What Makes North Shore Special?

 Dear North Shore Parents, Community Members, and Faculty,

Once again, I am “One Proud Viking.” The extraordinary achievements of the North Shore School District and our students have shined in areas including academics, the fine and performing arts, athletics, community service, and so much more. As the end of the school year soon approaches, it is important for us to reflect and celebrate the notable highlights from 2020-21. We thank the entire North Shore community for your continued commitment to our students, faculty, and staff. Below are just a few highlights:

• In 2021, North Shore High School ranked #47 in New York High Schools as reported by US News & World Report.
• North Shore High School has been nominated for this year’s 2021 National Blue Ribbon Award. The NY State Department of Education (NYSED) has selected 19 schools for this prestigious award for the “Exemplary High Performing School” category. Glenwood Landing is already a Blue Ribbon School and last year North Shore Middle School was re-designated as a NY State School & National State School to Watch.
• The North Shore Music Department received the 2021 Best Communities for Music Education Recognition for the fifth consecutive year.
• Five Viking teams were Conference Champions in 2020-21 including the Men’s Soccer Team, Men and Women’s Cross Country Teams, Women’s Tennis Team, and the Football Team. On Saturday, May 1, 2021, the Football team will be kicking-off vs. Wantagh in the Nassau County Championships. Go Vikings!
• Two high school seniors were recognized as semifinalists in the 2021 Regeneron Science Talent Search. Since 2017-18, North Shore has had a total of five semifinalists and one finalist.
• As a positive result of the pandemic, North Shore K-12 language students have made more global connections in 2020-21 due to the increased usage of Google Meet and Zoom. Our students have engaged in live meet conversations with French students, Italian students, and students from the Dominican Republic. This has provided our students with authentic opportunities to use their language skills as well as allow them to virtually see other countries and cultures.
• North Shore Middle School and Sea Cliff School have both been officially named a “No Place for Hate School” through the Anti-Defamation League. The other schools are working towards their own designations.  
• North Shore was only one of only six LI school districts in Nassau County to open its doors to all K-8 (elementary and middle school) students in September 2020. As of April 26, 2021, K-12 students have had the opportunity to learn in-person at all of our five schools.
• Thanks to the Viking Foundation and many members of our community with the approval of the Board of Education, HEPA filters and ventilation were provided for all learning spaces at the North Shore Schools during the pandemic. Our K-12 students continue to engage in numerous outdoor learning opportunities thanks to the support of our community and our faculty and staff.
• 99% of our seniors graduated North Shore High School in 2020. 70% of our seniors were accepted to “Most Highly” and “Highly Competitive Colleges & Universities.” We will know soon about the Class of 2021, but at this time, our seniors have been accepted to four out of eight of the Ivy League Schools and an exhaustive list of top-tier colleges and universities. Go Vikings!  

Our schools are special places for teaching and learning and I thank our very talented faculty, staff, and administration for their hard work and professionalism. I continue to be very proud of our students, faculty and staff at the North Shore Schools. Our excellent achievements have been recognized as among the best in the nation. We look forward to many more in the months ahead. 

Have a great evening, stay well, and be #VikingStrong!

All the best,

Dr. Peter Giarrizzo

Superintendent of Schools