Emergency room doctors taught more than 60 students key skills like splinting, stitching, intubation and CPR during the workshop.

“It is really important to build relationships when pursuing medicine, and these students will have started to build those relationships,” SBU Division of Health, Equity and Advocacy senior administrative assistant Lauren Rozmus said in a press release.

The medical personnel work with the hospital’s Division of Health, Equity and Advocacy with the goal of improving care in the emergency room for all patients. The division’s outreach to school districts like Shoreham-Wading River builds community partnerships and provides opportunities for students of various economic standing to take advantage of being able to build relationships with medical personnel in the field.

The hospitals and ambulatory health services industries accounted for a combined 175,500 jobs in the Long Island Region in 2023, according to the New York State Department of Labor. Median wages in those fields ranged from $38,629 for home and personal care aides to $165,722 for medical and health services managers in 2023.

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Ms. Gilmore, who died after a medical incident at soccer practice in April, coached the Wildcats for 14 seasons and led the team to six Suffolk County titles, three Long Island championships and a state title while winning 165 games.

She turned the girls’ soccer squad into a powerhouse, guiding the student-athletes to a state semifinal after their second consecutive Long Island title last fall. 

Before the Sept. 27 game, members of the girls’ soccer team held a “Gilmore Game” banner and walked onto the field alongside members of the Gilmore family and the William Floyd team. 

Daughter Kayla Gilmore, who is currently in her sophomore year playing for the University of Maryland women’s lacrosse team, spoke about her mother and the coach she knew her to be. 

“Somehow she knew how to bring out the very best in me, and she did the same thing for her players,” Kayla said. “She wanted her players to be strong, confident women and she showed them how to do that. That’s the culture she built here [at Shoreham-Wading River].” 

Head coach Lydia Kessel spoke about Ms. Gilmore’s legacy and the way her team continues to play in her memory. 

“What is comforting to know is that her legacy lives on in the players she coached, in the lessons she taught and in the love she had for this program,” Ms. Kessel said. “Even though she is no longer here, she is still guiding us.” 

The Wildcats girls’ soccer squad secured a 5-1 victory over William Floyd in the non-league game. The boys’ soccer team followed with a 1-0 victory over Garden City later that afternoon. 

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Shoreham-Wading River Central School District cafeterias will be required to provide a complete meal to any student who asks for one under the state’s universal free school meals program starting this year. The state program follows the National School Lunch Program as a criteria for nutrition at meal time in schools. 

The national program has an established list of dietary specifications for calories, sodium and saturated fat, and meal pattern requirements for the program’s five meal components. The list details the minimum daily intake for fruits, vegetables, grains, meats or meat alternatives, and milk for K-12 age groups. 

A complete meal, at a minimum, consists of three components or items based on federal regulations. Students who take just an item or two at the cafeteria would not meet the quota for reimbursement under the NSLP and would have to be charged at an individual cost for those items, assistant superintendent of finance and operations Glen Arcuri said. 

“So, the food service staff is going to be a little pushy for students to take a complete meal because if they don’t get them to take a complete meal, we are unable to file a claim for reimbursement for that meal,” Mr. Arcuri said. “It is important to note your student might actually come home and say ‘I’m taking stuff that I’m not eating.’”

Sara Paolino, director of food service for the district, added that cafeteria staff will help direct students to a complete meal so they avoid the charge for a la carte items.

In years past, the district has allowed families’ Nutrikids accounts to go negative because the district wanted to feed kids if they didn’t have lunch, but would not allow a la carte items to be purchased to the point of a negative balance. This year, the ability to go into the negative has been disabled, as all students are entitled to a free complete meal. 

Since this is the district’s first year participating in the program, Mr. Arcuri said it will be audited for its compliance with the national program’s criteria. “We are [making] certain that they see we are cognizant that we are not going to be in the National School Lunch Program, but still deliver our original program which exceeded a lot of the national school lunch requirements,” he said. 

Families who feel they are eligible to receive free and reduced meals should complete an application to help the district define its ratio for federal reimbursement of free and reduced meals supplied, Mr. Arcuri said. As of Aug. 26, more than 190 families have applied. 

Parents can access the application at swrschools.org/school-lunch-program. Once completed, that application can be returned to the district at 250B Route 25A, Shoreham. For help with the application, call 631-821-8120.

The district will be reimbursed at the state-reimbursement level for the remaining number of students who grab a reduced or free meal at school. 

“It’s important as a base year to have our free and reduced count as high as it possibly can be,” Mr. Arcuri said. “If you’re unsure [whether you are eligible], complete the free and reduced application for us.”

