Small Group Reflection Responses: NYS Portrait of a Graduate/Haldane Essentials by Leah Horn

Table 4

2025-08-28 12:46:52 UTC

The first three Haldane essentials

Critical Thinking - critical thinker
Problem solving - creative innovator
Communication- effective communicator

The state doesn’t seem to prioritize social emotional learning. Not focused on the whole student

Growth mindset - academically prepared (what about the emotional aspect)
Emotional intelligence - reflective & future focused

Critical Thinking

2025-08-28 12:46:55 UTC

Something incredible that happens in our classrooms using central and essential questions in interdisciplinary or parallel teaching units. i.e. blending science and social studies

2025-08-28 12:46:59 UTC

The Haldane Essentials Growth Mindset align well with the BYS Portrait of a Graduate’s Reflective and Future Focused.

Group 10

2025-08-28 12:47:46 UTC

Some of the words naturally align or are the same. Haldane is in a good place because our essentials support the portrait of a graduate.

Throughout the school year, educators in our district integrate all of the Haldane Essentials in their instructional practices.

2025-08-28 12:48:10 UTC

2025-08-28 12:48:41 UTC

We are very aligned in general. We like the NYS “Creative Innovator” as it gives room for exploration while problem solving. “Innovation”feels more forward thinking.

2025-08-28 12:49:37 UTC

We are interested in how the “Bell to Bell” ban will affect communication. We believe in our Communication part of the Haldane Essentials and are excited to see how the State implemented ban will contribute to our students overall ability to communicate effectively.

2025-08-28 12:51:38 UTC

We feel like Wellness and Emotional Intelligence are tied in many ways, that we are curious if there is an essential that could better pair with NYS’ “Global Citizen”

Reflective but not a Mirror

2025-08-28 12:51:40 UTC

Overall, the Haldane Essentials and NYSPoaG align 1:1 in the first four categories. However there is some debate as to how Emotial Intelligence aligna with Reflective & Future Focused. There is some loose connection in goal planning and thought but the connections are more tenuous. Wellness and Global Citizen are different end goals.

Table 4

2025-08-28 12:52:37 UTC

As educators we look at the whole student, not just the academic student. Therefore the Haldane essentials we do really well are the growth mindset & emotional intelligence.

We also are always trying to push students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and great communicators. Students sometimes struggle to be problem solvers and communicators so it’s a work in progress.

Questions we have: what does it really look like to be a great communicator?

2025-08-28 12:52:58 UTC

We think our Newsletters, photos on the website, and social media celebrate our students and their successes in our essentials

Educators at Haldane can celebrate the Haldane Essentials and showcase the teaching and learning that bring the essentials to life by having learners communicate their ideas effectively in the classroom and to larger audiences when delivering presentations.

2025-08-28 12:55:11 UTC

Table 10

2025-08-28 12:55:18 UTC

The rigor of our curriculum includes all of the essentials. The primary grades focus on growth mindset and problem solving as building blocks in supporting the other essentials. The last 2 under portrait of a graduate would depend on the grade level that you teach. Of course there are skills incorporated to build upon each other to produce successful graduates.

Educators within the district encourage learners to use their critical thinking and problem solving skills when assigned tasks in the classroom acknowledging their successes when they are able to work through challenging questions with peers to reach a solution.

2025-08-28 12:55:21 UTC

Alignment

2025-08-28 12:56:41 UTC

We like how Haldane has “wellness” as an essential, which is more specific than NYS’ global citizen. We think that global citizenship is still important. We’re not as diverse as other schools, but we do have some diversity, and our community is becoming more diverse, so it can’t be overlooked. Global citizenship prepares our students for life outside of Haldane- we need to make a greater effort to do that.

Academically Prepared is a more general term - we recognize that it looks different for different students.

Academics & Wellness

2025-08-28 12:56:43 UTC

In our conversations we found that throughout our classrooms our curriculum exemplifies critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and growth mindsets. Emotional intelligence and wellness are skills that we teach through modeling but is an area for growth in the way we directly frame the teaching we do in our syllabi. For example, we may model to students that failure is a part of learning but we may not teach a lesson directly on how to fail

2025-08-28 12:58:04 UTC

Each subject area promotes varying areas of the essentials resulting in a well rounded effort in providing our students will the essentials!

Table 4

2025-08-28 12:58:21 UTC

Modeling and giving shout outs when you see it. Identifying the essentials when we see them - for example the Arts department always celebrates growth mindset after performances.

Table 7

2025-08-28 13:00:17 UTC

The first three directly align.

There is a bit of a disconnect with global citizen and we need to figure out where this can align in our essentials. It does occur in our classrooms, however.

We do a good job academically preparing each student.

It is difficult to “fall through the cracks” here which is something we can celebrate.

Communication and problem solving are other strong areas.

We can put more focus on educating community on how they can help their kids advocate for themselves and reach the essentials.

We can promote our successes with the essentials via social media and common hashtags involving essentials.

Table 10

2025-08-28 13:01:14 UTC

We will continue to showcase the work amongst the campus. The ES has presentations at the end of projects/units. The HS students support the elementary students. The MS teachers provide opportunities to learn about their curriculum topics, share projects and support learning.

HS mentors, interns, administrator judges, community members attending events.

Bring Back Discovery Night

2025-08-28 13:02:09 UTC

In the middle school there was a tradition called Discovery Night - it was an open house for the community where teachers would showcase projects their students were developing. Students would share what they made, built, researched, or discovered

Table 2

2025-08-28 13:03:42 UTC

Emotional -> global citizen

Wellness -> reflective and future focused

Emotional intelligence: at peer level so they can empathize with people in history and the world

Soft skills for effective communication need direct teaching

True Blue for Wellness and emotional intelligence

SEL -> facing history, second step, true blue

Promoting healthy social behaviors

Table 6

2025-08-28 13:04:00 UTC

1) Alignment Between Haldane Essentials & NYS Portrait of a Graduate

Natural alignment in first three areas:
- Critical Thinker
- Problem Solver
- Communicator
All Haldane Essentials reflect traits of a global citizen

Table 6

2025-08-28 13:04:49 UTC

2) Integration of Haldane Essentials in Teaching

PE: Focus on wellness; department emphasizes understanding the why behind activities
7th Grade: Incorporates Learner Profiles
High School Math: Emphasizes problem solving, critical thinking, and communication through explanation
Special Education: Focus on wellness; support services help students return to a safe space
Elementary School: Focus on problem solving and critical thinking
Middle School: Emphasis on problem solving

Table 6

2025-08-28 13:05:12 UTC

3) Showcasing Haldane Essentials in Teaching & Learning

Share success stories and good news within the school community
Involve teachers and students directly in the work and its presentation

Table 8

2025-08-28 13:06:12 UTC

Encouraging one another when we see something wonderful happening. Sharing ideas for teaching and learning with our colleagues.

Table 8

2025-08-28 13:08:34 UTC

Modeling and reinforcing effective communication skills every year. How to share, be responsible, and resolve conflict. i.e. rock, paper, scissors, solves everything K—3 defuses high emotions and often leads to laughter.