DISTRICT PLACED ON THE COLLEGE BOARD'S ANNUAL ADVANCED PLACEMENT DISTRICT HONOR ROLL
The Elmsford Union Free School District is one of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board for its placement on the 7th Annual AP® District Honor Roll.
To be included on the Honor Roll, the district had to submit three years' worth of data between 2014 and 2016 that looked across 37 Advanced Placement exams, including World Language and Culture.
The data was required to show an increase in the number of students participating in the AP exams as well as an increase in the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on the tests.
"Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP," said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca, upon hearing the news.
"We are always proud of our students and how hard they work to improve their academic performance. Our faculty and staff are second to none and with a tremendously supportive Board of Education, we know that the Elmsford UFSD will continue to shine and increase opportunity and excellent outcomes for our students."
National data from 2016 shows that among Black/African-American, Hispanic and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half are participating in the exams.
"The first step to getting more of these students to participate is to give them access," explained Dr. Ricca. "Courses must be made available, gatekeeping must stop, and doors must be equitably opened. The Elmsford UFSD is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds."
Trevor Packer, the College Board's head of AP and Instruction, offered his congratulations to all of the teachers and administrators in Elmsford who, he said, had worked tirelessly to expand access to the AP exams and to helping students succeed.
"These teachers and administrators are delivering real opportunity in their schools and classrooms, and students are rising to the challenge," he noted.
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time, added Mr. Packer.
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STUDENTS TO BOARD OF EDUCATION, "WE APPRECIATE YOU!"
Students from Carl L. Dixson Primary School and Alice E. Grady Elementary School made a number of special presentations to the Elmsford Union Free School District Board of Education at its Nov. 2 meeting in honor of School Board Recognition Week.
First-grade students from Dixson Primary made a series of large posters with individual leaf drawings signed by each student and decorated like photo frames. The posters were presented to each Board member.
Fifth- and sixth-grade students read aloud letters and poems they had written specially for the event, expressing their gratitude for the men and women who sit on the Board and who devote countless hours to making the Elmsford Union Free School District a great one, they said.
"Thank you for always putting us first and for taking the time to provide outstanding service to the community," said one student.
In addition, trustees each received a personalized photo mug of the third-grade class as well as presentation clocks from the school district.
Additional posters created by students and teachers from both schools were also on display. They included sentiments like "B is for believing in the children of the EUFSD, O is for offering your time and knowledge, A is for awesomely leading us, R is for remembering what is important, and D is for dutiful, determined, dedicated."
"Board of Education trustees don't hear 'thank you' enough," said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca in his remarks to Elmsford families attending the meeting in the high school auditorium.
More often, they receive challenges, he added. "However, here in the EUFSD, we appreciate you and all that you do to support our children."
The special presentation was made to coincide with School Board Recognition Week, which took place Oct. 24-28 and is sponsored by the New York State School Board Association in recognition of school board members who commit to New York's public school children.
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The high school contingent outside the Purchase College auditorium where Gov. Cuomo's address took place.
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AHHS STUDENTS ATTEND GOVERNOR'S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
Twenty-five students from Alexander Hamilton Jr./Sr. High School had the opportunity to attend Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's State of the State address Jan. 10 at Purchase College, coming away from the experience with questions about the governor's budget proposals and disappointed that he hadn't addressed issues concerning K-12 education.
AHHS Principal Marc Baiocco and social studies teacher Kevin Budzynski selected the group, which consisted of students from the 10th through 12th grades.
The governor's address was part of a three-day State of the State tour to unveil his plan on a number of issues, including education, property tax reduction, tourism initiatives, infrastructure projects and more.
Toward the end of the hour-long address, Gov. Cuomo emphasized New York State's commitment as part of the "New York Promise" to a number of progressive issues, including immigrant and the rights of women, gays and the LGBTQ community.
"We are the progressive capital of the nation. We are a progressive people," the governor said. "
We believe no New Yorker and no American should ever be subject to discrimination and we have zero tolerance for discrimination."
Much of the draw for the Elmsford contingent was the governor's expected comments on the proposed free college plan he announced at the beginning of January.