Parents throughout the district have been sent letters regarding the lunch changes this year, Mr. Arcuri said. 

He added that parents have been confused why they’re being asked to fill out the application, but he said it is important for the district to establish its base rate for reimbursement for the program. Oct. 1 would be an “ideal” deadline for families to submit their application, Mr. Arcuri said. However, families will be able to fill out an application at any time during the year.

Fundraising efforts during school hours should also be compliant with the NSLP guidelines, Mr. Arcuri said. After school fundraisers would not have to follow the same stringent guidelines.

For more information on the district’s lunch program, contact the district at 631-821-8100.

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Superintendent Gerard Poole said water damages to the gym floor — a result of efforts to extinguish the fire — will require “major renovation,” but all other areas of the high school will be open for the start of the school year. Work to replace the floor has already begun, with the floor already ripped up as of Aug. 26. 

Girls’ and boys’ junior varsity and varsity volleyball practices and games will be held at the district’s Albert G. Prodell Middle School this year. Physical education classes will be held outside, in the high school’s wrestling center or fitness center. 

The high school cheerleading team will practice at the middle school as they have in years past. Mr. Poole said the district has also ordered a second set of mats for cheerleaders to have a second space at Miller Avenue School this year.

All other rooms and hallways at the high school will be accessible and available as usual. Locker rooms remain accessible for the start of the school year as well.

No specific date was given for when repairs will be completed at the high school gym, but Mr. Poole said the information will be shared publicly as soon as it is available.

“Unfortunately, it was not a possibility to partially replace the floor at this time. It was a full job,” Mr. Poole said. 

The district has submitted the repair costs to its insurance company, Mr. Poole told the Riverhead News-Review, and there is not a current need to use the district’s reserve fund.

Mr. Poole and Board of Education president Thomas Sheridan extended their gratitude to the Wading River, Rocky Point and other area fire departments that responded to the fire on Aug. 16. An extra thanks was extended to the high school’s staff and others who were involved in the clean up and restoration of the gym. 

“Ultimately, we obviously look forward to the renovations and restoring the gym back to its better state at this point,” Mr. Sheridan said. 

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Ms. Ferry was appointed Shoreham-Wading River’s new director of health, physical education and athletics and plans to have a “boots on the ground approach” in the schools. She will replace former athletics director Eric Bramoff, who joined the district in July 2024. 

Ms. Ferry spent the last nine years as athletics director at Half Hollow Hills Central School District. There, she led athletic programs across four schools with more than 125 teams. She developed and mentored over 190 coaches while introducing new programs including unified sports, boys and girls bowling, and flag football. Her creation of a mandatory “Code of Conduct Night” promoted responsibility and community partnerships.

In her new role, student interest would dictate the development of new athletic programs. “When you talk about creating new opportunities for kids, you want to ensure that you’re providing as much opportunity with the knowledge that you don’t want to reduce participation in other athletics events,” she said. 

“For instance, if there is an opportunity to bring on flag football, we have to really look at the data of how many students want to participate, [and] how many are currently, especially on the girls’ side, participating in spring sports,” Ms. Ferry continued.

A survey to compile student interest in different new sports would help Ms. Ferry and district leadership decide whether to introduce new programs in the future. 

Before Half Hollow Hills, Ms. Ferry worked as director of health, physical education, nursing and athletics in the Port Jefferson School District from 2007 to 2016. She created a high school wellness physical education course in the district that incorporated modern fitness trends, and successfully built a lacrosse program from the community level to middle school and junior varsity teams.

“I feel like every program that you are part of in a school district that you’re creating is specific for that school district … the kids, instructional leaders and teachers,” Ms. Ferry said. Deciphering how best to utilize staff strengths is something she plans to continue at Shoreham-Wading River. 

Her coaching background includes head girls varsity field hockey coach from 2002 to 2007 and head junior varsity girls lacrosse coach from 1999 to 2006 at Northport High School. She also held collegiate coaching positions at SUNY Cortland and roles with the Long Island Region of the Empire State Games and the United States Field Hockey Association.

“Success is not about wins and losses,” Ms. Ferry said. What she finds most important is that students are in a healthy, safe environment where they can learn to be competitive and how to lose with dignity when the occasions arise. 

The athletic field and physical education courses are places where students develop their social skills and learn things about themselves, Ms. Ferry said. 

“Part of my biggest responsibility is to ensure that … we’re hiring good coaches, great coaches, who are creating those values in their own program,” she said. “And it’s up to me to provide them the resources they need to move forward with those values.”

