John Paulding School  News Archive

John Paulding Takes Signing Into “Their Own Hands”

The John Paulding Sign Language/Literacy Fundraiser that was held at the Double Tree Hotel on April 21 was a huge success!!  Thanks to everyone who participated and contributed, we came close to reaching our goal for fully funding the Sign Language Program for the 2012-13.  We raised a total of approximately $7,500!!  Local businesses made donations to be raffled or to be part of the silent auction.  Entrepreneurs set up booths to sell their products.  John Paulding Staff, SH High School student volunteers and parents provided activities for the children (and some adults) which included face painting, nail polishing, tattoos, necklace and hair accessory making, music & movement,  a Bake Sale, a giant inflatable castle provided by Funflatables. The crowd was entertained by the Kindergarten students singing and signing, led by the sign language teacher, Ms. Debra. Music was performed by the SH Jazz Band. Scrumptious food was generously supplied by the Double Tree Hotel restaurant staff.   A good time was had by all.  One little girl was heard to say, “This is the best day ever”  (Posted 6/12/12)

Kindergarten Students Learn “What Tadoo!”

“Good Touches and Bad Touches” will be presented to Kindergarten students beginning this month. Presentations will be done by the school social worker, Mrs. Sanchez-Young, and the school psychologist, Dr. Michelle Memoli, in each class. The main focus in engaging the students in this lesson (which is required by the State Education Department), is to help them learn the skills to keep themselves safe.  The best way to help them do this is to educate them using age appropriate language. The children will learn key words and phrases such as “No, Go, Tell and Sometimes Yell.” They also learn that a password can be established between themselves and their parent(s).  This password can be used should an unusual situation arise that would require a different adult pick them up unexpectedly. The different adult would need to know the password.  

Students will learn about “Private Parts” (covered by a bathing suit) and the “No Touch Zone” as taught by author and speaker Norman Friedman in his book; “Inoculating your children against sexual abuse.” We invited Mr. Friedman to our Parent Workshop in December, and he met with parents about this very important topic. The students will also view a video called “What Tadoo.”  The video is about a little boy who has a problem with a bully and is afraid to tell.  In his journey, he learns what to do, (No, Go, Tell) and learns how to protect himself against other problems as well. You can find a video clip of “What Tadoo” on www.enpowerkids.com.  You can also purchase a copy of Norman Friedman’s Book on Amazon.com.

We hope that with this information, you will create an opportunity as a family, to communicate with your child about staying safe, while also identifying the responsible adults that your child can trust.  Please call the school if you have any questions:  631-5526..(Posted 3/23/12)

Did That Taste Sour or Salty?

The Kindergarten children at John Paulding School have been learning about their five senses as part of the Science curriculum.  The children have identified, classified and sorted different smells, tastes, sounds, and touches.  Classes have gone on listening walks outside.  Students have heard cars, loud trucks, horns, sirens, and quiet birds.  They listened to the story, It Looked Like Spilt Milk.  They used their eyes to see pictures they created in a splatter of white paint.  Students tasted different foods and learned about their taste buds.  They identified sweet, sour, salty, and even bitter tastes. Lots of laughter could be heard as students observed each others reactions to the different tastes.  Feeling different things was fun!  Students touched various objects and learned about soft, hard, rough, and smooth textures.  Smelling was interesting!  Students identified familiar smells like coffee and peppermint, and not so familiar smells like shampoo or unpleasant smells like onions.  As classes finish up this unit, students are encouraged to identify things in their house and make connections. (Posted 3/23/12)

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns is accepting PreK applications

for the 2012-2013 school year from now through March 31, 2012.

PreKs a 2 ½ hour 5 day Program.  Children eligible for PreK must be four years old on or before December 1, 2012 and be residents of the Tarrytowns’ School District. 

Transportation will be provided for students selected into the program.  As enrollment is very limited, selection of participants will be based on a lottery.  Applications are available at:

John Paulding School
154 North Broadway
Tarrytown, NY  10591
Phone # 332-6232

Las escuelas Públicas de los Tarrytowns están aceptando aplicaciones para el año escolar 2012-2013 para el PreK desde ahora hasta el 31 de marzo del 2012.

El Programa del PreK se reunen por 2 ½ horas 5 dias a la semana de lunes a viernes.  Para ser elegibles los niños tienen que cumplir 4 años de edad antes de diciembre 1, 2012 y residir en el distrito de los Tarrytowns’.

Habrá transportación para los niños aceptados en el Programa.  Las matriculas son limitadas y la seleción de los participantes será hecha por rifa si el número de aplicantes sobrepasa la capacidad del programa.  Aplicaciones están disponibles en la escuela. (Posted 3/9/12)

Kindergarten Registration (English, Spanish)

Macaroni Quotations

Thanks to the creativity and assistance of Jean O’Brien, the children in Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Suarez’ collaborative Kindergarten class created their own class video.  The children wrote sentences about who they love and used macaroni to represent their quotation marks.  They drew beautiful pictures to illustrate their ideas.  Using the iPads, they took pictures of their work and recorded their voices as they read their sentences.  Click here to watch the video. (Posted 2/14/12)

Sign Language Fundraiser

April 21st

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Arts and Crafts, Entertainment, Food, Music, Silent Auction, Raffles

At the Double Tree Hotel in Tarrytown

Click here for flyer

Kindergarteners Learn About Responsibility

The children at John Paulding School have been learning about what it means to be responsible and that consequences result from ones actions. They enjoyed listening to the story Strega Nona by Tomie de Paolo. In the story, Big Anthony is responsible for helping Strega Nona with her chores and to never touch her pasta pot. He impulsively touches the pasta pot and while the consequence is humorous it teaches the children about the importance of being responsible. The children also listened to the story Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. Lilly’s responsibility is to refrain from distracting her peers by waiting to share her special purse. When she is unable to do so, her purse is taken away. She has difficulty accepting responsibility for her actions at first, and later understands how her actions impact others. Following the reading of these stories, the kindergarten children wrote stories about how they can be responsible both at home and at school. The children wrote about helping their moms and dads, listening to adults, cleaning up after themselves, being kind to others and more.(Posted 2/3/12)

Happy New Year!

The students at John Paulding School celebrated the Chinese New Year in many different ways this year. On January 23, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu and her daughter, Isabel, spoke to the students and invited parents, during an assembly about some Chinese traditions. We celebrated the year of the Dragon. Ms. Corea’s, Mrs. Daley’s and Mrs. Praino’s classes marched in a Dragon Parade. Children learned how to say Happy New Year in Mandarin ( Xin Nian  Kuai Lu) and in Cantonese (Gung Hay Fat Choy). We also heard from parents how to say Happy New Year in Korean,  Pilipino, and Indonesian. We had 13 students carrying banners representing China, Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The students all received red envelopes for good luck. They all participated by bringing noisemakers.

After the Dragon Parade, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu presented a slide show about China to individual Kindergarten classes. Mrs. Daley’s and Mrs. Pearlman’s classes cooked dumplings and graphed what dipping sauce they liked best. What a challenge it is to use chop sticks!  Other classes read books and learned how to write using “Chinese” characters. (Posted 1/31/12)

Reading and Writing “Fun” in Kindergarten

Kindergarten students are enjoying their daily Fundations lessons.  Fundations is a structured phonological/phonemic awareness and spelling program.  With the help of the “Echo” and “Baby Echo,” the students and teachers embark on a 30-minute daily lesson that focuses on sequenced skills.  The systematic introduction of skills includes alphabet awareness, phonological and phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, word structure and spelling.  “Storytime” activities include practice with listening and speaking along with critical thinking skills.

Daily lessons include activities with letter formation using sky writing, dry erase boards, notebooks, and/or finger tracing. Teachers use a script for verbalizing the proper strokes for practicing proper letter formation.  (Posted 1/7/12)

John Paulding Kindergarten Students Test their Strength on the Cargo Net

The kindergarten students at John Paulding School tested their strength and endurance by climbing the cargo net as part of their Physical Education program.  They participated in a five station circuit that incorporated various components of the physical fitness.  The classes focused on the particular muscles used to climb the cargo net.  Before the children are able to climb, the various safety expectations that must be followed while attempting this exercise were discussed. Mr. Fischer and the entire class watched their classmates climb the net encouraging each and everyone to try their best.  Mr. Fischer and the classes were especially happy to see how well each group was able to cheer on one another and also use kind words to encourage each other to complete the task.  It was great to see the smiles on their faces when they succeeded!  (Posted 1/1/12)

The Gift of KINDNESS
The very best gifts come from the heart
and do not cost a penny.
Friendship, kindness, smiles, and love,
the gifts we can share are many.

The best gift we can give the children is to help them become the best people that they can be – and that means developing character – becoming giving, loving, kind, thoughtful people.

In Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Suarez’ collaborative Kindergarten class, the children discussed the importance of giving to others from our hearts and showing that we care every day of the year in many ways. The children sketched a number of different ideas of things they could do for others, such as helping a friend or family member, singing for others, smiling, giving hugs, using kind words, and sharing.  Then each child wrote their own sentence to express their idea about giving. (Posted 1/1/12)

Sign Language Supports Learning in Kindergarten

The kindergarten students of John Paulding School have been learning Sign Language since the start of school this year.  Miss Debra, sign language teacher, has been visiting each kindergarten class every other week for a half hour.  So far this year, the children have learned most of the letters in sign, numbers up to 10 (and soon to be 20), colors, and more!  Most days, they also play games in Sign Language. The children cannot use their voices, forcing them to focus on each other and the teacher with their eyes and not their ears. 

The half-hour of class is spent playing games, learning songs, listening (watching, actually) stories all in Sign.  Some of the stories “read” so far are: The Three Little Pigs, The Mixed-Up Chameleon, Go Away Big Green Monster, There was an Old Lady who Swallowed some Leaves, and more.  They have also played Buzz and Pop, the High-Five game, Telephone and other games without their voices. 

The children love learning sign and it helps them every step of the way with their learning: literacy, memory, listening, focusing, fine motor development, cooperation and acceptance. 

In addition to the children learning the actual language of sign, it is important for them to understand who uses sign language and why.  Therefore, Miss Debra incorporates what it means to be Deaf, Blind, and Deaf-Blind into the lessons. The children are taught that although hearing and deaf people use different languages to communicate, we are all the same on the inside.

The teachers are very supportive of the program and use the signs as part of their daily curriculum.   With parent support, we are hopeful that we will continue the program for the entire school year. (Posted 12/5/11)

“Sekoh” Means Hello

Thursday, November 17^th, 2011, the children of John Paulding School were lucky enough to have Little Hawk, a member of the Mohawk Tribe, entertain and educate them with his presentation on traditional Native American tribal dances.  His program has become as part of the Kindergarten social studies unit on the tradition of Thanksgiving.  He taught the students words, songs and some of their customs.   Little Hawk displayed his athleticism and stamina by dancing in and out of 18 hoops.  With these hoops he formed different animals such as the duck and the eagle.  He also performed the challenge dance, which is a dance of strength, balance and skill.   The person challenged must pick up a feather with his/her teeth and the ONLY part of the body touching the floor are the feet.  The children enjoyed attempting to pick up the feathers using their teeth!  Little Hawk shared that everything on earth has a purpose and he reminded the students that they should protect the earth for our future. (Posted 11/30/11)

Learning Through the Visual Arts

In late October the kindergarten children of John Paulding School visited the Katonah Museum of Art to view the exhibit Storied City: New York in Picture Book Art.  During their visit they were able to make pop-up cards of New York City; taxis, The Empire State Building and other city buildings and landmarks.  On October 28^th, The Statue of Liberty celebrated its 125^th Anniversary.  Mrs. Daley and Mrs. Farlekas’ Class made pop-ups of Lady Liberty.  The children went on the SmartBoard and viewed black and white photos of the construction of the statue in France in 1886 and recent photos in color.  They even saw photos taken from the crown from a live cam.  This lesson was connected to learning about being an American and will tie into Thanksgiving.  Happy Holidays! 

This project can be enjoyed at the end of the hall at John Paulding School.  (Posted 11/16/11)

Where Do Apples Really Come From?

The Kindergarten students at John Paulding School traveled to Stuart’s Farm in Somers, NY in late October.  Mrs. Stuart showed them how they sort (great Math link) and shine the apples and Mr. Stuart explained how they make apple cider (changing solids to liquids!).  Although the orchard was hit hard by unpredictable weather, the students were thrilled to still be able to pick apples from the trees. After picking and eating apples, many classes also remained to enjoy a picnic lunch at the orchard.  Upon their return to John Paulding School, the students tasted a variety of apples and the students graphed their favorite kind. Math is always exciting when you graph and sort apples by color and size. Lots of cooking experiences followed the taste test over the course of several days.  The teachers and students made a variety of apple treats including applesauce, apple crisp, and apple pie. A delightful trip and great learning experience was had by all.   (Posted 11/11/11)

Officer Byrnes Teaches Halloween Safety

Children look forward to Halloween for so many reasons.  They get to dress up as pirates, princesses and all sorts of other characters.  But most of all children love to go trick or treating around their neighborhoods to beg for free candy!  Even with all this excitement, it is important that our children are safe.

John Paulding was happy to have Detective Byrnes from the Tarrytown Police Department come into our Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms to discuss Halloween Safety with the children.  He also informed them that police officers will be out in the community to help everyone on Monday.  Most importantly, children should not be afraid of police officers…they are our friends!

Here are some things we can do to help make every Halloween safe for everyone:

1. Remind your child NOT to eat any treats until they have been checked by an adult.

2. Use reflective tape on costumes or wear glow necklaces so cars can see the children easily.

3. Masks interfere with being able to see well.  Please use face paint as an alternative.

4. Costumes and shoes should fit well to prevent trips and falls. (Posted 11/5/11)

Fire Safety

October is Fire Safety Month.  On Tuesday, Oct. 11^th, the PreK and Kindergarteners at John Paulding School had first hand safety rules presented by our own firefighters of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.  They were shown the protective clothing that firefighters wear; a helmet, a big jacket, pants and boots.  Sometimes they wear masks to help them breathe and you can’t see their faces.  Firefighter Bill put a mask on so the children could hear him breathe through the mask and were taught not to be afraid. Some children volunteered to demonstrate ‘stay low and go’ and ‘stop, drop, cover your face, and roll’.  Both of these rules are highlighted in this month’s Let’s Find Out magazine, Let’s Get Fire Safe!  Sparky the firedog was also at John Paulding to help children learn fire safety.  Children were escorted out to the circle to view the equipment on two fire trucks.  One of the firefighters climbed up the very tall ladder on the truck. Our JP junior firefighters were given fire hats, coloring books, fire ‘Silly Band’ bracelets, and safety stickers to bring home. 

During the assembly children were told the importance of having smoke detectors in their home with working batteries and to have a plan to get out safely in case there is a fire in their house. Please help your children with this “homework assignment” and discuss fire safety plans with them for your home. (Posted 10/5/11)

Message From The Principal
Ms. M. Milliam

Welcome to the Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Programs at the John Paulding School!

The school has been bustling with activity this summer in preparation for the coming school year.  Let me share with you some of the upcoming instructional initiatives.

In the area of technology, Kindergarten students will have the advantage of using iPads in their classrooms instead of desktop computers.  Teachers have had all summer to use iPads, provided by the district, learn new applications and familiarize themselves with their features.  Prior to the beginning of school, they will be involved in training to learn specific ways to integrate the iPads and their appropriate learning applications into the curriculum.

A small computer lab has been created in the library, making use of some of the PCs that were removed from classrooms.  I am very pleased about the conversion of our library into an actual media center.  This addition will enable students and staff to continue to have access to computers and develop technology skills beyond the use of iPads.

The space gained by the removal of computers from the classrooms will be adapted to accommodate White Boards that are essential to the implementation of the Fundations component of Kindergarten literacy instruction.  Fundations is a phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling program. It provides teachers with strategies that will complement the Balanced Literacy instruction currently implemented.  Two teachers piloted the program last year with great success.  We are excited to move ahead with full implementation.  There is a parent component to the program, so stay tuned to learn more from your child’s teacher about your role in promoting literacy skills at home.

