Hicksville Public Schools

Latinos in Action Program

Latinos In Action (LIA) offers an asset-based approach to bridging the graduation and opportunity gap for Latino students, working from within the educational system to create positive change. The Latinos in Action program in the Hicksville Public Schools program operates as a  multi-year elective course taught by a highly-qualified teacher at Hicksville Middle School and Hicksville High School. 

The program is structured to empower Latino youth to lead and strengthen their communities through college and career readiness. We accomplish this by focusing on four pillars: leveraging personal and cultural assets, excelling in education, serving the community, and developing leadership skills. 

Our Latinos in Action students work closely with our elementary school students to tutor and mentor our second and third grade bilingual students in preparation for academic success and future leaders. 

Our Latinos in Action students are actively involved in servant-leadership in their schools. They are committed to providing assistance and serving their community.

Our Latinos In Action students participate in leadership building activities such as the Angelo del Toro Puertorican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Latinos in Action, Dr. Jose Enriquez, makes an annual visit to directly connect with our Latinos in Action students and their teacher, Mr. Omar Garcia. Students are inspired by Dr. Enriquez' words of encouragement as he tells his story and explains his personal journey.

Our Latinos in Action students attend the Annual Latinos in Action Leadership Conference where they participate in the arts, dance, music, scholarship opportunities, and leadership building activities.

February 14, 2023 Parent Student University

PSU Photo Gallery

For the first time post-pandemic, the Hicksville Public Schools held its annual Parent/Student University (PSU) on February 14, 2023 from 5:45 PM to 8:00 PM. Parents were welcomed with a delicious warm dinner and a song, "Love in Any Language" expressed in American Sign Language (ASL) by our ASL Honor Society students from Hicksville High School. Our ASL teachers, Ms. Brennan and Ms. Saftchick, worked on preparing the lyrics with their students to make our parents feel welcomed and appreciated. A very big THANK YOU to our teachers and students for a beautifully rendered version of this heartwarming song.

We had over 100 parents attend the PSU and over 110 students also attended. Parents were able to attend two workshops out of three workshops being offered that evening with peace of mind as their children were being entertained by our amazing ENL, Bilingual, and World Language teachers in the main gym. We had fun activities for the children, and every child went home with a book that was given to them to keep. This would not have been at all possible without the additional support of our Latinos in Action (LIA) volunteer students which showed up in a very big way! They registered parents, served food, handed out books, manned the doors, and read to the children alongside our teachers. A very big thank you to them and to their teacher, Mr. Omar Garcia, for preparing the LIA students for this night.

It was a truly successful evening and we are so glad to have been able to welcome back our parents in person. 

Por primera vez después de la pandemia, las Escuelas Públicas de Hicksville celebraron su Universidad de Padres y Estudiantes (PSU) anual el 14 de febrero de 2023 de 5:45 p. m. a 8:00 p. m. Los padres fueron recibidos con una deliciosa cena caliente y una canción, "Amor en cualquier idioma", expresada en lenguaje de señas americano (ASL) por nuestros estudiantes de la Sociedad de Honor ASL de la Escuela Secundaria de Hicksville. Nuestras maestras de ASL, la Sra. Brennan y la Sra. Saftchick, trabajaron en la preparación de la letra con sus alumnos para que nuestros padres se sintieran bienvenidos y apreciados. Muchas GRACIAS a nuestras maestras y estudiantes por una versión bellamente interpretada de esta conmovedora canción.

Más de 100 padres asistieron a la PSU y también asistieron más de 110 estudiantes. Los padres pudieron asistir a dos talleres de los tres que se ofrecieron esa noche con tranquilidad mientras sus hijos fueron entretenidos por nuestras increíbles maestras de ENL, Bilingüe e Idiomas del Mundo en el gimnasio principal. Tuvimos actividades divertidas para los niños, y cada niño se fue a casa con un libro que se les dio como regalo. ¡Esto hubiera sido absolutamente imposible sin el apoyo adicional de nuestros estudiantes voluntarios de Latinos en Acción (LIA) que se presentaron a lo grande! Registraron a los padres, sirvieron comida, repartieron libros, atendieron las puertas y leyeron a los niños junto con nuestros maestros. Mil gracias a ellos y a su maestro, Sr. Omar Garcia por haber preparado a sus estudiantes de LIA para esta noche.

Fue una noche verdaderamente exitosa y estamos muy contentos de haber podido dar la bienvenida a nuestros padres en persona.

April 20, 2023 Annual LIA Conference Fine Arts and Writing Contest Winners

Our Latinos in Action (LIA) students attended the Annual LIA Conference at Paier College in Bridgeport, Connecticut on April 20, 2023. One hundred of our LIA students from Hicksville Middle School and Hicksville High School attended the conference where they received leadership workshops and competed in Fine Arts and Writing contests. Four of our students received awards for their excellent writing skills and art work:

Writing Competition:
Emily Morocho- First Place (High School LIA)
Jiannelys Victoria- Second Place (High School LIA)

 Fine Arts:
Brianna Barquero- Second Place (Middle School LIA)
Adriana Aguilar- Third Place (Middle School LIA)

Additionally, our students had the privilege of meeting the Keynote Speaker:  NASA Astronaut, Dr. Jose M. Hernandez, son of immigrant parents, who inspired them to reach for the stars. 

Congratulations to our students for their dedication and to our LIA teacher, Mr. Omar Garcia, for his excellent workmanship and dedication to our students.