RIDER REPORT

Ichabod Crane would not be the district it is today without prioritizing partnerships within the district and the communities that surround us.

We believe in open and reciprocal communication. We involve our students, staff, families, Board of Education and community members through various communication channels to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the enhancement of student academic achievement and emotional well-being.

Recently, we began the release of our anonymous climate survey to ICC students, families and staff. The goal of this survey is to gather high-quality school climate data from multiple perspectives.

We also continue to foster collaborations and partnerships with local institutions to promote student academic success and well-being, and district improvement. Notably, we recently partnered with Columbia-Greene Community College (CGCC) to introduce a four-credit CGCC automotive course this September in the STEAM Wing in the High School.

During the first two months of school, our students excelled in many areas, including academics, the performing arts, social-emotional learning, athletics and more. A group of our Primary School students were recognized for exemplifying the important character trait of acceptance, while more than 20 students in the Middle and High Schools were named Riders of the Month.

We are incredibly grateful for all of our partners, who help make Ichabod Crane a place where all students are able to find their individual path to success.

Articles in this edition:

• New College-Level Automotive Course at the High School

• Spotlight on our new Teaching Assistants

• Introducing the Primary School’s Book Mobile

• Climate Survey Seeks Multiple Perspectives

• What’s Next in November

• #ICYMI

The High School now offers Introduction to Automotive Repair (AU 128), which is a Columbia-Greene Community College course being taught in our STEAM Wing.

Thanks to a strong partnership with Columbia-Greene, nine ICC students are enrolled in AU 128 for college credit. The course is taught by Joseph Zink, one of the district’s technology teachers. Upon successful completion, our students will earn four credits through CGCC’s College in the High School Program (CIHS).

“Partnerships, like the one with Columbia-Greene, ensure our students have access to a wide array of courses that align with their interests and passions,” High School Principal Craig Shull said. “I am so grateful to the team at CGCC for all their hard work bringing AU 128 to our High School. We know how important and insightful it is to expose our students to topics they are interested in so they can make informed decisions about what path to follow after graduation.”

The completion of the STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics) Wing in September 2022 provided the district the infrastructure needed to bring this college-level course to our High School, as well as new courses in metals, robotics and beginner programming.

In a recent Introduction to Automotive Repair class, our students worked with tire machines. Mr. Zink guided them as they removed the tires from the vehicle, which was suspended in the air on a lift.

ICC senior Scott Bertram said he values the opportunity to learn more about automotive repair, a topic that interests him, before college. If he does decide to pursue the field, he will have the advantage of four college credits upon successful completion of the course.

“I really like the course,” Scott Bertram said. “It is very interactive and hands-on.”

Our Primary School’s Book Mobile embarked on its very first journey in October to deliver books to future Lil Riders so they can participate in the district’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program.

Our Book Mobile is making it more accessible for families to join our program that encourages families to read 1,000 books to their newborns, infants and toddlers before they enter kindergarten. Enrolled participants can now borrow books from the Book Mobile or choose to pick up books at the Primary School.

“The Book Mobile idea came from our Literacy Event Planning Committee. We wanted to engage more families and thought what better way than to bring the books to them,” Primary School Principal Andrea Williams said. “We value the importance of reading to and with your child. Research supports the importance of reading as early as when the child is in the womb for many reasons, including to promote a love of reading."

The Book Mobile’s next trip is today (November 1)! A group from the Primary School will head out into the community with bags full of books for our littlest bookworms.📚🐛

One of our newest Lil Riders, Victor, completed the program before he started kindergarten this fall. What an amazing accomplishment!🌟📚

For more information about this program, please call the PS Main Office, 518-758-7575 ext 6002.

ICCSD recently contacted students, parents/guardians and staff in the district, asking them to complete a brief, anonymous survey designed to gather essential input regarding school climate.

This optional survey was created by the U.S. Department of Education and subsequently endorsed by the New York Education Department. We last administered this survey in the fall of the 2019-2020 school year.

The goal of the survey is to gather high-quality school climate data to better understand the perceptions of our students, staff and parents/guardians. This allows us to monitor progress, make data-driven decisions, involve stakeholders and adapt to shifting needs related to school climate.

School climate measures are intended to help identify local needs, support and inform future planning and track progress toward improvement.

District goals related to school climate data gathering include:

• Improving school safety

• Promoting students’ physical and mental health and well-being

• Nutrition education, healthy eating and physical fitness

• Preventing and reducing substance use

• Preventing school violence

• Preventing harassment and bullying

• Strengthening family and community engagement

Input from our students, parents/guardians and staff is crucial in creating a comprehensive overview of student engagement, school environment and school safety perceptions.

Parents will receive the link to take the survey in the next few days. The survey closes on November 13.

• November 7 – No School (Superintendent Conference Day) and Election Day
• November 7 – Board of Education Regular Monthly Meeting
• November 9 – Go Home Early Drill
• November 14 – Hudson Valley Community College Instant Admission Day, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Counseling Center
• November 15 – Columbia-Greene Community College Instant Admission Day, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Counseling Center
• November 16 and 17 – Early Dismissal K-8
• November 22-24 – Thanksgiving Recess, No School
• November 30 to December 3 – All-State Music Festival in Rochester

Dates, times and locations are subject to change.