Schools

New Elementary School to Open In Riverhead

A fundraiser in support of the nonprofit will be held on May 12 at Charnews Farm in Southold.

Revitalization continues in Riverhead, with a new school gearing up to open its doors to children in the fall.

Called the Peconic Community School, the school is spearheaded by the new local nonprofit organization, North Fork Education Initiative (NFEI),  which has plans for a brand now, fully accredited elementary school, open for children in grades kindergarten through 8, said Liz Casey, co-executive director of the NFEI.

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The school's mission, she said, is to create a curriculum and programs that focus on the arts, environment, and community.

All of the classes will take place at the East End Arts Council in downtown Riverhead. "That will be our temporary home, for at least the first year," Casey said. "This downtown location allows us to easily access such resources as the Long Island Aquarium, Long Island Science Center, the local library, and more to which we envision frequent visits," she said.

Pat Snyder, executive director of the East End Arts Council, said is was her idea to bring the new school to their site. "Their vision and their mission is similar to ours," she said. "It's complementary, and we have the space available. It was a good fit."

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Snyder added that board of the new school believes in the value of learning through actual practice, so they can visit the organizations downtown to enhance the educational experience. "It's a win-win for everyone," she said.

Steve Watson, education director at the East End Arts School, said he believes making space available to the community is a good use of resources. The new school, he said, is a harbinger of the change that's come to downtown Riverhead. "We used to have so much vacant space in downtown Riverhead," he said. "The idea that it's now being used for educational and new business uses, and all kinds of activities and organizations -- it's a sign of the revitalization that's here."

The school will function as a non-profit organization, run by a board of directors, with co-executive directors and an education director serving as administration.

A fundraiser and community picnic to benefit the new school will be held on Saturday, May 12 from 12 to 3 at Charnews Farm in Southold.  NFEI’s Spring Fundraiser and Community Picnic, GROW, will feature live music and a drumming workshop by local musician Dan Bailey, as well as an art project, a handicraft workshop, seedling planting, walking tours and a picnic lunch. To purchase ticket, go to www.northforked.org; $15 for adults and $5 for children over 2. A rain date is scheduled for May 26th.

The school will foster children's natural curiousity, imagination, and natural inclination toward creativity and play -- with an emphasis on the land, the community, and excellence in math, science, literacy, arts and humanities, Casey said.

In addition, the school will be unique in that tuition will be scaled to a family's ability to pay -- based on a belief that school should be accessible to all who embrace the facility's educational philosophy.

Peconic Community School will feature classrooms for multiple ages of children, and that are student-centered, interactive and project based, with curriculum developed after examining students' interests and ideas. The school will utilize a holistic approach, Casey said, nurturing the intellectual and social, emotional and spiritual aspects of a child's development.

Applications for students in grades K-3 are still being accepted for the 2012-2013 school year.


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