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West Hempstead Weekly Update

January 2, 2024

West Hempstead Weekly Update January 2, 2024

Art Club at Cornwell Avenue

The Art Club at Cornwell Avenue is embarking on an exciting project, creating ceiling tiles embody the school's Habits of Mind. These tiles, meticulously designed and painted by the students, will serve as a daily reminder of these essential life skills. Each tile will be a masterpiece, reflecting the creativity and critical thinking fostered by the Art Club. As students collaborate on this project, they not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the school but also deepen their understanding of the Habits of Mind, making learning a truly immersive and artistic experience.

Chestnut Street

As our youngest learners return from winter break, their enthusiasm and eagerness to share stories are truly heartwarming. From tales of losing their first teeth to exciting adventures in reading new books, each student has a unique and precious story to tell. Their enthusiasm reminds us of the joy and wonder that learning brings, and it's a privilege to be a part of their journey as they grow and discover the world around them.

Cornwell Avenue

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Catherine Laudone, a former student of ours, is an inspiring example of dedication and creativity. She pursued her passion for writing and recently achieved a remarkable milestone: the publication of her first book, "She Kept Dancing." Catherine's journey from our classrooms to becoming a published author is a testament to her perseverance and talent. We are excited to welcome her back to share her experiences and insights with the students in Ms. Silkes and Ms. DiGiovanni's class. Catherine's story is sure to motivate and inspire our students to pursue their dreams with determination and passion.

George Washington

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George Washington Intermediate School believes in going deep with their learning, pushing boundaries, and fostering a culture where mental sweat is embraced as a sign of growth. Students are encouraged to delve into subjects, ask probing questions, and challenge themselves to think critically. Through this approach, we aim to cultivate knowledge and the skills and resilience needed for success in an ever-changing world.

Secondary School

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Secondary school is a transformative time filled with both joys and challenges. It's a period of self-discovery, forging lifelong friendships, and exploring new interests. Students experience the thrill of discovering their passions and talents, whether in academics, sports, or the arts. However, this journey has its challenges. Academic performance, social dynamics, and personal development pressures can be daunting. Yet, overcoming these challenges makes students emerge stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for the future. The joys of secondary school lie in triumph, growth, and camaraderie, while the challenges serve as stepping stones to personal and academic growth.

Black History Month

Responsible AI Use in Schools

Some guiding principles to consider when using AI:


Student Learning

  • Aiding Creativity: Students can harness generative AI to spark creativity across diverse subjects, including writing, visual arts, and music composition.

  • Collaboration: Generative AI tools can partner with students in group projects by contributing concepts, supplying research support, and identifying relationships between varied information.

  • Communication: AI can offer students real-time translation, personalized language exercises, and interactive dialogue simulations.

  • Content Creation and Enhancement: AI can help generate personalized study materials, summaries, quizzes, and visual aids, help students organize thoughts and content, and help review content.

  • Tutoring: AI technologies have the potential to democratize one-to-one tutoring and support, making personalized learning more accessible to a broader range of students. AI-powered virtual teaching assistants may provide non-stop support, answer questions, help with homework, and supplement classroom instruction.


Teacher Support

  • Assessment Design and Analysis: In addition to enhancing assessment design by creating questions and providing standardized feedback on common mistakes, AI can conduct diagnostic assessments to identify gaps in knowledge or skills and enable rich performance assessments. Teachers will ultimately be responsible for evaluation, feedback, and grading, including determining and assessing the usefulness of AI in supporting their grading work. AI will not be solely responsible for grading.

  • Content Development and Enhancement for Differentiation: AI can assist educators by differentiating curricula, suggesting lesson plans, generating diagrams and charts, and customizing independent practice based on student needs and proficiency levels.

  • Continuous Professional Development: AI can guide educators by recommending teaching and learning strategies based on student needs, personalizing professional development to teachers’ needs and interests, suggesting collaborative projects between subjects or teachers, and offering simulation-based training scenarios such as teaching a lesson or managing a parent/teacher conference.

