District News Archive

Tappan Hill’s Abstract Collages Are Visual Melodies!

Tappan Hill’s kindergarten artists have been considering the relationship between art and music.  Studying the work of Russian-born abstract master Wassily Kandinsky, the students created watercolor responses to various classical music selections.  Exploring the techniques and work of collage artist Romare Bearden, the children created multi-colored painted papers in response to jazz music.  In a culminating project, celebrating African American History Month, the children created watercolor paintings based on an American jazz composition.  In order to highlight and develop these images, the students cut out inventive free-form shapes from their decorated papers.  These shapes were strategically placed and fastened to the abstract paintings in order to create a sense of balance and movement—indicative of a musical experience.  While creating these sophisticated abstract works, the children learned specific watercolor techniques to develop brightly colored paintings.  These pieces were carefully executed and painstakingly crafted.  The children learned how to wait for things to dry and they were dazzled by the results! (Posted 3/25/08) 

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) 

Please join us for the Foundation’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, May 10^th at the Westchester Marriott; help bring exceptional and enriching programs to all of our students, Pre K -12^th grade. Click here for the invitation.

If you have auction items that you would like to donate, we would love to hear from you.  Please contact Shelly Colley by calling 914-366-8457 or email foundation@tufsd.org.

Or take out an advertisement in our Dinner Dance Journal!  We are honoring Bill Burnette and The Warner Library.

If you would like to take out an ad in the Dinner Dance Journal for that special someone such as a teacher, coach, or graduating senior, please send ad and payment to Julie Clayton, Foundation Journal, 200 North Broadway, or email: foundation@tufsd.org

AD Rates (deadline April 12)
Special message           $25
Business Card 2x3.5      $75
Quarter Page 4x5          $125
Half Page 5x8               $250
Full Page 8x10              $400

Auction Items – Many More Arriving And Will Be Posted Each Week

Please check our listing of auction items each week. Click here for auction items. The list that you currently see is just the start  -- we will be adding new items each week.  By the end of April, we hope to have as many as 230 auction items!

Look For New Items Next week  -- Something Special from the Castle of Tarrytown, beautiful art work, gift certificates to local restaurants and so much more.  (Posted 3/20/08) 

Leonardo da Vinci Traveling Exhibit Visits Washington Irving School

From March 17th to 28th, reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci’s murals will be decorating the lobby of WI.  The traveling exhibit of three paintings by the Renaissance Genius includes his most prominent works; Mona Lisa. The Last Supper; and a copy of some of his inventions, (circa 1942).  Leonardo da Vinci is renowned for his inventions, knowledge of Science and paintings. 

The exhibit will enrich all WI students as well as enhance the learning of the students in Dr. Bernard’s 6th grade Italian classes who will be studying Italian artists.  (Posted 3/21/08) 

"Nature Up Close"

Fourth grade artists at Washington Irving School studied the life and work of American artist Georgia O'Keeffe.  Georgia O’Keeffe worked in many styles and painted many different subjects over her long career as an artist.  For our work, we focused on her large scale, cropped images of flowers, shells, bones, and other natural objects.  O’Keeffe painted her subjects BIG so people would notice.  She once said, “No one notices a flower because it is so small and they haven’t the time.  To see it takes time.”  Working from small objects such as flowers, leaves, shells, and insects, students created large scale, close up oil pastel drawings.  These colorful student creations focused on small details and value changes.  (Posted 3/17/08) 

WordMasters Challenge

Three students representing Washington Irving School recently won highest honors in this year’s WordMasters Challenge – a national language arts competition entered by over 250,000 students annually, which consists of three separate meets held at intervals during the school year.

Competing in the very difficult Gold Division of the Challenge, fifth grader, Jordan B. and sixth graders MacKenzie H. and Lily S. earned earned perfect scores in the year’s second meet, held in February.  In the entire country, only 69 fifth graders and 122 sixth graders achieved at this level.  Other students at the school who also achieved outstanding results included fourth graders., Sere P. and Dominique M.; fifth graders Jason C., John C., Heather B., Mikey F, Sara F. and Joey G., and sixth graders Dhruv S, Johnny K., Katie C. and Tomas C.  The school’s students were coached in preparation for the Challenge by Karen Cook. 

