TONIGHT: Parent University in Merrick

The Harold D. Fayette elementary school will be the site of North Merrick’s 2nd Parent University program.

The first session, held on November 20, focused on the new CCLS Math standards; the 2nd session will be devoted to the new English Language Arts learning standards.

The English Language Arts Parent University will feature an interview with David Adler, author of the Cam Jansen series and many other titles. Mr. Adler will talk about the writing process and about the many works that he has written. Also present will be Mrs. Ilene Leibowitz of the North Merrick Library to provide an overview of the library programs that support reading and literacy.

Eight different works sessions for parents, taught by North Merrick teachers will follow and include: The ABC’s of Decoding & Comprehension; What to Expect from a Kindergarten Writer; The Well Rounded Reader: Strategies in Decoding, Fluency & Comprehension; Research Validated Strategies for Teaching Reading in First Grade; Navigating through Common Core: Strategies for Parents; Very Vibrant Vocabulary; Take a Close Look at Close Reading; and Demystifying TDEC: Multi-Grade Reading and Writing Strategy.

Deputy Superintendent Beth Friedman and Parent University co-coordinators Maria Castle and Kim Goltermann have been the key organizers behind these programs, which include smaller discussion sessions with individual teachers and administrators. Parents will also hear about the Common Core’s changes to education and strategies for supporting their children’s success in math and English Language Arts.

“A lot of it is different from when parents were in school,” Friedman said. “... For example, in mathematics, parents were shown how the understanding of math processes is just as important as the memorization of multiplication tables.”

Funding for the entire Parent University program came from “Reward School Dissemination Grants” that the NY State Education Department gave this year to the district’s three schools: Camp Avenue, Fayette and Old Mill Road. The schools received the grants, worth up to $75,000 each, because of their students’ high performance on state tests in 2011 and 2012, before implementation of Common Core-based tests.

According to Superintendent of Schools, David S. Feller, the main goal of the Parent University has been to empower parents to become meaningful partners in the educational process and to demystify the new learning standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Submitted by North Merrick Schools

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