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astings appenings

HHHH

HHVolume 1 , Issue 2 , December 2012

Roy R. Montesano Ed. D. Superintendent of Schools Roy R. Montesano Ed. D. Roy R. Montesano Ed. D. Superintendent of SchoolsSuperintendent of Schools

Your Guide to What's Happening in the Hastings-on-Hudson School District

WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF THE HASTINGS HAPPENINGS HASTINGS HAPPENINGS COMMUNITY-WIDE COMMUNITY-WIDE NEWSLETTER.NEWSLETTER.

Thank you for staying connected to your schools through this communication. We are grateful for your involvement.

In this month’s issue, you will see some of the exciting activities our students have been involved in this fall. Please also join me in con-gratulating all our Hastings High School Fall Sports student-athletes and coaches on an outstanding and exciting fall season.

A quote from a recent Time magazine article, How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century, states:

“For the past fi ve years, the national conversation on education has focused on reading scores, math tests and closing the "achievement gap" between social class-es. Th is is not a story about that conversation. Th is is a story about the big public conversation the nation is not having about education, the one that will ultimately determine not merely whether some fraction of our children get "left behind" but also whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can't think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good information from bad or speak a language other than English.

Th is week the conversation will burst onto the front page, when the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, a high-powered, bipartisan assembly of Education Secretaries and business, government and

A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

Continued on page 3

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NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETYNEW INDUCTEES

CONGRATULATIONS TO

LUCY SEDKY!

A LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Two years ago, the Board of Education and Superintendent worked with an engineering firm to develop a five-year plan for the maintenance

and improvement of our buildings and grounds. As a result of the many needs identified in that report (available on-line on the district’s website www.hastings.k12.ny.us), the board established a capital reserve fund and has set aside money in each of the past two years. The board also created a Citizen Facility Advisory Group. The eight community members who volunteered for this group include architects, engineers, and construction professionals. Together with the board facilities subcommittee, they have been prioritizing the various projects identi-fied in the plan. Two of the most pressing involve facilities used by both the school and the larger community – the high school track and auditorium.

No doubt, anyone who has used the track at Reynolds Field recognizes that its condition has deteriorated to the point where we must do something to ensure the safety of students and community members. The work can range from simply replacing the surface of the track to installing a regulation size track and improved field to better meet the needs of our athletic

programs. Inside our buildings, one of the most significant projects would be retrofitting the high school auditorium; replacing the soft furnishings, lighting, and sound systems. While these two projects have risen to the top of the list, they are part of a larger set of issues, and need to be considered in that context. Additionally, financing these projects is a concern given the economic stresses prevalent in our community.

As a next step, the board would like to share the information on the district’s facilities needs with the community. We are interested in feedback from as many people as possible so that we can determine how the community would like us to proceed with repairs and improvements. We have scheduled a meeting at the James Harmon Community Center on Monday, January 28, 2012 at 7 p.m. to begin the dialogue. We encourage all to attend so that you can be informed on the details of the projects and financing.

Until we see you in January, please accept the best wishes from all the board members for a happy holiday season and a great start to the New Year.

Matthew FastmanHaris Nair

Juliana PereiraAlexander Quail

Alek RadovanovicRebecca Reeve

Not pictured:Hanna Pennington

Abigal Skolnick

Kudos to Lucy Sedky on her recent win in the all female 5K Turkey Trot – and not just for her age group! – and for her achievement as the first freshman girls' field hockey player to win the All-Section Honorable Mention since the revival of the program in 2001.

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other education leaders releases a blueprint for rethinking American education from pre-K to 12 and beyond to better prepare students to thrive in the global economy. While that report includes some controversial proposals, there is nonetheless a remarkable consensus among educators and business and policy leaders on one key conclusion: we need to bring what we teach and how we teach into the 21st century.”

