Howell Road School Events

District 13 Honors 50 All-County Participants

The Valley Stream District Thirteen Board of Education honored fifty students at a Board meeting in celebration of their being selected as participants in the Nassau Music Educators Association’s (NMEA) All-County Music Festival for 2011-2012. “Remember tonight, and practice, practice, practice. We are all proud of your accomplishments,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Adrienne Robb-Fund in recognition of the overall achievements of this group and the privilege of having so many fifth and sixth-grade students from District Thirteen selected for participation. After a few practice sessions, these children performed in concert at the Tilles Center on the C.W. Post campus in mid-January.

The students qualified for All-County based on their scores at the annual New York State School Music Association adjudications held each spring. “It all starts here at the elementary level,” said Board of Education President Dr. Frank Chiachiere as he addressed the students, their teachers and their families. Dr. Chiachiere had the honor of personally congratulating each student as he handed out commemorative certificates.

District Coordinator of Music and Fine Arts Mr. Michael Soscia presented a placard to the Board and administration, thanking them for their support of the arts in education. The number of students selected from each of the four schools was as follows: eighteen students from James A. Dever, twelve from Howell Road, and ten each from Wheeler Avenue and Willow Road.

All but five students attended the Board meeting. Those who were unable to attend will receive their certificates at school from their music teachers.

3,2,1 Blastoff…. READING IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!

On Friday January 13th, Howell Road School kicked off our Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) program with an “out of this world” laser lights show. The students were treated to a spectacular show that encouraged them to become AVID readers. The acronym AVID stands for Ask, Visualize, Interpret and Decide. Students were reminded to be AVID readers and to use AVID when they are choosing books to read. Thank you to our PTA for organizing this program and bringing the PARP program back to Howell Road. Enjoy the journey into the wonderful and exciting world of reading! Don’t forget to read each night, fill out your reading log and submit your reading log slips!

Howell Road Sing-A-Long

Every year, in the midst of holiday shopping and the buzz of the New Year approaching, students, parents, administrators, and teachers gather together on the final day before the holiday vacation to participate in Howell Road's traditional Sing-A-Long. The Sing-A-Long provides a wonderful opportunity for everyone to simply celebrate the holiday season with traditional holiday music including Christmas, Hanukah, New Year's, and Kwanzaa. It's also allows us to use the common language of music to bring everyone together to celebrate our diversity. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade, dressed in their finest attire, raised their voices and shared the gift of song, a gift we all can share.

American Sign Language Comes to Life

During the holiday season, the Valley Stream Central High School District’s American Sign Language students visited Howell Road School to entertain their younger peers with a Holiday Sign Language assembly. Under the direction of American Sign Language Director Ms. Kathleen McCaffery, the high school students performed an array of holiday songs. The Howell Road students were eager to participate in the assembly. They welcomed the opportunity to learn more about American Sign Language and to sing along with the high school students.    

Staying Cyber Safe

Howell Road students, teachers, and parents received a refresher course on Internet safety when Peggy Mahoney, Internet Safety Officer for the Town of Hempstead, conducted three informative workshops at the school. Ms. Mahoney met with students to discuss the dangers and reality of online predators, and then focused on Internet safety strategies. She provided the students with many examples of how individuals have been affected by inappropriate Internet use, reminding them to keep personal information and photographs private.

As a follow-up to the in-school programs, enlightening pamphlets from the Town of Hempstead were sent home with each student in order to share the important information discussed during the workshops with family members. Ms. Mahoney conducted subsequent sessions on the topic during PTA and faculty meetings. These workshops provided the adults in the Howell Road community with a glimpse into the pros and cons of using the Internet with children.

At the end of the programs, the adult and student audiences were encouraged to keep Ms. Mahoney’s safety tips in mind while using this popular technology.

Fall Fun at Howell

Howell Road Elementary School’s kindergarten through third-grade students were very excited to celebrate the fall season this year. Dressed in their Halloween costumes, the students attended the school’s annual Fall Festival, where they had fun making selections from the pumpkin patch and decorating their chosen gourds. Students also enjoyed marching in the school’s Halloween parade, proudly displaying their creative costumes, and joining together in the school’s courtyard to sing fall-themed songs.

