As the school year officially comes to a close, Herricks School District recognized many members of its community while looking forward to the future.
The Herricks School District’s Board of Education, in its last meeting for the school year, awarded 18 students across the district with a Portrait of a Graduate award, commemorating their accomplishments throughout the school. The students from Center Street, Denton Avenue, and Searington Elementary schools were given the awards in an opening ceremony for the meeting, with applause erupting from the families in the auditorium.
Eleven presidents of the district’s Parent Teacher Associations were recognized after the children as a means of thanking their efforts towards school communities. The president’s award came from Center Street, Denton Avenue, Searingtown Elementary, Herricks Middle School, Herricks High School, District Council, Special Education Parent Teacher Association.
The board meeting also saw tearful goodbyes and gratitudes to members of the community leaving the district. Athul Santhosh, the board’s student representative, delivered a speech in commemoration of his imminent graduation after years in the district and working with the board. Regine Horton, assistant principal for Herricks Middle, was given gratitudes by the entire board as well as delivering a speech as Horton is retiring after working in the district for 31 years.
“In 1994, I got a phone call for six weeks, and it turned into 31 years of blessing,” Horton said.
The Portrait of a Graduate Award is a revived initiative under Superintendent Tony Sinanis, who said he has been working on it for the last 18 months. The award is meant to celebrate students who imbue the values of communication, confidence, compassion, critical thinking, and creative innovation.
Sinanis presented his strategic plan update, a multi-step plan for the district moving forward, while reviewing new programs that were started this school year. The superintendent discussed the ongoing methods to better their means of fostering engagement between the schools and the community, announcing 890 total posts from all the schools as well as 59,000 messages between staff and parents. The snacks with the superintendent program, where students are asked what they would do as superintendent, began this school year with success and was announced to be continuing for next year.
The strategic plan also discussed a sweeping assessment of the schools through learning teams, which surveyed various school elements to see where improvements could be made.
The presentation ended with a discussion of how the district is moving towards a digital future and announcing future explorations of how AI, such as Chat GPT and Magic School AI, could be utilized. The superintendent mentioned that a district-wide computer science course is in development. These plans follow the recent overhaul of the district’s website, with Sinanis mentioning the removal of hundreds of dead links.
The board will reconvene on July 1 for a brief meeting to start the new school year and will take a break until Aug. 7.
