Club Fair
(Praise Acquah) —
At 3:15 on Monday, September 30th, South’s students attended the annual club fair. The event, held in South's hall, was filled with students buzzing with excitement and expectations. Many used this opportunity to explore what South offers, especially helpful for incoming seventh-grade students. Numerous tables were crowded with students interested in becoming active members of the school’s community, whether for personal enjoyment or academic achievement. Many tables were run by South's own students, who explained each club’s purpose, goals, and shared their personal experiences.
The club fair gave students the chance to explore and join different groups at South. It also allowed them to connect with friends and classmates, providing a glimpse of what the clubs and their members are like. To top it off, students got to appreciate their peers' artistic abilities, as each table was decorated with posters and boards containing basic information about the club, created by members, advisors, and faculty.
Spirit Week 2024-25
(Faisal Nageer and Viandsa Vargas) —
This Homecoming Week, South’s halls will be filled with fun themes every day! Each day offers a unique opportunity for everyone to express their creativity and school spirit. From dressing up as iconic characters to embracing different stylistic eras, there’s something for everyone to enjoy and participate in.
This past Monday was Decade Day, where students could pick any decade and dress as people did back then. The following day is Dynamic Duo! South’s students get to team up and arrive in pairs of their choice with creative freedom—anything from Mario and Luigi to Phineas and Ferb is acceptable, as long as the outfits are school-appropriate. On Wednesday, South students can dress as Ken or Barbie. They have two options: the “Beach Day” look, with beachwear, or the “Formal Day” look, with fancy clothes. As we knock our boots into Thursday, it’s time for Country vs. Country Club. Students can wear flannels and cowboy boots or go polished with polo shirts and tennis skirts. Finally, South flies into Falcon Friday by wearing red and white. Students show their school spirit by sporting these colors to support our teams. Get ready to have a blast with your classmates and show your South pride! Let’s make this Homecoming Week unforgettable!
Daily Themes:
Monday 10/21 – Decade Day: Celebrate different eras by dressing in styles from your favorite decade.
Tuesday 10/22 – Dynamic Duos: Team up with a friend and dress as your favorite pair from movies, TV shows, or books.
Wednesday 10/23 – Ken & Barbie: Dress up as the iconic characters Ken and Barbie and celebrate their styles!
Thursday 10/24 – Country vs. Country Club: Choose your side and either go for a rustic country look or a classy country club style.
Friday 10/25 – Falcon Friday: Show your school spirit by wearing red and white to support our teams!
Junior High Homecoming Dance
(Leah Brown) —
Are you in 7th–9th grade? Do you love to dress up, dance, and hang out with your friends? Then we have the perfect event for you! The Junior High Homecoming Dance is taking place this Wednesday, October 23, here at South from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.! Join your friends and advisors for a night of Falcon-filled fun in South Hall for only $10.
To get your ticket, scan the QR code on the flyer above to pay on MySchoolBucks by Tuesday, October 22. Along with your online ticket, IDs are mandatory to enter the dance.
Let’s go have some fun, South!
College Fair
(Naomi Castang) —
Taking place on Thursday, November 7th at 7 p.m. at Central High School, the Valley Stream Central High School District is hosting a College Fair open to upperclassmen, Juniors and Seniors, in the district. This event will allow students to explore various college and university options they may consider applying to. Students will be able to ask questions and gather information to help them make informed decisions about where to attend.
Additionally, for students who may not be considering a traditional college education and instead plan on pursuing a career in the military, there will be opportunities to inquire about this as well. Not only will attendees gain valuable information, but they may also receive stickers, pens, lanyards, and other merchandise from their desired schools. Overall, the College Fair will be beneficial to all upperclassmen in the Valley Stream Central High School District community who want to make informed choices about their futures.
Class of 2025 Pie Sale!
(Simrah Nageer) —
The Class of 2025 is hosting the senior pie sale on November 4th! They are selling pies and other baked goods from Zomick’s Bakery for Thanksgiving. The goal of this bake sale is to raise money for the Class of 2025 by encouraging teachers and students to buy pies for their families.
To purchase baked goods, you need to fill out paper order forms. There is no specific date for in-person sales, and it will not take place after school. If you would like to fill out a paper order form, see Ms. Berry. You can start ordering on November 1st.
Senior High Barbeque
(Caitlyn Gordon) —
This past week, South’s seniors celebrated their last homecoming by participating in various dress-up days leading up to the final day on Friday, October 25th. On this exciting day, students dressed in red and white to show their spirit, enjoyed the pep rally, and attended the homecoming dance later that night.
