Points of Pride
In Baldwin Union Free School District, we are proud of our people and the unique and outstanding initiatives taking place. Our Points of Pride highlights just some of the past years' most amazing accomplishments, demonstrating how we are one innovative, inclusive, and involved New York school district!
Fast Facts
99%
% OF BALDWIN HIGH SCHOOL REGENTS DIPLOMA RECIPIENTS
40%
# OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN AWARD-WINNING ACADEMIC ACADEMIES
171
# OF AP SCHOLARS
22
# OF AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA RECIPIENTS
50%
% OF STUDENTS TAKING *DUAL ENROLLMENT (COLLEGE-LEVEL) COURSES
996
# OF AP EXAMS TAKEN IN 2024
#286
U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT STATE RANKING
(1,279 ranked high schools in New York State for 2024)
*"Dual Enrollment" equates to college-level courses through the district's partnerships with various colleges and universities. Dual enrollment does not include AP courses (this number is separate). Dual enrollment allows high school students to take college classes while they are still enrolled in high school. These classes count as both high school and college credit. By taking dual enrollment and AP courses, the overall cost of higher education can be greatly reduced.
Points of Pride by School Year
Please note that this list is only a sample of district achievements and does not include every initiative taking place in the district. Additional information can be found under each office's web page, past board meeting presentations, as well as the district news section.
2023-2024
-
99% Graduation Rate - 204 AP Scholars
- 22 AP Capstone Diploma recipients
- 995 AP Exams taken in 2024
- 47% of Baldwin High School students enrolled in award-winning Academic Academies Program
- Nearly 50% of Baldwin High School students take dual enrollment
(college-credit) courses - Baldwin High School among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools”
- The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) recognized Baldwin UFSD with another two “Champion of Change” Awards
- Bond of $134.8 million passed through community-wide referendum
2023-24 Innovative Highlights
- Baldwin UFSD launched the Baldwin Schools Wellness Center in partnership with PM Pediatric Care at Baldwin Middle School
- Baldwin High School launched the new course, “Senior Experience,” combining internships and real-world experiences with academics
- The Nassau County Community College Partnership allows students to earn up to 36 credits before graduating high school
- District organized an exclusive S.T.E.A.M. Night at the Cradle of Aviation with more than 900 registered
- Students, K-12, had the unique opportunity to hear from NASA astronaut/Baldwin alum, Lt. Col. Jasmin Moghbeli, live from the International Space Station
- Hundreds attended the inaugural Baldwin Street Games, a free outdoor, weekend event hosted at each elementary school and organized by the district and PTAs to encourage device-free play and family time
- Baldwin High School celebrated 24 Years of the Mentoring Program and will launch peer-to-peer mentoring program for fall of 2024
- Baldwin High School students participated in a plethora of professional “Shadow Days” and “Leaving2Learn” excursions, including with the NYU Tandon Futures Lab, Stetson Cyber Security, Nassau County District Court, and National Grid
- The district transformed the historic 2024 solar eclipse into a rich and rewarding educational experience for families
Academics
- Ninety-one President’s Award Winners
- Eighteen Baldwin High School seniors graduated with transferrable credits from Nassau Community College and will begin as sophomores their first year of college
- Baldwin High School designated 2023 AP School Honor Roll recipient—“Silver with Access”
- Baldwin High School earned the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award
- The College Board National Recognition Program recognized 17 Baldwin High School students
- Baldwin High School senior one of only 357 students worldwide to receive a “perfect” score on Advanced Placement (AP) Research Exam
- Three Baldwin High School seniors designated “Commended Students” in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program
- Princeton University awarded Baldwin High School junior with “Certificate of Accomplishment”
- Baldwin High School students earned the New York State Senate Youth Leadership Recognition Award
- Baldwin High School’s Youth Change Leader Collaborative (YCLC) awarded honorable mention in national Invent2Prevent competition
- YCLC also placed third in the American Bankers Association Foundation’s “Lights, Camera, Save!” Video Contest
- YCLC among winners in fifth annual “I Am Em-Powered” Energy Conservation Video Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest, hosted by PSEG Long Island
- Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate® movement highlighted the work of Baldwin High School’s YCLC Agents of Social Change initiative in monthly newsletter
- Baldwin High School student selected for Bank of America’s exclusive Student Leaders program
- The American Chemical Society recognized Baldwin High School senior for “Outstanding Scholastic Achievement in High School Chemistry”
- Baldwin High School senior was named a winner of the Estée and Joseph Lauder Scholarship
- Baldwin High School senior won scholarship from National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) and Liberty’s competition
- Baldwin High School junior named one of five winners in the 2024 Nassau County High School Essay Contest
- Baldwin High School senior named one of four winners in the 2024 “Raise Your Voice” student essay contest
- Baldwin High School senior invited to speak at New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Convention
- Baldwin High School placed second in the inaugural Mentoring Excellence Award competition
- Woodworking students at Baldwin High School constructed storage boxes for Jones Beach lifeguards
- Baldwin High School Academy students invited to Hofstra University School of Nursing’s exclusive summer program: Succuss Journey
- Simon Youth Foundation awarded competitive scholarships to two graduating students from Baldwin High School@Shubert
- Baldwin High School@Shubert student received the New York State Comptroller Award
- Baldwin Middle School and Meadow placed 1st in New York State Future Problem Solvers bowl
- Lenox and Meadow elementary schools participated in the district’s “Hello Neighbor” project
- In addition to four Nassau Region PTA finalists, six students, K-12, received an “Award of Merit” at the state-level in the annual New York State PTA Reflections competition
