South Orangetown Central School District
160 Van Wyck Road • Blauvelt, NY  10913 • (845)680-1050 • Fax (845)680-1900

August 2010

Dear South Orangetown Families:

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year!

On behalf of the Board of Education and all staff, I offer best wishes for a successful and enjoyable learning experience for our students. We are continuing to address the priorities that have guided us in our efforts towards continuous improvement. Following a community survey in the fall of 2009, we received encouraging feedback and support about both these priorities.

As you know, South Orangetown has identified these major goals:

• Provide Students with Skills for the 21st Century

• Address the Diverse Needs of Learners

• Foster a Respectful Learning Environment

• Enhance Student Literacy

An effective educational program should always be designed and delivered with the objective of preparing students for the future, ensuring that they are equipped with the fundamentals of civility and literacy, and meeting the learning potential of all of our students. However, it was determined that the district needed to develop a set of formalized goals with a more systematic approach towards enhancing the nature of the work that we do in these areas. As a result, we have developed K-12 multi-year action plans that are addressed in various ways at each school and articulated across the system. (Action plans can be found on the district website, along with related information. I encourage you to visit it for periodic updates about various school initiatives.)

Since 2008 school districts across the country have been beset with significant fiscal challenges. In South Orangetown, the Board of Education, administrators, and staff have collaborated to develop a fiscally responsible budget without seriously impacting the quality of instruction. Once again, I want to assure you that such an approach will continue.

Our future as a country and as members of a global community will be contingent upon the success of our graduates. It is imperative for all that we provide them with a robust foundation that includes the curricular flexibility and rigor that will prepare them to be creators and innovators who are ready to tackle life’s challenges. This will also continue to be a priority. We cannot overemphasize the importance of providing our students with those skills that have been identified for success in an assortment of rapidly changing environments (e.g., technological, political, ecological, economic, etc.).

South Orangetown graduates must leave with the abilities to change, adapt, and create throughout their lives when there is such unpredictability and swift change. Assuring that all of our students receive such preparation is a daunting responsibility and moral obligation. But this is something that we must do as partners: parents, teachers, and all of the system’s educators. While there may be times when we may all not agree on the ways to achieve these goals; ultimately, we all want the best outcomes for our children.

Once again, I ask you to join us in this partnership and wish great happiness, success, and health to all students and district families as we begin the 2010-2011 school year.

Sincerely,

Ken Mitchell, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools


 

Tappan Zee High School    South Orangetown Middle School    Cottage Lane Elementary School

Tappan Zee Elementary School    William O. Schaefer Elementary School    Early Childhood Program