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Babylon Elementary School
171 Ralph Avenue
Babylon, New York 11702
Main Office: (631) 893-7960
Principal: Dana Spincola
Hours: 8:50 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. |
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principal's message
2010-2011
Dear Families and Neighbors of Babylon Elementary School,
I believe I am a different person, a different teacher, and a different leader because of the children, families and staff of Babylon Elementary School and because of Babylon Village itself. Throughout the past four years I have learned from the most masterful teachers, I have been supported by genuine administrators and learned a greater understanding of passion from the parents who entrust me and this staff with their most precious commodity each day.
Babylon Elementary School is a place I hope to be reflective of each person’s demeanor, personality and extension of his/her own home. Each if us, including, and most especially the children, come to school each day with thoughts of home, last night’s dinner conversation or perhaps memories of a family vacation. Despite how much, as educators we try to leave these pieces of our lives at the door each morning, we are individuals and better teachers because of these aspects of our academic, social and emotional lives.
As a primary school building, one which continues to grow in academic excellence, we are first a place which invites and allows each of our students to be the person they have been created to be. Whether it is an inquisitive nature, difficulty with directions and self-control, health related conditions or environmental factors, we are each here to serve and teach one another. If we look at our building as strictly a place of books, of grade levels or as a place that only exists from September to June, then we are doing ourselves and our children a disservice. We are unable to truly feel the experiences we are meant to have each day at Babylon.
This year we are continuing to work closely with our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction as a way to move curriculum programs into a growing understanding of meaningful and collaborative everyday practice. This includes our Literacy Collaborative work in English Language Arts as we witness children become independent readers, writes and thinkers. In Mathematics, we will continue to work with Growing with Mathematics and guide children into becoming problem solvers, risk takers and informational data analyzers.
I am truly excited to continue our partnership with grades three through five at Babylon Memorial Grade School with our Cross-Grade Level Curriculum Buddy Project in which both children and classroom teachers meet throughout the year to form friendships, learn from one another’s experiences, and teach their own understanding of what it means to be a member of the Babylon Village community.
On the district webpage you will find a K-2 Curriculum Guide for the students of our school. I invite you to expand a predetermined definition of curriculum that moves beyond a set books or materials from a specific publisher or group. Our K-2 curriculum is constantly changing. Each year the class dynamics, friendships, and personalities alter the curriculum. We are responsible for teaching content, but we are also responsible to teach lessons of trust. Our curriculum is far more than a set of books, or a topic covered, it is a plethora of resources, all of which I am honored to have at my fingertips each day.
Last year we introduced the book, Have you Filled a Bucket Today? to our students and families. In this book we learn that everyone in the world has an invisible bucket. We can either fill it up as we speak respectfully or treat others kindly (bucket fillers); or we can dip into it by being mean spirited individuals (bucket dippers). Each day I will be asking the children, “How can you fill someone’s bucket today?” “Do you wish to be a bucket filler or a bucket dipper?”
This is an important question for me to ask myself each day as well. It is my honor to fill your child’s bucket and I thank you for allowing them to fill mine. I encourage you to reach out to me, or any of our staff members at any time with any question, concern or brainstorm you may have. It is certainly your right as parents and guardians to ask questions, and it is most certainly our responsibility to help you navigate through your child’s school year.
With warm regards and thanks,
Dana M. Spincola
Principal
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