Ms. Ferry also currently serves as second vice president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), an eight-year term that will run through 2032. She previously held the position of Section XI female representative to NYSPHSAA from 2015 to 2023 and served as president of Section XI, where she helped shape state athletic policy. 

She earned a master’s degree in school administration and supervision from Touro College in 2006 and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education K-12 from SUNY Cortland in 1993 and 1995, respectively. She holds school district administrator and school administrator/supervisor certifications, in addition to an athletic administrator certification from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, which she received in 2010.

“We are pleased to welcome Ms. Ferry to the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District,” superintendent of schools Gerard Poole said in a press release. “With her combination of administrative expertise, teaching background and hands-on athletic experience, she is positioned to enhance our district’s integrated approach to student health, physical education and athletics.”

Shoreham-Wading River’s involved school community is something Ms. Ferry is eager to become acquainted with in her new role. 

“I have no desire to go outside of my world of phys ed, health and athletics,” she said. “I think that it’s a good fit for me. It’s my passion and it’s my love. And I love to be able to provide kids the opportunity to do something that they love and it’s very rewarding to be part of that.”

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Superintendent Gerard Poole confirmed Ms. Gilmore, 42, suffered a medical event on Tuesday afternoon at Albert G. Prodell Middle School and sent a letter on Friday informing the school community of her tragic passing.

“Adrian was not only a dedicated and passionate educator, but an outstanding coach, mentor, and source of inspiration to many generations of SWR colleagues, families and students,” Mr. Poole wrote. “For 20 years, Adrian served as a dedicated educator, most recently teaching sixth grade with unwavering commitment and care.”

In addition to being a respected educator, Ms. Gilmore led the SWR varsity soccer teams to county and state championships as a coach. She was honored as the 2019 Regional High School Coach of the Year for the Fall East Region and earned multiple Coach of the Year awards.

That same year, Ms. Gilmore celebrated her 100th career win. In an interview with the Riverhead News-Review in 2019, the late soccer coach expressed her love for coaching and how she didn’t “do it for the money.”

“I’ve been asked to coach other places, I have never wanted to leave,” she said. “It’s always just been about the community, and I’m proud to be a Wildcat and to represent Shoreham.”

Ms. Gilmore also previously coached lacrosse, as well as for area youth programs and regularly involved her teams in community service efforts — “instilling values of giving back to countless individuals,” Mr. Poole said in his letter.

“More than her impressive achievements, Adrian will be remembered as a mentor for other coaches and teachers, a passionate advocate for children and a trusted colleague whose impact reached far beyond school walls,” Mr. Poole wrote. “Her legacy lives on in the countless lives that she touched as a teacher, coach and community leader. She will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.”

Mr. Poole said the school district will honor Ms. Gilmore’s legacy in the coming days and share information on any memorial services once those details are available. Students, parents and staff are encouraged to use the school district’s grieving support resources.

Ms. Gilmore was also a mother to three children and wife to her husband, Tim. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up in support of her family as they navigate healing, funeral expenses and daily needs during this difficult time. The community has surpassed the $50,000 fundraising goal with more than $117,200 raised so far.

Her mother Cathleen Weger confirmed on social media Ms. Gilmore’s organs were donated on April 26 to those in need of life saving surgeries — the same day exactly 28 years ago her grandfather received a heart transplant from a donor. 

A funeral service to honor and celebrate Ms. Gilmore’s life will be held on Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Moloney-Sinnicksons Moriches Funeral Home. The following day will be a mass at St. John The Evangelist RC Church in Center Moriches at 9:30 a.m.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.

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After finishing the regular season at 18-2, the Wildcats earned the No. 1 seed in the Suffolk County Class A playoff bracket along with a first-round bye. The final regular season game against Mt. Sinai, a 45-36 victory, clinched the first place spot in League VI. SWR will face off against No. 4 Islip in the semifinals at 7 p.m. on March 3 at Centereach High School.

The season sweep of Mt. Sinai was a defining moment for head coach Adam Lievre’s team which dropped both regular season games to the Mustangs last year before losing in the playoff semifinals to Kings Park.

“The core of this year’s team got a full year last year to acclimate to being the main players,” Lievre said. “Most of this group was on the bench for the county championship team. They played a major role and they were huge in practice. They played some minutes but they weren’t our crunch time players. The experience last year was big coming into this year.”

The vault to the top of the league was not expected this year after losing a major piece in Juliana Mahan to graduation. Mahan was the lone starter left from the 2023 championship team. The Wildcats lost their post presence but others have stepped up in her absence. The team, as Lievre has always emphasized in all his years coaching, is deeply rooted in maintaining a defense-first mentality.

