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Friday, December 22, 2017
Vol. 77, No. 51
District contemplates ‘Jericho Academy’ Alternate Program
HAPPY CHANUKAH
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino (right) recently joined with Rabbi Shmuel Lipszyc (left) of Town of Oyster Bay Chabad at their annual Chanukah Spectacular, which took place at the Plainview Shopping Centre. The event featured a magician, music, games, a menorah building contest, pizza, and traditional Chanukah donuts. Chanukah, the “Festival of Lights”, is an eight-day festival observed in Jewish homes which offers many public events within the Town. Supervisor Saladino joined Rabbi Lipszyc for the Grand Menorah lighting and wished all who celebrate, a bright and joyful holiday.
The top-ranked public school district in New York State isn’t looking to expand its enrollment, course offerings, or facilities, but a move to accommodate students at the high school level could have related social, academic and economic impacts on Jericho for the long-term. The school board and members of the community heard about a proposal for creating a ‘Jericho Academy’ during its meeting Thursday night, December 14 at Jackson Elementary School. The proposal is under review now and into the upcoming 2018-2019 school year’s budget deliberations process, and a stand-alone public meeting for the community to weigh in on the initiative may be scheduled in January. Dr. John Castronova is the director of pupil personnel services for Jericho Public Schools. At last Thursday’s meeting, he spoke about the potential for a Jericho Academy and the objective of serving about a dozen of high school level students that the district has seen struggling in a number of ways at JHS. Looking at the school district’s longstanding mission statement led the way for planning Jericho
Academy’s objective. “It is an alternative program for students who we feel we aren’t quite meeting the needs of at the high school. The Jericho Academy is a program where students endeavor to meet the challenges of excelling in a rigorous academic curriculum, communicating in an environment with respectful social interaction while developing their individual interests and talents….What we were looking into was how we can serve some of the students that aren’t meeting with success in our high school,” he said. As one of the tenets of Jericho Academy, assessments would be designed with an understanding that “not all students learn the same way.” Resilient skill-building, mindfulness, socio-emotional literacy and stress management would be part of a Jericho Academy curriculum. Dr. Castronova also described a focus on “independence fostered through the development of executive functioning,” organization; advocacy and students’ self-reflection. The Jericho Academy Committee began by researching ideas and implementation of an alternative proSee page 8
Syosset Board adopts resolutions, sets bond vote
During its Dec. 11 business meeting, the Syosset Central School District Board of Education approved a resolution to submit to community residents two propositions to modernize the District’s aging facilities. A bond referendum (known as Proposition No. 1) would make capital and safety improvements to every building. A second proposition (known as Proposition No. 2) would
make safety and energy efficiency improvements to every building. A public vote on both propositions will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. Prior to the meeting on Dec. 11, the District Administration hosted several community facilities planning meetings, where residents had the opportunity to learn about the proposed scope of work and to provide feedback. The Board of
Education took this feedback into consideration before finalizing the scope of work included in Proposition 1. All of the District’s schools were constructed in the 1950’s, meaning that some buildings will be nearly 70 years old by the time this work begins. The propositions are part of the long-term District strategy to address facilities needs that began with a successful referendum for
Phase 1 in May of 2017. The two propositions on the February ballot represent Phase 2 of the work needed to remedy the District’s five-year building condition survey of needed repairs and renovations. Phase 2 will also address traffic and safety condition improvements, renovations to instructional spaces and athletic fields, and HVAC systems and See page 8
Artist visits Berry Hill School PAGE 17 Circus comes to Robins Lane School PAGE 18