by SOCSD Communications | Sep 9, 2016 | Bob Pritchard's Active Files
All of us at the South Orangetown Central School District are excited to begin the new school year and we look forward to being part of your child’s educational journey.
As a community, we are driven to ensure that each of our students reaches his or her full potential by adhering to the motto of the South Orangetown Central School District, “Together we can.” To this end, we are committed to:
- Promoting academic success for all students by ensuring equitable access to rigorous curriculum, aligned instructional materials, and meaningful assessments that guide instructional practice.
- Developing and retaining a team of highly-qualified staff through recruitment and professional development.
- Improving communications by building partnerships, implementing a variety of media tools, and developing meaningful family and community engagement strategies.
- Ensuring the health and welfare of our students and staff by strengthening the foundation of a district culture that is responsive to the social, emotional, and physical safety needs of every person.
- Developing the instructional support infrastructure that leverages technology, operations, and business services while being mindful of financial constraints.
It is important that all parents and community members get involved and stay involved throughout the school year. As a family or community member with children at home, you can help your student(s) by learning more about what each should know and be able to do by the end of the grade-level in which he or she is currently enrolled. This can be accomplished by asking open-ended questions about what your child learned in school that day, reviewing their homework, and attending school events to learn more about what their teachers expect.
The SOCSD team is available to address any questions you may have about our school district and/or how we may better serve our students. Our collaborative efforts and partnerships will ensure that our children grow and succeed. Have a great year and, as always, contact me if I can be of any assistance.
View Dr. Pritchard’s video welcome message.
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Apr 6, 2016 | Bob Pritchard's Active Files, Updates
At the South Orangetown Central School District, we are incredibly excited at the progress that our students have made in the past year. As a school district, we have a responsibility to ensure that their progress continues for the upcoming school year and beyond. Through the school budget process, we have formulated the spending plan for the 2016 – 2017 school year. It is through this process that we build an education program that prepares our students for unlimited opportunities for success. This process also illustrates the difficult choices that we must make when faced with the reality that we are dealing with limited resources. With this in mind, there are several features of the proposed 2016 – 2017 budget that voters should consider prior to the May 17 referendum.
The first feature of the proposed budget is that our Board of Education is planning for a school budget that ensures that the tax levy does not exceed the legally prescribed “Tax Cap.” With voter support, the Board of Education will calculate a tax payment that is based on a 0.2% increase in the tax levy. This tax levy will support a modest increase in school spending of 0.8% and reserves any unspent funds toward future tax stabilization and preservation of publicly owned assets.
The second, and most important, feature of the proposed 2016 – 2017 school budget is that it maintains all academic, curricular, and co-curricular opportunities for our students. The quality of student learning will continue to improve given we, as a district, provide high-quality instructional events, focus on student perseverance, and enhance family engagement at every grade level. This budget is designed to accomplish all of these things…and more.
Lastly, we will continue to invest in our students by preparing them to be productive, 21st Century citizens. Our District will continue to emphasize creativity though the arts and humanities along with (and as part of) traditional skills development in the areas of mathematics, technology, engineering, and physical/social sciences. Our students will continue to benefit from courses that emphasize literacy, analytical and critical thinking, synthesis, and quantitative skills through project-based learning. I am proud to live and work in a community that supports our culture of innovation and strongly values those skills that students will need in order to thrive as productive and happy citizens in a global economy.
In summary, we are confident that the proposed 2016 – 2017 budget will position our school district for continued investment in student growth going forward while being mindful of the fiscal pressures on our taxpayers. Thank you in advance for your participation in this very important process and please remember to vote on Tuesday, May 17, 2017.
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Mar 25, 2016 | Bob Pritchard's Active Files
Last week, I wrote that spring is the season of renewal and hope. I am hopeful that this is a time of year when our students (with the help of their families and SOCSD staff) will reexamine their personal and academic goals. As part of this self-reflection, I would encourage each of our students to consider how community service, or “service towards others” fits into their overall life-plan (younger students may need assistance from an adult with this exercise, but it really is never too early to establish the practice of goal setting and “perspective taking”).
When young men and women are encouraged to “step outside of themselves” and consider how their actions may impact upon the lives of others in a positive way, each can strengthen his or her own sense of “collective self.” This is important since most children are developmentally predisposed towards a strong sense of their “individual selves” …that’s a good thing – we want students who will have a strong sense of their own identity who can be uniquely vital to the world. Beyond this, however, community service can improve how our students connect to the world around them, and put into action what it truly means to be an American and a global citizen.
Most, if not all, of our fifth grade students at Cottage Lane Elementary School can recite the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and each understands how aspiring towards the “common good” can influence society. In this context, here are the benefits of community service as framed by our Founders:
- Development of collaborative problem-solving skills (vital in today’s workplace and society towards forming a more perfect union – both global and domestic).
- A society where people have a shared responsibility towards justice and domestic tranquility.
- Protection from harm and a feeling of safety – through the common defense of all its nation’s people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or identity.
- Communities that are stronger and healthier (where people value and promote each other’s general welfare).
- The blessings of liberty are secured, not just for ourselves, but also for future generations.
If you would like to know more about how to include service to others as part of a healthy lifestyle for you and your family, please visit The Corporation for National and Community Service’s website at: http://www.nationalservice.gov/ .
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Mar 17, 2016 | Bob Pritchard's Active Files
In his poem [in Just-], E.E. Cummings describes the season of springtime as “puddle wonderful.” In anticipation of the upcoming Spring Recess and in recognition of the first day of Spring, I hope that each of you are also feeling the joy that is associated with the renewal of nature.
