For the first time since Eleanor Roosevelt made an appearance in 1958, the first lady of the United States paid a visit to the Syosset Central School District on Tuesday morning, April 20, as Hillary Clinton greeted and addressed students, faculty and administrators at Village Elementary School.

Clinton arrived at the school, located on Convent Road, around 9 a.m., beginning the Long Island portion of her whirlwind New York tour - initiated, presumably, to judge whether a senatorial run on her part, to replace the retiring Patrick Moynihan, would be fruitful. It was particularly ironic - or, to the skeptical, calculated - that out of Syosset's seven elementary schools, Clinton visited Village School, a namesake that provided a tailor-made opportunity for the first lady to readdress ideas she originally authored in her famous book, It Takes a Village.

Choice of school aside, there is no question why Clinton selected the Syosset Central School District. An acquaintance of Clinton for several years, having met her at an education conference, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carole Hankin invited and cajoled the first lady for five years to see this model educational system at work. Clinton, in fact, called Hankin a "one-woman PR system for Syosset schools" because she would occasionally update the first lady on her district's latest endeavors.

"I came here to learn more about what this pioneering school district is doing," said Clinton during her 15-minute speech in the school gymnasium, filled with awe-struck, completely silent fifth-graders and festooned with an enormous banner reading, "Syosset Schools Welcome the Education First Lady."

Just prior to her introduction and ensuing words, Clinton was escorted into a third-grade classroom, where students were conducting a science experiment involving the comparison of animal species. Although she admitted declining to handle the frogs and other live specimens, the First Lady went beyond observing and actually participated in the project with the students. This experience provided for much of the complimentary material that comprised Mrs. Clinton's address.

"What I saw was the kind of interactive learning that works for young people today," said Clinton, who advocates smaller student-teacher ratios to ensure more individual student attention. "You have made sure class sizes are small enough that you can have the interaction I saw."

With just a quick glance, said Clinton, one can detect a learning environment "where children are engaged, teachers are committed and people are involved."

"When I walked into the classroom, I liked what I saw," she continued.

Among the "committed people" in the school district to whom Clinton was referring are the parents of the students. Parents play a key role in the first lady's vision of a model educational system. "We have to make it possible for parents to believe they will continue to be teaching partners," said Clinton. "You have enlisted the active support of parents."

The first lady also praised the district for its emphasis on computer literacy and its easy Internet access.

"Who would have thought when we were 10, 15 years old that teachers would be on the Internet with 10-year-olds? We didn't even know what the Internet was," Clinton remarked. "We want to connect every school to the Internet so that no students are left behind in the computer age."

The first lady also congratulated the district on its high school students' successful 1998 Regents scores. Results, released several months ago and published in the 1999 New York State Education Department's School Report Cards, revealed that Syosset tied second for the highest percentage of passing Regents scores.

Concluding her lionization of the Syosset educational system, Clinton said that the district employs "first-rate teachers" who are supplied with bountiful educational tools at their fingertips.

Yet as inspiring as it apparently was to observe the functioning of a successful school district, "The real challenge," according to Clinton, "is how to replicate more broadly what we already have here."

"What we have to do a better job of is getting more schools to appreciate how they get from where they are to where you are," she continued.

Clinton said that America's schools will need two million more teachers within the next 10 years to keep up with a rapidly expanding student population, and that improvements must be made to many district's secondary education programs. While recent global studies show America's fourth graders outperforming their peers in other countries, "by eighth grade, they're around average and by 12th grade they have fallen," said Clinton.

The first lady said that there is "a spark of God-given potential" that can be developed in every child, without exception.

"It's fitting that Clinton came to Village, for Clinton says that it takes a village to raise our children," said Hankin before the crowd.

It was teacher Richard Evans' role to formally introduce and address the first lady. "Syosset is always giving its teachers every opportunity to grow professionally and strive for excellence," said Evans. "In Syosset schools, we encourage a working partnership from all facets of the educational community."

"So, Mrs. Clinton, welcome to this very special place, Syosset. We would like to thank you and the president for your ongoing and lifetime commitment to public education."

Evans is one of the teachers accompanying fifth graders on their trip to Washington D.C., which began last Wednesday. "We knew we were coming to Washington. We had no idea Washington was coming to us," he joked.

Because the school district has now played host to two first ladies, "It would only be fair...that I invite you to go to the White House and see where the president and I live," proposed Clinton, drawing excited applause. "But we'll have to do it today or tomorrow, 'cause we have a NATO meeting on Friday," she playfully added.

Hankin, who presented Syosset sweats and chocolate to the first lady as parting gifts, said she received tremendous feedback from students, teachers and families. "They said it was a lifetime experience. I don't think I've had so many calls in one hour ever," said Hankin.

"I thought she was wonderful...The room was electric," she continued.

Clinton departed shortly after 10:30 a.m., and then headed to Hofstra University, where she spoke at a health care symposium. To this point, Clinton has yet to declare candidacy.