Mineola High School Latin teacher Gigi Foge has announced that she may retire in two years and, if she leaves, she may take the study of Latin at the high school with her.
Mineola Superintendent of Schools Michael Nagler told school trustees last Thursday that the school district is likely to face a problem finding a teacher with the credentials to replace Foge.
“We’re in a bit of a conundrum with Latin,” Nagler said. “I know Latin teachers are hard to find.”
As a result, he said, he and Mineola High School principal Ed Escobar believe the board should consider eliminating the language from the curriculum if Foge retires.
Nagler said students currently enrolled in the high school’s three-year program for the language would be able to complete their studies with Foge.
But, he said, the 15 seventh graders who have expressed an interest in studying the language when they enter the high school in eighth grade next year might not have a teacher for a third year.
Nagler said the board could consider the option of continuing the Latin program and permitting students to take their third year of Latin online – if Foge retires.
Foge, he said, has not said anything to district administrators about her plans, but has told her colleagues that she intends to retire.
The board reserved decision at Thursday’s meeting about dropping the language.
“We’re making a decision without knowing whether the teacher is going to retire,” school board Vice President Christine Napolitano said.
Escobar declined to comment on the situation. Attempts to reach Foge for comment were unavailing.
Nagler said Spanish is currently the foreign language of choice for 80 percent of the high school students.
“It leaves very few for the other three languages,” Nagler said.
He said French classes typically contain an average of 20 students, while Italian classes contain an average of 25 students.
Colleges expect students to have four years of study in a foreign language.
As the high school’s foreign language offerings may be diminished, the school district’s reputation for using high technology in course studies is growing.
Nagler said he and Mineola Middle School principal Matt Gaven have accepted an invitation to participate in the recording of an educational seminar at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. in August.
“I look forward to representing Mineola on a national level,” Nagler said.
He said he and Gaven will be interviewed at Apple headquarters and also will make a Power Point presentation on the use of iPads in the school district. The two 15-minute videos will be posted by Apple online.
“We’re an Apple distinguished school,” he said.
By next fall, he said 1,400 students in grades three though 9 will be using iPads provided by the school district, with an additional 400 students in grades K through two also being equipped with iPads.
The iPads will be purchased with $213,000 from a state management efficiency grant the district was awarded last year.
In other developments:
* At Thursday’s meeting, 16 high school senior and juniors were recognized for projects they created in the high school’s science research under the direction of science research teacher Ellen McGlade-McCulloh.
The students each gave a brief summation of their work.
The seniors recognized are Raymond Agrelo, Caroline Mueller, Mallory Brady, Sarah Lee, Brandon Sia, Jacob Escobar, Michelle Senra and class of 2014 valedictorian Kristen Sze-Tu and salutatorian Joyce Hwang. The juniors included Charlotte Ring, Emily Abrams, Monika Dharia, Jennifer Godinho, Scott Shannon, Craig Vane Stouwe, and Michael Woytsyiak.
Students from the middle school also demonstrated iPad programs they had created or were using for classroom study for district residents during a break in the meeting.
The demonstrations included a Minecraft game created independently by sixth seventh graders simulating Sir Ernest Shackleton’s first ill-fated expedition to the Antarctic.
“We don’t have any instructors. No teachers understand this,” said seventh grader Connor Cunha.
* The board granted tenure to Hampton Street School librarian Diane Nobell, Hampton Street School physical education teacher Joseph Cerulli and high school mathematics teacher Mary Owens.
