Our Lady of Mercy Regional School students donated proceeds from a recent T-shirt sale to the North Fork Parish Outreach (Credit: Our Lady of Mercy Regional School)
Our Lady of Mercy Regional School students recently raised about $200 through a T-shirt fundraiser and donated the money to North Fork Parish Outreach.
School officials said the students were inspired to help the less fortunate after participating in a recent school assembly that talked about the importance of good nutrition.
From right, Mattituck-Cutchogue School District Superintendent James McKenna, board president Jerry Diffley and vice president Charlie Anderson at Thursday night’s budget workshop. (Credit: Jennifer Gustavson)
Mattituck-Cutchogue School District Superintendent James McKenna says he’s confident additional state aid will be available in time to reduce a looming $110,500 budget gap projected for the 2014-15 school year by half.
During a school board budget workshop Thursday night, Mr. McKenna said he believes recent lobbying efforts across New York has made state elected leaders focus on restoring aid lost by a specific budget adjustment formula.
Over the past three years, Mattituck has lost about $1.6 million in state aid through what is known as the Gap Elimination Adjustment, or GEA. In Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget released in January, Mattituck is projected to lose $460,780 through the GEA in the 2014-15 school year, according to Mr. McKenna’s presentation.
In the superintendent’s proposed $39.74 million spending plan, expenditures are expected to increase by 2.29 percent over the current budget. He also plans to use about $1 million in appropriate fund balance to offset next year’s tax levy. He’s expected to give a presentation to discuss the district’s savings accounts at the next budget workshop set for March 13.
Mr. McKenna also said he’s recommending the district maintain its current programs and estimates the proposed tax levy would need to be set a 2.19 percent. The projected $110,500 budget gap is caused by the difference between that percentage and the district’s allowable tax levy of 1.86 percent, he said.
The allowable tax levy calculation is a state-mandated cap on year-to-year increases. If Mattituck decided to adopt a budget that pierces the 1.86 percent tax levy cap, then at least 60 percent of residents would need to vote in favor of the budget in order for it to pass. If a budget reflects a tax levy under the cap, then only a simple majority is needed.
Mr. McKenna said he won’t recommend piercing the cap or cutting programs and extracurricular activities because state lawmakers said during the annual Longwood Regional Legislative Breakfast in Middle Island last month that they’re committed to restoring aid lost through the GEA.
“I believe the gap will be closed because of the increase in state aid,” he said. “I would project it is going to close at least half of that gap through state aid.”
As for the remaining shortfall, Mr. McKenna said he’s looking to make changes in the district’s technology and capital repair budgets.
Only one resident spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting and asked if the board would consider adopting a new tax exemption for war veterans.
School board president Jerry Diffley said the exemption will be discussed at an upcoming Board of Education meeting.
Board vice president Charlie Anderson said the board didn’t have enough information to make a decision in time for the March 1 deadline. Southold and Shoreham-Wading River are the only local school districts to have adopted the exemption in time for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Scott Chaskey reads to the Peconic Community School late last month. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
Farmers aren’t always fixing their plows and attending out-of-state conferences over the winter.
Scott Chaskey, of Sag Harbor, paid a visit to the students of the Peconic Community School last month, reading to the students from his book, “Seedtime: On the History, Husbandry, Politics and Promise of Seeds.”
“Sharing arts and environmental programming is central to North Fork Education Initiative’s mission, and local poet and farmer Scott Chaskey’s body of work reflects this goal,” said Liz Casey, one of the school’s founders.
Mr. Chaskey was named farmer of the year in 2013 by the Northeast Organic Farming Association, according to a Sag Harbor Express article.
The school moved in July from downtown Riverhead to the classrooms that formerly held Our Redeemer Lutheran school on Main Road in Aquebogue.
A calendar of events for this week at each of the local schools, as listed on school calendars.
MATTITUCK-CUTCHOGUE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Wednesday, March 12
• 7 p.m. — PTSA meeting, high school library.
Thursday, March 13
• 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education budget workshop, high school auditorium.
SOUTHOLD SCHOOL DISTRICT
Wednesday, March 12
• 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education budget workshop, high school auditorium.
Thursday, March 13
• 7 p.m. — Southold Sharks vs. Harlem Wizards, high school gym.
GREENPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Wednesday, March 12
• 6 p.m. — Pre-kindergarten informational meeting, high school auditorium.
Friday, March 14
• NJROTC Annual Military Ball, Vineyard Caterers in Aquebogue.
OYSTERPONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tuesday, March 11
• 7 p.m. — Board of Education budget workshop
NEW SUFFOLK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tuesday, March 11
• 7 p.m. — Board of Education meeting
BISHOP MCGANN-MERCY HIGH SCHOOL
Monday, March 10
• 6:3o p.m. — Spring sports parent/student athlete meeting
Tuesday, March 11
• Lenten reconciliation service
Thursday, March 13
• 6:30 p.m. — College Fair, more than 100 colleges/universities participating
PECONIC COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Wednesday, March 12
• Parent-Teacher conferences, no classes
OUR LADY OF MERCY REGIONAL SCHOOL
March 10-14
• CoGats Testing, Grade 1
Friday, March 14
• Pizza lunch
Our Lady of Mercy Regional School in Cutchogue. (Credit: Courtesy)
Southold School District officials confirmed Monday that a female has been cast in the role of a male drag queen in the high school’s upcoming performance of “Rent,” but district and drama club advisors say the decision was based solely on the student’s audition.
