Roosevelt Union Free School District

Mr. Mcleod has been a Security Officer at Centennial Avenue School for over 10 years. He is dedicated and dependable! Keeping our school safe is his first priority! He is much more than a Security Officer. He is a father figure to many of our boys and girls offering positive advice when needed. We can always count on him to lend a helping hand going beyond the call of duty. We are so very proud that he is our staff member of the week!

The Centennial Educators for the Week are Mrs. Juliann Pagnotta and Mrs. Valerie Henry.

Mrs. Pagnotta is the ELA Curriculum Specialist and Mrs. Henry is our Math Curriculum Specialist. These educators are highly organized in their responsibilities as coordinators for the STAR quarterly Benchmark Assessments and the NYS Examinations for grades 3-6. They work together as a team efficiently and effectively to ensure assessment data is analyzed and interpreted properly for our students and teachers to improve instruction. We are very proud to have them represent our school as our educators for the week.

It is a distinct honor to name COL. GR Gulley as our educator of the week. He is a New York State Certified JROTC instructor, DASA and Child Abuse, Drug intervention and prevention certificates. He has 3 Masters in the Civilian Sector and a Command & General Staff Masters in Logistics. His Master’s in Education are (1) Building Leader (Principal) and (2) District Leader (Superintendent) from St. John’s University. His Masters in Criminal Justice Leadership is a Master Of Professional Studies (MPS) that focus on Leadership at the State, National and International Level. He is the leader of Roosevelt’s Award winning JROTC Program. The program has made the National Stage in both the Academic Team and the Leadership Team.

Each JROTC lesson addresses a competency as the intended learning result. Competencies describe discipline-specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are measurable and observable. Performance standards (criteria and conditions) provide the specifications for assessing mastery of a competency. Cadets show they have learned competencies by applying them in the completion of assessment tasks that require them to do one or more of the following:

§ make a decision

§ perform a skill

§ perform a service

§ solve a problem

§ create a product

COL. Gulley uses a balanced approach to assessing learning.

1. Traditional assessments focus on fundamental curriculum knowledge through the use of classroom assessments, assignments, tests, quizzes, and standardized tests.

2. Cadet portfolios focus on process, product, and growth. Key features are reflection, goals setting, emotional intelligence, academic growth over time, and self-evaluation.

3. Cadets are encouraged to attend all of their classes and are often personally checked on by COL. Gulley as a collaborative effort with the primary teacher.

• He is flexible: He lets current events show the Cadets how the constitution is a living document that affects them every day. He shows Cadets how they affect the results with their actions and their votes.
• He is a coach: The Cadets perspire, but he inspire! He Ask why? He focus them on the purpose of whatever they are doing and let them discover what truth they can.
• He is personable: He treats Cadets as adults in training. He reminds them that all common People now alive and yet unborn will be dependent on them to make this nation work.

I am proud to announce him as the Educator of the Week for the aforementioned qualities and numerous others.

Many of the people in the Roosevelt School District know me, but how many really know me? My name is Stephanie Stimmel and I was born and raised on Long Island. Of my four siblings, only two of us still live on Long Island. My mother was “with twins” a few months after I was born, and being the middle-child, became the driving force of my independence. This is currently my fifteenth year with the Roosevelt School District where I teach English 10, English 11, and AP English Literature and Composition to the senior class.

Previous to working at Roosevelt Senior High School, I owned a company that involved both the transportation of freight cross-country and the distribution of mail for marketing purposes. Living and working on my own, not only added to my independence, but also gave me a sense of creativity. I always felt and still feel that when one is inconvenienced, there is a patent to be made, and sure enough, I created an improved ice-cube maker of which I hold a United States Patent.

After fifteen years of entrepreneurship, long days, and no vacations, I decided to continue with my education. Becoming a teacher was not my original goal. My goal was to become a lawyer. I had previously attained a paralegal education before attending Stony Brook University and during my last year there, I was told that if I continued with my education track one more year, I could receive my permanent certification to teach English and attend law school afterwards. I continued at Stony Brook the additional year, but instead of attending law school, I attended Dowling College where I my Master’s Degree in Literacy.

I have had many experiences teaching and learning at Roosevelt. While I appear to be quite outspoken, I do try to be fair and follow the rules. I expect my students to do the same.

My true passion is in the classroom and I do not see another career change in my path. I appreciate my students for their thoughts, knowledge, and innocence, and I truly enjoy being a part of their young lives.

