Silver
Olivia Ng (Mr. Cirino)
Max Stone (Mr. Cirino)
Level III
Silver
Jake Arlia (Mr. Cirino)
Bronze
Jacob Kamler (Mr. Cirino)
Honorable Mention
Salianne Chiu (Mr. Cirino)
Alex Feldman (Mr. Cirino)
Level IV
Gold
Jasper Levy (Mr. Cirino)
Honorable Mention
Jordan Berke (Mr. Cirino)
Tiffany Vu (Mr. Cirino)
Level V
Bronze
Joseph Drossman (Mr. Cirino)
Honorable Mention
Zoe Rodriguez-Wender (Mr. Cirino)
Megan Zhou (Mr. Cirino)
NATIONAL ITALIAN EXAM
Level II
Silver
Jake Aurigema (Mr. Cirino)
Achievement
Christina McQuillan (Mr. Cirino)
Alex Zavelson (Mr. Cirino)
Level III
Gold
Jake Arlia (Ms. Valenti)
Silver
Daniel Delgado (Ms. Valenti)
Izabella Donelson (Ms. Valenti)
Cameron Montalbano (Ms. Valenti)
Isabella Pace (Ms. Valenti)
Bronze
Anna Bolles (Ms. Valenti)
Liliana Davis (Ms. Valenti)
Achievement
Cristoforo Luisi (Ms. Valenti)
Colin Ader (Ms. Valenti)
Christina Weber (Ms. Valenti)
Level IV
Gold
Caterina Salerno (Ms. Alfieri)
Achievement
Tyler Kealy (Ms. Alfieri)
Level V
Silver
Justin Kohan (Ms. Alfieri)
Gabriella Asaro (Ms. Alfieri)
Achievement
Jack Adams (Ms. Alfieri)
Daniella Smith (Ms. Alfieri)
NATIONAL SPANISH EXAMINATION
Level II
Gold
Lily Goch (Mr. Reilly)
Jeniana Willner (Mr. Reilly)
Michelle Brown (Ms. Valenti)
Kayla Stern (Ms. Valenti)
Silver
Param Nagpal (Mr. Reilly)
Jett Rosen (Mr. Reilly)
Christopher Prainito (Ms. Valenti)
Bronze
Youssof Bendary (Mr. Reilly)
Samantha Einbinder (Mr. Reilly)
Steven Fingeroth (Mr. Reilly)
Benjamin Hyman (Mr. Reilly)
Lara Indich (Mr. Reilly)
Sophia Israel (Mr. Reilly)
Ryan Macolino (Mr. Reilly)
Arielle Cohen (Mr. Reilly)
Nicole Makai (Mr. Reilly)
Ileane Barrera (Mr. Reilly)
James Lasalle (Ms. Valenti)
Justin Polanco (Ms. Valenti)
Honorable Mention
Dylan Gering (Mr. Reilly)
Sam Luckman (Mr. Reilly)
Max Stracher (Mr. Reilly)
Danielle Farese (Mr. Reilly)
Andrew Tocci (Ms. Valenti)
Sophia Warren (Ms. Valenti)
Level III
Gold
Stamatia Papazis (Mr. Reilly)
Silver
Jordyn Krinski (Ms. Fiorentino)
Sierra Schlesinger (Ms. Fiorentino)
Bronze
Jaydin Fahey (Mr. Reilly)
Julia Levine (Mr. Reilly)
Elizabeth Kirschner (Ms. Fiorentino)
Honorable Mention
Eric Giannaris (Ms. Fiorentino)
Madyson Livingston (Ms. Fiorentino)
Samuel Marchuck (Ms. Fiorentino)
Jenna Markowitz (Ms. Fiorentino)
Moshe Nahmias (Ms. Fiorentino)
Level IV
Gold
Ashley Cammiso (Ms. Cooper)
Madeline Jutsen (Ms. Cooper)
Silver
Salvatore Bernardini (Ms. Cooper)
Jennifer Field (Ms. Cooper)
Jonathan Ivers (Ms. Cooper)
Bronze
Hugh Cheung (Ms. Cooper)
David Frank (Ms. Cooper)
Noah Kava (Ms. Cooper)
Honorable Mention
Nate Bergfeld (Ms. Cooper)
Danny Iskols (Ms. Cooper)
Nicole Leyderman (Ms. Cooper)
Dylan Maisonet (Ms. Cooper)
Alicia Prainito (Ms. Cooper)
Jack Racer (Ms. Cooper)
Alison Shapiro (Ms. Cooper)
Italian sTUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN POETRY CONTEST
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 JFK participants Jake Arlia, Izabella Donelson, Cristoforo Luisi, Melissa Mjeshtri and Jared Weinstein. All students worked hard memorizing and reciting poems by famous Italian poets in front of peers and teachers from other districts. Congratulations to all students and Ms. Alfieri and Ms. Valenti who prepared them for this experience!