The Prekindergarten Program will be embarking upon a collaborative venture with the Katonah Museum of Art.  The project was started last year with our Kindergarten Dual Language students and families, who will continue to participate along with those from PreK. The emphasis of the project will continue to be to promote the use of museums as learning opportunities, draw connections between art and language development, nurture creative expression and promote learning through the visual language of art. Teachers and parents participated in a one day retreat at the museum this summer to reflect on last year and plan for this coming year. 

Please carefully read the contents of the packet of information you receive from the school in the coming days. Your familiarity with the contents of the packet will help to prepare you to make your child’s beginning of school a smooth one.

I look forward to working with you in providing a year full of positive and enriching experiences for our children.

Science Fun in Kindergarten

June 1st was Science Morning at John Paulding.  On that day and the days that followed, the students were busy conducting experiments.   They were observing the various properties of liquids.  The children observed what occurred when diverse substances were mixed with water; such as sand, oil and sugar.  Students manipulated bubbles inside the classroom and on the playground. 

After listening to the book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Suess, the children made their own mixture and noticed that Oobleck (cornstarch mixed with water) takes on the properties of both a liquid and a solid! (Posted 6/19/11)

Mrs. de Barros' class spent several weeks this spring being entomologists, learning about insects and creating insects.  The children studied butterflies and ladybugs and learned that they had four part life cycles, a complete metamorphosis.  The also learned that the dragonfly has a three part life cycle, an incomplete metamorphosis.  Their insect bodies incorporated the head, thorax and abdomen.  Wings and legs are attached to the thorax and antennae to the head.  In addition to the above insects, all of the bees, ants and butterflies are also correctly created.  The class read many non-fiction books on insects, as well as many insect books by Eric Carle.  His colorful illustrations inspired the creation of textured Eric Carle-like paper which was used to create a garden for the children’s insects.  They not only created the colorful papers, they also cut all the leaves and petals out.  The class just finished their stint as botanists learning about roots, soil, stem, leaves, petals, etc.  The “paper garden” has been joined by a real flower garden outside the classroom.  Laurie Johnson Fairley helped the children to plant the flowers that they brought in.  Instead of glue, paint and markers, the children’s’ hands were covered with soil as they dug gleefully in the planting bed.  (Posted 5/27/11)

The Neighbor Across the Street

The children in Mrs.Daley’s and Mrs. Farlekas’ Kindergarten class extended their community studies to focus on a special place that neighbors John Paulding School across the street. Patriots’ Park sits proudly on Broadway right where Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown meet.  Many children visit there or walk or drive by but few knew the name of this memorial park. On a cool spring day, we walked down the long path, crossed the big road and came to the block that Patriots’ Park inhabits.  We stopped at the memorials that honor fallen soldiers from both communities.  We visited monuments like the one that tells the history of how John Paulding captured a spy named Major Andre.  We learned that our school is named after this important person.  We enjoyed walking through the park and over and under the bridge.  We even hugged a tree!  After our visit, the children returned to class and wrote a memory book about Patriots’ Park.  Now, when we walk down to our playground, the children excitedly notice the neighbor across the street.  (Posted 5/2/11)

John Paulding Kindergarten Students Take Walking Tour of Community

As part of the Social Studies curriculum the Kindergarten students of John Paulding School have been taking walking tours on Beekman Avenue in Sleepy Hollow.  The students first talked about the important buildings that are a part of the community which included the police station, fire station, bank and the post office.  The classes stopped at each individual building and talked about the importance that it has in the community and then took a group photo in front of the building.  This walking tour was extra special!  At the bank, the manger came out and asked if the class would like to go inside and have a tour. Then at the Fire Station, a firefighter pulled out one of fire trucks and allowed the class to take a picture in front of it. At the police station, the officers gave us a tour of the outside of the station as well as the inside. The officers explained what their jobs entailed and they stressed to the children that they are always there to help.  During the tour the children were able to see where the officers work and they even got to see the jail and the courtroom which made quite an impression!  After the tour the children were all made honorary Police Officers and given junior police badges.  Everyone had a great time!  Special thanks to all of the community members who shared with us their knowledge about our community and how important each and everyone one is.  Everyone has to work together for a great community! (Posted 4/27/11)

‘Eating the Rainbow’

Jean McLauren, a parent of a student in the Pre-Kindergarten Program is a nutritionist.  She gave an informative talk about ‘eating the rainbow’ to the Pre-Kindergarten students on March 11, 2011.  She also spoke to a group of parents on the same subject.   Everyone learned that in order to be healthy we need to eat good foods. We will try to eat vegetables and fruits that have rainbow colors such as yellow, red, blue, green, purple, and orange.  Do you eat foods that have beautiful colors such as green broccoli, yellow bananas, red tomato sauce, blueberries, purple eggplant, and orange sweet potatoes?  Do you ‘eat the rainbow’ everyday?  Try to think about and choose all the good foods that have the colors of the rainbow! (Posted 3/14/11)

Pre-K and Kindergarten Sort Through the Common Core Math Standards!

In the early morning on a Wednesday, before children arrived, teachers were working hard with our Staff Developer, Catrina McHugh, to wrap their heads around the new Common Core Math Standards.   We are in the early stages of implementation here in Tarrytown.  In school year 2012-13, classroom instruction is expected to be fully aligned to the new standards.   So we have a lot of work to do!  Our first step is to comprehend the new stands so we embarked on a challenging puzzle and worked together in groups to come to a solution.

The Common Core Standards are organized slightly differently than the ones we have been accustomed to using since 2005.  Listed first are the DOMAINS these are large groups of related standards. Second are the CLUSTERS which are groups of related standards within a domain. Lastly, are the STANDARDS that define what students should understand and be able to do. 

In Kindergarten for example:

Outlined on large chart paper for teachers were all the domains and clusters that follow.  Teachers were given all the standards (in no particular order) and asked to place them in the proper domain and under the proper cluster.  The discussions that emerged from the activity were profound.   

To learn more go to http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/ .  (Posted 3/12/11)

Kindergarten Collaborates with The Katonah Museum of Art

The John Paulding kindergarten students visited the Katonah Museum of Art to view the Drawn/Taped/Burned:  Abstract on Paper exhibit.  With the help of museum docents the students looked for and commented on line, patterns, color, shape, texture and composition within the exhibition.     Students then created their own work of art at the museum’s Learning Center.  Each child received a free pass to the museum for future visits. 

The museum educators also visited the Kindergarten Dual Language classrooms.  After giving the students a preview of the museum’s exhibit, the students created their own checkered piece displaying art components they were going to view at the museum the next day.

As part of the Arte Juntos-Art Together Program, there will be two weekend family visits to the KMA in April and an art exhibit displaying children’s work at John Paulding in May.  A meeting further discussing this program and art in education will take place on Wednesday evening, March 9, 2011 in the John Paulding All Purpose Room. (Posted 3/7/11)

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns is accepting PreK applications for the 2011-2012 school year from now through March 31, 2011. PreK is a 2 ½ hour 5 day Program.  Children eligible for PreK must be four years old on or before December 1, 2011 and be residents of the Tarrytowns’ School District. 

Transportation will be provided for students accepted into the program.  As enrollment is very limited, selection of participants will be based on a lottery if there are more applicants than program capacity.  Applications are available at:

John Paulding School
154 North Broadway
Tarrytown, NY  10591
Phone # 332-6232

Las escuelas Públicas de los Tarrytowns están aceptando aplicaciones para el año escolar 2011-2012 para el PreK  desde ahora hasta el 31 de marzo del 2011. El Programa del PreK se reunen por 2 ½ horas 5 dias a la semana de lunes a viernes.  Para ser elegibles los niños tienen que cumplir 4 años de edad antes de diciembre 1, 2011 y residir en el districto. 

Habrá transportación para los niños aceptados en el Programa.  Las matriculas son limitadas y la seleción de los participantes será hecha por rifa si el numero de aplicantes sobrepasa la capacidad del programa.  Aplicaciónes estan disponibles en la escuela:

John Paulding School
154 North Broadway  
Tarrytown, NY  10591
Telefono  332-6232   

At the Circus

On Wednesday, Barnum and Bailey Circus came to John Paulding School.  Professor Atom Smasher and Professor Doctor Kid Kinetic introduced themselves to much laughter and shouting as there were many mix-ups … much to the children’s delight.  Before they began their science lessons the Professor and Kid Kinetic spotted some smudges on imaginary windows.  They, of course, had to use some spray cleaner to wipe off the smudges while spraying children and Mr. Fisher in the process.  After several lively choruses of “Ohhhs” and “Ahhs” and “Science” the pair began their lesson on the “Forces of Energy.”  The children learned that the larger the object, the more force is needed to move it.    The children learned that in gravity what goes up must come down … balls being juggled low then high. Shiny “bowling pins” were juggled with children in the center and pins flying past them.  The last principle of energy was Balance.  The most impressive exhibit was Professor Atom Smasher balancing a ladder on his chin!!  Each child received a “nose” and instructions “not to try this at home!”  Fun!!! (Posted 2/25/11)

Happy New Year

The students at John Paulding School celebrated the Chinese New Year in many different ways this year. On February 4, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu and her daughter Isabel spoke to the school during an assembly about some Chinese traditions. We celebrated the year of the Rabbit. Ms. Corea’s, Mrs. Daley’s and Mrs. Praino’s classes marched in a Dragon Parade. Other students participated by bringing noisemakers made in class. Everyone learned how to say Happy New Year in Mandarin ( Xin Nian  Kuai Lu) and in Cantonese (Gung Hay Fat Choy). Korean was attempted but found to be REALLY hard! All the students received red envelopes for good luck. As a follow-up to the parade, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu presented a slide show about China to all the Kindergarten classes. Mrs. Daley’s and Mrs. Pearlman’s classes cooked dumplings and graphed what dipping sauce they liked best. Other classes read books and learned how to write using “Chinese” characters. (Posted 2/25/11)

Ecuador

On Monday, February 7^th, David’s parents came to Mrs. de Barros’s  room to take the children on a trip to Ecuador.  They explained to the children that the three colors of the flag each represented something different: yellow for riches (gold), blue for the ocean and red for the the hero’s blood spilled for freedom.  David and his mom and brother made a three dimensional map of the country and some of its products.  The children learned that the country has three regions: the coast, the mountains (where there are two volcanoes!) and the jungle.  The children also learned that there is a group of islands, about 600 miles from the coast, called the Galapagos Islands.  These islands belong to Ecuador and on them you see creatures that are not found anyplace else (like the Galapagos turtle and Marine Iguanas which are the only iguanas that live in the ocean).  The children also heard that the number of people allowed to live on the islands is a total of 100,000 in order to protect the animals.  The family brought gifts for each child  -   and teachers too  -  of key chains made from  nuts from the Tagua Palm tree.  These polished “stones” are known as vegetable ivory and are now substituted for ivory around the world to protect endangered species such as elephants, whales and walruses that have been a source of animal ivory.  (Posted 2/25/11)

Library Adventure

Thousands of books that once called Tappan Hill home were lifted from crowded, jammed to the brim shelves, in a small cramped room, and placed into reused cardboard boxes.  They were carted away for a short ride to their new location at John Paulding where they were then unpacked, stamped, stickered, dusted and snuggled into their bright and spacious, new shelves in a cozy room.  

The students at John Paulding School are enjoying weekly visits to the library where they can explore the world of books in a child friendly atmosphere.  Children are given the opportunity to choose a book from a topic they are interested in, from space and weather, abc’s and 123’s, art and music, manners and feelings, vehicles and community helpers, America and multicultural, and a wide selection of story books and fairy tales.  After enjoying them for a week, the children return them to make a new selection, and the journey continues.

Library books from school provide a wonderful opportunity for parents to read to their children and to explore their interests.  Be sure to watch each week as your child’s interest, in all types of literature, blossoms and grows. (Posted 2/7/11)

Kindergarten Students Climb the Cargo Net

Kindergarten students at John Paulding have been participating in a series of activities which promote physical fitness.  The consensus among the students was that the cargo net was their favorite activity!  After months of questions and anticipation the students were able to experiment climbing the net. Every student was able to climb higher with every opportunity.  Many of the other activities our students are participating in include cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular strength and hula hoop activities that allow students to invent their own tricks. Great Job by All!! (Posted 2/3/11)

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR PREK PARENTS

WHENEVER there is a delayed opening of school there will be NO MORNING PREK CLASSES. WHENEVER  there is an early dismissal plan announced, there will be NO AFTERNOON PREK CLASSES. This plan will remain in effect whether or not it is announced or on TV/radio.

NOTICIA IMPORTANTE PARA LOS PADRES DE PREK

EN CASO DE UN RETRASO para las escuelas del Distrito, NO HABRA CLASES DE PREK POR LA MANANA.  EN CASO QUE SALGAMOS TEMPRANO de la escuela, NO HABRA CLASES DE PREK DE LA TARDE. Este plan estara en efecto aunque no lo anuncien en las estaciones de radio o televisión.  

“Snow” much snow

Inspired by the winter season Mrs. de Barros’ class heard The Biggest, Best Snowman by Margery Culyer.  From literacy to mathematics was not a big step with this story.  The children cut out three different size circles (geometry) and glued them onto a rectangle.  They decorated them with shapes and spheres and turned the three circles into snowmen.  The children also cut squares in half to make triangles.  They glued the triangles onto a brown rectangle to make evergreen trees which were embellished with chalk for snow.  Each child then chose a hat to take home as homework to decorate and cut out.  As the final touch for the winter wonderland, Mrs. de Barros photographed each child and then placed them on the board as if they were skiing, ice skating or making snow angels. (Posted 1/29/11)

Kindergarten Students Participate in a Basketball Circuit to Develop Spatial and Body Awareness

In Physical Education students are learning various activities that involve spatial and body awareness.  This allows every student to practice both fine and gross motor skills. Students participated in a circuit that incorporated these skills.  The circuit involved scooters, aerobic steps, a fire safety station where students were able to practice the emergency strategy “Stop, Drop, & Roll” learned as part of the Fire Prevention/Safety Program.  Students were able to work together in small groups to complete the stations as well as demonstrate proper spatial and body awareness. Students also were able to travel from station to station using different loco-motor movements. (Posted 1/6/11)

PreK and Kindergarten Students Learn About Mohawk Tribal Customs

In December, the students of John Paulding School were lucky enough to have Little Hawk, a member of the Mohawk Tribe, entertain them with his presentation on traditional Native American tribal dances.  Additionally, he taught the students a few songs and shared some of their customs.   Little Hawk displayed his athleticism and stamina by dancing in and out of 18 hoops!  He also performed the challenge dance in which the person challenged must pick up a feather with his/her teeth and the ONLY part of the body touching the floor are the feet.  The children enjoyed attempting to pick up the feathers using their teeth!  (Posted 1/6/11)

Chanukah Puppet Show

Jill Liflander, also known as “Jilly the Puppeteer,” entertained each Kindergarten class in early December.  She dazzled our students as she used a variety of handmade puppets that came to life as they talked and taught about traditional Chanukah customs. The children danced to a Chanukah song about a menorah with a Latin twist and “ladina” (mix of Spanish and Hebrew) lyrics.  The children were amazed to learn that they could count along as they recognized some of the numbers in this language.  She also played the ukulele, a small guitar, while the children moved and swayed to the rhythms. "Chag Urim Sameach!" (Posted 12/17/10)

Thanksgiving at John Paulding

This year the Kindergarten students celebrated their first Thanksgiving feast in the John Paulding School.  The children worked hard preparing for this special day. They painted decorative turkeys, strung beads, patterned Indian necklaces, created placemats, baked cornbread, churned butter and made homemade cranberry sauce. The hundreds of parents in attendance brought with them time-honored Thanksgiving fare like roasted turkeys, corn, string beans, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pies. In addition, our modern day pilgrims, those that come from countries, both near and far, brought in traditional dishes such as rice and beans to share with all. As always, we had a great deal to be thankful for this year…the children, the food and the help of all our devoted parents. (Posted 12/8/10)

Oh Canada!
Mrs. de Barros’ Students Get a Tour

On Monday, Kalle’s dad came in to take us on our first World Tour.  He took us to visit our neighbor to the North, Canada.  He explained that the name Canada comes from an Indian word meaning “Big Village.”  Canada is bordered by three oceans” The Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans.  The children learned that French and English are spoken in Canada because it was colonized by France and England.  The flag colors are red for the English and white to represent the French.  The maple leaf represents the myriad of maple trees found in Canada. Each child received a booklet with information and pictures.  The children checked the pictures to answer questions about Canada.  They identified ice hockey and lacrosse as the two national sports.  We learned that in Canada lacrosse is played indoors on a drained ice rink (on cement) and it is quite violent, rather like the original game taught by the Indians.  The children also identified beavers and bears as animals found in Canada.  They also learned that macaroni and cheese  and doughnuts are favorites up there.  Did you know that there are more doughnut shops per person in Canada than anywhere in the world?  Canada is larger than the US but only has 35 million people.  Gary also explained that Canada has 10 Provinces and 3 Territories.  Knit hats are called “touques” (pronounced “tooks”).  Canadians use Canadian dollars which the children passed around.  The dollar is called a “looney” because it has a Loon on it.  The two dollar coin has a polar bear on it and is called a “twoney.”  The children also passed around a very heavy carved soapstone bear.  The trip concluded with the children sitting down to delicious crepes with real maple syrup.