This past week, I had the privilege of seeing our Tappan Zee High School production of the musical comedy, The Producers. Many hours of hard work were spent by our students and staff preparing for this event. In addition to the many talented performances by our actors, the set-design, costumes, and pit-band were also top-notch. Beyond this, I am proud of all of our students who were able to rise above the controversy that was playing out in the press and in social media concerning some of the symbols that were used in the play. On that note, it was visibly obvious to the hundreds of audience members that 1.) the play was not censored and was performed in the manner intended by the playwright and 2.) that the students took great care in presenting the imagery in a manner that was respectful to the audience and the larger community. In the final analysis, it was an evening of great entertainment for anyone who had the pleasure of watching the work of our talented students.
Another significant event this week was the Maker Faire, held on Wednesday night in the Tappan Zee High School Cafeteria. The space was packed with students of all grade-levels who were eager to display their work in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). We were all fascinated by feats of student scientific discovery as witnessed by projects in robotics, computer programming, astronomy, computer-aided design, hydraulic engineering, and electronics…to name a few examples. Each year, the number of students participating in this event grows in size, and I have come to the realization that next year, we’re going to need a bigger venue.
Perhaps the most inspiring springtime event, in any school district, is Kindergarten Registration and Orientation. This past Tuesday and Wednesday we had a significant turnout of families getting their young ones registered for the 2016-17 kindergarten cohort at William O. Shaefer Elementary School. We have been able to streamline this registration process using our new online student registration system, Infosnap. While it was great to see so many families registering their youngsters, we know that there are still more families that have yet to register. If you have a child who will be eligible for kindergarten in September 2016, please contact the Main Office at William O. Shaefer as soon as possible – don’t wait.
We are looking forward to giving our school buildings a good “spring cleaning” while the students are on Spring Recess next week. Hopefully, each of you will have the opportunity to spend time with loved-ones and be able to enjoy the first signs of “puddle wonderful” Spring. Have a safe and enjoyable break and I am looking forward to seeing you all when we return on March 30, 2016.
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Mar 10, 2016 | Bob Pritchard's Active Files
The most important consideration towards accomplishing our stated mission is the health and safety of our students, staff, and other members of our school community. Here are the strategies that we intend to pursue toward this aim in the current year (short-term), next year (near-term), and in the next 3-5 years (long-term):
Strategy 1 Promote standards-based school counseling and mental health programs to promote student success and to integrate social, health and other services through interagency collaboration.
- Short-term: Develop a School/Community Health Task Force to create a strong Community Schools model as identified by the Coalition for Community Schools.
- Short-term: Community Schools grant through 21C to extend learning time and integrate student and family services.
- Near-term: Conduct a counseling program evaluation and align practice with national standards.
- Long-term:The SOCSD Health Agenda 2021 will address eight components of coordinated school health: nutrition, mental health services, physical activity, direct health services, family/community/staff involvement in healthy activities, safe and healthy learning environments, mental health wraparound teams and support.
Strategy 2 Improve security and prevention efforts to ensure students, staff and visitors are secure while on District campuses.
- Short-term: School site emergency plans reviewed and exercised annually.
- Short-term: Partnerships with law enforcement, Rockland County Emergency Management and Rockland BOCES will be continued to provide well-coordinated prevention and response systems.
- Near-term/Long-term: Upgrades to existing physical plant as a result of Building Condition Survey and 5-Year Capital Plan.
Strategy 3 Implement behavioral interventions and conduct a climate survey to identify areas of student risk.
- Short-term: Using resources from the National School Climate Center (NSCC), SOCSD DLT and BLTs will set in motion a school community-wide process of understanding specific strengths and needs, and further improvement efforts concerning SCHOOL CLIMATE. The Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI) is a multi-dimensional needs assessment that provides immediate feedback on how each population perceives the school environment. The findings are presented in a customized report that includes concrete data, easy-to-read graphs and presentation tools. This detailed report aids in the analysis process, encourages collaborative dialogue, and supports the creation of an action plan to address specific issues within the school.
- Near-term: NSCC provides a full range of support materials and on-staff guidance to schools as they work through the process to ensure success.The full CSCI section can be viewed at: http://www.schoolclimate.org/index.php/programs/csci/, and you will find sample surveys, research details, and report information here.
- Long-term and Continuous Action Planning in the areas of:
- Physical Safety
- Social-Emotional Safety
- Support for Learning
- Social & Civic Learning
- Respect for Diversity
- Social Support—Adults & Students
- School Connectedness/Engagement
- Physical Surroundings
- Leadership and Professional Relationships
- Social Media
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Mar 3, 2016 | Bob Pritchard's Active Files
This year, our staff and community have focused their collective attention on “Fostering a Respectful Learning Environment.” Indeed, this is a broadly defined goal and has prompted many of us to “dig deeper” towards a better understanding of what each of our responsibilities are towards promoting schools where all of us feel safe and respected.
Related to this feeling of safety and positive social-emotional well-being is the concept of “school climate.” The National School Climate Center (NSCC) states that, “a sustainable, positive school climate fosters youth development and learning necessary for a productive, contributing and satisfying life in a democratic society.” Further, the NSCC illustrates that a positive school climate includes:
- Norms, values and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe.
- People are engaged and respected.
- Students, families and educators work together to develop, live and contribute to a shared school vision.
- Educators model and nurture attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction gained from learning.
- Each person contributes to the operations of the school and the care of the physical environment.
In the weeks ahead, we will be asking for help towards assisting us in gaining a better understanding of our School Climate and how we can take measures to better ensure that our students and staff feel safe and supported. In the meantime, I would encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the “NSCC 12 Dimensions of School Climate” that we will be using to frame our discussion and future actions at: NSCC 12 Dimensions of School Climate .
