Oceanside Kindergarten Center Opens New Lab

(Oceanside, New York) — Today, Senator Todd Kaminsky joined with the Oceanside School District to unveil its SMILES (Six’s Magical Innovation Learning & Exploration Space) Lab located at the Oceanside School #6’s Kindergarten Center. Kaminsky secured a $250,000 state grant for the district to outfit the new lab with equipment to make the learning process more enriching and enjoyable for students.

“Oceanside School District is a vibrant community and an incredible place to raise a family,” said Senator Todd Kaminsky. “I was proud to secure funding to build a brand-new kindergarten lab that will serve this community for decades to come. In Albany, I will continue to fight to ensure we get our fare share from the state.”

Visitors to the unveiling followed their kindergarten tour guides through a series of stations to give a sampling of some of the ways in which the lab will be used:

• Beam - a virtual playground that offers a highly active and interactive floor game experience; with dozens of games to play, it's a mental and physical workout unhampered by weather and other restrictions

• Lego We Do and Cubelets - are among the various materials and tools that introduce kindergarteners to the concepts underlying coding. Visitors will code a car or robot to perform a task

• The Play Table - a child-sized table with a touch screen surface for collaborating with digital applications that open a doorway  enriching experiences

• Selfie Station - Students explore visual communication with digital design tools and flexible, fun materials

• 3D Printing - Watch the 3D printer as it creates a Big Apple with NYC skyline.

“This learning lab is a game-changer and it’s already begun to work its magic,” said Julie McGahan, Principal of Oceanside #6 Pre-K & Kindergarten Center. “Our staff’s creativity has been in the stratosphere because this space and its tools allow so much flexibility in how we design our curriculum. We’re able to integrate a variety of subjects, build curriculum around children’s curiosity and continue to honor the social-emotional literacy and character development that are so vital when teaching kindergarteners. I can’t wait to see what my faculty's passion will inspire here and I just know it will be incredible.”

“Today, a multi-year vision for our kindergarteners becomes a reality and from this day forward, this innovative space for exploring and learning will touch the life of every child in Oceanside who attends our public schools. This is where it all begins,” said Phyllis S. Harrington, Superintendent of Oceanside School District. "We are so grateful to Senator Kaminsky for his support, to our Board of Education, and our amazing team here at School #6 led by Julie McGahan. There are so many more people to thank that I can't mention them in a short statement but this truly was a huge team effort and it showcases the importance of community and collaboration in everything that we do.”

Each guest left today’s event with a fun goody-bag to spark their curiosity and inspire the kind of flexible, creative thinking that went into designing the SMILES lab and activities.

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