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2025 HIGH SCHOO L S P O RT S P R E V I E W April 10, 2025
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Students spread ‘Word on the Street’ By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
Courtesy Wantagh School District
Students at Wantagh Middle School shared their love of the written word during the 10th annual “Word on the Street” literacy celebration on April 10.
The Wantagh Middle School cafeteria was decorated to resemble a city street on April 10, as the school hosted its 10th annual “Word on the Street” literacy celebration. Lamppost cutouts and skyline posters set the scene for an evening of student and faculty performances celebrating the written word. The English department organized the event, featuring more than 20 students, in the sixth through eighth grades, as well as faculty members, who Continued on pAge 9
Hard work paid off for these top two Levittown scholars Melody Hong and Katherine Tian are MacArthur’s class of 2025 valedictorian and salutatorian By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
With grade point averages above 104 and 102, respectively, General Douglas MacArthur High School seniors Melody Hong and Katherine Tian have been named valedictorian and salutatorian of the class of 2025, earning top honors at the Levittown school after years of academic dedication. Hong and Tian learned of their honors in February. While both had a feeling they were near the top of their class, they were still surprised when the
news became official. For Tian, the announcement marked the realization of a goal she had envisioned since her sophomore year. “There are a lot of really smart students that are competitive here,” she said. “It was happy news. Definitely not what I was expecting.” MacArthur Principal Joseph Sheehan said that both students earned the recognition. “These two phenomenal young ladies possess all the necessary traits, skills and empathy that are paramount not only for success, but also for truly embody-
ing all the characteristics that make up the ideal role model for others,” Sheehan said. Over the course of her high school career, Hong took 11 Advanced Placement courses, and Tian completed 10. For Hong, AP Physics 2 stood out as a defining challenge. As a junior, found herself in a class filled with seniors. “It was definitely eye-opening knowing nothing about it beforehand, and then having to keep up with the class,” she said, “but I’m really grateful that I did.” She credited her teacher,
George Donavan, and her classmates for encouraging her to a s k q u e s t i o n s a n d w o rk through problems. For Tian, AP Calculus BC, which she took this year, proved memorable because of its difficulty. “It’s one of the only math classes that I’ve actually strug-
gled with,” she said. “There’s a lot of studying and work put into it.” Last month, Hong placed sixth in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, a prestigious national science research competition for high school students, earning an $80,000 scholContinued on pAge 6