NEWS: Celebrating the Arts

Holiday Greetings from Superintendent Selesnick

Dear KLSD Community,

Whether you’ve already begun to celebrate the holidays of this season or will be this weekend or in the weeks ahead, I wish all in our community healthy and joyful celebrations.

As always, my thanks to all my colleagues and to all those community members who give your time in support of our efforts. As you’ll read below, the holiday spirit infuses student learning across the district at this time of year. It is my greatest joy to walk through hallways and classrooms and see our smiling students engaged in their work.

I hope the coming break gives everyone time to get absorbed in a good book or two, watch or listen to whatever entertainment brings you the greatest joy, and spend time with family and friends. Please stay well and be safe.

Happy New Year to all. We can’t wait to see our students again on January 3rd.

Sincerely,

Andrew Selesnick

Superintendent

December Snapshots

Top left, clockwise: FIFA Fridays at IMES. Second graders create Bears in Sweaters at KES. Moose Moolah funds school-wide celebration at MPES. Pop-up snow globe at JJMS. Big/Little Orchestra Club of middle and high school students creates opportunities for musical mentorship. Senior directors of the Freshmen Play "Murder on the Orient Express."

Singing, Dancing and Playing Holiday Favorites

Music class—always a time of creativity —has an extra element of fun during the winter holiday season. As elementary music teachers continue building students’ knowledge of rhythm, tempo, form, pitch and musical notation through singing, playing instruments and movement, lighthearted pieces from the Nutcracker as well as timeless favorite like "Let it Snow" add excitement and color, like the festive sprinkles on a holiday cookie. MORE

Nurturing Self Discovery Through Art

Sixth graders are working with art teacher Jean Capuano in finishing up intuitive abstracts that tap just-studied colored pencil technique. Seventh graders have just completed collaging self-portraits with art teacher Kendra Collins. Eight graders are putting the final touches on sculptures that reflect a facet of who they are.

“The whole point of making art is to convey something about yourself," said Holly Kellogg, art teacher and one of the curriculum leaders of the District’s Visual Arts Department. "Identity work is an important first step.” MORE

Winter Wonderland

“This is a surprise!” said ninth graders Aiden, Silas and Joey. “It’s fun!” They are gathered around a table in the corner of the cafeteria, each decorating a gingerbread house. Next to them is a long table full of extra candies. Across the room, the Noteables sing "That’s Christmas to Me" by the Pentatonix

Winter Wonderland may be a surprise to freshmen but to other grades, the gingerbread house decorating party, hosted by the JJHS PTO, is a much-anticipated tradition.

“It’s part of the holiday spirit at John Jay,” said Stephanie. MORE

Welcome, Officer Brett Schlosser

Katonah-Lewisboro’s new School Resource Officer Brett Schlosser was formally appointed at the December 1, 2022, Board of Education Meeting. The Westchester County Police Officer’s background includes SRO training and Crisis Intervention Team training. He has been a police officer for the City of Rye and served in the US Army for eight years as a medic and combat engineer. MORE

Upcoming District Events

Holiday Recess / Schools Closed: December 26 - January 2
JJMS Gr. 5-7 Parent Curriculum Night: January 4
Board of Education meeting: January 5
JJMS 8th Grade Course Presentation at JJHS: January 5
MPES PTO 5th Gr. Pancake Breakfast: January 7
ArtsAlive Encore Cabaret: January 7
JJMS Orchestra Concert: January 9
IMES PTO STREAM Info Session: January 10
IMES, KES & MPES PTO Meetings/Principal's Coffees: January 12
JJHS Band & Jazz Concerts: January 12
Martin Luther King Day - Schools Closed: January 16
Superintendent's Coffee: January 17
JJHS College Planning Night: January 17
JJHS Orchestra & Choral Concerts: January 18
Board of Education meeting: January 19
JJHS Bridges to Community Silent Auction: January 20
JJMS Band Concert: January 23
Gr. 8-11 Parent Curriculum Night at JJHS: January 24
JJMS Chorus Concert: January 26
MPES PTO 5th Grade "Paint Night": January 27
WR-JJHS Science Symposium: January 28
KES PTO Pancake Breakfast: January 28

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Katonah-Lewisboro School District | PO Box 387, Katonah, NY 10536 | 914-763-7001

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