It's back to school Valley Stream schools open Sept. 4

      In the high schools, teachers will start the day before the kids, with a Superintendent's Conference Day that includes an all-district faculty convocation featuring a welcome by Deputy Superintendent Dr. Marie Connelly, a keynote address on "District Enrollment, Demographics and Goals" by Superintendent of Schools Ronald D. Valenti, and introductions of new staff by new Board of Education president Valerie Clerico.
      Incoming seventh graders at North and South High Schools and Memorial Junior High and incoming 10th graders at Central High School attended one-day orientation programs during the week of August 26, learning about their new school's academic and extracurricular programs, and finding their classrooms and lockers. New teachers at all four schools started back a week earlier also, with a three-day orientation and staff development program on August 27-29.
      Altogether, 4,479 students are expected for the 2002-03 school year, an increase of nearly 200 over last year.

District initiatives
      Dr. Valenti, has mapped out an ambitious agenda for the new school year to increase student achievement and to strengthen security and safety measures.
      "In the area of student achievement," said Valenti, "we plan to maintain reduced class sizes in our academic subjects, averaging 25 students per class; strengthen our Academic Intervention Services for 8th graders; institute a Contents Skills Program for 845 pupils entering the seventh grade; and introduce an upgraded writing program for 10th-11th graders.
      "We are very excited about a pilot Performing Arts Program at Central High School that has already enrolled over 100 students district-wide.
      "In the area of student safety, we will be closing our campus for seventh graders during their lunch period, have increased our supervisory aides in each school, and will be implementing a district-wide photo ID program. Finally, we have hired a full-time residency investigator whose goal is the virtual elimination of illegal student attendees."

Performing arts
      The new district-wide Performing Arts Program based at Central High School will be taught by Central High teachers Amy Neuner, in musical theater; Susan Russo, in dance; Elizabeth Lee, acting and stagecraft; and Patrick Tirino, choreography. The teachers spent a week this summer at a Broadway teaching lab gaining additional skills from directors, producers, actors, choreographers, and sound and light technicians.
      Members of the community can look forward to being invited to watch the over 100 Central, Memorial, North and South High students enrolled in the program perform in open rehearsals in Central High School's Keller Auditorium one Wednesday evening each month. The first open rehearsal is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Building improvements
      Assistant Superintendent Al Chase and Facilities Director John LaBare report that students will return to school to see some building improvements completed over the summer.
      The Central High School library has been renovated, with new ceiling, lighting and furniture. The South High School library has also been completely renovated with new furniture, carpeting and air conditioning. To increase classroom space for the growing enrollment, two new classrooms were carved out of the back portion of the South library, and the distance-learning lab was also converted into a classroom.
      At North, three classrooms were also created from conversion of the distance-learning lab and a computer lab, the latter of which was relocated to a different floor. Plans were also sent to the State Education Department for the replacement of North's gym bleachers.
      District-wide, new entrance matting was installed at all four schools, all classrooms were cleaned from top to bottom, and upgraded equipment was purchased for cleaning and waxing the floors. As a result, the corridors are especially shiny this year for the start of school.

School lunches
      New this year, there will be a closed campus lunch for incoming seventh graders. The cafeterias at North and South High Schools and Memorial Junior High had previously been enlarged, food variety and food service equipment was improved, and lunchroom supervision was increased, to accommodate the greater numbers of students eating lunch inside.
      For the 2002-03 school year, the price of a student hot lunch including milk remains at $1.50 on the secondary school level. Food service is being provided again by the Fine Host Corporation of Bohemia.
      Free and discounted lunches costing 25 cents are available for those whose families meet federal income eligibility guidelines. Applications are distributed to students each fall, with additional copies available in each school principal's office.
School calendar
      The high school district calendar, created by Community Information Coordinator Arlene Hinkemeyer and printed in the district's Instructional Services Center, was mailed to high school district parents and senior citizen Gold Card holders on Aug. 26. This year's calendar theme, carried out through photos and text, features "School-Community Connections."

New principal at Memorial
      Welcomed as the new principal of Memorial Junior High, on the retirement of Robert Kaufold, is Dr. Kathleen Cairo.
      "I am thrilled to begin this school year as the principal of Memorial Junior High," said Dr. Cairo. "Over the summer I have had the privilege of meeting many wonderful staff members, parents and students who have given me insight into what a wonderful and productive year we will have before us."
      Cairo comes to Valley Stream after a two-year principalship of W.E.B. Dubois High School in Brooklyn. She earlier served as principal of the Brooklyn Academic Continuum, 1999-2000; principal of the Oceanhill Brownsville Secondary School in Brooklyn, 1998-99; and assistant principal, 1993-98, of Brooklyn I.S. 271. She began her educational career as a junior high reading teacher in 1974, and from 1983-93 served as library media coordinator for I.S. 55 in Brooklyn.
      She earned her doctorate in education in School Administration and Instructional Leadership from St. John's University. She holds a bachelor's degree in child study and speech from St. Joseph College; a master's in curriculum and teaching from Fordham University; a Professional Diploma in school administration and supervision from the College of New Rochelle; and a Master of Library Science degree in library and information science from St. John's University. She also served from 1986-97 as an adjunct instructor at Brooklyn College.
      Strongly focused on the educational success of students, Cairo has implemented numerous curriculum and staff development programs in the schools where she has worked.
      "As Memorial principal, I am very dedicated to seeing to it that all our efforts are directed to making decisions that are educationally sound and in the best interests of the children," Cairo said. "This year we shall be concentrating on strengthening our achievement levels and assisting our students in preparing for their high school career. I am excited and energized and look forward to a wonderful year at Memorial."