Leslie Aguilero, a senior, intends to enroll in a pre-med program at SUNY Stony Brook and wondered if the governor's college proposal would impact her at the undergraduate or graduate level.
The students wanted to know how such a plan would be paid for and other details regarding eligibility.
They were also eager, however, to hear him talk about issues affecting younger students.
"We wanted to hear from him about policies that might affect K-12 education," said Ryan Alicea, a 12th-grader. Students were surprised that there was no mention of Common Core or other education mandates given the fact that students from various high schools across Westchester were also at the event.
"Any chance students get to hear the governor speak is a learning opportunity," Dr. Baiocco said. "The students enjoyed the speech and were able to articulate their points of view when we debriefed following the address. They had many questions, which was an indication of their interest in the topics discussed."
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Students who were running for seats on the Student Council at the Grady School shown here waiting for their turn to speak. |
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION AT GRADY SCHOOL
Thirty students in grades 5 and 6 had the chance to make their individual election pitches to the Alice E. Grady Elementary School community Nov. 1 in a bid for leadership positions in the school's Student Council.
Many students spoke about their dedication to the school, their cooperative nature and their willingness to work hard if elected.
The candidate speeches, which took place in the Grady gym, was organized by teachers Rachel Newman and Tracy Sanchez. Students running for one-year terms as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer were asked to introduce themselves and their plans to the voters.
Several students had ideas on how to make the school a better place for all. Some of them included the desire for more additional entertainment options, ways to raise money for field trips, reduced weekend homework, extended lunch breaks, ways to make the school's bullying campaign stronger and more.
Treasurer candidate Yuriy Kryvoruchko talked about his ability to budget and how to utilize those skills as treasurer, if the student body chose to elect him. One of his ideas was to have a candy or hot dog stand at parent-teacher meetings, with sales going toward the Council.
"Your concerns will become my concerns," he said, urging all to vote for him.
Presidential candidate and sixth-grade student Cianny Cabral said she wanted Grady to be seen as a "cool school."
"But it's not just my ideas that matter," added Cianny. "It's your ideas, too. Together, we can make a difference."
Voting later on in the day revealed the following results: President: Christopher Harper; Vice President: Jay'Dee Logan; Treasurer: Yuriy Kryvoruchko; Secretary: Orlando Kelly.
The students who participated in the 2016 election process were as follows: Presidential candidates - Keira Autera, Cianny Cabral, Christopher Harper, Bryan Myrtil, Emily Torres and Gavin Wright. Vice Presidential candidates - Jay'Dee Logan and Sara Sookdeo. Secretary candidates - Deleahnis Davila, Mahlaah Desir, Lamine Diakhate, Jada Estrada, Orlando Kelly, Jayda Muñiz, Drianna Peña, Melissa Ramirez, Leahna Rodriguez, Michelle Samayoa and Jimena Torres. Treasurer candidates - Ethan Agee, Julian Alexis, Kamilah Cardenas-Lanza, Jaqueline Dutan, Anthony Eannazzo, Yuriy Kryvoruchko, Lauren Maresca, Amy Pandiguana, Digna Pintado, Savannah Thompson and Daniel Villada-Lopez.
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| Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca, pictured in costume, with Elmsford Mayor Robert Williams and Dixson Principal Jeffrey Olender. |
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SUPERINTENDENT DRESSES UP FOR A GOOD CAUSE!
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Ricca dressed up as Batman for the annual Halloween Parade, which included students from the Grady and Dixson schools.
The superintendent promised students in both schools that he would march in costume if they managed to collect 200 cans of food for the local pantry, part of the district's "Scare Away Hunger" campaign.
The idea for the initiative came from parent Jessi Lanza.
Students and their families did even better than that. They collected a total of 600 cans, all of which were donated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel pantry in Elmsford.
The classes that collected the most cans earned a pizza party.
"It was a super fun day for an amazing cause," said Dr. Ricca. "I was happy to fulfill my end of the bargain, and we look forward to continuing the "Scare Away Hunger" campaign in the Elmsford Union Free School District next year."
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OVER 190 POUNDS OF CANDY COLLECTED FOR OPERATION GRATITUDE
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Students at the Grady School sort candy. |
Students in the Grady School collected close to 200 pounds of Halloween candy, all for U.S. servicemen and women located in various hotspots around the world.
