At the April 16 Board of Education meeting, Hicksville Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ted Fulton highlighted several Hicksville High School students for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the Hicksville School Community. Student recognitions included this year’s National Merit Scholarship finalists, a dedicated student who puts others first, the school's Science Olympiad Team and vocational students who manage the Comet Shop.
Siddh Agarwal and Jack Beaudette were recognized as finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Competition. To be considered for this rigorous competition for National Merit Scholarships, these students met specific standards and fulfilled several requirements. As part of the application, each student wrote an essay and gave information about extracurricular activities, leadership positions, and honors or awards they received. Over 1.5 million students took the PSAT in 2022 and were tested on their Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing Skills, and entered the National Merit Program. Only 1% of the students moved on to become finalists in this extremely intense competition. Jack will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall and Siddh is undecided at this time.
Harshal Mehta has demonstrated extraordinary compassion and initiative by organizing a fundraising activity aimed at collecting food and non-perishable items for the district’s future district food pantry. His dedication reflects the values the district strives to instill in all students. Additionally, he is a dedicated member of the Boy Scouts and is currently planning his Eagle Scout project. Harshal plans on creating a communication board and an outdoor library at Lee Ave Elementary School.
The achievements of this year’s High School's Science Olympiad team were also recognized. Science Olympiad is a club where students compete in 23 scientific events, including answering questions about astronomy, coding a robot, identifying trees, designing an experiment, or building a working wooden plane. This past season marked a significant milestone for the team by participating in more than three competitions for the first time. The team secured impressive top ten placements at the University of Georgia Satellite Invitational and the Boyceville Satellite. Additionally, the A team celebrated a monumental victory at the Mount Academy Invitational, marking the first-ever competition win in the team's history. At the regional competition, Hicksville achieved its highest in-person placement and score in four years, with the A team securing third place overall out of 38 teams and earning qualification for the State Tournament for the eighteenth consecutive year. The B and C teams also placed eighth and twelfth respectively.
For the past five years, vocational students enrolled in the high school’s ungraded program have managed the daily operations of the Comet Shop. The Comet Shop offers a selection of Hicksville merchandise and snacks to students and staff. This practical engagement is integral to their transition planning, as they engage in diverse roles across the school community, including establishments such as On the Border, Applebee’s, Ace Hardware, and Shoprite. The revenue generated through the Comet Shop recently funded a travel training and transition goal excursion to Orlando. This excursion, the culmination of years of preparation, involved familiarizing themselves with navigating urban environments, utilizing public transportation, and adhering to travel protocols including airport procedures. The trip provided invaluable exposure to potential career pathways and a structured itinerary of educational activities. The Hicksville School community extends congratulations and praise to the vocational students for the successful fulfillment of their IEP goals and objectives and expresses gratitude to the supportive staff whose guidance has transcended conventional classroom settings, enriching the students' learning experiences within real-world contexts.
The district is extremely proud of all the students highlighted and extends best wishes to all for continued future success.
(L-R) Hicksville Board of Education President Annette Beiner, parent Sadhana Bothra, Hicksville student Siddh Agarwal and Hicksville Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ted Fulton. Missing from photo: Jack Beaudette
(L-R) Parent Jitendra Mehta, Hicksville Board of Education Vice President Sunita Manjrekar, Hicksville Family Partnership Specialist Maritza Quintero, student Harshal Mehta, parent Minal Mehta and Hicksville Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ted Fulton
(L-R) Hicksville Board of Education Vice President Sunita Manjrekar, Science Olympiad Advisor Chelsea Quaranta, student members of the Science Olympiad team, Kailash Thayavally, Birinder Bachhal, Nikki Kamath, Bilal Mahmood, Patrick LaBarca, Science Olympiad Advisor Stephen McSweeney and Hicksville Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ted Fulton
Hicksville Board of Education Secretary Linda Imbriale, Assistant
Director of Special Education and PPS Vicki Montalvo, vocational students Michael
Buonomo , Ryan Medrano, Aditya Saha, Executive Director of Special Education and
PPS Inna Mishiev, Assistant Director of Special Education and PPS Chris Herman,
Assistant Director of Special Education and PPS Bryan Offermann, Hicksville
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ted Fulton. (Front row) vocational student Samin
Kibria. Missing from photo: Mutayyab Ahmad, Amanda Cruz and Lauren Sissons.