Islip Educators Receive Professional Development

The Islip School District is committed to providing professional staff-development for all of its employees in order to enhance knowledge and skills to provide a better education for district students. Recently, Judy Stephensen, a visiting educator from New Zealand and expert of AWARD, the district’s new k-3 reading program, provided staff development for second and third-grade teachers at Maud S. Sherwood and Commack Road Elementary Schools.

During Ms. Stephensen’s visit, she conducted group read-alouds with the whole class, ran small guided-reading groups while teachers observed, and held workshops for teachers. The workshops allowed the second and third-grade teachers the opportunity to ask in-depth questions on content and strategies in order to better serve their students and to increase their literacy levels.

“We are fortunate to have the services of consultants such as Judy Stephenson, who have personally devoted their lives to improving the literacy skills of all children,” stated Michael O’Brien, Interim Assistant Superintendent for Education Services. “Thanks to their efforts through modeling and discussion, our primary-level classroom teachers are sharpening their skills in mastering effective instructional strategies for the teaching of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Working across each primary grade level in the district, the goal is to ensure equity and quality instruction for all of our students.”
 

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