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West Hempstead Weekly Update
February 6, 2023
Finding Humor
“Warning: Humor may be hazardous to your illness.”
Ellie Katz
Humor refers to our human ability to perceive and express a sense of the clever or amusing:
What is the astronauts’ favorite place on the computer?
The space bar
Humor consists principally in the recognition and expression of incongruities or peculiarities present in a situation or character:
“A fool and his money are soon elected.”
Will Rogers
Humor is frequently used to illustrate some fundamental absurdity in human nature or conduct:
“Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.”
Red Skelton
People who laugh a lot usually have a positive attitude and the ability to find humor even when things are not going well. Because they are fun to be around, others gravitate toward them and they generally have a strong social network that benefits them and everyone with whom they interact.
Understanding humor requires thinking flexibly—finding novel relationships, observing oddities in images, and making analogies. People who engage in humor can see situations from a new vantage point or come up with the unexpected. For example, a student asks another, “is it time yet for us to eat?” Response, “No.” Student asks in another three seconds, “how about now?” The immediacy of the response and the surprising shift from accepting the answer comes as a surprise. They both laugh. They also are managing their impulsivity as they wait for meal time.
Scenes From Around The District - Black History Month
Honoring the trailblazers of the 1963 March on Washington, Ms. Wilkens' students used the midpoint and distance formulas to calculate the impact of their steps as they marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. towards equality.
Ms. Barr's third-grade class discussed the contributions of George Washington Carver.
Ms. Courtney's classes are learning about different African American trailblazer artists. They are focusing on Kara Walker's silhouettes. She is a contemporary American artist who told stories through her art.
NWEA Results in Reading and Math
We have just wrapped up our Winter benchmarking in reading and math. We benchmark three times a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring). The data below compares the growth from Fall to Winter. This is a good time to look at real data (without names). This is an intermediate-level class, when normed against the rest of the nation, would be considered "typical." From our perspective, most students are making progress and are on course to make a year's worth of growth. Where this data is valuable is it allows teachers to target instruction.
Summary Data by Subject and Course
Percent Of Students Who Met Growth Projection Math 64.7% Reading 52.9%
Percentage of students with a Growth Index value greater than or equal to zero.
+/-50% of class meeting/exceeding Growth Projection is typical.
Considerably higher than 50% meeting growth -- doing quite well.
Considerably lower than 50% meeting growth invites exploration.
In looking at the report below, this class has five students in reading (purple squares in pink box) and four (green addition signs in pink box) in math who should be receiving targeted support. The remainder of the students (12 in reading and 13 in math) will continue to receive instruction with tweaks dependent upon individual students.
Percent Of Projected Growth Met Math117.4% Reading 122.1%
Ratio of total Observed Growth to total Projected Growth. A performance of 100% is average, meaning the student growth equaled the projections.
This measure can provide a good indicator of group performance. However, be careful. The assumption is that students will grow at close to the same rate. One or two outliers can skew the percentage for the group. For example, a percentage of 150% could mean that one student's growth surpassed all others.
Count Of Students With Growth Projections And Valid Beginning And Ending Term Scores Math 17 Reading 17
Total of students, including those who showed growth and those who did not.
Count Of Students Who Met Or Exceeded Their Projected Growth Math 11 Reading 9
Number of students with a Growth Index value greater than or equal to zero. The count includes students flagged as Yes or Yes‡ in the Met Projected Growth column.
Median Conditional Growth Percentile Math 64 Reading 61
Percentile that falls in the middle of all the Conditional Growth Percentiles shown.
Based on this data, this class is making progress. The data also indicates that there is room to grow and improve. We look forward to the work ahead.
The 100th Day of School at Chestnut Street
Moot Court Team Competes at Nassau County Supreme Court
Congratulations to our Mock Trial Team! They competed this week at the Nassau County Supreme Court building. Although they did not win this round, they will compete again next week. They are young, mainly freshmen and sophomores, and we look forward to the program they will help build. The team comprises Nylah Fye, Jasmine Johnson, Harpreet Kaur, Soumaya Montalment, Abigail Nedd, Jaylynn Osorio, and Melani Tobar. Thank you, "Coach" Wilkens. A hat tip to district counsel Christopher Mestecky for volunteering his time to the team.
"The mock trial program is, first and foremost, an educational program designed to teach high school students basic trial skills. Students learn how to conduct direct and cross examinations, how to present opening and closing statements, how to think on their feet, and learn the dynamics of a courtroom.
Students will also learn how to analyze legal issues and apply the law to the facts of the case. Second, but equally important, is that participation in mock trial will teach the students professionalism. Students learn ethics, civility, and how to be ardent but courteous advocates for their clients. Good sportsmanship and respect for all participants are central to the competition. We thank the teachers, coaches, advisors, and judges, not only for the skills that they teach, but for the example of professionalism and good sportsmanship they model for the students throughout the tournament."
