The new school year is off to a great start at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School where even a myriad of modifications brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped the enthusiasm of hundreds of students spread across grades 4-6.
“We are so pleased to open our doors to students,” Principal Donna Moro said. “The support from faculty and families has been outstanding. Students have adjusted to the new safety procedures. While many things have changed, one thing that hasn’t is our commitment to our students and their families.”
Donna Moro is principal of Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School.
Over the next few weeks, teachers at the school plan to resume “innovation lab” classes with a focus on the proposed New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards. Units of study will include Impacts of Computing, Computational Thinking and Computer Programming.
“The goal of the state computer science standards are to provide instruction that will allow every student to know how to live productively and safely in a technology-dominated world,” Ms. Moro said. “This includes understanding the essential features of digital technologies, why and how they work and how to communicate and create using those technologies.”
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School held its first ever “virtual” meet the teacher night earlier this week. “Our teachers worked hard to prepare presentations that provided our families with a glimpse of our classrooms and the new instructional methods in place for hybrid learning,” Ms. Moro said.
The school includes a heightened focus on science, technology, engineering and math instruction and activities, as well as encompassing English, social studies and other areas of traditional education that are featured in the district’s elementary schools. Inquiry-based instructional strategies are utilized.
Principal Donna Moro
Donna Moro has been principal of Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School since August 2016.
She had been serving as the district’s STEM coach and elementary science coordinator for two years at the time of her appointment.
A member of the J. Taylor Finley Middle School faculty for many years, Ms. Moro taught Earth Science from 2005 through June 2014. She also spent time during the 2013/14 school year working as an instructional coach in the science department, including facilitating staff development, making a presentation on Huntington’s teacher leadership coaching model at a state conference, presenting to the Board of Regents on the structure and sustainability of the district’s teacher leadership coaching model and representing New York State in a leadership summit in Washington, DC.
Ms. Moro obtained a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Hartford and Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in education degrees at Long Island University-C.W. Post. She obtained an advanced graduate certificate in school administration at Stony Brook University.
As the district’s STEM coach and elementary science coordinator for two years, Ms. Moro modeled inquiry based hands-on lessons for teachers in grades K-8, designed interdisciplinary curriculum to engage students in innovative activities geared toward inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders, coordinated all aspects of an after school STEM enrichment program, developed a summer STEM enrichment program in collaboration with Farmingdale State College.
Prior to embarking on a career as an educator, Ms. Moro was employed by Publishers Clearing House from 1986-2004. She worked as a program analyst, studying direct marketing initiatives; as director of customer service, managing a staff of 200 in three locations; as merchandising director of the UK division, overseeing a program budget in excess of $5 million.
Ms. Moro holds state certificates in Earth Science (grades 7-12) and educational administration/school building leader. She completed Harvard’s new and aspiring leadership program in March 2015.