Students in grades 2 through
6, under the direction of math teacher Barrie Hittner, were among thousands of young children across the country to participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back program, which collaborates with Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends approximately 150,000 care packages a year to troops deployed overseas.
Ms. Hittner ran a similar drive last year after reading about the initiative in an educational publication, and felt it would be a good way for students to practice their math skills.
Various math activities were incorporated into the activities, including counting, separating, measuring, and estimation, in addition to making predictions. Younger students created picture
and bar graphs while the older children worked on the project utilizing their knowledge of ratios, fractions, decimals and percentages.
"This project has been just as rewarding as it was last year," said Ms. Hittner, referring to the large amounts of candy the children brought into school. She said they surpassed last year's total by about 70 pounds this year.
The office manager, Ginny, of Ramapo Dental Care in Suffern, a participant in the Operation Gratitude program, accepted the students' donation on Nov. 4 and gave the students $190 for the candy.
The students were expected to vote on ways to spend the money.
"This continues to be a win-win for all involved," said Ms. Hittner. "Not only is it reinforcing crucial math concepts, it has also emphasized the importance of community service. As long as the dentist's office is willing to accept our candy, I will continue to run this event."
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Dixson students pictured with Red Bulls coaches Carlos Garcia, right, and Erduan Gjakova, left. |
RED BULLS COACHES PROVIDE TRAINING AND FUN FOR DIXSON STUDENTS
Youngsters at Dixson Primary School had the chance to gain some valuable soccer skills from youth coaches with the New York Red Bulls who visited their school Nov. 16.
Coaches Carlos Garcia and Erduan Gjakova visited the school to participate in a daylong coaching session with students in pre-kindergarten through first grade.
The first-time enrichment activity came out of discussions among members of the district's Student Activities Committee and was then spearheaded by kindergarten teacher Kerry Young.
Held on the school's front lawn, the 30-minute sessions included a number of games to improve coordination and social skills, in addition to instilling the basic concepts of soccer, while having fun at the same time.
At the end of the day, the students also had a chance to play a game of soccer with the coaches. Even Dixson Principal Jeffrey Olender joined in on the fun.
"We feel very strongly here at Dixson that there are lots of different ways that a child can be successful at school," said Mr. Olender, adding that the physical activity was as much a powerful confidence-building activity as it was a fun time for the students.
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INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATION PLATFORM TO BREAK DOWN LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND CONNECT TEACHERS AND PARENTS
The Elmsford Union Free School District is piloting an exciting new communication tool in the Carl L. Dixson Primary School that will help bridge a sometimes challenging language divide between parents and teachers and at the same time enhance dialogue between both, something that researchers identify as crucial to students' long-term success in school.
The new technology, known as TalkingPoints, is a multilingual texting platform that was recently launched at the school.
The district is the first on the East Coast to implement the program.
Developed by founder and CEO Heejae Lim, who grew up an English Language Learner in the U.K., TalkingPoints easily connects teachers and families via text messages. While it is available in several languages, TalkingPoints will operate primarily in English and Spanish for the purposes of families living in the district.
TalkingPoints is also available to native speakers of Arabic, Albanian, Burmese, Cambodian, Cantonese, English, Filipino, French, German, Korean, Persian and more.
Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca said the decision to launch the program at Dixson Primary School was based on the belief that communication between parents and teachers in the early grades is essential to support student success and that forging strong partnerships and positive relationships with parents early on will have an overall positive impact on their child's education.
The Dixson Primary School serves children in grades pre-kindergarten through first grade.
"We want to break any potential barriers between the home and school; in this case, we are breaking through a language barrier," said Dr. Ricca. "This is a common challenge that many school districts across the country are presently facing."
TalkingPoints was launched in 2015 by Ms. Lim, the daughter of Korean immigrants, who saw the positive impact that parent-teacher communication had on her own learning because her mother knew how to speak English. While Ms. Lim said there are other school communication tools out there, her program is more than just a software platform.
"We want to focus everything on building meaningful connections and relationships," she said.