- Steele 4th and 5th graders participated in the Nassau County Elementary School Mock Trial Program, sponsored by the School Engagement Subcommittee of the Nassau County Bar Association’s Community Relations Education Committee and the Nassau County Supreme Court
- Five Steele Elementary School students among winners in the Long Island Speech-Language Hearing Association (LISHA)’s Melissa J. Roeder’s Poster Contest
- Plaza Elementary School 4th grader placed second in inaugural nation-wide contest, “America’s Field Trip”
Music and Fine Arts
- Baldwin High School Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir earned “Gold NYSSMA Rating”
- Two Baldwin High School musicians selected for the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall
- Forty-Two Nassau Music Educators Association’s All-County musicians
- Six selected for the Long Island String Festival Association (LISFA)
- Two New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA) Honor Band musicians
- Baldwin High School student named NYSSMA All-State Musician
- Baldwin High School Concert Choir opened for Foreigner at Jones Beach Theater and also performed at USB Arena
- Baldwin High School student accepted into the selective NYU Tisch Future Music Moguls program
- Two nominees for The Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance
- Thirty-nine Art Supervisors Association (ASA)’s All-County Art Exhibition artists
- Six Baldwin High School students featured in the NYSATA (New York State Art Teachers Association) 34th Annual Legislative Student Art Exhibit –Virtual Edition
- Baldwin High School senior accepted into the Art Guild’s Nassau County High School Student Juried Competition & Exhibition
- Baldwin High School student’s artwork chosen for the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 2024 gardening calendar
- Artwork of secondary students featured at African American Museum of Nassau County’s Black History Month exhibit through exclusive partnership between Baldwin UFSD and the museum
- Baldwin Middle School Dance Expression Pre-Academy placed first in annual StepUp2Dance competition
- Baldwin Middle School student among winners in the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) Invasive Species Prevention Poster Contest
Athletics
- Baldwin UFSD’s athletics program ranked #6 in “Top 10 Nassau School Districts for Athletics” by Niche
- Boys Varsity Basketball team named Nassau County Champions for fourth consecutive year
- Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams bestowed James Green Sportsmanship Award
- Girls 4x200 Track team won New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA) State Championships title second year in a row, breaking state record
- Baldwin High School junior won the girls 55-meter dash in the NYSPHAA State Championships
- Boys Varsity Track and Field team won the Nassau Class AAA Championship
- Baldwin High School senior won Track and Field State Championship and Sprinter of the Year
- Marksmanship team named Nassau County Team Sportsmanship recipient
- Baldwin athletes among 2024 Newsday’s “All-Long Island Boys Track and Field Team” and “Top 100 Players” for the following sports: Boys Basketball, Boys Lacrosse, Boys Soccer, Girls Basketball, and Softball
- Nassau Zone of New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance recognized two Baldwin High School students with “Outstanding Physical Education Students of the Year” award
- Coaches Michael Palumbo, Mike Higgins, and Rebecca LaFlare each named “Coach of the Year” in their respective sports
- Boys Varsity Basketball coach, Darius Burton, honored for 400th win
- Baldwin High School alumni, Robert Bliss Alabaster and Kevin Shippos, inducted into Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame
- Baldwin Bruins Sports Podcast celebrated 100th episode
- The high school’s new Athletic Complex is complete, with a ribbon- cutting set to take place on Homecoming!
Baldwin Family
- Junior Achievement of New York recognized Baldwin High School with “Gold” partnership status—the highest level to be obtained
- Lenox and Plaza Elementary Schools recognized as National PTA Schools of Excellence
- Steele Elementary School one of two schools nationwide to be chosen to host Google and National PTA’s Internet Safety Workshop
- Baldwin High School assistant principal, Dr. Ricky Papandrea, elected to the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC) board
- School counselor, Ms. Erin Beirne, awarded the Nassau Counselor Association School Counselor of the Year award
- Baldwin Middle School teacher, Ms. Sharon Norelius, one of fifteen teachers awarded the Long Island Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Educational Leadership Association (LISTEMELA) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Star award
- Baldwin Middle School teachers, Mr. Francesco Iannucci and Mr. Walter Baldi, recognized in Applebee’s “Above and Bee-yond” Teacher Competition
- Baldwin High School teacher, Mr. Dan Baxt, and school counselor, Ms. Meghan Kargman, among “Best of Long Island” 2024 winners
- Baldwin High School teacher, Ms. Michelle Gambino, featured in Newsela’s “Educator Spotlight” for student engagement and instructional practices
- Superintendent Dr. Shari L. Camhi appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) and also named “2023 Power Players in Education”
2022-2023
- 99% Graduation Rate
- 78% Advanced Regents Diploma Recipients
- 164 AP Scholars
- 31 AP Capstone Diploma Recipients
- 0% achievement gap – Equity across the entire student body
- 987 AP exams taken in 2023
- 42% of Baldwin High School students are enrolled in award-winning Academic Academies Program
- Nearly 50% of Baldwin High School students take dual enrollment (college-level) courses
- Baldwin UFSD won the National School Boards Association's Silver Magna Award
- The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) recognized Baldwin UFSD with another “Champion of Change” Award
2022-23 Innovative Highlights
- Baldwin UFSD hosted the first-ever “Future of Learning” Summit with more than 70 influential leaders from across the country in attendance, including Dr. James Lane from the U.S. Department of Education, Washington D.C.
- Baldwin UFSD became the first K-12 school district in the nation to install ‘Smart Lockers’ at the high school.
- Baldwin High School unveiled The Learning Collaboratory—a contemporary library featuring state-of-the-art technology and collaborative workspaces in an aesthetically pleasing environment.
- The Nassau County Community College Partnership now allows students to earn up to 36 credits before graduating high school.
- The Mindfulness Initiative officially launched across all five elementary schools for grades K-5.
- District organized two S.T.E.A.M. Nights, featuring Mad Science of LI, for grades K-5.
