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2005-2007 Tappan Hill News Archive
A Real Reason to Write
Just
like children all over the district, the Kindergartners at Tappan Hill
School practice writing during “Writers Workshop” every day. This month,
each child in Mrs. Blueglass’ class wrote a card to Ms. Milliam, our
Principal, for her birthday. Although the children write every day,
practicing a new word wall word, or a new writing strategy, this day they
had a really special reason to write. Making a birthday card for someone
that you care about is indeed a “real reason to write”! (Posted
11/11/2007)
Ff
is for Fire Safety
Kindergarten students are learning letters. The recent
focus on the letter F led to hearing books
on Fire Safety, fir e
trucks and fire fighters (in addition to ones about frogs, fish, fairies,
farms and fruit). On Friday,
the Tarrytown Fire Department came to Tappan Hill and brought their little
friend, Freddy the Fire truck. The children loved him as he drove around
the multi-purpose room talking to the children and sounding his siren. The
children listened to Lt. McCarthy talk about smoke detectors, leaving a
smoke filled area and Stop, Drop and Roll. The children watched Firefighter
Darryl (a
Tappan Hill alumnus) change from his regular clothing into a firefighter as
he put on his “turn out” clothing. A firefighter in full regalia can often
be a very frightening sight for children. Seeing a friendly, smiling face
gradually become a fully prepared firefighter allowed the children to begin
to understand that they are there to help. The children then went outside
to see the big fire
trucks (“Freddy’s brothers”). (Posted
10/15/2007)
The
Bus, The Bus, The B - U – S !!
Every September when the big yellow school buses begin to roll, everyone in
the community
 is
reminded that school is starting. Children stand at the corners waiting for
their bus. All the buses may be yellow, but the Tappan Hill buses have a
piece of paper in the window of their buses to tell the children which
yellow bus they are to ride on. TH 1 = pink, TH2 = yellow, TH3 = blue, TH4
= green, TH5 = purple, TH6 = red, TH7 = orange. Their driver will make sure
that they get to school safely and their monitor will help them along the
way. We have a bus drill early in September to teach the children about bus
safety. The most important thing being, that the children buckle their seat
belts. During the drill, the children are usually disappointed that we are
not going for a ride. The children will be taking many trips this year so
it is most important that they know the bus rules of safety and etiquette.
Our first trip will be to Stuart’s Farm to pick apples. A favorite song of
the children is “The Wheels on the Bus.” They seem to know all of the many
verses that exist. The children also love the Magic School Bus stories.
Most classes have a school bus in the room for the children to play with. At
Tappan Hill, when the children arrive in the morning, they line up in the
All-Purpose Room behind their teacher’s picture. At 8:00, an announcement
is made to start the day and they walk to their classrooms in the nicest of
lines. At dismissal, the children are taken to the all purpose room where
they sit in a line behind the color of their bus. As the buses arrive, the
children are brought out to their buses. (Posted
10/15/2007)
Dear Tappan Hill Families,
The summer is indeed a busy
time at Tappan Hill, as we eagerly prepare to receive our new students into
PreK and Kindergarten. Everyone is excitedly working to group students into
classes and gather informational materials to be included in packets that
will be mailed to you in August. Included in these packets will be your
child’s teacher’s name, bus schedule information, a school calendar for
September and other important details that you will need to know for
starting school.
I am pleased to inform you
that we have reinstated a kindergarten class, bringing us from 9 sections to
10. The decision to have this additional class was based on enrollment and
the commitment on the part of the district administration to keep the number
of students per class as close to twenty as possible. The teacher of the
“new class” is Ms. Jessica Ore, most recently a second grade at the Morse
School and, prior to that, an elementary E.S.L. teacher. She began her
career in the district at Tappan Hill School and is very happy to return and
work with kindergarten students once again.
Four additional SMARTboards
will be installed this summer. Their installation will make our school
completely equipped with a SMARTboard in every room! The SMARTboards are
interactive computer screens that enable teachers to enhance their lessons
with the use of technology. They can be used to support all curriculum
areas and are a wonderful addition to our instructional resources. Teachers
receiving them will be trained and ongoing staff development will be
provided for all teachers throughout the year to help teachers be maximally
effective.
We are looking forward to
establishing an early childhood center on the Fordham at Marymount Campus in
September. This facility will house our district Prekindergarten Program
and the Even Start Family Literacy Program. The classrooms are large and
bright with surroundings similar to those of Tappan Hill, lots of trees and
green, grassy areas. The building previously served as the Fordham Graduate
Center. Work will be done this summer to “convert” the space into an
attractive, child-centered and age appropriate space for our district’s
youngest students. We are optimistic that the work will be completed in
time for us to open school there in September. In the event that it is not,
one of the PreK classes will be temporarily assigned to the John Paulding
School and the other two will begin the year in the spaces they had at
Tappan Hill. Stay tuned . . . you will be informed as soon as plans are
finalized.
I hope that you are having
a wonderful summer and I know that you are looking forward to the first day
of school. I certainly am looking forward to a happy, busy and productive
2007-08 school year!
Sincerely,
Ms. M. Milliam
Principal (Posted
7/24/2007)
Tappan Hill Kindergarten Tackles the Still Life
After examining sixteenth century Dutch still life paintings, Tappan Hill's
kindergarten artists rendered
whimsical contemporary still life canvases. Creating compositions that
utilize the entire two-dimensional picture plane, the students used
pencils, paint sticks, and watercolor paints to bring life to inanimate
objects.
Looking at an actual still life set-up-- including an artist's mannequin,
animal masks, dishes, baskets, fruits and flowers--each student zoomed in on
a particular field of vision to recreate a fragment of the arrangement. The
refreshing results reveal how five
and six year old painters see what is before them.
Click here to view still life paintings.
(Posted 5/23/2007)
T-Ball Time at Tappan Hill
T-Ball was terrific for kindergarten students at
Tappan Hill. Each class met three times a week for two weeks. Learning to
swing at a ball is more than just fun, said physical educator Blair Moynahan.
