livingston manor school scene 2016

A S p e c i a l S u p p l e m e n t t o t h e S u l l i v a n C o u n t y D e m o c r a tSCHOOL

A look at activities in theLivingston Manor

School DistrictSECTION L, MARCH, 2016 • CALLICOON, NY

SCENE

2L LIVINGSTON MANOR SCHOOL SCENE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT MARCH, 2016

District adopts ‘departmentalization’ for 4th grade ELA and math

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STORY AND PHOTOSBY KATHY DALEY

Fourth grader Maggie Ross hasno problem doing each morn-ing what older kids do: she

leaves her homeroom for EnglishLanguage Arts one day and Math thenext.

"I like having two different teachersin the morning," said Maggie.

Along with her class, Maggieserenely packs up the possessionsshe needs for the next class, movesonto a quiet line in the hallway andheads for another classroom aroundthe corner and down the hallway.

In September, Livingston ManorCentral School began "departmental-izing" its fourth grade teachers.

Teachers Mari Martin, a veteran of26 years at the school, and newcomerJanine Neumann, teach math andEnglish respectively until 10:30 a.m.At that point, they continue the day

in their own homerooms, teachingsocial studies and science and sup-port work in ELA and math to theirown classes.

The shift was prompted by the factthat fifth graders undergo depart-mentalization, moving from class-room to classroom with differentteachers for each subject – and thatsometimes the students struggle abit.

"[The school] found that fifthgraders were having a hard timekeeping up with the expectations ofdifferent teachers and with organiz-ing materials for the next class, andso on,” said Martin.

With only 13 students in each of thetwo fourth grade sections thisSeptember, the time was right tomake the shift for the younger kids aswell, giving them a heads up on therigors of fifth grade.

Martin and Neumann met this

School Scene: A Look at Activities in Livingston Manor Central School

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(845) 887-5200 Callicoon, NY 12723

March 15, 2016 • Vol. CXXV, No. 78

Publisher: Fred W. Stabbert III Senior Editor: Dan Hust Editor: Carol Montana Sports Editor: Ken Cohen Editorial Assistants: Willow Baum, Kaitlin Carney, Kathy Daley, Alex Rau, Richard Ross, Jeanne Sager, Autumn Schanil Advertising Director: Liz Tucker Advertising Coordinator: Sandy Schrader Advertising Representatives: Cecilia Lamy, Barbara Matos Special Sections Coordinator: Susan Panella Business Manager: Susan Owens Business Department: Patricia Biedinger, Joanna Blanchard Telemarketing Coordinator: Michelle Reynolds Classified Manager: Janet Will Production Associates: Nyssa Calkin, Petra Duffy, Elizabeth Finnegan, Ruth Huggler, Rosalie Mycka, Tracy Swendsen Distribution: Billy Smith, Richard Stagl

CONTINUED ON 4L

Fourth grade teacher Mari Martin works on math projects with students Hunter Banks,Brooke Hessinger and Cian Meyer.

MARCH, 2016 SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT LIVINGSTON MANOR SCHOOL SCENE 3L

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summer for curriculum planningand for finding ways to ease theprocess for their students. Theydesigned an organizational packetfor each child that provides a flexiblepencil case-type pouch for impor-tant tools like protractors and high-lighters that are carried from oneclassroom to another.

The students were also providedwith color-coded folders, a purplefolder for math and an orange folderfor ELA.

After the first week under the newroutine, the fourth grade had mas-tered the process.

Happily, the change allowed for asolid one-hour period for math andone hour for ELA, as compared tomuch shorter sessions beforedepartmentalization. The longerperiod allows more time for enrich-ing projects and presentations, theteachers said.

As new learning standards requiremuch more on the part of studentsand teachers, many districts aremoving toward departmentaliza-tion, asking teachers to become

experts in specific content areas,Martin said.

“With the Common Core,” shesaid, “we had adopted new curricu-lum and materials for both ELA andMath, and it was overwhelming.[Departmentalization] has allowedme to get solid knowledge, practice,implementation and evaluation ofstudents. ”

Districts that do make the changeoften find that students learn more.

