Kindergarten classes at West Elementary School celebrated the Lunar New Year with lessons and activities. Students explored the festival’s origin and traditions through various hands-on projects led by teachers Anne LaPenna, Michelle Spreckels and Chelsea Way.

This Lunar New Year, which represents the year of the Ox, took place on Feb. 12. Leading up to the day, students created and exchanged red envelopes that were filled with tokens to symbolize prosperity and happiness. Classes discussed the significance of the tokens, which are given in even numbers for good luck, as well as the meaning of the holiday.  They also decorated paper lanterns while learning about the Lantern Festival, which takes place on the 15th day of the lunar calendar’s first month, and dressed in red to symbolize happiness, wealth, and good fortune.

Ms. Spreckels’ classroom featured a “museum” of artifacts from China. Items included a fan, a parasol, scroll writing, silk scarves and authentic decorations. Students learned the phrase “Gung hay fat choy,” which conveys wishes for a happy new year, and enjoyed traditional Chinese music. 

Students in the Long Beach Public Schools earned recognition for their entries in a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Poster and Essay Contest sponsored by the City of Long Beach. Students learned about Dr. King’s contributions and impact, then conveyed their own messages about his legacy through art and writing.

The contest was open to all students from elementary through high school and asked them to incorporate the theme of “Unity, Service and Collaboration During the Pandemic” into their work.

Poster winners are Long Beach Middle School student Sydney Brandt, Lindell School students Kaitlyn Dambrose and Maximo Vitolo and West School students Erica Addey and Blaise DeNicola. Their pieces are titled “Emancipation,” “Teamwork,” “We Will Make It Through,” “Let Freedom Ring” and “Love Beats Hate,” respectively.

The district’s essay contest winners are Lily Eustate of Long Beach High School and Bianca Leible from West, along with a Long Beach Catholic Regional School student.

West School raised approximately $850 in donations that will go to Memorial Sloan Kettering Kids’ Mustaches for Kids Long Island Chapter. Board of Education Member Sam Pinto is a participant in the program, and the contributions from West families will go toward his fundraising efforts to help MSK Kids provide treatment and research of childhood cancer. Many students decorated their face masks with mustache cutouts and illustrations to help promote the endeavor.

West School’s kindergarteners are officially authors! Classes recently culminated their first unit of the Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. The district is rolling out this new reading and writing initiative at all its elementary buildings to take literacy instruction to the next level. The young authors at West walked the red carpet in celebration of their accomplishments and shared their stories.

Students and staff members in the Long Beach Public Schools were excited to have their highly-anticipated return to the classrooms starting on Sept. 11. Despite a slightly postponed opening due to the previous day’s weather conditions, the district’s initial days were filled with enthusiasm as a productive new year of learning took flight. 

The schools held staggered orientations in order to provide students with time to adjust to the new health and safety protocols for arrival and dismissal. Students were familiarized with health and hygiene procedures and other important measures that have been implemented. Sept. 14 marked the first full day for all, and while faces were covered, the excitement was obvious. Students were eager to see their friends, get to know new classmates and meet their teachers, and staff members were happy to be back in their instructional environments.  

This year, elementary students attend school daily while students at the secondary level are on a hybrid schedule that alternates in-person and remote instruction days. A fully remote learning option is being utilized by some students at all levels. 

Hallways are marked in order to maintain social distancing and handwashing and sanitizing stations are available. In the classrooms, desks are spaced 6 feet apart. Students and staff members wear masks throughout the day with breaks permitted at select times. The custodial staff is diligently sanitizing desks, doors and all classroom materials following each school day, using a product that is proven effective against COVID-19. 

A newly launched transportation blog can be viewed here and provides the latest updates on bus delays and route changes. The district looks forward to sharing highlights and achievements as the 2020-21 school year continues.