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Riverhead Area School Info / RASI Social Enterprise
Ideas on education
Community organizing Riverhead Area School Info
is a project of Wilderside, Ltd.

Riverhead Area School Info is a Social Enterprise devoted to using information and the mommies’ network to improve schools and make your child’s learning experience happier. We will apply various strategies of research, public speaking, individual student advocacy, whistle-blowing, and more to help improve Riverhead Central School
District. We will support parents who choose public school, private school, homeschool, or other alternatives to serve their children's learning.

Celebrate Language Diversity!Tuesday, January 23rd. Riverhead School District Board Meeting.Do you believe that public m...
13/01/2024

Celebrate Language Diversity!
Tuesday, January 23rd. Riverhead School District Board Meeting.

Do you believe that public meetings should be available in key languages for the entire student body and wider school community to understand?

Bring yourself (and a friend) to the meeting to share your concerns, hopes, and dreams for the school district in both Spanish and English.

Dear Community Members:

Some of you may know that people in our Riverhead Central School District community have been asking to have the school board meetings simultaneously translated into Spanish for a long time. Riverhead RASi learned of that effort last year. And, as a school board candidate, Riverhead RASi Coordinator, Kimberly Wilder, made it an issue throughout her campaign last April and May.

We believe at some meetings -- according to anticipated need and the topic -- the district has had Spanish translators available. Though, we are asking for more support, visibility, and consistency to ensure that students and parents whose first language is Spanish are empowered to make decisions and share concerns with school leaders.

Riverhead RASi went to the January 9th meeting to underscore the need for simultaneous, Spanish translation. Kimberly Wilder “translated herself” by making comments in Spanish first and then in English*

Thanks to previous community efforts and thanks to RASi's efforts, we were pleased to find that there was a school district teacher at the back of the BOE meeting available for parents who wanted translation. This is a good sign!

Our efforts now include:

- Making sure there is always a qualified Spanish Language translator at school board meetings

- Making sure the district announces this availability widely to invite community members to attend and participate at meetings

- And, asking the Riverhead Central School District to consider if they can put immediate Spanish subtitles on the broadcast video or to simultaneously broadcast in Spanish on the video. (Since the beginning of the pandemic restrictions, most people participate in school board meetings from home via video.)

We want to continue to encourage the school district to strengthen all avenues for outreach to the Spanish Language community.

To that end...and in celebration of more and more access for everyone in the community...

Riverhead RASi is inviting, encouraging, and celebrating everyone who can join us at the BOE meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd. And, no matter which languages you usually speak or are fluent in, please try to present in English and Spanish. (Just like Ms. Wilder did, you can prepare comments and have a friend help you translate and/or coach you on the presentation!)

Please do save the date and join us at the Riverhead School Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd. The meeting is sketched in on the school calendar, and details and location should be up on the website moving closer to the date. Riverhead RASi will provide updates. (The meeting is often at the high school, and usually opens to the public at 7pm.)

The school will post details of the school board meeting on the school website: riverhead.net Look for the tab that says “BOE” and then “BOE Meeting Info”: Here. https://go.boarddocs.com/ny/rcsd/Board.nsf/Public

Kind regards,
Kimberly Wilder
Coordinator, Riverhead Area School Info/Riverhead RASi,
a project of Wilderside, Ltd.

*The comments Ms. Wilder wrote in English were translated into Spanish with help from a friend who speaks Spanish, and some in-person and technological coaching of Ms. Wilder’s rudimentary Spanish skills. You can do it, too!

______________________________________

Board of Education - Meeting Agendas and Minutes

20/09/2023

Kimberly writes: At a Riverhead School football game, some Riverhead students used racial slurs towards younger children. This issue is being discussed widely in our community and the media. We are glad that the family of the young students has been vocal about resolving the situation. As concerned parents and education advocates, Riverhead RASi would like to take this teachable moment to remind everyone that school district's have "DASA / Dignity for All Students" forms which parents can fill out when bullying happens. Using your school's DASA forms and their process for filing it will help NY State and your district keep track of bullying incidents. It can also help to activate resources at your school to help your child. We support the bravery and effort of the Riverhead family for bringing the current issue to the community. Though, we wanted to share this additional path to justice which any student who is being bullied can use. The information and forms for Riverhead Central School District are here:

*
https://www.riverhead.net/parents-students/dasa/

*

https://www.riverhead.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/013019_DASA_form_for_website.pdf

*

https://www.riverhead.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/013019_DASA_form_for_websitespanish.pdf

*

16/07/2023

Happy Summer! Riverhead School students are enaged with a variety of offerings from the school district. I hope your child is signed up for free summer band lessons and/or SCOPE enrichment programs. RASi is in relaxation mode, but still here if you need us. Looking forward to reminders each season about the opportunities and services our district offers. Hoping to always magnify announcements to all communities! (Don't forget to tell a friend when you find a great service. And, thanks to Jane for the tip on the band program!)