Students celebrate mexican cuisine
Students in Ms. Fiorentino’s Spanish 3H classes celebrated Mexican culture by making fresh guacamole and quesadillas in class as part of the food unit. Each person in the group took turns listening to directions in Spanish and followed every step in the creation of the dish. A lot of fun was had by all students. ¡Buen provecho!
¡El escape!
Students in Ms. Fiorentino’s 3H classes recently participated in a very unique Escape the Room activity as part of the travel unit. Students had to work together to figure out different puzzles in order to get to their aunt’s house in Barcelona. As students maneuvered through different “obstacles,” they were able to get closer to their final destination. Students remained focused, purposeful and competitive throughout the activity as they worked cooperatively in a race against time!
Spanish 4H Students Reenact Shark Tank
Students in Ms. Cooper’s 4H classes recently participated in their very own classroom version of Shark Tank. The activity, part of the Business Unit (El comercio), allowed students to immerse themselves in the Spanish language while creating their very own sales pitch for their products. Students worked together in groups to create innovative merchandise that they would try to market and sell to prospective investors. Some of the “inventions” included an app that allows you to schedule text messages to be sent when desired, a wallet that only opens with the user's fingerprint, and a garbage can that comes to you! Below are pictures of students as they made their presentations.
wl department announces JFK winners
The JFK Department of World Languages would like to congratulate the participants and winners of our third annual district-wide language contest. Students from all three high schools submitted entries in our poem, essay, poster, and comic strip categories. New this year was the photo category in which students submitted original photos showcasing cultural influences of their chosen language in their communities. We are especially proud of the students’ work this year as our theme, “Languages Inspire Unity,” reinforces our very own district philosophy “One Voice One Message.” Thank you to the entire World Languages department for judging and to the faculty, staff, and students who submitted their ballots 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 Gōng Xǐ!
Italian
3R Essay
1st Place - Sam Romanov, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Olivia Basile, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Jean Mahon, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Essay
2nd Place - Colin Ader, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Jake Arlia, JFK - Ms. Valenti
4R Essay
1st Place - Jayson Sabillon, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Essay
1st Place - Melissa Mjeshtri, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Essay
1st Place - Thomas Tiongson, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Nicole Alfonsi, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Gina Senato, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Poetry
1st Place - Cristoforo Luisi, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Daniel Delgado, JFK - Ms. Valenti
4R Poetry
3rd Place - Grace O’Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Poetry
2nd Place - Camryn Cerrino, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Joshua Abramovich, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Poetry
1st Place - Cassandra Livingston, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Jillian Conlon, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Ashley Romeo, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Comic Strip
1st Place - Nicholas Carlino, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Gianna Scaduto, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Jared Weinstein, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3R/3H Photo
2nd Place - Jake Arlia, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Gianluca Caravello, JFK- Ms. Valenti
4R/4H Photo
1st Place - Vincent Di Martino, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Pierce Infuso, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Nate Lerner, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
Mandarin
2H Poetry
3rd Place - Georgia Karantenislis, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Comic Strip
3rd Place - Zachary Arzt, JFK - Ms. Qiu
Spanish
2R Essay
1st Place - Samantha Stern, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Ryan Linder, JFK - Ms. Engelson
3R Essay
3rd Place - Anna Hilas, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3H Essay
2nd Place - Jaydin Fahey, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R Essay
3rd Place - Elana Hirschman, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Essay
1st Place - Alison Shapiro, JFK - Ms. Cooper
3rd Place - Alicia Prainito, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Essay
1st Place - Analisa Coppa, JFK - Ms. Schickler
2nd Place - Morgan Baren, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3rd Place - Savannah Espiritu, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
AP Essay
1st Place - Rachel Zeitlin, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place - Hunter Moran, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place - Jordan Pitti, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2R Poetry
2nd Place - Jake Fassenfeld, JFK- Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Julia Sussman, JFK- Ms. Valenti
2H Poetry
2nd Place - Gabby Ostroff, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R Poetry
2nd Place - Nicole Starchevskiy, JFK - Ms. Schickler
4R Poetry
1st Place - Marlee Seifer, JFK - Ms. Engelson
2nd Place - Dani Ofsink, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Poetry
2nd Place - Alexa Cohen, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Poetry
1st Place - Adam Bernstein, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
2nd Place - Lauren Blouin, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
