The Office of Curriculum and Instruction, in conjunction with District and building administrators and instructional coaches, hosted the second annual K-12 Curriculum Night last evening.
“It’s such a great event because it’s an opportunity for the District to give all our parents an overview of our curriculum across grades K-12. It’s an opportunity for parents to learn more about what their kids are learning and how they can support their kids. And it kicks off a series of curriculum nights throughout the school year that culminate with the Maker Faire in June,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Brian Culot, Ed.D.
Tools for families to learn more about what their children are learning, such as curriculum maps and the TZHS Curriculum Pathways web app; processes for adopting, evaluating and updating curriculum; alignment of lessons and units of study with New York State standards and frameworks; and, ways that our schools support families through changes to curriculum and assessments.
Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services Karen Tesik, Ed.D. discussed District programs and services in the context of social emotional learning and mental health benchmarks. “South Orangetown has always taken really good care of their students,” she noted. “What is really critical for our students’ long-term success is that they know how to handle their emotions. Across all four schools, our staff work hard to ensure that our students have the skills, positive relationships and resilient mindset to get themselves through those times when they are struggling. From the time that they are young, we work to help our students become strong self-advocates, which is a key component of college and career readiness.”
Parents were encouraged to attend curriculum and counseling events throughout the school year, to review curriculum maps and, if needed, to reach out to their children’s teachers for suggestions on how to best support their learning at home. Resources:
- District Google Calendar
- Guide to the School Year (includes key event dates and an overview of programs and services)
- Curriculum Maps
- New York State Education Department Standards
