Headlines and Highlights Across the School District
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District Hosts Parent Safety & Security Information Night
Couldn't attend the Parent Safety & Security Information Night? Please review the new
District Emergency Information Guide
.
This guide is created specifically for parents/guardians, and outlines key information and terms that are helpful to know.
In the event of an emergency, it is important that our school families be familiar with safety protocols that the District has put in place.
The Dobbs Ferry School District is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff and visitors. Check out the video from the Safety & Security Information Night on the
District's website.
Superintendent Dr. Lisa Brady and the District’s Coordinator of Safety, Security & Emergency Preparedness Michael Nemeth facilitated the meeting, and other school/community emergency team members were also on hand to answer questions.
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District Sponsors Three Instructional Technology Parent Education Sessions
Parents are learning about ways that instructional technology is being used in the K-12 classrooms for educational purposes. During these interactive sessions for parents, the District's Instructional Innovative Support Specialist Amber Klebanoff, as well as classroom teachers, demonstrate what we mean by "instructive technology."
Springhurst parents mark your calendars for the upcoming Instructional Technology K-5 Parent Education Night on Wednesday, March 25th from 7-8 pm in the Springhurst All Purpose Room. Kindergarten teacher Sheri Aronowitz, third grade teacher Laura Metrano and fifth grade teacher Donna Misrok will join Amber for this hands-on session.
Please register in advance for the meeting. Use the link in the school messenger email you received this week to sign up.
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DFSD Participates in Third Annual Rivertown Schools Diversity Career Fair
The Diversity Career Fair, which Dobbs Ferry has hosted for the past two years, is aimed at culturally and ethnically diverse educators who might be interested in applying for positions in the Rivertown schools. The Edgemont School District joined the group for the first time this year, and it was held in the Hastings High School Cafeteria. Close to 100 applicants registered in advance for the event.
DFSD administrators welcomed attendees and had the chance to talk one-on-one with prospective candidates. As an IB District, we want to ensure that our schools and staff truly reflect the diversity of experience and learning in a global society. DFSD is a great place to work!
Click to view
vacancies
in the Dobbs Ferry School
District.
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Springhurst COMPOST KIDS 2020
Introduces Second Grade and Kindergarten to Program
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Second graders and kindergarten students are joining The COMPOST KIDS program this year! This is the fourth year of COMPOST KIDS: “Growing Soil to Growing Food: Composting and Us”, taught by Pamela Davis, a compost educator.
The six lessons, conducted monthly from January to June, teach the fundamentals of composting and soil care as they relate to growing food in a sustainable way. Each 40-minute lesson complements the existing Science 21 and social studies units of study, and connects hands-on learning to the curriculum. In this lesson, second grade students learned about the role of the Red Wriggler Worm as a decomposer.
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PTSA parent volunteers helped students explore different types of compost and chart their findings. The program teaches students the value of composting, recycling and the importance of responsible waste reduction. Check out our
recycling and composting webpage.
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DFHS Science Research Students Advance To WES-ROC JSHS State Competition in Albany
Seniors Shirin Dadina and Gayathri Nair placed third and fourth respectively in the Speaker Session at the 18th annual Westchester-Rockland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (WES-ROC JSHS)! They advance to the Upstate JSHS competition on March 25-26 at the University of Albany, SUNY. Fellow DFHS Science Research students Asya Surphlis and Violette Terjanian also placed third and second in their categories in the Poster Session at the WES-ROC JSHS Symposium, held at John Jay High School in Cross River. Congratulations to all of our Science Research students who participated in the competition and presented their amazing research. Click to learn more about the
Science Research Program
at DFHS.
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Middle School Students Share Viewpoints at Youth Essay Conference
Congratulations to DFMS students and essayists Emily Berk and Kaavya Mishra on their participation in
Writopia's Youth Essay Conference 2020
in NYC this past month. More than 300 essays were received from writers ages 12-18, highlighting the concerns and commentary of the next generation. From those essays, 25 students were selected to participate on five different panels.
Sixth grader Berk 's essay, "Changing Bathroom Stereotypes," discussed non-gender-conforming kids, identity and inclusivity. The panel she sat on was "Challenging the Status Quo & Blurring Binaries." Seventh grader Mishra's essay was "Never FEAR NucLEAR" about the future of the human race and the positives of nuclear energy on the environment. Her panel was entitled "At the intersection: Science, Philosophy & Society."
The IB Middle Years Program is helping to create this next
generation of thinkers, writers and leaders
"Independent thinkers change worlds."