- Teachers in the Educator Residency Program partook in the next phase of their professional learning by working with colleagues to demonstrate the effective teaching practices through purposeful co-teaching, peer coaching and collaborative engagement based on what they learned from their hands-on experiences in the world-of-work.
- Baldwin community members were invited to participate in three workshops to provide input about the work being done to reimagine learning within all Baldwin schools as part of the journey of Baldwin 2035.
Academics
- 54 President’s Award Winners
- 27 Baldwin High School seniors graduated with transferrable credits from Nassau Community College and will begin as sophomores their first year of college
- Baldwin High School won 1st place in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s “Pollution Prevention Works” competition and a $5000 prize
- Baldwin High School’s Medical & Health Sciences Academy won 1st place in the Northwell Health Spark! Challenge for “Best Video”
- Baldwin High School students’ music video was one of 13 films world-wide accepted into WNET’s inaugural Youth Collective Film Festival in New York City
- Two Baldwin High School seniors designated “Commended Students” in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program
- Baldwin High School’s Youth Change Leader Collaborative (YCLC) among top five winners in the national “Invent2Prevent” competition
- Baldwin High School’s YCLC invited to present at New York State Education Department’s inaugural School Safety Summit
- YCLC students developed and hosted the inaugural Long Island Climate Justice Summit at Baldwin High School, featuring guest speaker and renowned environmental activist, Jayne Chase
- Baldwin High School placed 3rd in Northwell Health’s 11th annual Medical Marvels competition
- Press Club of Long Island awarded Baldwin High School’s Baldwin Bruins Sports Podcast 3rd place in the “Best High School Broadcast” category
- Junior Achievement of New York named Baldwin High School senior “Student of the Year” with a $10,000 college scholarship
- Baldwin High School junior won 2nd place in the Claire Friedlander Upstander Award Competition and a $2500 scholarship
- Baldwin High School senior won 1st place in Molloy University’s Summer Business Bootcamp
- Two Baldwin High School seniors were named winners in the Adelphi University Apprentice Challenge
- Three Baldwin High School students received the 2023 Building Bridges Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council
- Two Baldwin High School students were awarded “Certificate of Recognition in Math, Accounting, and Finance” by Nassau County Comptroller
- Baldwin High School students were invited to present at the “We Are the Future Summit” hosted at Hofstra University
- Baldwin High School woodworking students created storage boxes for Jones Beach lifeguards
- Baldwin Middle School Pre-Academy won 1st place in the Step Up 2 Dance competition
- Baldwin Middle School and Meadow placed 1st in New York State Future Problem Solvers bowl
- Meadow Elementary School placed 2nd in Future Problem Solvers International competition
- Baldwin High School students participated in a plethora of professional “Shadow Days” and “Leaving2Learn” excursions, including the Wind Power Industry Forum and the 1st Legal Shadow Day hosted by the Nassau County District Court
Music and Fine Arts
- New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) recognized three Baldwin High School students as “All-State” performers
- Baldwin High School senior recognized as a 2022-2023 Long Island High School Scholar Artist and featured in Newsday
- Two Baldwin High School seniors’ artwork selected for the Art Guild’s Nassau County High School Student Juried Exhibit & Competition
- The Baldwin High School Wind Symphony was the only Long Island school to be a featured ensemble at NYSSMA’s 86th Annual Winter Conference
- Baldwin High School Concert Choir selected to perform at the New York State School Board Association (NYSSBA)’s Annual Convention and Expo
- The artwork of 36 students from across the district featured in the 19th annual Nassau Art Supervisors Association All-County Art Exhibit
- Nassau Music Educators Association (NMEA) recognized 37 students district-wide as “All-County” musicians
- Artwork created by Baldwin Middle School featured in New York State’s 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fine Arts and Essay Exhibition
- Meadow’s Special Chorus acknowledged by celebrity Whoopi Goldberg after seeing their performance of “Joyful, Joyful”
Athletics
- Girls Varsity Basketball team named Long Island Champions
- Boys Varsity Basketball team named Nassau County Champions
- Baldwin High School sophomore was the New York Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) State Champion in the 55-meter race at the 2023 New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships
- Baldwin Bruins 4x200 Track Team won the NYSPHSAA State Championships
- The Boys Varsity Bowling team clinched their 3rd Conference Championship
- The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team named Conference Champions for the first time in Baldwin history
- The Girls Soccer team named Conference Champions
- Baldwin High School senior won the National Football Foundation “Jay Fiedler” Top Student-Athlete Award
- Baldwin High School senior named winner of the 10th annual Marcus A. Henry Award
- Two Baldwin High School seniors recognized as “All-State Student Athlete”
- Girls Basketball player named “All American Scholar Athlete Player of the Year”
- Nassau Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance recognized two Baldwin High School seniors with “Outstanding Physical Education Students of the Year” award
Baldwin Family
- Meadow Elementary School recognized as National PTA School of Excellence
- Baldwin High School won Best of Long Island 2023 for “High School Spirit,” “Podcast,” “School Counselor,” “School Psychologist,” “Sports Coach”
- Plaza Elementary School named winner of the 2023 Nassau Region PTA P.A.R.P. Award
- Meadow 2nd grader and Baldwin High School 9th grader received “Award of Merit” in New York State PTA Reflections contest
- Ten students from Meadow and Baldwin High School recognized as Nassau Region PTA Finalist in New York State PTA Reflections
