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BELLMORE HERALD LIFE — 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
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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.
Big curricular changes on tap for Bellmore-Merrick The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District is introducing two new magnet programs in 2015-16, as well as redesigning its Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program, according to David Seinfeld, the assistant superintendent for instruction. The Central District already has two magnet programs — in drama and cosmetology — both of which are housed at Calhoun High School in North Merrick. They draw students from all three Central high schools, which in addition to Calhoun include Kennedy in Bellmore and Mepham in North Bellmore. The new magnet programs — in broadcast journalism and culinary arts —will also take in students from all three high schools. The broadcast journalism program will be housed at Mepham and culinary arts at
Kennedy. Each of the new programs, Seinfeld said, will begin preparing students for careers as broadcast journalists or chefs. Students will start the multi-year programs in ninth grade. Thirty-five to 40 students have signed up for culinary arts and 25 for broadcast journalism, Seinfeld said. Curricula were written over the summer. Each of the two programs will feature internships, and each will go beyond basics. Culinary arts, for example, will also look at the business side of running a restaurant, in addition to meal preparation and nutrition. The Central District is working to replace its Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program, which is a national program/curriculum developed by a non-profit organization in partnership with corporations, with one developed by the Central District, with input
by the district’s engineering, physics, math and art teachers. Previously, PTLW had a single engineering class — Principles of Engineering — which students took in 10th grade. Now students in the program will first take Foundations of Engineering in 10th grade, followed by Principles of Engineering in 11th grade. School officials said students needed a deeper background in key engineering concepts before they enrolled in the more math-intensive Principles of Engineering. In 12th grade, pre-engineering students will take digital electronics. Students are selected for the PTLW program in eighth grade based on teacher recommendations and grades. Roughly 40 students per high school participate. At the same time, the Central District is preparing to introduce new state-mandated
Common Core Regents courses in English and Algebra II. Districts across the state started offering Common Core Regents in Algebra I and Geometry over the past two years. And the district will introduce a new research program in English classes for all students in grades seven to 12, for which students will be expected to write thesis papers similar to those required by colleges. As far as electives, the district is offering a new Music Theory class, in which students will learn guitar and piano.
New superintendent at the helm in East Meadow East Meadow and Salisbury students will notice two major changes upon returning to school on Sept. 2: a new superintendent, and the implementation of full-day kindergarten. Continued on page S-3