West Hempstead Prepares Parents For Restructuring

The West Hempstead School District has been hosting a series of important meetings for parents to outline the district’s restructuring plan beginning with the 2018-19 academic year, and the final one was held last week.

On June 11, George Washington Elementary School hosted the final meeting of the series. Led by principals Deanna Sinito and Michelle Notti, the meeting took parents through the new school model. Topics included what a typical school day would look like, as well as how the district will be maximizing its resources for all students under the new structure.

In January, the West Hempstead Board of Education unanimously voted to restructure the school district by grade instead of by neighborhood. Starting this fall, many students in the district will be attending classes in new buildings.

The Chestnut Street School will still be a kindergarten center. Instead of having students in grades 1 through 5, Cornwell Avenue School will be dedicated to students in grades 1 through 3. George Washington School will be an intermediate school, housing students in grades 4 through 6. West Hempstead Middle School will serve grades 7 and 8, and the high school will continue to house students in grades 9 to 12.

Sinito and Notti also provided an overview of the benefits associated with restructuring, including increased opportunities for whole-grade collaboration and development among teachers, greater consistency in classroom practices and resources, and comprehensive programs in each elementary school. These include continuity in the enrichment opportunities and special education programs offered to students, as well as programs and services offered for English as a New Language learners. Class sizes will also be more consistent throughout the district once the restructuring is complete.

The final forum of the school year was very well-attended by the parents, who also had the opportunity to ask any last-minute questions.

For all information related to the district’s restructuring, please visit the district’s website.

Photo: West Hempstead School District