Schools plot future courses

Curriculum presentation details programs for the year ahead

By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Rockville Centre Schools land in February 1943. In the middle of the night on Feb. 3, the ship was struck by a torpedo fired by a German U-boat.

Superintendent Matt Gaven said that based on feedback collected from parents, teachers and students over the past six months, the school is prepared to roll out new curriculum and program recommendations for next year.

“Our goal this evening is to outline some of the proposed changes to course offerings and curriculum that are historically robust and academic programs already happening,” Gaven said at a presentation to the Board of Education on Feb. 3.

As the Dorchester began to sink, the four chaplains on board helped the soldiers board the lifeboats, and gave up their life jackets so that others would survive.

The four chaplains — Methodist minister the Rev. George L. Fox, Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, Catholic priest Father John P. Washington and Reformed Church in America minister the Rev. Clark V. Poling — locked arms and recited prayers as they went down with the ship.

“They were four brothers with the same father who went down together as one,” Nassau County American Legion Chaplain Eric Spinner said.

Only 230 of the men aboard the Dorchester survived. In total, 672 died as a

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Based on the results of the district’s “climate survey” and additional outreach efforts with PTA groups and others, the school administration targeted three areas in which the district could improve.

First, the proposed curriculum will aim to increase relevance by adding courses that will teach students real-world skills.

Second, students’ choices will be expanded with new courses, many of them electives. And third, on the elementary level, the district hopes to provide more challenging coursework that will align across all five elementary schools.

“With those three themes in mind, we wanted to make sure, as we designed our curriculum offerings this year, that we maintain a high expectation,” Gaven said last Friday. “That is the key. What has made Rockville Centre a great place is that maintenance of a high expectation for our students.”

To give students more opportunities to learn about computer science, robotics and engineering, the district has proposed a K-through-12 approach to build on to existing programs at the elementary level, and to offer more courses in coding, robotics, computerassisted design, 3D printing and engineering at all grade levels. This will include a new

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