This school year, the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District has introduced executive functioning curriculum in grades K-6. Led by school counselor Falicia Khanija, the lessons focus on assisting students in enhancing skills like planning, organization, task initiation, time management, attention, flexibility and more.
Ms. Khanija works with all students in grades K-6. For fifth and sixth graders, her focus is executive functioning skills in conjunction with “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” In grades K-4, she continues this work through personalized instruction based on an executive functioning skill of the month according to developmental needs and teacher recommendation. The goal is to ensure all students master these skills to accomplish daily tasks that will afford them opportunities for sustained success after sixth grade and beyond.
During her lesson with the sixth graders at Garden City Park School, Ms. Khanija tasked the students with setting S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) goals for themselves. With the younger grade-levels, she worked on age-appropriate lessons throughout the month, like following directions and acknowledging personal strengths and weaknesses.
Throughout the school year, Ms. Khanija will continue to meet with students in grades K-4 once a month, fifth grade classes every other week and sixth graders once per week.
