Community Update - Sept. 1, 2023

A couple of notes about the coming school year:

• You asked, we delivered. All of our elementary schools are now using Pickup Patrol to streamline dismissal procedures and allow parents more flexibility. Please be sure to keep your plan up to date to avoid glitches!!

• Buses, buses, buses. Syosset High School is returning to its pre-pandemic schedule (dismissal at 2:21 pm). But since traffic patterns have been evolving rapidly during the pandemic, we anticipate some challenges – we just won’t know where until we get rolling (see what I did there?). So please be patient with busing for the first few weeks. We’ll be behind the scenes tracking performance data and tweaking routes to make improvements in on-time performance, I promise. We have a new parent guide to busing here.

• As I mentioned at the Board of Education meeting, we were delighted to pilot a student-led initiative to add Halal, Kosher, and Vegan menu items to the food service program at the high school. However, participation dropped off over the course of the year, so we’ll be meeting with students early this Fall to get feedback and suggestions for how to make the program better and more appealing. We know parents of younger students are also interested in these options, so we anticipate a parent meeting after we get the student feedback.

• Elementary schools will be operating on a 6-day cycle. This will provide: more time for English and Physical Education, more cost-efficient use of staff, dedicated time for our new full-time social workers to work proactively with kids, a solution for students being repeatedly pulled for music lessons or special services from the same class, extended time available for special services or enrichment, and a way to avoid Monday classes or services being shortchanged by all the holidays. I know this will be disruptive for staff and parents alike at first, so I appreciate everyone’s patience as we make this change for our kids’ sake.

We’ve been asked to share these updates from other government entities.

• New York State Affordable Connectivity Program – The costs of living in a connected world continue to rise, and access to the Internet is now critical to childhood education. The New York State Department of Education is offering assistance to cut down on the cost of connectivity for families enrolled in the Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch program.
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program – This initiative offers free tax return preparation services to qualifying individuals and families, and helps parents of young children and college students understand the tax credits and benefits they may be eligible to claim when they file a tax return.

• An upgraded ventilation system and some new tile for the high school pool.

• The old tennis courts at the high school grounds were completely refurbished. We had extended the life of the courts as much as we could with patching and painting, so the new courts should be a great way for our boys and girls teams to celebrate the success they have enjoyed of late.

• Both Middle School gyms have new partitions – for safety, outdated folding walls were replaced with curtains. HBT’s gym floor was also beautifully refinished.

• And… the fully renovated South Woods library (it finally has windows!!) is ready for the new school year!

Our Syosset Stars continue to shine even when school’s out!

As I made my last set of rounds this summer, ensuring the buildings would be ready for next Tuesday, I happened upon Syosset’s newest administrator, Principal Clara Kang, holding her introductory staff meeting at Baylis. It was obvious the meeting was already going well when I arrived, but Ms. Kang brought the house down when she read them a letter from 5th grader Adelai Bih, welcoming her new principal and offering some thoughts and suggestions – a perfect example of student agency. Adelai supported her recommendations for our music programs by quoting Finnish composer Jean Sibelius: “Music begins where the possibilities of language end.” Adelai, I give you an A+ for persuasive writing, and an A++ for your kindness to your new principal.

I hope everyone enjoys your last weekend of summer fun. We will see you bright and early Tuesday.

#SyoStarts

Tom Rogers