Fire Island is not only a beautiful place to live but also to learn, and the Woodhull Elementary School fifth grade students took to their local shores to participate in an ecology project called a “Day in the Life of Fire Island” for the third consecutive year this September.

Joined again by Woodhull fifth grade teacher Gabrielle Donovan, Ranger Kelsey Sucena of the National Parks Service and Adelphi University Visiting Assistant Professor Ruth Coffey, the students spent the September morning taking samples of bay water, sediment and aquatic life and analyzing their results. Meanwhile, students from Bay Shore High School and Longwood Junior High School were in other areas of Fire Island performing similar work.

The “Day in the Life” events, which are organized by several government agencies at federal, state and county levels, take place in various locations on Long Island throughout the year to check the health of its aquatic ecosystems and promote policy changes to maintain them accordingly.

Woodhull Elementary School students gathered together to pay their respects and honor the anniversary of 9/11 during a school ceremony on Patriot Day. 

After observing a moment of silence, Superintendent of Schools Loretta Ferraro shared a book about the heroes from 9/11 and showcased uplifting artwork that children made for first responders in the aftermath. As a concluding activity, the students decorated seashells with positive words to place at the Ocean Beach Firehouse’s 9/11 memorial.

Woodhull Elementary School students and staff returned to class this September under sunny skies and officially began the 2019-2020 school year.