Spo Summer 2011 tlight · 2016-10-04 · Spo Summer 2011 tlight Commitment toExcellence A newsletter for residents of the Greenburgh Central 7 School District AWordfromtheBoardofEducation

Summer 2011SpotlightCommitment to Excellence

A n e w s l e t t e r f o r r e s i d e n t s o f t h e G r e e n b u r g h C e n t r a l 7 S c h o o l D i s t r i c t

A Word from the Board of EducationDear District Residents:It is amazing that the 2010-2011 school year has come and gone. I am pleased to say thatit was a very productive and engaging year for our students. The Board of Education wouldlike to thank the administrators, teachers, staff, parents and community members who madethis school year a success.

As you are aware, our budget did not pass, and as such the 2011-2012 school year willbe operating under a contingency budget. This means that there will be state-mandatedchanges to our operation.

As part of a contingency budget, the District is required to charge all organizations for theuse of buildings. An hourly fee will be set by the District. We must also review all private andparochial school transportation service to determine the non-contingency budget items there.Other changes will include the elimination of after-school and extracurricular transportation.And finally, we must cancel the following capital projects that we had hoped could take placethis year: the implementation of a modern district-wide telephone systemand the renovation of the Woodlands library.

Please join me in thanking Stephanie Bellino and Monique Haygood Massey for their hardwork and dedication to the District while serving on the Board of Education for so manyyears. They will be missed, but we wish them much happiness and success in their futureendeavors. At this time, I would also like to welcome Deborah Campbell and Claudia Glaseras the new members of the Board of Education. They have been very active in preparing fortheir service to the Board since the election, and we look forward to working with them.

We would also like to thank Frank Ferraro for his service to the District. We appreciate thework he has done during his time in Greenburgh Central 7 and wish him the best of luck.At the same time, we would like to welcome Ed Joseph as the new Assistant Superintendentfor Business. The Board appointed him at the June 7 meeting with a start date of July 18.We are confident that he will serve the District well.

We wish you a safe, happy and healthy summer.

Sincerely,

Lloyd NewlandPresident

Dear Parents andCommunity Members:

Through thehopes anddreams ofour students,we look tothe future.The immedi-ate futurestarts withthe 2011-2012school yearand the

continuation of each child’s education coupledwith our collaborative next steps as guidesand supporters for the benefit of all GC7students. Our most recent achievements willserve as the foundation for the work that stillneeds to be done.

The initiatives, the professional developmentand the work of our teachers and our adminis-trators affords our children opportunity todevelop a profound love of learning, improvetest scores and better prepare for success incollege and beyond. The initiatives, as youknow, range from providing a coordinatedand well-articulated philosophy for literacyinstruction with professional developmentactivities and materials that increase eachteacher’s repertoire of instructional strategies,to a renewed emphasis on Math, Scienceand Technology with Science 21, a hands-on,child-centered program in the lower gradesto Science Research course offerings in thehigh school.

Continued on page 12

NEW SCHEDULE FORFITNESS CENTER

Please note there is a change inthe Woodlands HighSchool Fitness Centerhours due to theContingency Budget.Hours are Monday-Friday, 3:30 p.m.to 5:30 p.m.

Spotlight Commitment to Excellence A newsletter for residents of the Greenburgh Central 7 School District

2

Congratulations Class of 2011!June 25 was a glorious summer day, one that the graduates and their guestswill long remember. The joyous graduates, in their green and white robes,laughed, smiled and hugged as their family, friends, teachers and peerscelebrated them for their achievements. To every single graduate, we say,Congratulations, and may you be successful in college and future endeavors!

Katherine AguilarYesenia AguilarJordan AjoseErvens AlcinAnnabel AlvarezNorehan AlyHillary AnasthaIsaac AndersonTaj AndersonArturo ArellanoDamon BagbyLauren BeauzileGeneva BerraJoey BetancesSadiyah BilalJaprice BlackwellNoel BourneIvan BozierBritney BradwellEinne BuntingJ’nelle ButlerAlycia CamachoJose CamposLorena CausaRichard CherryBria ChristianDwayne CowardDavid CuatecoKadeem DanielChristian DelgadoMelissa DesofiN’Deye DiakhateRashad DorseyPete DouglasErica Flores

Alanna FlowersRahiem FowlerKeth FregilOlatunde GbotoshoJennifer GomezRachel GomezRandy Gonzalez

Patrick GrahamRomaine GrahamDyiamond GrantMeg GravesKeith GriffithKrystal GutierrezAntoine GuyAnterrio HallWendy HamiltonEndigo HarperConrad HaysTanya HenriquesDavonne Henry

Yesenia HernandezTerence HillNia HolmesBrandon JamesDenajia JamesCarlton JohnsonErica JohnsonAlexa JonesMichael JonesNatalya JonesKreshonna Shyvonne

KeaneMarcus KingYahaira LaimesRaheem LalorDaniel LealMichael LealAshlynne Lewellyn

Shakira LewisAisha LongEmmanuel Maldonado

Giuliana MarinJonathan MarkJoshua MarshallMalachi MarshallChristine MartinDamar Martin

Nia McCarthyRomel McGeeJusline MedirectThomas MendolaAkosua MensahKelly MercedesRommel MorochoDanny MyrthilJessica NewtonAndy NguyenBrian NguyenBlerina NikqiMandi NyambiSamar O’NeilMarisol OrtegaTerry ParkerNidhi Patel

Alwin PaulTyler Peart

Karen PerezKennishah PhillipAmos Pierrette

Shane PowellJamil RaghibShanice RainesEdwin RamosJonathan RamosTatyana ReevesAmanda ReidDeanna RichardsonEduardo Rodriguez

Greymer RodriguezAustin RosaKathlyn SalazarLauren SalvatierraRoy SalvatierraElizabeth SanchezJamil SandersNia SandersTravis ScottImani SharpeRobert SmallsKyle SmithDrew SpanglerTre’von SpauldingWalter TabelismaOmar Cheikhou TallWaskin Thelusma

Chardae’ VarlackMaria VazquezEva WadeAsia WatersStephon WatsonTroy WilliamsRoderika Wilson

Congratulationsto our Scholars!When it isall totaled, our2011 graduateswere grantedscholarshipsthat amounted toapproximately$500,000 over afour-year period.


