Our commitment to education embodies the understanding of New York State Standards, district curriculum which enables our staff to execute outstanding teaching and supervision for our students.

Our mission at Clinton School is to assist all children in reaching their full potential academically and socially. We are able to achieve these endeavors due to the commitment and faithfulness of our faculty and staff who are professionally trained in a variety of academic areas.

Some of the unique features include our exclusive Block Scheduling for students in grades K-5, Voluntary Dress Code, and Character Educaton program.

Our students will be exposed to the Five Essential Components of Effective Reading Instruction:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension
• Fluency

This commitment to our reading program allows our staff to deliver a comprehensive educational journey to all of our students.

Clinton School has been involved in two major grant initiatives since 2001, Reading For Results and Reading First. These State and Federal Grants have enabled our building to attain the following initiatives for every student entering grades K-3. Our 4th and 5th grades students also receive a specialized program that continues to develop our student academically.

Clinton School has been involved in two major grant initiatives since 2001, Reading For Results and Reading First. These State and Federal Grants have enabled our students to continuously make Adequate Yearly Progress. As we enter out 4th year, our focus has shifted to sustainability.

This program has enabled us to extend academic intervention services to students in grades K-3.With our Reading First Grant we were able to:

• Work with a scientifically-based reading program
• Provide professional development and other support to school staff
• Administer screening, diagnostic, and classroom-based reading assessments to develop instructional lessons
• Give support t all chldren in grades K-3 in learning to read at or above grade level
• Strengthening coordination between school and family literacy through access to print
• Our Summer School opportunities

Assessment - All students K-3 are assessed in the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) students not meeting national benchmarks are progress monitored.

Instruction - All classrooms provide explicit reading instruction using the district approved scientifically-based research program, Open Court. Classroom teachers also use data results to drive instruction.

"Reading First is the largest, and yet most focused, early reading initiative this country has ever undertaken. This dramatic shift from the fads of the past, which have sacrificed too many hopeful young readers, will ensure that all kids, not just some kids, can read well by the end of the third grade."

Professional Development - All K-3 classroom teachers and support staff have completed the New York State Reading Academy

Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education.

Clinton School was constructed in 1925, and is one of three neighborhood elementary schools in the district.

• Clinton School offers Computer Education to all students in grades K-5.
• Presently we have a State of the Art Computer Lab, which enhances our academic curriculum with an emphasis on writing.
• Clinton School has a full-time librarian, art teacher, gym teacher, music teacher, ESL, Title 1 specialists, and a part-time instrumental teacher.
• We also offer an After-School Intervention Service Program (A.I.S.)
• The Poughkeepsie's Promise After-School child care program.
• Summer Enrichment
• Character Education
• Community Connections

  Marist, Vassar, New Paltz, & Mount St. Mary's College participants & student teachers, Marist Campus Ministries

  Senior citizen (CLS) volunteer program

  FAST (Families And Schools Together)

  Adriance Library

• Parental Involvement

  Parent workshop, Participate to Educate campaign, Parent breakfast with an academic introduction for upper grades.

• Reading First Initiative which allows us to:

  Work with a scientifically based reading program

  Provide professional development and other support to school staff

  Administer screening, diagnostic, and classroom-based reading assessments to develop instructional lessons

  Give support to all children in grades K-3 in learning to read on or above grade level

  Strengthen coordination between schools, reading programs, and family literacy through access to print

• Open Court Vocabulary

• After School Program

  The after-school program at Clinton provides a safe, enrichment-based quality programming from 2:30 - 5:30 pm, Monday - Friday.

  The fee for this program can be obtained by calling (845) 546-0351

  Our program offers four types of activities to participants.

  Our program offers four types of activities to participants:

  Snack/Social

  During the first portion of the program children eat a nutritious snack with juice or milk while engaging in social time with their peers. Staff and volunteers sit with the students, serving as mentors, while they gauge the overall well-being of the children.

  Academic Enrichment

  The Clinton After-School Program is not a homework completion program.  Students are given time to work on homework with meaningful assistance from staff/volunteers, though they are neither expected to complete nor forced to work on assignments.

  The Program offers specialized tutor assistance through Marist College as well as the Poughkeepsie High School Partnership with Business.  Clinton ASP uses FastForward - a literacy enrichment manual designed to help children learn language arts through games and the arts during our Academic Enrichment portions.

  Physical Recreation

  Students are provided with 45 minutes of physical recreation either in the gymnasium, playground or other appropriate areas. Staff engages participants in organized games or they provide supervision of un-structured play time.

