Forest LakeElementary School

Some very important people made their way to Forest Lake Elementary School on May 20, and it brought a smile to face of every student. VIP Day returned as an in-person event for the first time since 2019, with parents, grandparents and other special guests invited to get a taste of life at the school.

About three dozen environmentally conscious students arrived early at Forest Lake Elementary School in the Wantagh School District on April 8 for some good old fashioned spring cleaning. By the time classes started, they had filled several bags with litter found around the back of the school.

The inaugural day of giving at Forest Lake Elementary School was a huge success, with students filling about 350 treat bags. The donations will be given to the nonprofit Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead, which helps the hungry and homeless on Long Island.

By putting their engineering skills to the test, students at Forest Lake and Mandalay elementary schools got to make themselves part of popular holiday tale. Children were tasked with a fun building project to aid in the escape of the Gingerbread Man.

In the course of a year, children spend more than 1,000 hours in their school, and they should feel like it’s their second home. That’s why the student council at Forest Lake Elementary School is given great opportunities to make positive differences.

When was the last time you were moved and motivated by a book? For Nicole Pataky’s fifth grade class at Forest Lake, Catherine Ryan Hide’s national bestseller “Pay it Forward” not only spawned altruism on the school campus but will be a book the students will remember their entire lives.

After discussing ways to improve the community and secure a Bronze Award, members of Wantagh Girl Scout Troop 3654 decided to tackle the issue of trash and abandoned disposable masks that litter the Wantagh community and surrounding Forest Lake Elementary School grounds.

The Wantagh School District’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts is pleased to announce that 24 students represented the district in the annual Art Supervisors Association All-County Art Exhibit from their respective schools. Additionally, Wantagh High School senior Francis Peretti was selected as one of 42 ASA All-County Senior Scholarship winners.

After three years of planning and fundraising, the Wantagh School District and community congregated on April 17 at the newly dedicated James Lodato Field of Dreams, located at Forest Lake Elementary School, to honor former student James Lodato (2010-2018), whose life was cut short but whose legacy will always be remembered.

When students and faculty enter Forest Lake Elementary School in Wantagh, they are greeted by a large and colorful mural filled with aspirational quotes and thoughts to start the day. The mural replaced a former glass bookcase and exhibit area and includes Forester, the school’s mascot, and the quote, “Forest Lake is a Feeling.”

The weather outside the Forest Lake Elementary School auditorium was frightfully cold during the month of February, but Wantagh students raised their core body temperatures as they tried out numerous stations reflected in the Winter Wonderland theme.

As the winter temperatures plummet, Forest Lake first graders designed shoes to protect themselves against ice, snow and cold. The science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics lesson, led by Wantagh STEAM teacher Jamie Kanner, accompanied the students’ study of artic animals and their ability to protect themselves through the use of insulation and texture.

Forest Lake Elementary School Student Council worked diligently to develop a campaign to collect toys for Marine Toys for Tots. Under the direction of advisers Nicole Pataky and Meghan Prokesch, members created colorful signage announcing their collection and decorated boxes were placed in the lobby.

The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged district teachers to become more creative in their delivery of instruction due to social-distancing regulations, as seen in Forest Lake Elementary School physical education teacher Christine Moran’s fencing unit. The students may not wear armory during this ancient exercise, but they don their masks and swords/sabres, made out of Styrofoam noodles and paper food carry out containers.

Kindergarten students at Forest Lake Elementary employed their five senses, mathematics and English language arts skills to learn about apples during a fall science unit.

It would be difficult for most people practicing social distancing at home to choose just one word to describe how they are feeling. However, Forest Lake students and faculty were able and willing to select a meaningful word to convey messages of hope and relay what is important to them during One Word Day.

Forest Lake fifth graders have been immersed in coding activities and took their newly acquired skills to a higher level through participation in a digital and physical version of Breakout EDU. Breakout EDU is an immersive learning game platform that brings the components of an escape room to the classroom. Students