• September had been a busy month for the students at Old Mill Road. As the new school year began, students were observed throughout the building focusing on their social skills. Old Mill Road’s Giving Tree is growing daily, as more and more names are added of students who are noticed being exceptionally kind or helpful to others.

• Students are participating in the Second Step Program to reinforce positive social skills. Some of the areas covered are demonstrating understanding and caring to others, practicing impulse control and problem solving, and managing anger so that it does not impact negatively on others.

• First and second grade teachers have been busy getting their students ready to launch Writer’s Workshop. Teachers in grades three and four are having their students use Writer’s Notebooks this year. Their personalized notebooks look fabulous! The students are excitedly recording feelings, observations, and important events in their lives.

• Many of our fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students are busy creating characters for the annual Storyworks’ Create-A-Character Contest. Award-winning author, Christopher Paul Curtis, will select one character entry and write a short story using that character. Winners will be announced in the spring.

• Friday, September 29th was designated as Fitness Friday as all Old Mill Road students participated in a variety of exercises, and ate healthy snacks. This is in accordance with our new District Wellness Policy and our school initiative, Old Mill Road to Wellness. The staff is working to provide a healthy school environment for every student. A total student approach to ensure physical fitness, encourage healthy food choices, and social well being, will be our focus for this year.

• In October, kindergarten teachers will also be Launching Writer’s Workshop with their students. In addition, first and second grade teachers will begin Guided Reading instruction with their students.

• Old Mill Road families successfully participated in International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 4.

The North Merrick School Community resolves to nurture, guide and challenge children to maximize their potential and become contributors to society.

Irvington is looking better.

A whole lot better.

-- CatherineJohnson - 29 Nov 2006

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Comments

"...respect themselves and others, are flexible, open-minded, self-motivated, and capable of relating to and communicating with others."

Nauseating!

I bet the babblers will say these are 21th century skills. But they babbled likewise throughout the 20th century. Apparently, neither century required that pupils know anything.

-- CharlesH - 30 Nov 2006

Our public schools have a "Caught you being awesome" award. Students get to have lunch with the principal - and maybe get their picture in the paper looking like they want to be anywhere else.

"These individuals should be able to function independently ..."

And teach themselves, or else they won't learn a darn thing.

-- SteveH - 30 Nov 2006

Caught you being awesome

We have NOTHING like this in the middle school.

Just blind obedience to authority.

-- CatherineJohnson - 30 Nov 2006

Here's a rather different sort of mission statement:

"Mission Statement

"The mission of The Pinnacle Charter School is to educate students to attain superior levels of academic performance through the use of a rigorous Core Knowledge curriculum and college preparatory courses of study within a safe learning environment. The arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities complete the Pinnacle experience."

This is a school in a blue-collar neighborhood, BTW, and by no means the best-regarded school in the district.

Pinnacle Charter School

You might want to take a look at the Elementary page as well. Pay particular attention to the section titled "Curriculum Guidelines".

-- DougSundseth - 01 Dec 2006

Oh, and perhaps I should mention that before Pinnacle moved into that building, it was the "Carnival of Fear", a professional haunted house, and before that a K-Mart.

My old office is now the Dean's office.

-- DougSundseth - 01 Dec 2006

" ...attain superior levels of academic performance ..."

Words rarely ever seen in a mission statement.

"Saxon Math"

Woo woo!

-- SteveH - 01 Dec 2006

I'm moving.

-- CatherineJohnson - 01 Dec 2006

Thanks for that post, btw.

I'm going to start sending it around my district as an example of the mission statement we should have.

-- CatherineJohnson - 01 Dec 2006