Superintendent David Gamberg, musical director Kelli Baumann and play co-directors Casey Rooney and Jessica Ellwood met with The Suffolk Times on Monday to discuss the rock musical production that has created some controversy within the district.
Opening night is set for March 20.
Earlier in the school year, a pair of Southold residents contacted the The Suffolk Times with concerns about the school’s handling of gay characters in the play. One anonymous letter-writer said the play was inappropriate since it could “put students in the position to have to play gay/lesbian or drug addicted [characters.]” One parent said her child believed the district was making changes that might offend gay students, including casting a female as the drag queen Angel, traditionally played by a male actor.
But school officials said Monday the casting decision was based on the female student’s strong audition.
“The gender of the character can’t be changed, but any student can play that character,” Mr. Rooney said. “A girl that we have cast in this part is the best person for the role. [She’s] a very talented young lady.”
Although the script calls for a male actor in this part, Mr. Rooney said the school has the discretion to change the gender.
Ms. Baumann said this arrangement isn’t uncommon.
“With some schools, maybe there are drama clubs that have two guys and 20 girls,” she said. “So, you do have to make adjustments.”
Southold is licensed to produce the school edition of “Rent”, Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winning musical.
Mr. Rooney said the school edition “tones down the language” and omits “Contact,” a song that’s sexual in nature.
Even though homosexuality, AIDS and drug use are elements of the play, the story is more about a community of people, Mr. Gamberg said.
“‘Rent-School Edition’ is about a group of young people trying to discover who they are, what they stand for and who they can trust,” Mr. Gamberg said. “‘Rent-School Edition’ is not about homosexuality. It is not about AIDS and it is not about drug use.”
“We can say the public will be seeing the school edition of ‘Rent’ as carried out through high schools across the country,” he added. “There’s nothing that [the school’s drama club] didn’t do in this production that they wouldn’t have done in other productions.”
Drama club’s advisers said parents came to last month’s informational meeting to show their support, not to express concerns.
Although Mr. Gamberg acknowledges there will be varied opinions on the school’s decisions, he believes the majority of the community approves the school’s show choice.
The drama club believes Southold will be the first district on the East End to perform Rent, but stressed that was not the reason for choosing this play. “We read quite a few scripts over the summer and kept going back to “Rent,” Mr. Rooney said.
“It’s such a beautiful story and it’s a very moving show.”
Ms. Ellwood said this is one of the school’s largest musical productions, with about 48 actors and a dozen stage crew.
Ms. Baumann and Mr. Rooney said they were pleased to have so many students express an interest in the drama club.“The students are working so hard,” Ms. Baumann said. “Many of them came in during their February break.”
“It’s great to see these kids who we’ve mostly seen in athletics and other activities get up on stage,” Mr. Rooney added. “We definitely felt that we made the right choice.”
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on March 20-22 and 2 p.m. on March 23 in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and will be on sale at Southold Free Library beginning Monday. For more information, call 631-765-5081.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday new Common Core implementation recommendations doesn’t include slowing down or halting teacher evaluations. (Credit: NYS Executive Chamber, courtesy file)
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday his newly formed Common Core Implementation Panel has released its preliminary recommendations on how the the state could improve rolling out new academic standards within New York public schools.
Mr. Cuomo said in a press release that some of the recommendations include: ensuring state Common Core test results in grades 3-8 aren’t included in students’ permanent records, reducing over-testing, and ending the state Department of Education’s data initiative with inBloom.
The panel does not, however, make any recommendation to halt or slow the new teacher evaluation process, he said.
“The flawed implementation of the Common Core curriculum has resulted in frustration, anxiety, and confusion for children and parents,” Mr. Cuomo said. “It is in everyone’s best interest to have high, real world standards for learning and to support the Common Core curriculum, but we need to make sure that our students are not unfairly harmed by its implementation. The recommendations released by the Common Core Implementation Panel today seek to achieve this goal.”
The announcement comes about a month after Mr. Cuomo appointed 11 people to serve on the panel.
Separate from that panel, a different working group recently decided the state should delay tougher, Common Core-aligned high school graduation requirements by five years.
As for Monday’s announcement, state Senator John Flanagan (R-East Northport), who served on the governor’s panel, said in Mr. Cuomo’s press release that he believes the latest recommendations will “guide an overhaul of how the standards are implemented and reform the system in a way that benefits students, parents, educators, and the public.”
“It is abundantly clear from the many public hearings and forums that have been held that Common Core implementation needs to be fixed,” said Mr. Flanagan, who held several public forums throughout the state last year and recently sponsored legislation to change the education department’s current direction with achieving Common Core standards.
“The new learning standards in New York are laudable ones, but it is critically important that any issues and concerns related to their implementation are quickly addressed and in a meaningful manner, and I believe the recommendations we issued today help to accomplish that goal,” he added.
The governor is expected to review the panel’s findings with the state Senate and Assembly.
Click here to visit the state’s website to view the complete report.