- Applebee’s named Lenox Elementary School 4th grade teacher, Katie Schieck, “Nassau County’s Teacher of the Year”
- Baldwin High School science teacher, Ms. Rebecca Seepersad, 1 of 13 to receive the LI Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Educational Leadership Association STEM Star Award
- Superintendent Dr. Shari Camhi sworn in as the 2022-2023 President of AASA, the national School Superintendents Association
- Board president, Ms. Mary Jo O’Hagan, received the National Education Council’s Cooperative Leadership Award
- Superintendent Dr. Camhi among 2022 Power Players in Education
- Baldwin UFSD celebrated 90 years of “Sportsnite”
- Baldwin UFSD alumna/NASA Astronaut, Lt. Col. Jasmin Moghbeli, visited her alma maters, Lenox Elementary School and Baldwin High School, to conduct scientific experiments with students
- PBS’ MetroFocus episode featuring Baldwin UFSD won a 2022 Folio Award
- Office Depot featured the high school’s “Learning Collaboratory” in a case study
2021-2022
- 97% graduation rate
- 75% Advanced Regents Diploma recipients
- 0% achievement gap – Equity across the entire student body
- Baldwin High School among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools for 2022” – 3rd Consecutive Year
- Baldwin UFSD 1 of 4 winners and the only K-12 school district to receive the New York Business Council’s inaugural P-12 Workforce Innovation Award’
- The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) recognized Baldwin UFSD with “Champion of Change” Award
- Baldwin UFSD 1 of 13 districts nationwide to be named a “Lighthouse Demonstration School System” by AASA (The National School Superintendents Association)
2021-22 Curriculum Highlights
• The Nassau County Community College (NCC) partnership officially launched, where Baldwin High School seniors can now take community college courses directly on the NCC campus – a first for any Long Island school district
• “College Civics and News Literacy,” course made its debut in partnership with Stony Brook University
• District upgraded the senior math course into a new dual enrollment (dual credit) course with Molloy University called “Introduction to College Math”
Music and Fine Arts
• NYSSMA designated Baldwin High School student “All-State”
• Three Baldwin High School students featured in the Art League of Long Island’s 15th Annual Go APE Exhibition
• Baldwin High School student won the “Award of Excellence” in annual GO APE Exhibit
• Three Baldwin High School students accepted into the New York State Band Director’s Association (NYSBDA) Honor Band
• Thirty-six students’ artwork selected for Art Supervisors Association (ASA) All-County Art Exhibit
• Baldwin High School art student received the ASA Scholarship Award
• Five Baldwin High School art students accepted into the Adelphi University 10-week art intensive, “For the Love of Art”
• At the NYSMMA Major Organization Festival, Baldwin High School Concert Band and Chamber Orchestra received “Gold Rating,” while the Symphony Band and Wind Symphony rated “Gold with Distinction”
• Baldwin High School Pep Band performed at Northwell Health’s Nurses Week Celebration
• Students’ artwork donated to Northwell Health Long Island Jewish Hospital during annual Calming Murals Ceremony
• The NAMM Foundation recognized Baldwin as “Best Community for Music Education”
• Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation awarded a grant to district
• Department of Fine & Performing Arts hosted inaugural district-wide Art Exhibition in conjunction with Baldwin Illuminated – a projection mapping event featuring student work (a first of its kind to take place in any school district)
Academics
• 129 AP Scholars
• 64 “President’s Award” winners
• Baldwin High School Law Academy students won 1st place Medical Marvels competition for 2nd consecutive year
• Baldwin High School placed 2nd in Northwell Health’s annual Spark! Challenge
• Northwell Health invited last year’s Medical Marvels Competition winners from Baldwin High School to participate in their 4th Annual Gun Violence Prevention Forum
• Baldwin High School student named semifinalist in U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and a “Commended Student” in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program
• Junior Achievement appointed a Baldwin High School senior Student Ambassador and named another student “JA Student of the Year” with a $10,000 college scholarship
• Two Baldwin High School seniors received the “High School Scholars NY Mets Jim Plummer Memorial Scholarship”
• Baldwin High School@Shubert student earned a carpentry apprenticeship at T. J. Architectural Woodwork, Inc. through theHarbor Freight Fellows Initiative, received a $1000 scholarship for completing the program, and was bestowed the prestigious George Farber Outstanding Student Award
Other Baldwin High School accolades included:
Other Baldwin High School accolades included: Nassau Community College “Excellence in Student Activities” Award; The Nassau County Comptroller’s Math, Accounting
and Finance Award; Assemblywoman Judy Griffin’s “Student Standout Award”; Freeport Police Department’s “Making a Difference Award”; three recipients of the 2022 “Students Building Bridges Award” from the Jewish Community Relations Council – Long Island (JCRC-LI) and Nassau County’s State Senate Delegation; two LIASEA (Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators) award-winners; 2nd place in the SAAWA (South Asian American Women’s Alliance essay contest; Newsday’s “Extraordinary Seniors”
Athletics
• The Boys and Girls Basketball teams both won the Long Island Championship title – a first for any Long Island high school to have two winning LI Champs. Girls Basketball Team also advanced as a “New York State Finalist”
• Boys Varsity Soccer Team designated “Conference I Champions”
• Girls Indoor Track 4x200 Relay placed 2nd in New York State Championships
• Boys Indoor Track and Field player earned All-County Indoor Track 300 Meters
• Baldwin High School wrestler won 1st place in Nassau County Championships (189lbs), Nassau County Tournament “Most Outstanding Wrestler” Award, and “Champion of Champions” Award, and was named Newsday’s Athlete of the Week
• Baldwin High School basketball player named 2022 Nassau County “Player of the Year”