Th e Hastings School District is participating in that “conversation” about how to prepare students for the kind of new demands that they will encounter in college, the workplace, and as citizens in the 21st century. Like other high perform-ing districts, we are assessing the degree to which we are fostering skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, initiative and self-direction, eff ective communication, information management, use of technology, and innovation, all of which will be necessary to compete in a changing global economy and to fi nd solutions to complex, real-world political, social, and environmental problems that our students will face in the years ahead. Because our district has continuously strived for excellence through ongoing profes-sional development, participation in professional associations, and ongoing assessment, and because of the quality and talent of our teaching staff , we have designed an educational program that already fosters many of these skills.

At a recent Board of Education meeting, Dr. Nancy Sulla, President of IDE (Innovative Designs in Education) and consultant, presented an outline of the work she is doing with some of our middle school staff in helping us redesign classrooms that build greater responsibility for student learning and increase academic rigor. To view Dr. Sulla’s Board presentation please visit our website. In addition, Mrs. Peggy Golden is working with our elementary teachers to help us meet the changing and challenging demands of the new Core Curriculum Content Standards in mathematics.

Th e Hastings Schools off er a high quality and balanced academic program, one that is focused on preparing our students to become active, positive community members. As you read this newsletter, you will see samples of the many artistic, musical, theatrical, and academic talents of our students and staff .

Please take time to ask your child’s teacher or building principal about the many programs and opportunities we are providing to our students.

As we come to a close of another calendar year, I would like to wish each and everyone of you the best for a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.

Roy R. Montesano, Ed.D.Superintendent of Schools

Superintendent's Message . . .continued from page 1

Pajama ProgramDelivering Warm Sleepwear

& Nurturing Books to Children in Need

Some of the first grade classes will be participating in Pajama Program during the month of December. Pajama Program is a non-profit organization that delivers warm sleepwear and nurturing books to children in need. Hillside is joining their efforts to collect new pajamas and books for children that have been affected by Superstorm Sandy.

In December, eighth grade students began their reading of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Professional actors from Th e Hud-son Valley Shakespeare Festival will consult with student ‘acting companies’ to help them interpret and perform their self-selected scenes.

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A VISIT TO STORM KING ART CENTERIn late October, tenth grade English teachers Ross Abrams and Sarah Walters took the entire grade on a day-long fi eld trip to Storm King Art Center. Th e 500-acre landscape provided a wonderful backdrop for an exploration of beau-tiful, strange, thought-provoking art. Th is trip launched a unit focused on being able to notice and write about abstract, complex details in art and literature.

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InInInIInIIIInnInInnnnnIn ttttttttttthehhhhehehheheheehee ttttttttttrururururuuuur ee e eeee spspspppsspsppspppiriiriririrrrirititititititti ooooooofff ffff cocococooopopopopeerere tata ion,nn,n, tttthehhehe kkinndedergrgara tners then invite the third graders to a Hillside performance of ChChChCChChChhChChChhiinininininninneseseesesesesesesse eeee e dadadadadadanncncncncnccerererererersss.s.s.ss. SShShShaararininng gg ththhisisis pprogram has been a kindergarten tradition for many years. These acacacacaaccactititititiit viviviitititititieesesesese bbbbbbbriririrrririingnngngngg HHHHilililillsllslsidiide’s ststststududududeneene t t community closer together, as they learn about the larger community they are inininininvovovollvlvvlvvedededededed iiinn –– thththee e wowoworlrlrlrld.ddd.

Second Graders will be participating in a simple and lovely ‘book pal’ giving project, called “One Book at a Time,” started by Family-to-Family here in Hastings. This project links a classroom of donor children (ours) to a classroom of children living in poverty (in this case a class in Yonkers, New York).

The idea behind the program is to get books into the hands of children who might not otherwise have many books to call their own, and at the same time, giving the donor children hands-on experience in giving. As well as sending the books, we’ll be writing cards to our book pals in Yonkers, and eagerly waiting for their cards back!