The Southold-Mattituck-Greenport NJROTC unit during its annual inspection in December at Southold High School. (Credit: Jennifer Gustavson, file)
The Southold-Mattituck-Greenport Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps won several awards Saturday — including first place in the overall senior and freshman divisions — at the All Service Long Island Drill/Academic/Athletic Championships in Freeport.
Senior Naval Science Instructor Major Bill Grigonis said in an email he’s grateful the community attended the event and showed its support. He described his cadets as ”focused, determined and showed dedication and pride in every event.”
“I am extremely proud of each and every cadet that attended the competition,” he said. “It is extremely hard to place in an event at a competition at this level … Our cadets had one of the best days ever in our 40-year history of the North Fork program.”
Saturday’s competition was split by experience: first year cadets compete in the NS1 division and the rest participate in the varsity division.
Varsity division awards:
• Overall Varsity Division, first place
• Commander Jasmine Clasing — Varsity Inspection, first place
• Commander Ralph Pugliese — Varsity Academics, first place
• Commander Jamie Grigonis — Varsity Basic Platoon, first place
• Commander Ian Husak — Varsity Armed Exhibition Platoon, first place
• Commander Jess Makucewicz — Varsity Unarmed Exhibition Platoon, first place
• Jasmine Clasing — Knockout Individual Drill, first place
• Commander Val Hommel — Varsity Armed Platoon, second place
• Commander Caroline Keil — Varsity Color Guard, second place
• Commander Chris Sponza — Athletics Relay, second place
• Ty Bugdin — Knockout Individual Drill, third place
• Skyler Grathwohl — Knockout Individual Routine, fifth place
NS1 division awards:
• Overall NS1 Division, first place
• Commander Rob Kruszeski — NS1 Basic Platoon Drill, first place
• Commander Emily Sidor — NS1 Academics, first place
• Commander Joe Saporita — NS1 Inspection, first place
• Commander Corrine Reda — NS1 Color Guard, second place.
(Credit: Carrie Miller)
Note: This story was update at noon Wednesday to reflect additional edits.
In an effort to provide New Suffolk Common School’s primary students with additional one-on-one help, the school board voted during its Tuesday night meeting to hire a part-time teaching assistant.
The board voted unanimously to hire Karen Costello, a state-certified teacher who previously served as a substitute teacher in the Greenport School District, to assist head teacher Holly Plymale with kindergarten and first-grade students, Superintendent Michael Comanda said.
Ms. Costello has state teaching certification for grades one through six and is currently working toward a master’s degree in special education, Ms. Plymale said during the meeting.
Ms. Plymale said Ms. Costello has been working with the students since their return from February break to see what advantages her additional help might offer.
After the meeting, Mr. Comanda said Ms. Costello will be hired to work three hours a day, five days a week for the rest of the school year. He said he did not immediately have information on what she will be paid.
In other district news, Mr. Comanda will be retiring from the state education pension system but will be rehired to work part-time in New Suffolk. He explained after the meeting that because the New Suffolk district will pay him less than the amount required for him to remain in the benefits program, it will no longer need to cover state retirement contributions associated with his hire.
The hiring change benefits both parties, according to school board president Tony Dill, because Mr. Comanda can begin collecting a pension and the district will save the monthly contributions it had previously been paying into the system.
Finally, the school’s enrichment program received a $1,000 grant from the Allstate Insurance Foundation’s Communities that Care program, with the help of Southold agent Christopher Manfredi, who endorsed the school. The enrichment program is managed by community members and the parents of current students, who are working to raise funds to upgrade the school’s outdated playground and provide unique learning opportunities for current students.
Southold Elementary School fifth graders, along with county Legislator Al Krupski and county Executive Steven Bellone, taught Southold seniors Ana Balarezo, Judy Ollarty, Lena Raiser and Bill Faye how to use tablet computers Wednesday afternoon. (Credit: Carrie Miller)
Keeping up with ever-changing technology can be a challenge for most people, especially seniors. For kids, though, the technology often becomes second-nature.
So what better way for seniors to learn how to use a tablet computer than to ask a fifth grader?
About a dozen Southold Elementary School fifth grade students became teachers Wednesday afternoon, helping seniors who were eager to stay in tune with technology. The students also got a chance to meet Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone and county Legislator Al Krupski.
Four student representatives from each of the elementary school’s three fifth grade classes were chosen to help seniors at Southold Senior Center. The multi-generational match-up offered benefits for both young and old, Mr. Bellone said.
“While you’re teaching, be sure to listen to the seniors, too,” Mr. Bellone told the students. “They have a lot of helpful knowledge to share that will be helpful in the future.”
The students worked with four seniors, teaching them how to use Google tablets available to them at the Southold Center as part of its technology program.
Mattituck High School DECA students at last week’s state competition. (Credit: Courtesy photos)
DECA students from Mattituck and Southold high schools received top honors at a New York State competition in Rochester last week, where they put their business skills to the test.
The group competed against nearly 1,900 DECA students in either role playing or exams and attended leadership conferences and award ceremonies hosted by the Distributive Education Club of America, known as DECA. The national organization promotes business and marketing skills among high school students.
MATTITUCK HIGH SCHOOL
Mattituck High School DECA advisor Lu Anne Nappe said Emily Ciamaricone won a first-place trophy and a finalist medal in the Public Broadcasting & Advertising category after creating a 60-second TV commercial for Relay for Life.
