Fall 20 14
News from the Hicksville UFSD
106
Earn
AP Scholar
Recognition
Class of 2015 AP Scholars with Chairperson for Guidance Efthymia Rafaelides
and High School Principal Raymond Williams.
The district is proud to announce that
106 students in the Classes of 2014 and
2015 were designated by the College Board
as Advanced Placement Scholars due to their
outstanding achievement on the college-level
Advanced Placement exams.
The College Board recognizes several
levels of achievement based on a student’s
performance on AP exams. Twenty-seven
students were named AP Scholars with
Distinction, including six National AP
Scholars. Eighteen students were named AP
Scholars with Honor, and 61 were designated
as AP Scholars.
The district’s 16-course AP program
offers students the opportunity to take
college-level courses while still enrolled in
high school. If a student passes an AP exam,
future college credit may be granted. Each
AP exam is graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with
3 or higher being a passing grade.
The highest honor an AP Scholar can
earn is National AP Scholar, for which
students qualify by earning an average
score of 4 or higher on eight or more AP
exams. Students earn the AP Scholar with
Distinction honor by scoring an average of at
least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of
3 or higher on five or more of those exams.
Students who score an average of at least
3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3
or higher on four or more of those exams
earn the AP Scholar with Honor title. A
student is named an AP Scholar by receiving
a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.
Notable Achievements
Two Recognized for Artistic Talents
The Long Island Arts Alliance
recognized Hicksville High School
art students Sebastian Niculescu and
Olivia Funk. Niculescu is one of
only 20 students on Long Island to
receive the Scholar-Artist distinction
from the LIAA.
Niculescu has earned the highest
level of recognition awarded by the
LIAA. The distinction recognizes
his outstanding work in the visual arts, as well as his significant
academic achievement. His outstanding visual artwork has
included drawing, painting, mixed media and sculpture.
Funk received the LIAA Award of Merit, which is the
second level of recognition granted by the association. She
was recognized in the Media Arts category for her work in
photography.
A recognition gala will be held at the Tilles Center in the
spring.
Two National Merit Semifinalists
Hicksville High School seniors
Sebastian Niculescu and Julie Choi were
selected as National Merit Semifinalists.
Niculescu and Choi are two of
approximately 16,000 students selected
across the country in the 60th annual
National Merit Scholarship Program.
They will both have an opportunity to
continue in the competition for 7,600
National Merit Scholarships worth about
$33 million that will be offered in the spring.
About 1.4 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools in
the country entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program by
taking the 2013 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
The 16,000 semifinalists represent those students who scored highest
on the exam, and represent less than 1 percent of all high school
seniors. Niculescu and Choi were both named AP Scholars; Choi
earned AP Scholar with Honor distinction, and Niculescu was named
a National AP Scholar.
Message
from Interim
Superintendent
of Schools
Dr. Carl Bonuso
Dear Community Residents,
In the short time that I have served as
your Interim Superintendent of Schools,
I have been inspired every day by the
commitment and leadership of your Board
of Education, the professionalism and
dedication of the district’s administration
and staff, and the enthusiasm of our
children to learn and succeed.
Hicksville is indeed a very special
community rich in its diversity, a mosaic of
cultures and traditions. It is a community
that recognizes that our children’s success
depends upon the education they receive.
Traditionally, you have come together
to ensure that your children’s dreams
become a reality.
Thanks to your ongoing support, the
district takes great pride in the quality
education we provide and the success of
our students. This year, we will build upon
that success by continuing to implement
a rigorous curriculum aligned with the
New York State Common Core Learning
Standards, supported by technology
that focuses on science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM). We also
share your belief in educating the whole
child and will continue to offer a robust
curriculum in music and the arts. Outside
the classroom, our athletic programs
and extracurricular clubs are designed
to match the interests of our students
and provide opportunities to develop
character, leadership and community
awareness.
Please plan to take an active role
in your child’s education by attending
board meetings and maintaining regular
communication with your child’s teachers.
I look forward to working together
and meeting you at the numerous
academic award ceremonies, concerts
and performances, and athletic events
scheduled throughout the school year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Carl Bonuso
BOE Outlines Primary Goals for 2014-15
The Board of Education has highlighted
nine main objectives that support its primary
commitment to teaching and learning, as well
as its mission of providing a quality educational
program that prepares all students to be collegeand career-ready upon graduation. The Board’s
goals for the 2014-15 school year are to:
• Provide professional development
opportunities for teachers to ensure that
the Common Core Learning Standards are
implemented and that students are able to
meet their rigor.