Learning the basics of baseball teaches such valuable skills as handedness,
eye-hand coordination and, most important, safety considerations when
dealing with sporting equipment. (Posted
5/9/2007)
"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 a bright 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)
 Kindergarten
Students Visit Lyndhurst Castle Fairy Tale Exhibit
The children at Tappan Hill School took a trip to Lyndhurst Castle to enjoy
the Fairy Tale exhibit. Before the trip, the teachers had taught the
children some general truths about fairy tales. Most begin ‘Once Upon a
Time’. Most end ‘And they lived happily ever after.’ Most have a villain or
bad person in the story. Teachers talked about the beginning, middle and
end of a story. Teachers taught the students about setting and characters.
Many of the fairy tales took place in castle and many of the characters were
Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses. The exhibit was so magical! Eyes
and mouths were wide open. There were about twelve fairytales exhibited.
Each room was decorated in the theme of a particular story. The fact that
the exhibit took place at a real castle was like icing on the cake. After
the exhibit, the teachers continued to read more and more fairy tales. They
also did comparative literary studies of some. There are many cultural
versions of Cinderella, and the children were able to compare and contrast
them. Classes were able to graph their favorites also. If you missed the
exhibit, be sure to see it next year. The whole family will enjoy it.
(Posted 3/26/2007)
Dual Language Program Accepting Applications
The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns' Dual Language program will be
accepting applications for children entering Kindergarten in September of
2007. The Dual Language program provides students in grades K-4 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 a
child who will begin Kindergarten in September of 2007, and are interested
in learning more about the Dual Language program, please join us for one of
the parent information meetings listed below.~ Applications for the program
will be distributed at each meeting. Dates and Times:- March 20, 8 a.m.;
March 23, 8 a.m.; March 28, 6:00 p.m. - Location: Tappan Hill School, 50
Ichabod Lane, Tarrytown. (Posted 3/14/2007)
 Tap
Kids Hosts Tap Dance Residency
During the months of January and February, Tappan Hill School was fortunate
to participate in a Tap Dance Residency presented by Lisa Hopkins, Director
of Tap Kids Inc. Each class received three half hour sessions of tap during
their regularly scheduled Physical Education classes. Mr. Moynahan, our
Physical Education teacher, collaborated with Ms. Hopkins during each
class. The students enjoyed learning specific dance moves like “the
shuffle” and “the stomp.” The final lesson for each class included using
real tap shoes to experience tap dancing like the pros! (Posted
3/14/2007)
Parent Information Evening
When: Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 7:00 p.m.
Where: Tappan Hill school - All Purpose Room
Come and find out about
school philosophy, curriculum and programs.
Take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions.
Please .... Parents only!
Kindergarten Orientation
For the children by last name will be
held at the Tappan Hill School 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Thursday, May 31, 2007
(a-l)
Friday, June 1, 2007 (m-z)
Students
Celebrate Chinese New Year
The students at Tappan Hill School celebrated the Chinese New Year in many
different ways this year. On February 27, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu spoke to the
students during an assembly about some Chinese traditions. Ms. Corea, Mrs.
Garibaldi and Ms Yannuzzi’s classes marched in a Dragon Parade. Our Asian
students led the parade, dressed in traditional costumes, carrying banners
written in Chinese that said “Happy New Year.” Children learned how to say
Happy New Year in Mandarin and Cantonese. Parents of the students involved
were invited to join the festivities. Mrs. Garibaldi's class made Chinese
dumplings and graphed a chart showing which sauce each child liked best.
Other classes read books and learned how to write using “Chinese”
characters. (Posted 3/2/2007)
Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
Pre-Kindergarten
Applications are now being accepted for enrollment in the Pre-K program for September 2007.
Children who will be four years old on or
before December 1 and who reside in the Tarrytowns’ School District are
eligible to attend this half day program (2 ½ hours each day).
Applications are available at the Tappan Hill School, 50 Ichabod Lane, Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591.
Those interested must submit application documents to M. Milliam, Principal
Tappan Hill School. For more information, call 914 631-9252. (Posted
3/2/2007)
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)
Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
Pre-Kindergarten
Applications are now being accepted for enrollment in the Pre-K program for September 2007.
Children who will be four years old on or
before December 1 and who reside in the Tarrytowns’ School District are
eligible to attend this half day program (2 ½ hours each day).
Applications are available at the Tappan Hill School, 50 Ichabod Lane, Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591.
Those interested must submit application documents to M. Milliam, Principal Tappan Hill School.
For more information, call 914 631-9252. (Posted 1/2/2007)
Officer Phil Visits
Tappan Hill
For the first time, Officer Phil came and visited Tappan Hill students. He
captured the students’ attention with a magic show, puppetry, music and
jokes. The students were mesmerized and entertained by his performance.
Once he had their attention, he talked about different scenarios that the
students may have encountered. He also discussed what children should do if
a stranger ever approaches them; yell loudly, run and tell an adult.
This
presentation will be reinforced in individual classrooms with the “Good
Touches, Bad Touches” lessons that will be taught by our school psychologist
and social worker.
Parents, it is extremely
important that you discuss the potential dangers with your children,
including “strangers,” and ways to respond to various situations.
(Posted 1/18/2007)
 Tappan
Hill Art Gallery
Tappan
Hill’s kindergarten artists have been very busy this fall. Projects have
included collaborations with members of the Neighborhood House’s Wednesday
Painter’s Group; Tarrytown’s youngest artists worked side by side with more
senior members of our creative community! In addition, the children studied
architecture with a bus tour that included major neighborhood landmarks.
Two-dimensional projects have included mixed-media autumn leave collages
that highlight the moment when a drifting leaf lands upon its final
destination—a patch of grass, a puddle of rain, or a slippery roof. A study
in portraiture acquainted the students with correct proportion and placement
of facial features. This gallery of photos highlights Tappan Hill’s “Fall
Art 2006”! (Posted 1/4/2006)
 Family
Literacy Night
On Wednesday, November 29, 2006, the Tappan Hill Players (teachers)
completed their first Family Literacy night. A PowerPoint presentation run
by the clever, John Calvert, acted as a backdrop, as the staff took the
stage and performed a 6 act play that included interactive lessons on
phonemic awareness, chanting the letter-sound chart, shared reading, read-alouds,
guided reading, the writing process, spelling and a Spanish lesson performed
by one of the dual language teachers.
