BOE members met counterparts across the river
An ambassador is “a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity” or “an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country”.
At last Thursday’s HF-FMCSD virtual Board of Education meeting there were two people on the call who could only be described as ‘ambassadors’ for O’Neill High School — seniors Lina Sharifi and Evan Maasik.
The two are both residents of Garrison, and the meeting was the BOE’s annual meeting with members of the Garrison Union School District’s Board of Education and superintendent, Carl Albano. It’s the meeting each year where the Garrison representatives get to ask the HF-FMCSD’s representatives all about the academic programs offered at O’Neill.
And who better to answer many of those questions? Those student ambassadors.
Maasik and Sharifi did a very good job.
Before taking questions, the two students offered brief statements about their day to day life at O’Neill.
“There are a lot of opportunities to do different things at O’Neill,” Maasik, who had literally just walked from backstage at rehearsal from the school’s production of ‘The Addams Family’ this weekend to participate in the call. He invited all to attend the show.
Sharifi, from home, said the transition from her Garrison middle school years was an easy one, because, like in Garrison, O’Neill teachers “make it easy to build relationships with them”. She added that there “is so much to do at O’Neill; I’ve wanted to be as involved as possible.”
There are currently 33 Garrison students who attend O’Neill. Both Sharifi and Maasik have siblings who made the choice to attend O’Neill as well.
Garrison students are asked to choose either Haldane High School or O’Neill while in eighth grade.
With Sharifi and Maasik were O’Neill Principal Robin Haberman and Guidance Counselor Heather Milano. Haberman noted that a goal at O’Neill is to give students as many opportunities as possible in academics, athletics, leadership, the arts and extra curriculars. “We are very proud of life at O’Neill,” she said.
Milano detailed the programs offered at the school, including the Advanced Placement and college courses that many or all students are encouraged to take. She said there are three foreign languages offered (including American Sign Language), six honors classes, 10 AP classes, five SUPA (via Syracuse University) classes, three SUNY Orange classes, and 30 academic electives.
“I have been challenged as a learner,” Sharifi said, adding that she and Maasik sit together in their Spanish 5 class. He added: “these classes have really helped me take my academics to the next level”.
This spring, the HF-FMCSD board will welcome the Garrison board to the high school for a tour.
