GLENWOOD LANDING SCHOOL CELEBRATES US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BLUE RIBBON AWARD
This week Glenwood Landing School held ceremonies over two days celebrating its designation as a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School, an honor bestowed on only three elementary schools island-wide this year and 341 nationally.
The award said principal Bridget Finder, "is not based just on test scores." "Schools must prove," she explained, "that they are a place where children thrive and excel and have opportunities that are different from other schools." Tuesday's events were an in-house affair, focusing primarily on the efforts of the faculty and staff, while on Wednesday the doors of the school were opened to the community, with New York State Regent Roger Tilles attending. In her opening remarks on Wednesday, Ms. Finder thanked the school PCA, district administration and the school board for its efforts. "This is a board of education who really supports much more than test scores," she said. "They have been very vocal about that and as administrators and faculty we've been very excited to hear that and this is an example of how this building has so much more to offer children than test prep." Present at the celebration were Board President Herman Berliner, Vice President Toni Labbate, and Trustees Sara Jones and Lara Gonzalez. Although emceed by Ms. Finder, the event was very much student centered with children of all grades participating by singing as a chorus, presenting self-produced videos, and reading winning entries in the essay contest in which students were asked to respond to the prompt - "Describe the most interesting, exciting learning experience that they have had that makes Glenwood Landing School worthy of a Blue Ribbon." The speeches, presentations and performances focused on students, faculty, staff, and administrators and their collaborative efforts in providing an A+ educational experience. Schools Superintendent Dr. Edward Melnick said that Glenwood Landing School "was a shining example of so much that is right with public education." School Board President, Dr. Herman Berliner, said that "an outstanding school district starts with teachers. We have fabulous teachers at North Shore." New York State Regent Roger Tilles, who represents Long Island on the State Board of Regents, remarked, "you know who's mostly responsible for this - it's the kids." He applauded the diversity of the school and the presentations offered by the students. The three blue ribbon schools on Long Island, he said, have one thing in common, "there is collaboration of teachers - working together to develop the curriculum, to develop programming, to develop with principals." He thanked the principal and administration "for letting it happen" and the teachers "for making it happen." Mr. Tilles encouraged the students in the audience to become teachers. He conceded that policies state-wide were currently "not the best for teachers" but promised changing those policies. "By the time you kids get to college being a teacher will, again, be one of the great professions that we have." Towards the end of the celebration, a video, in which students said what was special about Glenwood Landing School, was played. "The whole school works together," a student remarked, "just like a family." CLICK HERE FOR OCTOBER ARTICLE ON GLENWOOD LANDING BEING NAMED A BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL BACK TO WEEKLY BACK TO HOME PAGE |
Photos by Cathy Elorriaga
Photographs by Lisa Aselmo
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