Jack Abrams STEM School Chooses Mascot

An osprey is an awesome bird of prey measuring about two feet long with a nearly six foot wingspan. Its diet consists almost exclusively of fish. The large raptor has so impressed Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students that they chose it as the building’s mascot.

“As a prelude to choosing a mascot, students spent time researching and learning about Long Island’s endangered wildlife,” said Rae Montesano, the district’s chairperson of science for grades 7-12 and the STEM school’s coach. “Ron Gelardi and a colleague from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation came to speak with each of the classes.”

“Miss Gertrude,” an Eastern box turtle named “Miss Gertrude” accompanied the two state environmental officials during their visit to the school on Lowndes Avenue. The species is threatened and environmentalists are concerned about its dwindling numbers.

“Students participated in an activity that showed how human population increases decrease the amount of land for animal habitats, which can then lead to their extinction,” Ms. Montesano said. “Students also did research in their classes and wrote a persuasive piece about an organism they felt should be the mascot.”

Teachers from each of the building’s classes selected three mascot possibilities for consideration by Ms. Montesano and a parent committee, which reviewed the nominations in “blind” fashion.

“On the morning that the committee met, an osprey perched in one of the trees in the front of the school,” Ms. Montesano said. The selection committee narrowed the field to three finalists: the blue spotted salamander, the osprey and the short-eared owl. 

Parents prepared display cases with photos, facts and figures about each of the finalists. On the day of the election, students attended an assembly where DEC’s Pete Davis, spoke about each of the finalists, showing students where they can be found on Long Island as well as giving providing tidbits of information all sorts of interesting details about the three choices on the ballot.

On decision-day Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students cast ballots for the favorite with the osprey winning in a landslide.