About Us
We welcome you to School #6, as we do each day of the year to the many visitors from other districts, student teachers/observers, volunteers, parents, and children. Our school motto, “Proud to Be Me at School #6!” talks to our feelings within our heart which you too will hopefully feel as you read about us and visually walk through our Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms and hallways.
Our School Mission Statement, created by our Site Based Team at the onset of the millennium, hangs proudly in our main entrance, each statement a tribute to all that our dedicated and caring teachers, aides, monitors, support staff, administrative/instructional assistants, secretaries, and custodians hold as their guiding principles when interacting with the district’s youngest students.
Mission Statement
School #6, in partnership with children, parents and community, provides a foundation for learning within a
Caring and loving environment, while
Having a balance of work and play.
Opportunities are given through our diversified curriculum, allowing
Our children to become flexible and creative problem solvers.
Literacy surrounds our students as we…
Nurture and support their strengths and needs.
Unique individuals are developed, able to discover their special talents.
Magical beginnings pave the way in fostering a positive self-image, enabling them to
Become responsible citizens of the community.
Embracing others with values of
Respect, kindness, tolerance and appreciation is encouraged.
Safety and security within a child’s school family enables growth for him/her to become independent and interdependent.
Imagine a place of unconditional love where the
eXcitement of life-long learning is instilled…
“Proud to be Me at School #6!”
Indeed, our Mission Statement comes to life in our Pre-K and Kindergarten Programs …
School #6, in partnership with children, parents and community, provides a foundation for learning within a
Caring and loving environment, while
Having a balance of work and play.
We value our home-school partnership as we together are committed to making our school a family-like environment where children learn, create, and marvel at their world. The learning climate in Pre-K and Kindergarten is positive and affirming, guiding children within a developmentally appropriate, multi-sensory, and differentiated atmosphere. Home carry-over is always encouraged in the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes’ weekly comprehensive Newsletter as on-going teacher/parent communication of school happenings further effects a strong home-school partnership. Our curriculum has breadth and depth, balanced with our two indoor playgrounds, three outdoor playgrounds, two gyms, classroom Play Centers, and newly created Nature Trail.
Our PTA, under it’s fine leadership combined with the commitment of time and generosity of its members, have enabled enriching experiences such as the Fall Festival, Holiday/Special Person’s Boutique, People As Reading Partners (PARP), numerous Cultural Arts presentations, Pre-K Spring Fling, Kindergarten Winter Wonderland Dance, Pre-K Pancake Breakfast, Kindergarten Field Day, and more! In addition, we have celebrations galore such as our Thanksgiving Feasts, Holiday Sing-Along, Hundred Days of School, Dr. Seuss’ Birthday, Mothers’ Day Teas, Teddy Bear Picnics, Star of the Week, Birthdays/Holidays, Month of the Young Child, etc.. Continuing in its fine tradition, the parents of our Site Based Team join with our faculty representatives and administrator to support Building and District Goals through their valuable initiatives.
Opportunities are given through our diversified curriculum, allowing
Our children to become flexible and creative problem solvers.
Our Science and Social Studies’ Essential Questions foundation have taught our students to become even more adept at critical thinking skills. By means of investigations, observations and inquiry skills, our children’s “talk” has entered another level. Their valuable resources include Science Kits, a fully equipped Hands-On Science Room, non-fiction Science and Social Studies books, WLIW Video Streaming, Video Conferencing, and Nature Center. An amazing Nature Trail was recently created on the school grounds for use in integrating content areas across the curriculum for Pre-K and Kindergarten students. It is dedicated to our precious young scientists whose creativity and imagination inspire their educators every day. Equipment, books, and supplies for student use complement Nature Trail instruction. Added to the above is our strong and comprehensive MathLand curriculum, relying heavily on Problem Solving Strategies and Manipulatives for our young students to “try”, “observe”, “check”, and “conclude”. Our diversified curriculum also allows for the teaching of Spanish for twenty minutes every other day, incorporating topics which reinforce the basic concepts taught within the Kindergarten curriculum. It is commonplace to hear our kindergartners singing their favorite Spanish songs as they play. Ask any kindergartner and he/she will say that español es muy divertido! (Spanish is a lot of fun!).
Literacy surrounds our students as we …
Nurture and support their strengths and needs.
Our Houghton-Mifflin Program serves as a cornerstone for our Language Arts Program. The components of Guided Reading and Writing have received increased attention, causing our enthusiastic young “authors, illustrators, and readers” to delight in their writings and abilities to “break the code!”. Our school library helps to instill the love of listening to and reading of books by its having shelves filled with the most recent literature for early childhood. Our Reading Teacher has continued to enable us to expand our Guided Reading Program in every class, allowed our advanced Kinder-Readers Program to grow and provided staff development and consultative opportunities. A major objective previously begun has been aimed towards vertical articulation in fostering partnerships across K-1. School #6 is proud to boast about its continuation of the Building Goal to enhance its previously established dynamic Leveled Reading Lending Library. Within its walls, is a valuable resource enabling the Kindergarten teachers to differentiate instruction in order to meet the literacy needs of all their students. It houses an abundance of reading and writing resources including a variety of fiction and non-fiction leveled texts, Big Books, Benchmark Assessments, Reader’s Theatre scripts, books on tape, and poster-flip charts for oral language development. The plentiful Read-Alouds are used to launch different genre writing during Writing Workshop. In fact, 8 kindergartners had their poetry published in Young Voices, An Anthology of Poetry by Nassau County Students. We are so proud of our Kindergarten poets and their teachers! Technology, including a Listening Center and Smartboard, is also housed in the Lending Leveled Library. A traditional yearly event, “Gift of a Book Celebration”, occurs when School 9E’s sixth graders read to our four year old classes. Fostering the love of reading, the “Book It For Beginners” Reading Program continues when PARP ends. It is a weekly treat for our four year old Pre-K classes to host a Kindergarten class as our “older” students read to our “younger” ones.
