North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

If you live in North Bellmore School District please take a stand for your schools.....They want to close a school and then rezone and restructure to follow the Princeton Plan...which will mean your child will need to attend a new school every few years, your children on different gradelevels will be in different locations, there will be little communication (if any between your child's teachers, continuity and the sense of community will bee lost. Stand up for our children on OCT 6! Please.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

We just moved to North Bellmore. Do you have a link to a site that will give me more info? TIA!

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

http://www.northbellmoreschools.org/ceeo/pdf/NB_Planning_Study_Web.pdf

Saw Mill Rd 7pm

Tell your friends....This will have a major impact on our children.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

thanks! Ds starts kindergarden next year at Park Ave School

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Message edited 9/26/2011 9:27:26 PM.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Parents are preparing our own proposal, but we need a strong turnout. Thank you!

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

it's actually quite a good plan although I can see the stress of having children spread out in schools. Educationally speaking there are a lot of pros. I'm a teacher and our district switched over to it last year. No one likes change - parents, students and teachers included, but sometimes it makes sense

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

I want my child to continue to have the stability of his school for the six years that he has it. We are a solid community that will become displaced...I see your point as a teacher, but there are other options here. That will save more money without letting go the teachers and MAXIMIZING our class size. I am talking from the PARENT point of view ...not the teacher...

And what exactly would you consider the educational benefits? What school district do you work in?

It will save some money, but educationally, it achieves nothing that can't be achieved with our schools intact. Without busing my kid to a new school every two years.

The Bellmore Merrick school districts waste so much money on the administration...this problem can be solved.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Thanks for sharing. As a teacher, I applaud you on your effort to spread the word. The community must come together and attend all of these meetings, voice their concerns and address the committee with any questions they may have. North Bellmore's mission is to inspire all students to be confident, passionate learners with the courage and the skills to lead their lives with integrity while contributing to the global community. Whether your children will attend one school or three schools, I'm sure that they will be in good hands. There is a strong sense of community in North Bellmore and my hopes are that this amazing quality will easily extend throughout all of the buildings in the years to come regardless of the outcome of these meetings. Thanks again for spreading the word and I'm praying for a large turnout on October 6th.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Since all of the kids move with each other, I would actually have no issue with this at all.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Message edited 9/25/2011 11:36:08 AM.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

What gets lost?

1. Children are less likey to be with their friends two years in a row since instead of 40 or so kids to mix and match their will be upwards of 300...Every year the kids will start over..

2. Teacher/school accountability....Instead of looking at individual schools and their teachers they will just have one mass group of students moving through.. it would be very hard to hold any teachers accountable for their actions/

3. Follow through...in many schools ours included teachers work as a TEAM throughout the grade levels to reach a common goal...younger grade teachers watch their children grow, older grade teachers and younger grade teachers communicate so that every teacher at ever grade level knows what is next and where these students are going.

4. The "neighborhood school" and everything that goes with it. ANy school age parent gets what I mean here.

5. Often times older grade students help out in kindergarten rooms, being role models , reading buddies and teacher helpers. This builds a sense of pride in the older students and gives a sense of belonging and motivation to the younger ones. LOST.

6. The ability to walk to school and get home quickly....being bused all over town is time-consuming and costly.

7. Siblings enjoying the afterschool program together, waving at one another in the hallways...feeling good about being there for each other....GONE.

8. Parents driving to one school or waiting for one bus for most of their children close in age...DONE...GOod luck driving around picking up children in the afternoon and dropping off in the morning.

9. Meeting the older grade teachers early, seeing that you grow and continue on with your education....giving hugs to your younger grade teachers....No LONGER.

10. Having a connection with your principal, school nurse, psychologist, speech therapist, lunch aids that last through all your elementary years, especially in a time when we have to worry about our children being taken by strangers and being exposed to allergens...some that could be life threatening. Its nice to know that they know the adults around them and trust the people who are steady throughout the years. OVER> Hello new staff every year or two.

11. School Pride. YIKES what's that?

12. NO more school/family events such as back to school picnic, talent show simply because of the number of families that would have to be accommodated.

