BOCES
School Library System Names Sharon Dickstein
Administrator of the Year
Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary
School (HBE)
Principal Sharon Dickstein was recently honored by the
Orange-Ulster BOCES School Library System as its 2009
Administrator of the Year. She was recognized at a luncheon held
at the OU BOCES Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC).
Dickstein was nominated for the honor by HBE School Library
Media Specialist Beverly Giblin. "Mrs. Dickstein has always
supported library programs whole heartedly," said Giblin, who
has worked with Dickstein for the past two decades.
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Giblin (pictured on the left with
Dickstein and a group of student readers) says that Dickstein
has done much to improve the library and literacy programs at
Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School. Over the years, she
cultivated an atmosphere that is nurturing, safe, and
educationally stimulating for her young students. Her creative
ideas, enthusiastic support and focus on literacy have made it
possible for the school library to become the centerpiece of the
educational environment at HBE.
Under Dickstein's direction, HBE was the first school in the
district to participate in the Accelerated Reading Program and
the Leslie University Literacy Collaborative. Dickstein also
spearheaded the Thousand Books Program, which encourages parents
to read with their children, and she paved the way for opening
the library one evening a week to make it easier for parents and
their children to have access to the library. "The goal of both
programs is to encourage students to read," said Dickstein, who
says it's crucial that parents read to their kids and
participate in reading with them.
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Based on participation levels, it
is clear that HBE students and their parents are reading
together. By April, the school surpassed the 60,000 mark for
library book checkouts. And, on Wednesday nights, can be found
at the school library selecting books.
"Reading is my passion," said Dickstein, who after earning a
master's degree in early childhood education and her
administrative certification went back to school to get another
master's degree in reading. Throughout her 39 years as an
educator, the former reading and classroom teacher says she has
always worked diligently to encourage students to read. She said
her goal was not just "to teach students how to read, but teach
them how to love to read."
Dickstein is retiring at the end of this school year. While she
will be sadly missed, the enduring mark that she has left on the
literacy and other educational programs at HBE will continue to
benefit students for many years to come.
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