  Enhancements

  During the Enhancements students are exposed to numerous ideas, arts, entertainment, etc. Some of this year's Enhancements will include:

  • Arts & Crafts,
  • Visual Arts,
  • Life Skills,
  • Ice Skating Trips,
  • Talent shows,
  • Karaoke,
  • Mentoring,
  • Community Service Projects,
  • Fashion- Shows, and Dance.

  Enrollment

  At this time, the Clinton After-School Program is fully enrolled with 110 students.  There are currently 60 children on the waitlist for the 2004-2005 academic year.

  Participants are divided into five groups, according to their grade level (K-3 and 4/5 together).

Dear Parents,

The Reading First K-3 Program requires all of our students to reach grade appropriate benchmarks in different reading skills. In order to keep our students at the level that they established during the school year we must ensure that all out K-3 students read during the summer recess. Attached you will find a list of required reading your child will have to complete during the summer recess. These books are available at our local library Adriance Memorial (located on Market Street).

Here are some helpful strategies that effective readers use before, during and after reading:

• Set aside time (20 min. a day) and a quiet place to enjoy reading.
• Make predictions as you read and see if they come true.
• Make connections between what you know and what you are reading.
• Keep a reader's journal to write about what you are thinking while you are reading.
• Think about what you liked/disliked about what you read.

The time your child spends reading books this summer will greatly influence your child's reading development for the new school year. So have fun and read, read, read!

Yours in education,

Marianne Goodwin

Reading First Clinton School

Summer Reading List 2007/2008 - Kindergarten Students

The following books need to be read to students entering Kindergarten in September 2006.
These books have been selected based upon the Open Court Reading Series thematic units.
Students entering grade K in September will be tested on different reading skills.
A Kindergarten student should be able to identify 10 or more letters of the alphabet.
The books selected can be read to and REREAD to the child by a mature reader.

Books:

• The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
• Do You want to be My Friend? by Eric Carle
• Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
• You Read to Me, I'll Read to You by Mary Ann Hoberman

Book Choices:

Alphabet Book - Suggestions:

• Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Poetry/Rhyming - Suggestions:

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
• Take Me Out of the Bathtub by Alan Katz

Song Books - Suggestions:

• Down By the Bay by Raffi
• Wheels on the Bus by Raffi

Summer Reading List 2007/2008 - First Grade Students

The following books need to be read by students entering grade 1 in September 2006.
These books have been selected based upon the Open Court Reading Series thematic units.
Students entering grade 1 in September will be tested on different reading skills.
A first grader should be able to identify all the letters of the alphabet and the letter sounds.
The books selected can be read to the child by a mature reader.

Book Choices:

Nonfiction - Topic:

• Transportation or Animal Homes

Alphabet Book - Suggestions:

• Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Poetry/Rhyming - Suggestions:

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
• Take Me Out of the Bathtub by Alan Katz

Author Study âÄì Read one or more books by Arnold Lobel

Summer Reading List 2007/2008 - Second Grade Students

The following books need to be read by students entering grade 2 in September 2006.
These books have been selected based upon the Open Court Reading Series thematic units.
Students entering grade 2 in September will be tested on different reading skills.
A second grader should be reading 45 words per minute

Books:

• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
• The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle
• If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most
• Frog and Toad (any title) by Arnold Lobel
• Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

Book Choices:

Nonfiction - Topic:

• Camouflage, Fossils, Dinosaurs

Biography - Topic

• Martin Luther King
• Harriet Tubman
• Rosa Parks
• Abraham Lincoln
• Betsy Ross

Poetry - Suggestions:

• Dinosaurs Galore by Giles Andreae
• Visiting Langston by Willie Peromo

Author Study

• Read one or more books by Betsy Byars, Eve Bunting, Don Freeman

Summer Reading List 2007/2008 - Third Grade Students

The following books need to be read by students entering grade 3 in September 2006.
These books have been selected based upon the Open Court Reading Series thematic units.
Students entering grade 3 in September will be tested on different reading skills.
A third grader should be reading 77 words per minute in September.

Books:

• Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park (any title)
• Behind the Couch by Mordicia Gerstein
• Tell Me a Story Mama by Angela Johnson
• A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry
• Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey

Book Choices:

Nonfiction book - (Topic - choose 1)

• Animal Habitats or Money

Biography - (Choose 1)

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• An American President
• Satchel Paige

Author Study (choose 1 book by 1 author)

• Patricia Polacco
• William Steig
• Steven Kellogg

A fable (Aesop) or Folktale

Poetry - Jack Prelusky or Shel Silverstein

• Rose is Still a Rose
• Science/Math Club
• Yearbook
• Cougar's Den
• Knitting Club
• Girl Scouts
• Chess Club