The school’s buddy bench — a designated spot where students can sit when they’re feeling lonely or want to make new friends — was unveiled Tuesday, Oct. 28, courtesy of Kait’s Angels, a Riverhead-based nonprofit.

The entire fifth- and sixth-grade student body filled the football field bleachers for the ceremony, with members of the newly formed student council wearing pink in support. Student Taya Fusco cut the ribbon.

“This bench is to encourage you to be kind and make friends,” said director Lisa Garcia. “If you’re having a bad day, feeling sad or lonely, take a seat on the bench and someone will join you, make you smile and brighten your day. The Kaitlyn Doorhy way.”

Kait’s Angels was founded by Darla Doorhy a decade ago after her 20-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, was struck by a car and killed on Aug. 22, 2014, while attending Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. The foundation supports community members facing medical challenges, financial struggles and unexpected hardships through fundraising events and direct assistance.

A former Mattituck Strawberry Queen known for her caring heart, Kaitlyn inspired the bench’s mission to encourage children to be good friends, stand up against bullying and share kindness.

“It’s a little hard for us to talk about our daughter in heaven, but we’re so happy that 800-plus students are here today to enjoy Kaitlyn Doorhy’s buddy bench,” said Darla Doorhy, with her husband, Joe, beside her. “This is the biggest buddy bench dedication we have done in 10 years.”

At the Pulaski Street School, counselor Jen Boese said she and fellow counselor Michelle Chiarulli noticed students didn’t have anywhere to sit during recess at the beginning of the school year. They connected with Kait’s Angels to change that.

“I really want to thank this amazing organization, Kait’s Angels, for giving back to our community,” Ms. Boese said. “We are Riverhead strong. We have so much to offer, and we really appreciate you guys being here today.”

The school’s chorus performed “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars — a fitting anthem for the bench’s mission of friendship and kindness.

The new bench now sits beneath a brown-and-orange-tipped tree near the playground — a quiet place to rest, reflect or find a friend.

“That’s where you can find it when you’re having a good day, when you’re having a bad day, or you see someone that needs a friend,” said principal Stacy Woodhull.

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Then the results came back: She had scored in the top 3 to 4% nationally out of the millions nationwide, earning recognition as a commended student by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

“I’ve always enjoyed all of my AP classes,” said Brooke, now a senior taking her fifth AP course, language and composition. “My experience with the AP program as a whole has been good.”

Riverhead High School’s Advanced Placement program has grown dramatically over the past two decades, more than doubling its offerings from fewer than 10 to more than 20 courses today. Nearly 600 students take at least one AP course during high school, with 51 graduates earning AP Scholar designation last year by scoring 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.

For students like Brooke, the rigorous program does more than bolster college applications. It teaches them they can handle challenges and succeed under pressure.

Ollie Earl, a senior, is among those who have benefited. He got his start with AP World History as a freshman. Now, nine AP courses later, he’s heading to college to study political science, confident that he can handle whatever comes next.

“I was ready for a new wave of learning,” he said. “Even that first AP World History had more work in it than any other classes. But I did great with it, and I really enjoyed it. It met my expectations, it made me happy.”

Ollie has taken his fair share of difficult courses. One that stands out from the rest is AP Chemistry. He wondered, at times, whether he would make it through. He did — and now knows he can tackle college-level work.

“I’ll meet the challenge even better, because not only do I have the experience of working hard behind me, but I’ll also have the kind of excitement that you get from learning something that you really genuinely want to learn,” he said. “I am very proud of myself, and I feel confident in my ability to get through hard classes.”

Fellow senior Aidan Foss remembers the jolt of his first AP course. World History as a freshman was unlike anything he’d faced, and Chemistry tested him even further.

Twelve AP courses later, he has developed the study skills and resilience he’ll need as he pursues political science and history in college, with hopes of becoming a lawyer.

“I actually know what I’m getting into when I go to college,” Aidan said. “It’s still going to be a shock, but not as much, because I’ve taken AP classes.”

Senior Saara Hossain chose AP courses to challenge herself. Of the seven she’s taken, AP Seminar stands out for its college-style research papers — work that will help as she pursues international relations and foreign languages in college.

“I’ve really enjoyed my AP classes,” Saara said. “The ones offered here have been really helpful.”

To Principal Sean O’Hara, the students’ success reflects collaboration across the entire school.