The
audience, a few of our own grown-up students (teachers) and Dr. Smith
recited tongue twisters (Billy Button bought a butter biscuit), guessed
names (b-a-th) and learned all about the reading, writing, speaking,
listening and spelling curricula.
Ms.
Milliam (narrator) ended the evening with an epilogue that empowered parents
to use the information they learned to help their child become proficient
readers and writers and explained that this was just one part of their
child’s rich, Kindergarten program. The narrator invited the audience to
look at the displays, take the many hand-outs and eat the “literacy” treats
supplied by the Tappan Hill players.
 The
Thanksgiving Feast
The Annual Tappan Hill Thanksgiving
Feast took place at Tappan Hill School on November 17, 2006. It was another
successful celebration joining parents, teachers and students. The students
created and made their own Native American costumes, and parents were
creative in dressing as the visiting Pilgrims. The feast consisted of
traditional American food as well as International specialties prepared by
the parents at home.
In preparation for this feast the students learned the history of the First
Thanksgiving, and learned first hand how to make some of the traditional
American foods that they were able to share at the feast. (Posted
12/1/2006)
 Technology
Alive and Well at Tappan Hill School
Bright eyes, sun kissed faces, waited expectantly for John Calvert, the district's new
K-3 technology integration specialist. But those waiting were not children … they were the
Tappan Hill teachers and teaching assistants! On the first day of school
they were the students. SMART Boards were being installed in three more
classrooms and a total of six classrooms are lucky enough to now have them.
Everyone was anxiously awaiting Mr. Calvert’s introduction to the
SMART Boards. He assisted all the staff in familiarizing themselves with the
incredible amount of math materials that he put into the SMART Notebook. Teachers
and assistants delighted in moving, enlarging, minimizing or grouping
virtual manipulatives. He is making the components of Growing with
Mathematics accessible for use on the SMART Board. Teachers are now
comfortable using this new technological tool but the children took to the
SMART Boards with the self-confidence of true techies! (Posted
11/15/2006)
 Sign
Language as a Link to Literacy in Kindergarten
American Sign Language (ASL) is being offered this year through a new
program at Tappan Hill School thanks to a generous grant from Verizon.
Every class will have 9 hours of sign language this year (18 half-hour
visits) which occur twice a month. Our lessons will include the entire
alphabet (finger spelling), site words, colors, family, foods (asking
“more”, “please” and “all done” with their food), animals, weather/calendar,
feelings and simple commands such as “stand up”, “sit down”, “jump”,
“kneel”, “dance”. All of the lessons will use ASL through storytelling,
music and games. The children will learn songs in sign language such as
“Row, Row, Row your Boat”, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, and original
songs designed for children to learn sign.
During the second half of the year, the children will begin to use finger
spelling to sound out words to help with their visual retention of sight
words and to help with the children’s decoding/phonics skills. In addition,
the teacher, Debra Aronson, will sign well-known stories such as “The Three
Little Pigs” and the children will learn how to pick out the parts of the
story and sign the story themselves.
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,
she incorporates what it means to be Deaf, Blind, and Deaf-Blind into the
lessons. The children will also be taught that although hearing and deaf
people use different languages to communicate, we are all the same on the
inside.
I am so excited that “Miss Debbie” is teaching this program to your
children and I really believe that it is beneficial to their learning
experience. Whether they are learning the signed manual alphabet preparing
them for reading and writing or singing and learning their colors in sign,
ASL is a wonderful tool…and loads of fun!
(Posted 11/8/2006)
 A
is for Apple and Aprons
Mr. Calandrucci, owner and chef of
Sunset Cove, came to his son’s class and brought all the materials and
ingredients (including aprons for the children) to make delicious chocolate
covered apples. The children had the opportunity to make their own tasty
apple, dip marshmallows and drizzle chocolate over pretzels. It was an
appetizing treat and a great learning experience!.
Apple Picking Trip to
Stuart's Apple Orchard
We had a prefect day for our trip to Stuart’s Apple Orchard. First, Mrs.
Stuart explained the apple sorter, cider press and the cold storage room.
This keeps the apples fresh. We each ate a Macoun apple. Very good!
Then, we proceeded to the apple trees. We had to walk a little distance but
then we found trees that were just right for us to reach up and pick our own
apples. Parents came to help out and helped to make this a great day. Back
at school, Science, Math, and Literacy activities centered around the apples
that had been picked. (Posted 11/7/2006)
Foundation Book Day
The Foundation For The Public
Schools Of The Tarrytowns
invites
Tappan Hill School parents and students To Foundation Book Day Friday,
October 20th, at 8:30 a.m. at Tappan Hill School.
Come
join us on Foundation Book Day where the Foundation presents a book to each
Kindergarten child, to welcome the student to the Public Schools of the
Tarrytowns. Listen to the book, Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, come
alive as we read it aloud to the students in Tappan Hill’s multi-purpose
room.
Delicious fall treats of donuts and apple cider will be served in the
children’s classrooms thanks to the EPTA of the Tarrytowns. For more
information, please contact Katharine Swibold or Shelly Colley at 366-8457
or email
Foundation "at" tufsd.org. (Replace "at" with @ and remove
spaces). (Posted 10/13/2006)
 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)
 Public Schools of the Tarrytowns Universal
Pre-Kindergarten
Applications are now being accepted for enrollment in the Universal
Pre-K program that is being planned for September 2006, subject to final
approval from the State Department of Education.
Children who will be four years old on or
before December 1 and who reside in the Tarrytowns’ School District are
eligible to attend this half day program (2 ½ hours each day) at Tappan Hill
School.
Enrollment will be limited to 36 students due
to the level of funding from the NYS Dept. of Education. It may become
necessary, therefore, to select according to a lottery process should
applications exceed that number.
