Superintendent of Schools

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, Staff and Community Members,

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year in the North Merrick School District. I am excited to share that over these past summer weeks, administrators, faculty and staff have been working diligently to prepare our curriculum, classrooms and schools for the upcoming school year, which promises to be filled with new learning adventures!

In our continued embrace of the Responsive Classroom approach to teaching and learning, more teachers, including second grade and special area teachers, are being trained in strategies to foster a positive classroom environment and provide engaging academics for our students. Decodable readers will be integrated in all K-2 classrooms to support early literacy skills. Fundations Level 3 will be implemented in third grade classrooms for explicit instruction of phonics, and Benchmark Phonics and Steps to Advance will be introduced in all AIS Tier 2 support classes to assist with reading fluency. A group of sixth grade teachers is working with a consultant from Literacy Matters to embed the curriculum with a focus on reading and writing. Additionally, our district is piloting a grammar program in grades 1-6 called Patterns of Power, which provides structured, inquiry-based instruction, and offering three program pilots in social studies – McGraw Hill Impact, Savvas myWorld and a Nassau BOCES curriculum. And finally, we continue to expand and enhance our district mental health and wellness program this year by piloting a sixth grade peer leadership initiative to support our third grade students as they exit the primary grades and begin their journey into the intermediate grades.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to parents, faculty and staff for their partnership with the Board of Education, central administrators, and district and school administrators in providing a strong educational foundation for our K-6 students. Elementary education provides the roots for a child’s future. As students transition from kindergarten through the elementary grades into grade 6, these roots ensure they form the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to successfully move on to middle school and beyond. Always remember and never forget, North Merrick roots run deep!

Best of luck to all for a successful 2024-25 school year!

Sincerely,
Dr. Cynthia Seniuk, Superintendent of Schools