3

Adelphi UniversityAlbertus Magnus CollegeAmerican UniversityArt Institute of PhiladelphiaBabson CollegeBarnard CollegeBerkeley CollegeBoston UniversityBowie State UniversityBowling Green State UniversityThe Catholic University of AmericaChestnut Hill CollegeCollege of Mt. Saint VincentCollege of New RochelleCollege of St. RoseConcordia CollegeCornell UniversityCUNY - Baruch College

Brooklyn CollegeCity College of New YorkHunter CollegeNYC College of TechnologyYork College

Drew UniversityDrexel UniversityDuke UniversityD’Youville CollegeElizabeth City State UniversityFairleigh Dickinson University

Fashion Institute of TechnologyFerrum CollegeFordham UniversityHampton UniversityHarvard UniversityHoward UniversityIona CollegeJohnson & Wales UniversityKentucky State UniversityLe Moyne CollegeLIU-Brooklyn CampusLIU-CW PostLincoln UniversityLoyola UniversityMaine College of ArtManhattanville CollegeMaryland Institute College of ArtMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMedgar Evers CollegeMercy CollegeMitchell CollegeMoberly Area CCMohawk Valley CCMt. St. Mary CollegeNew York Institute of TechnologyNew York UniversityNYU-Polytechnic InstituteNorth Carolina A & T State UniversityNortheastern University

Pace UniversityParsons School for DesignPenn State UniversityPepperdine UniversityPerdue UniversityPrinceton UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRider UniversityRoberts Wesleyan CollegeRochester Institute of TechnologySchool of the Visual ArtsSchool of ArtSeton Hall UniversitySiena CollegeSt. John’s UniversitySpelman CollegeSyracuse UniversitySUNY - Albany

BinghamtonBuffaloCantonClinton CCCortlandFredoniaFulton Montgomery CCHudson Valley CCInstitute of TechnologyOld WestburyOnondaga CCPurchaseStony Brook

Sullivan CCTrinity CollegeUniversity of -

BridgeportCalifornia, San DiegoCalifornia, Santa BarbaraCincinnatiConnecticutHartfordIllinoisMaryland-College ParkMassachusetts-AmherstMiamiNew EnglandNew HavenRhode IslandTampaToledoVermont

Utica CollegeVassar CollegeVirginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia State UniversityWells CollegeWestchester Community CollegeWestern New England CollegeXavier UniversityYale UniversityArmed Forces:

US Air ForceUS Marines

College Acceptances 2010

American University $22,000Baruch College Dean’s Scholarship $4,000/yrCornell University Grant $4,371Cornell University Traditional Fellowship $4,000Farleigh Dickinson University $80,000 (over 4 years)Ferncliff Lodge $500Fordham University Jogues Scholarship $7,000 / tuition award $4,100Johnson & Wales Presidential Academic Scholarship $28,000 (over 4 yrs.)Loyola University $12,500/yrManhattanville College Board of Trustees Scholarship $20,000/yrNew York University $2,040/yrPace University Honors Scholarship $76,000 (over 4 yrs.)Pace University Honors Scholarship $15,000/yrPace University Scholarship-$4,000/yrPTSA $300 – 2 were awardedRensselaer Institute $11,900SUNY Albany Presidential Scholarship $16,000 (over 4 yrs.)Where There’s a Woman, There’s a Way Lois Bronz Social Justice Award $1,000 – 2 were awarded


4

Woodlands High SchoolIt’s been a great year. The kids arewonderful, and it’s been a quiet,good year where we’ve mademuch progress, both academicallyand in school spirit. I like the waythe kids have stepped up to theplate to be the best high school. Themusical was fabulous; the students

have shown lots of good spirit and worked very hard.It shows.I am very pleased with our college acceptances. Ourstudents are getting into the top schools and thatincludes the Ivy Leagues. One student, MandiNyambi, has been accepted into Harvard, Princetonand Yale, the three top universities in the UnitedStates, as well as MIT, Northeastern University, BostonUniversity, Barnard College, Boston College, DukeUniversity, New York University and SUNY Albanyand Binghamton. She is headed to Harvard in thefall. We are all proud of her, and all our otherstudents, too, who prove that Woodlands has whatit takes.We credit our success to dedicated teachers anddetermined students who demonstrate that the diversityat Woodlands is part of what makes us great. Toshowcase that diversity, we recently produced a shortfilm that spotlights Woodlands students who are fromall over the world. We have students at Woodlandsfrom 31 nations and nearly every continent, and theyall are proud to say, “We Are Woodlands,” which isthe title of the film. In just a few minutes, the film firstpresents the students introducing themselves and thecountry they are from, and then presents them statingtheir choice of career. It is great to see them set theirsights on being doctors, physicists, actors, veterinari-ans, you name it, even the next President of theUnited States. These are the leaders of tomorrow, andI am proud to showcase them. If anyone wouldlike to view the film, which is only three or fourminutes long, get in touch with me. I’d be happy toshare it with you.Finally, I will mention that despite the budget cuts, wemake the best of what we have. We are losing posi-tions and there’s some belt tightening, but that’s hap-pening everywhere, not just in schools. It is a tougheconomy, but we continue to make progress despitethat. We have new courses such as science researchand marine biology, and continue to encouragestudents to take the college-level courses we offer. It isall coming together.We look forward to September, and a great schoolyear in 2011-2012.