• NYS Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance recognized two Baldwin High School students as “Outstanding Physical Education Students of the Year”
• Baldwin High School student among Newsday’s top 50 field hockey players on Long Island
• Baldwin High School senior named News 12 LI Scholar Athlete
• Darius Burton, Tom Catapano, Peter Buckley, Adango Longjohn, Mike Palumbo Designated “Coach of the Year” by their Nassau Coaches Associations
Virtual Enterprise (VE) National Competitions
SuppLI (Student Company #1)
• Elevator Pitch: Top 25%
• Website: Honorable Mention
• Newsletter: Top 10%
• Business Plan Competition: Top 40
OneWorld (Student Company #2)
• Elevator Pitch: Top 25%
• Company Branding: Honorable Mention
• Newsletter: Top 25%
• Business Plan Competition: Top 40
Baldwin Family
• Baldwin Union Free School District (UFSD) selected to be part of the AASA (The National School Superintendents Association) “Learning 2025 Initiative”
• Baldwin High School designated “No Place for Hate” for 2nd year in a row
• Brookside Elementary School named 2022 National School of Character by Character.org
• Lenox and Plaza Elementary Schools recognized as National PTA “Schools of Excellence”
• Superintendent Dr. Shari L. Camhi elected AASA President
• Baldwin Sports Bruins Podcast and Baldwin High School principal, Dr. Neil Testa, among “Best of Long Island” winners
• Anthony Mignella, assistant superintendent for instruction, recognized by Education Drive as a "Rising Star"
• The Math Club at Baldwin Middle School ranked 1st in the state in the Euclidean Division of the Continental Mathematics League (CML) first time competing, and one of the students ranked nationally with a “Perfect” individual score
• Baldwin Middle School student among winners in Nassau Region PTA Reflections for 4th consecutive year, while a Meadow Elementary School student received a New York State PTA Reflections “Award of Merit”
• Meadow students placed 1st and 2nd in the New York State Future Problem Solving competition
2020-2021
- Starting in September, Baldwin UFSD added new courses to the high school curriculum. The courses include Introduction to Drones, which will allow students to become FAA certified in drone flying, College Coding, College Criminalistics, Introduction to Teaching, and Sports Officiating, leaving students certified to officiate games in the sport the course covers.
- Fine and Performing Arts Academy launched.
- Baldwin High School National Academy of Finance Certificate Program fully implemented.
- 98% graduation rate
- 0% achievement gap – Equity across the entire student body
- Advanced Regents Diploma recipients increased by 10%, from 60% to 70%
- Baldwin High School among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools for 2021” – 2nd year in a row, moving up 60 places in the state ranking!
- Schools remained open across the district for the entire 2020-2021 school year – learning never stopped and kept advancing!
Music and Fine Arts
- Fine & Performing Arts Academy launched
- Two musicians chosen for NYSSMA All-State Festival
- One musician selected for All-Eastern Honor Ensemble Mixed Choir
- 35 Art Supervisor Association All-County Art Exhibition artists
- Baldwin High School student won “Award of Excellence” in annual GO APE Exhibit
- Baldwin High School senior named NYSSMA All-State Performer two years in a row
- Performance by Baldwin High School Orchestra Students Featured on NBC New York and News 12 Long Island
- The NAMM Foundation recognized Baldwin as “Best Community for Music Education” for 5th Consecutive Year
- Meadow Elementary School 4th graders named winners in the National Audubon Society’s “Be a Good Egg Poster Contest”
- Virtual visits from esteemed professors and composers throughout the year at the secondary level
Academies
- Additional courses added to high school curriculum, e.g., Introduction to Drones (allows students to become FAA certified in drone flying), College Coding, College Criminalistics, Introduction to Teaching, and Sports Officiating (allows students to become certified to officiate)
- Baldwin High School National Academy of Finance Certificate Program fully implemented
- 80 AP Scholars
- 41 President Award winners
- One “Commended Student” in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program
- Baldwin High School academy students placed 1st in two categories in Northwell Health’s Annual Spark! Challenge, winning a total prize of $4000
- Baldwin High School student won 1st prize in Stock Market Game Challenge
- Press Club of Long Island awarded 1st place to Baldwin High School’s Baldwin Bruins Sports Podcast for the 2nd year in a row
- Baldwin High School designated 2020-2021 “No Place for Hate” School – Gold Status for 1st time
- Two students received Honorable Mention in the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Poetry Contest
- Three Baldwin UFSD students named winners in the PTA Reflections Competition – State-Level
- Baldwin High School students selected to participate in the PBS/WNET Group’s Youth Collective Summit 2021
- Two students in Baldwin High School@Shubert awarded academic scholarships from Simon Youth Foundation
- Baldwin High School senior among Newsday’s “13 Extraordinary Seniors”
- Valedictorian and Salutatorian both accepted into Ivy League schools
Northwell Heath’s Medical Marvels Competition
- Baldwin High School Government & Law Academy students placed 1st for gun violence prevention video
- So impressed, Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling and Parkland shooting victim’s father, Fred Guttenberg, met with the winning team
- The winning team also participated in a special PSA created by Northwell’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention
Virtual Enterprise (VE) National Competitions
“OneWorld” VE Team
- Ranked in the “Top 50 Firms” Nationally – first year competing
- Company Branding: Honorable Mention
- Newsletter: Honorable Mention
- Elevator Pitch: Top 25%
- Website: Top 25%
“SuppLI” VE Team
- Company Branding: Top 10%
- Newsletter: Top 10%
Athletics
- Two “Students of the Year” designated by the Association for Health, Physical Education Recreation and Dance Nassau Zone Outstanding Physical Education
- Baldwin High School athletes among Newsday’s 100 Top Basketball Players on
- Long Island
