Sachem High School North senior Amy DeLury has been selected as a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. 

Amy excels in multiple Advanced Placement courses, including calculus, economics, English and physics. In addition to her continued academic success, she is also an integral participant in multiple extra- and co-curricular activities, such the Eurochallenge Club, in which she serves as a mentor, and the Model United Nations Club, in which she is a delegate. 

Adding to her impressive résumé of academic accomplishments, Amy has seen great success as a science research student, having placed second at the Long Island Brain Bee last year and having been selected for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Professor for a Day program. During the latter, she worked to examine protein homeostasis in health and disease. 

“I am very excited,” Amy said, when asked about her accomplishment. “It is a great honor to be selected as a semifinalist for this scholarship.”

Approximately 1.6 million juniors from high schools across the country entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The nationwide pool of 16,000 semifinalists represents 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, who now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million. 

In February, more than 90 percent of the semifinalists will be selected to advance to finalist standing and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. 

Sachem High School East and North recently welcomed the incoming classes of 2022 at the annual freshman orientations this August. 

Principals at each high school greeted the new students and their families as they introduced various administrative members and reviewed building policies and procedures. The guidance department then led students through an informative presentation on the numerous resources available to them. 

Concluding the orientation, students and parents had the opportunity to tour the building with their class schedules and locate their lockers in preparation for the first day of school on Sept. 5.

As the 2018-19 school year approaches, both Sachem High Schools East and North welcomed the incoming classes of 2022 with a morning of informative presentations and interactive activates aimed to familiarize the new freshmen with building layout and academic opportunities, as part of the newly implemented Freshman Academy.

At Sachem High School North, following a day of hands-on workshops and teambuilding group sessions, Sachem alumnus Chris Vaccaro welcomed the incoming freshmen as he highlighted opportunities available to students and notable alumni that thrived as Sachem students. The freshmen were then introduced to members of the Peer Mentor Club, who will be providing assistance throughout the year as they become acclimated to the building. The Peer Mentor Club members answered questions about the freshman experience and what to expect as they begin high school. 

Freshmen at Sachem High School East were welcomed by building administrators before being introduced to the Project Happiness initiative, which was implemented as a key component of the building’s culture last year. Students were then led on guided tours to multiple key locations throughout the building that they will visit during their time as high school students. Randomly assigned student groups then participated in six, 25-minute workshops that further explored the main principles of Project Happiness, mindfulness and meditation techniques, how to easily access building information and what events and clubs are available to students. 

In addition to the annual freshman orientations, the new Freshman Academy experience serves as a hands-on, discussion-based introduction to each high school that engages students in activities with their fellow peers. 

This year, under the direction of club adviser Monica Marlowe, the Sachem High School North Envirothon club volunteered at the Walter S. Commerdinger Jr. County Park in Lake Ronkonkoma. 

As part of the Great Brookhaven Cleanup, the students helped to remove garbage, environmental debris and invasive species from the park grounds. The experience served as an introduction to a local open space and was an excellent opportunity to volunteer within the Sachem community. 

Sachem High School North special education students in Christine Baratta’s class displayed countless crafty creations as part of its annual art show at the conclusion of the 2017-18 school year.

In its fifth year at High School North, the art show serves as a culminating event to a yearlong exploration of numerous famous artists and their chosen mediums. Students studied artists such as Savlador Dalí, Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollack, among several others. Along the way, students learned about different art techniques, mediums and the many categories of art. 

“Our study of art allows students to express their creativity,” Baratta said. “It is amazing to witness how creative the students have become when given the opportunity.”