Ms. Nappe’s students that took home finalist medals include: Steve Baird and Zev Carter (Business Law & Ethics Team Decision Making); Abigail Terry (Public Speaking Prepared); Joseph Nadel (Wholesale Selling); Erik Olsen (Principles of Finance).
The Mattituck DECA club also received the Community Service Recognition Award for their participation in the Relay for Life fundraiser. It also received the Up Membership Award after increasing its membership by 20 students.
Jacob Branker, Joseph Nadel and Emily Ciamaricone were inducted into the National DECA Honor Society.
Seven other students also competed at the state level: Jacob Branker (Business Finance Services); Ben Herbert (Business Services Marketing); Sarah Sheppard (Human Resources Management); Kevin Williams (Sales Demonstration); Kevin Diffley (Decision Making-Marketing); Jed Donikyan (Principles of Marketing); and Tori Ireland (Decision Making-Human Resources).
In addition to the awards ceremonies, students also attended leadership conferences.
SOUTHOLD HIGH SCHOOL
Southold High School DECA advisor Kathy Williams said William Tondo won a first-place trophy in the Sales Demonstration category. Second place winners include: Gus Rymer (Public Service Advertising); William Bucci (Wholesale Selling). Third place winners were: Shannon Quinn (Visual Advertising); Jessica Rizzo (Decision Making); and Drew Sacher (Marketing Decision Making).
The remaining winners placed in the Top 10, including: Steven Amato, Jackie Davey, Sean Moran, Logan Pfister, Greg Quist, Mike Ryan, Walker Sutton, and Aidan Walker.
Panelists at Thursday night’s ‘Public Education at a Crossroads’ forum at Stony Brook University. (Credit: Michael White)
A forum entitled “Public Education at a Crossroads,” organized by three East End school superintendents, is set for tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Stony Brook University’s Wang Center.
Follow the link below for live streaming video of the event:
Superintendents David Gamberg of Southold, Steven Cohen of Shoreham-Wading River and Michael Hynes of Shelter Island organized the free event to seek solutions to what they believe are deficiencies in the New York State Regents Reform Agenda and hear recommendations from experts who have studied education overseas.
Two of the guest speakers — Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan — co-wrote “Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School,” which explores “a vision for the future of the teaching profession where we get a high return from teachers and teaching by investing in, accumulating and circulating the professional capital of the teaching profession,” according to Mr. Hargreaves’ website.
Also on the panel are NYU professor and education expert Diane Ravitch, author of “Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools,” and Pasi Sahlberg, a native of Finland, who currently teaches at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
State Senator Ken LaValle (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)
The state Senate has passed legislation to create a new process for selecting Board of Regents members, which are the appointed officials tasked with crafting public education polices for schools in New York.
State Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), who sponsored the bill, said Thursday in a press release he believes the appointment process needs to change in order for there to be more participation in the selection process.
Under his proposed legislation, 17 Regents would be appointed, with the governor choosing 8, the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the Assembly picking three apiece, and the minority leaders of the Senate and Assembly appointing one person each. The final appointment would be selected on a rotating basis between the governor, Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the Assembly, the press release states.
Mr. LaValle’s office said the legislation was presented two days after the state Assembly reelected three incumbent Board of Regents members.
Legislators reelected James Cottrell of Brooklyn, Wade Norwood of Rochester, and Christine Cea of Staten Island. They also replaced James Jackson of Albany with Sullivan County Village Justice Josephine Finn after Mr. Jackson announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, according to a recent Poughkeepsie Journal article.
The Board of Regents and the state Department of Education have been heavily criticized by school officials for pushing the new rigorous mandates, known as Common Core standards, before they believed districts were ready for them.
“We just went through a process that made very little sense — selecting incumbents who were responsible for one of the biggest education fiascos that anyone can remember,” Mr. LaValle said. “The vote by the Democrat Majority in the Assembly is puzzling given the tremendous outcry on the Common Core curriculum.
“Parents, teachers and administrators have told members of the Legislature repeatedly that the Common Core Curriculum thrust upon them by the Regents is having a harmful effect on the children of our State,” he added. ”Change is imperative and the Legislature must alter the process to ensure there is greater responsibility and accountability to parents and children.”
The next step is for the Assembly to vote on the legislation. If passed, the bill would then go to Governor Andrew Cuomo for approval, officials said.
School board president Gerard Diffley and Superintendent James McKenna listen to board member’s suggestions during Thursday’s budget workshop. (Credit: Paul Squire)
The budget gap at Mattituck-Cutchogue school district has grown to an estimated $200,000 for the 2014-15 school year thanks to BOCES costs, repairs to tennis courts and software licensing, Superintendent James McKenna said at a sparsely attended budget workshop Thursday evening.
District officials said they hope a recalculated state aid formula will deliver enough funds to close the gap; the district has prepared some possible cuts to non-curriculum budget items to close the gap should state aid not bridge the difference.
A district presentation also showed that enrollment is projected to hit its lowest point in more than 30 years in the 2016-17 school year with just 1,189 student from kindergarten to 12th grade. That total is 158 students less than the current enrollment for the 2013-14 school year, according to the presentation.
School officials say some savings may come in future years by not filling retiring teachers’ positions.