Those interested must submit application
documents by August 11 to M. Milliam, Principal Tappan Hill School, 50
Ichabod Lane, Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591
Applications are available on the district
website,
www.tufsd.org. They can also be obtained at the following locations:
Tappan Hill School, The Office of Central Registration (Administration
Bldg.), The Warner Library, The Life Center (Beekman Ave.) and The Even
Start Office.
Click
here for registration
form. Click here to view updates and
frequently asked questions. For more information, call Ms. M. Milliam at 914 631-9252.
 Kindergarteners
Learn About How Books Are Made
Pat
Schories, the author/illustrator of the “Biscuit” and “Jack”
books, came to Tappan Hill on Wednesday to speak to the children.
She presented a slide show which included pictures of her studio,
materials and tools, and three of her books, Jack and the Missing
Piece, Jack and the Night Visitors and Biscuit Goes to
School. She also showed
the children the steps in the production of a book. She began by showing some sketches, a watercolor, a book
layout and the final folding to make the book.
It was very interesting. The
best part of having Pat Schories visit however, was the inspiration that
she provided to the students. They
loved the idea of “wordless” books and the fact that an entire story
can be told through pictures. The children went back to their classes and
began illustrating their own books, having them stapled and then reading
them to their classmates. They
were very excited … but teachers are thrilled! (posted 5/26/2006)
Applications for 2006-2007 Pre-K and
Outreach Programs Now Available
The Public Schools of the
Tarrytowns will be accepting applications for the 2006-2007 PreK and
Outreach Programs beginning February 1, 2006.
PreK is a 2 ½ hour 4 day Program.
Children eligible for PreK need to be four years old on or before
December 1, 2006 and be residents of the Tarrytowns’ School District.
They must meet the guidelines established by the New York State
Department of Education, which are based on the child’s needs,
family’s needs and family income.
Our Outreach Program meets once a week on Friday mornings.
Children who turn three on or before December 1, 2006 are eligible
and attend with their parent or caregiver if they meet the qualifications.
Transportation and a nutritious lunch are provided for both programs.
Enrollment in PreK and Outreach is very limited.
Filling out an application does not guarantee a child’s
acceptance. Applications are
available at:
Tappan Hill School
50 Ichabod Lane
Tarrytown, NY
10591
Phone # 631-2185
 Dual
Language Program Applications - Fall 2006
The
Public Schools of the Tarrytowns’ Dual
Language program will
be accepting applications
for children entering Kindergarten
in September of 2006. The
Dual Language program
provides
students
in Grades K-4 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
THE
DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM:
-
provides
students the opportunity to learn in two languages: English and
Spanish
-
provides
a 50-50 balance of native English speakers and native Spanish speakers
-
integrates
children from both language groups for most academic instruction
-
uses
each language, Spanish and English, for 50% of the academic
instruction
-
provides
instruction in native language arts for both groups of children
-
strives
for academic excellence
If
you are the parent of an incoming Kindergarten child and are interested in
receiving additional information on the Dual Language program, please join
us for one of the INFORMATION SESSIONS listed below.
Applications for the program will be distributed at each session.
(Click here to
view information in Spanish).
| Wednesday,
March 29th |
8:00
–8:45 a.m. |
Tappan
Hill School |
| Friday,
March 31st |
8:00-8:45
a.m. |
Tappan
Hill School |
| Wednesday,
April 5th |
6:00-6:45
p.m. |
Tappan
Hill School |
| (Posted
2/8/2006) |
|
|
 Sing
About Martin!
The students at Tappan Hill School
were recently introduced to a man whom they knew very little about, but
after the stories, the songs, and the speeches, they knew him
well…Martin Luther King, Jr. We
sang a wonderful ‘call and response’ song called ‘Sing About
Martin’ and the ‘We Shall Overcome’ chant. We talked about his life
and his dream. Students
learned about the march on Washington and its historic significance.
We read poetry from the “Teaching Tolerance” educational
program and discussed “likes and differences.”
Students will be learning about many African Americans during Black
History Month (February) and throughout the school year. We will be
explaining ‘slavery’ and the ‘underground railroad’ that passed
through our community of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.
The children think, at first, that we are talking about the trains
and tracks that run along the Hudson River but are fascinated to learn the
distinction. The
children will be told the story of Rosa Parks and acknowledge the many
tributes to her after her recent death.
The children will also see the video story of Ruby Bridges.
They are always able to relate to her because she was just their
age when she attempted to go to school. Music is an important part of
every culture. The children
will be introduced to a variety of African American music styles:
spirituals, blues, jazz, folk, and R & B or “soul” music.
The art classes will focus on well-known Black artists such as
Romare Bearden (collage) and photos of the Harlem Renaissance (Van Der
Zee).
We cherish, learn about and celebrate the diversity in our school,
community and world! (Posted 2/1/2006)
 Busy
Winter
The students at Tappan Hill School
took a trip to the Tarrytown Music Hall to see the Nutcracker Ballet in
December. The children loved
it! The music, costumes and scenery were beautiful. Back in the classroom,
the children sang the songs and danced the dance.
One of their favorite characters was the Snow Queen who danced to
the Waltz of the Snowflakes. The ballet theater experience was coordinated
with the dance residency presented
by Annie Church, a dancer/instructor with the Tappan Zee Dance Group.
Ms. Church collaborated with Blair Moynahan, the Physical Education
teacher, who will integrate into his program what the students learned
about dance and movement.
The month of January, the classes are studying the season of winter.
Learning about weather is a module in our Science curriculum.
We are discussing the properties of water and examining snowflakes.
We are wearing outdoor clothing and learning these words in Spanish. We
read Jan Brett’s books The Mitten and The Hat and compared them. We
looked at the differences between mittens and gloves.
We are learning to tell the difference between our right and left
hands and discovered that the left hand actually makes the letter L. We
are learning about winter sports and will be watching them at the winter
Olympics in February. We are
hoping to see snow again so we can make snow angels, build snowmen and
sled on the hill. (Posted
2/1/2006)
 Tappan
Hill Students Learn to Use the SMART Board!