That mind set leads to turnovers, deflections, and tough shots on a nightly basis. Lievre knows it’s the key to winning.

“It’s no secret that we’re not the best shooting team in Suffolk County,” Lievre said. “But we pride ourselves on keeping the opponent off the board. Our shots will eventually fall and as long as we’re making it hard for our opponents to score, we’re right where we need to be every game.”

The scoring load this year has mainly fallen on senior captain Alyssa Bell, the only one of the bunch who played significant minutes during the championship run. She was routinely the first player off the bench two years ago and made an instant scoring impact. Bell averaged 13.5 points per game this season. 

“Even though we fell short last year in the semifinals, our goal has always been to win the counties,” Bell said. “I remember what it was like winning the counties and that’s some experience I can bring to the table. But we want to take it a step farther this year and win the Long Island championship.”

Another player with some championship pedigree is Grayce Kitchen, who routinely comes away with more steals than one hand can count by constantly hounding the passing lanes. She’s also averaged roughly eight points per game this year.

“Right now we’re practicing hard and trying to work on our weaknesses,” Kitchen said. “I’m a senior this year so this is a must win game coming up against Islip. We want to get another crack at the championship.”

Islip was one of the two schools that found a way to beat SWR this season and Lievre is scouring over the game tape and coming up with a plan to minimize the mistakes that happened in that game. 

“I already have my handouts to give them about what went wrong,” Lievre said at practice last week. “Islip played a great game. Ultimately I don’t think we played that bad a game but we shot about 18% from the field. That’s just not going to win us games. I felt like we took good shots but just settled for too many threes. In a perfect world they fall, but we need to find other ways to score and that’s what we’re working on now.”

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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

Kayleanne Campbell – Track and Field – Quinnipiac University 

The high jumper continues to break her personal records as a Blue Wave and has competed on the national level in multiple seasons. She jumped as high as 5-foot-5 inches last year.

Michael Gabriel – Boys Lacrosse – Sacred Heart University

The defender on the boys lacrosse team caused havoc for opponents last year as the Blue Waves made a run and set the program record for wins in a season. Gabriel was named an All-State selection after the season. 

Christopher Jones – Track and Field – SUNY Cortland

One of the most decorated cross country runners in Riverhead school history, Jones holds multiple school records on cross country courses throughout Long Island, including at the Indian Island 5K (16:33.84) and the Sunken Pond 4k (12:48.81).

Sadie Schultz – Girls Lacrosse – University of Delaware

The lax midfielder was a major part of the Riverhead girls lacrosse team last year and leads the charge this season to get the team to the playoffs – something that hasn’t happened in recent years. Shultz scored 42 goals and assisted on eight others in the 2024 spring season.

Logan Pilon – Girls Lacrosse – Manhattan University 

Pilon set the pace for the Blue Waves last season from her midfield position on the lacrosse field and was also a big part of the volleyball and basketball squads. Pilon accounted for 53 goals and 10 assists last year and is expected be a major player this year.

Camden Wallace – Baseball – St. Joe’s University

Though the baseball team’s record wasn’t the best last year, everytime Wallace took the mound he gave the Blue Waves a chance to win. With a solid bat and effortless shortstop play, his name was one of the most feared in the Riverhead lineup.

Sara Maas – Girls Lacrosse – Alvernia University

Maas is the goalkeeper for both the field hockey team as well as the girls lacrosse team. She was a brick wall between the pipes and came up with 101 saves as the lacrosse goalie last year – including 15 stops in a single game.

Brendan Wallace – Boys Lacrosse – SUNY Delhi

Another member of the Blue Waves’ strong defense last season, Wallace was as fierce a competitor as any on the field. He’s been a multi-year starter for Riverhead and earned all-division honors last year.

Dean Redmond – Boys Lacrosse – Mercy College

Though Redmond has battled through two years of knee injuries, he’s ready to make a major impact on this year’s team and beyond. He’ll rejoin his brother Jackson who graduated last year is now a freshman at Mercy.

Liam Lennon – Boys Lacrosse – Wingate University

Lennon was a four-sport athlete throughout much of his high school career, playing football and soccer and was a prolific scorer on the basketball team. He was a key defensive cog that helped the lacrosse squad make the playoffs last season and earned all-division honors.

Adrianna Mosca – Girls Lacrosse – Georgian Court University

Mosca played in the midfield for the girls lacrosse team last year and though her name didn’t always show up in the stat book, her contributions off the ball were very much evident. The senior scored three times last year.

