Nyack Schools Connection - Nov '23

Dear Members and Friends of the Nyack Public School District,

This month, we initiated our multi-year strategic planning process. The purpose of the strategic plan will be to create a shared understanding of our district's future direction and priorities and to align resources and efforts toward achieving our goals. The process is inclusive and aims to engage all stakeholders, including students, staff, families, and community members. The outcome of this process will be the development of a Strategic Roadmap that will build on our strengths and ensure our adaptability while preparing our students for their promising futures. We previously shared a newsletter outlining this process, and opportunities for involvement in sharing your voice. We appreciate the participation of those families who joined us for our World Café on November 28. Your participation in this process is valued and appreciated. Additional sessions will be held for our Spanish-language families on December 14, our Haitian-Creole-language families on January 3, and via Zoom on January 4. See below for details.

I encourage you to participate in our Thought Exchange. We plan to create a one-page document called The Desired Daily Experience (What Ought to Be) that captures the narrative descriptions of our students, family, and staff’s desired daily experiences. We expect these experiences to be visible upon the successful implementation of the strategic plan.This document will also set the foundation for the District Strategic Roadmap (Vision, Mission, Core Values, and Equity Statement), District VisionCard, and District 3-Year Operational Plan.

The upcoming month will provide several opportunities for family engagement. I invite you to see our student performers in action during the various Winter Concerts (dates below), and I encourage you to connect with teachers and staff during our upcoming Parent/Teacher Conferences. Thank you for your continued support for our students.

Susan Yom
Superintendent of Schools
www.nyackschools.org

Facebook: @nyackschools Instagram: @nyackschools

We are pleased to announce that all students enrolled at Nyack Public Schools will be able to receive a FREE breakfast and lunch meal at school beginning on December 1, 2023.
This implementation is a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanding access to the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows eligible schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to offer school meals at no charge to all students. For more details visit our website.

World Language Department Chairperson Dr. Elcie Douce received an Innovative Teaching Grant from the The Rockland Community Foundation to organize a district-wide Festival of Languages and Cultures during National World Language Week in March. Upper Nyack ES hosted a Heritage Day Parade and a special assembly led by the RedHawk Native American Arts Council. Third grade students at Liberty and Upper Nyack learned about Native American art through a “Day in Clay.”

Our community partners, the Outdoor Science Alliance visited fourth graders at all three elementary schools this month for the Learning in the Parks "School Yard Program.” Students (Valley Cottage ES featured here) were asked to think like a scientist as they explored stations. Children used observational skills to develop deeper connections and understandings about rocks, nature, and how scientists explore and categorize objects and species.

Across the district our students and staff are showing their commitment to the community through a variety of outreach activities. Children wrote letters of appreciation to local veterans and crafted uplifting notes to be included in supply bags for the homeless. Our Nyack MS community connected donations to provide care packages for patients at the New York Presbyterian Breast Cancer Center and Nyack HS seniors hosted a special Thanksgiving meal for local senior citizens.

The focus of Superintendent's Conference Day, held on November 7, was supporting English Language Learners (ELLs). Cross-departmental workshops allowed staff to engage in meaningful dialogue, share best practices, and enhance instructional strategies to better support ELLs in the classroom. Afternoon break-out sessions highlighted leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and technology, literacy and classroom management, among others. Thank you to Lizzette Ruiz-Giovinazzi, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and Lucia Pichardo, Director of Bilingual Education and English as a New Language for their work in organizing this thought-provoking day of learning.

Food Service Bid Process Information Meetings were coordinated through Dr. Grace Chan, Assistant Superintendent of Business & Finance, with HMB Consulting and the district’s PR Office with representatives from each school, the District’s Wellness Committee and students together to serve as “ambassadors” to the greater community on this topic. This short-term committee was established to raise awareness and provide transparency on the district's food service bid process. Topics of concern surrounding the district's food service provider and food menus that will be determined via the bid process for 2024 were discussed along with an introduction to NYS and USDA rules & regulations. Desired outcomes from the group were facilitated by HMB Consultants. An FAQ sheet for the general public has been developed from questions and answers that were discussed in these meetings. Webinar recordings of the three dates are also linked to the district website for public view.

Maggie Gershonovitz, NHS School Counselor has received the distinction of Master Counselor from the New York State Master Teacher Program. Master Counselors are educational leaders committed to sharing best practices and creating engaging and inspiring learning environments for all K-12 students as well as support for teacher and counselor preparation programs. This rigorous application process takes more than 18 months to complete and includes recommendations, exams and interviews.

Congratulations to Kathryn Perrella, Speech/Language Teacher at Nyack Middle School on receiving tenure. Ms. Perrella joined the district in November 2019 as a speech-language pathologist. She has also served as a coach for our Nyack Girls Lacrosse program since 2007 and volunteers for a variety of activities in the school community.

Cornelia Fox (Girls Swimming), placed first in both the 200M and 100 Free during the NYSPHSAA championship Sophomore Alex Fox (Girls Swimming) placed eighth in the 500 Free. Cross Country runner Sam Gunther (Cross Country) finished 14th in the NYSPHSAA championship, earning a medal and All-State honors.

Social Studies Teacher Jennifer Lorenzo was selected to work with The Hard History Project and Historic Hudson Valley to participate in “People Not Property,” an interactive documentary about the history of Northern colonial enslavement. Her lesson was one of three selected to be featured nationally.

On November 28, the District hosted a World Café for parents and caregivers to begin the Discover Phase of our District’s Strategic Planning Process. Through small group rounds, parents and caregivers engaged in a focused conversation on three topics: Our Graduate Profile, Curriculum, Instruction, and Social-Emotional Learning & Mental Health. “Hosts” at each table included Board of Education members and staff from the Central Administration Office, bringing people together in a welcoming environment. Through an exchange of ideas and insights, thoughtful reflection for valuing different perspectives was encouraged. Table discussions centered around two questions posed on each topic: What are our strengths? What is our preferred future?

Join Us for an upcoming session:

World Café for Spanish-Language Families,

facilitated in Spanish - December 14 at 6PM, Nyack Center

World Café for Haitian Creole-Language Families

January 3 at 6:30PM, Central Administration Building

Virtual World Café Zoom

January 4 at 12PM or 7PM

Click here for more details on the Strategic Planning Process.

On November 14, Leo Macias, Director of Special Education & Pupil Personnel Services presented to the Board the process for Special Education including student referral, evaluation, recommendation, implementation and modifications. View the entire presentation here.

Tuesday, December 5 at 6:30PM

Location: Nyack Middle School

Agendas available on BoardDocs.

Watch previous board meetings.

In the event of inclement weather, the District will communicate any closures, delays or early releases via our mass communication channels. This includes text messaging, emails and phone calls. Announcements will also be posted to the district website (www.nyackschools.org) as well as social media. For questions about updating contact information, please contact your school’s main office.

Produced in collaboration with the Rockland BOCES Communications Service.