The roughly $39.75 million proposed budget for next year currently carries a 2.19 percent increase to the tax levy, piercing the state mandated 1.86 percent cap on increases for the district, Mr. McKenna said. The district will have to find funding or trim away roughly $200,000 to bring the budget under the cap, he said.
Possible cuts include $60,000 for equipment and other purchases, putting off a $40,000 repair for the Laurel Annex and $25,000 for lab renovations at the High School, Mr. McKenna said. No cuts would be made that would affect student programs or curriculum.
Those cuts would amount to about $125,000, meaning the district would still need at least $75,000 in state aid to fund the budget, Mr. McKenna said. District officials said they expect to get at least that much more in aid.
“Not that hope is a strategy, but in this case I think we’re hoping,” said board president Gerard Diffley.
Over the past three years, Mattituck-Cutchogue has lost about $1.6 million in state aid through what is known as the Gap Elimination Adjustment, or GEA. The district may lose $460,780 in state aid for 2014-15 compared to this year if the state budget passes without being altered, causing the budget gap.
Overriding the tax cap is not an option, Mr. McKenna has stated. Any cuts made to this years budget could be added in future years when the gap is closer.
“You know all the balls [that] are in play,” he said. “You kind of set your priorities.”
Mr. McKenna said the district may get details on how much state aid it will receive on April 1, depending on when the state budget passes. If cuts needed to be made, the board will hold another meeting on April 3 to discuss budget changes with the public.
In future years, the district will be able to make savings because of the declining enrollment, said board president Gerard Diffley.
According to Mr. McKenna’s presentation, enrollment at Cutchogue East Elementary School, which houses kindergarten through sixth grade, will drop by 16 students next year to 571. By 2016-17, enrollment will be at 561 students, estimates show.
The High School will see an even more dramatic drop if estimates hold true, dropping down from 759 students in 2013-14 to 628 in 2016-17.
All told, the 2016-17 school year will have 15 percent less students at Mattituck-Cutchogue than five years before, Mr. McKenna said.
Mr. Diffley suggested the district look into teaching levels in 1981, the last year enrollment was as low as it may be in 2016-17. He said that while he thought there is ”more of a course offering now than we had then,” he believed residents will want to know how the school operated in the 80s with fewer students.
District officials said the schools today have far more teaching assistants than they did in the early 1980s, but agreed to look into how many teachers were employed at that time.
School district administrators and teachers gathered Thursday at Stony Brook University for a panel discussion about”Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School.” Book co-author and education advocate Michael Fullan joined the panel via Skype. (Credit: Jennifer Gustavson)
The leaders of three local school districts have partnered up to expand educational opportunities within their schools in the midst of mandates coming down from Albany as part of what’s known as the Common Core State Standards.
During a Thursday night forum called “Public Education at a Crossroads” at Stony Brook University’s Wang Center , Southold Superintendent David Gamberg unveiled a plan in which his district will be partnering with the Shelter Island and Shoreham-Wading River school districts.
“We know that the journey of grabbing the mantle of the education reform in a positive way is more than a one-and-done event,” he said after the forum. “I know there’s good, great work happening in Shelter Island and in Shoreham-Wading River and in Southold. Why are we keeping it to ourselves?”
One goal of the partnership is to implement the principles described in the book “Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School,” by Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan.
Both authors were panelists at the Stony Brook forum, with Mr. Fullan joining in via Skype.
Other panelists included superintendents Steven Cohen of Shoreham-Wading River and Michael Hynes of Shelter Island, renowned Finnish education expert Pasi Sahlberg, South Side High School principal Carol Burris, and Plainview-Old Bethpage assistant superintendent Tim Eagen.
NYU professor and education expert Diane Ravitch was also scheduled to be a panelist, but she wasn’t able to attend due to a family circumstance, Mr. Gamberg said at the start of the event.
“The worst teachers teach alone” and don’t collaborate with others. “How hypocritical to put them in competition?” Mr. Hargreaves said, in reference to proposed teacher incentive programs tied to student test scores.
Mr. Hargreaves and Mr. Fullan explained that their “professional capital” approach toward education is about creating a comfortable atmosphere for teachers to encourage curiosity and creativity in students.
They described the U.S.’s current direction with education as “business capital” since the focus of measuring academic success has shifted toward the reliance of test scores, among other things.
“The problem is not that education is being driven by business values — it’s being driven by ‘big business’ values,” Mr. Hargreaves said.
In addition to discussing the professional capital approach, the panel took turns explaining what they believe are deficiencies in the New York State Regents Reform Agenda — which includes at its heart the Common Core State Standards — and compared how the country’s academic performance compares to others.
Mr. Sahlberg outlined some points on why he believes Finland has a high success rate in education.
Children need time to play and aren’t expected to take on formal schooling until they are 7 years old, he said. One Finnish method of educating that was popular with the audience was requiring young students to have a 15-minute recess per hour.
“Doesn’t that sound nice?” Mr. Sahlberg asked to an applauding crowd.
In an effort to change the state’s current path toward education, Mr. Gamberg, who emceed the event, also unveiled a new lobbying effort called “Summer 2014 Education Action Institute.” He said it’s currently in the conceptual stages and explained its purpose is to rally parents and community members to encourage elected officials to participate in future workshops and events like Thursday’s forum.
