Friday, January 12, 2018
Vol. 94, No.17
FOUNDED 1923
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District's art, science goals discussed
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
German travelers
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Bucket Fillers PAGE 20
BASKETBALL ON A ROLL
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The Garden City Board of Education work session held on Tuesday night, January 9, highlighted district goals in 2017-2018 beginning with expected changes in New York State Next Generation Learning Standards -- successor to the Common Core standards -- and the P-12SLS Science Standards, for which an initial presentation was held in fall. Dr. Edward Cannone, Garden City’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, spoke about the district’s spotlight year curriculum review of the art program, which is underway with work continuing from a kindergarten through 12 committee of teachers and administrators. Each school year concludes with the subject for the curriculum review detailed and examined at the early June school board work session (scheduled for Tuesday, June 5). Dr. Nina Prasso, the district’s coordinator for music and art, is leading the internal study with monthly meetings at the high school. This year’s target of art includes a review of new New York State art standards, Cannone explains. “The presentation and recommendations for art instruction will be delivered to the board in June. I’ve attended each month’s meeting and there are teachers and administrators from K through 12 as Dr. Prasso is updating them and me. We meet periodically to make sure the See page 38
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Martin withdraws from EPOA runoff election BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
On Wed January 3rd, the Garden City Boys Varsity Basketball team opened 2018 with a resounding 77-37 victory over Southside High School. The Trojans are now 8-0 and 3-0 in Conference play. In the Southside contest, Andrew DeSantis, above, led all scorers with 30 points. See page 49
With a debate between two East section residents running for a three-year school board trustee position scheduled for Tuesday, January 16 at the EPOA Resident Electors’ Meeting, incumbent school trustee Robert Martin announced on Wednesday that he has withdrawn from the EPOA runoff election and conceded the next three-year term to Michael Cassaro, a Willow Street resident. In his letter published in the News this week, Martin detailed the turmoil around his bid for another school board term and said he withdraws because he will not be party to a process he perceives as flawed: “To my disappointment, I learned during a rather casual telephone call I received, that another candidate was selected by the EPOA nominating committee to be its nominee for the School Board. To my surprise, I then learned that the nominated candidate’s wife was a member of the EPOA nominating committee. Following the selection of this nominee, the EPOA web site provided a very complimentary bio of the nominee. My name was mentioned only as the challenger. There was no bio provided about my background, nor any details comparable to the bio of the nominee. I was particularly disappointed at the fact that no acknowledgment was made regarding my two terms of service on the Garden City School Board, the monthly School Board reports which I presented at the EPOA meetings, the written School Board reports I prepared for inclusion in the regularly published EPOA newsletter, and, most disturbing to me, was the lack of acknowledgment that I am the incumbent Garden City School Board trustee. From my perspective, these actions are not evidence of an impartial process.” “If another experienced, knowledgeable candidate was selected instead of me, I could reasonably accept that decision without question. However, to my knowledge, the person selected by the nominating committee has not evidenced prior interest in serving our schools by attending public School Board Meetings or by participating as a member of any district committees. See page 38
"Will Sing For Food" concert this Saturday PAGE 18 GC High School Fencing team improves to 6-1
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