Each year, the senior class holds a barbecue just outside the chorus room on the day of the pep rally, where they gather with friends to enjoy burgers and hot dogs fresh off the grill. Students came during their assigned lunch periods.
Many parents generously took time out of their busy schedules to help distribute food and assist with the grilling. Others prepared large amounts of macaroni salad and desserts to complete the meal. Teachers also joined in on the festivities, with many stepping outside to grab plates for themselves.
This was a wonderful event to wrap up Spirit Week and mark the final homecoming for the Class of 2025!
Class of 2026 Bake Sale
(Kofi Opam) —
The Class of 2026 Bake Sale is just around the corner! This Thursday, on Halloween, the junior class will be offering Halloween-themed treats. There will be a variety of snacks and candies available for purchase, so be sure to stop by and check them out.
Please note that only cash will be accepted. The event will take place in the gym lobby immediately after school.
Come support the Class Council of 2026!
Halloween!
(Alisha Akim) —
On Thursday, October 31st, at Valley Stream South High School, everyone dressed up for Halloween and went all out on candy. As usual, Halloween was a great day for everyone as they went trick-or-treating to many houses. For Halloween, I got to take pictures of houses and people’s costumes. When I was younger, I always wondered why people dressed up for Halloween in the first place. I learned that, years ago, people would dress up to scare away unwanted spirits; now, we only dress up for fun. If people hadn’t dressed up all those years ago, we probably wouldn’t have Halloween today. I hope everyone had a great Halloween! Here are some photos of the best costumes and decorations from Halloween 2024:
Senior Movie Night
(Faisal Nageer) —
The Class of 2025 Senior Class Council will be hosting its Senior Holiday Movie Night event this winter season, for seniors only. The movie we will be watching is Home Alone. Pajamas are recommended. The cost is $5 and is available only on MySchoolBucks from Monday, December 2, through Friday, December 6—tickets cannot be bought at the door. Pizza and hot chocolate will be sold at an additional price. The event will take place from 6 PM to 8 PM on Wednesday, December 18, in South Hall! We hope to see you there!
Tri-M Honor Society Inductions
(Christopher Davila) —
This year, the Tri-M and Art Honor Societies held induction ceremonies. Led with performances by South’s orchestra and beginning with a performance of the national anthem by Summer Torres, with remarks from Tri-M Honors President Alyssa Gonzalez and several Art Honors members, including Madison Pyram, Ariella Montalban, and Shareefa Ally. The members of the honor societies subsequently rose, received their certificates, and recited the oath of their respective honor societies. I was able to speak to Rita Difano, the teacher running the Tri-M Honor Society. She stated that she enjoys the students, the new inductees, and running the honor society; she also stated that the Tri-M Honor Society will assist in the winter concert as well as helped in the homecoming festival. I was also able to speak to an inductee, Sarah Dagunduro, who has participated in the theatrical troupe, cabaret, and district music festival, as well as going to Carnegie Hall last year. She stated that as a member of the Tri-M Honor Society, she will participate in the district music festival this year as well as the talent show later this year. Overall, it was an amazing night, and a hearty congratulations to all inductees for the Art and Tri-M Honor Societies.
AP Scholars Awards Ceremony
(Momina Ali) —
This year’s AP Awards Ceremony in October 2024 honored students who achieved outstanding results on their Advanced Placement exams and celebrated the achievements of AP Scholars, AP Scholars with Honor, and AP Scholars with Distinction.
The students who received the AP Scholar award are those who scored a 3 or higher on at least three AP exams. This category included:
Aleeza Akhtar, Ekaterina S. Alaverdova, Ethan Ali, Shareefa B. Ally, Dua'A Baig, Adrian I. Belliard, Adrienne B. Cabilan, Isabella L. Dombrosky, Jessica Dyer, Andre Fernandez, Matthew Gonzalez, Caitlyn Gordon, Saniaa E. Harding, Dylan M. Heeraman, Jessica Iroetugo, David A. Jaramillo, Lisa D. Jean-Antoine, Alexa J. Kosinski, Cheyenne J. LaSister-Hodge, Mya J. Miller, Melissa R. Morales, Alexander K. Otomi, Avanii Prabhudesai, Andrew M. Reyes, Nicholas Simone, Gwen Smith, Eric Trelles, and Olivia G. Valinotti.
