______________ VALLEY STREAM _____________
HERALD Hofstra battles for CAA title
D’Esposito praises House speaker
Belmont Stakes moves north
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Vol. 34 No. 51
DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2023
$1.00
As SAT goes digital, district makes ready liminary paperwork leading up to the test has been axed. Its content length has been Starting next spring, the trimmed down as well, shrinkfamiliar features of the SAT ing from three hours to two. test-taking experience — filling That means shorter reading passages and new out answer sheets, p e rk s l i ke t h e paging through option to use a calbooklets, and culator on the math sharpening No. 2 section. pencils — are offiAccording to cially no more. The College Board offitest, taken by thoucials, this leaner, sands of students digital-friendly each year and still model reflects the to a large extent C o l l e g e B o a r d ’s holds enor mous efforts to make the sway in the college test more accessiadmission process, ble to the modern will be adminisstudent. tered fully online. “The digital SAT Valley Stream will be easier to administrators see take, easier to give, many upsides to and more relethe new digitalvant,” said Priscilonly format along KElly la Rodriguez, vice with its fair share WHitNEy-RiVER president of Colof obstacles. Stu- guidance director, l e g e Re a d i n e s s dents will continue Valley Stream Central Assessments at Colto sit in for the test High School District lege Board. “We’re at school or a designot simply putting nated testing center, but rather than booklets, the SAT on a digital platform — they will be offered the choice we’re taking full advantage of between using their own tablets what delivering an assessment or laptops or the schools’ devic- digitally makes possible.” While some school districts es. Much, if not all, of the preContinued on page 12
By JUAN lASSo
jlasso@liherald.com
W
Christina Casillo/Herald
Jennifer diMaio, the Central district’s newest assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, says she is excited about the use of communication platforms like parentSquare to connect parents with students’ lives.
Lifelong V.S. educator heads curriculum and instruction By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com
Jennifer DiMaio was named superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Valley Stream Central High School District on Sept, 15, succeeding Christian Bowen, who resigned from the district in August. DiMaio has spent her entire educational career in the Valley Stream High School district, first in the classroom, as an English as a Second Language teacher at North High School in 2002, then later as the school department chairperson, and eventually as district director for instructional services,
the precursor to her current role. Or, in her words,“the assistant to the assistant superintendent for instruction and curriculum.” Now she has reintroduced herself to a school community she has known for most of her life as a knowledgeable administrative insider and the district’s leading authority on school teaching strategies and career development. Valley Stream is also where she makes her home. “I’m a third-generation Valley Streamer,” DiMaio said of her family’s connection to the Continued on page 16
e’d rather afford our students with more opportunities to give them access to more college options rather than have barriers.