Island Park gets ready for a great year

Island Park Public Schools marked the beginning of a new year on Superintendent’s Conference Day. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rosmarie Bovino greeted the new and returning staff members and introduced Lee Mandel of IntraLogic Solutions (ILS) and Mara Harvey of Lamb and Barnosky legal counsel, who respectively led discussions on security features and visitation policies.

Mandel discussed the district’s various security innovations, including the new Nighthawk surveillance program. This system, fully integrated with the Nassau County Police Department, has installed security cameras throughout district property, including playgrounds, and is monitored at an ILS facility. ILS can turn on floodlights, talk over loudspeakers and send text and email message alerts in the event of a concern. This eliminates the need to have guards on-site and the cost of overtime during off-hours and weekends, while providing around-the-clock surveillance of school grounds.

Harvey reviewed revisions to the district’s visitor policy, noting that all guests will now be required to have an appointment in order to enter a school building. For parents, being contacted by a staff member for an early pick-up or teacher conference qualifies as an appointment. Staff members have to make appointments at specific times when coordinating meetings and visits with parents and others who are not employees or students in the district.

Dr. Bovino highlighted the use of new technologies to provide students with virtual learning experiences when hands-on exploration is not possible or practical. She emphasized the necessity of teaching students both cognitive and social skills and shared recent research that shows only occupations with consistent wage growth since 2000 are those requiring both types of skills.