Moving Towards the End of the School Year As we march into the last few months of this school year, we look to finish the year strong and we begin preparations for our 'new normal' for next school year. There is a lot of talk about what can we take with us from this past year as we move towards our new normal. Schools are looking at data to make informed decisions and are setting year-end goals. There is an important and time sensitive NYS Education Department announcement to bring to your attention: New federal funding is [...]

Celebrating Black History Month February marks Black History Month, a month honoring the contributions of Black American Men and Women to America. President Biden, in his Proclamation of National Black History Month 2021, tasks us “to make racial justice and equity part of what we do today, tomorrow, and every day.” As educators, we must provide optimum learning environments for all students. A cultural responsive learning environment creates inclusive learning opportunities where all students thrive. It celebrates diversity and impacts learning, student engagement and students’ social-emotional well-being. Learn strategies for identifying and eliminating systemic bias while celebrating [...]

Setting your 2021 PD Goals A new year brings endless opportunities for reassessing and refocusing our energies towards positive thinking and growth mindset. According to a July 2020 Remote Learning Experiences Study, 70% of Teachers reported that they needed continued resources to support remote learning, and 62% of Teachers reported that they needed additional instructional planning time. The Professional Development Resource Center is here to support your 2021 learning needs and PD goals, and to provide you with resources to enable best practices for instruction and learning in a remote or hybrid learning environment. Take some [...]

2020 in Review What a year it's been on so many levels? A year of challenges, a year of compassion, and a year of new ways of learning. Since the launch of the PDRC in March 2020, over 2,500 educators from across New York State have engaged in the Long Island PDRC Virtual Sessions. With this new virtual learning environment, virtual PDRC sessions have allowed us to bring you value and insights on leading teaching methods and modalities of this new working world. Whether it be zooming into a PD session from your kitchen table, from your [...]

The Long Island Professional Development Resource Center (PDRC) is excited to announce the launch of our brand new Fall and Winter workshops. Each workshop will give educators and leaders the tools and skills to help students exceed academic goals. All sessions are exclusively designed to fit your schedule being offered 100% virtually and at no-cost to you. Registration is open to all independent and religious schools. For more information and registration: Visit Our Professional Development Resource Center! PDRC Fall and Winter Workshops Now Available: Flipped Instruction for Hybrid Instruction Nov. 17 [...]

The Long Island PDRC is proud to support the upcoming 36th Annual RISE 2020 Conference. Registration is open to all religious and  independent school leaders and teachers in New York State. This year’s conference is 100% virtual and 100% free! RISE 2020: NOVEMBER 9-12, 2020 Join us for the first ever virtual RISE Conference! Connect with educators from across NYS, learn with over 55 independent professional development sessions, and experience many renowned keynote speakers. Most sessions are CTLE eligible and will count towards your CTLE requirements. For more information and registration: Visit Our Professional Development [...]

Welcome back! As the newly-formed PDRC, Catapult Learning provides high quality professional development to religious and independent school educators on Long Island and throughout the state. We look forward to continuing our professional learning partnership throughout school year 2020-21. We understand the challenges the new school year brings and are committed to supporting professional learning that is responsive to school needs. Visit Our Professional Development Resource Center! SAVE THE DATE: RISE 2020 The 36th Annual Religious and Independent School Educator Conference is going virtual with 4 days of keynotes and live PD sessions: November [...]

Greetings from the LI PDRC Team! Summer is flying by! We hope you found time to relax and regenerate. As we near September, school leaders are busy preparing for the realities of reopening and planning for a variety of reopening plans. On July 27, NYSED released the New York State Reopening Guidance for Religious and Independent Schools. This comprehensive document offers direct guidance to support health and safety concerns, facilities guidance, potential scheduling, attendance, and more for reopening of religious and independent schools. More Information can be found on the NYSED Non-Public School Page! [...]