Comment

Comment by Laura MARTIN on April 13, 2011 at 11:41pm

UPDATE:

The board of ed has reinstated the 7th grade French program at Middle Country!  

I would like to thank everyone who supported us through this struggle.

 

They did warn us that it will be reviewed again next year and that we must keep enrollment up in order to maintain the program.  We will continue to fight.  

There is strength in numbers.

Comment by Laura MARTIN on March 22, 2011 at 9:24pm

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, March 23 at 7pm is our next board meeting.  It will be held at Newfield High School, 145 Marshall Drive, Selden.  A former student has contacted News 12 and they said they will be there.  We would like to have a huge turn out to show the board how much we care about saving the program.  Students are planning to arrive at 6:30pm and sing Les Champs-Elysees.  There is strength in numbers.  We hope that we can count on your continued support. 

Merci mille fois.

Tous pour un,

Laura

Comment by Laura MARTIN on February 26, 2011 at 11:38pm

A triste situation

 

This article appeared February 23, 2011.

 

A 'triste' situation Hundreds gather at school board meeting; Middle Country School District will phase out French program in middle schools

By Rachel Shapiro

Write The Author

	Alex Flores pleads with the school board to keep French in the middle schools. Photos by Rachel Shapiro (click for larger version)

Times of Middle Country

February 23, 2011 | 03:12 PM

Middle Country French students and hundreds of their supporters filled Newfield High School's library to the brim last week as they pleaded with the school board not to cut their beloved program.

Michelle Sena is a Middle Country graduate who studied French in the district and is now a classically trained French chef. Graduating as valedictorian of her 2008 class at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, Sena said every one of her chefs were from France and the entire curriculum was taught in French.

"Without having any knowledge of the language I would have easily contributed to the 33 percent failure rate but instead I took my education I received at Middle Country and was able to graduate valedictorian," Sena said to the board and the large audience.

Dressed in T-shirts with various sayings from "I love Paris" to "When you end French you end a family" and donning small French flags on their lapels, students, teachers and parents packed the library, standing against walls and in between bookshelves.
Many students, speaking from prepared statements, respectfully and with passion asked the board to reconsider cutting the program and ended their statements with "Merci."

In a few short days after Superintendent Roberta Gerold said the school district would have to cut a portion of the French program due to proposed cuts in state funding, the group of French supporters organized a "Save Middle Country French" Facebook page, a website and collected 1,500 petition signatures asking the district to keep the entire French program runningGerold said the district will be phasing out the French program at the middle schools. Students i

Comment by Laura MARTIN on February 21, 2011 at 6:10pm

Video clip of News12's coverage of the Board Meeting:

News12: Middle Country students campaign for foreign language program

Comment by Laura MARTIN on February 21, 2011 at 4:29pm

Ken Hughes of NYSAFLT has created at advocacy Wiki with great resources and ideas to save programs.

 

http://savenyfrench.wikispaces.com/

Comment by Laura MARTIN on February 21, 2011 at 4:27pm

We just found out that the French program in the Connetquot School District will also be phased out.

Comment by Laura MARTIN on February 21, 2011 at 4:22pm

There is a growing trend to cut French programs across the island due to low enrollment.  We found out through the newspaper that the program of Middle Country School District will suffer the same fate if the Board of Education does not reverse their decision.  Students, parents and alumni are standing up and voicing their discontent, however, we need more support and exposure.  Please lend your voice to this worthy cause.

 

Below, please find the contact information for the district.  Thank you in advance for your anticipated support.  Should you have any questions, please contact me at Lmartin75@optonline.net. 

 

Laura Martin

 

 

 

                 --------------------------------------

 

Middle Country School District has abruptly decided to eliminate its French Program.   We found out about these cuts by reading Sunday’s Newsday (2/6/11).

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/state-number-of-failin...

 

 We need your help to let them know how valuable French is in the world and to ask them to reconsider cutting the program.  

 

The French program at Middle Country has a consistent record of !00% passing on the Regents.  For a school that is on the list of failing schools, why take away a successful program?  Instead, this program should be promoted and expanded.

 

The Mission Statement of the District claims, “...to empower and inspire all students to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be creative problem solvers, to achieve personal success, and to contribute responsibly in a diverse and dynamic world.”   By taking away a language, they are minimizing the students chances to compete against students who are offered so much more.

 

The time to act is now.  Time is of the essence.  Please show your support in one or more of the following ways:

1.  Send a letter to the Board of Education (names and addresses given below)  
2.   Join the student created FACEBOOK group Save Middle Country French
3.  Visit the student generated website http://savefrenchmccsd.webs.com
4. Attend the next Board meeting, Wednesday, March 9th, 7pm at Newfield High School.

 

Correspondence may be sent to Board members through the District Clerk, Administration Building,

8 Forty-Third Street, Centereach, NY 11720.

MIDDLE COUNTRY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

 

Karen Lessler, Ed.D., President

Susan Jacobson, Vice President

 

Arlene Barresi    

Doreen Feldmann 

Nicholas Caracappa              

Carmel Fitzpatrick

Deborah Felber    

Kristopher Oliva

James Pendola

                                              THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!