“One of the things I like about Riverhead High School is that there’s something for everybody here,” he said. “I’m proud of the programs we offer and of the students who take advantage and thrive.”

Charles Gassar, director of school counseling, has watched the AP program expand during his 17 years with the district. New courses are added regularly, and the district continues to look for ways to broaden opportunities.

Beyond AP, Riverhead offers dual-enrollment courses for college credit through Stony Brook, Adelphi or Long Island University, all taught by Riverhead faculty. Seniors also participate in an Early College program at Suffolk County Community College, taking classes alongside college students.

“The district has always fully supported these programs,” Mr. Gassar said. “There are so many opportunities for students to find their niche and go in different directions.”

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“I always want to be a giver at the end of the day. I want to be able to give back, and be able to give to the community that I’m from,” Mr. Greenidge said. “For me, I have some pillars in my life: faith, giving and being a family man.”

Mr. Greenidge and Brian Stark, the CAP board president, have been donating school supplies to the school since 2021, which is where Mr. Greenidge attended as a child. The initial donation that year was $2,000, an idea conceived by Mr. Greenidge. Since then, the annual donation has grown, and this year, the two are donating a combined $5,000 toward the supplies.

Though Mr. Greenidge has been giving back this way since 2021, this was actually the first time he returned to the school in a long time. In the past, he’d be in other cities — like New Orleans or Atlanta — because of the NFL season, and his parents would go as his representation. This time around, having the chance to not only see his old school again but also meet some of the students whose lives his donations help was special to him. 

“For me to be able to come back to an old school where I was, and just remembering the steps I took over here, just remembering the opportunities that I was able to have, I want to be able to make sure these kids have the same thing,” he said. “And just de-stressing some of the little things that I know that life can bring. If I can be a help to that, I always want to do that, and giving that faith is just so important to me. It’s just so cool to see this and see the kids again.”

Mr. Greenidge was coached by CAP Board President Brian Stark in basketball when he was in high school. Felicia Scocozza, the executive director of CAP, said the two remained close over the years following high school. In 2020, during the pandemic, she said the two got together and donated gift cards to families in Riverhead who needed food. Following that, they wanted to expand and help students, and it’s been growing every year. 

The students were somewhat in awe meeting Mr. Greenidge and had big smiles on their faces while taking pictures. Phillips Avenue Elementary School principal Stephen Hudson said the school had put out some information beforehand about Mr. Greenidge so the students would know more about him. They found some old photos of him back when he played football for Riverhead and hung them up as posters. Some of Mr. Greenidge’s old teachers still work there, and they got to catch up with him as well.

“We truly feel blessed to have this type of community where people like Ethan remember Phillips Avenue and are still proud of Phillips Avenue and very much a part of Phillips Avenue,” Mr. Hudson said. “With CAP, we continue to work with our students, with all the types of support that they provide. Any district, any students, just having that community to provide, whether it’s monetary or just social-emotional support, it’s the whole gamut, and it’s really just an amazing thing. One of the greatest things about Riverhead is our community — how we stick together.”

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Up from Washington, D.C., for the event, the Marine Corps silent drill platoon performed a pre-show breakdown in their dress blues, with all 24 chanting “Drill is life” and “My everything or my nothing,”  as the bleachers in the football field started filling up with NJROTC members and roughly 175 students. 

Jeremy Garretson photos

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Hundreds of students were on hand for last week’s NJROTC demonstration at Riverhead High School. (Credit: Jeremy Garretson)

Riverhead High School Principal Sean O’Hara welcomed all in attendance. “I want to thank all the branches of the armed forces for hosting this amazing event,”  he said.

Next up to the mic was Major Travis Bird, who runs the armed forces recruitment office in New York City. “We’re celebrating Memorial Day with you,” he said. “Self-sacrifice is what makes our country great. Thank you to those who chose a life of service.  Now let’s honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice by holding a moment of silence.”

Maj. Bird then congratulated the class of 2025, which elicited boisterous cheers from the students. The Marine Corps drill team was up next, dazzling many in the audience with their precision, detail and teamwork as they stood proudly in a row and one by one, spinning their rifles as the band played a repertoire of patriotic tunes.

Four military helicopters suddenly buzzed toward the field. As the roar grew closer, the excited crowd jumped to their feet, clapping. The Marine Corps Band, which traveled to the North Fork from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, welcomed the choppers by playing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Many of those in attendance saluted or placed their right hand on their heart. When the choppers landed, the stands quickly emptied as the enthusiastic kids rushed to get a closer look. Several teachers brought their classes outside to see the helicopters up close.

