School Year & Academic Day
Elementary Curriculum
Special Areas
All Kindergarten through fourth grade students receive instruction and participate in these special area classes. Specials are for 40 minutes once each week, with the exception of Physical Education which is for 40 minutes, twice each week.
- Art: The art program is designed to help develop students’ understanding of art through hands-on-experience with imaginary and realistic design.
- Music: The music program is designed to foster students’ ability to enjoy and understand music. All students in grades 1 through 4 receive general music instruction. In addition, third and fourth graders have the opportunity to learn to play recorder and grade 4 participates in chorus.
- Physical Education: The physical education program includes activities in basic and creative movement, rhythm and dance, gymnastics, perceptual-motor skills and lifetime sports. Games are introduced to develop skills for individual and team sports. Students are encouraged to engage in vigorous physical activity daily at home. They must have sneakers to participate.
- Library: The library program is designed to support the English Language Arts curriculum and develop research skills and a joy for reading.
Assessment & Testing
Teachers continually assess student performance through observation, student conferences and review of each student’s written work or informal assessments. Formal district-wide testing includes reading and writing inventories.
In New York State, third graders are tested in English/Language Arts (in April) and Mathematics (in April), while fourth graders are tested in English/Language Arts (in April), Mathematics (in April), and Science (in May/June). These assessments are intended to help students reach higher standards of learning and to focus on basic skills and their applications. The results of these tests are reported annually on the NYS School Report Card and individual student reports are sent home to parents.
Report card grades are determined by using a combination of assessments to ascertain if a youngster has learned. Some of the ways to know if a child is learning is by looking at the following criteria:
- New York State Tests. (Grades 3 & 4)
- Critical thinking, problem solving and collecting data.
- Expressing one’s thoughts in writing.
- Students demonstrating how they arrived at a given solution(s).
- Performance tasks demonstrating an application of skills.
- Perseverance, organization, willingness to go beyond the task, and effort.
- Attendance and lateness throughout the year.
Students who fall below expected levels of achievement may be offered academic intervention outside of the classroom.
Student Support Services - RTI
The building level Response to Intervention Team meets throughout the school year. RTI is a multidisciplinary team that explores and addresses specific students concerns related to academic performance; behavior, socialization, emotions, and home environment, members include a general education teacher, reading specialist, school psychologist, school social worker, special education teacher, and the referring classroom teacher. The team will support the referring teacher by assisting in developing strategies and interventions, and/or a more comprehensive plan to address the student’s issues.
The purpose of RTI is to increase the utilization of strategies within the general education classroom to meet the academic and behavioral needs of individual students. At the RTI meeting intervention strategies are identified and the student’s progress is monitored. If the student’s needs ultimately cannot be met within the general education program, a referral for formal assessment may be warranted.
When formal assessments are recommended, a referral to the District’s Committee on Special Education is made. Referrals are generally made through the recommendation of the RTI Committee. The CSE provides formal assessments for students who are suspected of having a disability and also determines eligibility for classification. An Individual Educational Plan (I.E.P.) consisting of goals and objectives is developed by the CSE to provide an appropriate education for students who are eligible for services.
Summer School
The summer reading program is for grades K-4. Children in need of extra reading and writing support may have an opportunity to participate in the reading program.
If your child is asked to participate in the program it is the responsibility of the family to bring the child daily. Excessive absence or tardiness will result in the child being discharged from the program.
The classroom teacher will contact you if your child is being considered for the program. The reading teacher will confirm acceptance in the program with a letter to your family. A meeting will take place to discuss details about the Summer Reading Program and answer your questions.
Summer Reading Assignment
Children receive a summer reading assignment in June. During the first weeks of school, children will give an oral as well as a written presentation of the assignment. All children are expected to complete the assignment.
Before & After Care
Camp Wilbur Herrlich and the Carmel Central School District partner to offer parents a before and after school program. These programs are offered in accordance with the state regulations and the Office of Children and Families. All programs offer sports, games, crafts, character development, theme days and special events, indoor and outdoor activities, and more. The After School Programs also offer homework time. The Camp program operates independently of the school. Please call 878-6662---for information regarding cost and registration.