STAR Academy - Ready, Set, Go!

(September 6, 2008) What type of learner are you--visual, auditory, kinesthetic? According to a definition posted on the University of Pennsylvania's school of education's website, "Kinesthetic learners are defined as learners who learn best by moving their bodies, activating their large or small muscles as they learn. These are the 'hands-on learners' or the 'doers' who actually concentrate better and learn more easily when movement is involved . . . Kinesthetic learners often work well with their hands. They may be good at repair work, sculpting, art, or working with various tools."

Fifteen members of Riverhead High School's new STAR Academy were kinesthetic learners over the summer as they scraped, spackled, repaired, painted, measured, designed, chose paint colors and carpeting, moved furniture, laid patio bricks and shared a summer work project of which they can be proud. Their hard work in refurbishing the high school's north portables provided them with a new home on campus and won them the respect of their teammates, their teachers and the whole Riverhead school community.

The students also successfully completed 100 hours of Community Service for the RSCD Summer Youth Build Program in association with the Building Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, who set up the program as a partnership between the council and the school district, and guaranteed the students 100 hours of work at $15 per hour.

During the August 21st open house, Deputy Superintendent Nancy Carney congratulated the students, lead teachers, Peter Huszagh and Michelle Gode, and thanked Board of Education member Angela DeVito, the work-force director for the building trades council and a member of the redesign committee, for her assistance over the summer.

"All the participating students had to be interviewed and had to take courses to be certified in first aid and CPR," stated Ms. DeVito. "They also had to pass federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety courses. In doing so they earned a certificate and their OSHA card, which is good for life," she said.

"They really did all the work in the renovation," stated Ms. Carney. "The students were also in on all the decision making concerning the renovation. The only thing they didn't do was the electrical work and the laying of the carpet. In addition, students chose the name, 'STAR,' which stands for 'Start Today, Achieve Results,' and were part of the committee that formulated the behavior and educational format that will be used to help ensure their success as students in the 2008-09 school year.

One striking young woman, who was a member of the summer building team and one of the tour guides at the open house, shared that she is now looking forward to returning to school. "I slacked off during my freshman year and then just gave up," she stated. "I had lots of things going on in my life and I didn't think I could fix what I had done, but I ended last year with a 93 and now I'm hopeful that I can do better. I want to learn more about photography and take a course at BOCES," she added.

Like the alternative school that preceded it, the STAR Academy remains dedicated to small class sizes and differentiated instruction with a renewed focus on individual student needs and learning styles. A number of additional opportunities requested by the students were also included by the committee in the redesign of the school. The new program will include: both a morning and afternoon program, teacher facilitators, an application/interview process for admission, a student/parent contract, and integration with the high school for lunch, specials and electives in the morning program. In addition, built-in incentives to achieve, more academic and professional support and a new on-site guidance counselor will help students meet both behavior and academic requirements and assist them in finding "school to work" and internship opportunities.

"I'm very proud of what the committee, teachers and students have done," stated Superintendent of Schools Dr. Diane B. Scricca, "but the work is not over; it is just beginning."

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Related Link: STAR Academy Web Page