In larger districts where numerousteachers teach the same grade, “it'shard for the districts to make surethat material is being covered at aneven pace by each teacher, in otherwords, that all classes are at thesame spot in terms of learning,” saidMartin.

"Because I teach each (EnglishLanguage Arts) lesson twice," addsNeumann, "I'm able to master thelessons. Mari and I find ourselveslearning from the first lesson andcritiquing for the second time.”

The two teachers meet for com-mon planning sessions during luncheach day and then again at the endof the day.

Both said they feel renewed.

"Taking on math was fantastic,"said Martin. "It's wonderful to beable to hyper-focus on just one sub-ject. And since I'm the math teacherfor all the students in the entire

grade, I'm responsible and that'snice.”

“Our students,” said Neumann,“will definitely be more prepared fornext year.”

CONTINUED FROM 2L

Janine Neumann is the fourth grade expert on English Language Arts, teaching to all 26 stu-dents including Makayla Dutcher.

Arigorous new biology course atLivingston Manor High Schooldrives students like Tara Carlson

and Wesley Gerow to work overtime inorder to excel in class. But they don'tseem to mind.

Principles of Biology, taught byManor science teacher Paul Favata, is acollege-accredited course offered atthe high school through SUNY Sulli-van.

“I love this class,” said Gerow. “I want-ed to get ahead in my college credits,and I thought this was the best way todo it.

Gerow hopes to go into chemicalengineering.

“This is more difficult and challeng-ing than other high school courses,” hesaid. “We go into more deep concepts,like entropy ... and free energy ...”

When Tara Carlson graduates fromManor, she will enter the U.S. Army asa chaplain assistant.

“I feel this course is bettering me as awhole,” said Carlson. “It's teaching mediscipline and it helps to have the col-lege credits.”

“I spend hours after school doingoutside research, looking for videos togive me better understanding. I'mlearning that you can't just be in classand not pay attention. I feel like this ispreparing me for the future.”

At SUNY Sullivan, Principles of Biolo-gy is a prerequisite for students whowant to pursue biology, explained

Favata. “What we're doing here is giving our

students an opportunity to get that onecourse out of the way in order to getstarted (on their college careers),” hesaid.

In order to teach the course Favatahad to be certified as a SUNY Sullivanadjunct professor. He uses the college'ssyllabus, reports grades to them andoutreaches to college instructors andlab technicians.

The course opened at LivingstonManor in September with 11 students“who are willing and capable of doing afantastic job,” their teacher said. “Theyview it as a benefit and a great opportu-nity.”

SUNY Sullivan also offers college-accredited classes in math and Englishat Livingston Manor High School.

Students range from those whomight go into the pure sciences, or intohealth fields, or who are still in theprocess of deciding.

In Principles of Biology, they learnabout chemical relationships, cell biol-ogy, reproduction, respiration, molec-ular and classical genetics and evolu-tion.

“They are learning through the lensof original research, through publishedscientific journals,” Favata pointed out.

Independent reading, round tablediscussions, writing pieces for peer cri-tique all make the college class “a bigstep for us here,” he said.

Accompanying the new course are anumber of other initiatives in the highschool science department. Theyinclude an increased amount of time inscience classes in general; a revampedearth science class to an upper level;and the addition of new scienceteacher Raychale Smith who is aphysics specialist and also teaches sev-enth and eighth grade science.

Smith joins Favata and teacher Jessi-ca Freidenstine, who is the instructorfor the Regents course Living Environ-ment and for forensics, which is anelective.

The teachers are excited about thelink-up with the local college.

“These students,” said Favata, “canstep onto a college campus and beresponsible for their own learning.”


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Before using a spectrophotometer to deter-mine the “absorbance” of various solutions,senior Tara Carlson studies the “blank” solu-tion, which is the solvent used to dissolve aspecimen.

Earning college credits without leaving high school

STORY AND PHOTOBY KATHY DALEY


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STORY AND PHOTO BY KATHY DALEY

When children experienceemotional problems, theycan't focus well on academ-

ics. So a child in crisis might fallthrough the cracks.

But not with school counselorDanielle DalCero on the job.

