Summer 2017 Newsletter
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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 SUMMER 2017 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 FALL 2013 CLASS OF 2017: FALL 2013 The Excellence, Individuality The and Humanity Syosset ApproximatelyShines 540 seniors in The evening featured inspirational Syosset Scholar SyossetA Publication High School’s Class of the of 2017 Syosset speechesCentral from School Board of District Education A Publication of the Syosset Central School District took their turn at the podium to accept trustees Robwww.syossetistops.org Gershon and Laura www.syossetistops.org their high school diplomas during the Schlesinger, both proud parents of Class school’s 59th annual commencement of 2017 members. Superintendent held at Hofstra University. Dr. Tom Rogers, class speaker This year’s class was highlighted Janvi Pamnani, valedictorian Yash FALL 2013 with 14 National Merit Scholarship Samantaray and salutatorian Ben Rhee semifinalists, 33 Commended Students also provided words of wisdom to the and numerous award winners in math, graduating class. The science and writing, as the 2016-17 Dr. Rogers advised the students to school year commenced with a Blue balance their individuality with goals as Ribbon designation for Syosset High they move on to a new school and new School by the U.S. Department of community of learners. “Continue to Education. be yourself while committing to being “You have had ample time to part of something even greater than Syosset Chronicle A Publication of the Syosset Central School District prepare for the future, but most yourself,” he said. importantly, as citizens of the world,” Class president Carly Battipaglia www.syossetistops.org said Principal Dr. Giovanni Durante and vice president Benjamin Prevor to the senior class. “In addition to your presented the class gift: two stone chess academic achievements, you should tables for the school courtyard. be proud of the many schoolwide and Dr. Durante honored students communitywide humanitarian efforts who received scholarly recognitions, you have organized to help shape your including National Merit scholars, own character,” he continued as he finalists and Commended Students, as mentioned the volunteer soup kitchens, well as the Intel Science Talent Search walkathons, nursing home visits and semifinalists, and Siemens Competition numerous other activities that the finalist. Members of Syosset’s PTA/STA students participated in throughout presented scholarship awards, as did their high school careers. members of SEPTA. Syosset Central School District Nonprofit Organization Syosset, New York 11791 U.S. Postage PAID Permit No.36 Syosset, NY 11791 ****ECRWSS**** Resident of Syosset Central School District A Message from Your Superintendent Dear Syosset Community, to simultaneously maximize student time with our of the opportunity to extraordinary teachers and to carve out regular renovate our physical We hope that you’re enjoying all of the wonderful opportunities for those teachers to collaborate on plant. In addition to things that summer on Long Island has to offer its additional curricular enhancements. new roofs at Berry residents: beautiful parks, sunny beaches, and endless As students move to the middle level, they’ll find Hill and Baylis, we’re recreational opportunities. Perhaps school is still a consistency as we infuse the Teachers College Reading working on other ways off in your thoughts, but rest assured, we’ve been and Writing program into 6th grade. They’ll also build aspects of the “Phase focused on those first days of September when we on their elementary technology experience with a full I” facilities projects welcome a new class of Kindergarteners, 6th graders and 1:1 Chromebook initiative. We’ll be sending more approved by voters in May. 9th graders to each of our schools, and when returning information to middle school parents soon. Similarly, This fall, we’ll be revisiting the remaining projects students meet their new teachers. With those students high school teachers have been taking advantage both of outlined in last September’s presentation to the Board and their futures in mind, we’ve been planning a training and of expanded access to Chromebook carts as addressing Phase II building condition needs, safety number of changes to enhance an already extraordinary they plan their fall lessons. At all levels, our technology and security projects, energy savings, and other facilities educational experience. goal is not to maximize students’ screen time, but to recommendations. We’ll offer many opportunities for The State’s disproportionate emphasis on English maximize their learning by ensuring that students use public engagement before seeking voter approval. Language Arts (ELA) and Math over the last several modern classroom tools and that teachers’ imaginations Lastly this fall, we will ask you to join us in years marginalized Science and