As you know, an important goal for the district this year has been to grow our Science Research Program under the direction of Dave Casamento, director of Science and Technology, Tom VanBell, science research teacher and the high school administration.
In addition to the awards and recognitions received by our science research students I’ve previously highlighted, I am pleased to report more recognitions in this week’s newsletter.
The Molloy College Science Fair took place on March 15. A special awards ceremony followed on Saturday, April 27. Four Wheatley students were among the 39 award recipients.
Sophomore Kuan Yu won first place in the Biology category, sophomore Courtney Schwartz placed in the top 10 in the Biology category, and sophomores Rohan Gulati and Hebah Hassan placed in the top 36, in the biology category as well. The Molloy College Science Fair is the only regional science fair for ninth and 10th graders. It is a favorite among the top schools on Long Island for science research.
The results of the Long Island Science Congress Science Fair, sponsored by the Long Island Sections of the Science Teachers Association of New York State, were announced this week.
Four of our students’ projects were chosen to advance to the state-level STANYS Science Competition which will take place at Brookhaven National Laboratory on June 8.
Only 24 of the 400 projects from students across Long Island were chosen to advance.
The Wheatley students who made the cut are sophomores Kuan Yu and Rohan Gulati, junior Allison Chowdhury and senior Rebecca Molinsky. The four of them completed mentored science projects this past summer at SUNY Old Westbury, Montefiore Medical Center, Stony Brook University and Mt. Sinai Hospital, respectively.
Wheatley Science Symposium
On April 29,Wheatley held its first Science Research Symposium. It was a terrific opportunity to get a sense of the new scope and range being developed in our science research program.
The Poster Session from 7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. provided an opportunity for all students, those in Introduction to Science Research and the advanced Independent Science Research students, to showcase their research work this year. From 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., the seniors presented their work.
Lambert Chu’s study identified the regulatory effects of aspirin and morphine on nitric oxide signaling in healthy and cancerous cells, a finding with notable implications for cancer treatment.
Daniela Czemerinski’s research aimed to develop a comprehensive method of pancreatic cancer diagnosis and a means to monitor progression by using the potentiometric bionsensor.
Allison Giller conducted a survey administered to high school students to determine the effects that cause students to cheat and which methods of cheating they perceive to be unjust.
Rebecca Molinsky’s study explored epigenetic and DNA damage events that alter the chemical structures of the fundamental components of DNA.
Gabrielle Pollack conducted a retrospective study assessing the correlations between serum total white blood cell count, eosinophil count, neutrophil count, hemoglobin, platelet counts, sodium and bicarbonate with asthma severity in children admitted to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Tiffany Truong’s study compared the efficacy and side effects of methotrexate and mycophenolate in the treatment of chronic non-infectious uveitis.
During the poster session, it was exciting to talk to the Intro to Science Research students and to hear that many of these young students are looking forward to continuing their science research studies by signing up for the advanced Independent Science Research course. I look forward to writing about their projects a few years from now, when they are seniors!!
We are so excited about one of our students winning the New York State History Award!
On April 29 Wheatley 11th Grader Jacob Freund was awarded first place in the Senior Historical Paper category at New York State History Day in Cooperstown, N.Y. Jacob’s 2500 word research paper entitled “The Homestead Act of 1862: America’s First Entitlement Program”* was selected by a panel of distinguished judges as the most outstanding paper submitted in the State of New York, defeating regional winners from across the state.
As this was only Wheatley’s second year in this prestigious educational event, it was particularly exciting to already have a state winner. As state champion, Jacob will represent New York at National History Day in College Park, Maryland on June 11.
*After a school-wide competition, Jacob’s essay, along with other student essays from Wheatley, was entered into the March Regional Competition at Hofstra University.
Overall, Wheatley had 39 students participate in the initial regional competition. The projects submitted involved a great deal of time and effort on the part of the students. We look forward to continuing to grow and develop our research program in the social sciences.
One more winner….!
Congratulations to Maria D’Iorio who is the recipient of the Fifteenth Annual Giovanna Morabito AATI Long Island Scholarship Award. This award is given to one senior on Long Island for their outstanding achievement in the study of Italian. Brava Maria!
Report of Board of Education Work Session: May 1
Among the topics discussed at the May 1 board of education work session was the scheduling of team practices during holiday vacations.
