Your Tax Dollars at Work - Valley Stream 13 School District NY

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Program

Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen offers strong core academic programs with ongoing local curriculum updates. We provide an exemplary inclusive special education program and have recently expanded to offer our families pre-kindergarten. We have a robust professional development plan to support teachers in building capacity with instructional initiatives, including job-embedded instructional coaching in Literacy, Mathematics, and Technology. We are excited to offer after-school clubs to enrich our students’ academic experience, this year partnering with outside groups to offer an eSports club and an online entrepreneurship program for our sixth graders.

Mental Health/SEL

Valley Stream 13 demonstrates our dedication to the mental health and social emotional learning of our staff and students through programming, staffing and professional development. Each building has a dedicated psychologist and social worker. A district guidance counselor supports our sixth graders as they prepare to transition to middle school. The RULER program teaches students to identify and modulate their emotions, while Responsive Classroom builds community and calm through morning meetings and quiet time. We utilize the culturally responsive-sustaining education framework to create a learning environment that embraces and reaffirms students’ identities. Professional development for staff focused on creating a community of belonging and practicing mindfulness to prioritize wellbeing.

Innovation

Each and every student at Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen is provided with an iPad or Chromebook for online learning. We subscribe to numerous sites which complement our local curriculum, all organized under ClassLink, a launchpad for all district apps at each student’s fingertips. Each building boasts an Innovation Lab with a district-developed curriculum as well as supplemental activities for single-day visits to the lab. All classroom SMARTBoards have been replaced in the last four years, and current plans to begin replacing SMARTBoards in special area classrooms are included in this year’s budget.

21^st Century Facilities

There have been numerous improvements to district facilities made in recent years. In addition to the bond work, we have installed new fencing at Willow Road School and new play equipment at Howell Road School. The Willow Road School and Wheeler Avenue School libraries were renovated this school year.

Our classroom redesign project has transformed classrooms, looking bright and welcoming, with flexible furniture that is perfect for reconfiguring to work collaboratively. Two major improvements in recent years’ namely district security and infrastructure improvements have been funded with money from the NYS Education Department under the Smart Schools Bond Act and E-Rate. Currently underway is a capital project which will add new music classrooms to the James A. Dever School and create a central location for administrative offices.

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