Two current Manhasset High School students and one former student were presented with awards Thursday at the Manhasset Board of Education meeting.
Senior Mary Malhame received the William A. Shine Humanitarian Award, junior Mayra Ordonez received the William A. Shine Achievement Award and Class of 1999 Manhasset graduate Niknesha Hairston recieved “The Maggie Award.”
Trustee Pat Aiken said Malhame is someone who “has a heart of gold and is always going out of her way to help others.”
Malhame is involved in a number of student organizations including Community Adolescence Peer Partnership Program and Best Buddies.
“She is a good friend and good role model to all and she has proven to be a reliable and responsible young woman,” Aiken said.
Ordonez, a former English as a Second Language student, is currently enrolled in three Advanced Placement courses.
“Her desire to learn and motivation for academic achievement was evidenced by the increased rigor of her curriculum,” said Trustee Craig Anderson.
Ordonez has been a member of the Key Club, Green Club, and Spanish Honor Society.
Hairston, now an English teacher at Rockaway Collegiate High School, began volunteering at the Manhasset Great Neck “Encouraging Our Children” center when she was 14, while her mother was the center’s program coordinator.
“It is an honor to award [Hairston this evening],” board President Regina Rule said.
In addition to teaching, Hairston is an avid writer and an enthusiastic Brooklyn Nets fan.
Both the William A. Shine Humanitarian and Achievement awards are named for former Manhasset Superintendent William Shine.
“The awards are meant to acknowledge the legacy of Dr. Shine, whose progressive leadership embraces a commitment to providing the best educational opportunity for each and every student,” Rule said.
Shine was in attendance at the ceremony.
“The Maggie Award” is named after longtime Manhasset educator Maggie Grundman, who was the “driving force” behind the Manhasset/Great Neck Adventures in Learning Program, Rule said.
Rule said that Grundman also “served Manhasset youth with after school and summer programs.”
In other business, Jane Grappone, director of guidance and counseling services, made a presentation to the board focused on the district’s 2015 School Counseling Plan.
Grappone’s presentation touched on a variety of topics including how guidance programs differ based upon the age of students, counseling plan models and a breakdown of the student to counselor ratio at Manhasset High School.
“[I am] incredibly impressed,” Rule said after seeing the presentation. “You and your staff deserve a lot of credit. I look at this [presentation] as your incredible gift to this district.”
Manhasset’s homecoming parade and football game will take place on Saturday Oct. 24
The parade will begin on Colonial Parkway at 2 p.m., followed by the game against Jericho at 2:30 p.m. at the high school.
There will not be a homecoming dance for students this year.
Trustees said that attendance at last year’s dance was low, so they wanted to find out if any students would miss the dance and ask to have it come back.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5 at the Munsey Park School.
