During the May Board of Education Meeting, Dr. Feeney read a letter from Commissioner of Education John B. King Jr., addressed to Wheatley senior Lauren Perry who, as I’ve mentioned before, was named a semifinalist in the U.S. Presidential Scholar program.
King, on behalf of himself, the Board of Regents and the state Education Department congratulated Lauren on this great accomplishment.
King stated, “You should be very proud to stand among 20 high school seniors from New York State who earned this special recognition from nearly 3.2 million graduating high school seniors. This honor represents significant individual achievement and is reflective of New York’s finest education programs.”
District Technology Plan
Every three years the Board of Education approves an updated multi-year District Technology Plan. David Casamento, director of science and technology, made a presentation at the May Board of Education meeting on behalf of the District Technology Advisory Committee, regarding the draft of a new three year plan for 2014-2017. The board, and members of the public, had an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions. It is anticipated that the final 2014-2017 technology plan will be presented for board action at the June 16 Board Meeting.
The Technology Vision for the District as articulated in the plan is
The East Williston Union Free School District Technology Initiative is committed to providing its students, staff, and community with the knowledge and skills to be productive citizens in a globally connected world utilizing technology in the most effective and efficient manner.
As discussed at the May Board meeting, the Technology Advisory Committee is also preparing a document outlining the accomplishments of the last three year plan which will be shared with the public as the new plan is adopted.
High School AP Exams
This was a busy and intense two weeks for our Wheatley students, many of whom were immersed in AP exams, all of which have now been completed! Many thanks to our Wheatley teachers who helped the students prepare for the exams with extra help sessions. At Wednesday’s Wheatley PTO meeting, Dr. Feeney shared the following information regarding the administration of AP exams:
1.With over 340 students, we had a record number of students participating in APs;
2.These students took a record number of exams (over 380); and
3.These facts are occurring as our enrollment is declining yet our overall passing rate (of 76%) on these exams was at a record high last year. (New York State Average Passing Rate is 25.4%).
Creativity Is In the Air
Top Chef: In my recent visits around the District, there have been many examples of the original and creative spirit in which our teachers and students approach core academic learning, and in which they celebrate the arts themselves. On Tuesday I had fun visiting the Top Chef competition at the Willets Road School.
Top Chef is an event that encompasses all the units and topics covered by each student throughout their family and consumer science experience.
With a ‘budget’ of $200,000.00, students are expected to use their new knowledge in designing and planning a successful restaurant. They travel through multiple steps, having to choose and spend their money on an appropriate location, furniture design, and of course, supplies. They also meet with a ‘financial banker’ where they must explain and support their decisions.
Some groups may even choose to take out a ‘bank loan’ which of course comes with an interest based consequence (point deductions). After completing the financial aspect of the project, students must use their advertisement and consumerism skills to generate a menu and billboard that would not only attract customers, but is representative of their style of restaurant. Next, they are expected to create a uniform using their fabric and textile knowledge. Uniforms are encouraged to fit the theme of the restaurant, as well as be a cost-effective, easy-to-clean material! Lastly, students prepare samples of their restaurant’s food for all the judges to taste! All their materials are put in a web-based LiveBinder account, just like a real business proposal.
This is a creative and unique way to have our students apply all the learning and knowledge acquired from the family and consumer science curriculum.
The students love this project and immerse themselves into the entire experience. Top Chef judges (staff members) evaluate the teams in four basic categories. The highest scoring team from each class will be announced at the Willets Road Award Ceremony on May 22.
The following are the team names: Old McDonald’s, Ice Grill, Cupcakery, Mixes, GMM, Tiki Wiki, Love Mami’s Tropical Paradise, Ice Cream Mania, Oreo HQ, Ratatouille, Flap Jack Shack, Winners, Milky Way Delight, andy Carnival, Mensa Varii, American Way, Bite Size, The Nutella Factory, E & M Chocolate Factory, United Shakes of America, Winter Cafe, Sugar Shop, MSG Overtime, CoCo Kingdom, Pastels, Sweet Stacks, Spongalicious, Hungry Games, Ever After Desserts, Candyland Factory, Side Cut, Step It Up, Brothers Bakery, 3 French Muskateers, Over the Rainbow and Sizzlin’ Summer.
Poetry Café: All of our fifth grade classes have been immersed in literary experiences this year. Last Friday, I was transported into the ‘beatnik’ era while visiting Monica Gibson and Marybeth Devine’s fifth grade classroom.
Their students created a Poetry Café in Room 207. For several weeks they studied creative ways to use figurative language and how to read poetry with intonation and expression. The poets of Room 207 proudly shared their autobiographies and their ‘who, what and where’ original poems with their guests. I was thrilled to be one of their guests! As an additional treat, the students recited poems from well-known authors. The atmosphere was in true Poetry Café style, as students used drums to accompany the readings and clapping was replaced with finger snapping! All guests enjoyed hot chocolate, croissants and cookies while celebrating student authors!
Fine & Practical Arts Dinner
I had the privilege of being a special guest at the Annual Fine & Practical Arts Dinner which took place at the Milleridge Inn. This is such a special tradition and one of many ways that the District recognizes the varied talents and interests of our diversely talented student body. Just as our student-athletes are honored at the Sports Awards Nights, students who have enriched the entire Wheatley community with their hard work and artistic talents were recognized last evening with this special dinner. Students sat at tables with their faculty advisors/sponsors while their accomplishments were celebrated.
Special thanks to Wheatley Assistant Principal Karen Klapper for doing such a fine job of organizing this event.