This year Tappan Hill
School received three grant funded SMART Boards from the Foundation of the
Public Schools of the Tarrytowns. The students, as well as the teachers, are all very excited
about this new form of technology available to us at Tappan Hill.
Prior to receiving the SMART Boards, many teachers enrolled in
classes and workshops to better educate themselves on the uses of the SMART
Board. Teachers are bringing
their students into the classes that have the SMART Boards so that all
students can have the experience of working with them. It is apparent that
the students are really enjoying discovering the “magic” of the SMART
Boards. Their faces light up as
they use them and they make comments like:
“It’s fun!” “You can write words!” “I like it because we
can write words on it.” “I like playing games on the SMART Board.”
The SMART Boards are also being used during staff meetings and staff
development workshops. A
special THANK YOU goes out to the Foundation of the Public Schools of the
Tarrytowns for making this fantastic learning experience possible at Tappan
Hill School. (Posted 1/27/2006)
 Tappan
Hill Dedicates New Playgrounds
Recess is an important part of the kindergarten day.
It’s a time when children can run, jump, climb and engage freely
in imaginative play with peers.
Children at Tappan Hill now have new, colorful, state-of-the-art
play equipment to inspire them -- and make recess a little bit safer.
Thanks to a gift from The Foundation for the Public Schools of the
Tarrytowns, there are two new play areas.
On December 13, the new playgrounds were dedicated.
Foundation President Katharine Swibold cut the ribbons.
Superintendent Howard Smith and Board of Education President Mimi
Godwin joined Tappan Hill Principal Michele Milliam along with the entire
school faculty and students for the festivities.
The EPTA generously provided refreshments - warm cider and baked
goods, perfect for the unexpected snow that arrived just before the
dedication ceremony! (Posted 1/25/2006)
 It
takes a Whole Village to Raise a Child
At Tappan Hill, the whole staff (village) will be participating in a program to
further enrich the learning of every child in our care.
We will be exposing the children to numerous and varied experiences that address the multiple intelligences and expand on the enriching activities that
already occur at Tappan Hill.
For
our enrichment program, we chose to focus on the countries, languages, and
cultures of Europe. Throughout the
year at Tappan Hill, as part of our Social Studies curriculum, children are
provided with culturally enriching experiences relating to Latin America, the
Carribean, Africa, and Asia. Realizing
the importance of the European influence on American culture, we chose to
highlight that continent in our school-wide enrichment program. Through the various activities, children will have
experiences in using their Visual/Spatial, Verbal/Linguistic,
Logical/Mathematic, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Musical/Rhythmic, Interpersonal, and
Intrapersonal intelligences.
Among
the activities that the children will experience will be: Hopscotch and Gods
and Planets from Ancient Rome, Sign Language and music from France, Woodworking
from Switzerland, Denmark’s Hans Christian Anderson’s stories and Spain’s
Pablo Picasso’s art , Faberge Eggs from Russia, Music and dance from England,
Spain, Germany and Italy, Mosaics from Italy and tile making from Portugal,
trolls from Norway, Belgian waffles, Pilates from Germany and gymnastics from
Greece.
 Dr. Smith Reads to
Kindergarteners
Once again this year, our
superintendent, Dr. Smith (better known to the children as Dr. Seuss) came
to Tappan Hill to read to the Kindergarten children.
Every year he asks that the teacher pick out a book for him to read
to the class and he reads it sight unseen.
The children are in awe of this.
How did he do that? Must
be because he had a great kindergarten experience himself!
He read a variety of books to a variety of children.
He reads with expression and they love that. He knows just how to
read to children. If time
allows (he is on a pretty tight schedule – a class every fifteen
minutes) there are questions and answers and some discussion.
He read a favorite book of Tappan Hill students and teachers called
The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell.
The story itself is a gift as is our Superintendent’s time to us!
 Pumpkin
Harvest
The Kindergarten students at Tappan Hill School celebrated ‘the pumpkin’ on
October 31st. The
children were well engaged with activities that heralded the harvest.
They measured the circumference of a pumpkin after guesstimating which
string would fit around it. They
guessed whether it would sink or float. It
floated! (much to their surprise.) They guessed how much the pumpkin weighed
and then we had the nurse weigh it for us.
They counted the lines on the pumpkin.
We carved the pumpkin, dug out the ‘goop,’ planted some seeds, baked
some seeds and ate some seeds. They did lots of arts and crafts about the
pumpkin and will be eating pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. The children did not
miss celebrating “Halloween” in school at all.
 Spinning
with Rabbit Fur
The Pre Kindergarten and Kindergarten students at Tappan Hill School had a
wonderful experience on November 9th.
Halyna Shepko-Hamilton, from the Shawangunk Ridge Farm in New Paltz, came
to school with her angora rabbits. She
showed us how she spins yarn from the fur of her rabbits.
Her family is from the Ukraine and raising angora rabbits is a family
tradition. The rabbit just sits on
her lap as she draws the fur from the rabbit to the spinning wheel that she
works with her feet. The rabbit is
not hurt and is raised for the sole purpose of making yarn. It is not necessary
to kill the rabbit for it’s fur. She
showed the children things that she had made from the yarn … sweaters, hats,
scarves and baby booties. She also spoke to the children about the natural ways
she colors/dyes the yarn. She uses
golden rod, black walnuts and berries. They were surprised to find out that
Kool-aid is used! The children were able to pet the rabbits and they thought
that they were the softest things that they had ever felt.
 Fire
Prevention Month
The Tappan Hill children were visited by the Tarrytown Fire Department in
October in recognition of Fire Prevention Month.
The children were told of ways to prevent fires from starting and what
to do in the event of a fire. If
your house is on fire, get out. If
your clothes are on fire Stop, Drop, Cover and Roll.
Back in the classroom the teachers talked about the importance of an
escape plan. The children were
also reminded to have Smoke Detectors in their homes.
The highlight of the visit was that the fire trucks were parked right
outside. Each child was given a
bright red fire hat and then shown the trucks.