For 16-year-old Aldolfo Lopez, the electronics and hardware on the choppers is what interests him most. “I might go into the military because the benefits are good and they help you after you leave,” he said.

Genesis Arizaga, 14, was impressed by the display. “It’s so cool to see something you don’t see every day, to see how helicopters work,” she said.

“It’s pretty cool to see the choppers in person,” said Elaina Schreiber, 15, who remembers seeing her grandfather’s blueprints when he worked as a manufacturer of airplane landing gear. She plays tenor and baritone sax along with the violin and is thinking about joining the military band.

The NJROTC and the school district were thrilled with the turnout despite the cold and cloudy conditions. Among the 90 or so NJROTC members decked out in their khaki uniforms and garrison caps was 16-year-old Kaleb Gatto.

“I hope the students are thinking the Marines are cool and maybe I’ll get involved,”  he said.

Matt Andrzejewski, 17, who hopes to attend the United States Naval Academy, said, “Some people don’t know what it’s like and this event gives them perspective.” 

For 18-year-old Zuleika Herrera Rodriguez, the day long program means “interacting with cadets who can answer questions and dissolve stigmas because people have great stories about how their branch has benefitted them. Everyone who attends can learn about a different career.” 

Commander David A. Chiaro said the goal of the NJROTC program is to teach students personal responsibility, maturity and promote community service.

“It’s important we are in the high school and across the nation. Today’s event started at Riverhead high school in 1976, and we expect to have 220 [NJROTC] students next year. The interest is growing and we have a diverse bilingual population,” he said.

Comm. Chiaro believes interest has grown because he and Chief Don Decker make themselves available almost 12 hours every day. “We have mentoring for the kids. We also do college prep and help them obtain a scholarship for the military. They can see what types of opportunities are there for them.”

He sees a lot of interest in the drill team as well.

“It probably gives them something different from regular high school. It might be the ‘cool’ factor or just the thought of being part of a team or a unit,” he said.

Decker pointed out that the program focuses on leadership and working as a team. “They want to hang out with kids who are interested in the same type of things. Our members have a better graduation rate, attendance record and high grades. And they also have a good time.” Last year, local NJROTC members went to Norfolk and spent four days onboard a US Navy carrier.

The cadets recently volunteered to help at the Riverhead Rotary Garden Festival at Tanger; Chief Decker said they also help veterans, participate in the annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run in New York City and conduct drill demonstrations at senior centers. “It’s definitely a plus getting their community service for college applications; it’s also camaraderie and teamwork.” According to Chief Decker, the NJROTC membership is currently 60% Hispanic with slightly more that half made up of female students, and includes roughly 10% of thehigh school population. To help make the program more accessible, Chief Decker began using peer translators for students who are English language learners.  “We do encourage them to use their English language skills every day,” he said. “We changed the program in small ways to make sure they feel welcome.”

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The installation was created by Riverhead High School’s art department to honor and recognize the sacrifices made by those who have served our country. 

“The installation offers a moment of reflection, honor and community connection,” Katy Wilkinson, one of the three art teachers who led the project, said. “We encourage everyone to stop by during the week to view the display and pay their respects. Let us come together in remembrance and appreciation.”

Art teachers Debbie Cantalupo and Selena Pagliarulo started the annual art installation in 2021. Their creative crafts and ceramic classes began crafting the poppies and adding to the collection each year. After several years, Ms. Wilkinson’s creative crafts classes joined in the initiative as well. The collection now includes more than 1,000 ceramic poppies.

The poppies had been installed at the Suffolk County Historical Society in Riverhead surrounding the World War I monument in previous years. This is the first year the poppies are being installed outside the entrance of Calverton National Cemetery. 

A 2014 large-scale art installation at the Tower of London, created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and conceptualized by stage designer Tom Piper, was the original inspiration for the display. 

Mr. Cummins and Mr. Piper’s installation, titled “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red,” filled the Tower of London’s moat with 888,246 ceramic red poppies — each representing a British or colonial service member who died in World War I. The piece served to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the war. 

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Mr. Hagan’s career in education spans 26 years on Long Island and he currently serves as assistant superintendent of human resources for the Longwood Central School District. He started in 1999, working as a social studies teacher for eight years before entering the administrative sphere as a secondary school assistant principal in the Port Jefferson School District in 2007.