3rd Place - Morgan Baren, JFK - Ms. Schickler
AP Poetry
1st Place - Andrew Dickerman, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place - Faith Fernandez, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Sophia Warren, JFK- Ms. Valenti
3H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Stamatia Papazis, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4H Comic Strip
1st Place - Nicole Leyderman, JFK - Ms. Cooper
2R/2H Photo
3rd Place - Andrew Isaac, JFK- Ms. Valenti
4R/4H Photo
1st Place - Mikayla Gorelin, JFK - Ms. Cooper
2nd Place - Marni Roth, JFK - Ms. Cooper
3rd Place - Andrew Heffez, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R/AP Photo
1st Place - Charlize DeLuca, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
Italian
3R Essay
1st Place - Sam Romanov, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Olivia Basile, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Jean Mahon, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Essay
2nd Place - Colin Ader, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Jake Arlia, JFK - Ms. Valenti
4R Essay
1st Place - Jayson Sabillon, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Essay
1st Place - Melissa Mjeshtri, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Essay
1st Place - Thomas Tiongson, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Nicole Alfonsi, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Gina Senato, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3H Poetry
1st Place - Cristoforo Luisi, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Daniel Delgado, JFK - Ms. Valenti
4R Poetry
3rd Place - Grace O’Malley, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Poetry
2nd Place - Camryn Cerrino, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Joshua Abramovich, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
5R Poetry
1st Place - Cassandra Livingston, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Jillian Conlon, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Ashley Romeo, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4R Comic Strip
1st Place - Nicholas Carlino, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Gianna Scaduto, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
4H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Jared Weinstein, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3R/3H Photo
2nd Place - Jake Arlia, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Gianluca Caravello, JFK- Ms. Valenti
4R/4H Photo
1st Place - Vincent Di Martino, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
2nd Place - Pierce Infuso, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
3rd Place - Nate Lerner, JFK - Ms. Alfieri
Mandarin
2H Poetry
3rd Place - Georgia Karantenislis, JFK - Ms. Qiu
2H Comic Strip
3rd Place - Zachary Arzt, JFK - Ms. Qiu
Spanish
2R Essay
1st Place - Samantha Stern, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Ryan Linder, JFK - Ms. Engelson
3R Essay
3rd Place - Anna Hilas, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3H Essay
2nd Place - Jaydin Fahey, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4R Essay
3rd Place - Elana Hirschman, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Essay
1st Place - Alison Shapiro, JFK - Ms. Cooper
3rd Place - Alicia Prainito, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Essay
1st Place - Analisa Coppa, JFK - Ms. Schickler
2nd Place - Morgan Baren, JFK - Ms. Schickler
3rd Place - Savannah Espiritu, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
AP Essay
1st Place - Rachel Zeitlin, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place - Hunter Moran, JFK - Mr. Reilly
3rd Place - Jordan Pitti, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2R Poetry
2nd Place - Jake Fassenfeld, JFK- Ms. Valenti
3rd Place - Julia Sussman, JFK- Ms. Valenti
2H Poetry
2nd Place - Gabby Ostroff, JFK - Ms. Valenti
3R Poetry
2nd Place - Nicole Starchevskiy, JFK - Ms. Schickler
4R Poetry
1st Place - Marlee Seifer, JFK - Ms. Engelson
2nd Place - Dani Ofsink, JFK - Ms. Engelson
4H Poetry
2nd Place - Alexa Cohen, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R Poetry
1st Place - Adam Bernstein, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
2nd Place - Lauren Blouin, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
3rd Place - Morgan Baren, JFK - Ms. Schickler
AP Poetry
1st Place - Andrew Dickerman, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2nd Place - Faith Fernandez, JFK - Mr. Reilly
2H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Sophia Warren, JFK- Ms. Valenti
3H Comic Strip
2nd Place - Stamatia Papazis, JFK - Mr. Reilly
4H Comic Strip
1st Place - Nicole Leyderman, JFK - Ms. Cooper
2R/2H Photo
3rd Place - Andrew Isaac, JFK- Ms. Valenti
4R/4H Photo
1st Place - Mikayla Gorelin, JFK - Ms. Cooper
2nd Place - Marni Roth, JFK - Ms. Cooper
3rd Place - Andrew Heffez, JFK - Ms. Cooper
5R/AP Photo
1st Place - Charlize DeLuca, JFK - Ms. Fiorentino
Spanish 5R students create infomercials
Students in Ms. Schikler’s 5R classes created their very own infomercials for a product that they invented as part of the Technology unit. Students brainstormed problems ranging from everyday life to global world challenges and worked in small groups to come up with products to resolve them and infomercial to sell them. Some of the products included an app to test water quality in schools and a worksheet scanner. Below is a picture of Analisa Coppa, Morgan Baren and Allison Smith as they rehearsed their infomercial.
WL Department celebrates national Foreign language week
The JFK Department of World Languages hosted its annual poster contest commemorating Foreign Language Week. We are especially proud of our students’ artistic work this year as our theme, “Languages Inspire Unity,” reinforces our very own district philosophy “One Voice One Message.” Congratulations to this year's winners: Joanna Vaccaro (1st place), Linda Jiang (2nd place) and Jamie Maroof (3rd place). Pictured below: Linda Jiang (2nd place) and Jamie Maroof (3rd place) holding Joanna Vaccaro's winning poster.