- Three Nassau County Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees: Anna Paluszek, Edward Reinisch, and Marion (Miki) Waldman DeBaise
Baldwin Family
- Superintendent of Schools, Shari L. Camhi, elected to President-Elect of National Superintendent Association (AASA)
- Baldwin High School counselor, Meghan Schlosser, elected to President-Elect of Nassau Counselors’ Association
- MENTOR New York named Pat Banhazl of Baldwin High School “Mentor of the Year”
- Pupil Services director, Sherrisse Young, among Long Islanders honored as a Nassau County COVID Hero
- LI Herald recognized Russ Randazzo, director of facilities, as a “Hometown Hero”
- Steele Elementary School teacher, Nancy Aquino, won LI Herald’s inaugural head of class award after being nominated by the community
- The Business Teachers Association of New York State (BTANYS) named Michele Leonardo, Baldwin High School teacher, 2020 Innovations Grant Award winner
- Angela Lucas named “Person of the Year” for 2020 by Baldwin Herald
2019-2020
- 97% graduation rate
- 0% achievement gap – Equity across the entire student body
- Baldwin High School among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools for 2020” based on the state assessment performances and college readiness
- Baldwin High School named New York State Recognition School (second year in a row)
Academics
- Seamlessly launched virtual learning program and curriculum during COVID-19 outbreak
- Baldwin High School’s Virtual Enterprise, SuppLI, named one of the winners in the Virtual Enterprise International (VEI) #YBSReimagined Social Media Competition
- Virtual Enterprise earned five gold plaques at the Long Island Trade Show and placed in the top 10% nationally in the VEI Newsletter Competition
- Baldwin High School’s Business Development Team placed 3rd and won $1500 in the Northwell Health Spark! Challenge
- Baldwin High School’s Future Business Leaders of America club won 1st prize in the annual Nassau County Comptroller Competition
- Two “Commended Students” in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program
- Baldwin High School student named National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) Scholar
- Walt Whitman Birthplace Association 34th Annual Student Poetry Contest winner
- Baldwin High School student represented Nassau County on the New York State Governor’s Youth Council and featured on PBS’ National Storytelling Project
- Baldwin Middle School LEGO robotics teams placed in top 10 of the Long Island First LEGO League Robotics Competition. Team Chuck Norris’ Fist also placed 1st for “Research Project” and in the “Alliance” round, and advisor/teacher, Thomas Girolamo, nominated for “Coach of the Year”
- Plaza designated a 2019-2021 PTA School of Excellence
- Lenox Elementary School named a 2020 Emerging State School of Character
- Programs at Brookside and Plaza Elementary Schools recognized as a “2020 Promising Practice”
- Meadow named winner of the Nassau County Pick-a-Reading-Partner (PARP) Award
- The Meadow Community Problem Solvers placed 2nd internationally in the Jr. Division of the International Future Problem Solver Competition
- MENTOR New York featured Plaza’s Mentoring Program at annual benefit dinner
Athletics
- Girls’ Basketball named Nassau County Champions for 6 consecutive years (9 of the last 10 years)
- Boys’ Basketball named Nassau County Champions
- Boys’ Bowling, as well as the Badminton team, both named Conference Champions
- Baldwin High School athletes among Newsday’s 100 Top Soccer Players on Long Island
- Student named “News 12 Long Island Scholar Athlete”
- Two “Students of the Year” designated by the Association for Health, Physical Education Recreation and Dance Nassau Zone Outstanding Physical Education
- Nassau County Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees: Breanne Elise Nasti, Alice Jean
Fine & Performing Arts
- Six musicians chosen for Long Island String Festival
- Two musicians chosen for NYSSMA All-State Festival
- One musician selected for All-Eastern Honor Ensemble Mixed Choir
- 33 Art Supervisor Association All-County Art Exhibition artists
- 55 students represented Baldwin at the All-County Music Festival
- The NAMM Foundation recognized Baldwin as “Best Community for Music Education” for 4th Consecutive Year
- Baldwin High School Choir performed at Carnegie Hall
- Baldwin High School students performed at the Induction of the 13th Nassau County Legislature
- Baldwin Pep Band and Chorus featured at Hofstra University
Our Baldwin Family
- Long Island Business Teacher Association named Michele Leonardo of Baldwin High School “Outstanding New Teacher of the Year”
- Renee MacDermott of Lenox Elementary School selected for the elite New York State Master Teacher Program
- Newsday named Darius Burton of Baldwin High School “Nassau Coach of the Year”
- Tom Catapano of Baldwin High School among Newsday’s Top High School Coaches of the 2010s
- Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Shari L. Camhi, one of twelve nationwide to be recognized as Education Week’s “Leaders To Learn From”
- Mary Jo O’Hagan, president of the Board of Education, won New York State School Boards Association’s highest honor—the 2019 Everett R. Dyer Award for Distinguished School Board Service
- Two Baldwin families featured on PBS/WNET’s “Parenting Minutes”
2018-2019
- 97% graduation rate
- 0% achievement gap – Equity across the entire student body
- Baldwin High School named New York State Recognition School for the first time!
We implemented new resources and programs, including an expanded curriculum and professional development.
- Advanced Placement (A.P.) Seminar/Capstone
- 9th Grade Teaming
- Suffolk County Community College Partnership
- Simon Youth Foundation at Baldwin
- Middle School Virtual Enterprise Pre-Academy
- Middle School Interdisciplinary Units of Study
- Integrated academic uses of technology
- Education Academy at the High School
- Continuation of inquiry-based science
- 9th Grade AVID Course
Academics
Regents Results
- Algebra for All (Grade 8) – 95% passing
- Algebra II (High School) – 97% passing
- English – 94% passing
- Living Environment – 95% passing
- S. History – 95% passing
- The new Global History – 96% passing
Virtual Enterprise Competitions
Baldwin High School’s Virtual Enterprise, SuppLI, replicates the entrepreneurial spirit of a real business.
