The Lynbrook Public Schools Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting at Lynbrook High School on Nov. 9.
The Bern Seiderman Art Gallery announced its latest showcase, titled “Cups.” The exhibit features works by students in Michael Kunz, Vincent Lentini and Thomas Sena’s drawing and painting classes. For this project, students reviewed and practiced skills and techniques that they learned in studio art on how to create accurate drawings from observation. Students worked together in groups to render their drawings in graphite pencils.
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Melissa Burak, shined the spotlight on the varsity football team, which recently raised $3,200 for Camp Anchor through a benefit game. The funds were collected in the name of a team member’s brother, who has cerebral palsy and attends Camp Anchor. Coach David Yaker announced the accomplishment and presented the donation to a Camp Anchor representative who was in attendance.
Board President Dr. William Belmont announced the retirement of Cristina Javett, an ENL teacher who served the community for more than 20 years.
ENL Chairperson Madelyn Torres gave a presentation on the New York State Seal of Biliteracy, an accolade for students who are proficient in two or more world languages. Applications for the award have seen a major increase since its introduction at Lynbrook High School during the 2020-21 school year. By demonstrating proficiency in English and another world language, students who win the award will have it signified on their diploma and via a medal to be worn at graduation. Students’ candidacy for the award will also appear on their transcript to boost their college applications. Lynbrook High School students Eileen Castillo and Lady Ramirez, who are immigrants from Honduras and El Salvador, respectively, spoke to the board about the importance of being bilingual and how they can address problems in their home countries.
Trustee Tara Aragona invited the community to attend the PTA Joint Council event on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. A presenter will discuss executive functioning and how to manage schoolwork in everyday life. Both parents and children are invited to attend.
The board moved a discussion about holding raffles during events to the policy committee. The community will be updated on the discussion during next month’s meeting.
In her superintendent’s report, Dr. Burak discussed the Project L.I.F.T.O.F.F. Semifinalist Symposium held at Lynbrook High School on Nov. 1. Out of 14 teams, three finalists were selected to have their projects sent to judges for review. One project will be sent for testing on the International Space Station. Dr. Burak named the student semifinalists and their projects, which featured a wide range of microgravity-themed topics. The finalists will be commended at the December board meeting.
Dr. Burak reviewed Superintendent’s Conference Day, during which staff engaged in various workshops about health and safety. Sessions were led by staff members and featured discussions on Stop the Bleed, CPR, Creating a Sense of Safety and Security in a Post-Pandemic World, Mindfulness in the Classroom, Survival Spanish for School Staff and Culturally Responsive Teaching.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Dr. Gerard Beleckas, shared district-wide results on ELA and math state assessments from 2017, 2018 and 2021. ELA results are consistent, while math scores are slightly lower. The district has examined the individual students behind the numbers and offered supports to those who need them. Third graders, who nearly all took both assessments, performed exceptionally well and significantly outperformed schools in other districts. Opt-out rates in the middle schools have skewed the results for those older students.
Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Operations and Information Systems, Dr. Paul Lynch, shared that bids for upcoming projects will be going out soon. A re-bid for the Waverly Park Elementary School courts and a bid for the high school library renovation will be opened later in November.
Date Added: 11/14/2022