Donovan Mitchell, manager of player relations and community outreach for the New York Mets, stressed the importance of decision making and creating lifelong personal goals during the opening of "Leadership Day," a special daylong initiative held Sept. 5 at Alexander Hamilton Junior/Senior High School.

The former AHHS graduate spoke to a packed auditorium that included administrators, teachers and students. The Elmsford native credited instructors, sports coaches and others in the Elmsford Schools for much of his success upon leaving the high school.

"Hard work is about taking pride in yourself," said Mr. Donovan. "Be willing to go the extra mile, knowing that there is always someone watching."

AHHS Principal Marc Baiocco reiterated the importance of such principles, adding that AHHS is not merely a school but rather a "family" that is intent on providing students with a safe, secure environment in which to learn. "We are here to get you exactly what you deserve, and that is a quality education."

The day's schedule was jam packed with several events, including the chance for students to engage in workshops led by peer leaders trained in Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, as well as a number of team building activities coordinated by AHHS instructors and focused on critical thinking and problem solving.

The chance to form the letters AHHS on the baseball grounds was a fun team-building activity for everyone as was an ice bucket challenge on the soccer field, which rounded out the day's events.

The Westchester Knicks Kiki Campbell, far left, Dr. Ricca, Principal Madeline Paneto-Gonzalez, Drew Watson and fifth grade teacher Jeff Hopper having fun during Fitness Friday.

The popular "Fitness Friday" initiative, held once a month in the Grady gym, welcomed a special guest Sept. 19 when Kiki Campbell, a representative of the newly formed Westchester Knicks Developmental League (an affiliate of the New York Knicks), encouraged the children to stay fit and gave out Knicks sunglasses as prizes for those who participated in a variety of physical tests.

Ms. Campbell, who has been visiting local schools and other groups in the area to help introduce the Westchester Knicks to the community, said she was overwhelmed by the "Fitness Friday" fervor.

Ms. Campbell's visit was scheduled to tie into the students' study of Stephen Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," with the goal of providing students and staff with the tools to realize their untapped potential and to see themselves as potential agents of change.

"Fitness Friday" is also a way for the school to stress the importance of fitness while having fun. During the hour-long event, students, teachers and administrators, including Principal Madeline Paneto-Gonzalez, filled the gymnasium floor with rhythmic exercises and dance moves led by the school's physical education teacher Drew Watson. Elmsford Schools Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca also dropped by to watch the hour-long event.

"The kids were really working out and having such a great time," said Ms. Campbell. "I couldn't believe how focused they were and, wow, the volume and excitement was amazing."

Dr. Ricca pictured conducting the interview with Pix 11 reporter Monica Morales at the new Dixson playground.

Did you see Dr. Ricca being interviewed on the Pix 11 morning news last month, along with scenes from Dixson Primary School? Pix 11 reporter Monica Morales was covering a story on the complexities of the pre-kindergarten entrance process and came to the Elmsford Schools for some advice. In addition to her conversation with Dr. Ricca, the short clip also included brief interviews with some of our parents and scenes from Dixson Primary School.

"Here in the Elmsford Union Free School District, we believe that pre-kindergarten is nothing like using a babysitter, Dr. Ricca mentioned in the interview. "We believe that, yes, pre-kindergarten is really that important! Pre-kindergarten is school. As academic standards rise and as our aspirational goals for our children increase, high-quality, early childhood educational opportunities can mean all the difference in a child's academic trajectory," he added. 

After spending more than 20 years as an educator and administrator, Jo-Anne Dobbins has found in the Elmsford Union Free School District a home away from home.

"Elmsford is like heaven on earth," said the recently hired director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services. "This is not a job; it's a great place to spend one's day."

Ms. Dobbins, the mother of three and the grandmother of two, replaces Susan D'Angelo, who retired in June.

The friendly administrator is delighted to be in a district that "embraces children," and she is also thrilled to be working in a building where she has the opportunity to see and interact with students on a daily basis.

Before coming to Elmsford, Ms. Dobbins, a Brooklyn native, served as director of special education for the New Paltz Schools and before that was assistant director of education for the Valley Central Schools in Montgomery.

She also spent several years teaching in private school settings.

Even though she has many years of experience, Ms. Dobbins considers herself a lifelong learner. "My first year here is about listening," she said. "I'm not coming in here saying I know everything."

Despite having a busy work schedule and using her free time to complete a doctoral dissertation, Ms. Dobbins takes advantage of the opportunity to volunteer in the classroom, an activity that many administrators in Elmsford enjoy, she noted. "I can see what's going on and I can also appreciate the culture and the diversity of the district."

Ms. Dobbins' ultimate goal is to offer the least restrictive learning environment for the district's special education population. She is also open to communicating with the special education staff, offering her expertise and classroom assistance if need be.

"Communication is key, she said, referring to the ease she has with teachers and with the parents of special needs children. "I do a lot of listening to parents, and I've laughed and cried with them, too. As a mother, I know that the children are their most precious possession."

School board trustees, village officials, district administrators and children pictured at the Oct. 1 event.

The Elmsford Board of Education combined with village representatives and administrators from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School reiterated their commitment to anti-bullying Oct. 1 during a joint meeting held in the gym at the Alice E. Grady School.

An anti-bullying poster that was first unveiled last year was on display along with another poster that cited the district's "Promising Practices" national award from the Character Education Partnership. The latter was awarded to the district for its unique strategies in character education.

Mayor Robert Williams lauded the collaborative effort, saying it was a "great symbol of partnership and unity throughout the Elmsford community."

The meeting also included a presentation on the OLWEUS Program, a newly implemented anti-bullying initiative at Grady. Students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades talked about its positive effects and reflected on what they've learned.
 

Knowing the signs of bullying, reporting it to a teacher or other adult in the school, preventing it from happening and generally being kind to each other are some of the lessons the students said they learned.

Dr. Ricca acknowledged that raising community-wide awareness associated with the dangers of bullying behaviors will be helpful to the education of the EUFSD community as well as stamping out instances of bullying within district schools. 

 "We are truly blessed to maintain such a strong, collaborative and innovative partnership with our Village and Mt. Carmel," he said. "Together we are able to accomplish so much more than we could alone. In Elmsford, we stand up together in our efforts to stop bullying in our community." 

Students in Mr. MacLeish's Earth Science class at Alexander Hamilton High School use the new Chromebooks.

The popular Chromebook laptops are a common sight in many classrooms these days, part of the Google Apps for Education initiative the district rolled out earlier this year.

The free suite of productivity tools includes Gmail, Drive and Docs, tools that are already making a difference in the lives of Elmsford students, said Director of Technology & Certified Staff Jeffrey Olender.

Google Apps makes for fast, easy collaboration, and the tools that students are using offer real-time editing and sharing opportunities.

Emails, documents and other information used by students, faculty and staff are automatically being saved to the cloud via the Google Apps for Education platform. It also allows them to access and edit the information at any time.

"With the old model, students would turn in an assignment and have to wait for feedback, " said Mr. Olender. "But with these powerful tools, they can now receive teacher feedback in real time and make adjustments. As a result, learning is maximized."

Mr. Olender said students, who now have district-provided, secure email accounts, are accessing projects on their mobile devices and interacting with peers on the weekends to collaborate on projects.

"The district is very excited about how this initiative can impact student learning at all levels," he said.