At Livingston Manor Central School,DalCero has helped students work ontheir “emotional literacy” for the pasteight years, with great results.

“There are some days when I am in aclass that the students move me totears with their insights on a certaintopic, their compliments for theirclassmates, or sharing something thatis meaningful to them,” said DalCero.

DalCero runs the PATHS program(Promoting Alternative ThinkingStrategies) for students from kinder-garten through eighth grade, a weeklyclass that empowers children to devel-op the social and emotional learningskills that will enable them to makepositive choices throughout life.

Kids love PATHS. “We learn aboutnot teasing people,” said KyleHendrickson, a third grader. “And howto not say mean things,” adds fellowstudent Angelina Avila. Tyler Robertssays it's helpful to learn that some-times feeling scared and unhappy isnormal.

Social-emotional learning – theterm used for creating an environmentinside and outside a student that helpsthem achieve academically and social-ly – is based on research that showshow emotions can either enhance orhold back a student's ability to learn.

“In K-6 this year, we've focused onstarting the year off on the right foot

with following rules, directions andplanning,” said DalCero. “We've alsotalked about caring and kindness andbeing 'bucket fillers,'” that is, peoplewho help without being asked, whogive compliments and who make oth-ers feel good.

Teaching perseverance, setting goalsand establishing priorities are alsoimportant.

Now, DalCero and her students areinvolved in a unit on bullying, whichidentifies what bullying is and howstudents can be “upstanders” – thosewho see or hear someone being bul-lied and actually speak up about it.

“We are also covering issues ofcyber-bullying along with passive,aggressive and assertive communica-tion and gossip and rumors,” saidDalCero.

Later in the school year, she willtouch on friendship, careers, feelingsand emotional awareness. She'll leadtalks and projects on trustworthiness

and good citizenship, on problemsolving and self-control, and on transi-tioning to the next school year.

The younger children benefit from afeature called the PATHS Kid of theDay. Selecting a name randomly,DalCero invites the child to act as herassistant with the lesson, calling onclassmates to answer questions.

“We begin each lesson by applaud-ing the PATHS Kid of the Day,” said thecounselor. And the day ends withcompliments for that lead student.

Short videos, role-playing, discus-sions with partners and making pre-sentations are also part of PATHS.

“Students in 5th and 6th grade do alot of group and team activities,”DalCero explained. “We also do a lot ofwritten work including reflection on aparticular activity, or reflections onfeelings about a certain activity.”

In the upper grades of seventh andeighth, students work on setting goals,communication and networking,

study skills, post-secondary options,careers, money matters (budgetingand savings) and identifying personalvalues.

“Growing their intelligence” is animportant aspect for those kids.DalCero teaches that practice and put-ting time into studying the way onewould with TV or video games canresult in the same kind of growth rep-resented, for example, in the movie“Stand and Deliver.” In that film, ateacher gets his inner-city kids toimmerse themselves in higher math towin a calculus competition.

Feedback from teachers on PATHS isexceptionally positive. “It's such animportant program,” said third gradeteacher Selena Ross. “PATHS teachesstudents that all feelings are a naturalpart of life. It teaches children how tohandle different feelings in a healthymanner and gives them strategies andskills they can use in everyday situa-tions in their lives.”

Counselor changes lives by teaching ‘Emotional Literacy’

School counselor Danielle DalCero works with kindergarten through eighth graders on recognizing and dealing with emotions and otherfactors that might inhibit success in school. Here, DalCero is surrounded by teacher Selena Ross' third graders, back row: Joseph David,Angelina Avila, EmmaRae Owen, Edwin Peet, Tyler Roberts, Cahl Darling, Jackson Krause, Sophie Wilkin. Front row: Gabriel Rampe, CassieWolcott, Ciarra Staudt, Kyle Hendrickson, Michael Benson, McKenna Barry.


Harking back to Socrates, a class that questions (almost) everything

Children spend a substantial partof their lives asleep. In fact, inearly childhood, the developing

brain seems to need more time asleepthan awake. This underscores theimportance of sleep to the overallwell-being of a child. Teenagers needbetween 8.50 and 9.25 hours of sleepeach night – much more than com-monly believed.

