It's a safe bet that any dust settling on the blackboard in Lisa Drewes's classroom at Fayette Elementary School in North Merrick is a byproduct of abandonment rather than chalk. The fourth-grade room is outfitted with one of 15 SMART Boards in the North Merrick School District, a new tool that teachers are crediting with revolutionizing teaching methods and making conventional blackboards obsolete. "I put my schedule on it every day, aside from that I don't write on my blackboard at all," Drewes said. more

The Merrick School District welcomed the newest additions to its staff at the Sept. 29 Board of Education meeting. Joining the faculty this year are art teachers Robyn Jordan at the Birch School and Amanda Kaminsky at Chatterton School. Also teaching English as a Second Language districtwide is Christine Treglia. "These teachers went through an extensive interview process," Dr. Ranier Melucci, district superintendent, said. "On behalf of the Board of Education, the central office and the Merrick community, I want to welcome each of our three new teachers to the school district." Also discussed at the meeting were plans for the new school year, including continuation of guided reading programs and the inclusion of fun, wellness-based physical activities for students, like the popular game Dance Dance Revolution. The next Board of Education meeting will be on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at Levy-Lakeside School. All board meetings are open to the public. more

The New York State Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the attorney who represents the Lawrence School District, reversing the state comptroller's determination that he should be removed from its pension system. Following the Aug. 20 decision, the state must repay the lawyer’s missed pension payments within 30 days and reinstate him in the state retirement system. more