Levy-Lakeside ‘roars’ with new character-ed. program

Students and faculty members at Norman J. Levy-Lakeside Elementary School in Merrick "roared" loud and clear during an assembly last Wednesday to kick off the school’s new campaign to instill a sense of respect for others and one’s community in the children.

Students donned bright-red T-shirts with the words “Levy Lakeside Roars” on the front. ROARS, an acronym of “Respectful, Open-minded, Accepting, Responsible Students,” is the basis for a new character-education program that aims to reinforce school values and expectations in Levy-Lakeside students.

"The reason why we roar is because, collectively, we are a school-wide family and we're about respect,” said Levy-Lakeside Principal Elizabeth Trencheny.

The school officially changed its logo from a lion to a paw print and created the T-shirts with the new insignia that students and faculty members wore during Wednesday’s kickoff rally.

Trencheny said that while the school already has character-education programs, she wanted to create a more advanced program geared toward older students, who must deal with a number of social and personal issues as they approach middle school. Trencheny said the school will host monthly lunch clubs for fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders, at which they will set goals and expectations for themselves.

“Since the children are going to develop some of the ideas of what we're going to do, it becomes ownership to them, and when they own it, it's much more successful and meaningful,” said Trencheny.

"Out of this, I'm hoping we're going to talk about making good decisions,” she continued.

The principal said that plans for ROARS have been in the works since she took the reins as school principal a year ago. "I came on as principal last year, and I wanted to make certain that we had a character-education program,” she said.

Trecheny said that she received “tremendous support” from the school PTA, and that Maggi Raadsen-Coviello, the school’s technology teacher, Melissa Levine, the school librarian, and Adrienne Salamone, a school social worker, were instrumental in the program’s creation.

During the rally, sixth-graders Alexandra Brinton, Jacqueline Davis and Matt Levine made special announcements over the school’s public address system, and students sang a ROARS spirit song. Finally, the rally concluded with students making a pledge that they would all make Levy-Lakeside “roar.”