TalkingPoints allows teachers to use an email-style program to write a text message to parents, which is then translated into the home language on the family's mobile device. Parents typically reply in their native language and teachers respond in English, with all of the communication being translated to benefit each user.
Principal Jeffrey Olender has been trained in how to use the program's dashboard and every teacher at the school, as well as parents/guardians, are also being taught how to use it.
"I think this technology really has the potential to alleviate some of the stresses that parents may have had in terms of feeling uncomfortable about communicating with their children's teachers," Dr. Ricca added.
Ms. Lim said she is looking forward to working with the district and to supporting teachers and parents to communicate with each other in an "open, accessible way and to feel closer as partners in their students' education."
The platform will be used to send out school-wide announcements, individual messages to parents about their child's progress in class, as well as informing parents about what is going on at school and linking classroom instruction to conversations they can both talk about at home.
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Luarben Bencosme of the Westchester Institute for Human Development speaks to parents in the AHHS cafeteria. |
PARENTS SHOW UP FOR HOME SCHOOL CONNECTION PRESENTATIONS
A number of parents in the Elmsford Union Free School District turned out Dec. 3 for a half day full of presentations geared toward helping them navigate the school system and ensuring success for their children in school.
The Home School Connection gathering, held in the Alexander Hamilton High School cafeteria, consisted of four presentations that were focused on a number of important topics, including the college application process, the dangers of smoking among teens, helping children succeed in school, fostering positive relationships throughout the community, and making the most out of parent-teacher conferences and other meetings with educators.
In her presentation, Luarben Bencosme of the Westchester Institute for Human Development emphasized the importance of parent involvement.
A first-generation American, Ms. Bencosme told the audience that her immigrant parents had very little English language skills when she was growing up, but that they always encouraged her to learn and to do well in school.
"My mom could tell if I was understanding my lessons even though she didn't know English," said Ms. Bencosme. "Even if we don't know English, we know there's something going on. We keep mental notes and we always have discussions with our child's teachers."
In a presentation on the dangers of smoking, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center RNs Alexia Taylor and Tara Diaz talked about the many cases of cancer they see each year at the hospital.
"Everyday 4,000 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 start smoking," said Ms. Taylor, referring to recent national statistics. She added that using electronic cigarettes also poses a risk. "It takes one affected cell to turn into a malignancy and then you have cancer," she said.
Over the next few months, both of them will visit health classes at AHHS emphasizing the risks of smoking among teens and gaining students' opinions on the topic.
The importance of attending parent-teacher meetings was also stressed during the event.
"Don't wait until the parent-teacher conference to make that appointment," said AHHS Principal Dr. Marc Baiocco.
Grady School teachers Debra Barbosa and Mary Ellen Pickens also talked about the difference between parent-teacher conferences and Back to School nights.
Parent-teacher conferences, they explained, are a time when parents should come with all of their questions, such as inquiring about their child's report card and any other special needs they have.
Referring to the typical Back to School nights that are scheduled at the beginning of the school year, Ms. Barbosa said, "It's really important to come to these so that you can meet your child's teacher and learn about his or her individual teaching style."
Elmsford Police Officer Doug Ramirez, a familiar face across the district, also participated in the morning event, warning participants about the prominence of phone and online scams and the danger of disclosing personal information to strangers.
High school guidance counselors Monica Ahern and Stephanie Luccioni walked parents through a timeline of information that middle and high school students should have as they prepare themselves for eventual graduation.
While the transition from the Alice E. Grady Elementary School to AHHS is a tough one for many students, they said, by the 10th grade, students should be capable of taking the school's more advanced courses and thinking about a possible college major.
"Parent outreach is important in the development of a school-home pipeline," said Dr. Baiocco, who worked with teachers and parent volunteers to organize the event.
"It critical that we assess parents' needs and provide support to assist them with their child's success. Our partnership is reciprocal and requires that we, as educators, ask what we can do to improve as well."
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| Meagan Rivera, an AHHS alum and now an architect, speaks to students during Career Day. |
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CAREER DAY EXPOSES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS
Students at Alexander Hamilton High School had a break away from their usual schedule Dec. 6 as close to 30 professionals visited the school to share their experiences and advice on a variety of different careers.