Ronald O. Ross

Woodlands Middle SchoolI can’t believe we’re on summer vaca-tion already – the time has flown by!It has been a great year atWoodlands Middle School, and Iwish all of our families a safe, healthyand happy summer. I want to thank allof the chairpersons who stepped up tohelp the PTSA accomplish their goals

for the 2010-2011 school year and for workingcollaboratively with us.This year was inundated with testing, diagnostic exams,field tests and state assessments, yet our students man-aged to persevere and accomplished some outstandingresults. Every eighth grader enrolled in an acceleratedmath and/or science class, passed the Regents exami-nations and will receive a high school credit, headinginto freshman year.In addition, we celebrated academic excellencethroughout the year by recognizing outstanding studentswith certificates, pins and awards at our Honor RollBreakfast, Science Fair, Math Jeopardy Contest, Writersof the Month Ceremony and InternationalBaccalaureate assemblies.Another major highlight was the seventh and eighthgrade Ballroom Dancing Competition. This annual eventoriginally began as an IB interdisciplinary unit in move-ment, balance and rhythm that evolved into what it istoday. Next year, the physical education departmentwill focus on health, wellness and nutrition. Perhaps, thePresident’s Physical Fitness Challenge is on the horizon?We ended the school year with a beautiful Moving-UpCeremony, an Eighth Grade Dance and a school-widebarbecue – not to mention the annual student/facultybasketball game. Yes! The teachers are still undefeated.Lastly, we were able to cap off the year with a visitfrom the BioBus, a carbon neutral vehicle-science labo-ratory on wheels. It’s equipped with powerful electronicmicroscopes and supervised by a scientist, Dr. BenDubi-Thaler. Our students were able to explore theworld around them in an inquiry-based, hands-on settingby taking turns with the MiScope, viewing differentmaterials and making observations of the magnifiedobjects they saw. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ofTarrytown) sponsored the visit to our school. It was awonderful experience!I hope everyone has a great summer, and we’ll seeyou in September.

Michael Chambless

Richard J. Bailey SchoolThere is so much going on here atBailey! In the spring, we were busywith the traditional sixth-grade IBcountry project. It is a great opportu-nity for all students to learn andshare knowledge about the culturesof countries around the world. Thestudents team up in groups of five

and choose one country they want to research, learn-ing everything they can about it statistically, culturallyand economically. This immersion into the country ismulti-faceted, and the involvement of ManhattanvilleCollege this year built up the rigor even more. Thecollaboration and mentorship resulted in an enhancedand expanded project. We capped the project withour IB Festival on June 22, coordinated by ArtsDirector Miriam Bernabei, with students in costume,celebrating different nations through dance and sportsthat reflect the country’s culture. It was fun for all of us,students and teachers alike.Academically, we have been on our toes with newstate testing requirements that are required at all threegrade levels here. We had assessments in ELA, math,science and ESL. Field tests (which are designed torate the reliability of the exam) were also given.Although our students are prepared, the tests taketime. We look forward to receiving the scores.Other activities include the new library makeover,where artist-in-residence Candace L. Winter workedwith the students in every grade to create an amazingmural on the walls, bringing classic children’s literatureto life, which was the original idea. In doing this, theroom has come to life with color and movement. Thewalls are inhabited by organic images of trees andanimals that live in the forest (frogs, lizards, bugs,birds), as well as objects found in the air (balloons,airplanes). If you have not visited lately, please stop into see it. You will be amazed!There was also a visit from the naturalists at nearbyTeatown Reservation, a nature preserve and educa-tion center devoted to conserving biodiversity, teach-ing ecology and promoting nature-friendly living. Theirexperts came to our library with owls, birds of preyand other animals. The visit provided students with aclose-up view of the animals that they are readingabout in school this spring.Lastly, but not least, we have a new interactive musicprogram that lets students practice in class and athome with background accompaniment. DouglassDenniston, the instrumental music teacher, introducedthe software that loads music on the computer screenand listens intelligently to the student’s performance. Itshows the students instantaneously whether they areplaying the right notes. It is amazing and so are ourstudents!Have a great summer!

Marguerite Clarkson

From theDesks of thePrincipals


5

Highview SchoolThe end of the school year isalways a bittersweet time. We areso proud of our students who haveworked hard all year long, but wealso know that for our third graders,our time together has come to anend. With that in mind, this yearhas become more special because

the Highview experience seems to have stretched abit into the summer. In August, thanks to a new part-nership, eight of our students – four boys and fourgirls – will be heading to traditional sleep-away sum-mer camp for one week. Two students from eachgrade were chosen through a random selectionprocess and will be attending on a scholarship basis.This is an incredible opportunity, and we are sopleased to have developed this relationship withCamp Awosting for boys and Camp Chinqueka forgirls. Both camps are in Connecticut and run by theEbner family for more than 60 years. Activitiesinclude everything from swimming, canoeing, sailing,fencing and photography, to video production,ceramics and drama. It is sure to make a powerfulimpression on our students, and we know our studentswill represent Highview and GC7 well.We are also hopeful about our participation in theEighth Annual New York Recycles! Poster Contestsponsored by the New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the NewYork Recycles! Steering Committee. The statewidecontest will select 12 posters for a recycling calendar.The project brought together science (ecology) andart, and our entire second grade became involved inthe project thanks to the help of our teachers andJoanne Bailas, the teachers’ secretary. The students allcreated posters that featured original artwork andfocused on given themes such as, “Deposit Cans &Bottles Make Cents!” They used a variety of media,including watercolor, pen and ink, crayon, chalk andmarkers, and were encouraged to incorporate recy-cled or recyclable materials into their creations. Thetop 15 posters were sent to the state level and will bejudged on several points including the clear messageconveyed; creativity, originality and artistic quality;and bright and colorful. We’ll know soon whetherone of our posters will make the calendar. Let’s keepour fingers crossed!Lastly, don’t be surprised if you see a garden sprout-ing up in the median in front of our school – weatherpermitting, of course, since the spring was rather wet.In any case, there’s a new gardening club workingon it. Spearheaded by Savanah Herbert, Mya Baileyand Nicole Hurd, the idea has taken root and wehope to see those flowers blooming through thesummer.Enjoy the season!

Gary Mastrangelo

Lee F. Jackson SchoolThe 2010-2011 school year hasbeen extraordinary, with our studentslearning in hands-on ways that broad-en their understanding and stretch theirimaginations. Every day there areinteractive lessons throughout ourschool that keep the students interestedand engaged from one end of the cur-

riculum to the other. Through Science 21, which wasimplemented this year, both first graders and kinder-garteners are learning science in a way that is relevantto their lives. In kindergarten, they see the world throughthe five senses; in first grade, they do inquiry-basedobservations. Science 21 is teacher-friendly, andbecause it is linked to the New York State LearningStandards for Mathematics, Science and Technology,we are confident in its structure. The best part is that thestudents are fully engaged.We also take our IB authorization very seriously, andour monthly IB assemblies support the IB themes. Wehave infused the curriculum with the traits of the IB pro-file, and character building remains a big focus for us.Through an artist-in-residence program, Pat Cannon’sFoot & Fiddle Dance Company, we have introducedsquare dancing to the first graders. In only four weeks,they learn the basics of a traditional dance form that wehope they will take with them through life. Square danc-ing develops listening skills and teamwork. It teachesrespect and politeness, and the process is one of purejoy for the students. You could see this as they perform,which they did for our International Dessert Night.Learning and dancing go hand in hand! There is also anew mural in our school, which focuses on ourCommunity Workers, another IB unit. It is just beautiful,and the students are so proud of it. We also continuewith our reading series, Treasures, and our students aremaking big strides in reading using that program thatspirals throughout the grades. You can see how busywe are!Finally, many thanks to our PTA for all the work they do.Our membership in the PTA keeps increasing, as doesour enrollment.We look forward to next year, but first, we hope thateveryone enjoys the summer!