Thank You …. Merci   (Posted 12/7/10)

Message from the Principal

3 “Gardens” Grow at John Paulding School

Last spring, when news of the closing of Tappan Hill was officially announced, Mrs. Sarofeen, mother of a PreK student (now in Kdgn.) approached me with a refreshing notion.  She was actually one of very few who considered the announcement cause for celebration!  She asked me if I thought it would be a good idea to plant a garden at John Paulding School to mark the move. In her words: “John Paulding School is a very special place for me. My daughter’s pre-school experience began at that building; her informal entrance to the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns!  She was also part of the last first grade class to walk the halls of John Paulding, and my son, is currently part of the first kindergarten class to rule the school!”  It seemed to me to be a natural and fitting project - to create something that would symbolize this very special place - a garden.  So, with my support, and the help of parents and John Paulding teachers, a garden grew at John Paulding School!

Liriope outlines the space for now, and a low growing evergreen shrub, along with two red twig dogwood shrubs, is the backdrop of this new garden.  The stems of the dogwood will provide a show of color contrasted against the snow. Hellebore (or Christmas Rose) was also planted and can bloom anytime between December and April.  Daffodil and allium bulbs were planted and will greet us with bursts of yellow and purple as they mark the first signs of spring.  Also part of the garden is a butterfly bush; it is sure to get the attention of the kids as it attracts butterflies! Butterfly weed will be added in the spring; it is the larval food plant of the Queen and Monarch butterflies.  Helping the environment is a really good thing

What a lovely idea to consider that Mrs. Sarofeen’s “children in years to come, as well as all the others who stroll by, can enjoy a little color as they pass John Paulding on their way to the middle school or high school!” 

Thank you to all who contributed to the garden. John Paulding School is now the new site for 3 “gardens”: Prekindergarten, Kindergarten and a lovely Perennial Garden!

Garden Donors:
The Sarofeen Family
Joel Sherry and Stewart Lee
Paul Pirozzi
Kay Kaplan
Ms. Pearlman
Ms. Corea
Ms. Almogabar
Angela Meli
Carolina Malloy

Consultation with:
Carolyn Swenson

Guest Readers
Alumnae Return to Read

On Thursday and Friday, November 18 and 19th, three of Mrs. de Barros’  students from last year and two from prior years, returned to read to her class. It was so exciting to see how well they are reading! Nick Kaufman, Adam Moskal and Julia Zekus, all in 1st Grade, blew her away with how well they read.  They read confidently, took their time, used a “reading finger” and showed the illustrations.  The class was impressed and, she thinks, are looking forward to becoming great readers like those 1st graders!  Payge and Alexandra Chebetar, 5th and 3rd grades respectively, really wowed everyone!!   Many thanks to all the moms for taking the time to bring their children over to John Paulding. (Posted 11/27/10)

Lots of Learning at Stuarts’ Farm

Every year in the fall our Kindergarteners venture out to the country to Stuarts’ Fruit Farm to pick apples and learn about the fruit farm.  This year was no different.  Mrs. Stuart excitedly greeted the children and directed everyone to gather in the back of their store. She introduced the children to the sorting machine that sorts apples by size; a great connection to our math curriculum.  Then the children followed her down to the cider press where she explained that the leftovers of the apples are put out for the animals.  She calls it a big fruit roll up. Then it was off to the tombstone of Great, Great Grandpa Stuart which is placed in the center of the busy thoroughfare.  She proceeded to give a short history lesson of the Stuart Family and how the fruit farm came to be. Next stop was the giant refrigerator where we saw big wooden boxes that the apples are stored in. The boxes later became the makeshift trees that some children ‘picked’ from. Then came the best part of the trip; off to the orchard to pick apples.  Bad weather was the cause of an apple shortage and some children were not able to pick apples from the trees.  Nevertheless, the children were happy sharing the experience.  Those who were unable to pick them off the trees were able to fill their bags with apples picked by the workers on the farm. Nobody complained. Apples were enjoyed in many ways and the sweet smell filled the hallway of John Paulding School for days.  That’s a true sign of fall!  (Posted 11/27/10)

First Pre-K and K Parent Meeting

On Wednesday November 10, 2010, Emily Clary, Pre-Kindergarten Social Worker and Jackie Sanchez-Young, Kindergarten Social Worker, ran their first meeting of the 2010-2011 academic year for the John Paulding Pre-K and K parents. The topic was “Learning Begins at Home; you are your child’s first teacher.”  The morning session was conducted in Spanish, led by Mrs. Sanchez-Young and co-facilitated by Mrs. Clary. The afternoon English session was led by Mrs. Clary and co-led by Mrs. Sanchez-Young.

This is the 11^th consecutive year that the social workers have provided programming for Pre-K and K parents.  These sessions are geared toward helping parents/families improve their parenting skills and in aiding their children in achieving success in school.  Over 50 Spanish speaking mothers and fathers attended the morning session.  The afternoon session, presented in English was attended by parents, grandparents and older siblings.  Both the morning and afternoon groups were enthusiastically engaged in the program thus demonstrating the importance of parental involvement in our children’s education.   (Posted 11/27/10)

John Paulding Students Meet Officer Byrnes

Officer Byrnes came to visit the Prekindergarten and Kindergarten children at John Paulding School last month. He spoke to us about “pedestrian safety”. He told us that we always need to be with an adult and hold their hand when crossing the street. Officer Byrnes also talked about  the importance of crossing the street at the crosswalk, never in between cars! We need to look left, right and then left again    before crossing the street. Another important message conveyed is that Police Officers are our friends.  It was a very informative visit, thank you Officer Byrnes! (Posted 11/13/10)

John Paulding Students Learn Fire Safety

A visit from firefighters and fire trucks to John Paulding School is normally an unusual sight but not in October during Fire Safety Month.  Kindergarten and Pre-K students received fire safety tips from Tarrytown Fire Department Firefighters.   The children listened to the “beep” of a fire detector and were asked if they had them in their homes.  They watched two firefighters get into their “turn-out gear” so that they wouldn’t be frightened if one came into their house.  The fire fighters put on their oxygen tanks and air masks and then “high fived” the audience members.  They also met Freddy the Fire truck who a huge hit!  The children also learned about stop, drop, cover and roll.   Children also had the opportunity to go outside and get a close up look at the fire trucks .  They were amazed at how high up the ladder could go!  Parents, do you have smoke detectors?  Do you have a plan to evacuate your home in case of a fire?  Does your child know where “the family meeting spot” is?  If any answer is “no,” please take some time to create and share your Fire Safety Plan!  (Posted 11/3/10)

Pre-K Back to School Gathering

On Friday, October 15^th, Pre-K welcomed parents to their classrooms for their annual Back to School Gathering.  Parents had an opportunity to meet other Pre-K parents and their child’s classmates. They learned about the curriculum and classroom routines by observing a typical “Group Meeting.”  Parents were delighted to see their children participating.  One of the highlights of their visit was meeting the beloved Letter People puppets that are used to introduce the children to letters and sounds. Refreshments were provided by parents and enjoyed by all!  Thank you to all who participated for making this event so successful.  (Posted 10/28/10)

Message From the Principal

Welcome to the Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Programs at the John Paulding School!  As a result of the hard work and generous donation of time and energy on the part of the entire staff, we have successfully moved from Tappan Hill School and recreated a wonderful learning environment in our new site.  Whether your child is entering the Prekindergarten Program or beginning Kindergarten, this is an important year in your lives.

Parents are partners with educators.  Together we can provide a rich and rewarding experience for children as they journey through their school years. Research has shown that there is a high correlation between parent involvement and student achievement.  I welcome you to participate in your child’s educational experience and encourage you to plan to be involved in your child’s school program from the beginning.  Home Visits are a wonderful way to start the year.  They provide a memorable way for you, your child and their teachers to get acquainted on a personal level while acknowledging the importance of what each child brings with them to school.  These visits will take place during the first two weeks of school (see calendar). 

Each year I am excited about the incoming classes.  This year I am especially looking forward to embarking upon a journey in a “new kingdom of early childhood” built upon the legacy of Tappan Hill School here at the John Paulding School.  I am certain that this will be a wonderful year full of joy, discovery, learning and fun!

Trip Around the World

Have you ever dreamed of leaving it all behind, getting away to an exotic corner of the world where you could meet new people, sample their culture, their food and their language? Well, that’s exactly what the students and faculty of the John Paulding School had the opportunity to do on Friday, April 23rd. They visited six countries during our annual “Trip Around the World” program. Student itineraries included visits to Germany, Canada, Egypt, India, Ireland, and Mexico.

Upon entering John Paulding International Airport the students went through a security checkpoint. Once they cleared the initial checkpoint they checked in their luggage (backpacks and jackets), and received their boarding passes and their individual passports. Next the students boarded their flights to visit destinations around the world. The students walked up the staircase which was simulated the entrance to an airplane and students repeatedly commented, “This is cool….Awesome!” During their visits to the countries the students had the opportunity to fly into each country via Google Earth, experience native dances, view artifacts, examine different currencies, play games, look at photographs and watch video/power point presentations. Students also had the experience of having their passports stamped during their visit to each country.

Mid-way through their journey the students had a layover at the John Paulding International Café where they sampled food from each country. During the layover, JP PTA representatives Maureen Occhiogrosso and Jacki Geoghegan surprised Mrs. Mercado-Belvin and presented her with a suitcase and a book which included postcards made by each student. These parting gifts were filled with well wishes for her as she prepares for her new journey- retirement.

The great success of the program was made possible by our dedicated Co-chairs (Sally Bjorkland & Mini Dhingra), parents, faculty, custodial staff and staff members, all under the guidance of our principal Mrs. Mercado-Belvin. By all accounts, the children confirmed that it was a very special and unforgettable day! (Posted 5/17/10)

Parent Transition Survey

Current and future parents of students at Morse school, we are looking for your feedback as we prepare for next year's transitions.  Please share your thoughts on our online survey. Click here for the survey. (Posted 4/18/10)

Family Math Night at John Paulding

On Wednesday, March 3^rd, John Paulding School held its annual Family Math Night.  Family Math Night is a wonderful event that allows first graders to bring their families to school and join them in some fun math activities.  Many of the activities are games the children can play with their parents or siblings.  Dominoes, turnaround facts, Snakes and Ladders, and Favorite Ice Cream graphs were among a few of the activities.  The most exciting activity brought back by popular demand was Pattern Bracelet Making.  Ms. Ferrari helped the children at this exciting station.  The children were challenged to make number patterns and/or color patterns.  Many children brought the bracelets to school the next day to show their classmates.  All the activities were closely tied to our current Math Program, Growing with Mathematics. 

The first graders had a lot to say about this exciting event.  Johanna Reimer from Mrs. Meehan’s class said, “I liked it because we got to learn more about math.”   Joanna Whysner from Mrs. Groven’s class was also very excited about the event.  She said, “I made 3 friendship bracelets.  I liked the Cross Number Puzzles.  I really like math and they were fun to do.”   Sydney Schultz from Ms. Ferrari’s class said, “I liked the Ice Cream one.  I liked how you could design your favorite ice cream.  I think the vanilla won!  Chocolate was my favorite.”  The children summed it up.  Family Math Night was a huge success! (Posted 3/21/10)

John Paulding School’s 100^th Day Celebration February 25,  2010

On Thursday, February 25, 2010 we celebrated the 100^th day of school at John Paulding. Our teachers paired up prior to the 100^th day celebration to plan out the festivities for our first graders.

The students were greeted with a huge 100^th day walk through banner as they came in the morning.  The 100^th day activities were related to the literacy and math curriculums.  Some of the activities included:

·         Writing: “ What would you do with $100?” “What would the world be like when you are 100 years old?”

·         Math: Make a necklace with 100 pieces of Cheerios, count and color 100 objects, participate in a 100 times coin toss and tally how many times you get heads and tails.

·         Reading: Read a poem about 100 animals and look for the hidden animals in the classroom.

·         Literature & Math: Teachers read a variety of 100^th day books and students made a  100^th day Smarter Crown where they illustrated 10 groups of  10 objects and wore their decorated crowns proudly .   

This year, our 100^th day was cut short due to the inclement weather. Therefore, some teachers decided to continue the 100^th day festivities when the students returned to school after their snow day .This was truly a first grade memory to cherish! (Posted 2/3/10)

The Tar Beach Project at John Paulding School: Beautiful Mixed-Media Artwork by First Graders

In honor of Black History Month, first grade students at John Paulding interpreted Faith Ringgold’s acclaimed quilt and children’s book Tar Beach.   After a read-aloud, students discussed its message of hope and the power of the human imagination, then took time to reflect on the book’s beautiful illustrations.  As students created their own interpretations in pencil and watercolor wash, they practiced telling a story in a picture.  An exhibit of this work can be seen at John Paulding School on the first floor and in a special exhibition at the Warner Library (children’s room) beginning Feb. 1^st. 

“Cassie Louise Lightfoot, eight years old in 1939, has a dream: to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night, up on "tar beach" --the rooftop of her family's Harlem apartment building--her dream comes true. The stars lift her up, and she flies over the city. As Cassie learns, anyone can fly. ‘All you need is somewhere to go you can't get to any other way. The next thing you know, you're flying above the stars.’     This magical story resonates with a universal wish. Originally written by Faith Ringgold for her story quilt of the same name, Tar Beach is a seamless weaving of fiction, autobiography, and African-American history and literature”. (Cover excerpt, Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, Crown Publishers, New York 1991.) Click here to see the John Paulding Art Gallery (Posted 1/23/10)

Winter Concert

A Chinese proverb states: “Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.” During the winter concert at John Paulding, the voices of over 200 children flocked to the hearts of a happy and appreciative audience. Under the direction of music teacher, Ms. Joy Giuseffi, first grade children sang a variety of music they have learned since starting first grade in September. Cherished children’s storybooks, like Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle, were turned into sweet melodies. Imagine small children knowing the entire text of a children’s book by memory! Music makes learning child’s play. Holiday magic filled the air as children voices sang of the coming Christmas and Hanukkah holidays. Members of the audience were delighted to hear the students cheerfully singing songs in English and Spanish. The final magic touch of the concert was viewing the beautiful snowflakes decorating the auditorium made by the children in Ms. Susan Barrett’s art classes.  Happy Holidays and New Year from the staff and children of John Paulding! (Posted 12/7/09)

First Graders Say Thanks!

The first graders in Mrs. Chulla & Mrs. Ferrari’s classes at John Paulding recently said “Thank you” to some of our nation’s soldiers.  As a Veteran’s Day project the students created cards to thank the servicemen stationed at FT Lewis, WA.  A first grade student’s aunt who is a nurse at Madigan Army Medical Center distributed the cards to the soldiers. The soldiers, some of whom have recently returned from Iraq, were thrilled with their first grade creations.  In turn the first graders learned some valuable lessons including thinking about others, saying thank you to those who sacrifice their lives for us and developing pride in our country.  They are looking forward to creating more cards for servicemen in the future!  (Posted 11/30/09)

Nineteenth Annual Rose Ceremony

The first part of the nineteenth annual Rose Ceremony was held Thursday, September 24, 2009 in the Sleepy Hollow High School auditorium.  Mrs. Conklin began the ceremony by stating what a very special class this year’s graduating seniors are and warmly welcomed the first grade students of John Paulding to the district as the future graduating class of 2021. 