The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words (considerably harder than grade level), and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships.  Working to solve the Challenge analogies helps students learn to think both analytically and metaphorically.    

Congratulations WordMasters!  (Posted 3/16/08) 

EPTA Movie Morning

Saturday, March 1 and the W.I. auditorium is turned into a movie theatre! About 100 people attended the first ever EPTA Movie Morning featuring the movie Surf’s Up. Thanks to the wonderful sound system provided by the Foundation, the popcorn machine provided by Main Street Sweets and the help of some very dedicated EPTA volunteers, this Movie Morning was a huge success. The EPTA would like to thank all of the families who came out on a snowy morning to support this event and we would especially like to thank Mr Neil Spitzer and Ms Jean O’Brien for the generous gift of their time and talents. (Posted 3/12/08) 

March 14th, 2008 is Pi Day!  

 The Math and Science Honor Society of Sleepy Hollow High School will be hosting a variety of events on Friday, March 14th, 2008 in celebration of Pi Day.  Students can wear a white t-shirt with their favorite math formulas, facts and figures on it in order to receive extra credit in their math classes.  Students can compete in a Rubik's Cube Challenge, a Suduko Challenge, a Tetric Challenge or the A-Bomb Challenge (a math contest against Mr. Alterbaum)!  After school there will be a pie sale to benefit the Honor Society's Earth Day Events.   Contact Mr. Jason Choi (jchoi@tufsd.org) or Mrs. Jennifer Walsh (jwalsh@tufsd.org) for more details.  (Posted 3/11/08) 

Math and Science Honor Society Induction- Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

On Wednesday evening, March 19th, 2008, at 7:30pm The Math and Science Honor Society will induct its second class.  The Induction will take place at The W.L. Morse School.  Contact Mr. Jason Choi (jchoi@tufsd.org) or Mrs. Jennifer Walsh (jwalsh@tufsd.org) for more details.  (Posted 3/11/08) 

Rhythm in Art

Art and Music go hand in hand when looking at the colorful paintings of the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944).  Kandinsky had grown up in a musical family and was also a talented musician.  He believed that painting and music were directly related, and that each could represent emotion.  “Music,” he said, “expresses itself by sounds, paintings by colors.”  Through this lesson, 5^th grade artists at Washington Irving School had the opportunity to experience just how music can influence art, as well as learning about important elements and principles of design.

We started this project by discussing the life of Wassily Kandinsky, and took a close look at a selection of his non-objective paintings.  Students learned that Non-Objective means there is NO recognizable subject matter.  It is art purely made up of shapes, lines, and colors where the artist had NO intent for it to look like anything.  We then began to create a connection between art and music by discussing a principle of design called Rhythm.  Rhythm in art is when the artist repeats certain visual elements, which causes the viewers eye to actually “move” through the work.  After discussing this, students did a “sketch to music” exercise and created four different drawings to different genres of music, such as Jazz, Classical, and Dance.  Using these pencil drawings and new ideas, we created these final drawings you see.  Students learned the importance of certain aspects of design such as Cropping and Balance.  They also learned specific blending techniques and how to create visual texture using oil pastels.    (Posted 3/10/08) 

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) 

Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
Dual Language Program K-5
Juntos/Together

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns’ Dual Language program will be accepting applications for children entering Kindergarten in September of 2008. The Dual Language program provides students in Grades K-5 with the opportunity to learn a second language while continuing to develop their native language proficiency. Dual Language classes include a balance of students from Spanish language and English language backgrounds who participate in instructional activities together. 

If you are the parent of an incoming Kindergarten child and are interested in receiving additional information on the Dual Language program, please click here.  If you have additional questions please contact Bessy Martinez at the Dual Language office at (914) 332-6319 or Mrs. Milliam at Tappan Hill School (914) 631-9252

Escuelas Públicas de Tarrytown
Programa de Lenguaje Dual K-5
Juntos/Together

El distrito escolar de Tarrytown estará aceptando solicitudes para el programa de lenguaje dual para  niños que comenzarán el  jardín de la infancia en septiembre del 2008.  El programa de lenguaje dual provee a los estudiantes del jardín de la infancia hasta 5to grado la oportunidad de aprender inglés, y a la misma vez continuar desarrollando su lengua materna. Las clases de lenguaje dual incluyen un balance de estudiantes que hablan inglés y estudiantes que hablan español por lo cual participan juntos en actividades instructivas.