Patricia Simone

Early Childhood ProgramSummer is here! Looking back, it isunbelievable that the school yearhas come to an end. It seems thatwinter lasted a long time, andspring never arrived! But our studentsdid well, thriving in every season.Across our schools, student successcontinues to be the common denom-

inator. Students’ portfolios showed that teachersworked hard to support and guide instruction utilizingdata from both Brigance II Pre-K screenings andassessments and the teacher anecdotal notes. Usingdata to inform instruction and language is key, and inreview of this data, we have seen great strides in thelearning development of all students. Teachers didmuch to make it happen, with benchmark writingsamples in each student portfolio increasing from twoa year to four. The portfolios let us see the step-by-stepprogress, especially in ESL, and see the strides stu-dents are making. In the first sample, for example,students could not write their first name; by the fourth,they were writing both first and last names. We couldsee them moving from a scribble to an age-appropriate expression.There was much work to be done, with so little time,yet we managed to utilize our time well. Curriculumwork sessions, staff meetings and staff developmentdays supported the strategic plans of both our build-ing and the District, and the joint Building LevelCommittee (BLC) meetings with LFJ truly made animpact on the level of articulation between buildings.It focused on the use of data, small skill groupsby needs and abilities, and the PAF handwritingprogram to bridge and support the use of commonlanguage so children are familiar with the vocabularywhen they enter kindergarten.We now have new Universal Pre-K learning stan-dards that will be effective in September. We lookedat the new standards in work sessions to begin thealignment with our current thematic units of study,which are now more comprehensive. The alignmentprocess will continue throughout the 2011-2012school year until it is completed.Over the summer, I will receive training on the newstandards within the new Creative Curriculum Goldfor PreK that will include the new learning standardsand provides new goals and objectives for the com-mon core curriculum areas – math, science, socialstudies, technology and physical health.The stakes were set very high in terms of the newcurriculum and instruction, providing for differentiationand meeting children where they are developmentally.I look forward to seeing you next year!

Dawn Male


6

Meet the NursesThe nurses in our District are dedicated to the health and well-being of ourstudents. They work to keep our children safe and our parents informed. Here,we meet our nurses and get to know them just a little bit better. RosemaryKamholz at Lee F. Jackson is the Nurse Coordinator. In the future, thisnewsletter will feature a new column that will offer tips from the nursesproviding helpful information for parents.

Rosemary Kamholz atLee F. JacksonThe little boy came into her office wearing afrown and rubbing his head. “My head hurts,”he reported sadly to Rosemary Kamholz, whois nurse at the Lee F. Jackson School andNurse Coordinator for all the District nurses.“Let me see..hmmmm.. Did you bump yourhead?” He nodded yes, and Mrs. Kamholzasked for some details,felt his head andsoftly reassured him thathe would be fine. Hesmiled and walked backto class with a lighterstep than when he hadarrived.“Sometimes, they comein because they just needto know someone cares,and it is not that theteacher doesn’t, but theclassroom can be a bigplace for a 5-year-old,”she said.Mrs. Kamholz, a registered nurse (RN), shouldknow; she has been nurse at LFJ for 23 years.“I see children in my office whose parents Itook care of when they were in school, andI still love this job. The students are terrificand the parents, too.”Working as a school nurse carries a lot ofresponsibilities. “It’s not all about Band Aidsand booboos,” said Mrs. Kamholz who seesbetween 15 and 20 students every day.Aside from the daily responsibility of makingsure children get any medications and med-ical attention they need – as well as the hugand reassurance that they need no medicalattention at all when that is the case – she isresponsible for starting the students’ healthfolders that will move with them through highschool. This folder contains the student’s med-ical information pertaining to immunizations,special needs and any other screenings.To do this, Mrs. Kamholz has to stay up todate with all the latest New York State man-

Greenburgh Central 7 as well as two whoare in parochial schools and paid by theDistrict (according to NYS requirements). Sheorganizes the monthly meetings for the groupduring which they update each other, and shebrings in speakers to keep the nurses informedof contemporary medical issues. Additionally,she is responsible for ordering supplies foreach nurse’s office. Yet, she sees her mainresponsibility as taking care of the students.“In September, there are so many childrenin here. It is a very big transition for somestudents to leave their parents, and also anadjustment for the parents!” she said. “That’swhy I urge parents to call me whenever theyfeel they have a question. No question is evertoo small if it is a concern. Parents give ustheir children for more than six hours eachday, so parents have a right to know that weare taking good care of their children.”Martina Carney at HighviewMartina Carney, RN, has been the nurse atthe Highview School for six years, and during

dates regarding vaccinations, and for eachchild, she has to verify immunization recordsand make sure all students are current. Theprocess begins at kindergarten registrationwhen parents bring the records. Processingall these records into a database is also partof her job.As nurse coordinator for the District, sheoversees the four other nurses who work in

that time she has worked with the second andthird graders on the transition they maketoward greater independence. And it can bea big transition.“Their learning styles and/or disabilitiesbecome evident at this time, and their maturitylevels come into play,” she said. “It can bea difficult transition, although it doesn’t haveto be,” she said. “We try to make it as easyas possible.”The biggest change is often because this isthe age group that first becomes aware ofmedical issues that can include asthma, atten-tion deficit disorder or food allergies. Takingmedication can be an additional adjustment.“We are educating the child as well as theparent during this period,” she added. When

she says “we,” she isreferring to “the team”that includes the psy-chologist, social work-er and teacher whoadvocate for the chil-dren’s well being.“We listen to allsides, and tryto make the transitionfor the children assmooth as possible.”Students are generallyrequired to receivetheir second healthphysical in second

grade, and tracking those physicals is anotherof Mrs. Carney’s responsibilities. Physicalsmust be done by a doctor and arranged bythe parents or guardian. Completed healthforms are to be sent to the nurse’s office.Additionally, she does the screenings for visionand hearing that are mandated by the state,and contributes on a regular basis to theHighview School newsletter.Martha Baratta atRichard J. BaileyMartha Baratta, RN, has been on the job atthe Richard J. Bailey School since 2007. Inher position, she sees the students come in asyoungsters and leave as pre-teens. This is yetanother big transition period for the students.“There is a huge growth spurt between theages of 9 and 12,” she said. “When theyarrive in grade 4, they are generally depend-ent little children, but by the end of grade 6,

