The Rock Report

September 2026

A Monthly Recap from Superintendent James DeTommaso

Homecoming Reminder: The Homecoming Parade will take place Oct. 9 at 6 p.m., departing from Centre Avenue Elementary School and proceeding to the high school. The football game against North Shore kicks off at 7 p.m. Come out in your East Rockaway black and orange and show your Rock pride!

Hometown Hero

Congratulations to East Rockaway social studies teacher Don Poland, who was named the district’s Hometown Hero at the Board of Education meeting on Sept. 29 in recognition of his decades of service to East Rockaway. Throughout his career, Mr. Poland has led numerous service projects that have benefited communities both close to home and across the country.

Most recently, Mr. Poland brought together his passion for education, history and community service by creating a pop-up museum commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which was displayed at the East Rockaway Historical Society. The exhibit reflected more than two decades of his work teaching students about citizenship, patriotism, resilience, kindness and service. The very definition of a Hometown Hero!

 

A Warm Welcome to Our New Staff!

At the most recent Board of Education meeting, we welcomed six new staff members to the East Rockaway family. We are thrilled to have them join our district and look forward to the many ways they will contribute to our schools and support our students’ success.

 

ACHIEVEMENT

We’ve had a great first few weeks of the school year. Teachers have focused on establishing classroom routines, building relationships, reviewing course requirements and communicating clear expectations to set students up for a successful year.

At Rhame Avenue, Centre Avenue and the junior high school, i-Ready assessments and data reviews have helped identify students who may benefit from additional academic support, as well as those exceeding their expected scores. Plans have been put in place to provide support and enrichment as needed.

Senior Paul Lynch has been selected to perform with the All-State Mixed Chorus at the New York State School Music Association Conference in Rochester this December. We wish Paul all the best!

Terry Hayes was selected as one of Newsday’s Top 100 football players. Liam Whitehouse was named one of Newsday’s Top 100 boys soccer players, while Caitlin Lynch and Colin Lynch were recognized among the Top 100 volleyball players. Congratulations to all our athletes!

East Rockaway was named a New York State Public High School Athletic Association School of Excellence for having 75% or more of its varsity teams qualify as Scholar-Athlete Teams. This is a fantastic honor and a credit to our student-athletes, coaches and Athletic Director Mr. Gregory.

East Rockaway is proud to have 71 AP Scholars for the 2025-26 school year. Of those students, 31 earned AP Scholar with Distinction, which recognizes students who earn scores of 3 or higher on five or more AP Exams and maintain an average score of at least 3.5 across all AP Exams taken.

 

INNOVATION

We have made several security enhancements at Rhame Avenue, including locking the gate on Althouse Avenue during arrival. Keeping our students safe remains our highest priority. During inclement weather, an exception will be made, and a staff member will be stationed at the entrance to allow students inside.

Rhame Avenue has also established an outdoor dining area for students in grades 3-6, providing additional space for students to enjoy lunch.

Thanks to technology teacher Ms. Milleisen, our junior high robotics club is back! The first meeting was held Sept. 22, with students kicking off the experience by building drones.

Students in the Design, Drawing and Production class did an outstanding job transforming images to demonstrate seven different elements of art. Their work can be viewed on the department’s Instagram account.

 

OPPORTUNITY

Students at Centre Avenue met with Principal Ms. Kelly to review schoolwide expectations. Ms. Kelly and the staff are looking forward to a safe, productive and successful school year.

At Rhame Avenue, extra-help sessions will begin in October to provide targeted academic assistance. Academic Success Labs, available during lunch periods to support student learning and achievement, will also be offered at Rhame Avenue and Centre Avenue. More information will be shared soon.

Students in Virtual Enterprise completed interviews for positions within their class firm last week. I was happy to be invited to interview students, and they did a fantastic job. I was impressed by their resumes, preparation and professionalism, and it’s exciting to see them gaining real-world business experience.

Students in Ms. Refino’s science enrichment classes are currently housing about 100 acorns collected from oak trees around East Rockaway. Students will observe acorn weevil larvae as they emerge and continue their life cycle in the soil.

Under the direction of Dr. Nancy Kaplan, Mr. Lamar Lee and Ms. Denise Hamm visited high school physical education classes this week to launch a six-workshop series focused on developing leadership skills across the student body. The program is designed to identify and build leadership capacity in students, including those who may not traditionally see themselves as leaders.

Mr. Van Wart and I met with Mr. Ed Cook from the East Rockaway Veterans Organization to discuss continued partnerships and opportunities to support our students and community.

VFW Post 3350 will continue sponsoring its Teacher of the Year recognition and student essay contest. The organization will also hold its upcoming Run for Heroes 5K on Oct. 17.

 

CONNECTION

Centre Avenue, Rhame Avenue and the Junior-Senior High School welcomed families for Back-to-School Night. Parents and guardians visited their children’s classrooms to learn about curriculum, classroom routines and procedures designed to support student success.

The Rhame Avenue PTA meeting on Sept. 16 fostered collaboration between families and the school community. Before the meeting, members of central administration and I also had an opportunity to meet with PTA leadership from across the district to discuss responsibilities related to fundraising, insurance liability and event guidelines.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, our Spanish classes are making connections between Spanish-speaking cultures and our own communities. Students are exploring the contributions of Hispanic and Latino individuals who have shaped New York, the United States and the world through language, art, music, science, sports and service. Through these stories, students see how culture, language and community connect us all.

Students are diving into hands-on lab work across our science classes. Using microscopes, models and laboratory equipment, they are becoming reacquainted with the science and engineering practices scientists use every day, including asking questions, developing models, collecting data and analyzing evidence.

Café 217 is up and running! Our Life Skills students at the Junior-Senior High School are supporting staff by preparing and serving refreshments and snacks, and this year they are also taking Café 217 on the road to several locations. The experience helps students develop communication skills, responsibility, independence and confidence while providing valuable real-world experiences. Thank you to Mr. Healy, Mr. Kennedy and all our teachers who support Café 217.

Ms. McClelland and Mr. Murray met virtually with representatives from Teaching Strategies to plan upcoming professional development. Teaching Strategies is our new UPK curriculum, offering a comprehensive, play-based learning framework designed to prepare our youngest learners for kindergarten.

Watch the full recording of the September board of education meeting here, which included this report.