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ON-GOING . . .Th is fall, seventh graders began the science component of the sustainability unit, establishing what humans need to survive. Th eir list of natural resourc-es included, among others: soil, air, fresh water, oceans, minerals, and fossil fuels. Th rough a variety of readings, class discussions, and simula-tion activities, students developed an understanding of renewable versus nonrenewable resources, concluding that the resources Earth does provide need to be preserved and protected in order to maintain a healthy life. Classes formulated defi nitions of sustainability by considering the needs of future generations.

IN THE NEW YEAR . . .Beginning in January, language arts classes will engage in the research process. Th e research skills acquired during last year’s Invention Dimen-sion project will continue to be utilized, honed, and nurtured. Students will select a topic of interest and begin to preview information from nonfi ction books, online databases, magazines, and documentaries. Students will then write proposals explaining what they learned about their topics and why they would like to research them further. From there, the students will gather information from reliable sources, create essential questions, highlight their resources, take notes, organize outlines, draft their papers, edit, revise, and publish.

Aft er spring break, students will work on a culminating project in an eff ort to promote awareness of their topics. Projects will be in the form of public service announcements, documentaries, fi ve-minute PowerPoint presentations, posters, personal refl ections, community service, and fi eld work. Many of the projects will be showcased at the ‘Green Day’ celebration scheduled for May 31st.

Overall, our seventh graders have been doing an incredible job. Th rough this project, they continue to develop 21st century skills, which help them become critical and creative thinkers, problem solvers, and confi dent communicators.

7thth Grade Grade Sustainability Investigation Sustainability Investigation (HIS) Project(HIS) Project

77thth Grade Grade Sustainability Investigation Sustainability Investigation (HIS) Project(HIS) Project

Hillside Students Make it into the Newbery Film FestivalTh e 90-second Newbery Film Festival is a national contest that celebrates the biggest award in children’s literature by asking students across the country to make a video that compresses the story of a Newbery award-winning book into 90 seconds or less. Mary Greene, Katrina Forbes and Debbie Troop joined their classes and created a video representing the Newbery Honor book, Because of Winn Dixie. We are thrilled to announce that their video has been chosen as one of the winning videos and was featured at the festi-val held on Sunday, Decem-ber 2nd at the Peter Jay Sharp Th eatre at Symphony Space in New York City. Between the fi lms, an all-star line-up of childrens' authors - Jon Sci-eszka (Th e Stinky Cheese Man), Kate DiCamillo (Newbery winning author of Because of Winn-Dixie and Th e Tale of Despereaux), Rita Williams-Garcia (Newbery honor author of One Crazy Sum-mer), Margi Preus (author of Newbery honor book Heart of a Samurai), Brian Floca (Lightship), Dan Yaccarino (Oswalk) and James Kennedy (Th e Order of Odd-Fish) - kept the crowd entertained with wacky book-related games, silly antics, and surprises.

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Th is year’s dinner was the largest, serving 648 men, women, and children from all fi ve

boroughs and Westchester County. Th is was our 23rd annual homeless dinner and the largest. Guests came from all fi ve boroughs and Westchester County. Forty 20-pound

turkeys were donated and roasted at Marina del Rey Caterers in the Bronx. Project S.H.A.R.E. served approximately 600-700 pounds of turkey, 80 extra

drumsticks and donated a full tray of left over turkey to the Volunteers of America men's shelter in White Plains. Fresh fruit bowls and fresh

salads were donated by Katzman Produce in the Bronx. Bread and rolls were made by student chefs at the Culinary Institute of America, and three student

chefs assisted Rob Wyatt (aka Th e Chili Man) in the kitchen. Th e student chefs were provided by Ronnie Genee, a Hastings High School alumni who is a residence director at CIA in Hyde Park. Th e American Muslim Women's Association and Pace University students did apple pie baking as they have done for several years now. Students from Hastings High School helped bake 60 apple pies, 60 pans of apple crisp, and 60 pumpkin pies. Music was provided by the local band Greetings from Anywhere.