A Garden Grows At Howell

The construction and creation of the Howell Road Reading Garden is underway! After two Saturdays, our principal, Mr. Huplosky, along with parent and staff volunteers, completed the various necessary tasks to lay the foundation of our Howell Road Reading Garden. Bright and early on these Saturday mornings, Tony Prisco, one of our ambitious and knowledgeable custodians, efficiently prepared all of the necessary tools for the volunteers as the garden area was leveled, benches were set in place, and a pathway of pavers was laid down. In addition, several sixth graders eagerly volunteered their time after school and during recess to plant a variety of bulbs, which will beautify our garden this spring. This wonderful opportunity to construct an outdoor classroom for all to enjoy was funded by a grant received from Lowe’s Home Improvement stores. Three teachers wrote the grant from Howell Road School, Paula Barnick, Pat Hopkins and Liz Sweeny who are all part of the District Grant Writing Committee.

Ascending to the PEAK of Musical Appreciation

Coming together to celebrate their appreciation for music, nine third-grade student-musicians from Howell Road Elementary School recently attended the 10th Annual PEAK (Parents, Educators and Kids) Festival at Freeport High School, sponsored by the Nassau Music Educators Association. Incepted 10 years ago, the PEAK Festival was developed as a special day to celebrate the learning that occurs in the general music classroom setting. The festival features special workshops that each student attends to enrich his or her musical education.

Accompanied by their parents and Howell Road general music teacher Michael Rodgers, the nine students participated in select workshops which focused on topics such as African drumming, ukulele playing, use of classroom instruments, dance and movement, and theatre arts, as well as a special chorus workshop with Dr. Stephan Pagano from Five Towns College. The students were engaged by the workshops and were thrilled to be joined by District Thirteen Superintendent of Schools Dr. Adrienne Robb-Fund for the showcase performance at the end of the day.

Sergio Alcala, Stephanie Parkinson, Elise Gurrier, Alexander Douglass, Julia Acosta, Kamille Shresta, Sarah Tarquino, Kashmiraa Pandit, and Victoria Ling proudly represented Howell Road School at this year’s PEAK Festival and embraced the learning opportunities presented during the special program. “This was the best day ever,” Alcala commented of his experience. The third graders’ participation in PEAK helped to prepare their foundation as students who will excel in music throughout their educational years.

Board Honors Calendar Artists

Each year, Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen includes beautifully crafted student artwork in its school calendar. Throughout the school year students work to create these pieces based on the District’s calendar theme, which for 2011-2012 was “Dignity for All Students.” At their October meeting, the District’s Board of Education members commended the students featured in this year’s publication and praised them for their outstanding artistic talents. Each student responsible for creating artwork for the calendar received a certificate of appreciation from the Board of Education.

Congratulations to the following students (listed by the school they attended during the 2010-2011 school year) for being a special part of this year’s school calendar:

Howell Honors Board Members

In celebration of this year’s Board of Education Recognition Night, Howell Road Elementary School students presented each member of the Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen Board of Education with a special token of their appreciation, to recognize all that the volunteers do for their school and the District’s students.

During the presentation, which was hosted in conjunction with the Board’s regular meeting in late October, each Board member was presented with a “passport” and information about visiting the “Seven Wonders of Howell Road School” during the remainder of the school year. In addition to the passports, each member received a boarding pass and a suitcase containing a special book that they can read aloud when visiting the children at Howell Road.

Promoting Positive Behaviors

Howell Road School kicked off its eighth year of implementing the schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. This evidence-based program explicitly teaches and uses practices and routines that encourage positive learning and social behaviors. Howell began the year with a PBIS kick-off assembly, which presented the program to new students and reintroduced it to returning scholars. Throughout the year, the school’s staff will use creative and collaborative approaches to teach, model and reinforce respectful, safe, responsible and caring behaviors throughout the school.

Reflecting Back on 9/11

Students in all Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen schools commemorated this year’s tenth anniversary of September 11 with schoolwide ceremonies and special programs. Students and staff members dressed in patriotic colors and shared poetry, patriotic songs, and observed moments of silence.

Students Return Back to School Eager to Learn

Students in the Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen returned to school this September eager and ready to learn. With backpacks filled to the brim with new school supplies, the students arrived at their respective school buildings where they were greeted by teachers and administrators. With many activities and engaging lessons planned, the year ahead is sure to be a highly productive and fulfilling one for all.