Si su hijo/a comenzará el jardín de la infancia  en septiembre y usted está interesado en recibir información adicional sobre el programa de lenguaje dual, por favor toque aquí. Si tiene alguna otra pregunta por favor llame a la Señora Bessy Martinez en la oficina del Lenguaje Dual al (914) 332-6319 o a la Señora Milliam en la escuela de Tappan Hill al (914) 631-9252.  (Posted 3/6/08) 

DarfurFast  

The Senior Government and Contemporary Issues Honors Classes participated in DarfurFast, a fundraising program sponsored by Genocide Intervention Network.  Ms. Graham’s students did an extraordinary job of raising money for women and children driven into unprotected refugee camps in western Sudan and Chad.  The funds provide propane for cooking; so women and children are not forced to leave the camps in search of firewood.  A gift of $1.00 will prevent one woman or child from having to face violent attack outside the camps for one year.  Within two weeks, Ms. Graham’s dedicated and generous students raised over $2,100 for DarfurFast.   (Posted 3/6/08) 

WHO: Auditions are open to any Middle School student!  

Frankenstein will be directed by Peter Royston

WHAT: YMCA Theatre, in conjunction with Sleepy Hollow Middle School, presents FRANKENSTEIN, a theatrical adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic HORROR tale about a mad scientist who creates a monster on the laboratory table. The Creature rises up to confront its creator with the ultimate question: “Why am I here?” Full of compelling characters, breathtaking set pieces and special effects, FRANKENSTEIN is an unforgettable theatrical experience!

WHEN: Auditions: March 18 & 20 after school on the South Side of the Cafeteria.  Rehearsals: start after the SHHS Spring Musical is over.    Performances: _May 7 & 8 (4 performances; 3 daytime, 1 evening).

WHERE: Rehearsals will take place at SHMS, Mondays Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays after school. (Posted 3/6/08) 

Happy New Year!      

The students at Tappan Hill School celebrated the Chinese New Year in many different ways this year. On February 12, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu spoke to the school during an assembly about some Chinese traditions. She also included some of the traditions of Korean and the Philipino cultures.  Ms. Corea, Mrs. Garibaldi and Mrs. Praino’s classes created props, including the Dragon’s Head and marched in a Dragon Parade. The entire school created rattles and tamborines to make noise and ward off “bad luck” as the parade marched by.  This year we celebrate the year of the Rat. Children learned how to say Happy New Year in Mandarin and Cantonese.  Follow up activities included Mrs. Garibaldi’s class cooking dumplings and Ms. Corea’s and Mrs. Praino’s classes experimenting with chopsticks for the celebration. Other classes read books and learned how to write, using “Chinese” characters.  (Posted 3/3/08) 

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) 

Second Graders Celebrate African at Morse School

Second grade artists combined African textile designs with a traditional African folktale, “The Hatseller and the Monkeys.”  The border around the illustration was created by combining Kente textile designs from West Africa with our own carefully designed patterns.  The paintings on the inside of the project were created after we read the African folktale, “The Hatseller and the Monkeys.”  When we created these illustrations, we experimented with a technique using the idea of batik (a method of dyeing textiles).  Drawings were traced on top of a special wax paper leaving a secret wax version of our drawings on the bottom sheet of paper.  Then we painted with watercolors.  The wax kept the paper white where we traced.  We used mixed media—pastels and markers—to finish decorating the details on our pictures.

Examples of this art work will be on display at the Warner Library from March 5th until the end of April.  Students and faculty are looking forward to our visit from the Ishangi Family Dancers and their presentation, “A Journey to Africa,” on March 12^th.  This performance will be a wonderful culmination to our study of African Art.  The art and culture of West Africa will come alive for students as they enjoy the Ishangi family’s program that is rich in stories, dance and music. (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) 

Washington Irving High Jump Contest

There was a dazzling display of jumping skills at the Washington Irving High Jump Contest held on February 14^th.  Approximately 40 students took part in the contest this week.  A grand display of talent was showcased in both the girls and boys events.  Sixth grade student Christine G. came in second place with a jump of 3’11”.  Two sixth grade students, Callie B. and Marina P., tied for 1^st place with jumps of 4’0.  In the boys event, sixth grade student Will S. jumped 4’4” for third place.  The surprise of the contest was fifth grade student, Peter J., who jumped 4’6” for second place.  The star of the event was sixth grade student Dominick O., who jumped 4’8”, and came within a fraction of an inch of setting a new WI record.  The announcer of the contest was sixth grade student Ben P..  (Posted 2/15/08)          