- Regional Competition: Gold for Booth Design, ImpactMarketing Billboard, Company Newsletter, Employee Handbook, and Company Branding, and Silver for Sales Materials
- Youth Business Summit: Gold for Best Booth and Silver for Sales Materials and Salesmanship
- National Competition:
- Company Branding – Top 25%
- Elevator Pitch – Top 25%
- Newsletter – Top 10%
- Commercial – Honorable Mention
- Northwell Health Spark! Challenge
- 1st for Presentation ($2000)
- Honorable Mention for Presentation ($1000)
- Honorable Mention for Poster ($1000)
- Facebook Choice Best Poster ($1000)
Other Academic Achievements
- Five students graduated with 29-31 college credits from Suffolk County Community College
- Meadow placed 2nd in the world for the Community Problem Solving category of the Future Problem Solver International competition
- Baldwin Middle School’s robotics team defeated more than 30 schools in the 2019 Adelphi Robotics Tournament Championship
- Baldwin High School student received the Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute Scholarship award
- A student represented Baldwin High School and New York State at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders
- Baldwin High School students placed 1st in New York, 2nd in the Tri-State, and 9th in the nation in the Continental Mathematics League
- NYS Association of Foreign Language Teachers named a student region winner of the Philip A. Fulvi
- Student Scholarship Award for Excellence in Foreign Language Study
- Baldwin High School student named Junior Achievement Ambassador for 2019-2020
- Baldwin High School student received “Honorable Mention” in the Next Generation Personal Finance Payback Challenge
- Baldwin High School’s Future Business Leaders
Additional Student Accolades
- Several students received a PTA Reflections Award, including a fifth grader winning at the national level
- The “President’s Volunteer Service Award” was bestowed upon a Baldwin High School student
Innovative Programs and Initiatives
The following programs and partnerships successfully launched this year:
- Suffolk County Community College (SCCC)
- Simon Youth Foundation
- Molloy College/Education Academy
- Baldwin Jumpstart K Program
- Baldwin Middle School Better World Day
- Baldwin Middle School Summer Program at the Cradle of Aviation
- Baldwin UFSD celebrated community partnership milestones: 25th annual Shadow Day at Mercy
- Medical Center and the 5th annual Nassau County Police Department “Police Youth Academy”
- 18 newly redesigned learning spaces unveiled
- Plaza’s Team O.R.C.H.I.D. digital journalism club published their 250th story
- Baldwin UFSD administrators participated in the Harvard Strategic Data Project
- Baldwin UFSD students published Baldwin Then and Now
- District-wide participation in Lady Gaga’s Kindness Campaign through partnership with Born This Way Foundation
Staff and District Achievements
- One of just 20 school districts nationwide to be selected for the “Innovation and Transformational/ Leadership Network”
- Molloy College named Dr. Jimmy Kalamaras “ENL Administrator of the Year”
- Long Island Business Teachers’ Association named Ms. Michele Leonardo “Outstanding New Teacher of the Year”
- Harvard Club of Long Island named Megan Ferguson-Koci and Mr. Leonardo Rivera “Distinguished Teachers of 2019”
- Mark Coccarelli won second place in MAGIC (Multi-Affiliate Global Issues
- Shari L. Camhi, superintendent of schools, honored with the Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award
- Featured in a case study for Skykit for our use of technology as well as for Office Depot due to the district’s innovative learning spaces
- Launched the “Redefining Ready for New York State” forum
Athletics
- $1.2 M in athletic scholarships for 2019 graduates
- Girls’ Basketball Team won Nassau County Championship Title for 6th year in a row
- Boys Bowling, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, and Badminton were conference champions
- Tom Catapano named New York State Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year for two consecutive years
- The Nassau Zone of the NYS Association for
- Alice Jean Arden-Hodge, Gerald McHugh, Breanne Nasti, Marion “Mickey” Waldman inducted into Nassau County Athletic Hall of Fame
- Girls basketball player received the 2019 Nassau County Basketball Player of the Year award and named one of six finalists for the 2019 Newsday’s Marcus A. Henry Award
- Two students received the Nassau Zone of NYS AHPERD Outstanding Physical Education Student
- Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (APHERD) named Ms. April Mosca 2019 High School Health Education Teacher of the Year and Mr. Tom Catapano recipient of the 2019 Coaching Recognition Award
- Valley National Bank recognized three students with an award for sportsmanship and personal excellence
Fine & Performing Arts
- Voted one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for 3rd consecutive year
- One All-Eastern Honor Ensemble Musicians
- Six All-State Ensemble Musicians
- 58 All County Ensemble Musicians
- Six Long Island String Festival Musicians
- 30 Art Supervisor Association All County Art Exhibition Artists
- Four artists awarded “Best in Show-Long Island Media and Art Show
- Baldwin High School Concert Choir performed at Carnegie Hall
- NYSSMA Major Organization Festival: Wind Symphony and Symphony Band rated Gold
- Concert Choir/Wind Symphony performed world premiere of Honey and Salt Suite for Winds and Choir with Mr. Matt Wilson and Mr. Jeff Lederer
- Baldwin High School and Middle School welcomed several revered guest conductors
- Student artwork donated to Northwell Health Center for Advanced Medicine during the annual Calming Murals Ceremony
2017-2018
Academics
- More than $2 million in scholarships awarded
- 2 students accepted into the NYU Aspire Program
- 2 students attended the 2018 Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute
- Plaza Elementary School named “National School of Character” and Meadow Elementary School received State Honorable Mention
- Team ORCHID named NYS English Council Program of Excellence and participated in Digital Education Summit with Google
- 10th grade student accepted into Harvard Summer Program
- Medical Academy Spark Challenge Competition: Clinical Labs, Honorable Mention for Presentation; Culinary, Honorable Mention for Poster Advertisement
Virtual Enterprise
National Competitions:
- Newsletter – Top 10%
- Branding – Top 25%
- Website – Top 25%
- Elevator Pitch – Honorable Mention
