Adding Depth and Fulfillment, K-12 New Practices and Pilots Focus on Inquiry, Innovation and Expression from Start to Finish

FALL 2013 FALL 2013 SyossetThe Leader SyossetThe Standard A Publication of the Syosset Central School District A Publication of the Syosset Central School District www.syossetistops.org www.syossetistops.org FALL 2016 FALL 2013 Syosset Pride SyossetThe Connect A Publication of the Syosset Central School District A Publication of the Syosset Central School District www.syossetschools.org www.syossetistops.org AddingFALL 2013 Depth and Fulfillment, K-12 FALL 2013 New practicesThe and pilots focus on inquiry, innovation and expression from start to finish The Syosset High School was recently students and parents at Syosset High named one of 329 National Blue School. But the entire Syosset School Ribbon Schools of Excellence in District shares this award since, like the country. This isn’t the first time a relay race, it is the excellent start aSyosset Syosset school has been honored students receive in our elementary Shines Syosset Scholar A Publication of the Syosset Central School District A Publication of the Syosset Central School District with the Blue Ribbon award or and middle schools that makes www.syossetistops.org www.syossetistops.org received national acclaim. While possible Syosset High School’s Blue the recognition underscores the Ribbon finish.” exemplary efforts of the school’s The metaphorical relay builds faculty and leadership, the student momentum with every grade level. FALL 2013 success behind this culminates a The district continues to refine the K-12 experience that continually K-12 curriculum to provide students emphasizes thinking and working with the best paths and knowledge to creatively. It begins in kindergarten achieve their long-term goals. The and culminates with the conferring of diplomas. BUILDING THE FOUNDATION Baylis fifth-grade students analyze and discuss texts during a reading “The National Blue Ribbon At the elementary level, the workshop. School of Excellence Award district is implementing a program is one of the most prestigious to develop a more uniform and Baylis, and Berry Hill elementary young students are able to make schools. This fall, every elementary personal connections between the Syosset Chronicle recognitions a school can receive,” thorough curriculum for teaching A Publication of the Syosset Central School District school is implementing this widely stories they read and their own said Superintendent of Schools literacy at the primary grades. Last www.syossetistops.org Dr. Thomas Rogers. “This award year, the district piloted Columbia regarded program, which provides lives. Consequently, their writing is illustrates the tremendous effort and University’s Teachers College Reading significant training to teachers authentic, grabs the reader and has dedication of our faculty, leadership, and Writing Project at A.P. Willits, to guide young students to take more of a voice,” said Baylis Principal control – and ownership – of their Lisa Greiner. own learning. According to Deputy Students are learning to view Superintendent Adele Bovard, reading and writing as a powerful teachers provided input toward vehicle to learn about themselves designing a sequence of study and and one another. They understand Congratulations overall literacy curriculum that how they can use it to communicate, to Syosset HS achieves this while covering all the persuade and inform and have even for being named necessary genres. written letters to Greiner, as well as “The Teachers College Reading President Obama (who wrote back), a National Blue and Writing Project takes a holistic wrote newspaper articles from live Ribbon School approach to how children think and interviews and incorporated writing of Excellence! express themselves creatively,” said craft from authors they have studied. Bovard. “We are looking to draw out From kindergartners reading “How each student’s voice. Our focus is to Books” and writing a “Guide Syosset Central School District Nonprofit to develop avid and skilled readers, to Tying Shoelaces” to fifth-grade Organization Syosset, New York 11791 U.S. Postage writers and thinkers.” research reports on Latin America, PAID This approach to reading and students are excited about reading Permit No.36 Syosset, NY 11791 writing allows students the flexibility and writing. to choose what they read, including Greiner said that using a wide the kinds of texts. It also encourages variety and more complex level of ****ECRWSS**** daily discussions on book themes, texts helps to make reading and Resident of characters, plot and setting and how writing an enjoyable, engaging Syosset Central School District all of the elements of the story affect experience. “They are reading and one another. writing for pleasure, as well as for “In understanding all of this, academic success.” continued on page 3... A Message from Your Superintendent Dear Community Member, later, an internal workgroup of teachers and security needs, parking, administrators wrote detailed proposals for and air conditioning – Shortly after I joined the District, the Board pilot projects. We have been following their all without increasing outlined an ambitious vision to be achieved. progress in a number of classrooms and are the tax levy for debt Now, a little over two years later, it makes sense identifying the highest leverage uses at each service – by using state to take stock of our progress and outline both the grade span, and expanding on those models. grant funds, budgeted challenges and opportunities ahead. One early takeaway is clear – our goal should maintenance, an Energy Education topped their priorities, and our focus not be to simply increase children’s screen Performance Contract, has been similarly aligned. In addition to the many time, rather we are emphasizing ways in which the Capital Reserve, and the proceeds of the building-level instructional initiatives, there are technology allows for powerful shifts in how Woodbury property sale. several district-wide efforts underway: students learn. Or as one workgroup member Winning the National Blue Ribbon Schools 1. Recognizing that early literacy is the put it, we are moving from “pilots” to “pivots.” Award was a recognition in which the entire school foundation for all subsequent learning, we are 4. Lastly, we recognize that we are in a period district shares since every school feeds the high in the second year of a renewed effort to take of incredible change in the current and school and thus shares in its success. Just as the advantage of the Teachers College Reading future economy and it is no longer just student accolades that fill this issue help illustrate and Writing Project including ongoing manufacturing jobs that are being lost to our successful outcomes, we congratulate Syosset professional development for all of our automation. We know that our students’ High School teachers Ms. Steinberg and Mr. Chae elementary teachers. insights, creativity, and originality enhance for joining Mr. Slesinski as recognized New York 2. Although the State’s recent emphasis has their excellent academic preparation, and these State Master Teachers, illustrating the hard work centered attention on Math and English, we skills will be even more valuable in the future. and high standards of the people who make our don’t want to overlook building on the rest of Thus, we have started a long-term project students’ outcomes possible. the curriculum. We have hired a K-12 Science to be even more intentional about how we As proud as I am of the Blue Ribbon Coordinator and plan to shift our early science nurture these skills by drawing connections designation, I worry awards create a temptation for instruction to build on the concepts behind across the curriculum and helping students do complacency, something former superintendent the “Next Generation Science Standards” likewise. Syosset is known for the breadth and Dr. Friedman warned against in his outgoing – that all of the sciences are interconnected quality of its program – this initiative leverages message: “sitting still is equivalent to falling and that many essential skills and habits of both. behind.” Even as we savor this success, our focus is mind are common to all of the disciplines. We We have managed to achieve these efforts while on the horizon – to build a school system that will expect another shift in focus to occur once remaining under the tax cap each of the past serve our children’s future every bit as well as our the “New Social Studies Frameworks” are three years, and we’re thankful to the community existing system does their present. adopted. for its support. Now we’re turning our attention 3. We are also engaged in a two-year project to our facilities needs. The Board is pursuing a My very best holiday wishes to all, to embed more education technology in multi-pronged strategy that would enable the our classrooms. Resisting the temptation District to address all of the needs identified in Dr. Tom Rogers to buy devices first and articulate their use its building condition survey as well as safety and Superintendent of Schools A Message from Your Board of Education Dear Syosset Community, consistency among the buildings. Although we are just a couple of months At our September meeting, Dr. Thomas into the 2016-17 school year, many important Rogers, superintendent of schools, gave two very initiatives are underway. As you will read in this important presentations to our community: edition of The Pride, we have developed a new one regarding the sale of a parcel of property in framework for reading and writing instruction

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