Visit the TUFSD Go Green Site

The TUFSD Green Committee has developed a new web site that students, parents and educators in our district can visit to learn about how our district is going green.  On the site, you'll also find tips and resources to help students, educators and families go green.  Please click on any of the articles to share your thoughts, ideas or favorite go green resources.  The committee is thrilled about how our community is joining in this effort and look forward to making this site a powerful tool in our work. Click here to visit the Go Green site.  (Posted 2/14/08) 

Our Memoirs

The students in Mrs. Bakala's class have worked very diligently to publish their memoirs.  From start to finish they were busy using the writing process in order to get to their final goal of publishing.  Thank you goes to The  Morse Publishing Center for making it possible to cover the books.  The next step was now to read from their published book and record their memoirs.  A special thank you goes to Liz Golden, our dedicated recording assistant, for helping the students record their work during our Writing Workshop sessions and to John Calvert, our Technology Specialist, who is always available to make projects like this one possible for all our students.   Enjoy reading  Memoirs from Mrs. Bakala's Class.  Click here to read our Memoirs.  (Posted 2/14/08) 

Dream: A Poem by Ms. Fradkin's Class

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and Black History Month, the children in Ms. Fradkin and Mrs. Annicchiarico’s class collaborated to write this acrostic poem entitled DREAM.  We have been using a variety of non-fiction resources including books, magazines, poetry and technology to learn more about the important words and work of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Please enjoy the creative artwork of MLK Jr.’s “Dream” through the eyes of some of our talented first graders.   (Posted 2/14/08) 

Senteos Click with Both Teachers and Students

Is Pluto a planet?  How long does it take light from the sun to reach us here on Earth?  These are some of the questions that students in Mrs. Conjura’s science class have been pondering using their interactive response devices.  Students use these handheld clickers to answer the questions posed by their teacher and their results go immediately up to the SmartBoard in their classroom. “The Senteo is a great tool for students and teachers.  It gets all students to respond to questions.  I am able to quickly check for understanding and the students get instant feedback on how they did and what they understood,” says Nichole Conjura.  Mrs. Conjura recently used the clickers as a pre-assessment to gauge her students understanding of astronomy before a science unit on this topic. Students enjoy using the devices and it gives them the freedom to engage with the curriculum and answer questions without worrying about if they have the right answer.  In a sentiment echoed by others, one student said, "I like the Senteo because it is private and nobody knows what you are answering or voting." 

The clickers are flexible and can be used in a variety of subject areas.  In fact, with the state math tests coming up soon, several teachers will be using the Senteos to help students prepare for the multiple choice component of that test.   (Posted 2/8/08) 

RIVERTOWNS HONOR BAND - Sleepy Hollow, Irvington, Ossining, Croton

Eighty students selected from four middle schools come together for first annual concert

Band students from the Sleepy Hollow Middle School Band were chosen to join others from Irvington, Ossining, and Croton in the first Rivertowns Honor Band. Twenty students from each middle school participated in a two-day festival culminating in a concert on Saturday, February 9th in the Ossining High School Auditorium.

The concept of bringing together talented students from four neighboring schools along the Hudson River for a band was the inspiration of Bradley Morrison, band director at Anne M. Dorner Middle School in Ossining. He and Micah Sprague, band director at Sleepy Hollow Middle School, initially collaborated on the project, and then invited their colleagues from neighboring schools to participate. Andrew Brunson of Irvington Middle School, Lisa Sable of Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School in Croton, and Tamara Caputo of Anne M. Dorner Middle School were quick to accept.

The rivertowns band festival planning began 6 months ago. It was designed for enrichment and to give students an opportunity to meet other musicians and play outside their own school.

Mr. Brunson, from Irvington, conducted the 80 piece concert band. The selections included Encanto, In Heavans Air, and Cartoon Symphony. The success of the festival can be attributed to the collaboration of the band directors, the support of their administrators and communities, and the outstanding students that participated.

Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher   (Posted 2/12/08) 

WI 4th Graders Experience Colonial Day

The fourth grade celebrated Colonial Day on February 7, 2008. The first floor of Washington Irving School went back through time as our social studies curriculum came alive with the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of a colonial village. Students strolled down the "village street" where each room was transformed into a colonial shop.

Crafts and activities, highlighting daily colonial life, spilled out into the hallways. Children paraded down the street to the beat of the fife and drum. Students dipped candles, made pomanders and mob caps, fashioned rag rugs, and wrote with a quill and ink. They also played quoits, crafted Bilbo catchers and whirligigs and learned the art of paper quilling. The bakery, managed by Harriet Bettman, overflowed with cornbread, pound cake and cider.

We were fortunate to have Sara Mascia, from the Tarrytown Historical Society; Lynda Fassa, from Green Babies; and Eric Clingen, from Tarrytown Woodworks, share their special talents. Our hallways were decorated with beautiful murals of colonial life drawn by teaching assistant Maureen Considine.

The fourth grade team would like to thank all those who participated. It is truly a collaborative effort between parents, community and school personnel.  (Posted 2/8/08) .

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) 

Presidential Primary Held at Sleepy Hollow

Barack Obama and John McCain were the winners today at the Sleepy Hollow polls!  Election buzz could be heard in the classrooms and in the hallways as students talked about who to vote for in the primary election.  Tabulating separately for middle school (who did not declare a party) and the high school, the results were as follows:  Middle School - Obama 63% , Clinton 29% , McCain 5%, and Huckabee 2%.  High School - Obama 79% (of Democrats) Clinton 20%  (of Democrats) McCain 48% (of Republicans) Romney 19% (of Republicans) and Huckabee 14% (of Republicans).  Congratulations to all of our voters and a special thanks to the students who helped by working at the polls, putting up signs, and counting the ballots.    (Posted 2/5/08) 

Family YMCA at Tarrytown Y Theatre Presents Washington Irving School Students in...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
El Sueño De Una Noche De Verano

WASHINGTON IRVING SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
Wednesday, February 27 at 8:30 am & Thursday February 28 at 9:15 am and 7:30 pm
Evening performance tickets $10 adults, $5 children 4th grade and up.                                                                    (Posted 2/5/08)

Looking for the Blogs?

We've integrated our Blogs into the website by giving them a permanent home on our Navigation Bar.  If you are looking for your favorite TUFSD blog, you can now find it under Site Sections on the left. (Posted 1/28/08)

EPTA Donates Books to Morse Library

Morse library has a new addition – actually quite a few. The EPTA has donated over 40 books to the library’s collection. Titles range from The Mitten to The Island of the Blue Dolphins and include the many different levels and interests of the children at Morse. This is only the first step in the EPTA’s plan to continue to bring quality literature to our school libraries. Mrs. Ann Marie Murphy, principal at Morse, Mr. Stephen Cobb, librarian, and Ms. Keri Beloise, teaching assistant assigned to the Morse library, were the driving force behind this very worthwhile project. Thanks to them for their hard work and the EPTA for their generous donation. (Posted 2/4/08)

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)

WI’s Black History Brain Quest 2008

Washington Irving’s Black History Brain Quest is a school wide activity patterned after Channel 7’s popular game show, Jeopardy.  During the month of February, the Black History Brain Quest “Answer” of the day will be read during the morning announcements.

Students may participate in Black History Brain Quest by placing a re-cycled entry form (WI is going Green!) in the Question Box located outside of the main office. The student’s entry must be in the form of a question and placed in the Question Box within two school days.  In researching the “answer” students acquire knowledge of the many significant contributions of African Americans to this country.  

Each day five respondents will be selected to receive a Baskin Robbins gift certificate.  The names of the winners will be posted on the Brain Quest Answer Board.  

The answers from Brain Quest will be used as a category during the Washington Irving’s Eleventh Annual Black History Jeopardy Contest.  The Jeopardy Contest is the culminating activity for Black History Month.  The entire school community is invited to cheer and encourage the 5^th and 6^th grade contestants during this assembly on Wednesday March 19^th at 12:30pm in the school auditorium.  We hope to see you there!
Click here for questions students frequently ask (Posted 1/31/08)

The Morse Third Grade Mask Tradition Goes On!

