By Holly Toal<br><a href="mailto:holly.toal@journal-register.com">E-mail Holly</a>
LYNDONVILLE — Teachers and staff of the Lyndonville Central School District expressed thanks to the board of education at its most recent meeting for sending them to professional development conferences over the summer. While some took place as far away as Denver, Boston and San Antonio, Texas, others were in nearby Niagara Falls and Pennsylvania.
“We’re on track,” said third-grade teacher Wendy Caldwell. She explained that while others at the seminar she attended were surprised at some of the concepts discussed, such things were old habits for the folks at Lyndonville.
Teacher Randy Palladino attended the “Failure is not an Option” summit in Niagara Falls. He explained that although it took place locally, it is a nationally ranked conference, including teachers from as far away as Beijing, China.
“You live and breathe ‘failure is not an option,’” he told the board, adding that Lyndonville is the only school district he has been at that actually lives up to that motto. “You don’t just say it.”
Effective assessment for effective learning was one idea that was discussed at the seminar, which Palladino described as measuring how much a student has learned based on understanding and comprehension, and not simply grades.
Superintendent of Schools Barbara Deane-Williams said the beginning of this school year has been “one of the strongest starts and the most complicated” in a few years.
It seemed to be the consensus among the board that the year is off to a good start.
Contact editor Holly Toal at 798-1400, ext. 8225.