Shoreham-Wading River High School

Haylie Abrams – Girls Lacrosse – University of Colorado

Abrams has been a multi-year starter for the field hockey and girls lacrosse teams. She also plays for the basketball squad in the winter. The midfielder scored 11 goals and contributed six assists for the lax squad last year.

Emily Herr – Swimming – Villanova University

Herr has been one of the best swimmers in Suffolk County for years, even competing in varsity meets as a middle-schooler. The senior recently won Suffolk County championships in the 100-meter freestyle (51.96) and the 200 meter freestyle (1:53.33) events.

Reese Marcario – Girls Lacrosse – University of Pittsburgh

Marcario was a member of the girls lacrosse and field hockey teams and has been a major contributor on varsity for many years. She was one of the most active players around the net in lacrosse last year, notching 81 points on 37 goals and 44 assists.

Morgan Lesiewicz – Girls Lacrosse – Lehigh University

The multi-year starter who has starred on both the soccer and lacrosse teams is entering her final season as a Wildcat. She has been the goalkeeper for the girls soccer team since 8th grade and backstopped the squad to three straight county titles and two state final four appearances — in what she considered her secondary sport. She scored seven goals for the lacrosse team last year.

Grayce Kitchen – Girls Lacrosse – University of Louisville

A multi-sport athlete, Kitchen starred on the soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams over the years. She’s been a member of Suffolk County championship squads in soccer and basketball and has a shot at the trifecta for lacrosse this year. Kitchen scored 30 goals and registered 11 assists last season.

Charlotte Erb – Girls Lacrosse – Coastal Carolina University

As a member of the Wildcats potent attack, Erb made her presence known in front of the net scoring 20 goals last season to go along with 12 assists. She’s also a member of the basketball team.

Ava Weingartner – Girls Lacrosse – Mercy University

The senior was an impactful piece on both the lacrosse and basketball teams over the years. She’s a strong anchor in the back for a lacrosse team that will look to make an impact this year.

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The Wildcats had their chances and even outplayed Pittsford Mendon for most of the game. Aside from two defensive blunders, Shoreham-Wading River was the better team on the field and it was evident from the opening minutes.

Stamatia Almiroudis scored the game’s opening goal for SWR off of an assist from Shealyn Varbero with 17 minutes left in the first half. The Wildcats dominated the early going, not even allowing Pittsford Mendon to get a shot on goal in the first half. They controlled possession and even had multiple chances to increase their lead.

But a quick second half goal spurred life into Pittsford Mendon, tying the game with just one minute erased off the clock. From that moment on, the game changed. Pittsford Mendon took all of the momentum and ended up scoring the go-ahead goal with 14 minutes left.

There was a clear handball in the penalty box by a Pittsford Mendon defender with the game tied 1-1 that could’ve given the Wildcats a chance to take the lead, but the infraction was missed by the refs.

Despite the defeat, what the Wildcats have accomplished these past three years has been remarkable. Three straight Suffolk County Class A championships and two appearances in the state tournament with an ever-rotating lineup is no small feat. 

“I told them after the game that most high school athletes never step on a county championship field,” head coach Adrian Gilmore said. “And we’ve been to the states two years in a row. It’s just a testament of the work these girls continue to put in.”

As is the case every year, key players depart in the senior class, leaving behind a strong legacy that will stick with the school for the rest of history. Morgan Lesiewicz is one of those seniors this year. She played her final game as a goalkeeper for the Wildcats after holding the position since 8th grade.

“Playing on this team for five years didn’t just build me as a soccer player and an athlete, it built me as a person,” Lesiewicz said. “Having coaches here everyday that encourage you and build you up, help you fix things means everything. This isn’t even my main sport but being part of this is something I’ll never forget.”

The senior class this year has been through what perhaps has been one of the winningest stretches in SWR girls soccer history. It was Lesiewicz coming up with big saves. It was Chloe Bergen, Johanna Ochsenfeld or Jocelyn Nastasi showing leadership on the back line. It was Ava Gengler being the team’s workhorse up front. 

But just as any year the team will need to regroup. After losing All-State do-it-all player Grace Hillis last year, to return to the states this season seemed like a stretch but they did it. Every year key pieces leave and others step up, it’s just the nature of Shoreham-Wading River’s girls soccer program.

“We have seven starters returning next year,” Gilmore said. “We’re losing a bunch of key players but I’m confident in those that maybe haven’t gotten to play as much this year and have gotten a taste of what it feels like to make it to states, they’ll step up and deliver for us. I’m so proud of what these girls accomplished this year. A play or two different, we could have been state champions.”

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