Just about a year and a half ago, I started this blog as a
way to share the wonderful things happening in our district. Well, not too soon
after the blog began, COVID hit, and my last blog entry was March 8, 2020.
Shortly after that, I started to email parents—every day for the remainder of
that difficult year, and then nearly weekly after that. In the midst of an
unprecedented global pandemic, the blog fell silent for awhile.
Now, I think it’s really important to start writing again
about the educational direction of our district. We have SO many exciting
things happening for students, and many plans to improve learning and make
school even more engaging. I will still
email parents important information, but the blog will be a way to give you a
window into the great things happening in our schools!
Over the first few weeks of school, I was excited to see many
programs get “up and running,” and I’d like to highlight two of them today. One
is our competitive surf team. I think we may be the ONLY school district on
Long Island that fields a surf team. One
of the reasons I love working in Long Beach is that we have the most amazing
environmental setting—how incredible for our surfers to be able to share their
passion on a school team! They will
compete during the year with surf teams from coastal regions across the
country. The second program is a brand new offering, designed by our athletic
and special education departments, in conjunction with “Surf for All.” This
program will bring surfing lessons to students with disabilities during the
fall and spring. You can’t believe the giant smiles on these students’ faces
when they actually surf for the first time!
Below are some photos from both programs.
So, why did I choose the surfing programs to profile this
week? Who isn’t amazed to watch surfers harness the majesty and strength of the
ocean, to ride that wave for an exciting minute or two, and to realize that no
obstacle cannot be conquered? Surfing is a great metaphor for education: it’s
about harnessing knowledge, experiencing the excitement of discovery, and finding new ways to move forward. And in Long Beach, EVERY child gets
to “catch that wave” if they want to!
Next week: news about our STEM programs!
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