Every January, after studying masks from around the world, third grade students each cast, design, decorate and title three-dimensional masks. In our American culture, we use masks at Halloween.  Special protective masks are worn by athletes, doctors and soldiers.  In other parts of the world masks are used for many different reasons.  The third grade has studied some of these masks and created their own designs. Special attention was given to African masks in anticipation of an upcoming visit from the Ishangi Family Dancers from West Africa on March 12^th.  The masks are currently on display on the first floor at Morse School. Click here to view the gallery of third grade masks.(Posted 1/31/08)

How Book Will Travel

The students at Tappan Hill School are excited about books!  Starting this month, the students will begin to take books home each night. The books selected are based on the independent reading levels of the students.

Every student will have a special “bag” to keep the precious books clean and safe! On each “bag” there will be a list of activities that parents can complete at home with the child and inside the “bag” is a list of reading strategies.  Reading is a complex skill and having the opportunity to practice this skill with leveled books is essential. The Book-in-a Bag program is just one more way that the students at Tappan Hill School are developing their literacy skills! (Posted 1/31/08)

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)

Food for Thought

Sleepy Hollow Athletics Wants You!

Starting dates for this spring sports season:

High school - Monday, March 10th
Modified (7th & 8th Grade) - Monday March 24th

Click here for spring sport offerings and important information for medical clearance. (Posted 1/27/08)

The Nutcracker Ballet

The Kindergarten students at Tappan Hill School attended a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet at the Tarrytown Music Hall in early December.  The children were very familiar with the story and the music before the trip.  Each classroom teacher discussed the characters in the story and played the music by Tchaikovsky during rest time.  They also learned about many different types of “nutcrackers.” Some students brought their own nutcrackers from home to share with classmates.  The children were able to actually see ballet dancing on the Smartboard.  The children were able to learn the five basic positions. Teachers were able to also show the children other ballets on other internet sites.  The actual performance by the Ballet Atlantic Company was beautiful.  The costumes and the scenery were so colorful.  A favorite part of the story was the falling of the snow on the Snow Queen and her attendants.  It was magical.  The Christmas tree that grew as tall as the parlor at the stroke of midnight was magical as well.  If your family has not seen this holiday tradition, make sure to see it next year.

Students will continue to learn about ballet during our Enrichment For All program and also through our dance residency, which will take place in early Spring. (Posted 1/24/08)

Great Sleepy Hollow Library Reading Contest

In celebration of National Library Week coming in April, Middle School students have launched the Great Sleepy Hollow Library Reading Contest. Seventh and eighth graders will read and review books and submit entries, hoping to capture the top prize for their English class: a very "literary" party hosted by the Library.  See the special displays of good books to read in the Library and ask the staff for further suggestions. Good luck to all and READ ON!!! (Posted 1/23/08)

Professor of Genetics Visits 8^th Grade Living Environment Classes

According to Gillian Berger,“It’s really helpful to get different perspectives on the issues in genetics.” On Monday, January 7,  Ms. Jackson’s Living Environment classes enjoyed  just such a unique perspective.  Guest speaker, Dr. Robert Marion, delivered a lecture that he usually gives to medical school students.  Dr. Marion is a Professor of Genetics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Director of the Center for Pediatric diagnosis and Development of the Einstein Medical Center. His very engrossing lecture concerned three US presidents and a bit of genetic speculation.  Dr. Marion led the class through the steps of differential diagnosis.  Dr. Marion was impressed with the breadth of knowledge displayed by the 8^th grade students, lingering to answer their questions after his talk.  “These kids have a terrific grasp of concepts.  This material is tough for my med students,” he remarked, “I’d really like to come back next year.”  Sophie Parens agrees, ”He should come back next year.  Hearing from someone who works with kids with genetic differences gave me a much better understanding.” The students always benefit from “real world” visitors revealing the worth and applications of the material they are just learning.  Great thanks go to Ms. Doran, who was instrumental in bringing us such a distinguished lecturer.   (Posted 1/21/08)

IBM Mentor Place Mentoring Program Recruiting 7th Grade Middle School Girls:

IBM Mentor Place gives students the unique opportunity to communicate online with an IBM employee.  Each student will have weekly interactions with experienced female scientists and engineers as mentors. These mentors will be available throughout this academic school year. Only ten students will be given the opportunity to receive one-on-one online mentoring. In the exchange of electronic messages, both student and the IBM e-Mentor are encouraged to work together on online activities and discuss career interests.Students will not meet with the mentor outside of class.  A teacher appointed by the school will monitor messages regularly for content. The fulfillment of this commitment, (including weekly attendance and participation) during this school year will determine their admission into the IBM EXITE Camp starting July 28th until August 1st, 2008. For more information email DBenedict@tufsd.org or Ms. Sandy Ocasio, CSI Director socasio@tufsd.org. (Posted 1/17/08)

UPDATE: 7^th Grade Students Receive Letter From Adopted 64^th Armored Unit, 2^nd Platoon (click here for original article)

Students from the 7th grade collected and prepared five care packages to be sent to the 64th Armored Unit, 2nd Platoon back in December 2007. The members of 2nd Platoon have written back to show their gratitude and appreciation. Additionally, Sergeant First Class Miles gave a brief description of what the men and women of his unit have been asked to accomplish. Again, a thank you goes out to everyone who helped bring a little bit of home to the soldiers stationed in Iraq this holiday season. Please read the attached letter and see the positive impact that our students’ efforts have had upon our military personnel as they serve far from “home” in Iraq. (Posted 1/16/08)

All State Honors for Sleepy Hollow Athletes                                   

Congratulations are in order to three outstanding Sleepy Hollow Horsemen athletes who all have made First Team All State honors.

Jackie Mottola Field Hockey All State Forward

Jackie Mottola, an outstanding field hockey player, was honored by being placed on the NY State Class B field hockey team as a forward.  Jackie, who led our team in scoring with over 20 goals, was the main cog in the Sleepy Hollow offensive attack. As captain, she led our team to sectional playoffs in the last 2 seasons.  The Sleepy Hollow senior had a tremendous career and is deserving of this outstanding honor.

In football congratulations to Steve Amaro and Jamel Lyde for receiving 1^st Team All-State honors by the New York Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA). 

Steve Amaro Football All State Linebacker

Steve, a senior, received his honor for playing inside linebacker for the Horsemen.  Steve led the team with 87 tackles, 1 interception, 4.5 sacks, and 22 tackles for losses.  As a middle linebacker, Steve was a force in the middle that not many teams could deal with his presence.  Steve led the Horsemen to a 7-2 record. 

Jamel Lyde Football All State Defensive Back

Jamel, a senior, received this honor for his play as a defensive back for the Horsemen.  Playing on both sides of the ball, Jamel also led Section I by rushing for 14.2 yards per carry.  His defensive ability has been recognized by many coaches, both at the high school and college level, who have seen him play.  Jamel, an outstanding athlete in all sports., is certainly deserving of this great honor.

Congratulations to all three student athletes for receiving this prestigious award

The Sleepy Hollow community is very proud of all of you! (Posted 1/16/08)

Karthik R. Wins WI Geographic Bee
Moves one step closer to $25,000 College Scholarship

Karthik a 4^th grade student at WI won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on January 16, and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school-level Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 20^th annual National Geographic Bee. The Bee is sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Jordan B. came in second after a tension filled championship round. Elizabeth S. was the third place winner.  

The Bee included international questions such as, “Which sea, shared by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, has lost more than 70 percent of its volume since the 1960s as a result of diversion of water irrigate cotton and other crops?” and also questions about U.S. geography such as, “Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court case that helped end racial segregation in public schools, focused on a school in what city in eastern Kansas?” All of the contestants who participated did a wonderful job. It was a very exciting afternoon. (Posted 1/16/08)

Upward Bound Announces New Academic Coordinator

The Mercy College Upward Bound Program at Sleepy Hollow High School is happy to announce that Nadra Walker has been appointed as Upward Bound Academic Coordinator. Ms. Walker’s experience ranges from interning and serving as a leave replacement in the Counseling Department at Sleepy Hollow to working as an Admission Communications Coordinator at Nyack College. Her experience assisting students as they prepare for the demands of college will be an asset to the Upward Bound participants.