We took pictures with Chief Lennox, whose two children attend our
school. The children loved the new
Blue fire truck. Then the
highlight of highlights was when Ms. Milliam was lifted ‘up to the sky’ in
the bucket that is used to rescue residents of tall buildings. She was probably
happy to be up there where no-one could bother her. She was actually able to
admire Tappan Hill’s new roof. From a distance the roof looks very good (it
has kept out the rain too.) .
 Tappan
Hill visits Stone Barns
The Kindergarten children at Tappan Hill School visited Stone Barns Center for
Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills during the month of October.
We had beautiful weather for a trip to the farm.
We experienced “Fall on the Farm”
The classes were divided into two and taken on a walking tour of the
farm. The children saw turkeys
(they didn’t expect them to be thin and white,) chickens, sheep, horses, cows
and pigs. The children expected
the pigs to be pink and have curly tails.
They were big and black. Some
of the animals walked with us because they got out of the fence.
The turkeys came to greet us because they thought that we were going to
feed them. We sang Old McDonald
(Old Mr. Rockefeller) and had a wonderful walk.
We also walked through the Green House and learned all about planting,
growing and harvesting the garden. The
children were able to smell many of the herbs and spices that are grown there.
We were able to take this trip and go back again for Spring on the Farm through
a Foundation grant. We were very
grateful. It was an experience
that so many of our children have never had.
They actually saw the cow that produces milk, cream, butter, cheese and
ice cream. You mean it doesn’t
come from the store?
 Apple
Picking at Stuart Farms
The Kindergarten students at Tappan
Hill School took a trip to Stuart’s Farm (way up north) for
an apple picking experience. Mrs. Stuart graciously received us, as she does every year.
She showed the children how the apples are sorted, and stored.
The children are amazed at the size and temperature of the
refrigerator. After an
explanation of the process (how the apple gets from the tree to the
market) we head to the orchard. We
can pick from any tree that we like. Each child picked and ate an apple
right from the tree! That was a real treat. Each child picked a bag for $3.00.
Parents were invited to attend.
They picked the ‘up high apples’ and helped to carry the heavy
bags. The weather was
different each day. Some
stayed for a picnic, others picnicked back at school.
There were a lot of bees but we were not too bothered by them.
Back at school we did many, many activities with the apples that we
had picked. We counted,
graphed, sorted, baked, cooked, sectioned, found the star, and read Johnny
Appleseed, of course.
 5,4,3,2,1…Countdown
to Growing With Mathematics!
After piloting the new math
program Growing With Mathematics for
one year we have begun to implement this program in
all classes at Tappan Hill School. This is a hands-on, inquiry-based
curriculum that addresses the NCTM standards, is recognized by the
National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department
of Education, presents children with problems relevant
to the student’s lives and gives them many opportunities to construct
meaning through interactions with others. The program
is chocked full with manipulatives (pattern blocks, dice, a variety of
counters, three dimensional shapes, scales, and magnets), posters, songs,
games, arts and crafts projects and big books to help make the literature
connection. This program has been proven to be successful
in meeting the needs of all learners by providing an excellent balance of
challenging math concepts and problem solving
skills. Each child loves being an active participant
in his or her own learning!
 ESL
Parent Night
On Wednesday, June 1st,
Mrs. Afonso and Mrs. Almogabar presented a workshop for parents of Tappan
Hill ESL students.
The workshop focused on how to help children during the summer
months.
The parents made a list of places they could take their children to
during the summer in Tarrytown and the surrounding areas.
The teachers distributed globes and beach buckets filled with
paint, chalk and pencils to all the participants.
Our parents were extremely grateful for the three workshops
presented during the year.
All of our workshops have been sponsored by the Tarrytown Family
Center.
 Westchester
Philharmonic "A String Thing" visits Tappan Hill
Tappan Hill School welcomed musicians from the Westchester Philharmonic on
May 3rd and 4th to perform their program, “A
String Thing.” Led by Tim
Kiah on the double bass named “Peggy,” the group consisted of a
guitar, double bass, violin, and mandolin.
The students were able to get up close and personal with these
beautiful instruments and sing along with some of the music.
Guitar player Jordan Shapiro composed original music set to poems
by Shel Silverstein, and the group also played classical pieces by Bach
and Mozart. This program was a wonderful supplement to the kindergarten
music program that emphasizes the families and instruments of the
orchestra.
 Tappan
Hill visits the Magic Sky Show at the Hudson River Museum
Thanks to a generous grant, the children of Tappan Hill recently had the
opportunity to attend the Magic Sky Show at the Hudson River Museum.
While in the Planetarium, the children put their imaginations into
action. Mr. Taylor, the
Planetarium director, guided them as they painted the sky blue using their
imaginary paint and created the daytime sky on the domed ceiling overhead.
With the magic of lights, the children saw the sky change to create the
illusion of various types of weather. The
children even felt drops of water during the rainstorm.
It was a mystery to them how that could happen.
As the storm came to an end, the children found a beautiful rainbow
stretching across the sky. What a
treat! Then the sky darkened as
the Planetarium sun set and stars began to appear in the night sky. The children saw the moon in all of its phases.
They learned about the three planets that are visible in the night sky;
Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. They
saw many constellations including the Big Dipper, Leo the Lion, Scorpio, and
Cancer the Crab. The children put
on their imaginary space suits, counted down from 10, and blasted into outer
space. After landing on the moon,
they were able to look back at our planet Earth.
They returned to Earth and mistakenly landed at the snowy North Pole,
but they were able to blast off again for home.
The experience came to a close as the morning sun rose in the sky again.
This planetarium experience gave the Tappan
Hill students the opportunity to combine many areas and topics of learning
including math, meteorology, and astronomy in a creative, multi-sensory
format. Through the magic of
theater and technology utilizing light, color, and sound, the students had
a truly enriching experience. They
were exposed to a wealth of new vocabulary and concepts.
The children’s experience was further enriched in their own
classrooms. They
participated in a variety of hands-on activities and shared in the reading
of stories such as Our Stars by Anne Rockwell, Me and My Place
in Space by Joan Sweeney, and Star Shapes by Peter Malone.