The welcome by the senior class of 2010 continued as the Sleepy Hollow High School chorus, under the direction of Ms. Persad, sang an inspirational gift of song to the first graders.  The song, titled “Child of Tomorrow,” delivered the beautiful message to follow your dreams in this world that awaits you to both the classes of 2010 and 2021. 

Senior Class President, Joseph Scarpati, then eloquently spoke of the many cherished memories he had as a student in the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.  He even fondly remembered his own Rose Ceremony as a first grade student and was now proud to be  “passing the torch” to the next generation.  His message to the future class of 2021 was to, “keep having fun in school and study hard.”

Mrs. Mercado-Belvin then thanked the seniors for their beautiful gift of song.  She shared with them that this year would be, “one of the most memorable years of their lives” and “to enjoy their journey ahead.” 

The ceremony concluded with the part everyone was waiting for- the Presentation of the Gifts!  Each first grade student was called, by name, to the stage and received a rose from a graduating senior.  The first graders also received a “Class of 2021” tee-shirt.  The culmination of this ceremony occurs in June when the first graders have the honor of passing a rose to the graduating seniors to bring full circle their experience in the district. (Posted 9/28/09)

High Five: John Paulding Pride

Our district’s first graders, at the John Paulding School, have started the school year with a new Character Education program called “High Five.”  The program will focus on five values throughout the year in conjunction with core elements presented in “Second Step,”  Cooperation and Teamwork will kick off the year.  The children will learn about being part of a team as they establish their new classroom community.  They will learn how to put competition aside, recognize strengths in their classmates as well as allow and invite others to contribute to their talents and skills.  As an introduction, all the children in the school have heard the book, Swimmy by Leo Lionni.  The students have discussed how the fish worked as a team and how they, too, can do this in their classrooms.  Throughout the year the children will learn about four other values: Responsibility, Respect, Empathy and Honesty.  The children will be recognized for applying what they learn throughout the year with personalized awards from their teachers.  Give a High 5 to the students at John Paulding School! (Posted 9/17/09)

Dance Residency Program    

As part of the School Districts Cultural Arts Program, the Children of John Paulding participated in a Dance Residency Program. Facilitated by Ms. Anne Church, this five-week curriculum took place from Monday, April 13, 2009 to Friday, May 22, 2009. The children participated in the program once a week during a regularly scheduled Physical Education class.

This year, the children learned many interesting facts about and dances from the countries of Bolivia, China, Africa, Brazil and United States of America. Upon conclusion of the program, the classes performed the various dances they had learned in a Dance Demonstration Show. As a special treat, Ms. Church and her partner performed a Swing Dance for everyone’s entertainment.

This program was made possible with funds provided through the District Elementary Arts Plan, which is funded by the school district, the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and the EPTA. The residency reinforced the school’s academic curriculum through movement. Since every child learns differently, education through movement touches some students very deeply, driving home creative and academic concepts. Also, this dance residency was fun, physically challenging and a great creative outlet for the children. The students had the opportunity to explore movement and develop their confidence by participating in a positively structured experience. In addition, this residency taught students about the arts, how to view dance and how to behave as an audience of the arts.

The children had a magnificent experience and this highly productive program was an enormous success.  (Posted 6/22/09)

John Paulding Students Visit Morse

On Wednesday, June 10, 2009, the students of John Paulding visited Morse, their future second grade school.  The first graders were filled with a nervous excitement and curiosity as they climbed the steps up to the main entrance.  Then, the students were greeted by the principal of Morse School, Mrs. Fitzgerald.  As the students arrived, Mrs. Fitzgerald had them gather in the auditorium where she gave an overview of the school and what the school day would be like for next year.  Then, each class was dismissed and traveled with a tour guide to different places around the school.   The students got to visit various rooms such as the cafeteria, the gym, the art room, the music room, the computer lab, the library, the main office, the principal’s office, the “Castle” and different second grade classrooms.  As the students explored their future school, they shared comments with one another such as, “There are LOTS of stairs!”  “Look at all the lockers!”  “The teachers are nice, just like the teachers at John Paulding.”  As they left Morse and traveled back to John Paulding it was obvious that they felt more at ease and excited for the upcoming year! (Posted 6/10/09)

Baseball Book Bonanza Reading Challenge!

On Wednesday, May 27^th the students and staff of John Paulding School gathered to kick off the official start of Baseball Book Bonanza, a reading challenge program for first graders.

Dressed in the shirts and hats of their favorite teams, everyone cheered and sang Take Me Out to the Baseball as Mr. Suarez threw the first pitch of the season.

The All-Purpose Room was decorated with pennants each class created for their own classroom team. A cardboard stadium that will have the likeness of Mr. Perugini running the bases as Mrs. Mercado-Belvin pitches nothing but heat will keep track of the number of books read each night. .

Each day, a paper Mr. Perguini will advance around the bases hoping to reach home base when the goal of 2000 books is met by June 12, Fun Day. (Posted 6/4/09)

Illustrator & Children’s Author Lizzy Rockwell Visits JP!

Author and illustrator Lizzy Rockwell visited John Paulding School on Tuesday, May 26^th and Wednesday, May 27^th.  She shared her craft and love for books with our students.

Lizzy visited each classroom, where she presented a power point presentation.  She showed the student’s pictures of her studio, her family, her pet dog and drawings she did when she was in elementary school.  She shared with the students how she creates a book, the research that goes into creating a book and the steps necessary.  The students had the opportunity to ask Lizzy about the types of paints she uses and how she picks her colors.

Lizzy asked four students to reach into a bag and pull out a picture.  The class was then asked to brainstorm ideas to create a story using all four of the pictures.  The students were in awe as the picture story took shape.  The students gave suggestions and commented as Ms. Rockwell drew the picture.  When the picture was completed, Ms. Rockwell autographed it and encouraged the students to create a story of their own using the picture they had created together.

Lizzy Rockwell studied art at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.  She is the daughter of Anne Rockwell, a celebrated children’s author, with whom she has collaborated as an illustrator.  Ms. Rockwell has illustrated over 20 children’s books. One notable author is Maya Angelou for whom she illustrated “Angelina of  Italy.”  Her work can also be seen in magazines, games and other children’s products.  You may visit her website to find out more about her, to obtain a listing of her books and to play a fun game.  www.lizzyrockwell.com    (Posted 6/3/09)

Egg to Chick Project

During the month of April, our 1^st graders have had the experience of learning about the life cycle of a chicken.  The life cycle of a chicken egg takes approximately 21 days to hatch. 

This learning experience started with a trip to Teatown Lake Preservation in Ossining.  Each class received about 7 eggs from Tea Town.  The eggs were put into incubators and the children waited patiently for the eggs to hatch.  As they waited, they candled the eggs to see if they could see a baby chick developing.  On May 19^th, the chicks from Mrs. Salazar and Mrs. Rivera’s class began to hatch.  On May 21^st, chicks began to hatch in Mrs. Buckley’s class.  The children were very excited to see their new found feathered friends.

The children have been taking care of the chicks by providing a home, food, water and warmth for our fine feathered friends.  As of this posting, we have 9 chicks and wonder how many we will have in total!

Click here to view a video clip of the hatching  (3MB WMV movie)

Trip Around the World 2009

The children entered the John Paulding International Airport on the morning of Friday April 24, 2009 and immediately proceeded to security check points. Luggage was quickly tagged and x-rayed. The children then received their passports and were ready for take off to six glorious countries. Thanks to new and innovative technologies, JP’s new control tower easily coordinated the numerous flights taking off that morning.

The children visited Korea, where they learned Tae Kwon Do and other traditional Korean games. On their visit to India they engaged in Bollywood dancing.  Lively meringue dancing was enjoyed in the Dominican Republic.  Germany featured a day in the life of a German first grader and Arnis marital arts was showcased in the Philippines. Finally in Italy the children learned their names in Italian and danced the tarantella. In addition the children were able to view beautiful exhibits with artifacts from each country.

During a short stop- over the children were escorted to the JP International Café, where they sampled delicious delicacies from the countries they had visited.

The great success of the program was made possible through the help of co-chairperson Angel Rafter, our dedicated parents, faculty, secretaries, and custodial staff, all under the guidance of our principal Mrs. Mercado-Belvin. (Posted 5/3/09)

WEE Deliver at John Paulding

On March 3^rd, the WEE Deliver program began at John Paulding.  Our goal for the WEE Deliver program was to teach the children the components of a letter and how to address an envelope.  As part of the letter-writing unit, students learn to write a few sentences about themselves in the letter and then ask the person to whom they are writing some questions. Each student wrote a total of five letters within the duration of the program:  one letter to a friend in their class, one letter to a buddy class, one letter to an adult and two responses. Each class and all the adults in the school building had a mailbox outside their room to which their mail was delivered.

There was truly an excitement in the air as the students eagerly opened their mailboxes in hopes of receiving their expected mail. The official school mailbox located by the main office was where all the letters went into. Each class was designated a time to be the central post office. Students collected, stamped and delivered the school mail. The students seemed to enjoy learning how to use the central postal system. It was a great pleasure to see our first graders get hand written letters written to them from classmates and teachers in this age of instant messaging and emailing.  (Posted 4/11/09)

John Paulding Celebrates Read Across America

Started in 1997 as a way to get kids excited about reading, NEA’s Read Across America has become the nation’s largest reading event.  The year-round program culminates each year on or near Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2^nd.   The Twelfth Annual Read Across America Day, sponsored by the National Education Association, is an annual reading motivation program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  More than 45 million readers were in the company of a good book on that day. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participated by bringing together kids and books, and we did too!

This year’s event was celebrated at John Paulding School on March 3rd by a reading of Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” given by Mrs. Daley, one of our first grade teachers. The children waved their popsicle stick puppets in the air as they heard their characters mentioned throughout the reading.  The all-purpose-room was transformed into Smogulous Smog (Ms. Fonseca’s class), Truffala Trees (Mrs. Buckley’s class), Shloppity Shlop (Ms. Salazar’s’s class), Thneeds (Mrs. Groven’s ), Brown Barbaloots, (Mrs. Knudsen’s), Swamee-Swams (Mrs. Daley’s class), Humming Fish (Mrs. Chulla’s class), Gluppity Glup (Ms. Rivera’s and Mrs. Ferrari’s classes) and the Lorax (Mrs. Meehan’s class).  “The Lorax” provides a very timely message of how we must take very good care of our fragile planet.  We at John Paulding School have gone green and the children were asked how we could translate Dr. Seuss’ message into a green tip of the week.  The response was “save a tree!”

Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel) would have been proud. When he set out to write “The Cat in the Hat”, he wanted to write a story that used simple mostly monosyllabic words that readers could readily comprehend.  His use of the patterned, rhyming text has become the foundation for many texts for young readers.  Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating successful, lifelong readers.  Read Across America is the biggest one-day literacy celebration in the United States.  There are now reading events in all 50 states. Dr. Seuss epitomized a love of children and learning.  When we celebrate Dr. Seuss and reading, we send a clear message to America’s children that reading is fun and important. (Posted 3/5/09)

Jump Rope For Heart

On Monday, February 23, 2009 and Tuesday, February 24, 2009 our school held an American Heart Association “Jump Rope for Heart” event. On these days, the children participated in a variety of jumping activities during their Physical Education class.

The goals of the program were for the students to have fun, practice jumping skills, experience intense physical exercise and learn more about their bodies.

The children had a wonderful time and performed admirably. For their outstanding effort, all participants received a sticker and certificate.

Thank you to Chun Budd, Barbara Kudla, Diane McCarthy, Brendan Rafter, Catherine Ruhland-Mauhs, Ann Marie Savino, Tara Schatzel and Carolyn Swenson for volunteering their time and helping make the event so successful. Without them the activities could not have run so smoothly and the experience would not have been so much fun! (Posted 2/24/09)

Students Participating in an Intergenerational Program at the Kendal-On-The-Hudson Nursing Home.

A Guatemalan proverb states:  “Everyone is the age of their heart.” Teachers and parents know that children bring life and wonder to each day. It is because of this that the John Paulding School is in its second year of participating in an intergenerational program at the Kendal-On-The-Hudson Nursing home.  Twice each month children from JP visit the residents of Kendal to share something they have learned or created at school. Activities include sharing favorite story books, books and poetry they have written, art projects, and bringing small gifts they have made for holidays such as Valentine’s Day.  There is a collective joy and benefit that occurs during each visit when residents greet the children and the children step forward to talk, ask questions and share what they have brought with them. These have become memorable days for all involved.  (Posted 2/2/09)

John Paulding’s First Graders Master the Self Portrait!!

John Paulding School’s first graders spent the early winter months working on autobiographical watercolor paintings.  Each student was asked to develop a watercolor likeness that reveals something about the artist’s life.  The paintings are the result of a many step process which included:  drawing a pencil self-portrait through direct observation/gazing into a mirror, developing a two-dimensional composition, creating a narrative background, mixing all colors including personal skin tones, and layering paint in order to represent texture/light/shadow.   The students depicted favorite activities, significant memories, and familiar surroundings.  All of the children were asked to develop their compositions so that spatial problems would be solved in a visually appealing manner—it is obvious that the children used an entire two-dimensional surface to make their painted statements.  The lesson, in synch with the John Paulding core curriculum, was a consideration of all that makes each of us unique.  Early in the year, the students wrote about their own lives.  This project, an important theme in the world of visual art, was an exploration of the same concerns that compel a writer to write and express himself/herself.  The children learned that hard work pays off.  Working and reworking or fixing pictorial problems, the children realized that great work takes time to create.  The children are proud of their accomplishments.  Click here to see our photo gallery!   (Posted 1/29/09)

Shedding a Little Holiday Light

On Friday, December 5^th in the Gym at John Paulding School, 198 first graders kicked off the Holiday season with festive Winter Holiday songs.  There was standing room only as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters; even former students filled the audience to enjoy the show.   The air was electric as the children excitedly filed in to be led in song and dance by music teacher Ms. Le Fleur.  The children could barely contain their excitement and enthusiasm; helping Ms. Le Fleur conduct, dancing from the risers, singing with emotion or just simply relishing in the experience of being on stage. 

From perfect winter days to vacations in warm sunny Hawaii, there was a clear message of light and hope for this Holiday Season.  Mrs. Mercado-Belvin announced that the adopted “signature song” A Little Bit of Light was certainly expressive of the sentiments as well as the mission of everyone at John Paulding School.  So, with this in mind, from John Paulding School to all of your homes, we wish you a little bit of light this Holiday Season.   

(Look for our shining stars in concert on the district’s cable channel.)  (Posted 12/8/08)

The EPTA is honored to announce that acclaimed children’s book author and cartoonist Nick Bruel will join us at the John Paulding Book Fair Celebration!

Where: John Paulding School

When:  Friday, December 5

What Time:  6:30pm to 8pm

The celebration is open to all and is a great opportunity for holiday shopping. We will have books for a variety of reading levels and something for the parents too!

Mr Bruel will have several of his books for sale and has generously agreed to donate a portion of the sales to the EPTA.

*Join us for gym activities, crafts and treats.*

 (Posted 12/3/08)

Project Daffodil

On Friday, November 21^st, the students at John Paulding School planted daffodil bulbs.  Almost 300 daffodil bulbs were donated to our school by Jackie Golabek from Whimsies Incognito on Main Street.  Children from our school have planted daffodils in the community before and then were able to have the same experience at school.  Thank you to Rembert Polanco, Senia Sakarya, and Cathy Ruhland Mauhs for volunteering to dig holes.  They dug 10 holes in front of our breakfast room so that each class could plant the bulbs and fill the holes with dirt.  The children had a great time despite the cold weather.  We were glad to be able to complete the project before the ground froze.  Thank you to Patricia Pinckney who contacted the school to see if we were interested in participating.  We look forward to seeing the beautiful daffodils in the spring!  (Posted 12/2/08)

Hitachi Readers Come to John Paulding!

One gift the fairies gave to me:
(Three they commonly bestowed of yore)
The love of books, the golden key
That opens the enchanted door.   

-Andrew Lang

The enchanted door is in each book opened and read by a child. Hitachi, through their generous donation of books and lively readers from their company, has brought even more magic to the classrooms of John Paulding.  