Upward Bound has been very proactive in providing participants with an opportunity to learn about the college process beginning in the ninth grade.  Annual services include academic instruction through a six-week summer program, tutoring, counseling, mentoring, cultural enrichment, and work-study programs.  Additionally, Upward Bound provides opportunities for students and their parents to visit colleges, meet with admission representatives, explore career possibilities, gain an understanding of the financial aid process, and learn about various college possibilities available to them. The federally-funded program is now in its ninth year at Sleepy Hollow and serves 50 students annually. (Posted 1/16/08)

Tappan Zee Dance Company Visits WI

Washington Irving students are on the move, dancing, with our local Tappan Zee dance instructors. The residency provides general music students the opportunity to learn a different dance genre at each grade level. Through movement, students will experience how dance relates to the elements of music as well as develop an understanding that dance is an important art form.

Tappan Zee dance instructors will present a dynamic performance Friday January 25, 2008 at 1:20 pm for all to experience!

Thanks to the Tarrytown K-6 Arts plan and Foundation for funding this wonderful residency. (Posted 1/15/08) 

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) 

Word Masters

Two students representing Washington Irving School recently won highest honors in this year’s WordMasters Challenge – a national language arts competition entered by over 230,000 students annually, which consists of three separate meets held at intervals during the school year.

Competing in the very difficult Gold Division of the Challenge, fifth grader, Jordan B. and sixth grader Katie C. both earned perfect scores in the year’s first meet, held in December.  In the entire country, only 163 fifth graders and 172 sixth graders achieved at this level.  Other students at the school who also achieved outstanding results included fourth graders Elizabeth S., Sere P., Zachary K., Zoe K., Nikhil S fifth graders Jason C., Heather B., Colin A., Mikey F; and sixth graders Lily S., MacKenzie H., Sam V. and Dhruv S.  The school’s students were coached in preparation for the Challenge by Karen Cook.

The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words (considerably harder than grade level), and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships.  Working to solve the Challenge analogies helps students learn to think both analytically and metaphorically.    (Posted 1/15/08) 

NYSUT Annual Food Drive

The NYSUT annual food drive, sponsored by the Teachers Association of the Tarrytowns, will run from January 22^nd to February 8^th.  Donations will support the Food Bank of Westchester County. Local food drive coordinator is Stephen Pitz. Click here for list of most needed items. You can reach Stephen Pitz at: spitz@tufsd.org. (Posted 1/14/08)

Winter Fun at Ms.Cristella’s Class Blog

Ms. Cristella's class invites you to embrace the wonders of winter by visiting our class blog.  In Writing Workshop we have been using revision strategies to enrich our writing. We’ve learned that the phrase “I’m done!” does not actually exist to a writer, because good authors can always go back and make their writing more interesting. We did just that and revised our winter poems using writerly devices such as dialogue, sound effects, sensory details, and strong adjectives. We hope that by reading the final products you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch all of the wonders of winter!  We also invite you to spend some time perusing our fun adaptations of The Polar Express.  As authors of creative fiction, we imagined what it would be like if the Polar Express stopped at OUR doorstop!  So, curl up with a mug of hot cocoa and enjoy "The Wonders of Winter..." (Posted 1/14/08)

"Write On"......

Prior to the New Year, Mrs. Osnow's class was asked to reflect upon their conception of an "Ideal Holiday". By choosing a topic with such universal appeal, the students were motivated to create captivating stories with vivid descriptions and rich vocabulary words. The most gratifying aspect of this assignment was observing students' progress as they successfully applied their acquired writing process skills (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing) in their stories which can be viewed by clicking here. (Posted 1/11/08)

Community Poems

The 2nd grade students have been studying the characteristics of different communities in social studies. At the conclusion of the unit, the children individually created poems describing the community of their choice. They each worked through the writing process to complete this assignment. The students in Mrs. Richardson's class typed, illustrated and recorded their poems to share with the world. We hope you enjoy reading and listening to our work! Click here to read our poems. (Posted 1/10/08)

“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)

Once Upon a Time …

The Kindergarten children at Tappan Hill School took a trip to Lyndhurst Castle recently to enjoy the Holiday Fairytale Exhibit.  Before the trip, the students were taught the various features of fairytales as a literature genre.  Teachers read some familiar and not so familiar fairytales to the children.  Children noticed that many of them begin ‘Once upon a Time’ and end ‘Happily ever after.’  It was also noted