His other administrative positions over the past two decades include assistant secondary administrator for instruction and administration in the William Floyd School District, as well as director of instruction and learning technology and principal of the Bonac Learning Center in the East Hampton School District. 

Mr. Hagan’s initial three-year contract runs through June 30, 2028. He will earn an annual salary of $260,000.

“Thank you so much for the warm welcome. It’s truly amazing,” Mr. Hagan said at the April 9 school board meeting. “It’s really just a privilege to be a part of this wonderful community, amazing team, certainly talking to some of the principals, the directors and some of the community members. It’s just truly an honor and I’m so humbled to be here.”

In a phone interview following his appointment, Mr. Hagan spoke about how his previous professional responsibilities have prepared him for the superintendent role. Through his experiences teaching, coaching, being an adviser and moving up to administrator and assistant superintendent positions in the last five years, he said one of the most important things he has learned is how people are “the absolute greatest asset” when it comes to education.

“From teachers to custodial staff, bus drivers, school monitors, teacher aides — just everybody moving in a common direction really is what gets the ball rolling and moving in a direction where children can be successful,” Mr. Hagan said. “I’ve learned to listen more and certainly realize, collectively, we’re going to be able to do this together in a collaborative way.”

Mr. Hagan said he has already gotten a great first impression of the school district this first week and has begun meeting with other administrators, faculty, staff and other members of the school community.

Over the next few months, he said, he hopes to listen and learn from as many people within the school district as possible to get a better understanding of their concerns and aspirations. He plans to continue to move forward with the foundation that interim superintendent Cheryl Pedisich and the current school administration have laid so far.

“Coming to Riverhead, for me, feels like you’re coming home,” Mr. Hagan said. “I just really want to be part of something that is greater than myself and certainly want to work as hard as I possibly can for the children and the community members.”

Ms. Pedisich took the top spot in the district in October 2023 after former superintendent Augustine Tornatore resigned. She was initially meant to serve in the role through June 30, 2024, while the district searched for a new full-time superintendent, but her contract was extended for another year.

Several people expressed their gratitude for Ms. Pedisich’s leadership and commitment to the Riverhead Central School District over the last few years. She said it has been “truly an honor” and a “rewarding experience” to serve the community.

School board president James Scudder expressed his excitement on behalf of the entire board to begin working with Mr. Hagan.

“We look forward to working alongside Dr. Hagan and engaging with the remarkable expertise and enthusiasm he will bring as we further cultivate Riverhead’s outstanding culture of achievement,” Mr. Scudder said. “We will continue to coordinate to ensure a seamless leadership transition.”

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More wintry weather is expected overnight into Thursday morning. Historically, Long Island sees the majority of its snowfall in February, with a yearly average of 10.6 inches reported since 1948, according to the weather station at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This is because the Atlantic Ocean stays relatively warm through December, turning most potential snow events to rain.

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Riverhead High School athletic director Brian Sacks is doing whatever it takes to right the ship and return the Blue Waves to a level of competitiveness they’ve been striving to achieve since the school board decided to cut sports after two failed budget votes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With uncertainty in the air and no sports to play, many of the school’s best, most experienced athletes transferred out of the district and Sacks has been picking up the pieces ever since. 

Many of the varsity teams wound up fielding underclassmen — and some programs barely had enough participation to field a team at all. It was the lowest of the low for Riverhead sports, but things have started to look up lately and it’s because the right people have stepped up to the plate.

“No matter what anyone wants to say, when it comes down to it, winning is important,” Sacks said. “I think because of the losing we were doing, the past couple years maybe deterred kids from playing sports, I’m not totally sure. But our participation numbers were so bad and they’re finally picking back up again all across the board.”

The boys lacrosse team had their best-ever season last year and won a playoff game. The softball team made school history, going a perfect 18-0 in league play before losing in the Suffolk County semifinals. The boys basketball team just made the playoffs for the first time since 2019. It’s a testament of those who stuck around and believed.

A rebuild always starts from the ground up. 

“When you build a high school program it is truly predicated on [area] youth programs and how their numbers are and how their coaching is and how they’re influencing students at those levels,” Sacks said. “It starts there before they even think about participating in a school sport.”

