Serving as a special moving up ceremony for its fifth graders, Manetuck held a car parade in the school’s back bus circle on June 16.  

“Remember to always take a little bit of Manetuck with you wherever you are,” Principal Vanessa Williams told the graduates. “Be trustworthy, understanding, cooperative and kind. We will always remember you, the Class of 2020. We are proud of you, we are always here for you and we will be thinking about you all as you move up to middle school. Congratulations, you did it. Have a great summer.”

 

Fifth graders moving up from all four of the district’s elementary schools were honored during May and June with special lawn signs placed by school staff to honor the young graduates.

The annual tradition of Field Day continued in West Islip during the pandemic, as elementary physical education teachers coordinated the district’s first Virtual Field Day.

From opening day on June 3 to the experience’s conclusion on June 10, students wore their West Islip blue and gold while participating in up to 20 activities. The Virtual Field Day activities were designed to take place in each child’s living environment with common household items and props, and provided students total flexibility in modifying the activities if they had trouble replicating them.

“Field Day is an important tradition here in West Islip,” said Tim Horan, the district’s director of health, physical education, athletics and recreation. “While a Virtual Field Day may not be the same experience as our traditional Field Day, it is our sincere hope this event minimized disappointment and provided families an opportunity to create lasting meaningful memories.”