State politicians were invited but declined because they’re currently in Albany, working on budget matters, Mr. Gamberg said. He said he did pass along information for those elected officials to watch the forum via live stream and is hopeful they took the time to watch it.
“The people that have the ability to affect change need to be a part of this,” he said.
Pick up the March 20th edition of the Riverhead News-Review for additional reporting.
Mattituck Junior-Senior High second-quarter honor roll
HIGH HONOR ROLL
Grade 12: Pamela Batist, Christine Bieber, Helen Chen, Emily Ciamaricone, Jed Donikyan, Shannon Dwyer, Mayra Gonzalez, Sydney Goy, Charles Hickox, Melissa Hickox, Desirae Hubbard, Ian Husak, Mary Kowalski, Robert Krudop, Hallie Kujawski, Nicole L’Hommedieu, Joseph Macaluso, Kyra Martin, Douglas Massey, Christian Montgomery, Nina Nickerson, John Nolan, Erik Olsen, Jennifer Pautke, Mirsa Perez, Ralph Pugliese, Tyler Rochon, Riley Savercool, Nicole Scartozzi, Dana Sciacchitano, Lauren Waters, Rachel Winkler, Qiong You.
Grade 11: Lisa Angell, Courtney Benediktsson, Harrison Forte, Kevin Hudson, Walter Jacob, Madison Kent, Constantina Leodis, Ryan Messinger, Courtney Murphy, James Nish, Ian Nish, Michael O’Rourke, Oliver Orr, Daniel Parks, Pulith Peiris, Marcos Perivolaris, Sarah Pfennig, Colby Prokop, Heidy Quizhpi, Marisa Sannino, Leah Santacroce, Alyssa Scartozzi, Gebriell Sierra, Christopher Sledjeski, Jamie Stonemetz, Haley Unger.
Grade 10: Thomas Behr, Kaylee Bergen, Hayley Berry, Patricia Brisotti, Matthew Carter, Joseph Cavanagh, Nicole Considine, Andrew Cushman, Jacqueline Diaz, Carly Doorhy, Jack Dufton, Christopher Dwyer, Emma Fasolino, Erin Feeney, Liam Finnegan, Hannah Fitzgerald, Gwyneth Foley, Yianni Giannaris, William Gildersleeve, Sarah Goerler, Jacquelin Gonzalez, Jennifer Gonzalez-Euceda, Abigail Graeb, Audrey Hoeg, Katherine Hoeg, Victoria Ireland, Chloe Janis, Rony Javier, Caroline Keil, Anna Kowalski, Julie Krudop, Emma Leaden, Antonina Lentini, Dylan Marlborough, Meghan McKillop, Terrence McKinney, Maddalena Mineo, Christopher Molchan, Lika Osepashvili, Artemis Pando, Meghan Pawlik, Courtney Penny, Rebecca Piraino, Dawn Rochon, Miranda Sannino, Sophia Sluyters, Caralee Stevens, William Stuckart, Joseph Tardif, Cady Vitale, Lucas Webb, Matthew Wilton, Andrew Young, Andrew Yurchison, Charles Zaloom, Ryan Zlatniski, Nicole Zurawski.
Grade 9: Eshi Baldano, Amy Li Berninger, Alex Bradley, Ty Bugdin, Alexander Burns, Charley Claudio, Sean Gambaiani, Cheyenne Harris, Thomas Hoeg, Tina Imbriano, Miles Kelly, Colleen Kelly, Joseph Kelly, Brendan Kent, Colette Kodym, Bianca LaColla, Amy Macaluso, Hayley Martin, Christopher Massey, Ryan McCaffery, James McDonald, Joseph Mele, Carter Montgomery, McKenzi Murphy, Cassandra Nine, Nicholas Parks, Joshua Prager, Corinne Reda, Autumn Reichardt, Tyler Seifert, Ryan Shuford, Emily Sidor, Dale Stonemetz, Gage Suglia, Christopher Waggoner, Dylan Wilsberg, Mary Wilton.
Grade 8: Talia Aiello, Alexandra Beebe, Alexander Bellavia, Brittany Benediktsson, Cassidy Bertolas, Jack Bokina, Ashley Burns, Ashley Chew, James Clementi, David Conroy, Mackenzie Daly, Joy Davis, Jane DiGregorio, Elizabeth Dwyer, Brian Feeney, Kaitlyn Ficarra, Samantha Fine, Rebecca Foster, Brianna Fox, Jaime Gaffga, Jacqueline Galdamez SantaMaria, Macie Grathwohl, Drew Hahn, Rebecca Hammerle, Sophie Jacobs, Leah Kerensky, Jacob Kupecki, Justin Lake, Taylor Larsen, Anthony Lopez, Chelsea Marlborough, Ethan Martin, Stephen Masotti, Grace McKeon, Lucas Micheels, Mauricio Moran, Emily Mowdy, Jakob Olsen, Madison Osler, Sarah Park, Jillian Pedone, Alexandria Peters, Riley Peterson, Jennifer Rutkoski, Dominick Skrezec, Joseph Stuckart, Alexandra Talbot, Martha Terry, Carly Unger, Julia Vasile-Cozzo, Carly Woods, Kathryn Zaloom.
