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MARCH 2004

From the Superintendent's Seat:
Supporting Success at Every Stage
by Dr. Carole G. Hankin with Randi T. Sachs

We learned a few weeks ago that for the second year in a row, a student in our District has been named an Intel Finalist. Three others were named Semi-Finalists. Daniel, the Finalist, is one of only 40 students in the nation chosen to compete in Washington, D.C., in March for what is often called “the Junior Nobel Prize.” He told me he was thrilled and surprised to have won this honor (which includes a $5,000 scholarship that will help go toward his Harvard tuition), and how he was really hoping to go on to further success. The level of achievement our students reach is amazing, and we can see how important it is for parents and schools to nurture their children’s interests.

Creating a school community with a culture that applauds and rewards success is perhaps the most important goal we can seek to obtain. There are infinite ways to do this, and we begin by showing our students that we believe in their abilities. From the first days of kindergarten we should be giving our students the confidence and self-assurance that will help them achieve all that they can. We can bolster self-esteem by teaching that every child has innate talents that are used to approach any kind of task, whether it is academic, artistic, athletic, or social. We emphasize not just the results, but the process the student took to get there, and the skills and talents they are each developing daily.

Throughout their school years, students must be encouraged to stretch themselves and be recognized for all that they accomplish. An annual school “Curriculum Night,” is an occasion to put all of the students’ best work on display for their parents, who are always full of praise for their children. This kind of showcase gives every single child a chance to shine.

It takes a combination of a Board of Education, school administration and faculty, and parents whom all value education to create a culture of success for the students. When children are given such a learning environment it is evident in all aspects of their growth and development, both academically and socially. At our February Board of Education meeting, sixth and seventh graders demonstrated what they had learned in Family and Consumer Science Class (formerly known as home economics). In a unit on etiquette, that we added to the curriculum two years ago, they learn the proper way to introduce and greet others in business and social settings, and also how to use correct table manners. These simple lessons clearly give the students the poise and confidence that they need outside the classroom. Parents can teach and reinforce such skills at home or when eating out in public. Modeling this behavior will show your children that you truly believe it is important.

As I watched these 11 and 12 year-olds each put their best foot forward, it was easy to envision them as young adults, five and six years from now, graduating high school and moving on to college prepared to take on new challenges and to accept the responsibilities of adulthood. Let’s make success a self-fulfilling prophecy for all children.#

Dr. Hankin is superintendent of Syosset Central School District. Randi Sachs is Public Information Officer of Syosset Schools.

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