Some of the professions in attendance included a drama coach from Random Farms Kids Theater, a real estate financing attorney who works on Wall Street, a marketing representative from the Westchester Knicks, a teen librarian at the Greenburgh Public Library, a sports writer, a United Nations judge, a plastic surgeon and much more.
Christina Harper, senior services and special events coordinator at the Theodore D. Young Community Center in Greenburgh, emphasized the importance of networking and getting to know people in a profession that students might want to pursue.
Crystal Davis, a junior account executive at Swat Fame Inc., a textile company that make
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Crystal Davis speaks to students about her career choices.
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several fashion brands for women and young girls, recounted her work history after graduating from college.
"Everything I learned in internships I was able to take and use in my career," said Ms. Davis, who worked as an intern at Tommy Hilfiger and also at Diesel.
Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan, a plastic surgeon affiliated with Phelps Hospital Memorial Center, recounted her life's experience as a doctor and counseled students to work hard in order to get ahead in their chosen professions.
Linda Ferone, executive director of sales and catering at the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Tarrytown, described her duties and what it takes to get a job at the popular hotel. Ms. Ferone said she is involved in event planning, budgeting and other aspects of management.
"What you need most to get a job at the Double Tree are people skills, common sense and the ability to work hard," said Ms. Ferone, who has been responsible for generating several accolades for the hotel, including awards from The Knot, three Diners' Choice awards from Open Table and two TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence awards.
The Honorable Judge Alexander Hunter, Jr., a former Bronx Supreme Court judge who now sits on the United Nations Dispute Tribunal, reiterated the importance of schooling, but said that students should never discount the power of the heart and mind.
"You have to create options in your life in order to achieve your goals," he added.
AHHS alumna Meagan Rivera, now an architect at Keller/Eaton Architects of Mamaroneck
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Sports writer Kevin Devaney, Jr., tells students to follow
their passi
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, described her quest to find a job in her chosen profession.
"Architecture is such an intense program in college," recalled Ms. Rivera, who held a supervisory position at a local Staples before getting the coveted job in the award-winning firm. "I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today if it weren't for some hard times."
Ms. Rivera said that since joining the firm she has worked on a million-dollar landmark building renovation in New York City and smaller projects around Westchester.
"It's exhausting, but I love what I do," she said.
AHHS librarian Lisa Watson, who helped recruit many of the speakers, said she tried to include many different professionals and also solicited students' opinions to see what they might be interested in.
Ms. Watson said the professionals who agreed to participate were friendly, receptive and excited to share their experiences.
"I love days like this because they take our students beyond the walls of Hamilton and inspire them to be anything they want to be," she added. "From what I saw and heard, both the professionals and the students loved the experience."
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The growth of the arts at AHHS was one of the topics discussed at the coffee hour meeting. Shown above is a scene from last year's high school musical "Once On This Island." |
VARIETY OF TOPICS DISCUSSED AT PRINCIPAL/PARENT COFFEE HOUR
Preparing students and parents for the college admissions process, the growth of the arts at the high school and the continuing volunteerism that older students are exhibiting in the district's elementary schools were some of the topics discussed during a Dec. 7 Coffee Hour for parents in the Alexander Hamilton High School library.
The monthly get-togethers between high school parents, students and administrators is a chance for the district to maintain an open dialogue with parents and to keep them informed of various events and initiatives in the school.
Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca, AHHS Principal Dr. Marc Baiocco, Assistant AHHS Principal Andrea Hamilton, Alice E. Grady Elementary School Principal Douglas Doller, Carl L. Dixson Primary School Principal Jeffrey Olender and Director of Special Education & Pupil Personnel Services Jo-Anne Dobbins all attended the event.
The Oct. 20 College Fair was on the minds of parents, with some of them curious to know how the selection process worked each year. Dr. Baiocco said the same colleges usually attend the annual event, but that new colleges are being invited every year.
Referring to the Dec. 3 Community Outreach Partnership event, which featured a session on preparing students for college, Dr. Baiocco said it is important that students and their parents are given information early on in the process, as early as the elementary school grades.
"Colleges are not looking at the kinds of students we often think they're looking at," he added.
Instead, he explained, they want to see well-rounded students who are involved in "volunteerism and who are truly giving back."