  • Research and Resource Compilation: AI can help educators by recommending books or articles relevant to a lesson and updating teachers on teaching techniques, research, and methods.


School Management and Operations

  • Communications: AI tools can help draft and refine communications within the school community, deploy chatbots for routine inquiries, and provide instant language translation.

  • Operational Efficiency: Staff can use AI tools to support school operations and streamline administrative processes, including scheduling courses, automating inventory management, increasing energy savings, and generating performance reports.

  • Learning Management Systems (LMS): AI can analyze student performance data to provide insights to educators, helping them tailor instruction or interventions.


From - AI Guidance for Schools Toolkit by Teach AI

Computer-Based Testing

“The New York State Testing Program began transitioning to a computer-based testing model in 2016 when the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) started using Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM). DLM is a computer-delivered adaptive assessment measuring a student’s achievement of the ELA and mathematics learning standards at a reduced level of depth, breadth, and complexity. This assessment provides the opportunity to customize the assessment to the individual abilities and needs of the student, is designed to measure a wide range of proficiencies of students, is more efficient to administer and score, and provides useful information to teachers to inform future instruction for the student. The NYSAA Science transitioned to DLM in spring 2018.

The transition to computer-based testing for the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics testing program began with optional participation in computer-based field tests in 2016. This was followed by optional participation in CBT in the spring operational tests in 2017 and schools have been provided the opportunity to choose their testing format since that time.” - Betty A. Rosa, Commissioner

Please click here for more information.

The Designing Learning framework is an educational approach #WHe uses to engage students and close the aspiration gap. The framework encompasses several key principles aimed at enhancing the learning experience for students and staff:


The Designing Learning framework consists of Connection Before Content, Acceleration not Remediation, Rethinking Success Criteria, Higher-Level Thinking, Student Agency, Authentic Work, and Technology Infusion.

#WHe

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With "WHe" as our theme this year, #WHe are inspired to explore, discover, and achieve future wonders. Allow me to share some of the ways one could envision completing the idea of "WHe" throughout this remarkable journey:


  • Wonder and Curiosity: Let us ignite a spark of wonder and curiosity in every aspect of our learning. Encouraging students and staff alike to question, explore, and seek knowledge beyond the ordinary.
  • “WH”olistic Education: Emphasizing the growth of the whole individual – social, emotional, and academic. We aim to provide opportunities for personal development and well-being in addition to academic excellence.
  • Empathy and Humanity: "WHe" stands for "We" as well, reminding us of our collective responsibility to foster empathy, compassion, and kindness. We will create a supportive and inclusive community where everyone feels valued.
  • Waves of Change: As a theme, "WHe" also signifies the ever-changing tides of life. We will adapt to new challenges, embrace innovation, and be resilient in the face of uncertainty.
  • Expressions of Art and Culture: "WHe" encompasses the essence of artistic and cultural expressions. We will celebrate creativity, appreciate diversity, and nurture talents in various forms.
  • Wellness and Health: Prioritizing physical and mental health, creating a safe and nurturing environment where everyone can thrive and grow.
  • Leadership and Collaboration: "WHe" represents collective wisdom and the power of collaboration. We will empower our students to be leaders in their own right while fostering teamwork and cooperation.

Habits of Mind

By Art Costa, Bena Kallick, and Allison Zmuda


There is a growing recognition that mastering subject-area knowledge alone will not be sufficient to prepare your children for their futures. They will need deliberate practice and focused attention to grow their capacity as efficacious thinkers to navigate and thrive in the face of unprecedented change. Habits of Mind are a universal framework for thinking and are as essential now as when we first introduced them 30 years ago. Habits of Mind are dispositions people use when confronted with problems and situations to which answers are not immediately apparent. When we draw upon these intellectual resources, the results that are produced are more powerful, of higher quality and of greater significance than if we fail to employ those intellectual behaviors.

West Hempstead UFSD
www.whufsd.com