Curriculum Corner
North Merrick School District - Spring 2019
FLUENCY - Connecting and Communicating
This is the second issue of Curriculum Corner, which takes a closer look into the educational initiatives happening within the district schools. This issue focuses on fluency - and how our elementary students are learning critical communication skills, such as expressiveness, coherence, intelligibility, and persuasiveness, and gaining an ease and confidence with fluency at an early age.
Curriculum Highlights Presentation
Take a peek at the PowerPoint outlining the district curriculum highlights , which was presented by Deputy Superintendent Beth Friedman at the March Board of Education meeting as well as during the Curriculum Workshop before the board meeting on May 14.
Spanish and Mandarin Academy Promotes Language and Culture This year, our fifth and sixth graders have had the opportunity to learn Spanish or Mandarin Chinese on select Saturdays from February through June. Instructor Hayes Oakley introduced common words and phrases in both languages as well as incorporated culture through games and virtual field trips. | Districtwide Celebration of National Poetry Month Students in classes throughout the district participated in National Poetry Month in April by collaborating on the Span Walls to create cinquain poems, which consist of 11 words and five short lines, on the topic of Earth Day. Students also listened to poetry on the Chrome books and created their own original poetry in the Library Media Centers. | School Science Fairs Support Student Articulation The North Merrick schools held their annual Science Fairs during February and March. Participating students in grades 3-6 conducted research on topics of their choice and presented their findings on creatively designed trifold boards. The students were then responsible for demonstrating their topics with families and faculty in a museum walk setting. |
Spanish and Mandarin Academy Promotes Language and Culture
This year, our fifth and sixth graders have had the opportunity to learn Spanish or Mandarin Chinese on select Saturdays from February through June. Instructor Hayes Oakley introduced common words and phrases in both languages as well as incorporated culture through games and virtual field trips.
Districtwide Celebration of National Poetry Month
Students in classes throughout the district participated in National Poetry Month in April by collaborating on the Span Walls to create cinquain poems, which consist of 11 words and five short lines, on the topic of Earth Day. Students also listened to poetry on the Chrome books and created their own original poetry in the Library Media Centers.
School Science Fairs Support Student Articulation
The North Merrick schools held their annual Science Fairs during February and March. Participating students in grades 3-6 conducted research on topics of their choice and presented their findings on creatively designed trifold boards. The students were then responsible for demonstrating their topics with families and faculty in a museum walk setting.
North Merrick Teacher Presents Workshop on Building Math Fluency
The North Merrick School District utilizes the concept of "Math and Motion" to build on math fluency. Camp Avenue teacher Christine Talbot was selected to be a workshop presenter at the Long Island Mathematics Conference at SUNY Old Westbury on March 15. Mrs. Talbot showed primary teachers from across Long Island how to use movement and visuals to find wholes, and parts of wholes, in math lessons. She also shared math games that incorporated hula hoops and bean bags to strengthen young students' number skills.
Author, Author!
All three district schools hosted their annual Biography Bonanzas or Living Wax Museums, in which students read a biography and dressed up as that person to further discuss his or her positions and thoughts with families and faculty. Each school is scheduled for an assembly with Amy B. McCoy, author of Big Little Sister, to discuss her book with questions from the students. Additionally, the OMR Book Club had a wonderful opportunity to interact with author Rob Buyea by Skype to learn more about two of his books, Saving Mr. Terupt and Mr. Terupt Falls Again. As Mr. Buyea said, the key to good writing is reading, reading and reading - an inspirational message!

North Merrick School District
K-6 Public School District