shley Ockner was approved as the district’s new director of music at the May 29 Three Village Central School District Board of Education meeting. The appointment is due to the upcoming retirement of Anthony Pollera and is effective July 1.

Ms. Ockner has been a member of the Three Village Central School District since 2015. She started at W.S. Mount Elementary School and currently teaches at R.C. Murphy Junior High School. Throughout her time in Three Village, Ms. Ockner has stepped into several leadership roles within the fine arts. She coordinated the district’s NYSSMA Satellite Festival for two years and managed the host site for the Suffolk County Music Educators Association Festival Concerts, ensuring a smooth event and collaborating between district staff and SCMEA leadership. Additionally, Ms. Ockner organized the R.C. Murphy Junior High School music department trips to Music in the Parks over the last several years.

Most recently, Ms. Ockner has served as an administration intern within the district. In this role, she designed a comprehensive K-12 music restructuring plan to improve educational services to student-musicians. She also spearheaded the proposal for the district’s third grade band program.

Before her time in Three Village, Ms. Ockner was a music teacher in the Longwood Central School District and for the Paul Effman Music Service. She holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, as well as a master’s degree and certificate in educational leadership from Stony Brook University.

I am honored and proud to be stepping into the role of director of music in Three Village,” Ms. Ockner said. “As both an alumnus and an educator in this district, I am thrilled to be able to continue fostering the same passion for music that inspired me as a student and has motivated me as an educator. I look forward to serving our music teachers, district, community, and most importantly, our young musicians in this capacity.

Date Added: 6/7/2024

Ward Melville High School students participated in the second annual community Sticker Shock Campaign event. Earlier this school year in their health classes, students took part in the Sticker Shock competition through the Town of Brookhaven’s Drug Prevention Coalition. They were challenged to create sticker slogans to remind adults the dangers of purchasing alcohol and vape products for minors.

The coalition selected three finalists for print and Ward Melville students “sticker shocked” the community by placing these reminders on products at local businesses. They put stickers on alcoholic beverage cases, take out bags and even pizza boxes. The activity helped students send an important public health message to the Three Village community.

Date Added: 6/7/2024

Congratulations to our tennis brothers duo, Harshith and Shashank Pennabadi, who won the New York State Boys Tennis Doubles Championship! They played against the best tennis players in the state for three days at the National Tennis Center and came out as state champions! We are so proud, Harshith and Shashank!

Newsday featured the Pennabadi brothers in the article linked here.

Date Added: 6/7/2024

Fourth graders at Minnesauke Elementary School dressed as historical figures for an interactive wax museum exhibit. Students stepped back in time and into character as they presented biographical information about figures who lived during the colonial era.

Click here to view the photo slideshow.

Date Added: 6/6/2024

Several violin players from Three Village were awarded private study grants worth $400 from the Long Island String Festival Association. Congratulations to Arrowhead Elementary School student Vivian Wei, and W.S. Mount Elementary School students Harry Dong and Renata Trujillo.

The scholarship goes toward private instrument lessons for these young musicians. They were selected based on a student-written letter explaining why they want to be considered for the scholarship, as well as a teacher recommendation letter.

Date Added: 6/6/2024