_________________ WANTAGH ________________
HERALD
IS IT TIME FOR A HEARING CHECK-UP?
New principal at Wantagh school
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VOL. 74 NO. 33
AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026
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Forest Lake is transforming its cafeteria “They wanted to do something for the school, so they brought it to my attention, and At Forest Lake Elementary I thought it would be great,” School, the cafeteria is more Burke said. The PTA selected Imaginate than a place for students to eat lunch. It is the hub where they Your Space, a Massachusettsgather with friends, where based company that specializes school assemblies in transforming are held, where school interiors. Its families visit for work will incorpospecial events and rate Forest Lake’s where the school mascot, Forester, hosts its annual along with imagery learning fair. connected to WantNow, thanks to a agh and Twin $35,000 investment Lakes, into a new from the Forest design. The cafeteLake PTA, the ria will now have a space is about to forest-inspired undergo a transfortheme, intended to mation designed to reflect the school make it feel more and the community like the heart of THOMAS BURKE that surrounds it. Principal, Forest Lake Burke said the cafethe school. T h e w o r k i s Elementary teria was selected scheduled to begin because of its cenAug. 28 and be comtral role in the pleted two days later, meaning school. that students should return The existing cafeteria also next month to a completely displays photos of graduating redesigned cafeteria. Forest classes, which will be preserved Lake Principal Thomas Burke elsewhere in the building. said the PTA approached him The new design will instead about the project after finding a bring the school’s mascot and company that they thought identity to life, Burke said. “It’s c o u l d b r i n g m o r e o f t h e fun. It’s elementary,” he said. school’s identity into the facili- “It’s got our mascot, Forester, ty.
By HUNTER FENOLLOL
hfenollol@liherald.com
F
Courtesy Wantagh School District
Construction is underway on the new Sept. 11 memorial at Wantagh High School. The pentagonal granite base was recently completed, and the 9-foot-tall steel towers and lighting are expected to be installed later this month.
Wantagh H.S. builds 9/11 memorial By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com
For 25 years, the memories of Sept. 11, 2001, have been carried by the people who lived through it. But at Wantagh High School, an entire generation of students has grown up without firsthand memories of that day. That is part of the reason the Wantagh School District is building a permanent 9/11 memorial in front of the high school, where two towering steel structures will stand as a reminder of the 12 members of the Wantagh community who were killed in the attacks. The memorial, which began taking shape after school ended in June, is expected to be completed by the end of the month, in time for the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. For Wantagh High Principal Paul Guzzone, the project is about ensuring that the memories of those lost do not disappear as the years pass. “Everything is rooted in never forgetting,” Guzzone said. “Just before
students enter Wantagh High School, they’ll see this memorial and the names of the members of our community who were lost etched in granite. It sends a message that we have a responsibility to never forget, and to frequently remember those who were lost.” The memorial was not originally intended to be completed for the 25th anniversary. The district’s 9/11 committee, Guzzone explained, initially envisioned it as part of a five-year plan. The committee, made up of district staff and community members, established shortand long-term goals, and decided that a permanent memorial should be one of its priorities. The project was funded by fundraising, grants and donations rather than taxpayer money. Major support came from the Gary Sinise Foundation, a $50,000 Nassau County grant, the Wantagh 612 Association and Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group, among others. As funding came together, the district CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
orest Lake is a family, and I think the PTA helps make that feeling happen at Forest Lake.
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