Learning Office

The Somers Central School District focuses all efforts on ensuring that all students learn. As our graphic conveys, the center of our vision is the whole child.

Our department’s mission is to engage our professional learning community in developing standards-based curriculum and local assessments, implementing best instructional practices, and analyzing student learning data to plan effective responses to student needs. We believe these collective actions engage students personally, inspire their passions, and prepare them to thrive in a global society.

Three essential questions guide our work:

1. What do we want our students to know and be able to do?

2. How do we know our students have attained the desired knowledge and skills?

3. What do we do when students struggle with or exceed our expectations?

These questions focus our efforts on developing clearly articulated curriculum, studying and applying best instructional practices, and analyzing student work and ongoing assessments for and of learning.

Our vision is to build professional collaborative teams that share ownership of, and responsibility for, student learning in three interconnected areas:

• 21st Century Knowledge and Skills

• Social, Emotional, and Physical Wellness

• Global Citizenship

We value relationships grounded in honesty, respect, and integrity as we build a professional community committed to continuous improvement. We celebrate the support of our broader community and recognize the importance of experiences that contribute to a child’s sense of “wholeness,” including music, art, physical education, social-emotional learning, and opportunities to explore personal interests.

Our department coordinates a range of programs, including:

• Library Media Studies
• Visual and Performing Arts
• Social, Emotional, and Physical Wellness
• Instructional Technology
• Professional Learning — including oversight of professional evaluation, mentoring for new faculty, and the work of Learning Coaches in each school

Strong communication and collaboration with the Superintendent, district leaders, building administrators, and teacher leaders help ensure that our work advances with coherence and excellence.

As we share our passion for teaching and learning, we also equip students with the skills to be independent learners. Knowledge is available to all of us, all of the time. How we access that knowledge and use it to think critically, respond creatively, act collaboratively and communicate effectively is the challenge of the 21st Century!