|
|
|
 Dear
Web Guests,
Welcome to the West Islip schools. We are a community that
values and recognizes the central role that schools play. West
Islip features a strong academic program with a balanced
literacy program at the elementary schools, two middle schools
that are team based, and a high school with a rich array of
electives to meet the needs and challenges for all students. Our
district is known for its outstanding athletic and music
programs, as well as a variety of courses at the college level
including advanced placement program courses, the International
Baccalaureate program, and college credit courses through the
Syracuse University Project Advance program and Adelphi
University.
I plan to continue my regular schedule of open office hours on a
monthly basis. Thank you to the many parents, staff, and
students who took advantage of open office hours this past year
to share concerns, ideas, and issues in a constructive and
thoughtful manner. The
dates and times are posted on the web site. My September
dates are as follows: Tuesday, September 20 from 7:30-9:00 a.m.
and on Wednesday, September 21 from 2:30-5:30 p.m.
Thank you to our maintenance, custodial, and secretarial staff
who worked over the summer to prepare our schools for opening
day. They have done an outstanding job of cleaning the schools
and compiling the extensive materials required for a smooth and
successful opening. In addition, a special thank you to Mr.
James Bosse and Ms. Sue Huscilowitc for facilitating the
installation of two hundred new SmartBoards, giving each of our
primary instructional spaces this new and exciting tool.
As I begin my second year as your superintendent, we are facing
a number of challenges that must be addressed. Specifically, we
are in the process of revising our teacher and principal
evaluation system to reflect the new state requirements that
make student performance 40% of each evaluation. We are also
about to begin the training that selected staff will need to
implement the new state requirement that each school has a Data
Inquiry Team. I am also working closely with our business office
to project the impact of the new tax cap legislation and the
implications for the 2012-13 budget. Related to this is the
ongoing work of the district’s Study Group that has been
exploring long-term enrollment trends and projections and
evaluating a variety of different options to make the structure
of the district more efficient. In short, we all have a lot on
our plates this year.
By working together-parents, students, staff, and community
members-we will address the challenges we face, always keeping
in mind our district’s mission and the importance of providing
the best possible program for all of our students. Have a
wonderful year.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Simon
|
|