In this year's civil case, "Remington Stone v. Marley Miser and Acme Construction Company, construction worker Remington was injured when a metal ladder on which Remington was standing fell onto a live electrical line. Remington sustained severe burns on both hands and both forearms. The injuries occurred at a house, owned by defendant Marley Miser, that was undergoing renovations by defendant Acme Construction Company. Remington commenced a lawsuit against Acme Construction Company pursuant to sections 240[1] and 241[6] of the Labor Law and against Miser pursuant to Labor Law §200[1]. Since Acme Construction settled with Remington before trial, the action now is just against Miser."
To learn more visit https://www.nassaubar.org/mock-trial-tournament/
WH Student-Athletes "Show" at the Counties
- Jurrel Hall was first and County Champion in the triple, high, and long jumps.
- Victoria Guerrier was first and County champion in the 300 meters.
- Gloria Guerrier was the County Champion in the 600 meters.
- Corey Pierre was All-County in the 55 meters.
- Alex Santos, Justin Delavandel, Diego Gomez, and Jeremy Haynes were All-County in the 4 x 800.
- Caleb Blue was All-County in the triple jump.
- Samuel Mwenda All-County in shot put.
- Alex Santos All-County in the 1000 meters.
- Kamau Leslie, Jayden Leslie, Dominick Ferguson, and Corey Pierre were All-County in the 4 x 200.
Congratulations to all of our student-athletes. Hat tip to the coaches - Ms. Zorskas, Mr. Grey, and Mr. DiBenedetto!
Good Luck to the Cheerleaders in the Nationals!
West Hempstead Staff
Professional Development Survey
Curriculum Writing
PreK
Here are some great books to read to your child this weekend.
THE SNOWY DAY BY EZRA JACK KEATS
“No book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child’s wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever.”
BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES BY RUSSELL HOBAN
Frances’s favorite food is bread and jam and she refuses to try other foods. Frances’s mother treats her to bread and jam for every meal until this picky eater gives in and learns to love the spaghetti and meatballs, lobster-salad sandwiches, and vanilla pudding that her mother provides. Don’t read this one on an empty stomach!
ABIYOYO BY PETE SEEGER
“No one wants to hear the little boy play his ukulele anymore…Clink, clunk, clonk. And no one wants to watch his father make things disappear…Zoop! Zoop! Until the day the fearsome giant Abiyoyo suddenly appears in town, and all the townspeople run for their lives and the lives of their children! Nothing can stop the terrible giant Abiyoyo, nothing, that is, except the enchanting sound of the ukulele and the mysterious power of the magic wand.”
SWIMMY BY LEO LIONNI
“Deep in the sea lives a happy school of fish. Their watery world is full of wonders, but there is also danger, and the little fish are afraid to come out of hiding…until Swimmy comes along. Swimmy shows his friends how—with ingenuity and teamwork—they can overcome any danger.”
PRESS HERE BY HERVÉ TULLET
“Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size. Especially remarkable because the adventure occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!”'
For more visit: https://bookriot.com/must-read-preschool-books/
UPK Lottery Completed 1/11/23 - Seats Still Available - Registration is Underway
Kindergarten Registration is Underway!
Transportation Requests Are Due By April 1
As per New York State Law, transportation applications to non-public schools must be filled out and submitted to the district on or before April 1st.
To streamline the process, we will no longer be mailing paper applications to each household.
Parents/Guardians are urged to follow this link: https://www.whufsd.com/page/transportation
West Hempstead Community Scholarship Fund
The WHCSF scholarship application is now available. Please see their letter below.
Dear Parents,
Attached is the 2023 West Hempstead Community Scholarship (WHCSF) Application.
We are proud of our involvement with the students who live in West Hempstead, and along with you, hope to ensure a bright future for your child. College can open the door to so much growth and potential but costs at times, can be prohibitive. Our goal is to make a difference by awarding several scholarships in the amount of $2,500 per student.
If you or your child have any questions with regard to our organization or scholarships, you can contact me at 516-483-7627 or by emailing to whcommynityscholarshipfund@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Eileen Fennell, Chair
Maria Bhola,Co-Chair
WHCSF Selection Committee
PTA Happenings
Upcoming Events
2/11 ACT Exam
2/11 March SAT Registration Deadline
2/13 - 2/17 Kindergarten Registration
2/14 7:30 pm BOE Meeting - SS VCR
2/17 Quiz Bowl - SS
2/20 - 2/24 School Closed
About Us
Email: drehman@whufsd.com
Website: www.whufsd.com
Location: 252 Chestnut Street, West Hempstead, NY, USA
Phone: 516-390-3000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhufsdRams
Twitter: @WhufsdRams