Teachers start a day earlier on Tuesday, Sept. 6, with a Superintendent's Conference Day in each of the four schools that will be devoted to analysis of June 2005 exam results, identification of specific learning gaps, and development of plans to re-teach those topics. This will be followed by back-to-school faculty meetings.
Orientation programs
Incoming students will have a chance to get acquainted with their new surroundings and to find their classrooms before upperclassmen arrived, through a 10th-grade orientation program at Central High School on Aug. 30, a seventh-grade orientation at North and South High Schools on Aug. 31, and a seventh grade orientation at Memorial Junior High on Sept. 1.
Teachers new to the district, as well as second- and third-year teachers, will attend a three-day orientation and professional development program on Aug. 30 through Sept. 1.
Change in school hours
"Starting at the end of September, our school hours will change slightly," announced Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marc F. Bernstein.
"On opening day, Sept. 7, through Sept. 28, they will remain at 7:50 a.m. to 2:48 p.m.," he explained. "Then starting Sept. 29, on Mondays and Thursdays, school will run from 7:50 a.m.-2:26 p.m., followed by an After School Help session provided by all teachers. After school extracurricular activities would not begin until 3 p.m. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, school hours would remain at 7:50 a.m.-2:48 p.m. Teachers may also schedule additional extra help before and/or after school on other days."
Curricular Changes
"This fall on the academic level, the seventh-grade Regents-level writing program and the seventh-grade accelerated Junior Great Books program have been extended to the eighth grade," explained Bernstein. "For seventh-graders, Regents-level mathematics has been increased from five to 7.5 periods a week, to provide more time on task in mathematics instruction.
"We are also pleased to be able to provide some new elective courses this year," added Bernstein. "This includes a Forensics course, to be piloted at Central High School, an Ethics course to be piloted at South High School, and a College Learning Strategies course, also to be piloted at South. In addition, all three high schools will be offering the new course in Advanced Placement Italian Language, now that an A.P. curriculum and A.P. exam have been created for use in high schools nationwide."
To enable these educational initiatives to be implemented, teachers were busy over the spring and summer, writing the curricula for these and other courses. They were also working on aligning the seventh- and eighth-grade American History course and the ninth- and 10th-grade Global History/Geography course with the high school Advanced Placement standards.
Board officers and trustees
At the high school district's Board of Education reorganization meeting on July 12, Dr. Frank Chiachiere of District 13 was elected president of the Board for the 2005-06 school year. Elected vice president was Anthony Iadevaio of District 24.
Two new representatives from the Valley Stream elementary districts will also be serving on the high school district board. Replacing Dr. Marie Connelly from District 13, who moved out of state, is District 13 trustee Jeanne Greco Jacobs. Filling the seat of Frank Nuara, who is continuing his service on the District 24 Board but leaving the high school district board, is District 24 trustee Lawrence Trogel.
The remaining members of the nine-member high school district board for 2005-06 include William P. Stris from District 13; Paul DePace from District 24; and Dr. Maria Fletcher, Walter Nesbeth III and Andrew J. Walters from District 30.
Administrative changes
This school year also sees a number of administrative changes.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Thomas Troisi
Effective July 1, Dr. Thomas Troisi, who had served as North High School principal for the past four years, began his new assignment as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Troisi had earned his Ed.D. in educational administration from Hofstra University in 1995 and before coming to North High as principal, served from 1996-2001 as the Assistant Principal at Wantagh High School.
North High Principal Cliff Odell
Succeeding Dr. Troisi as North High School principal, effective August 9, is Clifford Odell, who comes to Valley Stream from his previous position as Assistant Principal at Harborfields High School. Odell had worked in Harborfields for eight years, first as a guidance counselor and basketball coach, and then as interim principal and assistant principal, 2001-05.
District Director of Instruction, Funded Programs & Grants
Appointed to the new position of District Director of Instruction, Funded Programs & Grants is Tracey Nekulak, who will work with Assistant Superintendent Troisi to coordinate teaching in the four schools, to supervise federally-funded programs and to seek additional grant money. She previously served as assistant principal at Merrick Avenue Middle School.
South High assistant principal
Lori Tintella, science teacher at South High School since 1996, was named the new Assistant Principal at South, in charge of discipline and other administrative duties. She succeeds Paul A. Caleca, who resigned.
Deans of Students
New this year, explained Superintendent Bernstein, there will be teachers acting as deans of students in the four schools, to handle first-level disciplinary matters, leaving the principals and assistant principals with more time for the more serious disciplinary cases and for instructional leadership.
Appointed deans at the June 14 Board of Education meeting were social studies teachers Hayward Alfred and Kevin Steingruebner at Central High School; language teacher Laurie Whalen-McCarthy at Memorial Junior High; physical education teachers Thomas Maddock and Andrew Unterweiser at North High School; and special education teachers Kelli Meier and Laura Dunham at South High.
Building improvements
Deputy Superintendent of Schools Al Chase and Facilities Director John LaBare report that students will return to school to see a variety of building improvements completed over the summer. Some were accomplished in-house by the district's talented maintenance department, and others were done by outside contractors.
At Central High School, the projects included replacing the interior steel beams and restoring the clock mechanisms and faces in the clocktower; upgrading the winch system for the theatrical lighting bar in the auditorium and renovating the bathrooms behind the stage; adding 100 student lockers on the lower level to accommodate Performing Arts students from throughout the district; and rekeying school locks.
Memorial Junior High students will see a new front entrance sidewalk, while teachers will see renovations in the faculty cafeteria.
The gyms at both North and South High Schools have been repainted. In addition, the North High track has been relined (South's was relined last summer), and the South High stage curtains are to be replaced. At South's Gladys Street Circle entrance, new curbing has been installed.
In an ongoing project, ceilings were replaced in 20 classrooms throughout the district.
Facilities Director John LaBare also reports that all windows in the schools were washed inside and out this summer. And as is done every year, the custodians in the four schools removed all furniture from the classrooms, cleaned each room from top to bottom, and stripped and waxed the hall and classroom floors.
School lunches
Seventh- and eighth-graders in the Valley Stream High School District will continue to each lunch in school, while 9th-12th graders have the option of leaving campus for lunch. For the 2005-06 school year, the price of a student hot lunch including milk remains at $1.50 at the secondary school level. Many à la carte items are also available. Lunches are being provided again by Aramark Food Service.
Free and discounted lunches costing 25 cents are available for those whose families meet federal income eligibility guidelines of, for example, $25,155 for a family of four requesting free lunches, and $35,798 for a family of four requesting discounted lunches. Applications are distributed to students each fall, with additional copies available in each school principal's office.
School calendar
The high school district calendar/directory for the 2005-06 school year was to be mailed to all high school district parents and senior citizen Gold Card holders at the end of August. Created by Community Information Coordinator Arlene Hinkemeyer, the calendar with the theme of "Highlighting Guidance Programs in Our Schools," features through text and photos the many services and programs of the guidance departments at Central, North, South High Schools and Memorial Junior High.
Further information about the schools is available from Hinkemeyer at (516) 872-5605.