Dr. Baiocco referenced the "Road to Success" financial aid workshop that it is geared toward seventh-grade parents, saying it is a good start to getting parents more aware of the often complicated college application process.
Ms. Hamilton said all of the district's students are preparing themselves to attend higher education institutions and that events like Career Day are instrumental in educating them about the various opportunities open to them.
Dr. Baiocco also talked about the increase in student involvement in musical groups at both Grady and AHHS and the level of talent participating in the annual high school musical and district talent show.
"I think it speaks to the level of commitment of the students, and kudos go to Mr. Jacoby for bringing this program to a whole new level," he said.
A number of ongoing student volunteer activities was also mentioned during the meeting. They included homework help that Hamilton students regularly offer to children at Grady, food that was collected before the holidays, writing letters to troops overseas and the successful book drive for The Seat of Wisdom High School in Ondo, Nigeria.
Dr. Baiocco mentioned the continued success of the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" peer leadership program that continues at the high school and the students' commitment to it.
A Leadership Day is being planned for Feb. 17.
Other topics of discussion included the new communication tool Talking Points, which is is intended to help bridge the language divide between Dixson parents and teachers and at the same time enhance dialogue between both.
"It has been very successful so far," said Mr. Olender. "We've received a great response from it."
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AHHS ATHLETE JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB
Senior Nina Gill proudly entered the district's "1,000 Point Club" in December after scoring the two points she needed to enter the district's prestigious athletic club.
A four-year varsity starter at Alexander Hamilton High School as well as a player on the junior varsity team in the seventh and eighth grades, Nina was roughly 150 points shy of the 1,000-point milestone as she entered her senior year last September.
On Dec. 15, the Lady Raiders traveled to Bronxville to play against Rye Neck High School in the opening round of the Bill Green Memorial Tournament. Nina was 24 points shy of the 1,000 points she needed at the start of the game. In the third period, she raced passed a defender to the hoop scoring the two points she needed to solidify entry into the club, despite being fouled on the attempt, said Athletic Director Robert Pollok.
"Nina sank her free throw and earned herself a well-deserved break for the remainder of the game as the Lady Raiders built a commanding lead to help secure their fifth win of the short season," added Mr. Pollok.
Nina was recognized for her accomplishments at the school's home game Dec. 22 in front of family, friends and several interested college coaches.
The talented athlete has carried her team to win over Edgemont, Port Chester, Croton Harmon, North Salem and Rye Neck high school teams.
She was selected the "Glen Mason Memorial MVP" at the Elmsford Classic Basketball Tournament in December. The Lady Raiders clinched a first-place finish in the tournament.
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AHHS Principal Dr. Marc Baiocco with students who participated in the successful book drive. |
OVER 1,700 BOOKS COLLECTED FOR NIGERIAN HIGH SCHOOL
Students from all three district schools collected over 1,700 books for children in The Seat of Wisdom High School in Ondo, Nigeria, before the holidays.
The drive, which was spearheaded by Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca in coordination with the district's community outreach efforts with the Archdiocese of New York, was intended to collect enough books to start a library at the African school.
Various types of books were collected, including picture books and chapter books as well as higher-level fiction and non-fiction titles.
In addition to the book drive, seventh-graders in Bettina Spargo's class at AHHS began a letter writing exchange with about 30 students at the school, all of them ranging in age from 9 to 12 years. The introductory letters were intended to provide information on their families, their school life and personal interests, explained Ms. Spargo.
"The kids are really interested in learning about life in Nigeria. Admittedly, they have many stereotypes in mind and hopefully this letter exchange will help dispel some of those."
The class is expecting responses by the end of January.
"Our students truly exemplify the desire to build and support strong communities," said Dr. Ricca, referring to the overwhelming response from everyone in the district. "This book drive was an amazing effort and thanks to the tremendous support of the Elmsford UFSD community, the Seat of Wisdom is well on its way to building a library."
"I am so proud of our children and our community and their ongoing efforts to support and sustain others - even those half a world away."