Grade 7: Sarah Bihm, Charles Bordsen, Sophia Borzilleri, William Burns, Max Cantelmo, Jake Catalano, Dorothy Condon, Christian Demchak, Annabel Donovan, Gabrielle Dwyer, Michelle Escalante, David Fasolino, Anne Finnegan, Caleb Foley, Jillian Gaffga, Savvas Giannaris, Bryce Grathwohl, Charlie Hasel, Gabriella Hassildine, Claudia Hoeg, Christopher Imbriano, Rachel Janis, Mason Kelly, Harry Lebkuecher, Kristen Lisowy, Antonio Marine, Sean McDonald, Brian Molchan, Cassidy Mullin, Alexander Nadel, Teagan Nine, Tyler Olsen, Katherine Parks, Ashley Perkins, Trevor Poole, Meghan Riley, Amber Rochon, Lily Russell, Madison Schmidt, Julie Seifert, Madelyn Shannon, Thomas Silleck, Matthew Sledjeski, Mia Slovak, Courtney Trzcinski.
HONOR ROLL
Grade 12: Francis Benante, Matthew Berezny, Elly Bergen, Laurel Bertolas, Shailla Candelario, Zev Carter, Paige Catalano, Maisy Claudio, Meghan Daly, Clay Davis, Michael Dufton, Kyle Freudenberg, Tara Gatz, Matthew Gillan, Patrick Gillan, Autumn Harris, Taylor Hart, Rowan Hausman, Kayla Healy, Christopher Hicks, Adam Hicks, Jaclyn Imbriano, Roy Lebkuecher, Brittney Taylor Longley, Jessica Makucewicz, Miranda Matthews, Mark McCaskie, Christopher Mehalakes, Robert Molchan, Austin Pase, Geoffroy Penny, Tyler Reeve, Alaina Robins, Casey Rugnetta, Kevin Schwartz, Michael Serrano, Isabel Torgove, Olivia Vayer.
Grade 11: Kaylee Bergen, Patricia Brisotti, Matthew Carter, Joseph Cavanagh, Nicole Considine, Andrew Cushman, Jacqueline Diaz, Christopher Dwyer, William Gildersleeve, Jennifer Gonzalez-Euceda, Abigail Graeb, Victoria Ireland, Rony Javier, Emma Leaden, Terrence McKinney, Maddalena Mineo, Christopher Molchan, Rebecca Piraino, Caralee Stevens, Cady Vitale, Matthew Wilton, Andrew Young, Andrew Yurchison, Ryan Zlatniski, Nicole Zurawski.
Grade 10: John Batuello, Taylor Berkoski, Tyler Corrigan, Julie Dickerson, Alec Durkin, Sarah Fogarty, David Folk, Austin Gao, Emily Gatz, Joseph Graeb, Skyler Grathwohl, Christina Hatzinikolaou, Katerina Hatzinikolaou, Jeffrey Hauser, Zachary Holmes, Frank Imbriano, Tristin Ireland, Raven Janoski, Joseph Lisowy, Garrett Malave, Matthew Mehalakes, Andreana Mineo, Ryan Mowdy, Kristina Olsen, Michael Onufrak, Brianna Perino, Ryan Reilly, Randy Salvitti, Benjamin Savercool, Kimberly Scheer, Samuel Shaffery, Greg Sheryll, Andrew Stakey, Cecilia Stevens, Mia Vasile-Cozzo, Matthew Wells.
Grade 9: Chance Anderson, Tiana Baker, Joseph Bartolotto, Thomas Beebe, Emily Berezny, Ryan Buchholz, Aidan Carter, Katherine Celic, Joseph Considine, Isiah Cooper, Kimberly Corso, Caitlyn Deerkoski, Demitria Genovese, Michael Goodale, Daniel Harkin, Matthew Heffernan, Harrison Helinski, James Hoeg, Samantha Husak, Grace Izzo, Luke Karlin, Sara Kaypak, Jenna Kujawski, Kyle Makely, Matthew V Mauceri, Liam McShane, Karolina Morawski, Johanna Pedone, Grace Pellegrino, Melanie Pfennig, Hannah Prokop, Sean Robbins, Sascha Rosin, Christopher Schwamborn, Sarah Shannon, Julianna Sluyters, Ethan Smith, Katherine Stumpf, Amanda Young.
Grade 8: Larysa Andreadis, Luke Bokina, Liam Corbley, Alissa Dabrowski, Autumn DeRidder, Megan Dinizio, Sean Feeney, Wade Foster, Ghana Haase, Shawn Howell, Jack Kitz, Madison McDowell, Justin McKinney, Stephen Nyilas, Dennis O’Rourke, Tucker Phillippe-Johansson, Peter Pugliese, Jason Scalia, Jacqueline Secaida, Connor Smith, Paige Starzee, Thomas Sullivan, Logan Urick.
