Roanoke
Avenue Elementary School is
one of four K-4 elementary schools in the district. It is located
on Roanoke Avenue in the center of the Riverhead community. The
school has 325 students.
Roanoke
is a yearly recipient of the Suffolk Reading Council Honor School
and is very proud of its history, staff and students.
The
Roanoke Avenue School is especially proud that it has the distinction
of having been chosen as a National Blue Ribbon School. Roanoke's
building has been named a historical
landmark.
Popular
events include its Halloween
parade, Poetry
Jams and the Book
of the Month Assembly. Innovative reading and writing programs,
such as "Weekly
Rewind," a news program which features interviews of
school celebrities, and end-of-unit Writers
Workshop celebrations reflect the school's partnership with
Columbia University's Teachers College Readers/Writers Workshop.
The school also boasts an outstanding school newsletter, the Parent
Link, which features student writers.
Family math nights, a school-wide science fair, and PTO-sponsored
specials like "The Living Planet" add another dimension
to the curriculum. Art, library, computer lab, music and physical
education are not just separate entities but are integral to Roanoke's
students' overall learning experience. The third grade class'
Chinese New Year
celebration is a good example of how these specials are seamlessly
woven into and support the curriculum and the classroom teachers.
The 21st Century Science curriculum encourages writing across
the curriculum, critical thinking and engages students in a hands-on
science program. The efforts of the school's Library/Media
Specialist enabled Roanoke to be one of the first schools
in the district to receive outside funding to implement SmartBoard
technology, an interactive classroom tool that integrates the
use of computers and the internet with the curriculum to improve
teaching and learning.
Field trips to nearby pumpkin farms, historical societies, science
museums, aquariums and other learning sites take advantage of
Riverhead's location which offers diverse regional, cultural,
scientific and agricultural advantages. Town government and community
members generously share their expertise and life experience with
the students. Students also participate in community service projects
and the school maintains a strong emphasis on character education
and academic effort. A new fourth grade student council at Roanoke
encourages student leadership.
Balanced Literacy and Math coaches are available to classroom
teachers to model, write and observe English Language Arts and
Everyday Math concepts taught in the classroom. These coaches
train, model, and provide assistance with implementation--recognizing
that workshops alone are not enough. They also add small group
follow-up and analysis of what is and is not working. Curriculum
and data analyses are being used to help students reach reading,
writing and math proficiency.
There
is a common preparation period at each grade level and a strong
emphasis on collegial circles at Roanoke. Parent/Guardian involvement
is strongly encouraged and appreciated. The school recommends
that all parents/guardians become involved with their Parent Teacher
Organization (P.T.O.). Roanoke is committed to being a family
school that emphasizes community involvement with a collegial
staff.
