A Second New Year

By Dr. Frank A. Tassone

Those of us who are privileged to work in education have the benefit of two "new years" on our calendars. The first one is in September, with the opening of the school year and the invigorating sense of renewal that comes with the return of our students. The other is on Jan. 1, when we have a second opportunity to reflect on the world around us and measure the progress we have made in reaching the goals we have set for ourselves and our children.

In Roslyn, we can look back on a number of important accomplishments in this school year so far. Since September, we have seen the Long-Term Building Improvement Plan brought nearly to its conclusion. With the completion of the second-floor connector at Roslyn High School this month, all of the major projects in the plan will be at an end. Not only can Roslyn boast of wonderful new and renovated facilities in all five of our school buildings, but we can be very pleased that the entire $10.9 million program has come in within budget guidelines.

We achieved another milestone this fall with the introduction of Spanish instruction to students in the fourth and fifth grades. Roslyn now has a K-12 second language program, one of the few school districts in New York State that can make that claim. The very important addition of elementary foreign language to our curriculum has been a long-term goal of mine and the board of education, and its full implementation is indeed reason for celebration.

The infusion of computer technology throughout our schools continues, with much work still to be accomplished. In November, the District Technology Committee was re-convened. Some 50 people came to the first meeting to offer their expertise and assistance in bringing Roslyn's educational technology program to an even higher level in the years to come. School board members, administrators, teachers, parents, students and other residents were among those volunteering to serve on the committee, and any other residents with expertise or interest in this vital program are encouraged to become involved. I am also exploring school-business partnership opportunities which may provide substantial additional resources for the large-scale investment in technology which we must continue to make in order for our students to be fully prepared for life in the 21st century.

Professional development was also a highlight of the first half of the school year. The Roslyn Teacher Center received its largest grant to date for 1997-98, enabling our staff to enjoy an ever-expanding range of course offerings and other special programs to help keep their skills and knowledge up to date. A very successful Superintendent's Conference Day was held on Election Day. All of our instructional and non-instructional staff, from teachers and administrators to secretaries and cafeteria workers, attended specially organized seminars and workshops to help them enhance their already considerable professional expertise.

We received some welcome, though not surprising, news this fall about third-grade reading scores. At the beginning of 1997, we found ourselves in the midst of a storm of concern about the results of standardized reading tests administered by the state the previous year. Our third graders were alleged to have performed at a level that is below the expectations our community has for its youngsters. The school district contended that these results were misleading because we in Roslyn had never chosen to prepare children to take this purely diagnostic reading test. This explanation, as expected, was validated by the results we received a few months ago, in which 99 percent scored above the state's minimum requirements and about two-thirds were found to be reading at a master level. Preparing students for the test for the first time improved the scores significantly.

Because this is only a mini-review of the school year to date, I won't go into detail here about exciting events such as Homecoming, Red Ribbon Week, the Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund Dinner and the Gold Card Thanksgiving Luncheon - just a few examples of how our community comes together in so many ways for benefit of our young people, and how our students and staff likewise extend their helping hands for the benefit of the community.

I would like to wish everyone on the Roslyn school community best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.