The South Orangetown Central School District’s Board of Education is actively engaged in a series of workshops during the 2019 – 2020 school year as part of their bi-monthly meetings. At these workshops, the Board of Education discusses those aspects of our educational system that relate to student readiness. The Board of Education held its first workshop on September 19, and our inaugural topic addressed visioning and goal setting. At this workshop, we concluded that any conversation about our aspirations for our students must begin with our deep commitment to ELEVATE, ENGAGE, and INSPIRE our students by building a culture of:
- High expectations where students will possess the knowledge and skills that will prepare them for a variety of post-graduation options (ELEVATE)
- Healthy, productive, and supportive relationships between students, staff, families, and the community (ENGAGE)
- Equitable access to opportunities for students and staff to pursue their full potential as responsible citizens and lifelong learners (INSPIRE)
The five focus areas of our strategic plan serve as a framework for our workshop topics. For example, our workshop topic on October 17 addressed how we, as a community, can better address students’ overall social-emotional and physical safety. Our workshops are scheduled from 7:00 to 9:30 PM at the South Orangetown Middle School, and the topics are:
- September 19: Visioning and Goal Setting
- October 17: Environmental Health, Social, Emotional Safety, and Physical Safety
- November 21: Climate, Culture, and an Engaged School Community
- January 23: Effective and Relevant Curricula, Student Learning and Performance, Experiential Learning Opportunities
- February 27: Professional Development and Staff Relations
- March 24: Budget Development and Strategic Plan Alignment
As we meet during the year, we will keep the community informed as to our progress on our website. Thank you for your continued support of our children.