Mrs. Barbara Trapasso (at left), Vice President of the Garden City Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen (second from right), joined Homestead Principal Dr. Suzanne Viscovich (holding citation) to recognize the 2009 Nassau County Poet Laureate district winners and their teachers at the Board of Education's May 20th meeting. Ten district students were honored at the May meeting of the Garden City Public Schools Board of Education for their achievements in the 2009 Nassau County Poet Laureate Contest. This year's competition included 2,000 entries from 76 schools in Nassau County. The young poets were acknowledged during the meeting, shaking hands with each Board member and senior district administrators, in turn.

The 2009 district poetry winners included: honorable mention to Garden City High School senior, Kristen McGeough; Garden City Middle School students, Michael Vincent Crapotta and Nicole Gimmiti, won the bronze and silver award, respectively; and Homestead students, Thomas Boland and Frank Santeramo, first and second place winners respectively, with Kelly Brennan, James Burke, Sarah Fetherston, Brendan McGovern and Kelly O'Neill receiving honorable mentions. Because Homestead students placed so high in the competition, the school was awarded a "Citation of Outstanding Achievement."

Each winning Garden City Public Schools student was congratulated by Board of Education and senior administration members for their achievements in the 2009 Nassau County Poet Laureate Contest. The students' winning entries have been included in this year's edition of Young Voices, An Anthology of Poetry by Nassau County Students.