Huntington Schools Set for Opening

The long summer vacation is nearing an end for more than 4,000 students in the Huntington School District. Classes will kick-off on Wednesday, September 4 in eight buildings, including the new Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School.

Facilities department staff members are busy putting the finishing touches on cleaning projects, moving equipment and furniture back into place in classrooms. Floors have been polished, supplies delivered to rooms and numerous renovation and repair initiatives accomplished.

“The summer has been particularly active in the district,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “The arts and athletics were alive throughout, with well attended summer arts enrichment and booster club camp programs. I’d like to thank those who participated in summer science, math and ELA curriculum writing, those who contributed further to development of the standards-based elementary report card, those who engaged in technology training and other professional development activities, those who participated on interview committees and those who simply came in to get a head start on preparation for the coming year.”

Many students engaged in summer study, too, with numerous academic programs running in the district. Mr. Polansky said faculty and staff members are united in the quest to raise academic performance levels for all students.

A conference day will be held on Tuesday, September 3 for administrators, teachers and support staff members. Board of Education President Emily Rogan will speak to the group, which will assemble in the Huntington High School auditorium at 8 a.m. Mr. Polansky will also speak and make a presentation.

Building and department level faculty meetings are also scheduled for next Tuesday. Teachers will also use the day to organize their classrooms and prepare materials for students.

The new school year follows one that featured many changes in student assessment and instructional evaluation systems. There were some bumps in the road along the way, as well as complaints about over-testing, but Huntington, as a district, pushed forward.

“Albert Einstein once said, ‘It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge,’” Mr. Polansky wrote in a letter to faculty and staff members. “Despite all that we must address in today’s educational environment, development of this art should remain primary, as should fueling the passion for learning among Huntington students of all ages.”

While some states are openly questioning their commitment to the Common Core initiative and several have halted implementation or even withdrawn their support, New York has continued to support it. The Common Core is a component of “standards-based education reform” and an attempt to standardize curriculum across state lines.

“The new Common Core assessments have left us with a degree of frustration and an interesting challenge statewide,” Mr. Polansky wrote in a letter to faculty and staff members. “During the second year of Common Core curriculum implementation at the elementary and middle school levels and the first at the high school level, there is considerable work to be done. I remind you, however, that the recent results are in no way a reflection of the ability of our students to learn or the quality of instruction provided in our classrooms.”

Mr. Polansky said that Huntington students can be assured they will be provided a first-rate academic and co-curricular program. Courses are in place to challenge every student and there are clubs available to those in grades 5-12 and a comprehensive athletic program for those on the secondary level.

The district’s food service program will be up and running for the first day of school, serving breakfast and lunch in all buildings. Bus drivers are going through dry runs of their routes to iron out any problems.

Students are expected to quickly settle into their routines shortly after the first bell rings. “It is the ongoing commitment of each and every Huntington School District staff member that will continue to help our students reach new heights and clearly recognize the bright futures that lie ahead of them,” Mr. Polansky said.

Homecoming Day is just one month away on Saturday, September 28. There will be a 12 noon parade through Huntington village for the entire school community and an afternoon football game at Blue Devil Stadium.