This was one of the many wonderful multi-disciplinary, enriching
experiences that the children at Tappan Hill enjoyed this year.
 The
Bronx Zoo comes to Kindergarten through Videoconferencing
Many
adults and children enjoy going to the Bronx Zoo.
With today’s technological advances, our experiences with the zoo
can now be brought into the classroom.
During the month of March, Tappan Hill students learned about
animal colors, how they move and how they get their meals. The students also learned how to play a part in
videoconferencing. The students learned how to ask relevant questions
about animals by interacting with the screen.
This project was inspired by a course that Ms. Tonya Dimmie and
Mrs. Benita Afonso took through the Rockland Teachers Center.
The
videoconference was facilitated by Erin Fitzgerald at the Bronx Zoo.
The lessons were extremely interactive requiring the students to
look for certain colors around the room that matched the animals shown on
the screen. The students also
played a matching game linking predator to prey and male to female
animals. They were very
enthusiastic about learning about predators, prey, and had many questions
about the animals.
Ms.
Dimmie and Mrs. Afonso included other Tappan Hill teachers in the Video
Conference experience. Everyone
enjoyed learning something new about technology and was pleased by the
outcome of the project. As a
culmination project, the students wrote letters to Erin asking questions
about other animals.
It
is very exciting to expose our students to today’s technology.
We look forward teaching another unit of study that incorporates
Video Conferencing next year.
 ESL
Parents and Students Attend Math and Science Workshop
On
March 10th, Mrs. Afonso gave a workshop for the parents of Tappan Hill ESL
students on math and science strategies.
The parents learned that science and math have a purpose in the
classroom and at home. The
parents also realized that there are always scientific changes that are
happening at home and they now know strategies about how to discuss it
with their children. The
workshop was filled with many fun hands-on activities such as how to make
bubbles, playdough, and flubber. The
parents were amazed on how to make learning fun.
The
materials prepared for the workshop were explained and distributed to the
parents. At the end, the
parents took away wonderful bags filled with the hands on activities that
were presented at the workshop.
The
parents were extremely grateful for the workshop presented and look
forward to the next session in May.
Tappan Hill School Celebrates
Carnaval
It
was a festive occasion on February 4th!
The Kindergarten English Language Learners from Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu,
Ms. Dimmie, Ms. Corea, Ms. Yannuzzi, Mrs. Garibaldi and Mrs. Afonso’s
classes participated in a Carnaval Parade.
There are many students at Tappan Hill School whose families are
from the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe where
Carnaval is an important celebration.
A
brief explanation of Carnaval was presented by Mrs. Afonso.
The students and teachers in the parade
wore
colorful masks and costumes.
They carried large puppets that they had made in class.
All the Kindergarten students made masks to wear for the
celebration. The students marched around the All-Purpose Room throwing
confetti in the air as joyous music played in the background. Tappan Hill
students and parents enjoyed learning about Carnaval and participating in
the festivities!
 Tappan
Hill Outreach Program
The “Outreach Program” at Tappan Hill is an introduction to school for
the Tarrytowns’ eligible three year olds and their families. It is also
a parent education program. Parents are required to attend each session
with the children. Classes are held on Friday mornings from 9:30 to 12:00.
The Outreach Program
provides enriching activities that the students and parents participate in
together.
At the onset of the year, the program
develops into a family-like atmosphere. Each week a different parent
brings a meal that we share together (many recipes are traded!) In
addition, a hot meal is provided by the school to each student. Chicken
nuggets are a big hit with this group.
We even had our first trip this year. We
traveled to Purchase College to see the performance of “Alice in
Wonderland” that featured students from our own district. We were
fortunate enough to have front row seats, although some of the students
didn’t spend much time in them, they were to busy dancing along to the
production.
This program has proved to be a stepping
stone for students before they begin Pre-kindergarten in September.
 Officer
Phil Helps Kindergarten Students Learn About Safety
The
Tappan Hill School students learned about the importance of "staying
safe" during a presentation by Steve Taylor from the Creative Safety
Program. He captured the
children's attention with music, magic and ventriloquism.
Through his puppet, Officer Phil, the children were taught
important information about crossing the street, avoiding strangers and
bullying. The essential points of the program were reinforced through a
coloring book that each child was given to take home. Parents are urged to discuss the importance of "staying
safe" and can use the coloring book to guide discussions.
Public Speaking in Kindergarten
Being comfortable while speaking in
front of a group is one
of the most intimidating activities anyone can confront.
By beginning in Kindergarten in a “safe” environment, children
are calmer and more relaxed and
they are having fun. After
reading Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop by Meilo So, Mrs. de Barros’s
class listed the characters and sequence of events in this amusing story
of a greedy cat. Mrs. de
Barros had scanned the drawings of the characters and had them ready for a
class production. The
children reviewed lines to be spoken.
They adapted language to suit them (Nosey Old Woman became Mean Old
Lady and 500 little cakes became 500 cupcakes).
Props were added and the production was on!
The children enjoyed playing a variety of roles, including audience
members (after all, what is a play without audience applause!).
The children had so much fun that they are looking forward to
adapting another piece of literature for a theatrical presentation!
Pre-K and Outreach Program
Applications
The Public Schools of the
Tarrytowns will be accepting applications for the 2005-2006 Pre-K and
Outreach programs beginning Monday, January 3, 2005.
Pre-K is a 4 day a week 2 1/2 hour day pre-kindergarten program.
Children eligible for Pre-K need to be four years old on of before
December 1, 2005 and be residents of the Tarrytowns School District. They
must also meet the guidelines established by the New York State Department
of Education which are based on the child's needs, family's needs and
family income.
Our Outreach program meets once a week on Friday mornings. Children
who turn three on or before December 1, 2005 are eligible to attend with
their parent or caregiver.
Transportation and a nutritious lunch are provided in both programs.
Enrollment in Pre-K and Outreach is very limited, therefore filing out an
application does not guarantee your child's acceptance.
