The Sewanhaka Central High School District announced on Friday the return of its Adult Education Program after a five-year absence.
“We’re very enthusiastic about it,” said Frederick Raulli, administrative assistant to the superintendent.
The program, which is open to district residents, will hold its registration from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 24 at Floral Park Memorial High School and on Feb. 26 at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, Raulli said.
The classes, which will be divided between the two locations, will include basketball, yoga, zumba, and conversational English at Floral Park Memorial.
Pickle ball, a combination of tennis, ping pong, racquetball and badminton, will also be available at Floral Park Memorial.
Volleyball, bollywood dancing, zumba, ballroom dancing, community band and planning for social security classes will be held at New Hyde Park Memorial.
Classes begin in early March a run until early May, with a make-up date later in May if needed, he said.
Raulli said residents requested the program be brought back and said he expects it grow larger in the coming years.
“We looked at what worked very well in the past,” he said. “We’ve also added some new programs.”
Pickle ball is a rapidly growing game in across the country, Raulli said.
“There are national programs for it,” he said. “It’s very popular.”
Community band, a popular class in the past, is expected to grow quickly again, Raulli said.
“I told a former member that it was coming back and he said ‘it’s about time,’” he said.
The band, which performed for night school graduations in the past, will be performing in the upcoming academic awards ceremony in May, he said.
Conversational English, a class which helps non-native speakers learn the language, is something Raulli says he recommends to all parents to help children in ESL classes learn English quicker.
“We strongly recommend parents to join the class,” he said.
Raulli emphasized the importance in having children speak English in the home when they are trying to learn the language in school.
He said the course fees, which range from $25 to $95 depending on the class, will serve to sustain the program and add to it each fall and spring.
“The revenue will go towards expenses for the classes,” he said. “We are aiming for a self-sustaining program.”
He said the adult education program as a whole is an important way to bring the community and the school district together.
“We like to give back to our residents,” Raulli said. “It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community.”
