We are proud to announce the official opening of our UPK Center at Kellum. In partnership with Just Kids Early Learning, our district is able to offer the maximum amount of families (291) access to Universal PreK in the fall of 2025. My hope is that this honors and extends the work that all teachers did this year in prioritizing early literacy practices, such as the inclusion of Heggerty, a phonemic awareness curriculum, in our elementary literacy blocks, as well as emphasizing the importance of cultivating necessary social skills post-COVID. This continued partnership will also promote articulation between our homeschools and our PreK center while providing access to amenities such as the gymnasium, the cafeteria, and so much more.

This year, six classroom teachers across the district, with support from our Academic Intervention Services (AIS) Math Specialists, took part in a pilot program for the Eureka Squared Mathematics curriculum. This initiative allowed us to evaluate Eureka Squared's curriculum and gather feedback from those who implemented it. Following a review of feedback, the 2024-2025 Math Committee decided to continue using the Envisions Mathematics program as our core instructional program. Local survey data and professional development helped determine that Envisions best aligns with our district's instructional goals and meets the needs of our students and teachers. Classroom teachers and AIS Math Specialists will receive training in the Envisions program throughout the upcoming school year. This training will be provided at both the district and school levels, offering support and opportunities for professional development. Our goal is to ensure all teachers are fully aware of the new Envisions curriculum components to effectively meet student needs.

In addition to training six AIS Reading Specialists across the district in the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching reading, at the Kindergarten level, AIS Reading Specialists implemented a phonemic awareness screener that was previously approved through the district reading committee. Implementing this screener at the beginning of the year allowed teachers to see to what extent kindergarteners started the year with an understanding of phonemic awareness. Since the screener was administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the year, teachers also used it to gauge student progress in phonemic awareness and guide their structured literacy groups accordingly throughout the year. This is in line with the guidance from the NYSED Science of Reading Literacy Briefs and also the NYSED PreK-3 Literacy Best Practices document.

At the sixth grade level, our reading committee also created a sixth grade AIS Reading push-in/pull-out model with sixth grade ELA teachers. This model aims to boost learning for struggling readers by offering flexibility for the Instructional Support Team and enhancing resource allocation. The push-in/pull-out small-group model supports students and teachers, fostering inclusivity in literacy and reducing instructional segmentation. It allows students to seamlessly apply new skills in class, thereby reinforcing learning. Additionally, it promotes collaboration between Reading Specialists and English teachers. We look forward to the implementation of this model in the 25-26 school year.

In addition to the distribution of several prestigious scholarship awards, our high school students have also earned some of the following distinctions:

AP Scholars- 20

AP Scholars with Honors- 8

AP Scholars with Distinction- 22

AP Seminar and Research Certificate- 15

AP Capstone Award- 13

College Board National Recognition Award- 8

With an impressive 2025 graduation rate of 96%, our high school scholars are notably on their way to competitive universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, West Point US Military Academy, and the University of South Carolina.

What's more, in 2025-2026, we will debut new courses such as Advanced Placement African American Studies and Career and Financial Management.

The Office of Technology and Innovation will offer ClearTouch training in addition to training two ClearTouch Learning Leaders in each building. Their role will be to turnkey their new learning and experiences with the building staff.

Ms. Jessica Gruttola will also return during the 25-26 school year to support new elementary teachers with guided/structured reading, as we want to make sure that we all remain current in the best practices and latest research in literacy instruction. 

Our district's New Teacher Boot Camp, as well as our revised mentoring program, has also been solidified for the upcoming school year.