BULLETIN TEMPLATE (Nov 22, 2016)

As part of a continuing celebration of Education Month, today's speakers, club members Christine Austen, Bob Neidig, Sean Leister, and Paul Casciano provided us with a Port Jefferson School District update. In introducing each speaker, Sharon included a summary of their academic credentials and backgrounds in the field of education. Dr. Casciano began with a brief statement regarding the pleasure he feels as Interim Superintendent of Schools at being a part of such an amazing, caring school system and praised the staff's obvious devotion to and compassion for its students. He mentioned as an example Middle School Principal Dr. Neidig's recent participation in the Annual 6th grade Frost Valley excursion, accompanying 74 youngsters during this exercise in team building, that included hiking, hands-on learning about nature, and opportunities to get to know and appreciate one another. Paul was joined by HS Principal Christine in naming with pride a number of the District's newsworthy accomplishments so far, including: the HS Girls' Soccer Team's winning of the State Championship for the 2nd year in a row; the naming of 2 National Merit Scholars; the inclusion of PJHS in Newsweek's listing of the top 500 schools in the nation; other County and League sports awards and records broken by school athletes; faculty/student partnerships in purchasing and providing gifts and necessities for local families in need; the creation of supportive activities and provision of resources regarding promotion of substance abuse awareness; participation of students of all ages in village activities, ie., the Rocketship Park Renovation promotional ceremonies and the upcoming Dickens Festival; the accomplishment of many student achievements, not just in academics, but those involving works of compassion; the creation of a secondary planner for students about to enter high school; and the like. The District is exploring all kinds of opportunities to challenge its students to reach their full potential. Bob spoke about introducing MS students to software that will begin to get them thinking about career and college exploration. He noted the new stress on researching best practices relating to creating truly useful homework assignments, promoting critical thinking, and exploring effective grading systems. Middle School students are interested in their building's "green roof" and are studying its effect on the environment. Examples of their efforts to give back to the community include: the recent preparation and sharing a Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Luncheon that included music and drama performances; they have raised money for the Fortunato Breast Center; and they have held a variety of small fundraisers (ie., bake sales) to benefit a variety of groups in need. Some students are preparing for an interview with a popular young music group that will eventually be published in the Kidsday section of Newsday. Middle Schoolers are also currently preparing their own musical performances for the holiday season. Sean, the Ass't.Superintendent for Business, spoke about the many physical improvements and additions at each of the District's schools, including redone walkways, a reinstalled playground, replacement window shades, and the repainting in different colors of the elementary school's hallways-an aid in more easily locating various parts of the facility. He noted that the high school has a green roof, redone lockers, hallway floors, and stairs to the football field. The new elevator is nearly ready for use; additional drainage has been added behind the bleachers; and financial institutions are bidding for an energy performance contract. Paul concluded the presentation by reminding us that the District is made up of older buildings, and every effort is being made to protect the District assets. Exceptional achievement students are being challenged; special needs (special ed) programs are being studied and will evolve (perhaps bringing BOCES-like classes to the secondary building); attempts will being made to identify the levels of success that Port Jeff students experience after graduation (in college and career pursuits); and teachers and administrators are being urged to develop and increase their educational leadership capabilities to qualify as future district leaders.