News & Announcements

• Island Park students demonstrate back-to-school bus safety

  Now that the new school year is well underway, students at Island Park’s Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School brushed up on their bus safety knowledge during the morning of Sept. 15. Each class participated in a bus safety drill led by members of the Transportation Department and students gained a full understanding of how to conduct themselves on the bus.

  The program was held in the back lot behind the building, where buses were parked for the purpose of valuable and critical lessons in safety. Students stepped onto the vehicles and were greeted by drivers, just as they are during typical morning pick-ups and afternoon drop-offs.

  After the passengers took their seats and fastened their seatbelts, they were addressed by staff members who stressed the importance of wearing seatbelts properly, remaining seated and behaving appropriately on the bus. They also learned what to do in case of an emergency, and practiced exiting through the back of the bus with assistance from teachers and district transportation staff.

  Island Park Public Schools

• District Audit Committee

  N O T I C E

  District Audit Committee will meet in a Work Session on Monday, October 5, 2016 in the Conference Center

  To discuss the Annual External Audit Report prepared by Abrams & Co., the District's External Auditors at 6:30 pm and Pappas & Co., the District’s Internal Auditors At 7:15 pm

  Marianne DeCicco
  District Clerk

  Island Park Public Schools

• Island Park welcomes nine new staff members

  Island Park Public Schools is pleased to introduce nine new staff members for the 2016-17 school year after welcoming them to the district with an orientation. On Aug. 30, prior to opening day, new staff members met administrators, took a bus tour of the community and heard important presentations about procedures, goals and best practices for instruction.

   

  More information about these most recent members of the Island Park family is provided as follows:

   

  Stacy Berkowitz, English as a New Language Teacher

  ·         Ms. Berkowitz joins the district from Robert Seaman Elementary School in Jericho, where she served as an ENL teacher and also taught at a summer program. She provided differentiated instruction for entering, emerging, transitioning, expanding and commanding students. Ms. Berkowitz earned her Masters Degree in Education from Hofstra University and obtained both her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish Language and Literature and Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development from Binghamton University.

   

  Christina Campanile, Per Diem Substitute Teacher

  ·         For the past two years, Ms. Campanile taught English at the Comunidad De Madrid, a bilingual school for students in grades 1-6. Prior to this role, she she was a summer school and substitute teacher in the Carle Place Union Free School District, with a focus on reading, writing and math instruction. Earlier in her career, Ms. Campanile was a special education teacher in Queens. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Literacy from Adelphi University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology/Special Education from Marist College.

   

  Felicita Carranza, School Social Worker

  ·         Ms. Carranza is familiar to those in the Island Park Schools, having served as a preschool social worker in the district last year. In this capacity, she focused on child development through consultation with classroom teachers, implementation of classroom activities, family support services and other responsibilities. She was previously a preschool social worker for Lifeline Center for Child Development in Queens since 2008. A licensed clinical social worker, Ms. Carranza holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work and Criminal Justice from SUNY Plattsburgh.

   

  Kevin Denis, Teaching Assistant

  ·         Mr. Denis previously student taught U.S. History and Participating in Government classes at Freeport High School and history classes for grades 7-12 at East Rockaway High School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Adolescent Education in Social Studies from East Rockaway High School.

   

  Lydia Landro, Per Diem Substitute Teacher

  ·         Ms. Landro comes to Island Park from the Oceanside School District, where she was an AIS Reading and Math Support teacher at School 5. In this capacity she was responsible for providing remedial support in English Language Arts and math for students in grades 1-6. She previously taught preschool at Little Seashell Nursery School in Island Park and earlier on, taught reading to students in grades 7-9 at Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School. Ms. Landro holds a Master of Science Degree in Reading from Hofstra University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and English from Adelphi University.

   

  Nanette Hill, Universal PreK Teaching Assistant Level II

  ·         Ms. Hill comes to Island Park Schools from the Early Childhood Center at Oceanside Jewish Center, where she served as lead preschool teacher since 2011. Her responsibilities included the creation of classroom curricula and daily lesson plans for enrichment and working with school districts on IEP goals to ensure achievement. Ms. Hill holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Long Island University’s Southampton Campus.

