Long Beach High School junior and cancer survivor Reese Gallinaro is using her personal experience to give back to others. Gallinaro organized a successful Lego drive to benefit children receiving treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The recent drive collected nearly 500 Lego sets, which will be donated to the hospital to provide comfort and joy to young patients.

The drive was a community-wide effort, with collection boxes set up at all Long Beach schools and a few other Long Beach locations. “I was happy to see so many people come together to support this project,” Gallinaro shared. “Lego sets can bring joy, spark creativity, and provide a much-needed distraction for kids who are going through such difficult times.”

Gallinaro, who was diagnosed with cancer twice in her life has been cancer-free for almost six years now, understands firsthand the importance of emotional support during a difficult journey. “My experience as a cancer survivor shaped my desire to help others who are facing similar battles. It’s a way for me to show that even the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference,” she said.

Date Added: 2/4/2025

On Jan. 15, the Long Beach Athletic Department hosted the 5th Annual Beauty and the Beast fundraising event raising over $5,500 to benefit MSK Kids at Memorial Slone Kettering Cancer Center.

The daylong event started with an opening ceremony introducing the teams as they came into the gym to Olympic Fanfare,” and then cheerleader Theresa Perrone sang, “The National Anthem.” Followed by a performance from the Long Beach Varsity Competition Cheer team and a recognition ceremony honoring Trip Powers and his family.  Long Beach students, Josh Vobis and Paddy Henry, captains of the Marines Ice Hockey team, presented Trip with a framed varsity hockey jersey signed by the team. 

LBHS varsity gymnastic and wrestling teams shared the gym for their respective meets. Long Beach varsity gymnastics was part of a Tri-Meet against Bethpage High School and Oceanside High School and Long Beach varsity wrestling took on Baldwin High School. The Long Beach Marines won both the wrestling and gymnastics meets.

Over the last five years, proceeds from this event including t-shirt sales, raffles and concessions have totaled more than $25,000 to support MSK Kids.  While this event is a team effort, Long Beach Head Varsity Gymnastics Coach Jessica Tull is the heart and soul of it.

Special thanks to all the athletes, parents, community members and local businesses that contributed to the success of this year’s Beauty and the Beast event. 

 

 

Date Added: 1/23/2025

Long Beach High School juniors and seniors were invited to attend a panel presentation and discussion featuring six Class of 2024 alumni for the school’s annual Alumni Day on Jan. 10.

This year’s alumni panel included the following members: Hannah Bloom, Troy DeFrancesco, Lily Evans, Samantha Feingold, Laika Khan and Kirsten Lilly. The former Long Beach High School students gave current students a first-hand accounting of the college process and college life.

The longstanding Alumni Day is hosted by the school’s guidance department and takes place in the school’s auditorium giving current students an opportunity to participate in a candid question and answer session to discuss post-graduation life and discuss all topics related to college life and academic success. Some of those questions included, “How do you pick college classes, what happens if you don’t like your roommate and tell me about the food in the cafeteria.”

Additionally, this year various small group workshops took place on additional days as part of the LB Alumni Series: College Edition that included Study Skills and Test Strategies, Extracurriculars and their Roles in the College Process and The College Essay.

“It is so great when our graduates come back to share their experiences with the current students,” said Long Beach Coordinator of School Counseling Jaclyn McMahon and moderator of the event. “The college application process can be so stressful, and our seniors receive advice from parents, counselors and teachers, but it has a different impact when it comes from their peers.”

Date Added: 1/23/2025

Long Beach High School Technology Department recently held its annual Tech Expo in the Commons allowing teachers and students to showcase the exciting work and projects taking place in their classes. The event featured a wide range of programs, including Auto, Robotics, Metalworking, Woodworking, TV Studio, Engineering, Aviation, Architecture and Design.

Students demonstrated their creativity and skills through projects such as metal rose shaping, drone flying, robotics, 3D printing, TV production, and architectural model building. Throughout the day, high school students had the opportunity to explore the displays during their lunch periods, gaining insight into the innovative and hands-on CTE learning experiences offered at Long Beach High School.

Date Added: 12/20/2024

Long Beach High School students Riley Barshak, LiLin Garfinkel and Nickita Melnikov were named Commended Students as part of the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Commended Students are identified based on their Preliminary SAT scores. They placed among the top 50,000 of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2025 competition by taking the exam, which serves as the National Merit Scholarship qualifying test.The three Long Beach seniors are part of a select group being recognized nationally for this exceptional academic accomplishment.

In addition to exhibiting academic excellence, the three seniors also participate in a range of programs, organizations, and activities both in and outside of school.

The district congratulates Riley, LiLin and Nickita on this outstanding achievement and wishes them continued success.

 

Date Added: 12/11/2024