Grade 7: Liam Ackermann, Isaiah Baker, Lauren Bihm, Alexis Burns, Trinity Butler Kelly, Ryleigh Canberg, Heather Carita, Tyler Cirincione, Cassidy Deerkoski, Joseph DePinto, Kaitlyn Driscoll, Melina Harris, Riley Hoeg, James Jacobs, Jessica Lessard, Jonathan Lisowy, Kyle McFadden, Catherine McGrath, Emily McKillop, Sierra McShane, Kacper Michalak, Tyler Olsen, Mikayla Osmer, Mariano Perez, Stephanie Perez, Nicholas Perino, Ethan Prager, Wylee Sanders, Francesco Sannino, Matthew Schroeck, Kyle Schwartz, Ryan Seifert, Sophie Stapon, Madison Storm, Jacob Theodorou, Jaden Thompson, Lucas Tskhvediani, Francesca Vasile-Cozzo, Gabrielle Wahlers, Benjamin Webb, Caitlin Westermann, Goksel Zaim, Lauren Zuhoski.
COMMENDED STUDENTS
Grade 12: Nicolas Chylinski.
Grade 11: Rosa Perez, Kevin Williams.
Grade 10: Jake Gambaiani, Kendrick Schneider.
Grade 9: Jocelyn Merino, Tyler Schroeck, Tanner Zagarino.
Grade 7: Bernard Hamilton, Matteo Pellegrini
A calendar of events for this week at each of the local schools, as listed on school calendars.
MATTITUCK-CUTCHOGUE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Wednesday, March 19
• 7 p.m. — Common Core discussion, Cutchogue East Elementary School library
Thursday, March 20
• 6:30 p.m. — High school scheduling and technology night for 8th grade parents and students, high school cafeteria
• 7 p.m. — Washington, DC trip, high school cafeteria
• 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting
Friday, March 21
• Parent-Teacher conferences, no school for Cutchogue East Elementary students
SOUTHOLD SCHOOL DISTRICT
March 19-23
• 7:30 p.m. — High school musical RENT
GREENPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Wednesday, March 19
• 5:30 p.m. — School board budget workshop, Room 101
• 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting, Room 101
OYSTERPONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tuesday, March 18
• 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting
NEW SUFFOLK SCHOOL DISTRICT
• No events were listed on the school’s online calendar
BISHOP MCGANN-MERCY HIGH SCHOOL
Monday, March 17
• International Food Day
Wednesday, March 19
• National Honor Society induction ceremony
Thursday, March 20
• 10th grade retreat
Saturday, March 22
• Principal’s dinner
PECONIC COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Thursday, March 20
• Spring field trip to Hallockville Farm in Riverhead
OUR LADY OF MERCY REGIONAL SCHOOL
Monday, March 17
• March Madness final drawing
Wednesday, March 19
• St. Joseph’s Day
Thursday, March 20
• Pizza lunch
Friday, March 21
• 12:15 p.m. — Zone Day, early dismissal for students
Our Lady of Mercy Regional School in Cutchogue. (Credit: Courtesy, file)
Students and staff at the morning buses at Cutchogue East Elementary School on the first day of the 2013-14 school year. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder, file)
The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District is hosting its first Common Core public forum 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Cutchogue East Elementary School library.
The meeting is expected to cover how new state-mandated academic standards are being implemented in the district’s K-12 program and a review of upcoming English Language Arts and mathematics assessments.
Administrators, teachers and school board members are scheduled to participate in the forum.
From left, Mattituck-Cutchogue school board members Doug Cooper, Laura Jens-Smith and Jeffrey Smith at a recent meeting. (Credit: Jennifer Gustavson, file)
The Mattituck-Cutchogue school board is expected to discuss a new tax exemption program for war veterans at Thursday’s regular meeting, according to the agenda.
The exemption law has been in effect statewide since the 1980s but has until now only been applied to the county and town’s portion of a veteran’s property tax bill. Last year, the state Legislature approved an amendment to expand the program to school districts, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law in December.
Once a school district approves the new exemption, homeowners will have to make up the loss in revenue from the school district portion of property taxes.
The exemption benefits include a reduction of up to 15 percent in assessed value for veterans who served during a time of war and an additional 10 percent reduction in assessed value for veterans who served in combat zones, according to the legislation. Disabled veterans with war-related injuries are also eligible for additional tax reduction.
The Southold Town Assessor’s Office has recently estimated Mattituck has 683 veterans living within the district that could qualify for the program.
School officials have said the Board of Education didn’t have enough information to make a decision in time for the March 1 deadline. Southold and Shoreham-Wading River are the only local school districts to have adopted the exemption in time for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
In addition to discussing the tax exemption, the school board is expected to discuss fund balance projections and receive an update about the track project.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the high school.
Scroll down to view the complete agenda. Check back for an update.
The Greenport school board is scheduled to hold a budget workshop Wednesday night to discuss the 2014-15 spending plan.
The workshop, which is open to the public, is set for 5:30 p.m. in room 101. The regular Board of Education meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the same location.
In addition to budget talks, the board is expected to vote on resolutions granting tenure to social worker Jillian Ruroede, secondary school Spanish teacher Katie DiGregorio and elementary teacher Stacy Woodhull.
Scroll down to view the complete agenda. Check back for an update.
The Southold Drama Club rehearses ‘Rent,’ which premiers tonight. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder photo)
The Southold High School Drama Club presents the school edition of “Rent,” Jonathon Larson’s rock musical, in the district auditorium beginning Thursday night. Tickets are available at Southold Free Library or at the door. Those buying at the door are asked to arrive 20 to 30 minutes before curtain time.
Show times for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are 7:30 p.m. Showtime for Sunday is 2 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.
The show contains adult themes; parental discretion is advised.