Once a month from November to May, each class of children at JP has a volunteer Hitachi reader come into their rooms to read a new book.  When the reading is done, this book becomes part of the students’ classroom library.  Hitachi works closely with John Paulding staff to pick texts that correlate with curriculum themes. This year, the children were in for a wonderful start to their monthly readings when the volunteer reader presented a glimpse into their own personal lives through an autobiographical poster.  The children enjoyed meeting their reader and can’t wait until the next visit. When the school year comes to a close, the children of John Paulding will gather together with their readers and present them with posters and notes of gratitude for their valuable gifts of time, and literature. (Posted 11/20/08)

Project REACH

This year, the staff, students and parents at John Paulding Elementary School participated in Project REACH, a program designed to sensitize nondisabled individuals to the needs of students with disabilities. Initially, BOCES staff members Kathy Knudsen and Susan Doherty worked in each classroom to help the students recognize the similarities and differences between disabled and non-disabled individuals.  A variety of activities help the class discover that children with disabilities are like everyone else in most ways.  The awareness sessions conclude with a slide show introducing the students from BOCES and a discussion on the core values of friendship.

On Nov. 13 the staff and parent volunteers created 6 simulation stations, each designed to provide students with hands on experiences for different disabilities.  For example, the students experienced blindness by wearing a blindfold and trying to find their way to the water fountain.  Parent volunteers not only guided the students safely during this station, but helped the students identify the emotions they felt during their experience as well. In addition, the students were encouraged to use other senses while blindfolded, such as identifying objects using touch and smell.  They learned about the Braille alphabet and discovered first hand how difficult it is to “read” using only their fingertips.  Other disabilities, such as hearing, communication, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and fine motor impairments were also simulated. 

The students’ comments were very interesting afterwards, with most students thankful that they themselves did not have a disability.  In such a wonderful community as this, it is no surprise that many students left the experience with a greater understanding of the challenges those with disabilities face and a strong desire to help in any way possible. 

Principal Marilyn Mercado-Belvin works with a student trying to identify objects while blindfolded. 

(Posted 11/17/08)

John Paulding Rocks the Vote! 

On Election Day the first graders at John Paulding held their own mock election.  Upon entering and saying the Pledge of Allegiance Mrs. Mercado-Belvin spoke to the students about the importance of voting for what you believe in.  The first grade teachers had been teaching the students about the candidates and elections in the past few weeks.  Did you know John McCain’s favorite food was Mexican?  Or that Barack Obama promised his daughters a dog following the election?  The first graders also read books about elections Grace for President, My Teacher For President, and Duck for President to name a few.  Ms. LeFleur has been teaching them a President’s Rap as well.  The students cast their ballots in private voting booths and then put them in a ballot box.  When the polls closed at 8:30 am the votes were counted and recounted by faculty members.  Mrs. Mercado-Belvin came on the loudspeaker and announced a landslide win for Barack Obama!  The count was 165 for Obama and 32 for John McCain.  Each child received an I voted!  sticker and proudly waited for the results of our nation’s election.  (Posted 11/4/08)

John Paulding Celebrates Halloween

The month of October is never complete without celebrating Halloween.  At John Paulding it is tradition to start the day off with Witch’s Brew.  Our resident witch got stuck in traffic on the Tappan Zee Bridge.  After a short delay, she was spied by the students wandering around the outside of the school trying to find her way in.  This year she brought her potion book which was apparently damaged by a spell from some sneaky witches that were found in the school library just the day before.  The festivities continued with a reading of By The Light of the Halloween Moon, a story which the children were able to participate in the cumulative poetry.  After a lunch of bat wings, ghost sticks, skeleton fingers and vampire juice, the children dressed up in their costumes.  Time for the annual Halloween parade!  How many Hannah Montanas did you see?  Thank you to the Sleepy Hollow High Band for the marching tunes. The John Paulding Staff sported their new All Star Baseball uniforms designed by JP’s head custodian, Greg Valentin, Principal Mrs. Mercado-Belvin and high school art teacher Gary Benton.  The day culminated with classroom parties.  It was a a bewitching day!   (Posted 11/17/08)

Apple Autumn Adventures

Cool air and crunchy colorful leaves suggest fall has arrived, and with it, an abundance of apples ready to be picked.  In late September and early October the first grade classes at John Paulding learned many things about apples.  The story of Johnny Appleseed, as well as other apple related stories, were read to each class.  The classes did apple taste testing, graphing, printing and patterning of apples.  This was done in preparation for the field trip.

The children in each classroom at John Paulding boarded big yellow school buses for a day of learning.  Their destination was Stuart’s Farm in Granite Springs, New York.  Upon arrival, the students, parent volunteers and teachers were all warmly greeted by Mrs. Stuart.  She was eager to show the children some of the different varieties of apples and apple tress that are grow on their farm. She then showed the children how the apples go through the washer and are sorted by size.  After this process, Mrs. Stuart explained how apples go to sleep in a large cooler, which helps to slow their growth before they are sold.  The children got a grand tour of the cold storage room but not for long because it was a bit chilly inside. 

Then it was off to the apple orchards which were long corridors of what seemed like endless rows of delicious apples.  It was a true adventure as the children hunted for the biggest, shiniest, roundest apples they could find.  Parents and teachers stood by to take pictures and help the children carry their apple bags which were bursting at the seams.  Once all the bags and tummies were filled, we headed back to school where the children baked many apple treats.  What a perfect ending to a perfect day!  (Posted 10/6/08)

18th Annual Rose Ceremony

On the morning of September 25^th, the senior class of 2009 welcomed the first grade students of John Paulding to the Eighteenth Annual Rose Ceremony.  It was the first Rose Ceremony in the new Sleepy Hollow High School auditorium.  The ceremony began with Mrs. Conklin welcoming the future class of 2020 to the High School and remembering how it seemed like such a short time ago the graduating seniors were the ones sitting in the audience.  Deven Campbell, the Senior Class President, concurred and related some of her memories as a first grader.  

The attendees were serenaded by the talented Sleepy Hollow High School chorus, under the direction of Ms. Gail Persad, with a song titled “Child of Tomorrow” that had a beautiful message of telling the students to “go forth and follow your dreams.”  After the song, Mrs. Mercado-Belvin spoke and thanked the senior class for their welcome and their inspirational gift of song.   She invited the seniors to come to John Paulding to remind them of all that they have achieved.  She advised the graduating class to celebrate their many accomplishments and to cherish the culmination of their years in Tarrytown when she reminded them that “Senior year is one of the most remarkable years of your life.”  

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for; the exchange of the roses.  The first graders were each called up by their name and received a rose and a “Class of 2020” tee-shirt from a senior.  The Rose Ceremony was a meaningful morning shared by all, combining a remembrance of the past and glimpse into the future.   (Posted 9/26/08)

AN EXCITING BEGINNING AT JOHN PAULDING

Embarking on the first grade journey in a different school building could seem daunting.  Yet, John Paulding’s class of 2008-2009 is making a joyful and smooth transition from kindergarten.  When asked about their experiences entering first grade, the children happily expressed their feelings. The quotes that follow are the sentiments shared by the children, in their own words:

“I feel very very good about coming to John Paulding.  When I saw my teacher I knew it was going to be a great school!”

“I feel really happy because I get to meet new friends and new teachers.  I liked the first day because it was fun."

“It was very different for me because I met new friends and new teachers.  They are all nice people. I have good friends here."

“I love my new school.  I like it because of the playground.  It has a fun pole to slide down.”

“The day before I started, I had trouble going to sleep.  Now, I go to sleep right away because this is a nice school and I feel loved here.  I also have some of the same teachers that I had in kindergarten, for Art and Music, so it made me feel good.”

“I love my school because we get to earn marbles for acts of kindness and when we fill the container, we celebrate.  We get a party for choosing to do the right thing.  We are learning to be kind and how to love our friends in a good way.”

The teachers are excited about the new school year as well.  Ms. Ferrari explained, “We focus on creating a community of learners, helping the children understand the structure of their day.  We provide them with the ability to make transitions from one topic to another and to make connections between the various disciplines.”  Mrs. Daley shared, “We are excited to implement the curricular work that John Paulding’s teachers accomplished over the summer.  We are also thrilled to use the new books that are available in our newly enhanced teacher’s resource room!”  Mrs. Buckley added, “We are all excited to begin the school year with some wonderful new students.  We are learning and having fun!  Getting to know each other is especially fun!”

Egg to Chick Project

John Paulding School recently completed our annual Egg to Chick life cycle.  Every class went to Stone Barns in April as a kick-off to the project.  BOCES Environmental Education Funds helped to fund the trip.  At Stone Barns, the children were able to see hens, roosters, eggs and baby chicks in their winter environment.  In May, we received our eggs.  Each class had almost a dozen eggs.  The children made their predictions on how many of the eggs would hatch.  It took 21 days for our chicks to grow and finally hatch!  The week after Memorial Day Weekend, 77 chicks hatched!  The children were excellent caregivers.  They gave the chicks food and water and even were able to play with them.  Sadly, our feathered friends returned to the farm on June 5, 2008.  The Egg to Chick project continues to be a wonderful way for a life cycle to come to life! (Posted 6/8/08)

John Paulding Reading Partnership with Hitachi America

On Friday, May 30th, John Paulding School was invited to Hitachi America, Ltd. to celebrate our year-long reading partnership. Each class was greeted at the front door by the Hitachi employee who had been their special reader all year long.  The children were then given a brief tour of the facility. The children were intrigued and excited by the large flat panel televisions in the lobby and the amazing video conferencing technology in some rooms.  They were also impressed by the calm, professional working environment and the gorgeous views of The Tappan Zee Bridge.  After the tour we gathered outside in the back for ice cream and photos of everyone. The children were given some very cool pencils and handmade origami-style hats made by Hitachi employees as souvenirs of the event. This reading partnership has been an ongoing success for a number of years.  We look forward to our continued collaboration again next year! (Posted 6/8/08)

John Paulding's New Garden

This past Thursday and Friday the students of John Paulding School were working hard in their new garden. The results are amazing! Thanks to the coordination by Liz Kaplan and the staff and parent volunteers at John Paulding, there are 4 new planting beds in front of the school filled with beautiful flowers and plants. The children worked together as a team to dig holes and put these plants in the ground. They added their own touch by putting their names on paint stirrers that were then used to make a picket fence for their new garden.  With help of volunteers and teachers at John Paulding and the support from the administration, this experience has given the children the opportunity to connect with their environment in a very tangible and meaningful way. (Posted 6/3/08)

 Dance Residency Program    

As part of the School Districts Cultural Arts Program, the Children of John Paulding participated in a Dance Residency Program. Facilitated by Ms. Laura Danelski of the Tappan Zee Dance Group, this five-week curriculum took place from Monday, April 28, 2008 to Friday, May 30, 2008. The children participated in the program once a week during a regularly scheduled Physical Education class.

The objectives of the residency were to give the children an:

• Overview for dance
• Understanding of dance vocabulary
• Experience in using formal dance steps
• Opportunity to explore different actions and shapes with their bodies
• Occasion to utilize their imaginations and be creative
• Opportunity to increase muscle strength, endurance and flexibility
• Activity that was physically challenging
• Experience that was fun

This program was made possible with funds provided through the District Elementary Arts Plan, which is funded by the school district, the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and the EPTA. The residency reinforced the school’s academic curriculum through movement. Since every child learns differently, education through movement touches some students very deeply, driving home creative and academic concepts. Also, this dance residency was fun, physically challenging and a great creative outlet for the children. The students had the opportunity to explore movement and develop their confidence by participating in a positively structured experience. In addition, this residency taught students about the arts, how to view dance and how to behave as an audience of the arts.

The children had a wonderful experience and this productive program was a huge success.  (Posted 5/28/08)

John Paulding Students Make Their Radio Debut!

On Thursday, April 3 John Paulding’s first graders were the featured school on WHUD (100.7fm) radio’s Pledge of Allegiance.  The school tradition of saying the pledge each day together in the all-purpose room was taped by the station in early March.  The airing took place during Mike & Kacey’s 8^th anniversary morning show.  Despite a few errors in identifying the 11 classes of first graders that took part the students sounded great and made their teachers proud!  Click here to hear our newest radio stars! (Posted 4/7/08)

First Grade Students Visit Kendal On-The-Hudson

Children from Room 6 at the John Paulding School had an exciting visit to Kendal On-The-Hudson Nursing home. While they were there, each child decorated spring eggs with residents of Kendal. Students have been learning about egg decorating as an art form from around the world. This experience provided them with a wonderful hands-on opportunity to create eggs much like the ones they learned about in class. In addition, children started to form friendships with the staff and residents of Kendal. Before visiting day, students were taught how to pose questions to the elderly members of Kendal and carry on conversations. Some questions asked were “What was school like when you were my age?” “Did you ever attend John Paulding School?” “What did you do with your children during family holidays?”

The conversations were inspiring and several children remarked as they were leaving their new friends that “This was the best day ever!”  (Posted 4/1/08)

Poet Ted Scheu Comes to John Paulding

Thanks to funding by The Foundation and a the EPTA, the students of John Paulding recently had the Poet, Ted Scheu, come to work with them.  The students first met Ted with a whole school assembly in the morning.  Ted introduced himself and shared his love of poetry with the students by reading them some poems he had written.  He made the students laugh and giggle.  He taught them that poetry can help you see the world in a different way and showed them that poetry can be both beautiful and fun!  Then, he created a Spring Is… poem with the students. 

After the school wide assembly, Ted spent two days going to individual classrooms and taught the students about poetry.  He continued to inspire and motivate the students to the craft by sharing some more of his own work.  He taught the students about similes and metaphors and how to create them.  After teaching the students in a whole group, he had the students create a poem using similes.  Their poems were titled, I Am...  Ted had the students compare themselves to objects that they connected to.  The students had so much fun experimenting and being creative with their poems! 

At the end of the lesson, Ted had the students practice reading their poem out loud.  Then, he went around the classroom and asked for volunteers to share their work.  He gave each child constructive feedback and positive praise on a job well done.  After Ted left, the students felt motivated and encouraged that they could revise their poems and continue creating more poems during poetry month in April! 

Ted’s future endeavors include a K-2 collection of poems due to be published in 2009.  This collection of poems follows the theme of his latest work that just came out titled, “I tickled my teachers” which includes poems that are geared more for students in grades 4-6. (Posted 4/1/08)

John Paulding  Students Create in Collage!

John Paulding’s first grade artists took on the challenge of collage!  Creating all of their own materials, the students designed patterned papers as well as solid-color papers that could be used for skin tone, sky, plant life, and other natural elements.  Colors were selected and mixed in order to best represent those found in our world. Creating images that present the illusion of depth, the students had to develop background, middle ground, and foreground components.  In order to do this, the decorated papers were cut into representational shapes that became part of a believable interior space or outdoor landscape.  Once the scenery was finished, main characters and other captivating elements could be adhered to the surface.  Studying diverse collage artists including Pablo Picasso, Romare Bearden, and children’s book illustrator Eric Carle, the students worked hard to create their own pieces.  Each work is a whimsical exploration of color, line, shape, balance, pattern, and depth. (Posted 3/25/08) 

John Paulding Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through Acts of Justice and Kindness

Martin Luther King was the subject of many discussions and activities in schools throughout our great nation in January. Students of the John Paulding School joined a special project started by Dr. King’s son, Martin Luther King III, called: “Do Something: Kindness and Justice Challenge.

Dr. King believed that kindness and justice are the foundations of a noble life and that individuals can change the world. “Young people across America are putting into practice the ideals to which my father devoted his life.” stated Martin L. King, III. “If students can commit to one day of kindness and justice, then…it may become a week, a year, or a lifetime.” With this worthy purpose, children at John Paulding created lovely gifts for area nursing homes that were delivered on Valentine’s Day. Tarry hall Nursing Home, Kendall-On-Hudson, Senior Citizens at Neighborhood House, Tarrytown Senior Nutrition Program, and the Orthopedic Rehab Floor at Phelps Memorial Hospital were all recipients of the efforts and thoughts of John Paulding children. In addition to the work and creativity of our students, school parents, Tina Clarke, Christina Kareem, Francesca Spinner and Rich Chulla became our very special delivery people of these “Kindness packages.” Each year John Paulding hopes to continue participating in this project. By turning our beliefs into action, we continue to make our community a better place for everyone. (Posted 3/9/08)

Family Math Night by the Numbers

On Wednesday, February 27^th John Paulding Elementary School held its annual Family Math Night for first grade students and their parents. Family Math night is designed to reinforce math concepts while fostering an enjoyment of mathematics in a non-threatening and entertaining environment.  The evening was a well attended, collaborative effort between parents, teachers, administrators and students.  Over one hundred parents and children braved the cold winter temperatures to come to this event, and were we ever glad they did!!  Everyone had so much fun -- playing together, laughing together and learning together.

