By Andrew Hackmack
That's what the International Reading Association says, as it honored the elementary school with the Exemplary Reading Program Award.
Principal Stephanie Capozzoli, along with reading teachers Mairead Dorry, Ilona Goldstein and Elena Bagge, will attend a conference in Saratoga Springs at the end of the month to make a presentation on the school's reading program. Willow Road is located in Franklin Square and is part of Valley Stream District 13.
Pat Shea-Bischoff, the New York state chairwoman of the International Reading Association, said Willow Road's program definitely stood out. "They really prioritize literacy," she said of the school's faculty, staff and administration. "They try really hard, through everything they do, to promote literacy and improve the students' reading, writing, listening and speaking in all aspects of the curriculum."
A team of teachers and administrators visited the school, stopping at every classroom and conducting numerous interviews. The group consisted of Joan McManus, Annette O'Ferrall, Susan Stern and Cathy Conway-Gervais.
According to Shea-Bischoff, the first step in the process is a very detailed application, which is used to determine if the school qualifies for a visit. Willow Road has been a finalist for the state award the previous two years. Last year's overall state winner came from the Buffalo area, Shea-Bischoff noted.
Shea-Bischoff explained that the evaluators look to see if the school has a reading program based on sound theories, meets current best practices in education, uses a wide variety of resources, is implemented well by the teachers and administrators, and that students are succeeding. She noted that the school's New York state report card was one of the items reviewed.
One aspect about Willow Road that was truly exemplary, Shea-Bischoff said, was how well the teachers worked together with each other, as well as with the school and district administration.
Capozzoli said teamwork is something the school prides itself upon. "We're all very collegial here," she said. "Everybody works together to help the children."
She said that teachers and administrators collaborate to create a reading program that suits every child's individual needs. She also noted that a large chunk of each school day is devoted to reading -- 100 minutes per class plus an additional 50 minutes for writing. "Reading is a way of life," Capozzoli said. "It's something that everything else revolves around."
Capozzoli said that the school uses a variety of resources. There is Waterford Early Reading, a software-based program for children in grades K-2; Wilson, an early reading program which focuses on letters and sounds; Making Meaning, a comprehension program for grades K-3; ReadAbout, a comprehension program for grades 4-5; and Read 180, a reading intervention program for grades 3-6.
While the resources are plentiful, Capozzoli said, it's just one part of the overall picture. "You can have all the programs in the world," she said. "If you don't have an exceptional teacher, it's not going to work."
District 13 Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lison said she is thrilled to have such an honor bestowed on one of the schools. "We've worked for many years to develop an overall English Language Arts program that has various components so that each type of learner can succeed," she said.
Another outstanding aspect of the reading program that Shea-Bischoff cited was the strong parental connection. Maria Cinnamo, co-president of the Willow Road PTA, talked about the Parents as Reading Partners program, which encourages children and their parents to read together at home. If the students read a certain number of minutes, they receive PARP Quarters, which are redeemable for prizes. "It's really an incentive for them," Cinnamo said.
The PTA also sponsors a book swap each spring in which students can bring in new or gently used books and trade it for something else they would like to read. "You give a book, you get a book back," she said. Additionally, Cinnamo noted, the PTA has set aside money for a book distribution at the end of the school year to encourage summer reading. Then there is the Intergenerational Reading Program which brings in senior citizens from the community each month to read to students in the lower grades.
Cinnamo said what truly makes the school's reading program a success are the people who implement it -- the teachers. "They are so dedicated," she said. "I always felt my children were in very good hands here."
Capozzoli explained that teachers and administrators attend several workshops each year to remain on the "cutting edge" in terms of what reading resources are available. "We don't just rest on our laurels," she said. "Every year we re-evaluate, we look at things and we try to make things better."
School officials will receive the award at a conference in Minneapolis in May.
