Teachers of Tomorrow
Elmont
School District
Administration Offices • 135 Elmont Road • Elmont, NY 11003-1609 •
516-326-5500
“TEACHERS OF
TOMORROW” GETTING A HEAD START TODAY
Fifth and
sixth-graders at Clara H. Carlson Elementary School are getting a
chance to go beyond simply being students — they get to be educators
as well. The Teachers of Tomorrow program, coordinated by the school’s
Assistant to the Principal Stacia Walfall allows qualified, trained
student educators an opportunity to become peer mentors to younger
children. After going through a rigorous application process, which
examines attendance, character and behavior records, as well as
academic accomplishments, the mentors visit the younger grades and
assist in the classroom, doing art projects, reading and supervising
during playtime. This year, 35–40 of the applicants were selected to
participate in Teachers of Tomorrow.
Many
of the classroom helpers anticipate future careers in educational
fields. School Principal Kenneth Rosner notes that while “some
participants aspire to be teachers; all the students want to help make
their school a better place through volunteering. It’s a great
leadership opportunity and a great experience for everyone involved.”
Sixth-grader Achsah Thomas is one of those future teachers. Her most
treasured part of the experience has been completing art projects with
the younger children, because she likes fostering their creativity.
Freeha Khan, a second-year veteran of the program, not only enjoys
reading to the kindergarteners in Mrs. Jaeger’s class, but she says
she “also likes having the younger students say hello to her in the
hallways.”
The mission of
the Elmont Union Free School District is to “reach and teach for
excellence,” which means continually improving instruction and
increasing student achievement. Dedication to this goal is what has
earned Elmont New York State recognition for its “High Performing/Gap
Closing Schools,” and as a state “model for school success.” In
partnership with the community, the district holds its students to the
highest standards while maintaining one of the lowest per-pupil
expenditures in Nassau County.
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