Mrs. Jasmin has been working at Roosevelt since 2006 as a high school US History teacher. During her time, she has worked tirelessly both in the classroom and as a Student Government Advisor. Mrs. Jasmin has been responsible for many pep rallies and homecomings...all successfully!

Currently, she is working closely with 5 seniors preparing them for college. She has worked side by side with these students ensuring they get the best college opportunities when they graduate from Roosevelt. Mrs. Jasmin has gone far beyond the classroom to help these seniors.

Mrs. Ferrara was awarded the 2014-2015 IRTC Education Recognition Award. Mrs. Ferrara is a well-respected colleague of the Centennial Avenue School. She has been student council advisor for the past five years where she has successfully organized and managed 3-4 fundraisers per year. Each fund raiser supports a year end school-wide 25 Book Campaign Celebratory event. She also organizes and fully supports the St. Jude’s Math-a-thon year after year. Mrs. Ferrara goes above and beyond the call of duty when teaching her kindergarten students. Her students show a genuine love for her and she is well respected by her colleagues and is always willing to assist them.

We at Centennial Avenue School are proud to recognize and celebrate Mrs. Ferrara and sincerely thank her for her many contributions.

Ms. Abreu does an exceptional job keeping track of all staff attendance through the AESOP program. Her shining personality along with her bi-lingual skill make her a valuable member of the Roosevelt School Community. On top of that, she is a team player who puts the needs of the District first and formost.

Recently, Scott worked with the Middle School Administration to craft a letter to Town of Hempstead Supervisor, Kate Murray, asking if the Town of Hempstead could perform a traffic study along East Clinton Avenue, near the Middle School for the purpose of securing a Crossing guard or a reduced speed limit in the area.

On November 25, 2015, the District was notified that due to the study, the Town of Hempstead would be reducing the speed limit along East Clinton, and installing new traffic signs to reflect the reduced speed.

Attached is a picture of Scott near the new speed limit sign and the letter from Supervisor Murray.

The reduced speed limits will help ensure that students remain safe.

Ms. Jocelyn Lewis-Evans was awarded the 2014-2015 InterCounty Teacher Resource Center Education Recognition Award. InterCounty Teacher Resource Center believes that one of the hallmarks of a profession is the recognition by one's peers of those who exemplify the very best in their field.

Ms. Evans was praised for her professionalism, including her commitment to education, accomplishments, character, and leadership. She works tirelessly to promote the success of all students by the vision that is shared and supported by the Roosevelt Union Free School District. Ms. Evans starts with the premise that all children can learn and grow both socially and academically. “Each student can succeed” is a part of the belief statement that Jocelyn helps creates in her classroom. She believes that educators need to model a commitment to life-long learning.

In addition, Ms. Evans promotes the success of her students by advocating, nurturing, and working directly and collaboratively with teachers, students and parents to help sustain a curriculum that is tied to the Common Core Standards and students’ individual growth. She has demonstrated a selfless commitment to the Roosevelt School District, Ulysses Byas Elementary School and the community. Ms. Evans shares her musical talents for various assemblies and events throughout the district that is quite enjoyable by many. She personally supports good decision-making for all students and indefatigably sphere heads Ulysses Byas Elementary School's Safety Patrol Program, various school groups and functions which are done with pride and dignity, and as she always say, “It’s All about The Children.” Students, parents and teachers often praise Ms. Evans for her enthusiasm for her work, her commitment to students and her high professional standards, which are apparent to anyone who comes into contact with her.

We are proud to recognize Ms. Jocelyn Evans as a professional and thank her for your many years of excellence that imbues her work. Thank you for all you do!

 June Parker is a preschool teacher at Ulysses Byas Elementary School. Ms. Parker helps set the foundation for our incoming students she is dynamic and committed to her students. She exhibits these qualities every day and is relentless in her pursuit to educate all of her students.  Her students are taught and loved as if they were her own. 

Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Boyce’s Fifth Grade of Ulysses Byas

Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month!

September marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month in Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Boyce's fifth grade class at UB. From September 15-October 15, museums, exhibits, events and more appear everywhere to educate and celebrate Latino culture. The beautiful thing is that it doesn't celebrate just one culture; it celebrates all Hispanics and their heritage.  This project correlates with the expeditionary curriculum which requires us to read the novel, Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan.  The children have discussions about the Mexican culture and compare it to the various Hispanic countries.  Furthermore, the children chose one Latin-American country to read, learn, and write about. Each country has an art project that connects with the written portion.  The children then presented to the class showing their art and explaining what they learned about the country.