• Implement instructional shifts to ensure
students are college- and career-ready.
• Review the curriculum and opportunities for
at-risk and disabled students.
• Strengthen communication with parents and
community residents.
• Provide extended day and summer learning
opportunities for students and the
community.
• Monitor the new legislation related to
Annual Professional Performance Reviews.
• Continue to enhance safety, security and
emergency planning.
• Review and convert the Board of Education
Policy Manual to electronic format.
• Continue to develop strategies to ensure the
most effective use of taxpayer funds.
Board Welcomes New Teachers
Prior to the start of the school year, 26 new teachers participated in an orientation
organized by Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Brian K. Heyward. During the program,
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Marianne Litzman and Director
of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessments Susan Guiliano spoke to staff about the most
effective ways to have an impact on students and led discussions about responsibilities,
expectations and basic elements of instruction. The teachers also worked on collaborative
activities.
In September, the teachers were officially welcomed with a group reception where they
could mingle with their colleagues. During the Board of Education meeting following the
reception, they were introduced and presented with a school district pin, a Hicksville tradition.
“Your enthusiasm is just amazing, and I could not be more delighted to welcome you to
this great district,” Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carl Bonuso told the new teachers.
Students Say
Thank You
In honor of School Board Recognition Month, district students honored the Board of
Education at its October meeting.
Middle school and high school students acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the
board by making speeches that expressed appreciation. High school sophomore Matthew Sloan
said the board fosters positivity and togetherness in many ways, such as recognizing students’
achievements throughout the year. “Recognition of achievements gives students a sense of drive
and pride,” he said. “I would like to extend my gratitude to the Board of Education for all they
have done for the students of Hicksville and the entire community. ”
With their parents and principals in attendance, children from the district’s seven elementary
schools individually thanked each board member and presented them with a token of
appreciation.
2
K-8 Curriculum Support
Effective this year is an extended day program for students in kindergarten through eighth
grade. The instructional focus for all students is to strengthen skills in reading, writing and
mathematics. At the middle school, students receive instruction from three teachers on a
rotating basis.
Six elementary and three secondary teachers provide instruction three days a week.
Student selection criteria is based on those who have been identified for progress monitoring
and are not scheduled for direct AIS instruction during the school day. This would include
an analysis of MAP results, NYS assessment results, the DIBELS beginning-year benchmark
assessment and principal recommendation.
The Common Core-aligned MAP testing in reading and math is administered to K-8 students twice a
year. The assessment is adaptive in that students are presented with test items that respond to student responses,
increasing and decreasing in difficulty as appropriate, which helps gather data about student strengths and areas in need
of improvement.
The assessment results are available within 24 hours. Reports provide data for individual students, groups of students, whole
class, grade level, building and district. Teachers use MAP reports to create flexible student groupings, based on instructional need, and target
specific areas in need of strengthening.
HS Adds AP Statistics
This year, the district had added AP Statistics to its AP mathematics course
options which include AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC and AP Computer
Science.
To take AP Statistics, available to eligible juniors and seniors, students
must have completed either Algebra 2 or Trigonometry, and can take it either
with or in lieu of Pre-Calculus, either AP Calculus course, AP Computer
Science or College Algebra.
Mathematics supervisor Ron Labrocca said the course increases
opportunities for students to become AP Scholars and focuses on four major
themes: exploratory analysis of data, planning and conducting a study,
probability of what the distribution of data should look like and statistical
inference of guiding the selection of appropriate models. A score of 3, 4 or 5
on the AP Statistics exam may qualify a student for one semester of college
credit in a college-level statistics course.
iPads
Robotics Elec
tive
Now Offered in
For the first tim
e, eighth-grade
students have
the opportunity
to participate in
a robotics cour
In Robotics 8,
se.
students engage
in a science,
technology, engi
neering and mat
h (STEM) prog
that requires th
ram
em to plan, desi
gn
, build and test
an engineering
task that incorp
orates teamwor
competition. T
k and
he class utilizes
Vex IQ hardwar
RobotC softwar
e,
e and Robot V
irtual Worlds, a
computerized ro
bot simulator.
To prepare for
course, teacher
the
Thomas DePal
o
participated in
intensive one-w
an
eek seminar prov
ided by Carnegi
Mellon Robotic
e
s Academy.
Revolutionize
Learning
The iPad initiative, which has been implemented
at the elementary, middle and high school levels,
has maximized the efficiencies of both students and
teachers. The program was put into place two years
ago for sixth-graders, last year for seventh-graders, and
this year for eighth-graders.