Families joined together in the gymnasium for an exciting evening of math games, which offered both practice and enrichment in an entertaining way.  More than twenty activity stations ranging from domino games to chain races, were devised and set up by the John Paulding faculty who provided activities which reviewed the NY Core Curriculum Content Standards in Mathematics.  The faculty helped to man the stations, introduce games and activities and provide assistance with the completion of tasks when needed.  All of the games and activities were put into place to encourage communication and learning as students and parents worked together at math stations sharing and clarifying their understanding of mathematics. 

Parents and students spent an hour and a half playing with tangrams, geometric shapes, icky sticky trap subtraction webs, measuring lizards, and playing time BINGO, among many other math activities. The stimulating games and activities enticed kids in playful ways to master math concepts.  Parents realize that learning math can be combined with fun and educational activities that challenge their children’s problem-solving skills.  The children were able to communicate and actually show their parents the activities they are exposed to in the classrooms with the “Growing with Math” curriculum. Parents went home with activities to encourage and further math at home.  The evening truly was a fun way for families to discover hands-on math together!     (Posted 3/3/08) 

Music Therapy Makes a Difference

The students in Ms. Jones’ first grade class at John Paulding Elementary School have been involved in a weekly music therapy group, learning about music, about themselves and about their peers. It is a program funded by the Westchester Arts Council, which distributes funds set aside by the County Legislators directly earmarked to increase music therapy services in the county.  Children with differing learning abilities find themselves successful in the group and are eager to try new ideas and motivated and supported by the music to express themselves.

For the past two years music therapists, Lisa Sandagata and Carter Thornton from The Music Therapy Institute at the Music Conservatory of Westchester have worked hard to establish a weekly program that addresses and integrates multiple skill sets. The students are provided opportunities to interact with their peers in a fun creative manner while they work on expressive communication, sequencing, patterns and impulse control. Each weekly session begins with a simple “introduction/hello” song, and concludes with a similar “good-bye” song; not only giving each student a sense of group inclusion, but also one of independence and personal contribution.  Listening skills, appropriate social behavior, turn-taking, and cooperation are areas of significant emphasis.  Students are presented with activities involving musical instruments as they negotiate skills such as problem solving, sharing and turn taking.  Individual choice is encouraged and is highlighted through instrument and song preference.

The Institute’s music therapists use many different instruments to facilitate the group (specifically guitar, keyboard, and drums) and utilize a range of musical techniques to allow students a wide range of exploration and exposure, in addition to addressing the various levels of auditory/tactile discrimination quite often associated with this population of students.  The number of smiles, laughter and fun exhibited by the students is quite evident.  Students look forward to the weekly music therapy sessions with great anticipation; a clear sign that both Lisa and Carter have developed a positive learning environment, and a special rapport among the students.  We sincerely appreciate their contributions! (Posted 2/25/08) 

Mrs. Buckley and Mrs. Guerra’s First Grade Blog

Our class has written and recorded their very interesting how to books. Listen and you can learn how to make brownies, how to do a cartwheel and even how to get tested in case you have a peanut allergy! You can even respond to the author from the comfort of your own home!

So listen and have fun! Click here to listen.  (Posted 2/6/08) 

The Daley News

We are very excited to announce the arrival of The Daley News Blog. Our first podcast is our Winter –ing Books.  You can hear them on our podcast and/or read them outside our classroom on our bulletin board. You will be able to post comments for the children.  Keep in mind that Tom B. can receive comments in Brazil!!!  Look forward to our next podcast of winter poems that will be read as well as posted on The Daley News Blog before the February Break.  Enjoy! (Posted 2/3/08)

Blogging is Alive and Well in Mrs. Chulla’s First Grade Classroom! 

The students have been doing lots of writing and are ready to share it with the world (wide web, that is.)  We have most recently posted our Important Poems written with inspiration from Margaret Wise Brown’s, The Important Book published in 1949!  This was a not only lesson in learning about attributes, and writing poetry but the timelessness of books as well.  We will be posting both students work and their narrations as often as possible.  Check back often to see just we’re up to in first grade! Click here to read our poems. (Posted 1/29/08)

Mrs. Meehan's Class has been very busy writing! 

We learned how to write HOW TO pieces of writing.  We learned that we need to use key words in our writing to tell what comes first, next, then and finally.  So, First click on our site.  Next read our writing.  Then listen to our voices.  Finally make a comment on how we did!  We can't wait to hear from you! Click here to go to our  page  (Posted 1/15/08) 

“How to”

Last month, our class used sequencing words to write “How to” stories.  Here is an example “How to” about our process.  First reading fiction and non fiction “How to” stories.  Then, we discussed the differences and similarities between fiction and non fiction.  Next, we learned about why someone would write a non fiction “How to” story.  We learned that non fiction “How to” stories give people information and facts about how to do something.  After that, we learned about different ways you could write “How to” stories and realized that all “How to” stories are written in a sequential and logical order step by step.  We also talked about “sequencing” words and used them in our writing.  Then, we brainstormed all the different things that we know how to do and practiced writing many different kinds of “How to” stories.  Finally, we selected one to revise, edit, and publish and now we are sharing our published pieces with you! Click here to read our "How to" stories. (Posted 1/9/08)

Sleepy Hollow Orchestra Plays at the John Paulding School

What happens when you mix a group of violins, violas, cellos, bases, high school students and happy first graders? If you guessed a magical morning music treat presented by the talented Sleepy Hollow Orchestra at the John Paulding School, you are correct.

Upon arriving at school, the children of JP were met with the vibrant sounds of over 25 string musicians. Under the direction of Mrs. Brittney Trenczer, the High School orchestra played several pieces to entertain and inspire these young students. Every day this semester, John Paulding was the location for all the high school and middle school orchestra rehearsals while construction was taking place in their buildings. The sounds of these aspiring musicians were not only enjoyable, but served to set a wonderful example to the children of JP. The comment of one child really summed up the experience for the whole student body: “I can’t wait until I can learn to play just like them!”  It won’t be long before this child gets her wish, because when Mrs. Mercado-Belvin asked the Orchestra, “Who had attended John Paulding?” almost every orchestra member’s hand went up. (Posted 12/26/07)

Sounds of Maracas, Tambourines and Taco Making Permeated the Classrooms of Tappan Hill and John Paulding

Where can you have children read in both English and Spanish, telling stories to Kindergartners and first graders?

On November 2^nd and 6^th the fifth grade Dual Language students visited both Tappan Hill and John Paulding and became facilitators of storytelling in both languages.  The English dominant students read in Spanish and the Spanish dominant students read in English.  What a wonderful way of empowering students to read in both languages!  The fifth grade Dual Language students became role models and encouraged future bilingual story tellers.

Please stay tuned for our spring visit to the second and third grade Dual Language classrooms at Morse.  (Posted 12/12/07)

Diwali Celebration

John Paulding students in Ms. Ferrari and Ms. Franco’s class were treated to an interesting cultural lesson on the Hindu Festival of Lights called Diwali. This was one of the many presentations given to students of the various Fall/Winter cultural events celebrated in our richly diverse district.  Pictured above is Mrs. Vinki Makhijani, whose daughter, Amrita, was among the many children who listened to stories about this happy celebration. Children learned that Diwali is a time to come together as family and friends and hope for a year of happiness, good health and prosperity. Diwali is also a time when sweetmeats and gifts are exchanged. When Mrs. Makhijani completed the story of Diwali, all the children in class were treated to a delicious bowl of homemade rice pudding. (Posted 12/11/07)

John Paulding Welcomes the Hitachi Reading Partnership Program

The Hitachi Reading Partnership at John Paulding had its kick off last week! Every year a committee comprised of teachers from John Paulding research and prepare a list of interesting children’s literature to enrich the First grade curriculum. This year’s books will enrich our science program and social studies units.  The Hitachi Corporation purchases the books and matches an employee volunteer reader with a classroom from John Paulding. Every first Friday of the month, the Hitachi reader comes into the assigned classroom to read a story to the children. The book is then donated to the class, including a copy for the library and our learning centers. The Hitachi Reading Partnership is a wonderful opportunity for our children to get to know other members of the Tarrytown community who work in our lovely town and to enrich their reading experiences in the classroom. (Posted 11/11/2007)

Literacy Night at John Paulding

On Thursday, October 25^th John Paulding held its second annual Literacy Night. Parents were invited to attend four reading workshops to learn more about how first graders learn to read and how parents can support their child’s learning at home.

Parents rotated through school to hear John Paulding teachers discuss the nuts and bolts of reading. The four workshops included Spelling and Word Study, Comprehension, Guided Reading and Phonemic awareness. In each workshop, parents got to experience the strategies used to help their first graders continue to grow as a reader.

In Spelling and Word Study and Phonemic Awareness Workshops parents were able to actually do some of the activities their children do in the classroom. Parents were given the opportunity to understand the importance developing oral language and its relationship to reading, spelling and writing. They were also given games and activities to play at home in order to strengthen basic language and spelling skills.

In the Guided Reading workshop, teachers modeled how reading is done in small groups in order to maximize each student’s decoding and comprehension ability with a book specific to their reading level.

In the Comprehension Workshop the importance of understanding what is read was discussed. Parents had the opportunity to make a story string, a braid with pictures of story elements they could use after a reading a book with their child to encourage retelling the story.

Everyone agreed the evening was a great success! (Posted 11/1/2007)

Say Cheese!

John Paulding School had Photo Day on October 12^th, 2007.  The day began with a staff photo in the All Purpose Room.  The whole staff wore pink and denim to show their support for breast cancer awareness and for MaryBeth McGuire, a former Sleepy Hollow teacher.  The children wore their very best clothes and their very best smiles!    Children took individual photos and each class took a group photo.  We look forward to seeing the pictures!  Special thanks to Mrs. Bird who helped the photographers and gathered parent volunteers.  (Posted 10/15/2007)

Rose Ceremony   

At John Paulding, the month of October began with our yearly visit to the Sleepy Hollow High School for the Rose Ceremony, Part 1.  The event was held in the gymnasium of the high school.  The construction did not stop the event.  It was a full house of proud parents attending on behalf of their child.  Whether they were parents of a senior or a 1^st grader, there were lots of tears.  First graders’ names were called by their teacher and they nervously walked toward the senior who presented them a rose as a welcome into the world of formal education.  For some, it was scary being surrounded by strangers and walking up to someone they didn’t know.  Others were excited, perhaps because they knew the senior and big hugs were given.  Many of the students, both young and old, clearly loved being in the spotlight.  It was a joyous event and we all look forward to The Rose Ceremony, Part 2 in May. (Posted 10/11/2007)

John Paulding Picks a Peck of Apples!

Along with the crisp air of autumn and a rainbow of leaves beneath their feet, fall has brought a harvest of wonder to the children of John Paulding. Yes, it was apple picking time in the Northeast and there were no better apple pickers than our very own students!

Early in the month of October each classroom of children at JP boarded a big, yellow school bus bound for the abundant orchards of Stuart’s Farm in Granite Springs, New York. Upon arriving, students were taught all about harvesting apples, cleaning and separating apples, cider pressing, cold storage and just how many apples could fit into a plastic bag without it bursting at the seams!  There were many taste tests of these juicy treats, along with exciting views of teaming pumpkin patches, and mounds of husked Native Corn.

The actual apple picking adventure was a delight to watch.  With parent volunteers on hand to guide groups of eager students and teachers snapping gigabytes of photos, the children embarked on what appeared to be the search for the “best apples in the world!” Some chose Golden Delicious apples, others searched for the few remaining McCoun apples. Groups hunted for Granny Smith, McIntosh and Red Delicious apple trees. Who knew that the trees were just their size and the apples would be so easy to reach?

An interesting fact is that when an apple is cut across its diameter there is a star inside.  In the fall, when an orchard is opened up to a school of children it just follows that every child feels like a star inside, too. Happy autumn! (Posted 10/11/2007)

John Paulding Reading Partnership with Hitachi America
On Friday, June 1^st, John Paulding School was invited to Hitachi America, Ltd. to celebrate our year-long reading partnership together. Each class was greeted at the front door by their special reader and was given a brief tour of the facility.  The children were intrigued and excited at first, by the large flat panel televisions in the lobby and then, by the calm, professional working environment.  After the tour we gathered outside in the back for ice cream and photos of everyone. The children were given some very cool pencils and handmade origami-style hats as souvenirs of the event. This reading partnership has been an ongoing success for a number of years.  We look forward to collaborating again next year to promote literacy in our community.(Posted 6/14/2007)

  First Grade Poets Go Live with Blogs and Podcasts
Our first graders have had many wonderful experiences with different literary genres this year, and poetry was no exception. Thanks to the generous support of our Foundation, the poet Ted Scheu inspired our students to become poets themselves. Poetry helps young readers hear individual sounds in words; this phonemic awareness is critical to develop for fluent reading. The poets from Mrs. Buckley and Mrs. Meehan’s classes have created an online collection of poetry podcasts for the community to enjoy. If you have a moment, please listen to our wonderful poets show off their writing and reading skills!  (Posted 6/14/2007)

  Mrs. Buckley’s class        Mrs. Meehan’s Class

Egg to Chick Project
John Paulding School recently completed our annual egg to chick life cycle.  Every class went to Stone Barns in April as a kick-off to the project.  At Stone Barns, the children were able to see hens, roosters, eggs and baby chicks in their winter environment. In late April, we received our eggs.  Each class had almost a dozen eggs.  The children made their predictions on how many of the eggs would hatch. It took 21 days for our chicks to grow and finally hatch!  Last week, 52 chicks hatched!  The children were excellent caregivers.  They gave the chicks food and water and even were able to play with them.  Sadly, our feathered friends returned to Stone Barns on May 23, 2007.  The Egg to Chick project continues to be a wonderful way for a life cycle to come to life! (Posted 5/30/2007)

Rose Ceremony
On the morning of May 22^nd, the senior class of 2007 welcomed the first grade students of John Paulding back to the second part of the Sixteenth Annual Rose Ceremony.  This time, the first graders gave a rose to each graduating senior as a “kick off to saying goodbye” to the graduating class of 2007. 

Rachel Rosenbloom, president of the senior class, spoke on behalf of her class and reflected on her experiences as a student in the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.  She spoke of the excellent education and friendships that the senior class had built through the years.  She expressed how old memories will be infused with new memories in the future. 

