The Farmingdale School District is starting up classes again on Sept. 5, with kids and teens across the Farmingdale area returning to schools after a long summer off. Entering his second year as the head of the district, Superintendent Paul Defendini sat down with the Farmingdale Observer about what’s new at the district.
Q: What are you most excited about this upcoming school year?
A: After finishing my first year as superintendent, really getting a feel for how family-centric this community is and how proud everyone is to be a Daler here, I’m just excited to have everybody back. Teachers returned last Tuesday and the kids are coming back this Thursday, so having the family back together again is going to be an incredible experience for everyone here whose been getting ready.
Q: What changes have happened over the summer?
A: The summer is a busy time for us as a school system. From a facility standpoint, we have a number of projects going on. We have finalized in its entirety the athletic complex for the middle school to use. We have a number of new classrooms in Farmingdale High School. We used the Smart Schools Grant application. We received a grant from New York State to redo those classrooms. We have a new business classroom that’s going to feel like you are sitting in Wall Street with ticker tapes. We also have a new support lab on the second floor of the library in the high school, which provides new services for students who are struggling. We also have a media lab with a television studio opening up for telecommunication programs that provide real world experiences that students didn’t have before. It’s been a great summer with a lot of stuff going on and we are looking forward to getting our kids back here to experience it all.
Q: Are students taking interest in programs that will use these new resources?
A: Absolutely. Our elective programs we have here in Farmingdale are robust compared to other neighboring districts. This is one of the things Farmingdale is known for: complete, well-rounded access to programs and opportunities right here within the walls of Farmingdale schools. The investments we’ve made basically enhanced all of those opportunities by providing better, more up-to-date technology that is more of a representation of what’s happening in the real world. When they leave us and go to the outside world, the same kind of equipment and tools they are going to be accessing outside can be accessed right here in Farmingdale.
Q: What are some changes on the curricular side that are worth noting?
A: We have a couple of different things we’ve been working on the last several years. It’s culminating in the work that we’ve been doing at our elementary schools. We’ve done a lot of work from a curricular writing and reading standpoint. This year, we are working hard at writer progressions, which is basically providing tools to students so they can self-evaluate themselves so that they understand better exactly where they are in the continuum of learning. The teachers have the tools they need in order to be able to help them move and achieve at higher levels. What’s really cool is that in the past year, a number of our teachers and a number of our administrators were invited to a national math conference, where they presented because they actually designed the first-of-its-kind math progression based off of place value. So similarly with reading and writing, students at the elementary level can self-evaluate where they are in math. It’s really cutting edge in curricular writing.
Q: What’s your message to parents and students heading into the new year?
A: Can’t wait to have you back. It’s always a great thing when you have the ability to reflect and spend time working on projects and initiatives for our kids, but there comes a point in the summer where you just begin to miss everybody. I can’t wait for Thursday when everyone comes back to school and we can be together and learn again.
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