The South Country Board of Education recognized Bellport High School student-athletes during their meeting on April 23. Each athlete received a certificate for achieving great success during the winter sports season. Also praised were winter athletes for earning academic accolades during the season. Winter teams placed third in Suffolk County for the most scholar-athletes. The district extends its congratulations to the following athletes: Ava Cooley, Ella Masem, Nevaeh Pedraza and Inocencia Rodriguez (track); Charleigh Howard, Caitlin Maragioglio and Aaliyah Morrow (girls wrestling); and Henry Caceres, Camryn Howard, Jacob Snedeker and Hayden Tooker (boys wrestling).

Date Added: 4/28/2025

Bellport Middle School Generation Citizen students recently celebrated Civics Day by presenting to their peers, principals and distinguished guests research projects that aim to make a positive impact within their school and community.

Each student team presented an issue they had researched, the root causes of the problem at hand and a plan for action. Project topics included increasing after-school activities and instituting a schoolwide reward program.

Delivering the keynote addresses were Senator Dean Murray and Legislator Dominick Thorne. Both leaders spoke about the importance of researching and finding solutions to problems.

Date Added: 4/28/2025

The South Country Music Department recently hosted the annual NYSSMA Solo & Ensemble Festival at Bellport High School. Nearly 300 South Country student-musicians participated in the event. The students’ adjudication scores will be used to provide individual feedback, as well as to help determine all-county selections for events such as SCMEA and LISFA next school year.

Date Added: 4/28/2025

Bellport High School senior Jannat Majid has earned the impressive Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship. She is among 70 students from across the country to receive this scholarship, which will provide her with up to $55,000 a year toward college tuition.

Majid, who will be attending Vassar College in the fall to study chemistry and political science, received the scholarship for demonstrating exceptional academic ability and leadership.

Majid serves as president of her school’s National Honor Society and is a member of the English, Math and Science honor societies. She also participates in Key Club, student council and Athletes Helping Others. As an athlete, Majid runs cross-country and track.

 “I am very excited and very grateful,” she said of the award.

 

Date Added: 4/25/2025

 

 

South Country School District’s head athletic trainer, Gina Harris, has been recognized with the prestigious District 2 Athletic Trainer of the Year Award by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee and as a finalist for the National Athletic Trainer of the Year Award.  She will formally accept her award in June at the 76th NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Harris earned the recognition for her dedication, professionalism, mentoring and volunteerism following a nomination and application process. She was selected from a pool of applicants from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

It’s an incredible honor to be named the District 2 Athletic Trainer of the Year,” said Harris. “I’m proud to represent my region and even prouder to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the student-athletes I work with every day.” She added, “Athletic training is about more than injury care — it’s about connection, mentorship and helping young people grow through adversity. We’re not just building stronger athletes — we’re helping shape stronger, more resilient individuals.

Harris, who has served as head athletic trainer at Bellport High School since 2017, is a board-certified athletic trainer with over a decade of experience in emergency response, injury prevention and athlete performance. She earned her Bachelor of Science in athletic training from SUNY Cortland and her Master of Science in exercise physiology and sports nutrition from LIU Brooklyn, where she worked with high-caliber athletes, including three-time Olympic medalist Brendon Rodney and former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman.

She recently completed a Master of Science in applied clinical nutrition from Northeast College of Health Sciences, enhancing her ability to support student-athletes in both performance and recovery through an integrative approach to care.

In 2023, Harris was nationally recognized as the sole recipient of the Henry Schein Medical Rising Star Award, presented to one emerging athletic training professional across all practice settings in the country. This prestigious award honors early-career athletic trainers who demonstrate exceptional clinical skill, leadership and impact on the profession.

“Mrs. Harris is a tremendous asset to the South Country Central School District,” said Martino Sottile, director of health, physical education and interscholastic athletics. “Her professionalism and care for our student-athletes is unmatched, and she consistently goes above and beyond for our kids. She is constantly looking to grow and expand, earning various certifications and continuously evolving. It's no surprise to me that she is being recognized as one of the best athletic trainers in the nation.”

The South Country School District extends its congratulations to Harris on this impressive accomplishment.

 

Date Added: 4/24/2025