After Rachel’s speech, the first grade students, led by music teacher Ms. Lefleur, sang a gift of song to the senior class titled, “Just One Candle.”   Both the voices of our first graders and the message of the song were beautiful: “Shine light for peace to show the world you care…”

Finally, after the song, the much anticipated exchange of the roses took place.  The first graders handed each graduating senior a rose as a fond farewell.  The ceremony ended with Mrs. Conklin wishing the first graders a “wonderful summer and good luck in second grade!” (Posted 5/23/2007)

John Paulding Self Portraits
John Paulding's first graders created colorful self-portrait paintings through direct observation. Using mirrors and studying facial proportions, the students created pencil drawings on watercolor paper.  After several lessons considering color mixing, composition, and art  historical portraiture, the students set out to create watercolor likenesses that reveal something about the sitters. Each student took his or her time in order to craft a meaningful image that fills the two-dimensional picture plane. Students mixed skin tones and other shades that are true to nature.Their works could be enjoyed at the Foundation's annual dinner dance as well as at the annual Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow Art in the Park. (Posted 5/21/2007)

"Tarrytown After School Fun and Learning."
We have requested funds from My Hometown Helper, along with many other groups across the country. Our program request is titled "Tarrytown After School Fun and Learning."Our request is for funding to continue our after school program for K and 1st graders next year.  There is no other source for funds at the presenttime. The funders want to support programs that demonstrate need, based on the number of comments and e mails they receive from people in the requesting community. Won't you take a minutes, go to the website, and write your support for after-school programs for our K and 1st graders, so that more can get abright start to their education? Even if your child won't or hasn't participated in the after school program, please help us get support for those youngster who do need extra support. http://www.myhometownhelper.com/ViewProject.aspx?tell=2&id=21626- copy into your browser, or go to Myhometownhelper.com.Click on the link FIND A PROJECT. Go to New York. Scroll down to Tarrytown. At the bottom, you will see a place where individuals can write a few lines about our district, our needs, or why we need these funds.
Thank you.
Alison Paul
Grant Writer (Posted 4/28/2007)

“Julian’s Readers” at John Paulding
A breakfast gathering on April 12th served as a kick-off for the “Julian’s Readers” program at the John Paulding School.  “Julian’s Readers” will serve as a tribute to Julian Holden Geach, a first grader at John Paulding who passed away in the spring of 2006.  The program will pair first graders with Sleepy Hollow High School seniors who are members of the National English Honor Society.  The high school participants will serve as mentors and reading buddies for the first graders, and will visit the John Paulding classrooms weekly.  Rachel Rosenbloom, a SHHS senior and friend and neighbor of the Geach family, initiated the program as a way to commemorate Julian’s life.  The John Paulding faculty and students welcome the National English Honor Society students!  (Posted 4/16/2007)

Poet Ted Scheu Works with John Paulding Students
Thanks to funding by “The Foundation” and a generous donation from the Tarrytown House, the students of John Paulding recently had the Poet, Ted Scheu, come to work with them.  The students first met Ted with a whole school assembly in the morning.  Ted introduced himself and shared his love of poetry with the students by reading them some poems he had written.  He made the students laugh and giggle.  He showed them poetry can not only be beautiful, but fun!  Then, he created a Spring Is… poem with the students. 

After the school wide assembly, Ted spent two days going to individual classrooms and taught the students about poetry.  He continued to inspire and motivate the students to the craft by sharing some more of his own work.  He also read poems by famous poets such as Carl Sandburg.  He taught the students about similes and how to create them. 

After teaching the students in a whole group, he had the students create a poem using similes.  Their poems were titled, When I Look In The Mirror, I See.  Ted had the students look at their faces closely in the mirror and select features that they observed.  Then, he had them compare those features to something else that they thought they resembled.  The students had so much fun experimenting and being creative with their poems!  Because of his teaching experience and background, Ted was able to differentiate the instruction for those that needed.  He provided a chart with a list of resources the children could use for words and he worked with small groups of students and they created a poem together.

At the end of the lesson, Ted had the students practice reading their poem out loud.  Then, he went around the classroom and asked for volunteers to share their work.  He gave each child constructive feedback and positive praise on a job well done.  After Ted left, the students felt motivated and encouraged that they could revise their poems and continue creating more poems during poetry month in April!  Upon starting poetry this month, the students have already referred to the skills and ideas Ted taught them as they have continued writing their own poems. (Posted 4/11/2007)

Author Ted Scheu Visits John Paulding
On Monday, March 26th, your children will be meeting the acclaimed poet Ted Scheu. He was an elementary school teacher for many years before becoming a full-time poet and speaker. Ted Scheu will be spending the day with the children teaching them all about the world of poetry. He truly knows how to “get kids revved-up about writing, through poetry.” It is always his objective to inspire them to want to write their own poems by boosting their confidence and guiding them gently.  “For me, poetry is endlessly amazing… When I’m droopy and need a little boost, all I need to do is take a long cool slurp from a favorite book of poems, or begin to mix up a poem of my own. Poetry makes me taste the world a little differently. It’s mostly pretty delicious.”

If you wish to purchase books to be autographed to your child or as a gift to another child, please click here to print form.  (Posted 3/23/2007)

It is Opening Day!
The New York Major League Baseball season is coming. The New York Yankees and the New York Mets will soon open their promising 2007 seasons. The Mets will play at home against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, April 1. The Yankees first game will be played on Monday, April 2, against the Tampa Bay Rays. To celebrate this event, I have been encouraging the students and staff of John Paulding to wear special clothing on this day.

On Thursday, March 29th, students and staff should wear some article of clothing that represents the Mets or Yankees. It could be a hat, shirt, pants, socks or even a hair scrunchie. Any child that does not have Yankee or Met clothing should wear something dark blue (Yankee fans) or royal blue/orange (Met fans). It is not necessary to go out and purchase special clothing for this day. Any child that is a fan of a different team may certainly wear the clothing of that team.

Remember, this is a voluntary celebration that we are doing just for fun. If your child does not wish participate, that is totally acceptable.  Thank you for your cooperation.  Let’s go Mets and Yankees!  (Posted 3/23/2007)

John Paulding Celebrates Read Across America
Remember those catchy rhymes in “The Cat in the Hat?”  Remember how they come right back to you when you read a Dr. Seuss book to a child?  In 1957, Dr. Seuss wrote “THE CAT IN THE HAT” using only 236 words and revolutionized the way children learn to read.

In honor of the Cat’s 50^th birthday, John Paulding School celebrated by a reading of Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” given by Mrs. Kedem, our reading teacher.  The all-purpose-room was transformed into Smogulous Smog (Ms. Marte’s class), Truffala Trees (Mrs. Buckley’s class), Shloppity Shlop (Ms. Salazar’s’s class), Thneeds (Mrs. Groven’s and Ms. Fradkin’s classes), Brown Barbaloots, (John Paulding staff), Swamee-Swams (Mrs. Daley’s class), Humming Fish (Mrs. Chulla’s class), Gluppity Glup (Ms. Rivera’s class)  and the Lorax (Mrs. Meehan’s class).  “The Lorax” provides a very timely message of how we must take very good care of our fragile planet.

Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel) would have been proud.  Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating successful, lifelong readers.  Read Across America is the biggest one-day literacy celebration in the United States.  There are now reading events in all 50 states.  When we celebrate Dr. Seuss and reading, we send a message that reading is fun and important…so read, read, read every day of the year!  (Posted 3/14/2007)

Family Math Night
What does an Icky Sticky Trap, Ice Cream, and Pitter Pats have in common?  They are all activities which involved parents and children working together during the annual Family Math Night at John Paulding School.  On Thursday, February 1st, many students and parents joined John Paulding staff in the gymnasium for an exciting evening of math activities, which offered both practice and enrichment in an entertaining way.  Staff worked together to develop more than 20 activities, ranging from Target Addition, Tower of Ten, to Tangrams.  In addition to developing a stronger home-school bond, John Paulding staff hoped parents would become familiarized with the new “Growing with Math” curriculum that was just launched last year!  The night was truly a well attended, collaborative effort between parents, teachers, and students.  A fun time was had by all!  (Posted 2/27/2007)

Jump Rope For Heart
On Wednesday, February 7, 2007 and Thursday, February 8, 2008 our school held an American Heart Association “Jump Rope For Heart” event. On these days, the children participated in a variety of jumping activities during their Physical Education class.

The goals of the program were for the students to have fun, practice jumping skills, experience intense physical exercise and learn more about their bodies.

The children had a wonderful time and performed admirably. For their outstanding effort, all participants received a sticker and certificate.

Thank you to Robert Bischof, Rachell Gebbler, Jeanne Kaplan, Brian Krall, Laura Lopez, William Scaglione, Jill Swanson, Cheryl Tucci and Kimberly Zuzzolo for volunteering their time and helping make the event so successful. Without them the activities could not have run so smoothly and the experience would not have been so much fun!  (Posted 2/9/2007)

Food PATCH - 2007
The John Paulding staff and New York State Teachers Union would like to thank you for your recent donations to the Westchester Food PATCH. Food PATCH is an organization that collects and distributes food to needy people in our area.

From January 16^th until February 2^nd, the staff at John Paulding School collected food donations from our students and their families. Non-perishable food items were placed in a collection box in the lobby of our school. Because of your generosity, we were able to contribute nineteen boxes of food weighing 758 pounds. That is 125 pounds more than we collected last year.

Thank you for being so generous and teaching your child that helping those that are less fortunate is extremely important.  (Posted 2/6/2007)

First Grade Poetry: Writing, Illustrating, and Interpretive Reading
Mrs. Chulla’s class has been very busy learning about attributes in science. They read the book The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown as part of a science lesson on attribute words. The students brainstormed important things about themselves, and then decided which was the most important. Later, each child wrote poems about their attributes following the pattern from The Important Book. Today we are bringing those poems to you, so please, relax, listen, and enjoy! (Posted 2/6/2007)

Outdoor Recess Guidelines for Pre-K through Grade 6
According to the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play, recess responds to children’s social, emotional, cognitive, intellectual, and physical needs.  The organization’s website cites the following benefits of recess:

• Physical activity is essential for the healthy growth and development of children

• Recess can serve as an outlet for reducing or lowering children’s anxiety

• Traditional recess activities encourage children to take turns, negotiate, or modify rules and interact cooperatively.

Therefore, every attempt will be made to provide children with a daily outdoor recess (approx. 20-30 minutes).  Click here to read more and view guidelines.  (Posted 1/19/2007)

Ms. Groven's Class at John Paulding School Shares Their "Hearts of Writing"
Our "Heart of Writing" writing project was just that...writing that came from our hearts. We wrote about the things that were special and important to us. We did this by going through each step of the writing process. First, we brainstormed what topics would be in our hearts and then selected one topic to write about. We made a first draft of our writing and then revised it by adding a beginning, middle, and end to our stories. We also added details to our writing because we learned details make our work more interesting to read. We then edited our stories and made sure our writing had capitals and periods where they needed to be and made sure there was at least one vowel in every word we wrote. Then we published our work by writing a final copy. Finally, we shared our work with each other and with you! 
Click here to hear Podcasts of our students reading their essays and to view their original illustrations! (Posted 1/12/2007)

John Paulding Art Gallery
John Paulding’s first grade students have been working on oil pastel landscapes that reflect the beauty of our Hudson Valley region.  Using only red, yellow, blue, and white, the students have mixed and rendered images worthy of an urban gallery!  The children discovered that visual artists must mix colors in order to achieve a rich palette.  The results astounded the students as well as all viewers!  Hard work pays off with a rainbow of sensational imagery!  (Posted 1/3/2007)

John Paulding Book Fair
We are very passionate about books at the John Paulding School! Our yearly “Book Fair” is an event the staff, students and parents enjoy tremendously. Main Street Books once again provided a vast array of quality literature in both English and Spanish. Our terrific parent volunteers worked diligently to ensure we had the finest selection of fiction and non-fiction texts. Room #1 was transformed into a cozy bookshop where eager young faces browsed the display shelves looking for that “special” book to catch their interest. There was a lot of hustle and bustle following our Winter Concert as parents stormed room #1 eager to purchase books for their children and donate to our classroom libraries. The message is clear at JP. Books are a treasured commodity whose value is immeasurable!

Oasis, the ImagiNation Bear
Mrs. Chulla’s first graders are having a nationwide travel experience this year.  A “member” their class, Oasis the bear, is traveling across the United States.  Through the ImagiNations program, a partnership between Smart Technologies, Fed Ex and Ty he spent six weeks in her first grade at John Paulding.  The students each had the opportunity to take him home and show him what our lives are like.  He was able to experience Picture Day, apple picking, the Rose Ceremony, our school fire prevention assembly and day to day goings on in the classroom for his six week stay. His experiences with us were documented through photos and accompanied him on his journey as well as some souvenirs of his visit to Sleepy Hollow Country. We sent him on to Rio Grande, Texas where he became a television star! Click here to see his television debut.

Click here to see Oasis’ pictures of his stay here in the Tarrytowns on the website Smarterkids.org

Oasis will travel to Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Missouri before returning back to us in late April.  We plan on tracking his travels each step of the way!  (Posted 12/6/2006)

The John Paulding Thanksgiving Luncheon was a delectable feast!
The students dined in the all purpose room and each table was decorated with unique center pieces created by the children.

All the children and staff members enjoyed servings of turkey, gravy, corn, mashed potatoes, and rice.  

In preparation for the feast, each class baked corn bread and prepared butter. No butter churners! Simply heavy cream in a container shaken until it turns to creamy whipped butter. For desert, apple and pumpkin pie were served.     

This wonderful experience would not have been possible without the help the many parents who shopped, prepared food and set up the banquet.  We are thankful for their dedication and making this celebration one which will always be remembered!

Halloween Celebration
On October 31^st John Paulding School celebrated Halloween with a shared reading of Franklin’s Halloween, a goulishly great performance of Witches’ Brew and the annual parade of costumes. 

Lions, witches and super heroes were among those who marched around the building’s driveway. The Sleepy Hollow High School Band was on hand to supply some great sounds to help everyone keep in step.

Many spectators cheered and took pictures as students and teachers waved and smiled on the warm beautiful Fall afternoon.

After the parade it was back to the classrooms for parties, crafts and lots of treats (and some tricks too!).  (Posted 11/13/2006)

Rose Ceremony
On the morning of October 5^th, the senior class of 2007 welcomed the first grade students of John Paulding to the Sixteenth Annual Rose Ceremony.  The future class of 2018 entered the Sleepy Hollow High School gymnasium in awe of their future school and with a nervous curiosity of “the big seniors.”  The ceremony began with Mrs. Conklin welcoming the first graders to the High School and explained the ceremony as a very special tradition of “an exchange of  friendship” between the senior class and first grade class.

After the welcome, the attendees were serenaded by the talented Sleepy Hollow High School chorus lead by Ms. Gail Persad with a song called, “Child of Tomorrow” which had the meaningful message and words “to follow your dreams.”  After the song, and before the roses were exchanged, the audience had a chance to listen to the reflections of a current senior.  She eloquently recalled her years growing up in the Tarrytown School District and remembered eleven years ago when she was in first grade sitting where the first grade students sat today awaiting a rose.  Her words of wisdom to the class of 2018 were:  “You will meet amazing people who make up a treasured and meaningful time in your lives.  May your adventure be as fulfilling and rewarding as ours.”  She spoke to her class as well stating, “This is the last slice of our first big adventure.  Sleepy Hollow is a journey we will never forget.” 

Before the much anticipated exchange of the roses, Mrs. Mercado-Belvin spoke and thanked the senior class for their welcome and warmly reciprocated the gesture by inviting the seniors to come to John Paulding and make a connection with the first graders.  Then, came the moment everyone was waiting for; the exchange of the roses.  The first graders were each called up by their name and received a rose and a “Class of 2018” tee-shirt from a senior.  Later, when asked about how they felt receiving a rose some first grader students said that they were no longer nervous but that they were, “excited and happy.”  The ceremony ended with the words of Mrs. Conklin, “Let’s here it for the class of 2018!  Work hard.  We expect great things from you.” (Posted 10/6/2006)

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns is Now Offering Parents and Guardians the Ability to Make Changes to Their Student Emergency Information Online! 
Gone are the days of filling in multiple forms and returning a variety of cards and the important information back to each school in September! This month, parents/guardians will receive a back-to–school packet that contains a letter from the superintendent, a copy of the information the district currently has on file for each child, a student ID and password so parents/guardians can make any changes online through our secure web portal, and instructions for doing so. Parent/guardians can click on the link below or the image above and enter in the student ID and password printed on the sheet that was mailed home and access the system.  The district recently partnered with K12 Alerts® to provide this system, as well as an emergency alerts system for phone, email and text messaging to cellphones. (Click here for more information)

First Graders Visit Morse School
On Tuesday, June 6 2006, the students of John Paulding School visited their future second grade school, Morse.  They were very excited to see where they would be attending second grade.  The students were amazed at the size of the auditorium when they first got there.  At first, the students sat and got a brief overview of what to expect next year.  Then, they became familiar with the layout of the school by taking a tour.  We traveled to the cafeteria, the gym, the auditorium, the art room, the music room, the computer lab, the library, the main office, and to all of the second and third grade classrooms.  As the students explored and observed their future environment comments were made such as, “I thought it was big and really exciting.”  “I thought there were so many staircases it would take months to get down.” And “It wasn’t big, it was bigger than big.  The best part was the auditorium!”  The children were very impressed with the lockers in the hallway.  They also got to look inside some of the second and third grade classrooms and saw some things that were different, such as desks, and some things that were the same, like the calendar activities to our new math program.  At the end of the trip, the students felt both at ease and excited about their new school for next year.   (Posted 6/7/2006)

Dance Residency Program
As part of the School Districts Cultural Arts Program, the Children of John Paulding participated in a Dance Residency Program. Facilitated by Ms. Anne Church of the Tappan Zee Dance Group, this five-week curriculum took place from Monday, April 17, 2006 to Friday, May 19, 2006. The children participated in the program once a week during a regularly scheduled Physical Education class.

