Jack Abrams Sixth Grade Center Takes Shape
Planning for the new sixth grade center at Jack Abrams School is well underway according to Huntington School District executives. All district sixth graders will attend classes there while fourth and fifth graders will be educated at Woodhull School.
“We expect to provide an outstanding and well-rounded experience for our sixth graders,” Superintendent John J. Finello said. “There are many exciting ideas being discussed.”
Current Jack Abrams School Principal Mary Stokkers will continue lead at that building while Woodhull School Principal Jarrett Stein will be staying there.
“The building administration, along with teachers and parents, will help make this transitional year successful for youngsters as they go from the elementary to the middle school,” said Dr. Kenneth A. Card, Jr., assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “The Jack Abrams Sixth Grade Center will provide a departmentalized curriculum for students to prepare them to accept individual responsibility for their learning at the secondary level while in a nurturing and caring environment.”
The new center will utilize a teaming model that will be implemented to provide ongoing support and guidance for all students. “Core courses in literacy, English language arts, math, social studies, and science will be provided by teachers specializing in those content areas,” Dr. Card said. “Additional programs such as the SEARCH and Math Olympiad programs, reading and math improvement services, speech therapy, health and physical education and intramural activities that prepare students for participation in competitive sports once they are at the middle and high school levels, will be provided.”
Officials are also exploring the possibility of creating a foreign language exploratory program, which would offer 10 weeks of Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese. A study skills program will be established to help students develop the skills necessary for successfully transitioning to the secondary level.
“Students can also choose to participate in band, orchestra, choral music, the drama program, and studio art,” Dr. Card said. “The athletic facilities, which include a closed gymnasium, lend themselves to students interested in sports.”
A school psychologist and social worker will be on staff and available to provide individual and group guidance. “The Jack Abrams Sixth Grade Center will help students adjust to life outside the elementary classroom through a teaming model, which will prepare students for the ‘step-up’ to Finley Middle School and eventually Huntington High School,” Dr. Card said.
The proposed school budget includes funding to lease and install three modular classroom units at Woodhull School in order to provide additional instructional space and scheduling flexibility there. However, should voters fail to approve the budget and the district is forced to operate on a contingency budget, the sixth grade center will still open in September and Woodhull will still house fourth and fifth graders by maximizing existing spaces in the building.
“Parents and students of the Jack Abrams Sixth Grade Center will have much reason to be proud of their school,” Dr. Card said.
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