Continued on page 7

Monica Hockman Martha Baratta Rosemary Kamholz Martina Carney


7

PLEASE NOTEIt is vital to note that it is against New YorkState law for a child to bring in medication.If your child needs medication, it shouldbe dropped off to the nurse, whether it isprescribed by adoctor or boughtover the counter.The nurse cannotadminister any med-ication withoutauthorization by thechild’s physician and parental permission.

they leave as quite independent individuals.”At this age, their world has become muchlarger. There is much for them to learn regard-ing personal safety, hygiene, good nutrition,respect, and the need to understand class-mates’ feelings. “The IB character traits reallytake shape at this age,” said Mrs. Baratta.“I try to help them learn and incorporate thesequalities into their lives.”To do that, she maintains a bulletin boardoutside her office that attracts the students’attention and gives them pause for thought.Some of the topics she focuses on include per-sonal safety such as the proper use of helmetswhen riding a bike, and the need for self-caresuch as getting enough sleep and eatingthe right foods.It is not unusual for the sixth graders to verbal-ize their needs and ask questions, and Mrs.Baratta is on hand to provide answers andmake the correct referrals if necessary. Whena student enters her office, she does anassessment of the complaint and providesappropriate treatment. She also dispensesdaily medication as prescribed.At the end of the day, she communicates withthe parent of each student she sees. “I believethe parents want to know what is happeningwith their children, especially at this age, soI make that part of my day."Because health and wellness are so important,Mrs. Baratta is the liaison with the DannonInstitute, which has a strong working relation-ship with RJB. As liaison, she is the contactperson for all the activities that the DannonInstitute shares with the school. This caninclude everything from vegetable and herbgardening to sprucing up the grounds.Additionally, like all the other school buildingnurses, she goes on class trips, maintainsrecords, and does the vision and hearingassessments. She also handles the scoliosisscreenings that begin in grades 5 and 6.Monica Hockman at WoodlandsMiddle/High SchoolMonica Hockman, the nurse at WMHS,joined us in mid-year, and she has been busywith health screenings for students at both themiddle and high school levels, preparing fortheir sports activities, as well as the studentsdaily visits to the office.

Ms. Hockman, RN, is a general practicenurse with years of experience in communityand public health nursing. Her primary role isthat of providing health care services to thestudents through assessment, triage, communi-cation and liaison with teachers, counselors,parents/guardians, primary care physiciansand community health services to includeemergency medical services, as well as dis-ease and medication monitoring where indi-cated/required.Ms. Hockman provides health assessments;crisis management and referrals to pri-mary/acute care; education and safety coun-seling to students and their parents/guardians;identifying barriers to wellness; individualhealth and wellness promotion; and assistingin empowering students to engage in a health-ful lifestyle.Under New York State Department of Healthguidelines, Ms. Hockman conducts specifichealth surveillance activities, and provideshealth assessments to the 7th and 10thgraders, as well as to students referred bytheir teachers, counselors, and or par-ents/guardians. Student assessments includevision screening, hearing testing, immunizationrequirements, asthma management and acci-dent/injury prevention, and healthful nutrition.Nancy Pappas at ECP

Nancy Pappas hasbeen working at theEarly ChildhoodProgram sinceSeptember, takingcare of the youngeststudents in our Districtwhose classrooms arehoused in both theECP Main Building

and the Administration Building.Mrs. Pappas, RN, started as a school nurse28 years ago, and she loves it. “The childrenare in my office all the time with cuts,bruises and taking their medications. I wantthem to feel comfortable coming to me,”she said. “Bonding at this age is important,especially if they need treatment.”She starts by conducting a parent intake inter-view on each child entering the program.Each child’s health history is obtained at thattime. Referrals are arranged with the socialservices component of the program shouldthere be a need. She assists in helping par-ents establish a medical and/or dental home(i.e., family doctor/dentist). Health insurance

information is also given at this time shouldfamilies need help in obtaining coverage.“It is important to develop these relationshipswith families.”Vision and hearing screenings, heights,weights and BMI’s are done on all childrenwithin 45 days of entry into the Program.Referrals are made as needed. She tracksall immunizations and maintains all healthrecords throughout the year.Mrs. Pappas also provides parent and staffworkshops throughout the year. BrainDevelopment and Healthy Eating/SmartShopping have been presented for parents.Infectious Disease Control and Hand Washingworkshops are provided for staff.Her joy comes also from working with chil-dren in the classroom. At ECP, one of theways she works with the staff and children isthrough the Eat Well, Play Hard Curriculum,which sets the groundwork for health andwellness. The curriculum reflects both NewYork State and federal Head Start guidelines.Because there is so much growth in this agegroup, she encourages the children’s physicaldevelopment in areas such as fine and grossmotor skills. “They learn so much when theyare 3 and 4 years old, skills that will last alifetime,” she said.She heads the Health and Wellness Committeeat the Program that meets monthly and is partof the Emergency Response Team, IST/RTICommittee and Family Partnership Committee.By the time the students move up from ECP,they are ready to move on, and Mrs. Pappasfeels she has done her part in helping thembegin to develop into healthy, well-roundedindividuals. “They are starting to come into theirown, and it is so fun to help them get there.”

Continued from page 6

Meet the Nurses...


