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Zachary D’Alfonso

Chair of Curriculum

January 12, 2012

Dear Members of the Community:

I have recently accepted the position of Chair of Curriculum for the Newburgh School District. My first goal is to develop a multicultural curriculum that is representative of the students in our district. I believe this is a necessary step towards making our historically underrepresented cultures part of our schools. African American and Spanish cultures will be incorporated into our curriculum starting at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. The following programs will be required.

·          4^th – 12^th grade level classes will be required to use a minimum of 3 books written by African American or Spanish authors during the school year. These books are to correspond with English and Social Studies lessons.

·          K-12 art and music classes will include 2 or more projects per year dedicated to  African American and Spanish cultures.

·          An African American and Spanish play will be performed by our drama club. The performance will be made available to the community and students.

·         Spanish language instruction will be taught twice per week for the K-6 grade levels. Once in junior high school, the student will be allowed to choose a foreign language to complete their language requirement.

·         10^th – 12^th grade students will be required to take one full semester of either Spanish or African American Studies before graduating.

This is a change of course for the district. It is a fact that the cultures that make up our district have changed over the years. My goal is to make every student feel like they are welcome at school. Acknowledging different cultures will lead us on a path to becoming a more united district.

Thank You,

Zachary D’Alfonso