Rachel Schnur, Ed.D

Phone: 845-357-1515 Ext. 8
Email: rschnur@ashar.org
Department/Classes Taught: Director of Curriculum and Instruction, English Language Arts

Class Information: 7G/8G ELA (Honors)

Bio:  Rachel Schnur has been in the field of education for 35 years. She has taught almost every grade, from kindergarten through college. She was born in Israel, and began her teaching experience at ASHAR, as an assistant teacher, many years ago. She taught language arts at Hunter Elementary School for Gifted Students, and was a curriculum writer for Carnegie Hall's Education Department. Previous to last year when she came on board again at ASHAR, Dr. Schnur was an employee of the New York City Board of Education, where she worked as a coordinator, then was promoted to assistant principal and then to principal. 

Dr. Schnur graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and English, and completed her Master of Education degree in counseling from the University of Missouri. In 1998 she received her Doctor of Education degree from Columbia University's Teachers College in NYC. Dr. Schnur was awarded a merit scholarship to attend Teachers College, and was listed in Who's Who in American Education. She is a published writer. She won the MENSA award for Excellence in Research, and the National Association for Gifted Children Research Paper of the Year 2000, for one of the journal articles that she co-authored. Dr. Schnur holds certifications in gifted education, elementary education, special education, and school administration and supervision.

Dr. Schnur loves to read, write, draw, and play the piano. She is a lifelong learner, and hopes to instill her passion for learning in ASHAR's students.
   

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 Hello! I’m Rachel Schnur and I am the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Ashar. I oversee how and what things are taught, especially within the General Studies department for the content areas of social studies, English, science, math, and studio art/art history in grades 1-8. Our curriculum is built upon the New YorkState educational standards, and I tweak or enrich it according to our students’ needs. I write curriculum, do curriculum mapping, and select textbooks and trade books for the classes. I am a voracious reader of children’s literature, and I  constantly suggest books to students and parents or create reading lists. I try to find educationally-sound field trips. I am in close contact with our resource room coordinator to ascertain progress for our struggling learners. I examine standardized test results to see how the information can help us for future practices.  I observe teachers, mentor them in the most recent best practices, and take part in hiring new staff. I keep in close contact with the students and parents. I write a weekly column for the AshreiNews  newsletter. Besides all of the above, I have a myriad of other responsibilities.

Armed with degrees and NYS certificates in administration, teaching, psychology, English, counseling, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Columbia University’s  Teachers College, I tend to bring to the table fresh ideas about reading, writing, student grouping, classroom environment, and the latest educational research. I encourage our students to look at the world with wonder and discovery, and to view themselves as social scientists, lifelong learners, and active participants in a writerly life. Having experienced the past seven or so years as a school leader of Board of Education NYC schools, I come equipped with a passion for curriculum, lots of hands-on experience in best practices and strategies,  and a quest to make this school, ASHAR, the best it could possible be!

What does curriculum look like at ASHAR? Social Studies includes the study of families, communities, and world communities. Our students learn about needs and wants. Third grade students hold classroom celebrations to show what they learned about the countries of Japan, France, Israel, and the continent of Africa. Our students study NYS history, geography, and culture. In all grades, mapping skills is an essential component of the social studies curriculum. Our students study the American Revolution and learn about famous speeches. They compare and contrast Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. They learn about the colonies, and study the Great War and the Holocaust. Our students think about their place in the world as educated, informed Jews. They learn to do research, use the internet, examine primary documents, and interview participants.

In English Language Arts, one initiative we began is to assess each student in grades 1-8 twice a year in reading and comprehension. As part of portfolio assessment, we keep records and work samples of each child to be able to ascertain progress.  We have classroom libraries replete with trade books to encourage children to read and think, and mentor texts to foster more sophisticated writing. Our students are engaged in book discussions, literature circles, and reading groups. They learn print and script writing through our Handwriting without Tears program. They are taught skills such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, and editing. Our students participate in writing workshops, and our teachers attend the Teachers College Reading and Writing Summer Institutes. Our language arts menu includes the four components of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Our students learn to write research papers and to ask essential questions. They read high-quality books and conduct Socratic Seminars. They write short stories and original plays, and compile their own poetry anthologies. They are encouraged to keep writing journals, to sketch and detail the changes in nature, and to record the stories of their lives in memoir workshops. Our students visited a newspaper plant (“NY Sun”) this year, and are learning how to create a school newspaper.

In science, our students engage in active learning with FOSS (Full Option Science System) modules that encourage critical thinking and hands-on activities. They study about inventors, magnets, fingerprinting, air and weather, the solar system, models and designs, and nutrition. They learn to take care of their world with our “save the earth” activities. They study body systems, learn chemistry and physics, and practice the scientific method. We hold an annual science fair. Next year we hope to include marine biology in our science curriculum as well. The “Hands on Science” program comes to our school to enrich our science curriculum in the study of magnets, acid rain, and chemical reactions. Our students visited The Queens Hall of Science and the LibertyScienceCenter (to view real cardiac surgery!) as part of our science activities. Science is definitely given its well-deserved importance and recognition at ASHAR!

 In math, our students are tracked in grades 5-8 according to their abilities. In younger grades, the students learn the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They learn about all types of graphs. For all of our math students, we have multiple techniques to facilitate instruction, including frontal teaching, group work, hands-on projects, and skills they need to commit to memory. Our students learn fractions by working with real food and recipes; they study statistics by taking polls around the school and creating and analyzing charts and graphs. They study algebra and geometry  and are encouraged to view real-world problems using mathematical thinking. Our students practice graphing, do problem-solving, and do mental math. They read literature-based math books. They play mathematical games. They learn that math is an integral part of their daily life. 

 I plan to continuously change or add to this web letter as things come up, so please peruse it periodically for the latest innovations in curriculum and instruction. If you need to reach me for more information, please contact me by email at rschnur@ashar.org or call me at 845 357-1515, x26.