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ROCKVILLE CENTRE
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SAVE WHE N YOU BUNDLE AUTO & HO ME INSUR ANCE
HERALD Santa and friends pay a visit to RVC
Diabetes & Weight Management
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Inside Vol. 33 No. 51
DECEMBER 15 - 21, 2022
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Remembering Pearl Harbor Veterans pay tribute to infamous 1941 attack By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
Daniel Offner/Herald
NASSAu CouNtY AMERICAN Legion Commander Joe Scarola and Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray tossed a wreath into Mill River in honor of those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
More than 2,400 Americans lost their lives and nearly 1,200 more were wounded on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese fighter pilots launched a surprise attack on U.S. Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The tragic events of that day will forever “live in infamy,” thanks to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s iconic speech, a declaration of war against Japan that began America’s involvement in World War II. In honor of those who lost their lives 81 years ago, and all of the men and women who subsequently fought and served in World War II, veterans in Rockville Centre and the surrounding Continued on page 4
School officials discuss results of district opinion survey By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
Rockville Centre School District officials commissioned a data company to conduct what they described as a “climate survey” in October, to better gauge the perception of students, teachers and parents of the performance of the district’s schools. The results were mostly positive, with more than 85 percent of the 3,935 participants responding that the school climate was “excellent” or “good,” but the survey revealed a few discrepancies that admin-
istrators said they hoped to address. “I wanted to understand what the community felt about our school district,” Superintendent Matt Gaven said during a presentation to the Board of Education on Dec. 7. “It was really important to me. I wanted to know where we are right now so we can craft a vision for going forward.” The survey asked a variety of questions, which were broken down into categories based on family involvement, safety and behavior, student support, school leadership, and academic support. Gaven said that district officials identi-
fied differences of opinion about several key areas of district operations. Some of the largest gaps among parents, students, and staff were in their perceptions of academic support and preparation. Some 83 percent of campus-based staff said they felt that they successfully show students how lessons relate to life outside school. However, that number dropped to 53 percent for parents and 41 percent for secondary students. “So there is a perception gap there,” Gaven acknowledged. “That means we have to be more explicit in how we’re connecting what students are learning every-
Decenber 15, 2022
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day to life outside of school.” Two other differences in perception that the survey identified are to what extent students, parents, and staff believe that students receive the necessary support to prepare them for the next grade, and whether that support addresses their individual needs. The data also reflected discrepancies in respondents’ opinions on access to tutors, family involvement, bullying and discipline, and whether students know to reach out to principals with concerns. The survey also asked whether responContinued on page 14