Hello to our Farmingdale Family. This is Paul Defendini, Superintendent of the Farmingdale School District, and today is August 29, 2024. As we prepare for the start of the 2024/25 school year, our hearts are filled with excitement and hope for the opportunities that lie ahead. We are committed to making this year a meaningful and memorable experience for every one of our students. Before the first day of school, I want to share two important updates with you.
Armed Security
Last year, Farmingdale School District spent significant time evaluating armed security. We gathered input through surveys, formed a committee, and engaged in informal discussions. After careful consideration, we presented our findings and recommendations to the Board of Education and the public at a winter workshop. Together, we decided to implement armed security.
Over the summer, we worked closely with Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments and Homeland Security. Starting on the first day of school, armed security will be in place to protect students and staff. Please note, that they will only enter the building during an active shooter circumstance. With the exception of an active shooter situation, they are expressly forbidden from entering our building at any other time. We recognize the gravity of this decision and are saddened that such measures are necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Google Classroom
Farmingdale Schools will transition to Google Classroom from Schoology for the 2024/25 school year. This change offers better integration with our current student management system, improved user-friendliness, and now includes the "grade passback" feature, which was not available to us before. Training for our teachers began last school year and has continued throughout the summer, with more sessions planned this fall to ensure a smooth transition.
Included in this message is a Google Classroom resource that will be helpful for parents. It offers tools to help you understand the benefits of Google Classroom and how it strengthens the connection between our schools and you. We will also design our Parent University in the fall to explain the benefits of this new platform and to answer any specific questions you may have. If you do have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's classroom teacher.
I'm excited to see you this fall at the many events we have planned. Whether in our schools, on our fields, in our auditoriums, or around town, I look forward to connecting with you and making this our best year yet. Thank you for being a vital part of our school community and I look forward to welcoming in the 2024/25 school year together.