From The Desk Of Superintendent Dr. Elaine Kanas

March 6 Budget Workshop #2 Report

At the March 6 Workshop, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Jacqueline Fitzpatrick, presented a summary of the previous week’s budget presentation, ‘A Budget Overview’..

Building Budgets  

North Side Principal Jim Bloomgarden, Willets Road Principal Stephen Kimmel and Wheatley Principal Sean Feeney, each presented their proposed building programs and budgets for next year. As you know, the District needed to cut about two million dollars from this year’s budget in order to fall within the property tax levy cap. For the full budget presentation go to the district website www.ewsdonline.org and click on 13-14 budget Info in the News Box and then click to get to budget page.

View Online Budget Information 

If you can’t make the budget workshops you can still be informed about the 2013-14 budget.  After each budget workshop the budget presentations and other documents will be posted on the district website.

New York State ELA Content Advisory Panel  

On March 4 and 5, I had a meeting in Albany at the State Education Department. As a member of the English Language Arts Advisory Panel, I, along with my fellow panelists, considered the common core performance indicators for each grade level and recommended draft performance level descriptors for each of the reading and writing standards. These descriptors will help the State determine scoring benchmarks for ‘exceeding’, ‘meeting’, and ‘not meeting’ standards on the New York State ELA tests for grades 3-8.  This year’s spring assessments will be the first to measure student performance on the new common core curriculum in New York State. 

The Wheatley School Orchestras And The Long Island Philharmonic

What a treat! It was my first time experiencing the Wheatley-Long Island Philharmonic program in action. Our school district partners with the Long Island Philharmonic in a student mentorship/in-school performance and instruction program called Performance Partners.   Professional musicians from the Philharmonic coach and mentor our Wheatley student-musicians. The program culminates in a joint concert with our student-musicians and members of the Philharmonic performing side-by-side. In addition to the Philharmonic musicians, our very own East Williston music faculty members, Peggy Ho, Angela Luftig, Stan Orlovsky, Steve Fitzko, Rachel May, Scott Hoefling and Denise Giuliano, wonderful musicians in their own right, perform in the concert with the students and Long Island Philharmonic musicians, as well. Many thanks to Angela Luftig, Wheatley music teacher, for coordinating this program. The Long Island Philharmonic program continues to be supported in the 2013-14 proposed budget.    

Newspaper Award 

I am pleased to inform you that the Wheatley Wildcat, the high school newspaper, was named Best Newspaper at the first annual Long Island University/C.W. Post Best of High School Journalism Awards.  Additionally, Editor-in-Chief, Wheatley senior, Daniela Czemerinski was awarded Best Commentary/Editorial. Congratulations to the Wheatley Wildcat staff and their advisors Jennifer Fatone and Jo Beth Roberts.

Mock Trial Team

Additional congratulations belong to the Wheatley Mock Trial Team who, over the last month, has competed against an impressive field of 50 Nassau County high school teams. With their latest win, the team advances to the “Elite Eight

Upcoming Events

Purchase your tickets online for the Wheatley Theatre Company production of Legally Blonde, the Musical. The performances are April 11, 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. There is a Saturday, April 13 matinee at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $10 and senior citizens are free.  To purchase tickets go to the district website and click on Online TKTS in the News Box. Follow the directions.