Social Studies in are no longer limited by the scarcity of devices. welcoming a new “freshmen class” of sorts – teachers elementary school. So we’ve reacted to expand these One opportunity this makes available is a and administrators who will be joining the district, subjects, not by squeezing ELA and Math, but by K-12 computer coding program called kidOYO. filling vacancies created by retirements and moves. We finding overlapping curriculum opportunities that, in Undoubtedly, many students will use this to learn are thrilled to welcome such a talented group of people the words of one of our principals, make the classroom coding skills as an end in itself, but we hope that well-prepared to pick right up where their veteran “come alive.” From 3rd graders applying engineering all students develop a better understanding of predecessors left off. principles to fairy tales by constructing houses for “computational thinking” as a new form of literacy – It’s been extraordinary to see so much activity the three little pigs that the wolf (in this case a hair understanding how computers “think” in a connected among so many priorities, and it’s exciting to think dryer) can’t blow down, to 5th graders constructing world where algorithms are an ever larger part of daily that an award-winning educational program is poised rafts to float Conestoga wagons across rivers (actually life. for growth in both facilities and instruction tailored to a giant tub of water) during the Westward Expansion To support all of this technology work, we’ve support our students and families. unit, I’ve seen remarkable examples of teachers’ been creating a new wireless instructional network, ingenuity sparking students’ creativity that has made repurposing the existing wired network to support our our curriculum simultaneously more engaging, more security, surveillance, and facilities infrastructure, and Regards, expansive and more relevant. upgrading computers to run the latest (and most secure) Enhancing that work will require some small operating systems. That’s not the only infrastructure Dr. Tom Rogers adjustments in the structure of the elementary day work taking place, as every summer we take advantage Superintendent of Schools A Message from Your Board of Education Dear Community, schools occurring this summer along with a host of other changing Common Core Standards, both at Board This has been a year of extraordinary accolades improvements. meetings and at meetings with parent groups. You can for the Syosset Central School District. In the fall, In addition to those facilities projects, your refer to the district website (www.syossetschools.org) to administrators from Syosset High School traveled to overwhelming support of the Capital Reserve learn more. We do appreciate your attendance at our Washington DC to accept the National Blue Ribbon proposition has enabled us to use existing reserve funds monthly meetings and the feedback we receive during School Award for the second time in the school’s history. to begin implementing “Phase I” projects identified in our Audience to the Public forum, where you can ask A few months later, Newsweek ranked the school #118 our state-mandated Building Condition Survey (BCS). questions and express your opinion on matters related in the country and both US News and World Report These projects address safety codes for walls and doors, to our children and our schools. Public meeting dates and the Washington Post listed it among their top 200. enhance fire alarms systems districtwide and better and each Board member’s email address are listed in the Niche.com ranked the school district #16 in the country control visitor access through security vestibules. printed school calendar and on the website. (with both middle schools in the top 10) and ended the This fall we will begin considering the elements Finally, we would like to thank retiring members year ranking the community as one of the top 2 places of Phase II, including the remaining safety projects April Neuendorf and Laura Schlesinger for their to raise a family in New York. identified as necessary by our architects in the BCS, collective 18 years of volunteer service. Both have been We couldn’t agree more. Syosset is truly a wonderful along with other energy saving, safety, classroom altruistic, caring, committed public servants who have place to live, and the heartbeat of this community is in renovation and athletic facility projects. A broad put extraordinary personal energy into serving the its schools. To appreciate the opportunities in Syosset, campaign of community engagement was key to the children of Syosset through its schools. We wish them we need look no further than the Class of 2017, whose success of the Phase I proposition, and we are again well and we congratulate their successors, incoming graduation we celebrated just a few weeks ago, and seeking the input of all stakeholders, both parents and Board members Carol Cheng and Anna Levitan.