Parents and guardians connected with educators, counselors and administrators as Uniondale High School kicked off the academic year with its annual Meet the Teacher Night on Sept 24.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and how you start is usually an indication of how the year is going to be,” the school’s principal, Shawn Brown, said.
Parents crowded into classrooms during the two-hour event on Sept. 24, as they familiarized themselves with students’ class schedules, learning about the curriculum and meeting their children’s teachers The evening gave family members a glimpse of what goes on in the school from day to day.
“I think communication is key, because it establishes a relationship” between parent and teacher, Sybil Duvalsaint Espert, a ninth-grade biology teacher, said. “Education is a partnership, and nights like Meet the Teacher Night start that partnership, and establish that relationship that’s going to last the rest of the school year.”
The high school offers a number of courses that educate high schoolers about entering the workforce, including a dual-enrolled business course, in conjunction with Farmingdale State College, that not only teaches students about finances, but also allows them to earn college credits.
“One of the key parts to our course is personal finance, and how students can relate to it in their real lives,” Caroline Ferrell, a business teacher for juniors and seniors, said. “When they earn a paycheck, it’s important to know about taxes and Social Security, and it allows students to understand what really goes into a paycheck.”
In addition to the traditional high school curriculum, Uniondale has diversified into non-traditional classes as well. The school now features a nursing program, television and broadcasting courses and even a barbering program, outfitted with a full working barbershop, in a partnership with Nassau BOCES. These courses are part of Uniondale’s Career and Technology Education program.
“As we go, we’re including and adding more and more CTE courses,” Santiago Oliva, dean of Academics Services, said.
As technology evolves, the CTE courses give students the opportunity to learn about different trades and careers. That also aids English as a New Language students, many of whom use alternative learning to master practical skills.
“One of the things we’ve been thinking about is the multiple pathways of success that our students need,” Brown said. “We’ve been paying close attention to serving the needs of our ENL students. For example, ENL students may struggle with the language. When you give them a skill or a trade that’s hands-on, they need to feel like this is going to help them in a practical way.”
Over the past couple of school years, the high school has more than doubled its ENL mastery scores, from 8 percent to over 18 percent.
“In the past, there’s been more of a traditional structure in terms of the classes that they’re in,” Brown explained. “We’re currently going into full integration, in which research shows that it’s going to improve their scores.”
School organizations like the Uniondale Parent-Teacher Association also took part in the event. For some parents, the connections they make at the beginning of a school year can go a long way.
“Nights like these are very important,” PTA member Syntychia Kendrick-Samuel said, “because I always view my children’s teachers as my allies, in the sense that we go for what’s best for my child, so I want them to know me, and I need to get to know them.”
The school district plans to offer events throughout the year to benefit students, including the high school’s College & Career Expo in the school’s north gym, on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.