   

  Colleen Hughes, Universal PreK Teaching Assistant Level I

  ·         A childcare provider since 2006, Ms. Hughes most recently worked at the Loving and Learning Educational Daycare in Oceanside where she supervised children and created an adaptable learning environment. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Queens College, City University of New York.

   

  George Schneider, Food Service Manager

  ·         Mr. Schneider has taken on the role of Food Service Manager after having spent nine years working as chef instructor at Star Career Academy in Syosset. He taught culinary arts and prepared students for the food service industry with hands on training. Mr. Schneider was previously an Executive Chef for LSG SkyChefs at JFK Airport, where he planned, organized and supported airline menu preparation, trained staff and implemented initiatives for food production, among other responsibilities. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and has earned a number of awards as a chef and chef instructor.

   

  Marissa Torregrosa, Francis X. Hegarty School Teacher

  ·         Ms. Torregrosa joins the district after most recently serving as an English teacher at P.S. 225 in Brooklyn. She was previously an English teacher at Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Center in Port Ewen, NY, and earlier on, taught to general, inclusion and special education classes in the Enlarged City School District of Middletown. Ms. Torregrosa earned both her Master of Science Degree in Literacy Education and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Adolescent Education: English from SUNY New Paltz.

  Island Park Public Schools

• Island Park Staff Get Ready for a Great Year

  Superintendent’s Conference Day Reviews New Technologies, Procedures, and Relationships that Support Students’ Learning

  Members of the Island Park Public Schools’ administration and staff were filled with enthusiasm on Thursday, Sept. 1, when they joined together for Superintendent’s Conference Day to mark the beginning of a bright new year. The group gathered at Lincoln Orens Middle School, where they had the opportunity to welcome one another back and enjoy refreshments prior to a morning of presentations around important district updates.

  Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rosmarie Bovino greeted the new and returning staff members and thanked them for their efforts in preparing for opening day and dedication to student learning. She introduced Lee Mandel of IntraLogic Solutions (ILS) and Mara Harvey of Lamb & Barnosky legal counsel, who respectively led reports on security features and visitation policies.

  Mr. Mandel discussed the district’s various security innovations, among which is the new Nighthawk surveillance program. This system, fully integrated with the Nassau County Police Department, has installed security cameras throughout district property and is monitored at an ILS facility. ILS can turn on flood lights, talk over loudspeakers and send text and email message alerts in the event of a concern. This eliminates the need to have guards on-site and the cost of overtime during off-hours and weekends, while providing around-the-clock surveillance of school grounds.

  Ms. Harvey reviewed revisions to the district’s visitor policy, noting that all guests will now be required to have an appointment in order to enter a school building. For parents, being contacted by a staff member for an early pick-up or teacher conference qualifies as an appointment. Staff members will be specific in listing a time when coordinating meetings and visits with parents and others who are not employees or students in the district.

  Dr. Bovino focused on ways to keep students engaged in learning throughout the year. She highlighted the use of new technologies to provide students with virtual learning experiences when hands-on exploration is not possible or practical. She emphasized the necessity of teaching students both cognitive and social skills and shared recent research that shows only occupations with consistent wage growth since 2000 are those requiring both types of skills. She suggested teachers organize classroom space as interactive work environments with centers for learning where students plan, problem-solve, and resolve matters together. Emphasis was placed on how and why it is important to teach students to wrestle with ambiguity since this helps them develop and effectively apply critical thinking skills to complex problems that they will face, and to the critical choices they will be forced to make in our rapidly changing world.

  The district looks forward to the exciting and event-filled weeks and months ahead.

  Island Park Public Schools

• Message from Superintendent of Schools

  Dear Parents and Community Members:

  I am writing at this time to make you aware of some important information. First, as you may recall, last year we planned our official opening of the Francis X Hegarty playground but had to postpone it due to the rains and coastal flooding that resulted in the roads becoming impassable. I am happy to announce that we are now ready to have our official opening on Friday, September 23 at 9:30 AM.
  
  See PDF attached…

  • Message from Superintendent of Schools 9-1-16.pdf

  Island Park Public Schools