16/06/2023

Dear Colleagues,



In recognition of today’s anniversary of Plyler v. Doe, one of the most consequential civil rights cases of the last 50 years, the Civil Rights Division would like to share a number of resources with you relating to our work to keep the schoolhouse door open to all children regardless of their national origin or immigration status. First, the Division’s Educational Opportunities Section has developed a new web page dedicated to the issue of national origin discrimination where advocates, parents, and school districts can find summaries of our case work in this area, a link to our complaint portal, and guidance documents and other resources.



These resources include new fact sheets we developed with our partners at the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights discussing protections for unaccompanied children and migratory children in K-12 schools. You can find the fact sheet for unaccompanied children in English and in Spanish, and the fact sheet for migratory children in English and in Spanish. We are working on translations of the fact sheets into other languages, including oral interpretations of Mam and K’iche.



Assistant Secretary Catherine Lhamon and I have also released a video explaining students’ rights and protections against national origin discrimination, which we posted to social media today, along with our other resources. We ask that you please share these resources widely with your networks.



Thank you for all that you do to advance educational equity. All children have the right to attend school and have a meaningful opportunity to learn, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to make that right a reality for all communities.



Sincerely,



Kristen Clarke

Assistant Attorney General

Civil Rights Division

U.S. Department of Justice

It seems that New York State was going to have level of "desegregation" be part of the equation with school accountabili...
04/06/2023

It seems that New York State was going to have level of "desegregation" be part of the equation with school accountability. Though, it never ended up happening that way. NYSED did not follow through. Article here:

Sign up for PRRAC’s biweekly newsletter here. Excerpted from Poverty & Race, Volume 31, No.2 (Oct-Dec 2022) By Peter Piazza and James Noonan When he signed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act i…

News:NYSED Accepting Public Comment for 2023-24 and 2024-25 School Year Amendments to ESSA/School Accountability Plan (D...
04/06/2023

News:
NYSED Accepting Public Comment
for 2023-24 and 2024-25 School Year
Amendments to ESSA/School Accountability Plan
(Deadline: June 12th!)
*
Note: The page about what ESSA and the Accountability system are is at New York State Education department:
https://www.nysed.gov/accountability
*
So, if I understand it, this info below shows a good way to tell New York State if you think that "low performing schools" should mean that parents have the right to school choice -- at least within their district.

So...if Roanoke Ave and Phillips Ave schools continue to perform low, then the parents in those areas could send their children to Riley and Aquebogue, which perform and are rated much better. We are the same school district. If our elementary schools are not the same, why shouldn't we get to choose?

Also, I wonder if it should be said, that if a district has "disparate ratings and test scores" among schools, that that should also be part of a formula that forces school choice within the district? Hmmmm....that plan could really help equalize schools! :)
*
NYSED is opening another public comment opportunity focused on proposed amendments to the New York State consolidated state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The proposed amendments outline a two-year Rebuild Phase of the accountability system for the 2023-24 school year using 2022-23 school year results and the 2024-25 school year using 2023-24 school year results (see pages 1-238 of the plan).


By incorporating input from educational experts and stakeholders, including public comment from a recent public survey, the proposed amendments include:



Components from the one-year Restart Phase, such as accountability indicator modifications, accountability identification criteria, and exit criteria modifications;
Indicators provided for informational purposes; and
Modified identification and exit criteria.


A draft, redline version of the ESSA consolidated state plan can be found on the NYSED School and District Accountability webpage. Additional resources can be found on the webpage, including webinars and information on New York State’s accountability system.



Public comments can be emailed to [email protected]. NYSED will be accepting public comment through 11:59PM EST on Monday, June 12, 2023.



Any questions regarding the accountability system may be directed to [email protected].

***

***

***

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: New York State Education Department
Date: Fri, Jun 2, 2023 at 3:16 PM
Subject: News and Notes from Commissioner Betty A. Rosa
To:



News and Notes
June 2, 2023

Dear Colleagues,
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) hosted the 2023 New York State My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Symposium on Friday, May 19 in Albany. Hundreds of students, parents, and educational leaders from across New York State gathered to share the impact of MBK, gain valuable knowledge, and get motivated to implement new strategies in their communities to help boys and young men of color—and all students—realize their full potential. The event included nationally renowned speakers, workshops, student-led panels, and a college resource fair.