Lets not kid ourselves about this, it never harms my second grader to view the fifth grade bulletin board and learn from it or check out the kindergarten bulletin board and "remember when" It helps them to learn to deal with peers on different age levels.... and get and give help to those in other grades...This is about personality building here...in years to come I guarrantee nothing good will come of this...other than saving some money so that ALL the teachers in the building can share that one item that is grade specific and maximize class size. MAXIMIZE! No thanks.

I am a teacher for 14 years and I am a mom!

Message edited 9/25/2011 8:49:51 PM.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Please just do all the research.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

North Bellmore Parents, a group of concerned parents will be meeting on Tuesday, September 27th at 7 pm to discuss and strategize for the upcoming 10/6 CEEO meeting.

We are meeting at Gunther Field on Bellmore Avenue, across from Grace Lutheran Church. Please bring your own folding chair. Thank you! (this is a meeting organized by parents- not the PTA or the district)
Like · · 4 hours ago

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

I agree with you Lisa. I believe people are jumping on you for simply stating your opinion just as everyone else is doing.
I also think people are forgetting that this is not the teacher's doing, it is the higher ups.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

I'm a teacher and while I'm not familiar with the north bellmore district there are many studies that say additional transitions are detrimental to students. The princeton plan is a poor way to save money. It is not in the best interest of kids IMO.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

I just wanted to throw in there, that while I have not done research on the princeston plan, our school district adopted it 2 years ago and I feel like it has been a very positive thing for our younger children.

I know that when I walk into my daughter's school it *FEELS* like an early childhood center and I love that! I feel like all of the staff, from the classroom teachers, to the principal, to the special teachers, are geared towards the younger learner. It feels like a more nutruring enviornment because of it being a strictly K-1 school.

I was a teacher for 8 years and I have seen situations arise where the younger grades are not focused on as much because the older grades have rigorous state-wide tests to take, and so administrators really focus on those older grades so much, with little focus on what the younger grades are doing. When I was a teacher, I taught Special Ed, so I moved between grades year to year, but still worked closely with the regular ed teachers. I have taught K-2nd grade and I know that many younger-grade elementary teachers feel as if little attention is given to them educationally.

I am not saying that the Princeton Plan solves all problems or works in every district. I am not in the North Bellmore district so I can not say what the school community is like there. But I am saying that sometimes change can be a good thing, and I am living in a community that has adopted the Princeton Plan and I have seen it as being a positive change after 2 years of it being in effect!

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

I think there are a lot of other issues with North Bellmore. Moving to the Princeton plan is not the only problem here. Even with moving to the Princeton plan, there is still a ridiculous amount of money that they will have to cut in the budget. h That would mean making some really big cuts. They have 5 superintendents in North Bellmore alone. This is an elementary district...why would you ever need that many superintendents?? My district which is probably 5 times as big has that many!!! The real question is where are they going to get the rest of the money they need??? Cutting teachers and increasing class size?!?!! Because it doesn't look like they are touching Superintendents and that is where it really should come from!! Students are going to be affected in big ways and that is a real tragedy. My district made cuts last year and they restructured administration (letting go of 5 assistant principals, a director) as well as teachers, reduced the support staff (guidance and social work, psychologist) and cut many, many programs. This has had a very negative impact on the district. Students are not getting the quality education they once had. Kindergarten classes are up to 29 with no aides, and all others are almost as high and getting higher every day as kids register late. It affects EVERY program... educational, sports, mental health, discipline, as well as teachers lives who will have no jobs. From what I understand, many teachers and aides are from North Bellmore and/or the surrounding areas. This will also affect your community and the fact that people will also be out of jobs, not being able to support thier families, pay mortgages, etc, making North Bellmore a very different place to live and go to school. We luckily will not be affected in this plan, but I fear for what North Bellmore will be like if this plan goes through. It is very sad.

Message edited 9/26/2011 7:16:13 AM.

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Re: North Bellmore parents....IMPORTANT

Message edited 9/26/2011 8:23:19 AM.