The Memorial school building on Pidgeon Hill Road in Huntington Station is part of the South Huntington schools family once again. Closed in 1984 due to declining enrollment after 25 years as a junior high school, it now has a new life as our district’s Sixth Grade Center.

District leadership, board members, students, faculty, staff, families, alumni, and invited dignitaries gathered on August 31, 2026 to officially open the Memorial Sixth Grade Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony the day before the start of the new school year.

Over the past year, the building underwent a full remodel with modern updates to offer our students innovative learning environments and expanded academic opportunities. Key upgrades include a dedicated Innovation Lab, which is a multidisciplinary space that will provide hands-on, creative ways for students to design, experiment, and invent, as well as a planned green space for growing food.

South Huntington School Board President Nicholas Ciappetta served as Master of Ceremonies for the celebration. “Memorial has always been a huge part of South Huntington history, and now it is part of our present and future. After a 14-month gut renovation, we have polished up this gem and restored it to its former glory,” said Mr. Ciappetta.

“Today, Memorial comes home,“ District Superintendent Dr. Vito D’Elia told the gathered audience. “I want our students to know that everything we have done here was done with you in mind. Take advantage of every opportunity your teachers provide you, and leave Memorial someday knowing that you helped establish the traditions that future generations of Wildcats will follow.” 

Opening a new school building is a significant milestone, but as Memorial’s Principal Stephen Toto remarked, the physical space is only part of the story. “To have the opportunity to be the principal who helps open a brand new building is something I will never take for granted. I am beyond grateful for the trust that has been placed in me and incredibly proud of everyone who has worked so hard to make this building a reality. A new building is exciting, but what will make Memorial special isn't its new classrooms, hallways, furniture, or technology. It's the people who will fill it. It's our teachers, our staff, and our students who will create the culture,” said Mr. Toto. 

The Memorial school building underwent a 14-month gut renovation that completely restored the facility that had been occupied by several tenants over the decades. Virtually everything inside the building was replaced, and the entire technology infrastructure was rebuilt from scratch.
The construction was completed almost exclusively in-house by district buildings and grounds workers, saving “millions of dollars while providing exceptional craftsmanship and detail” noted Mr. Ciappetta. “The quality of the work is remarkable throughout the building. For this reason, in our entrance lobby we have a plaque that recognizes and honors those who labored over the interior renovation of this building,” said Mr. Ciappetta.

Inside, the building features updated amenities including an auditorium, two cafeterias, a state-of-the-art kitchen, lots of branding with our beloved Wildcat, and colorful signage.

Specific areas of the building honor notable district and Huntington figures. The school’s band room is dedicated to former Memorial music teacher and South Huntington Hall of Famer Pat DeRosa, while the three courtyards are named after local historical figures: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and humanitarian Harry Chapin, prominent suffragist Ida Sammis, a Huntington town resident who was one of the first two women ever elected to serve in the New York State Legislature, and Henry Scudder, another Huntingtonian who was a patriot of the American Revolution, helped frame the New York State Constitution, and served several terms in the NYS Legislature.

Additionally, plans are set to construct the George Washington Brush Veterans Plaza at the school, displaying flags, seals of the six Armed Forces branches, and engraved bricks honoring South Huntington graduates who served in the military. Brush was a physician, politician, and captain in the Civil War, and the only individual from the Town of Huntington to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

Several of the district’s elected officials were in attendance for the ribbon-cutting including Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, State Senator Mario Mattera, and State Assemblyman Steve Stern.  All three agreed that the education of our students is one of the top priorities and praised the district for serving as an example for others to follow.

 

Addressing the deeper meaning behind Memorial's naming and the planned Veterans Plaza, Assemblyman Stern said, “In my capacity as the chairman of the New York State Assembly's Committee on Veterans Affairs, I can tell you that the meaning that goes into the name and the impact that an actual memorial will have celebrating those that serve and that have served, and particularly those and their families that have made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us and our way of life, is something that will have a daily impact. But certainly a long-term impact for those who pass by that important memorial on a daily basis.” 

As Memorial honors the past, Principal Toto says it also focuses on shaping the future of our students and community. “It's our job to bridge our students from elementary school to middle school and help ease that transition into Stimson. So it has always served a really important purpose, but now it's being served in an amazing new building.”

The opening celebration of the Memorial Sixth Grade Center continued on Wednesday when New York Governor Kathy Hochul visited the school to highlight the state’s Universal Free Meals program. Starting in the 2025–26 school year, all New York State schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, including South Huntington, offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income. 

 

During her visit, the Governor also met to discuss South Huntington’s “Portrait of a Wildcat,” based on New York State’s “Portrait of a Graduate.” It’s a new initiative adopted by the NYS Board of Regents last year to redefine high school graduation standards that focus less on traditional testing and more on skills mastery through internships, capstone projects, community service, and career and technical education programs. New York is moving toward a single standard high school diploma, eliminating the separate "Regents" and "Advanced Regents" diplomas. The initiative won’t be fully implemented until 2029, when current fifth graders become high school freshmen. 

Thank you to our dedicated community, district staff, and hard-working facilities team for your unwavering support in restoring this historic building and creating an exceptional new home for our students. 

 

The Sixth Grade Center, Principal Mr. Stephen Toto (center), stood with Charlene Meyer-Vienne (left) and Virginia Stair (right), proud teachers and alumni of Memorial. 

 

Several of the district’s elected officials were in attendance for the ribbon-cutting including Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, State Senator Mario Mattera, and State Assemblyman Steve Stern. 

 

District leadership, board members, students, faculty, staff, families, alumni, and invited dignitaries gathered on August 31, 2026 to officially open the Memorial Sixth Grade Center.

 

Assemblyman Steve Stern (left) with Board of Education President Nicholas Ciappetta (right), honored the grand opening with a proclamation and addressed the deeper meaning behind Memorial's naming and the planned Veterans Plaza.

 

(left to right) Board of Education Trustee Sidney Joyner, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul, sixth-grade student Julien Joyner, Memorial educator Dr. Bullock, and Memorial secretary Diane Gutierrez. 

 

Governor Kathy Hocul also met with (left to right) Memorial Assistant Principal Ken Costa, Memorial Principal Stephen Toto, and Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education 6-12 Amanda Kavanagh, to acknowledge South Huntington’s “Portrait of a Wildcat,” based on New York State’s “Portrait of a Graduate.”