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MAKERSPACE UNVEILED AT GRADY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY
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Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca, Grady Principal Douglas Doller, Grady Library Media Specialist Kim Sparber, Board of Education President Dennis Rambaran, and instructors Anthony Carolini and Mary Ellen Pickens join SWBOCES Library Media Services Director Pam Berger, far right, to cut the ribbon and unveil the new Makerspace at the library.
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A section of the Alice E. Grady Elementary School's library has been transformed into an exciting Makerspace and innovation lab area, which officials from the Elmsford Union Free School District celebrated Dec. 14 with a special ribbon cutting ceremony.
The innovative technology-based instructional initiative was made possible through a par
tnership with the Southern Westchester BOCES School Library System, which is also working with libraries in seven other local school districts to encourage creativity, curiosity, collaboration and empowerment among students.
The space includes a variety of tools that students will be using, including Keva Planks building blocks, Makey Makey invention kits, Spheros robotic toys and Little Bits electronic kits, in addition to a new camera broadcasting station and a green screen.
The walls of the lab will be painted with "idea paint," which will allow students to draw their plans and write their ideas right on the walls.
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Library Media Specialist Kim Sparber talks to the students before the unveiling.
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Grady Library Media Specialist Kim Sparber, who spearheaded the project, said the Makerspace is not just for students, but rather for the entire educational community.
Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca said faculty members throughout the district are working to continue to transform instructional experiences, from the traditional to the project-based and problem-based learning experiences that are needed for a future of success in an innovation landscape.
The Maker team at Grady includes Ms. Sparber and instructors Anthony Carolini, who teaches fifth grade, and Mary Ellen Pickens, a third-grade teacher.
In his remarks to students and others attending the event, Dr. Ricca said, "This is just the beginning of these types of experiences for you. You're going to be playing, learning and creating in a way that allows you to ask more questions, to become curious and to create the ideas of tomorrow, and that's what the world is about today."
"It's not about answers anymore or how much you know. It's about asking the big questions and leading through innovation to solve the problems of tomorrow."
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STUDENTS SHOW THEIR UNIQUE TALENTS AT AHHS TALENT SHOW
Students from Alexander Hamilton High School entertained at the school's annual Talent Show held earlier in the fall, with a range of performances that included a rock band, duets and several solo performances. Here's a look at some of the acts that were part of this special production.
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The children pose for a photo around the special
Mitten Tree. |
GRADY FOURTH-GRADERS GIVE BACK TO COMMUNITY
The generosity of fourth-graders at the Alice E. Grady School brightened up the holidays for many homeless residents in the region.
In the weeks leading up to the holiday season, the students placed new mittens, gloves, hats and scarves on a special mitten tree set up outside the school's main office.
Items from the tree, which was set up by fourth-grade teacher Christine Budzynski, were then donated to Lifting Up Westchester, an organization that works with several homeless shelters and soup kitchens in the area.
"We are so proud of the generosity of our Grady leaders," said Principal Douglas Doller. "They have continued to show a true sense of community and caring throughout the year, especially now during the holidays!"
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STUDENTS OF ALL AGES BRIGHTEN UP THE HOLIDAY WITH SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Students from all three district schools performed in concerts and special holiday shows that won the hearts of parents and others who came to watch them.
The groups performing at the Grady Holiday Concert and the District Holiday Concert included the Alice E. Grady Elementary School Band, under the direction of Allison Shapiro; the Alice E. Grady Elementary School Chorus, under the direction of Timothy Brown; the Alexander Hamilton High School Chorus, under the direction of Katie Chan Chee and the Alexander Hamilton High School Band, under the direction of Rob Jacoby.
The Dixson Holiday Show, perhaps the most popular event of the school year, was well attended as always. The children, dressed in red and white, sang a number of festive songs while being conducted by Grady/Dixson chorus teacher Mr. Brown.
Here are some photos from all three events.
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GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING AND A VISIT FROM SANTA ALL IN ONE DAY!
Dixson students had a fun morning right before the holidays as they put their creative skills to use making gingerbread houses from used 8-ounce chocolate milk cartons and decorating them with a variety of candies, including M&Ms, gum drops, gummy bears, graham crackers, fruit loops and more.
Santa also paid a visit to the screaming cheers of the children. Also in attendance were Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca and Dixson Principal Jeffrey Olender. Here are some photos from the exciting event.
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