The following is a piece written by my former student, Siobhan Becker, for her Journalism Class. She reached out to several news outlets to publish it, but they declined. Since we reach more people than many newspapers, I told her I would post it here. I added the pictures, but everything else is hers (with the exception of a couple of edits) It sums up our mission quite well…
At 8:35 a.m., a bell rings, signaling the beginning of second period at Great Hollow middle School in Nesconset. Rich Specht greets his first science class of the day. He’s got 26 eighth grade students to share his love of science with.
Today’s lesson is on the neuron, a specialized cell that sends nerve impulses throughout the body.
“It’s all about regulation,” he explains.
He gets a game of catch going with an orange foam ball to demonstrate the speed of … Read More
In my first 14,692 days of life I have asked many questions; some easily answered and others impossible. I certainly do not recall my first questions, but I imagine my first question as simply: “Why?”. Why does Mommy smile at me when I laugh? Why does Daddy laugh when I make sounds that sound similar to bodily functions? Why does Grandma give me a disapproving look when I spit my food on her? We all learn by questioning the world around us. Even before the language that exists to express these questions forms, we immediately start seeking the answers to them. Some answers are easily obtained, while others remain out of reach…
Answering the “whys” of life never stops – they simply grow: Each new answer invariably leads to ever more complex questions. It is no coincidence that this complexity mirrors the ever burgeoning complexity of the brains that spawned … Read More
Don’t miss out on our “A Little ReesSpecht for Education” fundraiser tomorrow at Napper Tandy’s in MILLER PLACE NY from 3:00pm to 7:30pm. Tickets are $25.00 at the door but are only $20.00 if you order them online right HERE. You can also gain free entry if you show up with a bag full of school supplies for our supply drive. Additionally, anyone who comes with any school supplies will receive 5 bonus gift basket raffle tickets! We have over 40 AWESOME gift baskets to raffle off and several big ticket items including:
- NY METS Tickets
- An XBOX One plus Game and Swag!
- A Free Family Painted Portrait
- An Android Tablet computer
Feel free to arrive at any time between 3 and 6:15… We will be drawing the winning baskets at 6:30. I hope we see many of you there!
… Read More
