NHP-GCP Board of Ed Notebook – Feb. 13

The New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Board of Education held a meeting on Monday, Feb. 13. Here are some of the things you may have missed.

Welcome to Hillside Grade

• Principal Karen Olynk welcomed the board to saying “it’s an exciting year for educators,” beginning with the implementation of and strengthening academics. “Teachers and students have actively been engaged in following projects this winter,” including technology, specifically computers, SMART board and smart tables which have “transformed our instructional programs and truly helped to prepare our students for the technological world in which we live.”
• The Scantron remote and Senteo remote systems have made it possible for teachers to “instantly track assessment results” according to Olynk in order to gain insight into student learning. “These results provide information to guide and individualize instruction for remediation or enrichment based on the needs of the students.”
• The district continues to talk with the with sixth grade students and teachers recently meeting with music teachers and guidance counselors in preparation for seventh grade.
• Students throughout the grades are utilizing the accelerated reading program, taking computer learning quizzes which challenges them to read more books. The school is also planning for its celebration of Dr. Seuss books and trivia in March along with a presentation of the musical “Seussical!”

Teacher Retirements

• The board recognized the following teachers which will be retiring at the end of the year: Diane Schubert (physical education), Nancy Costello (elementary), Angela Maletta (library media specialist) and Linda Livreri (elementary school). Special education classroom aide Barbara Ponchione is also retiring as of February 29.
• “I’ve heard those names mentioned in my house many, many times,” Trustee David Del Santo said. “And having been working for this district, I’ve worked with some of these professional educators and I think that through their humility, hard work and dedication, these folks have stood up as examples of what a professional educator should be. I believe that you are the best of what NHP-GCP is.”
• Said trustee Joan Romagnoli: “your knowledge and experience can’t be easily replaced and we wish you all the very best in your retirement and all your ned adventures.”
• Board president Ernest Gentile thanked Costello “because your teaching style with those children is nothing but stellar, they still talk about you,” adding of Livreri that “she got my kids, I think she got them ready for college in sixth grade.”

Other Board News

• Carolyn Magoulias was appointed as the director of the district summer recreation program with Patricia Maguire serving as the assistant director. The program is a “flow-through program that parents pay for,” Superintendent Robert Katluak said. “It’s like a summer camp.”
• The board approved a contract with to provide universal Pre-K services to the district for 55 students. The district receives a grant from the state to pay for the program. “Part of the funding goes to pay for programs such as the arts and the music,” Katluak said. “This comes out of the grant and this was money we kept in reserve to pay for a dance workshop for all the kids.”
• A trip for sixth graders from Hillside Grade School to Medieval Times was approved.
• A second reading of a policy entitled “Acceptance of Gifts, Grants, Bequests to the School District” was held.

The next budget meeting of the Sewanhaka Central High School District will be on March 7.

The next meeting of the NHP-GCP Board of Education will be on Monday, March 12 at 8 p.m. at the .