Applications are available at:
Tappan Hill School
50 Ichabod Lane.
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Phone # 631-2185
 Second
Step/Character Education
On
Wednesday, November 24, 2004, The Tappan Hill Staff and the Morse Staff
received an Overview of The Second Step/ Character Education Curriculum.
Nancy Kimmel, from The Westchester Jewish Community Service, trained the
Staff.
Second
Step is a character education program, which was piloted at The Washington
Irving School in the 2003-2004 Academic Year. The program is
in its second year at Washington Irving. Second Step is a character
education curriculum that helps children change the attitudes and
behaviors that contribute to violence. It teaches social-emotional
skills to reduce impulsive and aggressive behaviors in children. Skills
such as empathy, impulse control, problem solving and anger management are
taught through this curriculum by the classroom teachers. Research
has proven that this curriculum is effective in reducing physical and
verbal aggression.
Tappan
Hill School Celebrates Thanksgiving
Tappan
Hill School celebrated Thanksgiving this year with a traditional
Thanksgiving Feast that took place on Friday, November 19. The
children made placemats and centerpieces for the tables and dressed in
costumes that they created themselves. The children also prepared many of
the traditional side dishes, including home made butter! Parents were
invited to participate and share the delightful variety of foods that were
available. The event was a huge success and a wonderful learning
experience thanks to the Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Class Parents, All
Parents!
Students Study Architecture
 Tappan
Hill's kindergarten students spent the months of October and November learning
about our community. Art lessons in architecture exposed the children to
the structural elements that grant buildings their style. Within weeks,
the children were drawing blueprints and building block structures replete with
arches, columns, domes, and rose windows. A Tarrytown bus tour provided
the culminating experience when the kindergarteners came face to face with the
noteworthy buildings that make our community the beautiful place that it is.
Stopping at a pink Victorian "painted lady" house to admire the
gingerbread detailing or gazing at the neoclassical columns of Marymount
College, the children were dazzled by the local beauty we encounter every day.
 Kindergarten
Classes Create Floral Paintings with Senior Citizens
Discovering that
"community" is not only a place but also a state of mind and
caring, the children of Mrs. Thomas' and Mrs. Quinn's class, along with
the children of Mrs. Garibaldi's and Mrs. Rosario's class, collaborated
with members of the Tarrytown Neighborhood House's painting group. The
Tarrytowns' youngest artists enjoyed the guidance of the community's most
experienced senior artists. Working on a floral project, inspired by
the up-close flower portraits of Georgia O'Keefe, both groups expressed a
passionate creative spirit through bright strokes of color. Looking at
actual flowers, the artists rendered magnified views of mums, daisies, and
carnations. The results are exuberant tributes to botanical beauty. (Click
here to see more photos).
 Family Scarecrows
Creating projects at home with our
families is such a rewarding and valuable experience.
At Tappan Hill, we encourage families to create special projects
together at home and send them in for us to share here at school.
This gives children the opportunity to present something very
special to their classes in a “Show and Tell” manner.
Then, “Family Projects” brighten our hallways in special
displays that show a great deal of creativity and originality.
Mrs. Magliano’s students and Mrs. Thomas’ students made special
“Scarecrows” with their families.
The families each used unique and different materials to decorate
the scarecrows and the children had a wonderful time sharing their
memories of the experience with their classmates.
The scarecrows are currently decorating the hallway at Tappan Hill
between the two classrooms.
 ESL Parent Workshop
On
Wednesday, November 10th, Mrs. Afonso and Ms. Almogabar presented a
workshop for parents of Tappan Hill ESL students on introducing strategies
for building literacy skills.
This workshop was sponsored by The Tarrytown Family Center.
The teachers shared and distributed information and materials that
they had created.
The materials are extremely useful in reinforcing skills that are
being taught in the classroom.
At the end of the presentation, the parents took home packets of
materials that they may use with their children.
The parents were also given bilingual picture dictionaries donated
from The Family Center.
Our parents were extremely grateful for the workshop presented and
they look forward to many workshops in the near future.
 Fire
Awareness Week
The children learned about fire safety
and firefighters during Fire Awareness Week. The Tarrytown Fire Department
showed the children a film on fire safety. The children were then able to get
up close to a real hook and ladder truck and see what equipment is in the
truck. Then they saw the ladder extend way up and a fire fighter climb
way up, about four stories!
During gym, Mr. Moynahan extended the experience by giving them the opportunity
to use their imaginations outside playing “Firefighter.” First he explained
not “to call out fire. It is important to let the Chief know by saying ‘We
see trouble.” The children then crouched and used their imaginary fire hoses
to take care of the trouble.
He also had them do a Firefighter Challenge Course which incorporated “stop,
drop and roll,” and crawling under imaginary smoke.
 PUMPKINS,
PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS!!!
The children in Ms. Dimmie, Ms.
Guzman and Ms. Afonso’s class have been learning about pumpkins. The
unit consisted of math and science activities, many art projects, and a
variety of literature relating to the
topic. The students learned how to make educated guesses about the weight
and circumference of their pumpkins, how many lines they thought the
pumpkins had, and an in depth lesson on the properties of sinking and
floating. The students also learned how a pumpkin grows. They were amazed
to find out that a pumpkin begins as a gold colored flower before it turns
into a green pumpkin and then finally an orange pumpkin. Overall the
children had a great time experimenting
with pumpkins during this harvest season. The culminating
activity was carving the pumpkin, roasting the seeds, and celebrating the
season with our Autumn Party last Friday.
Message From the
Principal – September 2004
Welcome to Tappan Hill School, your child’s first public
school experience. 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. Please 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. These
visits will take place during the first two weeks of school (see calendar).
Plan to come to school throughout the year, visit and participate. Research
has shown that there is a high correlation between parent involvement and
student achievement!
Each year I am equally
excited about the incoming classes. This year I am looking forward to
welcoming the large number of siblings of former students. There will be so
many families that I already know! I am certain that this will be a
wonderful year full of joy, discovery, learning and fun!
Ms. Michele Milliam
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