Commissioner Betty A. Rosa
The annual MBK Symposium is always a special event, and we were especially thrilled this year to have the students back in person for the first time since before the pandemic. In addition, the students' personal stories were moving, and their energy and enthusiasm were truly inspiring. Echoing the vision of former President Obama, “mak[ing] sure our young people can go as far as their dreams and hard work will take them” was the goal of this convening. The impact that MBK has on the lives of young people to achieve this together was on full display.

By working together, we can identify gaps in our current practices and develop innovative solutions to address them. And by sharing knowledge and best practices, we can develop comprehensive strategies to create safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments. I know the MBK Symposium will be a catalyst for change, inspiring us to work collectively toward creating safer and more nurturing environments for our students.

MBK Symposium main hall panorama
Thank you, educators, for your relentless commitment to ensuring all youth have the opportunity to succeed.

Sincerely,

Betty A. Rosa

Commissioner

NYSED Announces Sixth Class of My Brother’s Keeper Fellows and

MBK Communities Network Milestone

At the New York State My Brother's Keeper (NYSMBK) Symposium on May 19, NYSED inducted 97 new My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellows - the largest-ever class of boys and young men of color who are leaders in their schools and communities - and announced that the MBK Community Network has now grown to 36 member communities. The most recent Network additions are Kingston and LaFayette.

The 97 Fellows will be matched with mentors and given a fellowship opportunity. Each rising senior will also develop and execute a service project related to a NYSMBK initiative.

Board of Regents Recognizes

Outstanding Student Scholarship Awardees

The Board of Regents recognized outstanding New York State students at its May meeting, announcing the Vice Chancellor Emerita Adelaide L. Sanford, Chancellor Joseph McGovern, and Regent Margaret Snow Vander Veer Scholarship winners.

Vice Chancellor Emerita Adelaide L. Sanford scholarships are awarded annually to exceptional New York State My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Fellows and graduating high school seniors from NYSED-recognized New York State MBK communities.

Chancellor McGovern Scholarships are awarded annually to children of current NYSED employees. The Margaret Snow Vander Veer Trust Fund, with additional support from former Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, provides scholarships to high school graduates who are the child or dependent of an employee of NYSED or the Board of Regents.

Sethe Newman
Sanford Scholarship recipient Sethe Newman is a graduating senior at Ossining High School and a member of the 2022 class of MBK Fellows. Fellows have been identified as leaders in their MBK Communities. He is a member of the National Honor Society, his school’s robotics club, Black Culture Club, and plays for the OHS varsity baseball team. Sethe is a pilot in training and plans to major in Aviation at the Florida Institute of Technology.


Gabrielle Cayo
Sanford Scholarship recipient Gabrielle Cayo is a senior at Brooklyn Technical School and a My Sister’s Keeper (MSK) school chapter fellow. She has served as the Black Student Union President, Junior Class President, Student Advisor for the NYC Chancellor’s Office, and student panel member of the Panel for Education Policy. Gabrielle will attend the University of Pennsylvania, where she plans to study political science and history and go on to law school.

Bridget McLoughlin
Chancellor McGovern Scholarship recipient Bridget McLoughlin is a graduating senior at Shaker High School in the North Colonie Central School District. Her mother, Julie, is an Assistant in Professional Education within the Office of the Professions and has been with the Department since 2017.

Bridget excelled in honors and Advanced Placement courses with a 4.0 GPA. She served as Student Council President and Vice President of the Environmental Club. She has been a member of the Varsity soccer team and team captain for three years, leading them to Sectional and Regional titles.

Bridget will attend St. Michael’s College this fall, where she will study Environmental Science and Political Science, after which she plans to attend law school and pursue a career as an environmental attorney.


Brianna Langenbach
Regent Margaret Snow Vander Veer Scholarship recipient Brianna Langenbach is graduating from Columbia High School in the East Greenbush Central School District. Her mother, Rachael, has been an Administrative Assistant in the Office of Human Resources Management since 2018.

Through participation in TEC-Smart, a P-Tech program with Hudson Valley Community College, Brianna is on track to graduate not only with her high school diploma, but also an associate degree in Mechatronics.

Brianna plans to attend SUNY Polytechnic Institute in a joint program with St. Elizabeth’s College where she will pursue a Nursing degree to eventually become a Nurse Anesthetist.

Statewide Elementary Mathematics Tournament Winners
Statewide Elementary Math Tournament
Congratulations to the grade-level winners from the inaugural Statewide Elementary Mathematics Tournament! Students in first through fifth grades from 10 regions statewide competed in hands-on mathematics games. Winning teams took home $5,000 and a plaque for their schools.

