10th graders show website chops

Elaine Kanas

Too Good Not to Share!

Right before the holiday break, I had the opportunity to visit students displaying the websites they created as part of their interdisciplinary study in Karen Bartscherer’s 10P English class.

The websites were so professional, informative and fun to visit that I thought I would share them with you. 

Working in teams, the students in 10P developed truly creative and informative websites on a variety of topics.  Each team of student website developers researched and gathered substantial information, synthesizing print, video, graphics, interviews, surveys and more in support of the truly interdisciplinary mindset that is a primary goal of 10P English.  

The websites provide information on topics ranging from environmental awareness, popular music genres (with great music selections for listening pleasure!) and health and wellness tips as well as so many more topics which you can discover by visiting the websites yourself. (https://10peng2013-14.weebly.com/student-weeblies.html

This evening I’m planning to log on to one of the student websites, “The City That Never Sleeps.” It will help me plan my day in New York City, this weekend.   

Congratulations to Ms. Bartscherer and her 10P students on this creative and informative project … and for providing us with a great resource!

Common Core in Action: Fifth Grade Persuasive Writing

From time to time, I will try to share with you some of the Common Core Standards as they are translated into actual curriculum and practice in our East Williston Schools.   As you may know from attending our Common Core Workshop in November, Common Core Anchor Standards for writing include:

• Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence

• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience

• Conduct short, as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

You can listen to the audio of the Common Core Workshop and view the presentations on our website at www.ewsdonline.org > scroll down on the left side navigation bar to Common Core Info > click on CCC Info > click on the audio or the specific presentation. 

This month, in our fifth grade classrooms, our students are translating these standards into practice in an exciting new reading and writing unit called “Making the Case:  Reading and Writing Editorials.”  The Core Questions the students explore are:

• How can we use our writing to change the world?

• How can we use mentor texts to guide and inform our own work?

• How do we build a strong written argument?

• How and where can we look for reliable information to form and support our ideas?

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a fifth grade classroom and conferenced with some of our students as they were busily engaged in revising and editing their original editorials as part of this ELA unit.  

Students start with an idea or topic they are passionate about. They then learn and use research skills to find facts to support their arguments.  

They also learn to anticipate counter arguments and include a section refuting these counter arguments.  

The range of topics found in these student editorials was vast. Some examples are: Texting and Driving, Animal Shelter Adoption, the Case Against Standardized Testing, Stopping Deforestation, Participation in School Sports Improves Students’ Performance in School, Why There Should Be Longer Recess, Why the Jets Should Keep Rex Ryan and Saving the Fine Arts in Schools. 

In this authentic activity, students learn how strong a tool the written word is. I wouldn’t be surprised if their editorials were powerful enough to send in as Letters to the Editor!

Security Update

As you know, the safety of our students and staff is of utmost importance. Thank you to the District Safety Committee which comprised of district staff, parents and community members, for their insight and contributions to these efforts.

As part of our ongoing safety initiatives, we are in the process of further enhancing security at our front entrances. Over the next few weeks you may be noticing certain installation work occurring at our front entrances.  

Sometime after the February break we will have scanners installed. Presently, visitors hold up their licenses to the video camera at the exterior of the building, before being buzzed in by our front door monitors.  

Once the installation is complete, visitors will place their identification cards through a scanning device located in the vestibule at each building.  This will provide clearer access to the information for personnel confirming appointments, etc. Once again, thank you to all of our East Williston School Community for your cooperation and support as the district continues to initiate safety and security updates.

Celebrating the Arts

Along with the district’s strong emphasis on core academic standards, the East Williston School District also provides cultural arts events for our students.  

As part of this goal, The Whiffenpoofs will be performing at the North Side School and the Willets Road School on January 24. The Whiffenpoofs are an all-male a cappella group from Yale University. They are recognized as one of the best college a cappella groups in the United States. The group has toured throughout the world, most recently singing at the White House.

The Whiffenpoofs are performing with the help of generous funding from our P.T.O.’s.

A Colleague Honored

As I am finishing this newsletter, I am getting ready to drive to a luncheon in Suffolk County that honors East Williston’s very own former Superintendent Dr. Lorna R. Lewis!   Dr. Lewis is being honored at the Annual Awards Luncheon of the Suffolk County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. Congratulations Dr. Lewis.

Reminder: It’s Kindergarten Registration Time

If you have a child to register or if you know someone who has a child to register, please note/tell them that registration for the incoming 2014-15 North Side Kindergarten class will be taking place at The Wheatley School in the Library/IMC on February 4, 5 & 6, 2014

 A child is eligible for kindergarten next year if (s)he is five (5) years of age on or before December 1, 2014 (that is, a child born between December 2, 2008 and December 1, 2009).  To start the kindergarten registration process and receive a Kindergarten Registration Packet from the North Side School, please call North Side School’s Main Office at 516-333-6860. Additional information can be obtained on the website at www.ewsdonline.org > go to Schools on the horizontal navigation bar and click on North Side > go down the vertical navigation bar to Kindergarten Registration Information. 

• Children with last names beginning with A-F – register on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

• Children with last names beginning with G-L – register on Wednesday, Feb. 5  at 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

• Children with last names beginning with M-Z – register on Thursday, February 6  at 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Congratulations and Commendations

Willets Road Spelling Bee Champ

Congratulations to the Willets Road Spelling Bee champion, fifth grader Layla Jarrahy. Her winning word was “duplicity.”  

Layla will be moving on to a Nassau County Spelling Bee in the near future.  

I want to give a special thank you to seventh grade English teacher Antonia Laruccia for coordinating the spelling bee and the Willets Road teachers who held spelling bees in their classrooms.  The following students were finalists in the school spelling bee: 

5th Grade: Layla Jarrahy –School Winner and Eric Ness – Grade Finalist

5th Grade English Class Finalists: Andrew Corsello, Shruti Goyal, Jack Keys, Rayhan Meghji, Aaron Mizrahi

6th Grade: Ansh Jhaveri – Grade Finalist and Eliana Li—Grade Finalist

6th Grade English Class Finalists: April Garnock, Jacob Kaufman, Alexander Tu, Grace Xu

Grade 7: Jessica Kiaei – Grade Finalist and Brandon Zhu – Grade Finalist

7th Grade English Class Finalists: Caroline Corsello, Tiffany Jiao, Amanda Kim, Fernando Macedo, Lekan Oshodi, Camellia Ye. 

Have a Good Weekend

As always, please email me at kanase@ewsdonline.org or call me at 333-3758 with any questions, suggestions, and or any topics you would like to see in this newsletter.

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