The objectives of the residency were to give the children an:

• Overview for dance
• Understanding of dance vocabulary
• Experience in using formal dance steps
• Opportunity to explore different actions and shapes with their bodies
• Occasion to utilize their imaginations and be creative
• Opportunity to increase muscle strength, endurance and flexibility
• Activity that was physically challenging
• Experience that was fun

This program was made possible with funds provided through the District Elementary Arts Plan, which is funded by the school district, the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and the EPTA. The residency reinforced the school’s academic curriculum through movement. Since every child learns differently, education through movement touches some students very deeply, driving home creative and academic concepts. Also, this dance residency was fun, physically challenging and a great creative outlet for the children. The students had the opportunity to explore movement and develop their confidence by participating in a positively structured experience. In addition, this residency taught students about the arts, how to view dance and how to behave as an audience of the arts.

The children had a wonderful experience and this productive program was a huge success.

John Paulding School’s Egg to Chick Program 
During the month of April, John Paulding students visited Stone Barns.  The children learned about chickens.  They were able to see hens, roosters and baby chicks.  They were even able to handle some eggs.  This was the beginning of our very exciting Science unit- Egg to Chick!

Each class received 11 eggs to put in their incubators at the end of April.  Chicken eggs take approximately 21 days to hatch.  The children were very excited the week of May 15^th when they knew the countdown was nearly over.  Chicks started hatching on Tuesday and continued to as late as Saturday.  Our total number of chicks was 51.  The students provided food, water and love to all the chicks.  They were even able to hold and play with them.  We sent our chicks back to Stone Barns on Tuesday, May 23^rd so they could have fun on the farm.  We will miss them very much.  (Posted 5/25/2006)

John Paulding Science Expo
The Science Expo at John Paulding included everything from mealworms to mobiles!  During the week of May 15^th the halls of John Paulding were adorned with interactive science activities and colorful displays of student work.  A tourist of the mini-museum could stop along and see the types of interdisciplinary activities and scientific explorations students did throughout the year.  The units exhibited included Weather and Air, Balance and Motion, Insects, Life Cycles, Chicks, and Planting.  Visiting parents enjoyed browsing student work, photographs, and child-made experiments.  Classes took tours of the Science Expo and reflected on all they learned this year as scientists at John Paulding.  (Posted 5/25/2006)

Trip Around the World 2006
Have you ever dreamed of leaving it all behind, getting away to an exotic corner of the world. Where you could meet new people, sample their culture, their food and their language? Well, that’s exactly what the students and faculty of the John Paulding School had the opportunity to do on Friday, April 28^th.  Nine countries were represented at our annual “Trip Around the World” program.  The countries represented were, China, Peru, Japan, Philippines, Italy, India, Germany, Australia and Spain.  Parents and teachers collaborated to create a multi-sensory travel experience.

The students were greeted at the door by flight attendants, where they had the opportunity to check in their luggage (backpacks and jackets), and receive their boarding passes as well as their passports.  Next the students boarded their flights to visit three destinations around the world.  Walking up the transformed staircase that now felt like an airport hanger. Upon arrival to each country the students had their passport stamped.  During their visits to the countries the students had the opportunity to experience native dances, view artifacts, play games, look at photographs and watch video/power point presentations.

The program culminated with a sampling of desserts from each county at the airport’s cafeteria.  The great success of the program was made possible by our dedicated PTA parents as well as our faculty, custodial staff and staff members, all under the guidance of our principal Mrs. Mercado-Belvin.  It was a day no child will forget!  (Posted 5/5/2006)

WEE Deliver
On March 6^th, the WEE Deliver program began at John Paulding.  Our goal for the WEE Deliver program is to teach the children the components of a letter and how to address an envelope.  The teachers adopted a more structured approach in order to make the most out of the program.  Each student will be writing a total of five letters within the duration of the program:  one letter to a friend in their class, one letter to a buddy class, one letter to an adult and two responses. Each class and all the adults in the school building have a mailbox outside their room to which their mail will be delivered.   The official school mailbox located by the main office is where all the letters go into. Each class is designated a time to be the central post office. Students collect, stamp and deliver the school mail. The students are engaged in writing their letters and seem to enjoy learning how to use the central postal system.  The WEE Deliver program at John Paulding will end on March 31^st, 2006.  (Posted 3/20/2006)

100th Day of School
If you entered John Paulding on February 15^th you couldn’t escape the excitement that came with the 100^th day of school! It started before school even began- the 100^th student through the doorway in the morning was presented with a big “100” balloon.  Upon walking upstairs all students passed through a giant number 100 that spanned the width of the hallway.  In classes students did countless one hundred day activities in literacy, science, and of course, math.  Students read one hundred day books and responded to fun writing prompts such as “What would you do with one hundred dollars?” “What will the world be like when you are one hundred years old?” Classes paired up during math time and did fun group activities involving time, measurement, sorting, and estimation.  At the end of the day students were happily donning necklaces made of 100 fruit loops and classrooms were adorned with collages, banners, and student work from throughout the day.  A fun time was had by all.  (Posted 3/20/2006)

Bereavement Center of Westchester Meeting at John Paulding
In light of the recent tragic loss of one of our students, John Paulding School and the EPTA have arranged for Jane Cameron of The Bereavement Center of Westchester’s School Outreach Program to discuss with parents the subject of coping with loss and talking with your child about death.  Jane is an authority on this subject and should be of great assistance to our parents.  Babysitting will be available as this meeting is for parents and adults.  The meeting will be held Tuesday, March 14, 2006 at 7:00 pm in the John Paulding School gym. (Posted 3/14/2006)

John Paulding Celebrates Read Across America
Remember those catchy rhymes in “The Cat in the Hat?”  Remember how they come right back to you when you read a Dr. Seuss book to a child?  The Eighth Annual Read Across America Day, sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA), is an annual reading motivation program that calls for very child in every community to celebrate reading on Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2^nd.

This year’s event was celebrated at John Paulding School by a reading of Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” given by Mrs. Kedem, our reading teacher.  The all-purpose-room was transformed into Smogulous Smog (Ms. Marte’s and Ms. Rivera’s classes), Truffala Trees (Mrs. Buckley’s class), Shloppity Shlop (Ms. Cristella’s class), Thneeds (Mrs. Groven’s and Ms. Fradkin’s classes), Brown Barbaloots, (Mrs. Knudsen’s and Miss Jones’ classes), Swamee-Swams (Mrs. Daley’s class), Humming Fish (Mrs. Chulla’s class), Gluppity Glup (Ms. Mc Gowan’s class)  and the Lorax’s mustache (Mrs. Meehan’s class).  “The Lorax” provides a very timely message of how we must take very good care of our fragile planet.

Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel) would have been proud.  Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating successful, lifelong readers.  Read Across America is the biggest one-day literacy celebration in the United States.  There are now reading events in all 50 states.  When we celebrate Dr. Seuss and reading, we send a message that reading is fun and important…so read, read, read every day of the year!

Jump Rope for Heart
On Monday, February 6, 2006 and Friday, February 10, 2006 our school held an American Heart Association “Jump Rope For Heart” event. On these days, the children participated in a variety of jumping activities during their Physical Education class.

The goals of the program were for the students to have fun, practice jumping skills, experience intense physical exercise and learn more about their bodies.

The children had a wonderful time and performed admirably. For their outstanding effort, all participants received a sticker and certificate.

Thank you to Michelle Crepeau, Bobby Checchi, Lori Elia and Corie D’Agostinis for volunteering their time and helping make the event so successful. Without them the activities could not have run so smoothly and the experience would not have been so much fun!  (Posted 2/16/2006)

Food PATCH - 2006
The John Paulding Staff and New York State Teachers Union would like to thank you for your recent donations to the Westchester Food PATCH. Food PATCH is an organization that collects and distributes food to needy people in our area.

From January 17^th until February 3^rd, the staff at John Paulding School collected food donations from our students and their families. Non-perishable food items were placed in a collection box in the lobby of our school. Because of your overwhelming generosity, we were able to contribute nineteen boxes of food weighing 626 pounds. That is 129 pounds more than we collected last year.

Thank you for being so generous and teaching your child that helping those that are less fortunate is extremely important. (Posted 2/16/2006)

Autobiographical Watercolor Paintings
John Paulding School’s first graders spent the early winter months working on autobiographical watercolor paintings.  Each student was asked to develop a narrative image that reveals an aspect of the artist’s life. The students depicted favorite activities, significant memories, and familiar surroundings.  All of the children were asked to develop their compositions so that spatial problems would be solved in a visually appealing manner—it is obvious that the children used the entire two-dimensional picture plane  to make their painted statements.  Moreover, the children asked each other to pose as models so that drawings could be most realistic.  (Posted 2/14/2006)

Family Math Night
What does an Icky Sticky Trap, Ice Cream, and Pitter Pats have in common?  They are all activities which involved parents and children working together during the annual Family Math Night at John Paulding School.  On Thursday, February 2^nd, many students and parents joined John Paulding staff in the gymnasium for an exciting evening of math activities, which offered both practice and enrichment in an entertaining way.  Staff worked together to develop more than 20 activities, ranging from Target Addition, Tower of Ten, to Tangrams.  In addition to developing a stronger home-school bond, John Paulding staff hoped parents would become familiarized with the new “Growing with Math” curriculum that was just launched this year!  The night was truly a well attended, collaborative effort between parents, teachers, and students.  A fun time was had by all! (Posted 2/7/2006)

SMART Boards Have a Positive Impact at John Paulding School
Three SMART Boards have impacted life at John Paulding by bringing a new energy to learning and teaching. We received three SMART Boards from the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns. This year has been a learning adventure for both teachers and students. We use the SMART Boards throughout the day for a variety of lessons. Our day begins using the SMART Board to graph the weather and learn calendar skills. The children are able to work independently to graph and save the weather symbols and daily calendar recording. As the day continues, the students use the SMART Board on their own as a center based activity and as a whole group teacher directed lesson. Some of the activities might include interactive websites and teacher created activities to support the curriculum. SMART Boards have allowed us to bring the world around us into the classroom by the use of educational web cams. Recently, students who were learning about penguins were able to observe a live Penguin Web Cam from Monterey, California. In science, we have been integrating video clips from PBS to make abstract science concepts real and to provide visuals for our English language learners. We look forward to more teachers being trained and exposed to all of the learning opportunities SMART Board has to offer.  (Posted 2/2/2006)

Jump Rope For Heart
February is National Heart Month. To celebrate, we have scheduled a special activity for the children.

On Monday, February 6, 2006 and Friday, February 10, 2006 our school will be holding a Jump Rope For Heart event. The activities will be held during regular Physical Education classes. During this time your child will participate in a variety of jumping activities.

There are many ways the Jump Rope For Heart program will benefit your child. Besides being fun, it reinforces jump rope skills and the importance of physical activity.

While this program is normally run as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, we will not be collecting money.

All participants will receive a sticker and certificate as a “Thank you” for their effort.

On the event day, please make sure your child wears soft-soled athletic sneakers and clothing that will not interfere with the rope.

We look forward to your child’s participation in this very important event. (Posted 1/24/2006)

Family Math Night
Family Math Night at John Paulding School Thursday, February 2 from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Join us in celebrating Family Math Night at John Paulding.  Come and have some fun and learning with your family.  The All Purpose Room will be filled with all kinds of Math activities that can be meaningful and exciting for all.  We hope to see you! (Posted 1/24/2006)

Food PATCH - 2006
Our teachers are participating in the The New York State Teachers Union's Thirteenth Annual Food Drive for needy people in our area. From January 17^th until February 3^rd, the staff at each school will be collecting food donations from the students and their families. 

From January 17^th until February 3^rd, the staff at John Paulding School will be collecting food donations from the students and their families. 

Please donate non-perishable food items such as:

• Canned goods

• Pastas

• Rice

• Beans

• Boxed foods

Every little bit helps. Open your hearts and your kitchens to help others.

Not only will you be aiding others, but also you will be teaching your child to help those that are less fortunate.

A collection box can be found in the lobby of our school. Just have your child place his/her donation in the box upon arrival at school.

If you have questions, please contact Mr. Perugini or Mr. Suarez. Thank you for helping others. (Posted 1/12/2006)  

Winter Concert
On December 13, 2005, John Paulding School hosted its annual Winter Concert.  Accompanying on the piano was Mrs. Lee Ann Miller, who is Jen Lefleur’s former elementary school music teacher. The students sang songs about wintertime, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.  Included in the program were “My Two Front Teeth,” “ Rockin’ on the Rooftop,” “Grandma’s House,” “The Marvelous Toy,” and “Jingle Bell Rock.”  Despite having to change the concert date due to a snow day, the students sang to a full house and sounded wonderful!  Thank you to everyone for their support and encouragement!  Happy Holidays! (Posted 12/21/05)

Book Fair
The book fair visited John Paulding School this month.  On December 7^th, 8^th, and December 12^th and 13^th, the students were able to choose from a wide selection of books.  The children could select picture books and chapter books, as well as books of various genres.  The book fair was also exciting for teachers because it was an opportunity to add new titles to the classroom libraries.  The students are happy and eager to dive into their new books.  Happy reading!

Thanksgiving Feast
On Monday, November 21^st, the students at John Paulding School had a school-wide Thanksgiving Feast.  In preparation for the feast, students, along with their teachers, baked cornbread and made butter in their classrooms.  Mrs. Jones’ class also made centerpieces for all the classes.  Mrs. Mercado – Belvin discussed the significance of the celebration for our young students and asked the students to reflect on one thing they maybe thankful for.  The celebration wouldn’t have been possible without the preparation that the parents made for this very special John Paulding Thanksgiving Feast.  Many parents assisted in serving the students and many also helped behind the scenes by cooking or sending in the foods the students and staff gratefully enjoyed.  Senior citizens from the local community also joined in the festivities and ate along with the students.  This school-wide event is just one way we share togetherness as a family here at the John Paulding School.

On Tuesday, November 1st, the staff and students at John Paulding School enjoyed a live performance by Ballet Gran Folklorico de Mexico at The Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck.  It was a colorful, dynamic journey to Mexico through its rich culture of music and dance.  The talented performers, brilliant costumes, variety of instruments and songs combined to make this a wonderfully memorable experience for everyone. Following the show, the director explained some of the traditional instruments, dances and folklore of Mexico’s various regions and history.  He also answered some questions from the students and staff.  This trip was partially funded by The Arts in Education program at BOCES.  We are very fortunate to be able to enrich our school community by teaching and celebrating the diversity of other cultures from around the world.

Apple Picking Field Trip
The children from John Paulding went apple picking during the last two weeks to Stuart’s Apple Farm in Somers. Once at the farm Mrs. Stuart took the children on a tour of the farm. They learned how the apples are sorted by size and had a small apple just the right size for snack. Next she took the children to see the cider mill. The children also went into the walk in refrigerator to see where the apples are stored. Brrrr… it was chilly in there. During the rest of the trip the children picked different kinds of apples to bring back home. In school all of the children from John Paulding had fun tasting the apples and baking some apple treats. The children are also learning about the cycle of the apple tree, graphing the apples and reading many non-fiction and fiction books about apples.

Rose Ceremony
John Paulding’s First Graders were officially welcomed to the district by the SHHS Class of 2006 at the Fifteenth Annual Rose Ceremony on September 29.  There were many photo opportunities in a packed auditorium filled with students, and parents of both the SHHS seniors and the John Paulding First Graders. The HS Chorus serenaded the students with “Hold on to Your Dreams.”  Then they were presented with roses and t-shirts proclaiming them the class of 2017!  It seems so far off!  The JP students were told to savor the coming years since the seniors said their experiences here in the Tarrytowns flew by!  The first graders are looking forward to making some new friends when the some of the seniors come next door to visit as part of the SHHS Key Club volunteer program.  The first graders will return to SHHS in the spring for part 2 of the Rose Ceremony to wish the Class of ’06 good luck as they graduate.