BOE Meeting Saw Boys Ice Hockey Team
Last week’s Farmingdale School District Board of Education meeting saw more than just motions to approve policies and updates on district activity. The meeting saw a tenacious group of young men advocating for themselves and the recognition they feel they deserve—an action that Farmingdale School District Superintendent of Schools Paul Defendini applauded.
The young men represented Farmingdale ice hockey. The team, which plays under the New York Islanders High School Hockey League, was formed in 2015 with less than 20 players. Now, the team has expanded to include nearly 60 players spread across the middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels. While so many Daler students play for the team, they are not recognized as a school sport. At the March 6 board meeting, the team sought to change that.
“For some of us, hockey is the only sport we dedicate our time to, and we can’t even say that we are a school athlete,” one team member said to the board of education, noting that the Farmingdale cheerleaders had asked for the same recognition and reached the Nassau County championships in their first year as an official school team. “Please give my teammates and I the chance to do the same and bring an ice hockey championhip to Farmingdale schools. We want to represent Farmingdale schools with Daler pride.”
Another teammate took to the mic to address the board and emphasize that the team’s spectators only come to games after hearing about them through word of mouth. If the team had school recognition, the entire school district community could know about their games and achievements. “We just want to be seen as athletes of the Farmingdale community,” he said.
As he replied to the boys’ wish, Defendini acknowledged the team’s “real guts and real leadership, getting up in front of a group of adults and putting a request out there.” He applauded their politeness and respect and expressed his pride in seeing what the young Dalers accomplished by speaking in the public comment segment of the evening. “Over the course of the coming weeks, we will absolutely be reporting back to you.”
Prior to the first public comment segment, the meeting addressed the upcoming budget workshops on Wednesdays, March 13, 20 and 27. These will be open to the public.
Trustees Suzanne D’Amico, Kathy Lively and Arlene Soete spoke about recent events in the school district, such as walkthroughs of Albany Avenue and Saltzman East Memorial elementary schools to observe what students are learning and participating in, the Legislative Action Committee’s trip to Albany to lobby for legislative change regarding schools, and a number of scholarships that are available for Farmingdale High School seniors to apply for. Interested seniors may find applications in the guidance office.
Adopted were draft policies #5151, Homeless Children; #5140, Entrance Age; and #5150, School Admissions.
For more information regarding motions approved and for the meeting agenda, visit www.farmingdaleschools.org/domain/20 or call 516-434-5170.