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High Touch High Tech Program Enriches Science 21 for First Grade Students
High Touch High Tech is an interactive, hands-on science experience. The program uses discovery-style learning and inquiry-based dialogue that dovetails with the students’ curriculum. Thanks to a grant from the Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation, Springhurst first graders engaged in experiments investigating light and sound waves, enriching the Science 21 unit they were studying in class.
During the 1 ½ hour session, the students participated in approximately eight experiments that all have real-world applications. Students used a tuning fork and cup to simulate an artificial eardrum and a slinky to demonstrate how sound waves move. Working with a foot-long ruler, the program’s visiting scientist showed students how to produce noise using different types of vibrations, build a black light tunnel from a paper towel tube and construct rubber band harmonicas. Students loved this STEM enrichment program and in-school “field trip.” Visit the
High Touch High Tech website.
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DFSD Featured Video
Springhurst Student Government representatives administered the oath of office to Westchester County Legislator MaryJane Shimsky
on Friday, January 31st in an assembly for fourth and fifth graders in the Springhurst All Purpose Room. Principal Julia Drake and Student Government Advisor and fifth grade teacher Donna Misrok made the introductory remarks welcoming honored guests including BOE members, Village representatives and community colleagues. What a wonderful opportunity to enrich the student legislature experience for all the participants and audience members.
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- March 8th- DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
- March 11th- EARLY DISMISSAL- Springhurst Parent/Teacher Conference (12-3 pm/ 5-8 pm)
- March 12th- MS Language Honor Societies Induction (8:30 am)
- March 13th- Springhurst Kindergarten Orientation (9:15 am)
- March 14th- BOE Meeting/Budget Presentation in HS/MS Library (9 am)
- March 18th- EARLY DISMISSAL- Springhurst Parent Teacher Conferences (12-3 pm PM); High School MYP Personal Project Expo (6 pm)
- March 24th- BOE Meeting (7 pm)
- March 25- Parent Technology Education Night K-5 in Springhurst Cafeteria (7-8 pm); HS International Baccalaureate Art Show Opening (6 pm)
- March 27th/28th- HS Musical Pippin (7pm)
- April 6th-13th- SPRING RECESS
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Dobbs Ferry Schools in the News
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School superintendents are overwhelmingly males. What's holding women back from the top job? -
USA Today
2/20/20
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Superintendent, Dr. Lisa Brady, is one of six local school chiefs featured in a
J
ournal News/USA Today
article "School superintendents are overwhelmingly male. What's holding women back from the top job?" Of the 54 districts in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, 16 districts, or only 30%, are headed by female superintendents. The same is true for New York state as a whole.
Click on
The Journal News
to read full article.
(
Photo courtesy of Tania Savayan/The Journal News)
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Teachers Collaborate to Invigorate Learning -
The Rivertowns Enterprise
1/20/20
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Check out this terrific article in The Rivertowns Enterprise on Dobbs Ferry School District's Innovative Classroom Initiative (ICI). A group of teachers K-12 meet monthly, sharing information about classroom practices and exploring how children can have "choice and voice" in their education.
Click on
ICI link
to read full Rivertowns Enterprise article.
The District's Instructional Innovation Support Specialist has been working with DFHS Social Studies Teacher Sara Stern and other teachers in their classrooms on implementing their ICI ideas. Risk-taking and reflection are major components of the initiative for teachers, but the ultimate goal is to enhance student learning.
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Dobbs Ferry Schools Photo Op
Bonnie Plants Cabbage Award
Springhurst fourth grade student Keric Roach was the winner of the New York State Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program 2019 Contest! Keric took home a $1,000 scholarship from Bonnie Plants and the school received a special plaque in a ceremony at the Elementary School. Keric grew an 8.13 pound, 3-foot wide cabbage. That's a lot of coleslaw! Thank you
Bonnie Plants
for supporting our school's Outdoor Garden.
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(L-R) Springhurst Principal Julia Drake, third grade teacher
Meagan O'Toole,
Springhurst Assistant Principal Ray Cavallo, Keric Roach, Ilona Roach and Bonnie Plants reps.
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Become a life-long learner today! Register now for
HRCE continuing education spring session. Classes begin the week of March 23rd! We have art lectures to yoga hikes and two new art classes portraits and pastels, plus much more. Check out the defensive driving course to help lower your insurance costs. There's something for everyone. Any questions, call Stephanie Motts (914) 693-1500 x3148. Coordinated by the Dobbs Ferry School District.
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Dobbs Ferry School District
505 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 | 914-693-1500
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