First-place winners

Grade 1: Wilson Cary, Brayden Calabro, and John Enders of Bolivar Road Elementary School in the Chittenango Central School District.

Grade 2: Gemma Pisciotti, Rediet Yilma, and Santino Markle of Pine Brook Elementary School in the Greece Central School District.

Grade 3: Talinn Kim, Catherine Hu, and Easton Tang of Nassakeag Elementary School in the Three Village Central School District.

Grade 4: Herene Shim, Naveen Madhavan, and Kazimir Povelaites of Thornell Road Elementary School in the Pittsford Central School District.

Grade 5: Nicholas Bugaj, Ella Soleimani, and Cassidy Reichgott of Main Street School in the Irvington Union Free School District.

New York State Archives Accepting Submissions for

33rd Annual Student Research Awards Statewide Competition

Student Research Awards
The New York State Archives and Archives Partnership Trust are now accepting entries for the 2023 New York State Student Research Awards program. This year marks the 33rd year anniversary of the competition, which is open to all students in grades four to twelve and offers a platform for young people to explore and engage with their state's history by creating inspiring projects for award consideration. Winners will be selected in the elementary, middle school, and high school divisions.

Please visit ConsidertheSourceNY.org for detailed guidelines and application materials. Submissions will be accepted through July 1, 2023.

New York State Library Announces June Public Programs

New York State Cultural Education Center
The New York State Library announced its upcoming programming for June, including webinars and events related to history, small business development assistance, and genealogical services.

For a complete list of programs, please visit the New York State Library's website.

Excelsior Scholarship Application Now Available

Excelsior Scholarship Application
The Excelsior Scholarship Application is now available for 2023 graduates attending SUNY or CUNY.

To apply, students must meet eligibility requirements, including:

Be residents of New York State
Plan to attend a SUNY or CUNY two or four-year college
Complete 30 credits per year towards their program of study
Graduate with an Associate's Degree in two years or a Bachelor's Degree in four years

This program is open to students whose annual household federal adjusted gross income is $125,000 or less.

Students can apply for the Excelsior scholarship here.

Students eligible to apply through the NYS DREAM Act can apply via the DREAM Act Application.

State Finalists Selected for 2023 Presidential Awards for

Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

PAEMST state finalists
Three New York State mathematics teachers and three science teachers are state-level finalists for the prestigious 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) at the secondary level. The PAEMST is one of the most esteemed honors in the nation for teachers and recognizes exemplary teaching and leadership in mathematics and science education.

Congratulations to the 2023 PAEMST New York State Mathematics Finalists:

Mrs. Sharon Collins

New Heights Academy Charter School

New York, NY

Dr. Elizabeth Brennan DeGraaf

The Hewitt School

New York, NY

Dr. Scott Kennedy

Sachem High School East

Sachem Central School District

Farmingville, NY

Congratulations to the 2023 PAEMST New York State Science Finalists:

Ms. Danielle Dubno-Hammer

Institute for Health Professions at Cambria Heights

New York City Department of Education

Cambria Heights, NY

Ms. Maria Giambanco

High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology

New York City Department of Education

Brooklyn, NY

Ms. Xue Qing Liang

New Utrecht High School

New York City Department of Education

Brooklyn, NY

PLAN Pilot Webinar: Engaging Families in PBLA
PLAN Pilot live webinar
Registration is now open for the next installment of our PLAN Pilot Webinar Series. Webinar 5 will feature a panel of parents and caregivers of students from schools and programs implementing performance-based learning and assessment (PBLA) in New York State. They will describe how the school engages them and what they observe about their child’s learning.

Register for the PBLA webinar here.

U.S. Department of Education Honors Five New York Students as

2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars


The U.S. Department of Education recognized five New York State high school seniors as U.S. Presidential Scholars. Recognition as a Presidential Scholar is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.

The New York scholars include:

Samantha Maya Milewicz, Byram Hills High School, Armonk, New York

Samara Baksh, The Spence School, New York, New York

George Porteous, The Dalton School, New York, New York

Kevin Zhu, Jericho Senior High School, Jericho, New York.

