We, the undersigned, applaud the resolution adopted by the North Shore Board of Education in November 2013 that in part stated that as a district we will:

· “Evaluate the Common Core Curriculum Standards to determine which are not developmentally appropriate for our students and minimize their impact on our teaching and learning” and

· “Emphasize a curriculum rich in all areas of education including but not limited to art, music, science, social studies and foreign languages, and will actively work to prevent a narrowing of our educational standards to match those of the Common Core Learning Standards.”

· “Nurture and enrich our students’ natural delight in learning and in the powers of mind and body.”

We request that the North Shore School’s Administrators, Teachers, and Board of Education immediately take action to implement the spirit of these stated and adopted resolutions at the early elementary level (K, 1, 2).

Specifically, we request that early elementary students be provided with:

· More opportunities for hands-on, constructivist learning and that less time be devoted to seat work. We would ask that blocks of traditional, academic instruction be limited to no more than one hour and that children are not in their classrooms for more than two full hours at a time.

· Greater exposure to science and social studies by devoting at least an hour to one or both of these subjects each day.

· Additional time devoted to art, music, and world languages.

· The NYS required daily physical education periods (for a total of at least 120 minutes per week) in addition to a recess period.