It’s that time of year again: budget season. School districts across New York State have been diligently preparing proposals for 2017-18 spending plans to go before voters. We think it is important to be open about the annual budget so our community can make informed decisions when casting votes on May 16, 2017.
School libraries, and libraries in general, give students the capability to do many things. Libraries can empower students to read more books and discover the world through reading. School librarians also equip students with lifelong learning skills and the ability to retrieve and evaluate information, qualities that will help our students be successful in college and career.
High school graduation is an event that marks a significant stage in a student’s life and it is often a primary focus of educators. Although our district slogan is “Destination Graduation,” there is another measure beside graduation rate we use to determine if we are providing a successful education: College and career readiness.
The first step in the capital project was to move the sixth grade from the M.C. Smith Intermediate School into the Junior High School, which was completed prior to the start of the 2016-2017 school year. Sixth grade students and teachers have adapted well to the new routines of departmentalized subject areas and transitions between classes.
As another calendar year comes to an end, we find ourselves naturally reflecting on the events of 2016, not only in the Hudson City School District and local community, but nationally and worldwide. Many of us — not just educators — are heartbroken to see recent media reports of increased bullying and insensitive comments in schools across the nation.
In December 2015, new legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act was passed to replace No Child Left Behind and it will affect every public school in the country. ESSA is set to take full effect in the 2017-18 school year.