We are pleased to announce that on October 7, 2021, the SUNY Charter School Institute’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted for the approval of South Shore Charter School to open its doors in September 2022, to serve students from Central Islip, Brentwood, Bay Shore and the surrounding communities. We are humbled and honored to be able to provide the children and families of Central Islip and its surrounding communities with an educational program that fosters innovative thinking.
The work has just begun, and we cannot wait to partner with parents, students, community organizations, grass-root leaders, local businesses, and non-profits to transform what’s possible for our children and youth.
We recognize the importance of this historic moment as we are the first charter school to be authorized to serve students in the town of Islip. We are committed to ensuring we are an asset to the community by offering a culture of academic excellence. We thank all those who believed in our vision from the beginning!!!
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 7, 2021
Media Contact: Dermoth Mattison, Founder, Executive Director
dmattison@southshorecharterschool.org
SUNY Board of Trustees approves South Shore Charter School to open in August 2022
Central Islip, NY: On October 7, 2021, South Shore Charter School, a tuition-free, public charter school serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade, was approved by the Charter School Institute of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York. South Shore Charter School, established to serve as a center for academic excellence in Central Islip, will open its doors to 75 kindergarteners and 75 first graders in September of 2022.
“At South Shore Charter School, we believe deeply in cultivating students of character to become socially responsible leaders who will develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing our society. We believe that all children should have access to a high-quality education in a supportive learning environment that fosters innovative thinking,” says Dermoth Mattison, South Shore Charter School’s founder and Executive Director. The school will offer an inquiry-based approach to learning and an emphasis on social emotional learning.
South Shore Charter School’s vision is to offer a school culture where students feel safe and welcome and encouraged to develop the characteristics necessary to be successful students and citizens. The school will base its culture on five core values: resilience, integrity, excellence, grit, and accountability. The school’s staff members will regularly reference these values and weave them into instruction so that the values become a vital component of the school’s ethos.
The SUNY Charter Schools Institute recommended South Shore Charter School for approval, citing South Shore Charter is likely to have a significant educational benefit to the students it will serve. This was evident by the school’s adoption of an inquiry-based approach to learning in which students will have opportunities to explore and investigate new content and develop critical 21st-century skills including critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving. In addition, the school also commits to social-emotional learning (“SEL”) and character education which is designed to encourage prosocial behaviors such as empathy and kindness and provide students with the skills necessary to regulate their emotions and live productive, fulfilling lives. The school’s founder received recognition from trustee Belluck, Chair of the Charter Schools Committee, for recruiting a board of professionals with a wide range of experience in charter school leadership, facilities management, and public sector financial management. The vote to approve South Shore Charter School was unanimous.
Parents seeking information about enrollment or those wishing to help support the work of South Shore Charter School should contact the school’s founder Dermoth Mattison at 516-366-0014 or email him at dmattison@southshorecharterschool.org. For more information about South Shore Charter School visit www.southshorecharterschool.org.