Adolescents and older children maysuffer from lack of sleep simply by notsleeping an adequate number of

hours, or they may lack good-qualitysleep.

With the typical school and after-school activities, homework andevening activities (e.g., TV watchingand Internet involvement), a lot goeson in the older child’s life. Add week-end social obligations and, perhaps, ajob, and you have a recipe for sleepdeprivation.

Late bedtime hours are not, howev-er, due solely to these activities. Withthe onset of puberty, adolescentsbegin to experience a delay in the“phase” of their biological clock. As aresult, they fall asleep later in theevening, which makes it more difficultfor them to wake up in time for school.

In fact, the timing of the release ofthe sleep hormone, melatonin, isdelayed. No wonder then, despitebeing sleep deprived, adolescentscannot seem to fall asleep earlier inthe evening, even if forced to their

bedrooms. Although the scientific literature on

childhood sleep disorders is advanc-ing rapidly, gaps remain in the deliv-ery of this knowledge to the end user:the child. For instance, only about halfthe physicians who care for childrenaddress sleep-related issues in theirclinics, and well-trained pediatricsleep specialists are still a rarity.

Dr. El Zarif is a physician withOrange Regional Medical Group andis a member of the American Collegeof Chest Physicians (ACCP), AmericanThoracic Society (ATS), AmericanAcademy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)and the Sleep Research Society (SRC).He can be reached at 845-333-7575.

For more information visitwww.orangeregionalmedicalgroup.org

Dr. Samer El ZarifBoard-certified in Internal, Pulmonary

and Critical Care Medicine, Orange Regional Medical Group

“Teenagers need between 8.5and 9.25 hours of sleep eachnight – much more thancommonly believed.”

“. . . Only about half the physicians who care for

children address sleep-related issues in their clinics . . .”

STORY AND PHOTOSBY KATHY DALEY

In social studies teacher Jeff Loef-fler's class, a simple question servesas one of the most powerful strate-

gies for learning.Loeffler is teaching a unit on post-

World War I nationalism, and the classis studying the non-violent work ofMahatma Gandhi, the leading figure in

India's struggle to gain independencefrom Great Britain.

Student Jason Gorr poses the ques-tion "Can people who use non-vio-lence be easily dominated?"

There is a perceptive silence in theroom, where an onlooker might almosthear the wheels in the brains turning.

“It's a trade-off," offers student TreasClingenpeel, “but yes, you could be putdown. But people would come to help

you.”“What kind of person do you have to

be to be a leader in non-violence?” asksLoeffler.

"Nice, patient," says one student."Strong," responds another. Once a week, the Socratic method of

questioning, named after the query-loving philosopher Socrates, rules theroost in Loeffler's tenth grade GlobalHistory classroom.

Getting students to think about whatthey are learning, think about whatthey are asking, and think about theiranswers develops new skills, said theteacher.

“If you read and don't think aboutwhat you read, will you remember it?Probably not,” he said.

By contrast, delving in and then ask-ing questions invites students to ques-tion premises and examine possibili-ties. There are no wrong answers.

“It helps clarify thinking and encour-ages collaboration. They learn fromone another,” said Loeffler.

Student Lindsey Hefele agreed. “I like this – it's more interactive,” she

said. “It makes you use your head more,”

added Jason Gorr.Socratic questioning also enhances

reading comprehension and listeningand speaking skills. Students becomeless hesitant about speaking aloud infront of their peers as they movetoward independent thinking and tak-ing ownership of their own learning.

Using the transcript of an actualspeech by Gandhi in 1942, the studentscontinue to discuss his work and hiseffect on the world.

“If Gandhi's method of non-violencewere used more nationally and global-ly, would everyone be non-violent?”asks one of Loeffler's students.

Good question, says the teacher. Heresponds with another: “Is it the natureof people to be violent?”

A resounding no arises from theclass.

Resorting to violence as a solutiondoes even more harm, they agree.

“How do you lose hate?” asks theirteacher.

That's the big question.

Social studies teacher Jeff Loeffler employsthe Socratic method of questioning to devel-op in his students the excitement of learning

livingston manor school scene 2016

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