Rushmore Avenue General Information
Mrs. Catherine Silletti
Principal
School Hours:
7:55 am - 2:25 p.m.
Non-Bus dismissal immediately follows bus departure
Lunch/Recess Hours:
Grade 3/4 11:05am - 12:00am
Grade 5/6 12:03am - 12:56pm
Welcome! Rushmore Avenue School is an exemplary educational facility, located in the Carle Place School District that services 420 students in grades 3 - 6. It has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Our remarkable staff is highly dedicated to providing students with a child-centered education that addresses the student as an individual learner. Instruction is data driven, using a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies. Our curriculum is based on the Common Core Learning Standards. As a living organization, our professionals strive to bring the best educational practices into the classroom. Our students are offered a rich and well rounded program that utilizes our entire facility.
Our facilities at Rushmore School include a National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitat - Rushmore Environmental Center. It includes a butterfly garden, pond, and vegetable garden. Additionally, we have a solar energy learning center, as we are one of the first schools on Long Island to have solar panels installed to generate energy for our school. Our state-of-the-art Library Media Center houses two teaching areas, a readers' theatre, a Distance Learning Station and an extensive collection of materials. It is a wireless environment, equipped with laptop computers for all.
We strive to provide students with a well rounded, engaging and rigorous standards-based educational program that helps them to grow as individuals and as members of a community. We do this through a strong parent partnership, with exemplary educators and by empowering our students as learners.
Music Program
Our music program is offered to all students at Rushmore. Our Music department consists of three full time music teachers. The primary goal of the music program at Rushmore is to challenge students to develop a lifelong love and appreciation of music in all of its forms. We continuously strive to challenge the students to a level that exceeds the expectations of the national and the New York State Standards. Students have many opportunities to explore both performance and the other elements of music. In the general music program, students receive classroom music instruction in analysis, appreciation, composition, and classroom instruments. Additionally, every student has the opportunity to learn an instrument of the band or the orchestra. They receive the individual attention that is needed to succeed in instrumental music as the program is designed so that they receive small group instruction on a weekly basis. SMART Music is an internet-based assessment tool that allows our teachers to give our students immediate feedback to improve on their skills. Students are given the opportunity to exhibit their talents at a multitude of performances throughout the school year. The music staff also offers small ensemble work to students who meet audition requirements. The Jazz Band, the Chamber Ensemble, and the Select Chorus offer more challenging and varied repertoire for our highly motivated young musicians.
Art Program
The art curriculum is built on facilitating connections between art and other disciplines. Through the use of interdisciplinary lessons and attention to artist appreciation, students can begin to see the importance of the arts inside and outside the classroom. Students are given the opportunity to explore a variety of artistic materials while developing their own sense of creativity. In all areas of the art curriculum students are also given the chance to reflect on their process as an artist. The idea of process is essential to all disciplines and is reinforced in their artistic experiences. For example, in the third grade students are learning about the different types of communities. To reinforce their knowledge of communities students looked at the artist Romare Bearden, who created collages inspired by his urban community where he was raised as a child. After students discuss the different types of communities; rural, suburban, and urban they create their own personal collage of their community utilizing similar art techniques as Romare Bearden. The further we develop these connections, the richer the art experience will be for all students.
Technology
In our efforts to promote twenty-first century skills, technology is an integrated component of instruction at Rushmore Avenue School. Many units of study that span various curriculum areas incorporate the use of computers, document cameras, student response systems and interactive white boards. Students visit the computer lab as well as work in the classroom on desktop and laptop computers. Many areas of the school are wireless, which enables students easy access to internet resources and research. Throughout the course of the school year, units of study are extended to make learning vibrant and engaging.
Student Leadership
Students in grades five and six have the opportunity to participate in two school leadership programs; Student Council and Peer Mediation. Members of the Student Council are elected by their peers to represent them. They are responsible for fostering school spirit, organizing community service projects and student fundraising efforts. The student council meets approximately twice a month after school. Students who are interested in being peer mediators are invited to apply. Our peer mediators are carefully selected based on a defined application process. Once students have been identified, they attend an annual two-day training seminar to prepare them to be effective, non-judgmental problem solvers who are able to help students to resolve conflicts peacefully.
After School Activities
Rushmore Avenue School offers a variety of co-curricular opportunities for students who attend our school. Staffed by our own teachers, students can participate in a variety of clubs including chess club, publishing club, art club, environmental club, newspaper club, performing arts club, jazz band, and intramural sports. In addition to these clubs, we offer a homework center to students.
Scope
Scope Educational Services is a not-for-profit organization that provides school-aged before school and after school child care programs. It has sites operating at both Cherry Lane School and Rushmore Avenue School. For more information please call (631) 360-0800.