The Police Athletic League, which offers football, lacrosse, cheerleading and soccer, introduces kids to sports as young as age 5. Football found success at the PAL level this season with both the 10-and-under and 11-and-under teams winning championships thanks to strong leadership. Riverhead Little League is a pillar in the community and churns out district champions every year. There are also travel baseball programs like the Riverhead Waves that put local kids in elite competition. Boys varsity basketball head coach Patrick Fabian brought youth basketball back to Riverhead by getting membership in the Hampton’s Youth Athletic League and currently coaches third- through sixth-grade girls and boys in his off-time. 

“Anyone that wants to get involved in our youth programs I have been all ears,” Sacks said. “I’ve offered our facilities, whatever people need, I will do my best to help with what I have to offer.”

A big change in the middle school ranks is to use coaches with varsity-level experience to better prepare players for the next level. Leif Shay along with Scott Hackal, former high school coaches who led Riverhead to multiple Suffolk County championships, coach the middle school football team now. John Rossetti, who coached Riverhead’s boys basketball team to a league title when he was in charge, has returned to coach the middle school cagers. Cherese Foster, who was most recently the varsity girls basketball coach, has also chosen to move down and coach middle school.

“I can’t have girls coming up to varsity not knowing how to make a layup,” Foster said a few months ago. “We have to do everything we can to get to these athletes as early as possible. We shouldn’t still be teaching the basics at the varsity level.”

To spread awareness and try to increase interest and participation, Erica Murphy and Quinn Alexander recently formed a new booster program called the Riverhead Athletic Club — a 501-C not-for-profit organization.

“Personally I’ve always been an avid sports fan,” Alexander said in a phone interview. “I grew up around athletics. I’ve been a teacher and a coach in Three Village. I’ve been a coach at Ward Melville. I came up through Shoreham athletics. All those places had a booster club and we felt like that’s something Riverhead has lacked. I have three little kids in the district and everyone that has joined the organization bleeds blue.”

When Murphy and Alexander approached Sacks with the idea, he welcomed it with open arms. 

“Our biggest problem has been attracting kids to try sports at an early age,” Sacks said. “I think the booster club can help get the word out to the community. Show them there’s opportunity here and give the parents a place to go for information.”

Alexander has short-term and long-term goals with the club. The first step is to simply get the word out and start fundraising. 

“I know there are clubs that help out certain sports but we want to be there for every sport across the board,” Alexander said. “I want to do youth sports camps eventually. I want to be able to hand out scholarships to our best athletes. I want to have a hall of fame. Everyone here is committed to bringing Riverhead sports back. We all want to help.”

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From that point on, Mitchell could not be stopped, scoring from mid-range and inside, netting 12 of his 21 points in that third quarter to lead Riverhead to a 65-56 win and improve the team’s League I record to 4-1 on the season.

“I got real mad about that,” Mitchell said. “They didn’t even call it a foul. It definitely got me fired up. Something clicked in my mind. All my shots started falling.”

“He just flipped a switch,” head coach Pat Fabian said. “He came up to me during the timeout and said ‘keep setting that screen, my mid range is on.’ So he knew he wanted to take over. By all intents and purposes, he won us that game in the third quarter.”

The contest didn’t start out great for the Blue Waves as they fell behind by as much as 10 points in the second quarter before Landon Zaleski checked into the lineup. Though Zaleski is typically the starter, Fabian went with Jack Bartolo against Whitman because of the matchups. Bartolo kept their best shooter in check all game but Riverhead needed a spark. Zaleski came in with a bang, coming up with crucial rebounds and nailing two treys before halftime to give the Blue Waves a one point edge.

“Those threes I feel like really turned it around for us,” Fabian said. “It got the crowd back into it and really fired up the kids heading into halftime.”

While Mitchell was carving up the defense in the second half, he was also finding senior captain Liam Lennon off screens and under the basket to the tune of six assists. Lennon, who has been battling ankle injuries, finally felt 100% coming into the game for Whitman. The senior scored 19 points, corralled seven rebounds, and snatched three steals.

“Honestly the chemistry we have as a team is all the difference this year,” Lennon said. “I think each of us has improved because of it. We’re coached hard and practices are fun. We’re really enjoying this season and the results are showing.”

Fabian, in his first year as head coach, refuses to take all the credit. It’s a collaborative effort that is necessary for success.

