Park Terrace highlights community garden, attendance gains and behavior supports

Pauline Benjamin, principal of Park Terrace, told the Gloversville board the school has expanded a community food garden that engages students and received a $3,500 Whole Kids Garden grant to purchase perennial herbs, berries and infrastructure.

Benjamin described the school's attendance initiative, "Grow Your Brain," which uses classroom incentives, stickers and targeted interventions such as an "ice cream challenge" and family outreach to improve attendance. She reported the number of students who had reached a chronic-absence threshold (18 days by State of New York definition) declined from 36 in 2023 to 25 last year and 20 this year, which she said indicates "a positive direction." Benjamin added that the initiative includes earlier instructional interventions (WIN time) for kindergarteners and cross-grade professional learning communities to support teaching.

On behavior supports, Benjamin described a tiered model and new referral process for behavior supports, expanded check-in/check-out interventions (21 students served this year vs. 11 last year) and a new CART (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities) team used for intensive plans.

Benjamin also reported early enrollment growth: interest in pre-K rose from 36 to 52 ("I think it's actually 55 now") and kindergarten enrollment was already at 63 signed students, which staff attributed to early promotion and streamlined digital enrollment steps.

Benjamin closed by thanking staff, custodians and community volunteers and invited board questions about follow-up data and long-term outcomes for chronically absent students.