Section VIII publishes a list each year of days when games cannot be played due to religious holidays. It was decided that our athletics program will follow Section VIII’s recommendations and will not schedule practices on those days. Next year the days include September 5 and 6, 2013 (Rosh Hashanah and end before 6:00 p.m. on Sept. 4, 2013), Sept. 14, 2013 (Yom Kippur and end before 6:00 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2014), Dec. 24 and 25, 2013 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), April 15, 2014 (first Day of Passover and end before 6:00 p.m. on April 14, 2013), April 18,2014 (Good Friday) and April 20, 2014 (Easter).
Students who observe other days of religious observance and inform the coach of this situation will not receive consequences for these missed practices or games.
Strategic Planning Initiative
We have received over 500 completed surveys. Even though the deadline was April 29, we are still in the process of compiling the results.
If you have not yet responded, and still wish to, you may mail in your survey this week or go to the district website at www.ewsdonline.org > in NewsBox click on Strategic Planning Initiative > click on Strategic Planning webpage > Click on Survey in the first box enter your views on the online edition of the survey.
The Strategic Planning Committee will be meeting on June 3. At that time the committee will look at the survey input, as well as various district performance data and reports.
From this information they will develop approximately 10 overall goal/priority areas for our district for the next five years. These goals will then be shared with our educational team. The team will develop these goals into yearly objectives that will lead to the accomplishment of our five year goals.
This first draft will then be shared with the board of education for their consideration and input at the June board of education monthly business meeting during the Superintendent’s Report.
As a reminder …. As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the purpose of our five year strategic planning is to identify priority areas which will help in directing limited resources.
Be assured that regardless of the Strategic Planning Survey Input, the district will continue to meet all state requirements in all program areas. If, for example, you chose a content area such as ELA or math as a lower priority area that does not mean the District will no longer teach ELA or math.
It simply means that this is an area that you felt the District only needs to maintain or manage moving forward. The content area or topic you chose as high priority is one that you want the District to focus more attention on in the future.
As noted above, if you have not filled out the survey yet, we urge you to do so. We began this process wanting to build a collaborative vision of how we can prioritize our resources to meet shared goals over the next five years. The input and discussions around establishing district priorities to date has been rich, meaningful and helpful in terms of shaping the district’s future directions.
Please add your voice to the discussion as we start to develop a shared plan from everyone’s input and from our district data.
What’s new with curriculum and instruction?
At the upcoming June 5 board of education work session, we will be sharing our plans and projects for next year. The new plans and projects are designed to continue to grow and develop our instructional program. Starting last month, the members of the Leadership Team (made up of all district administrators, building administrators, directors, and curriculum associates/chairs) have been meeting with each other and individually with me to review this year’s progress, review areas for growth and to identify goals for next year.
This month, our whole Leadership Team is scheduled to meet twice in order to integrate individual department goals and plans (that are discussed with staff) into one overall instructional plan for the District for the 2013-14 school year. During these meetings we will also be joined by members of the Professional Development Steering Group as we simultaneously coordinate a plan for staff development that directly aligns with our goals for student achievement.
At the June Work Session we will also provide a progress report on the accomplishments of the current year’s 2012-13 goals.
Congratulations to the Simmons Award Winners
I attended the Simmons Awards Coffee House hosted by the East Williston Educational Foundation, an organization whose primary goal is to provide financial support to enhance the excellent education programs for which the district has always been known. The Simmons Family Award for Recognition of Excellence is given each year to teachers/staff members in the three schools in recognition of their ability to make a difference in the lives of students.
The award was established through a trust fund established by Steven Simmons, Class of ‘64, in honor of the wonderful teachers he had in the East Williston School District.
I would like to congratulate this year’s honorees and award recipients: Sabine Knakal, the principal’s secretary from the North Side School; Maria Slobodskoy, the ELS teacher from the Willets Road School; and Tom Fitzpatrick, the Director of Physical Education, Athletics, Health, and Medical Services.
Everyone in attendance enjoyed the sounds of North Side advanced ensemble led by North Side music teacher Rachel May, the Willets Road Wind Ensemble conducted by Willets Road music teacher Scott Hoefling and the Wheatley Chorale, directed by Wheatley music teacher Angela Luftig.
Please email me at kanase@ewsdonline.org or call 333-3782 with any questions, suggestions, and or any topics you would like to see for this newsletter.