Student volunteers from Somers High School, Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy, Edgemont High School, Dobbs Ferry High School and Leadership Institute, came to work alongside our Hastings kids. Many Hastings High School alums volunteered as well. Also helping out that night were community members, including Mayor Peter Swiderski, some former Board of Education members and Hastings High School parents. Over the two days of preparation leading to the dinner and the dinner itself, there were approximately 200 volunteers. Stuff ed animals (a dinner staple) were collected by members of Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings and students at Hillside Elementary School. As in all the years past, Hastings resident Ned Gelfars entertained our littlest guests as Ned the Clown.

Honored this year for their commitment to Project S.H.A.R.E. over many years were Beth Habermann, who has been the Transportation Director and a member of S.H.A.R.E.'s Board of Directors, Pat and Rick Spana, who have

worked with S.H.A.R.E. for the past 20 years, and Lori and Scott Moore, who have given their time and commitment to S.H.A.R.E. helping as liaisons to Katzman Produce for many years.

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PROJECT S.H.A.R.E. 23RD ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER

Backbone of the Kitchen Crew – Jerry Geist, Chef Rob Wyatt and HHS Alum Haggai Eshed.

Four very satisfied guests…

Guest with one of the collected stuff animals offered.

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PROJECT S.H.A.R.E. 23RD ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER

This year's dinner was the largest, serving 648 men, women, and children from all five boroughs and Westchester County.

HHS Alum Ronnie Genee (far right) with three student chefs from the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.

Entertainment – A guest who sings with the choir at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in West Harlem.

Volunteers – Fozia Khan, founder of the American Muslim Women’s Association and two of their members who have volunteered with Project S.H.A.R.E. for five years.

HHS Alum Catie Newman with one of the younger guests.

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Math is Everywhere is a project-based learning experience that combines math, writing, and photography. Fift h grade

students refl ect on their learning and investigate several math concepts in their daily environment. Th ey defi ne each concept,

going beyond just the dictionary defi nition, and explain how it makes sense to them, connections they’ve made, and how they see it.

Students write mathematically, passionately and creatively. Using a camera as a third eye, students fi nd and photograph exam-ples of these concepts in the environment. Students become photojournalists to prove that math is truly everywhere – in nature, our environment, all around us.

Th is month, students will create mandalas. A mandala is a geometric string design in a pattern created by a set of points, located on a closed conic surface such as a circle or ellipse. Th e points are connected with string according to a numerical progression. A mandala is the basic pattern of the circle with a center. Mandalas can be found in math, science, religion and art. Th ey are found in nature and seen in both physics and astronomy.

Mandalas have been, and are used in, several cultures and in religious traditions. In the Americas, Navajo Indians have created medicine wheels and sand mandalas. Th e

Aztec calendar was both a time-keep-ing device and a religious expression of ancient Aztecs. In Asia, mandalas are used for meditation.

math is everywhere

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Th e Photo Club from Hastings High School participated in a Help Portrait Event on December 8, 2012. Help Portrait is a USA-based internation-al grassroots movement to provide holiday portraits to families and indi-

viduals who don't have the resources for this celebratory holiday gift . Th e nonprofi t Help Portrait organization based in Dallas, through their online website www.help-portrait.com, helps local groups around the nation and the world stage large and small events to provide this service to those in need. As of Th ursday, December 13th, over 40,000 portraits had been taken by over 3,000 volunteer photographers assisted by more than 6,000 volun-teers in 300+ locations in almost 40 countries.

Th e Hastings High School Photo Club members served as assistants to two volunteer professionals – Don Pollard, resident of Hastings and father of 9thgrader Amelia Pollard, and Ed Ber-man, an old colleague of Photo Club advisor Marty Merchant. In this fi rst year of Photo Club participating and establishing their own event they partnered, through Lutheran Social Services of NY, to photograph at a residence in the South Bronx where previously homeless clients live

and raise their families. Th e offi cial Help Portrait name is the "Southern Westchester Group."