8

MSG Varsity Presents $3,000Gift Certificate to WoodlandsHigh SchoolMSG Varsity, Cablevision’s high school chan-nel, presented Woodlands High School witha $3,000 gift certificate from AnacondaSports for finishing in second place in thechannel’s online School Spirit ManiaCompetition. The $3,000 can be used forselection and design of school team uniforms.During the competition, members of the com-munity voted online for their favorite schools.Woodlands tied for second place. The giftcertificate was presented on May 18.“We thank MSG Varsity and AnacondaSports for their generous gift and commendthe students, teachers and community mem-bers for taking the time to participate to voteonline for Woodlands High School,” saidSuperintendent Ronald Smalls.Colorful Mural Debuts atRichard J. Bailey SchoolA giant 600 square-foot mural depictingstorybook characters drawn by fourth, fifthand sixth graders was unveiled recently atthe Richard J. Bailey Elementary School.

The mural debuted on June 22 and decoratesthe upper third of the walls above the librarybookcases. It was the work of artist CandaceL. Winter, who collaborated and guided thechildren. Characters from many books, includ-ing “Stuart Little,” “Winnie-the-Pooh,” “Jamesand the Giant Peach,” “Harry Potter,” and“Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” are featured on themural. The children drew many of the charac-ters, which Ms. Winter then transferred ontothe walls of the library. She also painted thescenery and several of the characters thatappear on the wall.Librarian Melissa Iamonico initiated the projectwhen she saw the walls of the library neededpainting. Inspired by Winter’s mural at theArdsley Library, she contacted the artistthrough Miriam Bernabei, Greenburgh 7Director of the Arts.Woodlands Students AwardedGold, Silver and Bronze Medalsat NAACP ACT-SO Competition

Woodlands HighSchool studentstook home gold, sil-ver and bronzemedals from the2011 ACT-SORegionalCompetition, andthe gold medalwinners will partici-pate in the nationalcontest of thisNAACP program tobe held in LosAngeles, July 24-27. Nia McCarthytook home twogold medals and asilver medal; LizaSucra and EugeneBoakye-Firempongalso took goldmedals. JasmineCherry andPrecious Blake wonbronze medals. Theregional competi-tion took place onSaturday, April 23,

Did You Know?�

and the Recognition and Award Ceremonyon April 30. The NAACP's Afro-Academic,Cultural, Technological and ScientificOlympics (ACT-SO) is a yearlong achieve-ment program designed to recruit, stimulateand encourage high academic and culturalachievement among African-American highschool students. ACT-SO includes 26categories of competition in the sciences,humanities, business, and performing andvisual arts. More than 260,000 youngpeople have participated in the programsince its inception.Theater Award NominationsLead to InviteWoodlands received two Theater Awardnominations this year in the 2011Metropolitan High School competition.

• Outstanding Production Number –“Saved”

• Outstanding Vocal Performance -Caturah Brown for “Some Cats Know”

The awards ceremony took place onMonday, June 6, at the Paramount Theater inPeekskill, and although our students did notwin, the cast and crew of “Smokey Joe'sCafé” were invited to attend the ceremony.“That was an experience in itself,” saidDirector of Arts Miriam Bernabei. “It wasgreat for them,” she said. “They saw per-formances by students from other schoolsand enjoyed being with ‘like minded’ theateraficionados.”Lee F. Jackson SchoolCelebrates Asian CulturesThrough ReadingLee F. Jackson’s Read Around the Worldevent gave students and adults the opportuni-ty to read about the Asia Pacific Rim culturesas depicted in several children’s books dur-ing the evening on May 11. Members ofthe Woodlands High School Key Club aswell as parents were involved, and they tookturns reading a variety of books to the youngchildren. Books such as “The Bird WhoWas An Elephant,” “Tiki Tiki Tembo” and“Elephant Dance” were spotlighted. Theevening also featured the scholastic bookfair organized by the school’s PTA and avisit by three costumed characters –Geronimo Stilton, Spikey the ReadingDragon and Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Continued on page 9


9

Woodlands High School TeacherNamed Author of DistinctionWoodlands High School English TeacherJohn MacLean recently got the thumbs upfrom the influential literary magazine Choicefor his book, “If You Teach It, They WillRead.” In its April edition, Choice said that“If You Teach It, They Will Read” is a mustread for teachers as well as administratorsand that “MacLean makes a compellingargument for introducing the classics in highschool English classes.” The book showsthat literature should be taught for the reasonit was written - to convey life lessons, and itcites the universality of themes such as thesearch for identity, dealing with loss, theneed to dream, and other topics with whichteenagers struggle. “If we can teach studentsto find connections between substantive liter-ature and their own life experiences, we willproduce more accomplished lifetime read-ers,” MacLean said. “They will be betterprepared not only in language arts skills, butin the art of dealing with life.”The book is MacLean’s first and was pub-lished in August by Rowman & Littlefield.Choice reaches almost every undergraduatecollege and university library in the UnitedStates and is the premier source for reviewsof academic books, electronic media, andInternet resources of interest to those in highereducation.Woodlands Teacher Is Educatorof the YearWoodlands High School teacher ElizabethEgan was named Enterprising Educator ofthe Year for her effectiveness as a teacher ofentrepreneurship. She is one of only 21teachers from 11 states and seven countriesto receive honors at the Network forTeaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) 2011“Dare to Dream” gala in New York City."Ms. Egan brings real business world experi-ences to the classroom, which enhances herteaching ability," said Woodlands PrincipalRonald Ross. "The students are always excit-ed to attend her classes." Her students pro-duce business plans working with WellsFargo Bank that has adopted theWoodlands High School NFTE program fora number of years. Ms. Egan began hercareer as a buyer in the fashion industry andhas used her business experience to develop

dynamic interactive lessons to truly engage herstudents. She was recognized in front of near-ly 1,000 guests on April 13 at the MarriottMarquis Hotel in New York City. Robin Altman,Program Director, NFTE Fairchester said,“Working with NFTE teachers like ElizabethEgan has been a wonderful experience. Herpassion, thoughtfulness, organization andcommitment to her students are inspiring.”Student Artwork Shown atboth Greenburgh Libraryand Town Hall

More than70 piecesof art by50 studentsin grades K-12 weredisplayedat theGreenburghLibrary thisspring. Theexhibitincludedworks in oil,

watercolor, collage, and pen and ink. Musicfor the reception, which was attended by atleast 100 people, was provided by studentsfrom the Richard J. Bailey Elementary Schoolunder the direction of Doug Denniston. The artcurriculum is taught by Dawn Weiss (Lee F.Jackson and Highview schools), Claire Cronin(R.J. Bailey School), Andrea Walters, TeresaBerasi and Constantine Andreadis (WoodlandsMiddle/High School), as well as JonathanHaight who serves as exhibit consultant.Director of Arts Miriam Bernabei coordinatedthe show. Thirty-seven pieces of student art wenton to be shown at the Greenburgh Town Hallthrough June, including the one shown here byYesenia Aguilar.NYC Street Named afterWoodlands High School GradOn Saturday, April 30, 2011, the corner of189th & St. Nicholas Ave. in Manhattanwas renamed “Sgt. Merlin German Way” inhonor of “Miracle Man” Merlin German, aWoodlands High School graduate, who diedfrom severe burns sustained in anexplosion in Iraq, where he was servingas a Marine.

