Bts ii central

Page 1

A

S P E C I A L

S U P P L E M E N T

O F

T H E

H E R A L D

C O M M U N I T Y

N E W S P A P E R S

S-1

LONG BEACH HERALD — August 27, 2015

August 27, 2015

Back-To-School

New Beginnings ¨¸½ÄÄÁÈ ¾Ã ¶¸É¾Äà What to expect for the 2015-16 school yearr By THE HERALD STAFF

A A

nother school year approaches. And, as always, administrators and faculty welcome students back with great expectations. Once again, here's the Herald’s annual look at what’s ahead for the new school year.

Tech-savvy in Baldwin Baldwin schools will be going high-tech this year with the launch of a new website and the opening of a real, working TV studio at the high school. The website will be formally unveiled to the school board on Sept. 9. Academics and extracurricular activities will be highlighted, but the site will also offer a number of new features, including translations into languages besides English and ways for parents to sign up for notifications about topics ranging from the superintendent’s blog to emergency information. In addition, free mobile apps available from Google or iTunes will be available. A section on Baldwin by the Numbers will provide users with statistics on Baldwin students, such as graduation rates and Regents diplomas, while parents will be able to register for a customized view based on the schools their child attends. Changes are coming academically, too. In the

high school, where the Career Academy is well under way, officials have created 12 new courses for students next year. These courses are electives but they will be rigorous and are intended to challenge students at the college–level. Among them: radiology, financial literacy, college-level psychology and Advanced Placement art history. Most of the courses are for college credit through accredited universities, including Syracuse University and Molloy College. Middle-schoolers are also included in the academic updates. A new ninth-grade bridge program will begin this fall to help ensure the success of future high-schoolers. It looks to identify and provide support to students who may need extra help adjusting to the rigors of high school. These students may see a restructuring of their classes, such as taking biology instead of the more traditional earth sciences, and different electives to further engage them and enhance their leadership skills.

A new middle school Pre-Academy Program, which takes a cue from the high school’s Career Academy is an enrichment program for eighth-graders that will lead into the Career Academy. School will begin at 8:05 a.m. for students, who can opt to take a Pre-Academy class in ninth period. Offerings include public speaking, improvisation, robotics and computer coding. Students who opt out of the PreAcademy program, but who are waiting for athletics or club meetings to begin, may attend a supervised Homework Center. The call of “Lights! Camera! Action!” will resound at Baldwin High with the launch of the new TV studio opening in September. Still under construction, a rib

bon-cutting is planned for the end of the month and the studio will be the foundation for the New Media Academy proposed for Fall 2016.

Curriculum enhancements and renovations in Freeport The Freeport School District is expanding programs this school year to include three new Advanced Placement courses and electives in social studies and technology.The District has also expanded classes for special needs and ELL students. The renovation of the 950-seat auditorium at Freeport High School is now complete. The air-condi-

Continued on page S-3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.