The second category consisted of students who received the AP Scholar with Honor award, which is granted to students who scored an average of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. These students were:
Gabriela U. Cuellar, Sean W. Gonzalez Yazdpour, Aleena Hafiz, Christopher Mafla, Shifa Paracha, Sebastian V. Quezada, Nabeeha Rehman, Sanai A. Roberts, Brianna N. Roca, Tatiana M. Rosello, Vijay Singh, and Maya A. VanDijk.
Lastly, the most prestigious category, AP Scholar with Distinction, recognizes students who achieved an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams and earned a score of 3 or higher on five or more exams. The students who received this award were:
Momina Ali, Mya F. Augustin, Charlie Barkolas, Simar Y. Bedi, Patrick J. Biondolillo, Asha J. Gajraj, Alyssa Gonzalez, Arya M. Hadap, Tiffani J. Hawkins, Jonathan D. Herrera, Andy Huang, Zahara Khandakar, Shalini N. Manbodh, Kaitlin A. Martinez, Maximo Martinez, Wilfredo Moran, Faisal I. Nageer, Ariel J. Navarro, Michael A. Peralta, Bahrija Radoncic, Maaz A. Rajput, Aungel Schultz, Sara Sierzega, Kevin J. Tritschler, Krupa V. Tur, and Hannah E. Wallach.
These awards reflect the hard work, dedication, and academic excellence of South High’s students, who took on the challenge of college-level coursework and excelled, representing the strong academic spirit of our school. These students work tirelessly to maintain high grade point averages, participate in extracurricular activities, and honor societies, and contribute as varsity athletes.
We are immensely proud of all our AP award recipients and look forward to their continued success and bright futures. Congratulations to our honorable AP students!
South’s Musical
(Christopher Davila) —
This year, South’s theatrical troupe presented their annual play, The Theory of Relativity. The show is a collection of vignettes that tie together beautifully in the end, with each piece being enjoyable in its own right.
With standout performances by Summer Torres, James Vandijk, John Rosado, Sudan Belnavis, and more, the music in the show was incredibly well-written and even better performed.
Additionally, after the Saturday showing, which I attended, the seniors who worked on the production were honored with heartfelt posters, warm farewells, and a well-deserved round of applause for their contributions to South’s theatre community.
Overall, it was an amazing performance by South’s theatrical troupe. We wish the seniors who gave their all to this musical a bright and successful future!
PTSA Staff Appreciation Breakfast
(Simrah Nageer) —
On December 6th, the PTSA hosted Staff Appreciation Day to honor South’s hardworking staff. Members of the PTSA generously donated baked goods and other treats, including hot chocolate, for a special breakfast celebrating the staff's dedication to Valley Stream South High School and its students.
Later in the day, the PTSA also organized a staff appreciation dinner, further recognizing the incredible efforts of South’s faculty and staff. All in all, the day was a heartfelt tribute to South’s amazing faculty and staff, showcasing the community’s gratitude for their hard work and commitment!
Senior High Concert
(Kofi Opam) —
The Senior High Concert on December 17th was truly an amazing evening. Students and families experienced energetic pieces such as Polar Express, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Hallelujah, which combined the musical talents of both the Chorus and Orchestra. These pieces were wonderful selections that got everyone in the Holiday spirit! All praise goes to the dedicated music teachers of the Chorus, Band, and Orchestra, who worked tirelessly with students to ensure the concert was as perfect as possible. We hope you tune in for the next concert, scheduled in the spring, which will knock your socks off and be even better than the last!
Builder's Club Bake Sale!
(Rizwan Nageer) —
On December 16th, the Builders Club held a Bake Sale in Valley Stream South’s gym lobby to raise money to donate toys for the Little St. Nick Foundation. Students from the Builder’s Club sold cookies, twinkies, bracelets, stickers, and many other items. The bake sale lasted approximately thirty minutes and was a huge success with ten members of the club participating.
World Hijab Day
(Kofi Opam) —
On February 1st, an annual event named World Hijab Day will take place , where we recognize millions of Muslim women who wear hijabs and live a life of modesty. Hijabs are a sign of faith within the Muslim religion , and this day serves to spread awareness and educate others on why the hijab is worn. This day is also spread throughout many social media outlets with powerful themes such as #HijabisUnsilenced and is celebrated through short-form content such as TikTok and Instagram. World Hijab Day is very special to those of different cultures . Make sure to appreciate those around you no matter their cultural background!
