With the promise of summer approaching, Syosset Schools looks back on a year of remarkable achievement for our students. Both in the classroom and on the athletic fields and courts, our students have proven that they can reach their goals and come out on top.

This year's graduating class of 458 has been granted a total of $9,685,684 in college scholarships - the highest amount ever for a graduating class at Syosset High School. There are 10 National Merit Finalists and also 10 students receiving the prestigious Robert C. Byrd Scholarship, which gives them each $1,500 a year scholarship for the college of their choosing. The New York State Scholarship of Academic Excellence was awarded to 17 graduating seniors. Our students have won several national competitions. There were five Intel Semi-Finalists and two of the research students became Intel Finalists and traveled to Washington, DC, where they met the President. This month, a graduating senior will also meet the President in a ceremony naming him a Presidential Scholar.

A ninth-grader won the DuPont Challenge Science Essay competition and won a trip for herself and her teacher to the Space Center in Houston, TX. This was the first time in the competition that students from the same high school won in two consecutive years. Many other honors too numerous to mention were earned by students in all areas of academics.

This spring, every varsity team advanced to the playoffs. There were 10 students from Syosset High School named All American Athletes. Syosset students also received many honors in co-curricular activities. The Forensics team won the regional competitions and competed in the state tournament. More than 30 students won titles at the New York State DECA Convention. It was another great year for Syosset thespians. ACT (Association of Creative Thespians) won a Citation for Outstanding Performance at the 2003 Yankee Thespian Festival, held in Rutland, Vermont. They also won the title of "Best Play" for the 2002-2003 Long Island Critics Program.

The elementary world language program was expanded to include Russian in kindergarten, and now Syosset students will receive a year's each instruction in six languages -Russian, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin - before they enter middle school. We have also focused on improving methods for teaching English reading and writing skills, and have presented staff development workshops in the use of innovative spelling and reading programs for the primary grades and for students who require extra attention.

Expanded computer technology in the district has given us the ability to be a completely "wired" district and has improved communications and administrative capabilities throughout the district. Students have the capability to access approved Internet sites and to keep their own files on-line throughout their years at Syosset.

For the fourth consecutive year, Syosset was named as one of the top 100 districts for music education in the country. Band students demonstrated their tremendous ability on an airing of News 12 Long Island.

Students benefited from the district's partnerships with the Metropolitan Opera, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, the Museum of Modern Art. A new affiliation was made this year with the world-renowned science research facility, Rockefeller University.

In addition to student achievements, faculty and administrators were also recipients of a number of awards and honors. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carole G. Hankin was named Woman of Distinction in Education by the Town of Oyster Bay. At the National Convention of Association for Curriculum and Supervision Development Dr. Hankin and a group of administrators were selected to present a session on Building Cultural Partnerships and the Integrations of Arts Education in the Curriculum.

Throughout the year, the district welcomed several distinguished guests. It was very exciting for students, faculty and parent representatives to meet the current Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, a 1976 graduate of Syosset High School. Another highly successful alumnus to return this year was Dr. Alan Blinder, who currently teaches economics at Princeton and served as an economic advisor to President Clinton and Vice President Gore. We also were pleased to have world-famous journalist and administrator of the Pulitzer Prize's Seymour Topping address students and faculty.

In May, Syosset community leaders were invited to a special thank you breakfast by the Syosset Board of Education to celebrate a successful year of working together to bring valuable athletic and educational programs to the residents of Syosset through the use of school facilities.

The establishment of the Office of Community Relations has been highly effective in organizing the use of fields, gymnasiums, auditoriums and other school facilities for use by community groups.

Syosset High School received an evaluation from the Northeast Division of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools naming it "one of the finest public high schools in the northeast."

Congratulations to the entire Syosset Schools community for an outstanding year of achievement.