All grades at the middle school are making use
of Google Classroom, a new course management
system. With Google Classroom, teachers can digitally
distribute documents to students, and students can
digitally turn in work to their teachers. Students can
also record and annotate digital documents, which
can be shared with their peers and teachers, and, using
Google Drive integration, access documents on the
Internet on any computer, whether in or outside of
school.
Using the iPad, in partnership with eSpark
learning, middle school staff are able to provide
targeted instructional goals for students. Using
students’ NWEA MAP scores, eSpark
is able to customize a unique set of
learning goals for each student. When
students log into eSpark on the iPad, they
are presented with a series of readings,
instructional videos and apps for practice.
Teachers can monitor each student’s progress in
eSpark and help guide their learning goals and
objectives.
The iPad can be configured and utilized in new
ways every day. Teachers at the middle school are
finding new apps and procedures that they
can adapt to the iPad. This includes
using apps such as Socrative to check
for understanding and field questions to
an entire class. Students are also using
Doceri, Keynote and Google Slides to
explain their thought processes and
present information.
3
8th Grade
The Hicksville Public Schools
Administration Building
200 Division Avenue
Hicksville, NY 11801
Board of Education:
Phil Heckler, President
Kevin J. Carroll, Vice President
Brenda Judson, Secretary
Trustees:
Steven Culhane
James Mott
Patrick Stines
Michael Beneventano
NONPROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HICKSVILLE
NEW YORK
PERMIT NO. 126
****ECRWSS****
Postal Customer
Hicksville, New York 11801
Dr. Carl Bonuso
Interim Superintendent of Schools
www.hicksvillepublicschools.org
Guidance Department Stresses
Importance of Naviance Program
Naviance is a comprehensive website
that gives students an opportunity to engage
in career exploration activities, plan their
educational goals, assess individual skills and
areas of interest, and define their strengths.
Through Naviance, guidance counselors are
able to share information about planned
meetings and events and expose students to
multiple career clusters while building a career
portfolio. High school students continually
use the Naviance e-Docs system to forward
their college applications. The website, now
Fitnessgram Monitors
Healthy Progress
The physical education staff completed
their pre-assessment fitness testing for grades
4-12 in October. The training, known as
Fitnessgram, tracks the progress students
achieve with their fitness goals three times
per year. Children in grades K-3 were given a
modified Fitnessgram.
Fitnessgram tests four separate components:
aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular
endurance, and flexibility. Aerobic capacity is
defined as the ability to perform large-muscle,
high-intensity exercise for prolonged periods.
Muscular strength and muscular endurance
are defined as the ability of muscles to exert
an external force and the ability of muscles
to exert themselves repeatedly. Flexibility,
the range of motion available in a joint, is
also measured. Results were then provided to
students and their parents.
in its second year in the middle school and
sixth in the high school, can be accessed by
both parents and students from home.
Guidance Chairperson Efthymia
Rafaelides recommends engaging in the
conversation about college and career
interests with students early on. The guidance
department also facilitates several visits
from representatives of numerous colleges
and universities to the high school, hosts
career days and assemblies for students and
parents, and encourages on-site admissions
for college-bound students. The high school
also provides internship and externship
opportunities with teachers in order to guide
and assess students. “The ultimate goal is to do our best to
ensure that every student will acquire the
academic, college and career, and personal
skills to reach their fullest educational
potential, and to successfully manage their
lives as healthy, responsible, competent and
productive citizens who respect themselves
and others,” Rafaelides said.
Spirit,Community, Pride
H omecoming 2014
A forecast for steady rain did not deter hundreds of students,
faculty, family members and community residents from attending the
homecoming festivities at Hicksville High School.
At the traditional family fair held in the morning, visitors of all
ages enjoyed a variety of food, games, a bouncy house and booths
sponsored by school clubs, as well as many other attractions.
With spectators proudly wearing Hicksville’s orange and black,
the Starlets, marching band and representatives from the Classes
of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 showed their school spirit during a
parade prior to kickoff. At halftime, the Starlets and marching band
returned to the field to showcase their talents.
The energized home team played a great game, but eventually
fell short of a win. The Comets, who showed their determination,
along with the masterful performances of the marching band
and Starlets and the many displays of school spirit, gave
community members reasons to be proud.
“Everybody, the band, cheerleaders, teachers, parents, and
students had a hand in making today a success” said Interim
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carl Bonuso. “Seeing the
bleachers filled and so much school spirit is just amazing.”