_________________ BALDWIN ________________
HERALD Taking to the sky at Jones Beach
Food Truck Fest returned in June
Student named NyS ambassador
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Vol. 33 No. 29
July 16 - 22, 2026
$1.00
District looks ahead to busy year of projects School, high school and middle school summer programs, and universal pre-K partner proThe Baldwin Board of Edu- grams at Plaza Elementary cation kicked off preparations School. He also highlighted for the 2026-27 school year by ongoing capital improvement reorganizing its leadership, projects taking place while stuoffering updates on summer dents are away. construction projects and disConstruction is progressing cussing plans for a on a new artificialnew Brookside Eleturf field at Baldmentary School win Middle School, playground at its wh i l e wo rk h a s annual reorganizabegun on the high tion meeting on school’s addition. July 8. Preparations are Trustee Pamela also underway for Green was sworn in k i t c h e n r e n ov a to a new three-year tions at Steel and term after winning Lenox elementary re-election in May, schools, and electriand was unanical infrastructure mously selected to upgrades continue continue serving as throughout the disb o a rd p re s i d e n t . trict. Trustee Susan “We’ re on Cools was elected PAmElA GREEN track,” Mignella vice president, and President, Baldwin said, adding that B a l d w i n H i g h Board of Education g roundbreaking School junior Jonceremonies were nae Green was planned at several sworn in as the board’s student schools to mark the start of ex-officio member. construction projects. Superintendent Anthony Board members also Mignella said that district’s approved an inter municipal summer programs are under- agreement with Nassau County way, including extended school on a $150,000 Community Reviyear services for students with Continued on page 12 IEPs at Meadow Elementary
By AllySoN FERRARI
aferrari@liherald.com
W
Courtesy Baldwin School District
Members of plaza elementary School’s team oRCHid interviewed Baldwin Herald reporter allyson Ferrari about local journalism. the student reporters are learning interviewing, writing and multimedia storytelling in the school’s journalism program.
At Plaza Elementary School, young reporters are already on the beat By AllySoN FERRARI aferrari@liherald.com
For most fourth- and fifth-graders, recess means kickball or the playground. For members of Team ORCHID at Plaza Elementary School, it means grabbing notebooks, brainstorming interview questions and preparing for their next assignment. Whether they’re interviewing district Superintendent Anthony Mignella, documenting Baldwin’s aviation history or producing digital news packages, the students are learning many of the same skills professional reporters use every day. The club has grown from a school newspaper into a multimedia newsroom where students research, conduct interviews, collaborate on stories
and are preparing to launch podcasts. Beyond teaching writing and public speaking, Team ORCHID — which stands for Outstanding Reporters Can Have Informative Dialogue — introduces students to the fundamentals of jour nalism — asking thoughtful questions, verifying information, listening carefully and telling stories that preserve Baldwin’s history, highlight school achievements and connect classmates with their community. “Before, when they started, it was just writing, and now it’s becoming digital,” facilitator Toni-Ann Barone, a reading teacher at Plaza, said. “We’re going to be incorporating podcasting equipment.” That recently purchased equipment will Continued on page 9
e’re going to do a little deeper dive into the board priority goals and change them a little bit more to a strategic plan.