Unique individuals are developed, able to discover their special talents.
Developing Understanding of Self and Others (DUSO) continues in its successful life teachings using underwater creatures. Each child recognizes his/her special qualities and is encouraged to celebrate his/her uniqueness. School #6’s School-Wide Read-Alouds, which occur every other month, enable the school community to reflect and respond to a book emphasizing and applauding traits of individuality, values, and appreciation of diversity. The children’s experimentation with different mediums and techniques allows their creativity and artistic abilities to shine. The “Kinder-Art” display at the District Art Festival is a delight for all to see. Musical opportunities, whether it be in the form of instruments, song, or movement are other avenues in which young talent is observed.
Magical beginnings pave the way in fostering a positive self-image, enabling them to
Become responsible citizens of the community.
Beginning in Pre-K, we heightened the children’s awareness and sensitivity regarding the importance of community service. At this early age, our Pre-K and Kindergarten students have been active participants in “Kinder-Kids for the Community” Projects. School #6 has traditionally been a proud recipient each year of one of the few Newsday FutureCorps Grants awarded. Our community service projects have been featured twice in Newsday. Our Pre-K and Kindergarten students ambitiously raised money for Oceanside’s Community Service. Our “Mitten Wall” was replete with hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens donated to the John Thiesson Children’s Foundation. The annual Thanksgiving Food and Oceanside Federation of Teachers’ Holiday Toy Drives are outreach projects in which our entire school becomes involved. Our students used their superb writing and illustrating skills to create December holiday wishes for our overseas soldiers; School #6 was one of three schools across the country highlighted Christmas Day on Channel 11 straight from Iraq! The District’s youngest students sent beautiful card creations to Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Valentines Day. Children helping children is the driving force behind our kindergartners’ Hopping Into Spring for SIBS Place” and our preschoolers’ “Running the Bases for SIBS Place”, a “home away from home” facility in conjunction with South Nassau Communities Hospital for children whose siblings have life-threatening illnesses. School #6 participated in the district wide project, “Save the Earth School by School” by using the proceeds from recycling to sponsor a manatee, as well as planting for school beautification. Our students and those from Castleton High School collaborated to create a “Saving the Earth Mural”. In addition, the purchase of “Going Healthy, Going Green” reusable snack bags was a huge success!
Embracing others with values of
Respect, kindness, tolerance, and appreciation is encouraged.
Foundations of positive character traits are implemented through the exemplary role models of our staff, complemented by instruction. The “STAR” Program (Stop, Think, Act, Review) incorporates 40 traits ranging from respect, responsibility, and sharing to pride, helping others, and determination. We’ve continued to expand our bibliography of special picture books, linked to these traits, which are read and discussed with the children on a weekly basis. The Heartwood Program has provided an effective addition to our resources. In September, Mr. Stein, the School Social Worker, and Mrs. Brady, the School Psychologist, role played School #6’s Rights and Responsibilities with the kindergartners, giving the students a clear understanding of expectations regarding interactions within a learning and playing environment. In Pre-K developing positive character traits early on begins with the implementation of the “Hugs and Tugs” Program and the Houghton-Mifflin Preschool Literacy Program, focusing on such areas as “showing kindness and consideration”, “problem solving”, “feelings”, “manners”, and “making friends”.
Safety and security within a child’s school family enables growth for him/her to become independent and interdependent.
It is within a safe learning community that our children are encouraged to question and offer answers. Opportunities outside School #6’s walls are afforded our kindergartners as they take trips to Hofstra’s Adams Playhouse, Oceanside Library, Teddy Bear Clinic, etc. The use of Video Conferencing under the expertise of Mrs. Schirmer, Computer Instructional Assistant, has surpassed the number 70! Our Kindergartners are transported from the Center for Puppetry in Georgia to the Clarion Health Partners in Indiana to the MOTE Marine Laboratory in Florida to the Buffalo Zoo in New York to a Texas classroom and more as their learning takes on broader and far reaching proportions. Each month during Computer Lab the Kindergartners participate in a lesson involving the Smartboard, complementing classroom curriculum instruction. Use of the Smartboard within classrooms as well is a treat for all the students. Undoubtedly, our daily partnerships with the School #6 family of staff and parents enable our students to grow and mature socially, emotionally, and academically. Our kindergartners appreciate the contribution of the many wonderful adults, not only in the Senior Connections Program, but also in our high school, Ambassador Program, and colleges. The Oceanside Fire Department has shared crucial lessons with our youngsters during Fire Prevention Week; the health care personnel at South Nassau Communities Hospital instruct our students during their visit to the Teddy Bear Clinic; our neighborhood professionals, parents, and relatives offer the children many first hand experiences during career talks. In support of our health and wellness initiatives, the children have taken part in such activities as aerobics, karate, and yoga presented by trained community volunteers.
Imagine a place of unconditional love where the
eXcitement of life-long learning is instilled …
That’s right … it’s here at School #6!