Regional Competitions: Silver for e-commerce website, booth design, and employee handbook - International Trade Show New York: Gold for sales material and Silver for sales pitch
Our Baldwin Family
- Toni-Ann Barone, Ph.D. – 2018 Educator of Excellence by the New York State English Council
- Lauren Maywald – Empire State Excellence in Teaching
- Mary Jo O’Hagan, Board Member – Nassau County Women of Distinction Award and the Scope Award for Community Service
- Karyn Reid, Board Member – Nassau County Legislature’s 20th Annual Women’s History Trailblazer Award
- Shari L. Camhi’s representation on: American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Governing Board; Center for Digital Education; American Association of Community Colleges (AACC): Commission on College Readiness; and the NYS Education Technology Advisory Committee
Pupil Services
- Increased work-based learning sites for Life Skills students (Applebee’s, Baldwin Bowling Alley, Dollar Tree, Home Depot, Mercy Medical Center, New York Equestrian Center, Petco, Thrifty Pawz, Walgreens)
- 3rd Annual Work-Based Learning Expo highly successful
- High School Challenger Basketball Team: 4-1 record two consecutive years
- Residency Investigations – 52 non-residents excluded
Athletics
- $2,200,000 in athletic scholarships for this year’s graduating class
- 2018 Girls’ Basketball Team named New York State Federation Champions and ranked #5 nationally
- 2018 Boys’ Basketball Team – Nassau County Finalist Sportsmanship Award
- 2018 Boys’ Basketball Team – Nassau County Finalist
- 2017 Softball – Conference Champions
- 2017 Field Hockey – Nassau County Finalist
- George Craig and Steve Shippos inducted into Nassau County Athletic Hall of Fame
Fine & Performing Arts
- 3 All-State Ensemble Musicians
- 53 All-County Musicians
- 5 Long Island String Festival Musicians
- 33 Art Supervisor Association All-County Art Exhibition Artists
- 6 “Best In Show” from the Long Island Media and Art Show
- 1 Long Island’s Best: Young Artists from the Heckscher Museum Exhibition
- Baldwin Voted One of the Best Communities for Music Education
- At the NYSSMA Major Organization Festival, Wind Symphony rated Gold with Distinction; Symphony Band and Chamber Orchestra rated Gold; Concert Choir and Symphony Orchestra rated Silver
- Baldwin High School’s Wind Symphony featured at the NYS Band Directors Association Symposium
- Baldwin High School’s A Major Singing Group performed the national anthem at the NYS Democratic Convention
- Baldwin High School’s Pep Band and Chorus featured at Hofstra University
2016-2017
- Superintendent of Schools Dr. Shari L. Camhi has received the 2016 Superintendents to Watch Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) as one of 25 new superintendents nationally who use communication technology in innovative and effective ways.
- Baldwin High School and Molloy College have created a New Media “Collaboratory” that will partner high school students, Molloy undergraduates, and entrepreneurial professionals. The program, recently featured in Newsday, will encourage the advancement of digital media and literacy. The new state-of-the-art TV studio serves as the foundation for a New Media Career Academy at the high school. Additionally, Molloy College received a $300,000 state grant and will supply specialized media equipment and redesign the second floor of Shubert School into an open work space. The Collaboratory will provide internships and develop practical skills for students that will be in demand in the current and future job market.
- SUNY Vice Chancellor Jill Lansing visited Baldwin’s four-year Career/Academic Academy program this spring and was impressed by the students discussing the program, including career electives, shadow days, internships - and competitions: The Robotics team in the STEM/Engineering Academy earned a quarterfinal finish and first place in scaling in the New York City FIRST Regional Tournament. The STEM/ Engineering, Medical/Health Sciences, and Global Business/ Entrepreneurship Academies provided six of the 30 teams participating in the Northwell SPARK! Challenges, and Baldwin student Breanna Ortiz, representing the Culinary/ Nutrition team, won third place and $1,000. The Global Business/Entrepreneurship Academy also formed three teams in the Nassau County Entrepreneurial Challenge with the “Chip In” team winning second place and “Safe & Stored” receiving an honorable mention. The new Law/ Government Academy advanced to Level II of the regional competition of the New York State Mock Trial Tournament where they lost in a very close match to last year’s county winners in their first year of competition.
- New College-Level Courses Added: In addition to the variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses available at Baldwin High School, this year students have the opportunity to choose from 13 collegecredit courses offered through Syracuse University, St. John’s University, and Molloy College. Students pay reduced tuition for the college classes that earn transferrable credit. Among these courses are College Business Management, Engineering, Sociology, and Public Affairs. Next year, there will also be a collegecredit course in Anatomy and Physiology for the Medical Career Academy sequence. By participating in Public Affairs, Baldwin student Giselle Pintada was selected to attend a state government workshop called “Students Inside Albany” to shadow legislators.
- Baldwin Middle School Launches Pre-Academies: To add an enrichment component to the ninth period and provide a better transition to the high school Career Academy program, a Pre-Academy program for eighth graders was started at Baldwin Middle School this year. The offerings ignite a love of learning, add innovation and creativity, and help guide academic choices for high school. The 12 classes revolve quarterly throughout the school year and include Robotics, design and architecture, business/stock market, journalism, public speaking, video production, sculpture, and theater improv. Thanks to a partnership with the Baldwin Civic Association and Hofstra University, there is also a Pre-Academy class in the “Raspberry Pi” coding program. In addition, the Odyssey of the Mind Pre-Academy competed in the “Stack Attack” competition and came in second place in the division in its first year of competition!
- Baldwin High School’s Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball teams both win the Nassau County Championships in the same year for the second year in a row. Boys Varsity Basketball also won the Long Island Championship this year.