From the desk of Superintendent Elaine Kanas: Wheatley inspires Cooper Town Hall

The Island Now

This week I had the opportunity to attend both the Wheatley and the Willets Road PTO meetings. Once again, it was terrific to have the opportunity to meet even more of our families.   I am truly excited about the strong commitment of the East Williston parent community and the wonderful partnership between the membership of the PTOs and the district schools. 

Emmy Award Winner 

On Oct.1, 2012 Anderson Cooper 360’s Town Hall Meeting entitled “Bullying: It Stops Here” received an Emmy for Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis at the 33rd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The AC360’s Town Hall Meeting, which was based on a yearlong study at The Wheatley School, featured Sean Feeney and several Wheatley students. 

Congratulations to Cooper, producers Chuck Hadad and Kerry Rubin, Feeney, the featured Wheatley students, the Wheatley student body and staff. 

You can view additional information in the “News box” on the district website.

What is the Common Core anyway?

A couple of newsletters ago, I wrote about one of the specific changes resulting from the introduction of the Common Core curriculum, the new emphasis on introduction and implementation of more non-fiction reading throughout all the grades and all of the content areas.  With this newsletter, I’d like to take one step backward and define and explain the Common Core itself, as some of you have suggested.  “Common Core” is one of the five buzzwords identified by CNN that everyone is likely to hear in education discussions this school year … so here’s being in the know. 

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort designed to improve educational outcomes for students by developing a set of consistent, clear K-12 academic standards in English language arts and mathematics. These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate high school, college and career ready. To date, 46 states, including New York, have signed on to the initiative. As defined on the Common Core website, the standards are designed to build upon the most advanced current educational thinking, preparing all students for success in college and their careers. The intention behind the movement has been to move even the best state standards to the next level, incorporating the highest international standards into the expectations for student learning.  Standards are also being developed for the other content areas.

In school districts like East Williston, many of the expectations of the Common Core were already in place, with students already engaged in rigorous course work.  Still, even in school districts like ours, the Common Core requires some additional shifts in student learning and teaching to meet the new expectations.  Beginning this 2012-13 school year, these shifts in student learning and teaching will be assessed by New York State on the ELA and Math Assessments. Throughout the school year, your administrators, teachers and I will share more specifics with you, as they relate to particular grade levels and specific content areas. Thank you to Steve Collier and Dr. Joyce Bernstein, Curriculum Associates for ELA and Mathematics, respectively, who did a terrific job explaining the shifts in ELA and math instruction our students are experiencing this year, at the recent North Side and Willets Road PTO Meetings. 

If you just want a refresher or were not able to make these meetings, Mr. Collier’s and Bernstein’s power point presentations will be posted soon on the district curriculum webpage and each individual school website. 

Upcoming Board of Education Work Session & Special Business Meeting – Oct. 10 7:30 p.m.

Agenda items include sharing of the 2012-13 instructional goals, discussion of a new board concussion policy, strategic planning update and the report of the External Auditor. 

Please email me at kanase@ewsdonline.org or call 333-3782 with any questions, suggestions, and or any topics you would like to see for this newsletter. 

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