You are currently browsing the archives for February, 2014.
For the second time, the high school hosted the Mustang Olympics to raise money for a great cause. Newsday sent a photographer and videographer. Here is a link to the video:
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/mustang-olympics-in-mineola-1.7236282
The photo MAY run in an edition of the paper this weekend. Keep an eye out.
In honor of the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Feb. 7, students and staff of Jackson Avenue held a special assembly titled Champions of Outstanding Character. The event began with a U.S.A. chant to get everyone excited for the official Olympic kickoff. Students led the rally to discuss the many characteristics that are evident at Jackson Avenue, offering definitions and examples of each character. Some of the words included: teamwork, responsibility, courage, confidence, perseverance, citizenship, inspiration and sportsmanship. Go Team Jackson!
I don’t know how Mr DeLuca does it. His team manages to get bigger and better each year. Not only was the cast and crew over 175 students, the costumes and scenery were incredible!! There was so much to see I had a feeling I was missing things. The whole play is based on the premise of Ariel’s beautiful voice- newcomer Isabella Posada did not disappoint. WOW! Equally impressive were Josie Jones as Sebastian and Stephanie Toms as Ursula. Robert Shevlin’s (and the gulls) “Human Stuff” was one of my favorite scenes. Miquel Velasquez (Eric), Annemarie Patalano (Flounder) and Samantha Trested (Chef Louise) also stole scenes. All of the supporting ensemble were fantastic. The Sisters, lagoon animals, Ursula’s tentacles, Sailors, princesses (and their lovely voices), Flotsam and Jetsam, Grimsby, ALL added so much to the show. Kudos to Mr. Owens, Mr Goldman, Mrs. Peters, Ms. Buongiovanni , Mr. Carreras and Mr. Tunkel. Special shout out to all of the “Drama Mamas”- the show doesn’t go on without you!
People laugh when I say that snow days are the worse part of my job. They can’t believe I would stress over this relatively minor aspect of running an entire school system. But man do I hate snow. I rarely have to make a quick decision that affects so many families and routines; and it is agonizing. As much as I never want to cancel a day I will always err on the side of caution. There are many factors in the decision. Can we clear the snow? Remember that our custodians, maintenance men, and bus drivers all travel to work. They need to arrive well before school to prepare the grounds and vehicles. (They have done an EXCEPTIONAL job this year!) If you shovel your walk you can appreciate what it is like clearing the schools. We have snow blowers for the walkways but the driveways are a challenge. While we have plows they only PUSH the snow. They can’t lift it and deposit it in a different area. We have one small “Bobcat” that has that capability. A heavy snow like yesterday makes it very difficult. Are the roads safe? Last week’s early dismissal was necessary to keep the buses on schedule. The roads became increasingly dangerous as the day went on. Had we waited and dismissed at normal times Jackson students would have arrived home at 5:00 (if we were lucky). Are the bus stops safe? Can the staff arrive on time? Can they get home safely? What are the other districts doing? Are we running out of days? This question doesn’t factor in on whether to call a day or not, but it certainly is a question that is important. Right now we have 2 instructional days built into the calendar and 3 additional days if necessary. I will wait and see what transpires with the next 2 storms before we address the calendar. The forecast for tomorrow is tenuous at best. As of now it appears we may have a delayed opening, but it isn’t crystal clear. We will wait and see what the morning brings. I appreciate your patience and understanding on these days; rest assured we will consider all of the things listed above and many more and ultimately decide to do what is safest for children.
We implemented a dual-language program at Hampton Street School this year for interested students in grades K-2. Students rotate between a teacher speaking only in English and a teacher instructing only in Spanish throughout the school day. The program has been successful to date and the we intend to expand it next year. I walked into Carmen Vazquez’s second-grade class recently and saw this. It’s students receiving a social studies lesson in Spanish while using the total physical response technique. TPR is the use of hand and body gestures to help language learners better understand what they are learning. It’s really something and an expanded article on the dual-language program and TPR will be included in the district’s next edition of the Outreach. Watch your mailboxes for it sometime in early April.