Sabrina Guo, Syosset High School, Syosset, New York

P-3 Summer Institute

2023 P-3 SUMMER INSTITUTE Presented by NYSED's Office of Early Learning and the NYS Council on Children and Families August 17, 2023 Cultural Education Center 222 Madison Ave Albany, NY 9:30AM -4:00PM Opening remarks by Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. KEYNOTES INCLUDE: Nonie Lesaux, PhD Dr. Nonie Lesaux is a professor at Harvard GraduateSchool of Education. Her research focuses onpromoting the language and literacy skills of today'schildren from diverse backgrounds. Ronald Ferguson, PhD Dr. Ronald Ferguson provides active thought leadership for the Basics Learning Network. Hisresearch, writing and consulting focus on issues of education and economic development.
Registration is open for the P-3 Summer Institute in Albany!

This free event on August 17 is open to teachers, specialists, and administrators responsible for designing programs for students along the P-3 Continuum.

Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr., Dr. Nonie Lesaux, and Dr. Ron Ferguson will speak at the event.

Register for the P-3 Summer Institute here.

Middle Level Essential Elements Schools to Watch
NYSED is pleased to announce the 2022-2023 New York State Essential Elements Schools to Watch. Congratulations to these exemplary schools serving middle grades students!

4th Re-Designation (recognized since 2011)

Garden City MS, Garden City UFSD
Carrie P. Weber MS, Port Washington UFSD

2nd Re-Designation (recognized since 2017)

Memorial JHS, Valley Stream Central High School District
Cosgrove MS, Spencerport CSD

1st Re-Designation (recognized since 2020)

A.D. Oliver MS, Brockport CSD
Island Trees Memorial MS, Island Trees UFSD
Jonas E. Salk MS, Levittown UFSD
Plainedge MS, Plainedge UFSD

Initial Designation (Recognized in 2023)

Cuba-Rushford MS-HS, Cuba-Rushford CSD
Wantagh MS, Wantagh UFSD
Marlboro MS, Marlboro CSD
Middle Level Essential Schools to Watch

NYSED Accepting Public Comment for 2023-24 and 2024-25 School Year Amendments to ESSA Plan
NYSED is opening another public comment opportunity focused on proposed amendments to the New York State consolidated state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The proposed amendments outline a two-year Rebuild Phase of the accountability system for the 2023-24 school year using 2022-23 school year results and the 2024-25 school year using 2023-24 school year results (see pages 1-238 of the plan).



By incorporating input from educational experts and stakeholders, including public comment from a recent public survey, the proposed amendments include:



Components from the one-year Restart Phase, such as accountability indicator modifications, accountability identification criteria, and exit criteria modifications;
Indicators provided for informational purposes; and
Modified identification and exit criteria.


A draft, redline version of the ESSA consolidated state plan can be found on the NYSED School and District Accountability webpage. Additional resources can be found on the webpage, including webinars and information on New York State’s accountability system.



Public comments can be emailed to [email protected]. NYSED will be accepting public comment through 11:59PM EST on Monday, June 12, 2023.



Any questions regarding the accountability system may be directed to [email protected].

The Office of Accountability (OA) works to close the achievement gap by identifying and supporting schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that are low-performing, as well as those interested in replicating the best practices of the state's high performing and/or progressing schools and distri...

A national and New York State level concern:
11/03/2023

A national and New York State level concern:

A new report from the Civil Rights Project finds that New York retains its place as the most segregated state for black students, and second most segregated for Latino students, trailing only California. The report also makes clear that New York is experiencing an acceleration of demographic changes...

11/01/2023

Kimberly writes: The Riverhead Central School District has a budget committee. I observed one of their reports at a school board meeting. I believe that they make some of their goals to keep the budget in line with hardworking taxpayers, etc. It seemed to me like it was coming from a place of lack and frugality. I am wondering if there is a big picture way to educate the community and shape the board to feel that they can enthusiastically spend money to support our community and better our children's education. The world has post pandemic healing to do. The government has shared some post pandemic grants. This would be a great time to think of the school district as a way to share, give, and spread money around to make the world a better place. If you agree, please like this post. And...think about sharing your feelings with the RSCD School Board and your neighbors and friends!

11/01/2023

Riverhead Charter School. Puedes aplicar para el año escolar 2023-2024.

11/01/2023

Any Riverhead School District resident can be in a lottery to attend the Riverhead Charter School for free! The application is available now, with a deadline of March 31st!

16/11/2022

From Kimberly: We had a great first meeting of Riverhead RASi. Several families met (kids included). Moms helped moms by talking out school issues. I shared paperwork and received great input. Happy to have three families include their dads in the group! A promising beginning.

23/09/2022
The bigger picture: American Education...from a 2022 US Government report: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104737
20/09/2022

The bigger picture: American Education...from a 2022 US Government report: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104737

Schools remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines throughout the U.S.—even as the K-12 public school student population grows more...

18/09/2022
18/09/2022

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