MEET THE BAUMANN SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS
SCHOOLS
Bedford Central School District
090100 Looking forward to curriculum innovations, bond referendum
More meaningless blather from
Bruce Dennis
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
The Bedford Central Schools are gearing up for the start of another exciting year. Staffing at all seven of the district schools is just about completed, and we are looking forward to welcoming an anticipated enrollment of almost 3,900 students, the largest in over 20 years, along with over 35 new faculty when school begins in September.
Unlike last summer, when major construction projects were going on all over the district, this summer is much quieter from a facilities standpoint, even though various maintenance projects, painting and other activities have been going on throughout the district since school closed in June. Although July and August were somewhat quieter from a facilities stand-point, our Summer Academy completed its third and most successful summer, serving over 300 children in expanded programs, including elementary, middle and high school ESL classes and preparation of at-risk students for their upcoming English-Language Arts Assessments.
As we face the opening of school, we are excited about a number of initiatives and special projects:
Our district Facilities Advisory Committee has been meeting throughout the spring and summer to meet the board of education's charge of evaluating our high school and other buildings, and recommending a plan to deal with an anticipated
40 percent enrollment increase. The board of education met in July to begin its discussion of district goals for 2000-01, one of which is to bring before the voters a bond referendum proposal in January or February of 2001. Much of the district's activities this fall will be devoted to preparing for this important project.
We will be piloting a new dual language program for 40 kindergarten students at Mount Kisco Elementary School. Throughout the coming year, approximately 20 native Spanish-speaking kindergartners and 20 speakers of English will receive instruction in both English and Spanish, through a curricular approach that will promote second language literacy for both groups.
After a year of extensive "Phase One" planning last year, Fox Lane Middle School will begin a change to a graded structure this September, as eighth-graders are grouped separately for the first time. Students in grades 6 and 7 will continue in their multi-age classes this year, until the transition to a fully "graded" school is completed in the fall of 2001.
For the first time, all Fox Lane Middle School sixth-graders will participate in a special computer course related to the district's technology competencies. This new program will ensure students' ability to make maximum educational use of the district's extensive- technology. tic athletic program, involving Fox Lane Middle School will interested seventh- and eighth-also be implementing the first graders in interscholastic sports. year of a modified interscholas- For more details about this, please check out the athletic department's new Web site, www.newyork.ihigh.corn/foxIane. District staff will be embarking on a K-12 evaluation of our health education program, under the leadership of Tom Caione, the director of physical education, health, and athletics, and David Abbey, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
A new elementary science council will be established, as the final phase in the completion of our K-5 science curriculum. Headed by elementary consulting teacher Susan Taylor, the committee will focus its efforts on the continued development of instructional units and assessments, as well as on the creation of imbedded staff development for the teachers.
As part of other district-wide technology initiatives, third-grade classrooms in all five elementary schools will be wired for Internet access, and all fourth- and fifth-grade class-rooms will be receiving new computers. The high school's Mac lab will also be receiving new computers with expanded capacity, and six new "COWS" (Computers On Wheels) will be available for use by teachers in all high school departments.
On the special education front, Assistant Superintendent Carol Franks-Randall will be leading district staff in piloting a new set of pre-referral strategies to ensure that all students receive appropriate services.
The development of a K-12 conflict resolution curriculum will also be on our agenda, following up on recommendations from last year's District Safety Committee. On a related matter, sixth-graders at Fox Lane Middle School will all be involved in a two-week diversity/tolerance-training program developed under the leadership of social studies teacher Betsy Guardenier.
Led by Kevin Dirth, the district's director of visual and per-forming arts, K-12 art and music teachers will continue their work on curriculum development and addressing new state standards.
David Abbey, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will continue working with a parent and faculty committee studying gifted education in the district, with a final report and recommendations to be presented to the board of education in January.
Expanded opportunities for honors and advanced placement coursework will exist for students at Fox Lane High School as the number of these courses increases by over a third in the coming school year.
The Superintendent's Equity Task Force will continue its work to ensure that all students in the district have an opportunity to avail themselves of the curricular and co-curricular benefits that are available.
A district Elementary Report Card Committee, headed by Dr. Abbey, antic'pates the completion of its work by June, and the implementation of a new K-5 report card in September 2001.