Continued from page 8 Best Wishes to RetireesSusan Bailin

Foreign Language Teacher,WMS – 10 years

Yvonne D’AngelicaSecretary to Superintendent ofSchools – 13 years

John PetersLab Assistant, WHS – 23 years

Rita WhiteSecretary to Assistant Superintendentfor Business – 8 years

Service Above SelfEach month the Hartsdale Rotaryrecognizes a student for serviceabove self. This recognition is basedon community involvement andleadership. Congratulations to eachRotary Student of the Month forthe 2010-11 school year:

Brianna Parkinson Grade 6 OctoberKatie Sims Grade 7 NovemberAshley Pajares Grade 5 DecemberJordan Skeete Grade 8 JanuaryImani Johnson Grade 4 FebruaryFrank Aguilar Grade 8 MarchToni Greene Grade 6 AprilMatthew Straughn Grade 8 May

For the latest news,visit our website:

www.greenburgh7.com


10

Sports Roundupby Athletic Director Matt SmithIt was a great year! Participation is up, with the number of student-athletesincreasing every year. There have been a number of highlights for us, one isthat we now have a JV Boys soccer team, something we have never hadbefore. Now, students in 9th and 10th grades can play soccer, too.

We also want to congratulate our teams for making it tosectional play. In the fall, every team – cross-country, boysand girls soccer, football, tennis and volleyball – was repre-sented in the sectionals. Although Pawling beat us in the end,our football team made it all the way to the ChampionshipGame of the developmental league. So they all have muchto be proud of. It was great.Our winter teams accomplished the same – girls and boysbowling, boys and girls basketball, track – again, those teamswere all in sectionals. We have had some real successes.In spring, the track team made sectionals. Track athlete Nia

Holmes made it to the New York State Championship for the 400 intermediate hurdles andfinished 10th in the state.I want to thank the Falcon’s Nest, too and President David Jackson, especially, for all the workthey do. They are very supportive of the athletes and without them, we couldn’t do what wedo. They help us get equipment and support us through so many events they sponsor. It hastruly been an incredible year, and we hope we can do more great things next year.We wish the best of luck to our student-athletes who have made it known that they’ll beplaying at the next level:

Tre’von Spaulding – SUNY Cortland: FootballIvan Bozier – Ferrum College: FootballOmar Tall – University of Hartford: SoccerShane Powell – SUNY Canton: SoccerNia Holmes – Buffalo State: TrackEstaban Rodriquez – SUNY Courtland: Wrestling

See you in September!

A Word from the Falcon’s NestThe Falcons Nest Booster Club (FNBC) hashad another successful year and increased itsyear-end fund-raising balance by 100%.These additional funds will be used to makedonations to GC7. We invite you to getinvolved and hope you will play an activerole during the 2011-2012 school year sowe can do much more.

Thanks to the most active FNBC memberswho attended meetings and/or volunteeredtime at events during the 2010-2011 year.Some of these events included:

• Significant Woodlands Wear sales atHomecoming and year-round;

• The Third Annual Wrestling Tournamentthanks to Coach Jason Parker;

• Being named the News 12 Team of theWeek for the Third Annual Breast CancerAwareness Basketball Challenge;

• Alumni & Friends Day that already has a2011-2012 FNBC Event Committee con-sisting of Coach Taneisha Cantave, and thefollowing alumni: Monti Hilbbert, KenLambert, and Kiana Washington;

• The Inaugural Greenburgh Taste Off, acollaborative event in which the FNBCpartnered with the Middle & High SchoolPTSAs, where $3,500 was raised andFNBC Event Co-Chairs Kaye Jackson and

Rosalie Jackson each received the ExtraMile Award from the GC7 Superintendent;

• And…last but never least, the AthleticAwards Night where FNBC DecorationsCommittee Chair Cheryl Brooks again ledthe effort to transform the gym, the ScholarStudent-Athletes were recognized, andAkosua Mensah and Brian Nguyen wereawarded scholarships they earned as therespective Female and Male Student-Athleteof the year.

The FNBC looks forward to another successfulyear in partnership with our Athletic Director,Matt Smith and all GC7 staff. In addition tothe aforementioned activities, new ones arein the works and the FNBC will be steppingup its fundraising efforts. Join the FNBC bybeing a Facebook friend or joining theFNBC Google Group. Send an email [email protected] if you would like tojoin or for additional information.

For the latest news, visit our website: www.greenburgh7.com


11

Extra Mile Award Goes to‘Greenburgh Taste Off’OrganizersCongratulations to Greenburgh TasteOff organizers Kaye Jackson andRosalie Jackson who were recentlypresented the Greenburgh CentralSchool District 7 Extra Mile Award fortheir tireless efforts that made theevent at Woodlands High School asuccess.The Taste Off was a collaborative effortbetween the Woodlands Falcons Nest BoosterClub, Middle School PTSA and High SchoolPTSA. Both Kaye Jackson and Rosalie Jacksonare members of the Falcons Nest BoosterClub; additionally, Kaye Jackson was the PTACouncil President and Rosalie Jackson was theWoodlands Middle School PTSA Treasurer.“The tireless effort, vision, immeasurableamount of time spent soliciting restaurants,preparing programs, advertisements andorganization made the ‘Greenburgh Taste Off’a success,” Superintendent Ronald Smalls saidin presenting the award at the June 7 Boardof Education meeting. “This was a wonderfullycollaborated effort that should be used as atemplate to how GC7 could collaborativelyapproach events.”