Students represented the following clubs/activities:
Stage Crew & Set Design: Faculty advisors: Paul Chisholm and Tom Storck
Aurora, Yearbook: Faculty advisors: Doreen DeAngelo and Kristin Guyton
Art Club/Art: Faculty advisors/sponsors: Julia Donovan, Nicole Walsh and Bryon King
The Wildcat, Newspaper: Faculty advisors: Jen Fatone and JoBeth Roberts
Book Club: Faculty advisor: JoBeth Roberts
Jazz Band: Faculty advisor: Steve Fitzko
Music: Faculty advisors/sponsors: Peggy Ho, Angela Luftig and Stan Orlovsky
Video Club: Faculty advisor: Patrick Hurley
Theater Company/Musical: Faculty advisor: Rick Leidenfrost-Wilson
Theater Company/Drama: Faculty advisor: Colin McKenna
Congratulations to Joanne Joshua who received the Eve and Jerry Jerome Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music and Citizenship. This award will be acknowledged at the Academic Awards on May 29, as well.
Share Your Accolades
As you know, I am always happy to share the accomplishments of our students and teachers in district-sponsored events in my weekly newsletter. I know that many of our students also participate in activities outside of our school program and often receive recognition and awards from those organizations as well. Continuing the tradition begun last year, I will use a portion of a June Superintendent Newsletter to highlight those recognitions as well.
By June 11, please e-mail me at kanase@ewsdonline.org or Susan Checkla, our public information coordinator, at checklas@ewsdonline.org with any of these outside of the district student accomplishments so that we can share these student successes with our East Williston School District community.
Testing Question
From time to time, a parent will ask me a question or request clarification on a topic that I believe the answer may be interesting for all or which leads me to think that the district needs to clarify something on a broader basis.
One such question that came up this week concerned the amount of state testing given each year.
While the content of the New York State Assessments has changed to align with new standards, the number of state tests students take is the same number that it has been since 2002 and the passage of No Child Left Behind legislation. As they did when the previous New York State Standards were in place, students in grades 3-8 continue to take one New York State Assessment a year in ELA and one in Math. Students in 4th Grade and eighth grade take a New York State Science Test. In High School, students continue to take Regents Exams.
Upcoming Guidance Events:
Bullying Awareness Walk – Saturday, May 31
Join the Wheatley Guidance Department at the Town of North Hempstead’s Second Annual Bullying Awareness Walk, featuring special guest speakers, topical break out discussion groups, live music and community healing, on Saturday, May 31.
Buses will leave Wheatley at 10:30 a,m. and returning at approximately 1:30 p.m.. Permission Slips are needed and must be signed and returned to the Guidance office by May 23rd. You can find the permission slip and Town of North Hempstead flyer on the website at www.ewsdonline.org in the news section.
Hasta Luego Amigos and Amigas!
Last Saturday, 19 Wheatley students depart for Spain for a 10 day visit with students from our sister school, IES El Palmeral in Orihuela. The students, who are all enrolled in the Spanish AP program, are accompanied by Mary Martinez and Pilar Prinicipe-Franco. They will be staying with the families of the students who visited Wheatley last September. They will attend classes, meet the mayor and visit the local sites as well as the nearby cities of Murcia and Alicante. Orihuela is located on the Mediterranean coast. Students and chaperones from both schools will then take a trip to Toledo, Cuenca and Madrid.
Our sixth grade students from Willets Road have written letters to the students in Spain whom they met and interviewed last September. The Wheatley seniors will deliver them and hopefully, return with responses on May 26.
We wish them all a wonderful, safe trip! I can’t wait to hear about their adventures when they return. ¡Buen Viaje!
Participants include: Katherine Araujo, Allison Chowdhury, Nicole Cutinella, Brian DeLay, Leah Dwyer, Jacob Freund, Olivia Gatoff, Aakash Jhaveri, Zack Kotin, Jamie Mason, Andrew Mendes, Lauren Miceli, Jessica Perry, Lauren Perry, Sanjana Reddy, Jamie Sellinger, Samantha Siegler, Matt Wolff and Jonathan Zuckerman.
Congratulations and
Commendations
Correction!
Congratulations to Gabrielle Leccese who was named an All-County – First Team fencer by Section 8, Nassau County. Last week, my newsletter inadvertently listed Gabrielle’s honor as second team. Congratulations!
Spring Sports
Varsity Softball
Congratulations to the Varsity Softball team. They had a terrific season and great play-off run, forcing a 3rd game against Carle Place.
Boys Varsity Track
Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Track team on its 4th place finish at the Divisional Championships. Outstanding performances by: Vakas Akhtar, Dillon Hanel, Neil Shahdadpuri and Jordan Weinstock, finishing second in the 4×800 relay; Luke Cuomo finishing 2nd in the long jump; Steven John finishing 1st in the high jump; and Nick Vazquez finishing 2nd in the triple jump, 2nd in the 110 hurdles and 1st in the 400 hurdles.
Varsity Baseball
Congratulations to the Varsity Baseball team, taking first place in the BC Division and advancing to the Nassau County Class B Championship with their first Round victory over East Rockaway.
Girls Varsity Track
Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Track team, finishing 2nd in Conference 4 with a 13-1 record and a third place finish at the Divisional Championships. Outstanding performances by: Alana Leahy, champion in the 400 IM hurdles and triple jump, all division long jump; Maura Koszalka long jump champion,, Katie Keller high jump champion, Kristen Chen all division long jump; Ankita Kelkar all division shot put and discus; Sarah Golden all division 100 m high hurdles; and Jade Marcus, Leigh Anderson, Katie Keller and Ashley Lessen, all division 4×800.
Boys Varsity Golf
Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Golf team for their fourth consecutive Conference Championship. The team has qualified for the County Championship and will be represented by Michael Braunstein, Ben Goldbaum, Teddy Lewis, Ethan Cohen, Robbie Grieco, and David Rosenzweig at Bethpage State Park.
Have a Good Weekend
As always, please e-mail 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.
