West Islip outlines device policy rollout, literacy goals and new-teacher orientation ahead of school year

Mrs. Morrison presented a curriculum and school-start update at the Aug. 11 West Islip board meeting, previewing preparations for the coming school year.

Highlights included a new-teacher orientation in August for four new instructional staff, superintendent conference days in August with a keynote by Tom Murray, and plans to review safety plans and IEP/504 documentation. Mrs. Morrison thanked staff who supported summer programs, including the ESY program at Manas Huk (Manasquan?/Manas? as stated in transcript) and said the district would implement its Internet-enabled device policy on the first day of school; guidance documents were sent to parents and guardians and are posted on building websites.

The education committee, reported separately by Mrs. Brown, discussed curriculum and instruction goals for 2025–26 including continued work on foundational literacy (K–5 ELA), science of reading, equitable grading practices, project-based assessment, expansion of real-world learning partnerships, and further development of the district 'profile of the graduate.' Mrs. Brown said the district will temporarily adjust elementary ELA grading criteria during literacy-program rollout and will send letters explaining those temporary adjustments to families. She also announced Infinite Campus parent-portal openings: Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. for elementary parents and Aug. 25 at 8 a.m. for middle- and high-school families to view teacher assignments and schedules.

Why this matters: the device policy implementation and literacy-program rollout affect classroom practices and grading criteria for the coming year; parents were given concrete portal dates to view schedules and assignments.

Provenance: Mrs. Morrison's curriculum update runs from SEG 100 to SEG 143; Mrs. Brown's education committee report provides further programmatic detail in SEG 146–SEG 220.