With generous help from parents and family members, the Photo Club raised $500 through online donations to fund the supplies that were needed along with the price of the photo prints. Each portrait client received an 8x10 and a 5x7 print in a holiday themed folder along with several wallet-sized prints.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!Farragut Middle School seventh graders are writing, producing and directing short documentary fi lms in their social stud-ies classes under the direction of Guest Artist David Becker. Th e project is entitled Th rough the Documentary Film Maker’s Lens: Exploring the Constitution of the United States of America. Each fi lm focuses on a specifi c constitutional issue in today’s world, and features interviews with Hastings’ community members. In addition, Ms. Barella’s students are working with Mr. Buchanan’s 11th grade Regents class. Th is is a wonderful collaboration across grade levels. Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Smith’s high school students have also volunteered to help the seventh graders with their interviews aft er school. Th e three seventh grade teachers are Ms. Barella, Ms. Richman and Ms. Lynch.

Photo Club students who helped for the day.

Putting it all together.

Photographer Don Pollard photographing and consulting

with one of his sitters.

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HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL CHORAL ENSEMBLES – CHORUS & MADRIGALS CONCERT PERFORMANCE AT THE MET LIFE BUILDING IN MANHATTAN. LUNCH-TIME CONCERTS ARE SPONSORED BY THE KAPLAN GROUP, LLC.

The Board of Education of the Hastings-on- Hudson Union Free School District does not discriminate in the educational programs and activities which it operates as per the require-ments of the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you suspect that your child has a disability that may require special education services or accommodations in order to access our educational and/or extracurricular programs contact:

Deborah AugartenDirector of Special Education Services

478-6261 augartend@hastings.k12.ny.us

The Board of Education adopted a revised school calendar at its meeting held on Monday, December 17th.

The original calendar allocated for six ‘snow’ days, five of which were used for Superstorm Sandy closures. With one snow day remaining and the winter months around the corner, it may be necessary to shorten spring break. The schedule of days that may be affected during spring break is highlighted in blue (bottom center) on the revised school calendar.

REVISED 2012-2013 SCHOOL CALENDAR

H A S T I N G S - O N - H U D S O N U N I O N F R E E S C H O O L D I S T R I C T • H A S T I N G S H A P P E N I N G S • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 • 1 1

1 2 • H A S T I N G S H A P P E N I N G S • H A S T I N G S - O N - H U D S O N U N I O N F R E E S C H O O L D I S T R I C T • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2

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P A I DWHITE PLAINS, NY

PERMIT NO. 7323

Resident Hastings-on-Hudson NY 10706

Hastings Happenings

NEWSLETTER OF THE HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON UFSD

Roy R. Montesano Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

BOARD OF EDUCATION27 Farragut Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson NY 10706(914) 478-6200 www.hastings.k12.ny.usBOARD MEMBER (TERM EXP IRES)PHONE EMAIL

Eileen Baecher, President (2015)275-7318 baechere@hastings.k12.ny.us

Jodie Meyer, Vice President (2014)478-0619 meyerj@hastings.k12.ny.us

Caryn Campbell (2013)674-8595 campbellc@hastings.k12.ny.us

Lindsey Hicks (2015)478-4973 hicksl@hastings.k12.ny.us

Donna Laing (2015)478-5788 laingd@hastings.k12.ny.us

Gabrielle Lesser (2014)478-1718 lesserg@hastings.k12.ny.us

Wendy Naidich (2013)478-4146 naidichw@hastings.k12.n.us

T I M E - V A L U E M A T E R I A L

www.hastings.k12.ny.us

If you need information about the Hastings-on-Hudson School Districtcontact the

District's Public Information Office at 478-6206 or visit the District Website at: www.hastings.k12.ny.us

or watch WHOH-TV

Wishing You Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year