STUDENTS Savor hispanic cuisine
Students in Ms. Engelson's and Ms. Valenti’s Spanish 2R and 2H classes celebrated Hispanic culture by indulging in a variety of Hispanic dishes. As a culmination of the food unit, students prepared dishes that represented different Hispanic countries. Some students included recipes of their favorite dishes and directions in Spanish. A fun and delicious time was had by all.
SPANISH STUDENTS CREATE THEIR OWN BOOKS
Students in Ms. Cooper's Spanish 4H class recently read "Cajas de cartón" by Francisco Jiménez as they worked on the theme of immigration. They practiced their own storytelling skills by creating their own books. Students worked in small groups to create the story into colorful children's books. Samples of their work are found below. ¡Buen trabajo!
Mandarin Students Celebrate Chinese New Year
On Tuesday February 5, students in Ms. Qiu’s Mandarin 2H class got together to celebrate Chinese New Year. Students moved from station to station to create different crafts and decorations to welcome the Year of the Pig. The holiday marks the beginning of the Spring Festival, when people wish each other good fortune for the year ahead. Students contributed to this festive environment by preparing good luck banners and paper lanterns. Ms. Qiu also gave her students red envelopes representing good luck. Pictures from the celebration are found below.
Culture club gets playful
On Monday January 28 members of JFK’s Culture Club got playful as they learned how to play and compete in different international board games. Members of the executive board took some time to learn how to play Ludo (India), Scopa (Italy), Mancala (Egypt), Chinese Checkers and Russian card games. They taught members of the club how to play the games in smaller groups. Students had a “funtastic” time as they interacted with each other and used the international language of play. Below are pictures from Culture Club’s recent event.
Former student visits french classes
On Friday January 11, Stephanie Person (JFK class of 2017) came back “home” to Mr. Cirino’s French classes to speak about her experience majoring in French. Stephanie is currently a sophomore at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and will be studying at the Université de Tours in France in September. Stephanie invited her French housemate and fellow Bucknell student, Chloé Daudemthun to speak to students about the French education system and their experience as college students. Each class prepared questions for their guests who were eager to share their stories. They talked about everything from why Stephanie chose to pursue her study of French to Chloé's home in Bourges, France. The conversation included topics such as French films and TV shows, and their experiences as college students. Scroll down for pictures.
Culture club recent events celebrate kindness, diversity
and cultural awareness
Students from Culture Club recently participated in an activity to promote inclusiveness and kindness within the school community. Ms. Fiorentino and students from the club created inspirational messages with chalk on the sidewalks at all of the entrances to the school as students and staff walked into the school building on Monday November 19. The club is also sponsoring its Pulsera Project to create cultural awareness while raising funds for artists in communities in need. Students from the club will be selling artisanal bracelets (pulseras) and purses from Central America with proceeds benefiting artists from Guatemala and Nicaragua. The project now employs nearly 200 artists with sustainable fair trade jobs. Pictures from Culture Club’s recent activities are found below.
JFK Students take top spots in AATI-LI photo contest
Congratulations to JFK seniors Daniella Smith and Gabriella Asaro for earning first and and second place spots on the American Association of Teachers of Italian photo contest. The contest "Italia in NY" was open to all Italian students from the Long Island region. Students were asked to submit a photo that displayed Italian influence and culture in the New York area. Also congratulations to Sarina Covelli for receiving an Honorable Mention. Special thanks to their Italian teacher, Ms. Nicolina Alfieri for encouraging her students to participate and display their Italian heritage through photography. The winning photos are displayed below.
Photo COntest winners Daniella smith and gabriella asaro
world language honor society induction 2018
On Tuesday October 23, the JFK World Language Department inducted its newest members into the French, Italian and Spanish Honor Societies. These students were honored for their excellence in their studies of a world language in a ceremony that included student poetry, music, speeches and a video montage showcasing departmental highlights. Special thanks to Ms. Francesca Engelson for organizing the event and to Salvatore Bernardini for serving as Master of Ceremony as well as video editor. Congratulations to all inductees!
JFK CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
The World Language department concluded its Music Madness Tournament in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month on October 15. Each day, students and staff members voted for their favorite songs by completing an online ballot. Mexico came in first place with its song Déjà Vu by CD9. The first runner up was Cuba with the song Sería Perfecto by Maritza Bacallao. Thanks to all students, parents, teachers and staff members who participated!
JFK celebrates hispanic heritage month
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the World Language department will be promoting different Hispanic countries through music in a Music Madness Tournament. Each day, students and staff members will be able to vote for their favorite songs by completing an online ballot. A song will advance every day and the country winner will be displayed in the World Language hallway.