Dear Valley Stream Central High School District Community,
I hope you all had a fun, safe, and restful break with your family, friends and loved ones. As the summer comes to an end, I hope you are as excited as I am to welcome back our students for the 2023-24 school year!
Throughout the summer months, our incredible team of educators and staff have been working to prepare for another enriching and fulfilling academic year. We remain committed to fostering a nurturing environment where all our students can flourish and reach their full potential. This includes the return of our District’s wonderful academic, trade, arts, science and athletic programs as well as an expanded student counseling and mental health support network.
We continue to be deeply committed to the well-being of our students. Alongside the return of our Wellness Centers, which are open every Tuesday afternoon for our students and their families, we have hired additional school counselors to provide further access for students who may be struggling with mental health.
In a related vein, we are proud to introduce our brand-new restorative practices program for the upcoming school year with the goal of strengthening and creating new bonds within our school community. This cutting-edge approach to student discipline, being introduced Districtwide this school year, is designed to address the root cause of student behavior and the relationships with those around them with the goal of improving student disciplinary outcomes. Not only have we hired a new Districtwide director and a team of new counselors to oversee this program, but we have been training all of our staff in this innovative approach.
Additionally, I would like to highlight our successful career and technical education programs. They include classes in automotive repair, nursing and medical assistant, culinary arts and cosmetology. We are also excited to announce that our aforementioned automotive repair program now has a new, permanent home at Central High School. There is no one right answer to success for students, and we encourage all those interested to participate in whichever of these programs might interest them.
Last but certainly not least, we are proud to announce the expansion of our Girls Inc. and My Brother’s Keeper initiatives to all four buildings. Additionally, we are introducing new financial literacy coursework, ENL support enhancements, new extracurricular opportunities in swimming and robotics, and free SAT test taking. These enhancements reaffirm our commitment to ensure that every student has access to a remarkable high school journey.
On behalf of the Board of Education, administration, teachers, and staff, we would like to welcome you all back for an exciting, educational, and unforgettable 2023-2024 school year.
Dr. Wayne Loper
Superintendent of Schools