“Without my assistant coaches Ryan McCormick and Rich Vlacci I don’t think what we have done this year so far would be possible,” Fabian said. “McCormick coaches the defense and Vlacci helps me on the offense, including the out of bounds plays and transition stuff. Vlacci is also the face the kids see in school and go to for everything. The kids have bought into what we’ve been preaching and it’s starting to show.”

Before the season, Fabian said this year’s success wouldn’t be measured in wins and losses. He wanted to get the team to commit to playing the full 32 minutes every game. He wanted to change the culture. He wanted to inspire belief. About halfway through the season, making the playoffs for the first time since 2019 is now on the agenda. Two more league wins will do it and there are seven games remaining. 

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of kids,” Fabian said. “They are the nicest, most respectful kids and to me, basketball skills aside, that’s the most important thing. At the end of the day, they’re here to compete, have fun and work hard. I want them to enjoy their time here and though making the playoffs was maybe more of a long-term goal at the beginning, it’s something we’re definitely talking about now.”

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Their presence offers a deterrent to any possible transgressors at the schools and aims to foster a safe environment for students to learn, Central School Director of Safety and Security Terry Culhane said. He feels that the recently assigned officers have quickly become, “an invaluable asset to the school district.”

Students have grown familiar with Ms. Castantine and Mr. Cohen throughout the past five months — creating secret handshakes, getting tips about what to do during a traffic stop and developing a better understanding of police officers role in the community. 

Ms. Castantine said students were a “bit standoffish” with uniformed police officers in the buildings at the start of the school year. Now, she and Mr. Cohen have built a familiar rapport with the school community. 

“We’re here to bridge that gap, to make everyone feel comfortable and safe,” Ms. Castantine said. She is typically stationed at the middle school, but visits other schools in the district as well. Mr. Cohen is assigned to the high school, but also visits the district’s other buildings. 

The school resource officers were approved by the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years as part of an agreement between the district and Riverhead Town in July. The school board pays 50% of the cost to employ one of the two SROs through June 30, 2025. The Town Board will pay 50% of the cost to employ both SROs for the 2025-26 academic year and beyond, according to the agreement. 

This is not the first time the district has implemented school resource officers on its campuses. School officials allocated funds in the 2018-19 budget to hire school resource officer Byron Perez of the Riverhead Police Department.

Mr. Culhane advocated for the implementation of SROs in the district not only as a safety precaution, but also a way to build trust between the community and the police department. Friendly fist bumps between students and the officers are a “refreshing” sight in the halls of the middle and high schools, he said. 

“The kids in the elementary schools absolutely fawn over the officers when they come into the classroom,” Mr. Cullhane said. “They just love them. I couldn’t have picked two better officers.”

Riverhead Middle School principal Kellyann Parlato said the implementation of the SROs has gone, “very smoothly” so far this year. They greet students at morning drop off and wave goodbye during dismissal. The officers will also go outside at recess with the kids on certain days. 

Parents have been “warm and welcoming” of the SROs stationed in the schools, Ms. Parlato said. Riverhead High School principal Sean O’Hara said the implementation of the prorram has received “overwhelming support and appreciation” from the community. 

“I think that we as a district have done amazing work strengthening our security protocols,” Mr. O’Hara said. “And I think that this is just kind of another aspect. You know, they’re not functioning as security guards so to speak, they’re functioning as resource officers. 

“But God forbid something necessitated their involvement, they certainly are here,” he said. “And I think people do take comfort in knowing that we do have police officers present and on site.”

Stephanie Kaimis, a seventh-grade Social Studies teacher at the middle school, invited Ms. Castantine and Mr. Cohen to her classes to explain their role in the district. 

“The kids really enjoyed listening to all that they had to say,” Ms. Kaimis said,  “and I think the officers got to know the kids on a bit of a deeper level.”

The visibility and presence of SROs in the schools is something that Ms. Parlato believes helps students focus more on learning. 

“Their presence really just plays a vital role in fostering a safe and secure environment — not just for parents, but [also for] the students, staff and community,” she said. 

The Riverhead Police Department has long collaborated with the high school as part of its “Council For Unity” program which empowers students as leaders. Deborah Nigrel, a faculty member for the course, said students are encouraged to ask the officers questions — whether it be advice on a traffic ticket they received or information about what to do if they have to go to court. 

“I think that it’s really worked nicely,” Ms. Nigrel said. “And I think it’s a real positive to have them here in the building.”

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