Friday, May 22, 2020
Vol. 96, No.42
FOUNDED 1923
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Virtual theatre PAGE 38 n Water remediation PAGE 3
School district prepares for mail-in budget vote June 9th
SOCIALLY DISTANT THANK YOU
BY RIKKI MASSAND
Stewart School students and their families held a car parade to say “thank you” to the school’s teachers and staff this week. Above, the Atterintano family is all smiles. See page 37
Garden City Schools task force to examine September opening BY RIKKI MASSAND At the Garden City Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, May 19 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha said district administrator, teachers, nurses, Director of Buildings and
Grounds Patrick Mehr, the PTA and SEPTA will convene in a “Re-Entry Task Force.” The task force will examine what a return to in-person classes, gatherings, sports and school activities could look like for September. Dr. Sinha referenced predictions that
have been reported in news media outlets about “the New Normal” and she noted that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, either in the New York suburbs or across the nation, for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. See page 25
The Garden City Board of Education discussed student assessments in the lower grades’ students as well as the district’s upcoming budget vote. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for May 27 and the upcoming “mail-in, absentee ballot only” board election and budget vote will be held on June 9. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha addressed several residents’ questions about the outlook for a few unique kindergarten through 5th grade programs. Assessments previously undertaken only for kids at the two elementary schools, Stratford and Stewart, will take place for K through 5 students next year. “One question was on the mandated screenings related to Response to Intervention for 2020-’21, with assessment. For lower grades we will be administering the NWEA as a universal screener for K and 1 and for 2 through 5. We will also be moving forward with chronological awareness screening tests in kindergarten and 1st grade and we will be using that in conjunction with our NWEA,” Dr. Sinha said. Administration of the NWEA screening will be done three times per school year, with the first one planned for the third week schools are open in September, assuming classes take place at school buildings then and minus a mandate for remote learning. Approximate dates for the other two times this is administered next year will be announced in the months ahead. The K-1 assessment is described by NWEA “to get baseline information for a new student who’s in the earliest stages of learning, particularly a kindergarten or pre-K student.” Another question Dr. Sinha addressed during the board’s virtual meeting May 7 was on how elementary students can receive additional support as next fall, Fundations reading program will be expanded to 3rd grade. Fundations includes phonics, high frequency word study, fluency, vocabulary, handwriting, and spelling. Residents asked how the district plans to take steps to identify students who may struggle in it, in what is shaping up to be an atypical school year. “We will follow what the program tells us, which is that a student needs to master 90% of Fundations curriculum. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum/Instruction Dr. Edward Cannone and reading specialists at the district’s elementary buildings will be making additional recommendations ‘with a tiered approach, looking at students’ NWEA scores and in conjunction with Fundations results, See page 25
A virtual art show for GCHS AP Art students PAGE 40 What’s red, white and blue, and beachy too? PAGE 16