Extra Mile Award Nomination FormThis award recognizes members of the Greenburgh 7 community who consistently go the extra mile to serve the students of theDistrict. Extra Mile Award recipients will be recognized during a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education. (Pleasecomplete information below)

Your Name

Address:

Phone:E-mail:

Name of Nominee Position

Description of activities that merit the nomination:

Please return to: Email: [email protected] Fax: (914) 761- 6075Mail: Extra Mile Award, Ronald L. Smalls, Superintendent of Schools, 475 West Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale, NY, 10530

Questions? Please contact Public Relations Coordinator Tito Davila at (914) 248-6251 or [email protected]

Lloyd Newland, Kaye Jackson, Rosalie Jackson and Superintendent Ronald L. Smalls

Tenure RecipientsNew York State mandates that teachers andadministrators who complete a probationaryperiod (usually of three years) receive tenure.The 2011 tenure recipients are:Claire Cronin Art Teacher, RJBNeil Dahan Math Teacher, WHSElizabeth Egan Family and Consumer Science

(FACS) Teacher, WHSBruce Gottlieb Director of Pupil Personnel ServicesGeorge Harsch Special Education Teacher, WMSJin Kim Quintaniero Teaching Assistant, RJBIrina Kanatayev Math, Science and Technology

Coordinator

Adriana Martinez Family and Consumer Science(FACS) Teacher, WMS

Debra Morrison Special Education Teacher, RJBMargie O’Brien Humanities CoordinatorEric Rekeda Math Teacher, WMSCarlos Rodriguez Physical Education/Health

Teacher, WMSSusan Sciascia, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent for

Curriculum, Instruction and PersonnelDavina Sewkumar Special Education Teacher, RJBMatthew Smith Athletic DirectorLenroy Stevens Teaching Assistant, RJBDaymon Yizar Dean of Students, WHS

Going Above and Beyondfor the KidsThe Greenburgh Central 7 School District iscalling for nominations of candidates for theExtra Mile award, which recognizes teach-ers, staff, parents, family members andother members of our community who exem-plify going the extra mile – over and abovenormal expectations – to advance excel-lence in education for our students.Who is eligible for the Extra Mile Award?Anyone in the Greenburgh 7 community.Who can make nominations?Anyone in the Greenburgh 7 community.How do I nominate someone?Please use the accompanying nominationform, or go to our websitewww.greenburgh7.com to download acopy.

12

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

White Plains, NY

Permit No. 3111

SpotlightGreenburgh Central 7 School Dstrict475 West Hartsdale AvenueHartsdale, N.Y. 10530(914) 761-6000

Board of EducationLloyd Newland, PresidentMonique Haygood Massey, Vice PresidentStephanie W. BellinoCharles BronzCora L. CareyDavid WarnerTerry Williams

Superintendent of SchoolsRonald L. Smalls

2010-2011 DonationsThe District appreciates all the donations received from the community. Theybenefit our students in many ways. Here, we thank the following individuals,groups and organizations for all they have shared with us:

• 120 East Hartsdale Corp. donated a couchby for use by Lee F. Jackson School.

• The Dannon Co. donated $250 for useby R.J. Bailey School.

• David and Angela Warner, and Arthurand Kharla Kahane donated picnic tablesand logs for use by Woodlands HighSchool as an outdoor classroom.

• Dianne Rivera donated two air conditionersfor use by R.J. Bailey School.

• The Elks USA (Scarsdale Lodge No. 2056)donated 150 dictionaries for use bythird-grade students.

• The Greenburgh Central 7 EducationalFoundation donated $5,000 for use by theDistrict’s Arts in Education Program.

• The Hartsdale Rotary Club donated schoolsupplies for use by R.J. Bailey School.

• The Holistic Learning Center donated matsfor use in the sensory room at R.J. BaileySchool.

• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. donated20 Thanksgiving baskets for use by familiesenrolled in the District.

• The Verizon Foundation donated $750 foruse by the Woodlands Middle/High SchoolAthletic Department. The donation is part ofthe Verizon Volunteers Volunteer IncentiveProgram and was made possible by MaryBorrero, a Verizon employee, who volunteered 56 hours of service to theWoodlands High School Athletic Departmentduring the Penn Relays last school year.

Continued from page 1

Dear Parents and Community Members:

Our schools will keep pace with the mandatesfrom the federal government and the State ofNew York, as teachers use strategies andmaterials that engage and challenge our stu-dents in non-traditional ways gleaned throughInternational Baccalaureate (IB) sessions thatfoster the integration of character educationand content areas, conferences and work-shops and other applicable trainings, such asthe College Board Advanced Placement (AP)training that many of Woodlands teachershave elected to attend.

Students are becoming proficient with interac-tive technology, starting at ECP, where young-sters use a Smart Table, and students through-out the grades use SmartBoards and graphingcalculators, as appropriate. When we maxi-mize our resources and channel our support,our students’ abilities are enhanced and theirpotential is realized, empowering them foracademic and career success.

Our partnerships with local colleges and uni-versities are helping us define instruction tomeet the more rigorous State Educationrequirements and grading policies. Change isa process. It is often met with queries. Fear ofthe unknown and challenge of the status quodissipates as results beyond those achieved inthe past are realized. Together, we can createan enriched school experience for each andevery student.

We are at an educational crossroads nation-wide. Increased accountability is beingplaced on teachers and schools. A nation-wide plan is being offered. The foundationhas been laid here. We need your support tostay the course. Although change is sometimeschallenging, I believe we can make a signifi-cant difference in the education and lives ofour youngsters.

Thank you for your continued support. Enjoy asafe and restful summer.

Sincerely,

Ronald L. SmallsSuperintendent of Schools

Seeking Success StoriesAre you a graduate? Do you still live in the area, or does someone in yourfamily? Have you made strides in your career? If you feel you havea success story to tell, please let us know. We would be pleased to includeit as part of a regular feature in this newsletter. To share your story,simply contact:Ivy Kraus, District Clerk, at 914-761-6000, ext. 3114, [email protected].

Documents

Spo Summer 2011 tlight · 2016-10-04 · Spo Summer 2011 tlight Commitment toExcellence A newsletter for residents of the Greenburgh Central 7 School District AWordfromtheBoardofEducation