Mrs. Gonzalez’s fifth grade Dual Language Social Studies class at the Washington Irving School, along with Ms. Corea’s and Mrs. Praino’s Kindergarten Dual Language classes at Tappan Hill, were able to read to each other using Skype. With assistance from technology teacher, Ms. O’Brien, the children read to each other in both English and Spanish. Laughter could be heard on both sides while students appreciated the text read by their cyber-guests. Plans are being made to connect with other countries for opportunities to share languages and cultures with children around the world. (Posted 5/31/09)

Holi Hai!

Mrs. Pearlman’s and Ms. Ore’s classes celebrated the Indian spring festival of Holi last week. The 40 students were treated to a reading of the origins of the Holi story, which is one of the most high-spirited of the Hindu holidays. They were able to pass around various crafts from India like Indian dolls and ornate, embroidered saris, and watch a Bollywood Holi dance number on Youtube. Everyone who wanted one was able to get a temporary henna tattoo and forehead decoration called a bindi. The grand finale had students throwing colored shredded paper at each other in the gym (instead of the traditional colored water -- too messy!), and celebrate in the uninhibited spirit of the holiday. Our students of Indian origin, Arya Glenn, Anya Puri, Arghya Roy and Maya Weitzen, were joined by mothers and aunts, Mini Dhingra, Mangala Narasimhan, San/dhya Narasimhan, and Mrinalini Rajwar. Both classes enjoyed the festivities thoroughly. Holi Hai! (Posted 5/18/09)

GO GREEN Week at Tappan Hill

Tappan Hill enjoyed being a part of the district-wide Go Green week. Throughout the school, everyone focused on the many things that we can do to help take care of our Earth. We made a huge banner that hung in the hallway and added one letter to the word GREEN each day.

G – We talked about what living things need to grow the importance of keeping the land, the air, and the water clean to keep our Earth green.

R – We talked about recycling. We read the story Michael Recycle and thought of ways that we can all be recycling heroes. We can all reduce, reuse, and recycle to help our Earth.

E – We celebrated Earth Day! We all went outside and had a special ceremony with representatives from the Double Tree Hotel. Each class received seeds for Spruce trees which we have planted and are caring for in our classrooms. We started a number of special Earth projects which we continued to work on throughout the week.

E – We said that every day can be Earth Day! We need to take care of our Earth each and every day and do our part to help the environment. We talked a lot about plants and what they need to grow.

N – We talked about nurturing nature and protecting the natural habitats of animals. We made a list of all the different things we can do to help our Earth and saved our good ideas in our Earth books.

It was a great GREEN week! We learned that taking care of our Earth is up to all of us and there are many things we can all do to help! We also learned that we need to treat every day as Earth Day! (Posted 5/12/09)

Young and Older Together

On Wednesday, April 15th, Mrs. Magliano’s, Mrs. Thomas’ and Mrs. Blueglass’ classes enjoyed a collaborative art project with the Tarrytown's Neighborhood House Senior Painting Club. The children and adults worked side by side and rendered beautiful watercolor paintings by observing actual spring flowers. Young and older shared laughter as well as all the joy that creativity brings! The intergenerational get-together granted all the opportunity to create in the spirit of Georgia O'Keefe! Everyone had a wonderful time! (Posted 4/26/09)

YES, WE CAN!

In honor of African American History Month, Tappan Hill kindergarten students did the unthinkable --for such young students only 5-6 years of age!!! They re-created an image of President Obama in a larger than life format. The children were given one inch squares that were originally part of a 10 inch square photo of the President. Teams of two worked together, using oil pastels, to render a one inch square image upon a 12 inch square sheet of paper. The children had to learn difficult and complicated math concepts in order to enlarge the fragment. Math manipulatives were invented just for the project. Moreover, in the spirit of President Obama's message, all of the kindergarten students had to cooperate and work together in order to create a successful outcome! Children were paired by the instructor; children who do not typically play together were partnered. Pairings placed children of diverse backgrounds and experiences together. The children completed the work in their classrooms during the scheduled art time. They had the guidance of the Art teacher, and ALL work was student rendered. The results astounded the instructor, Ms. Harrison, as well as the Principal, Ms. Milliam. We would like to share this achievement with the public to prove that anything can happen if there are no preconceived limitations or parameters that are artificially set. Children can do anything if the expectations are high. Most of all, if we all work together as a community, anything is possible!

The finished work was revealed to all the students who had never seen it in its entirety. Ms. Milliam organized a dramatic unveiling ceremony. Mr. Mejia, carpenter and Mr. Almeida, head custodian, conceived a pulley system that raised the poster high upon the wall of the All-Purpose Room. The covering was removed and the students were overjoyed by seeing their amazing likeness of President Obama. News 12 reporter Tracy Everson, and The River Journal writer David Neilsen captured the looks on the faces of our students when they saw the assembled "Obama Puzzle" for the very first time! It was an uplifting moment for all! (Posted 4/20/09)

Enrichment for All at Tappan Hill

Since mid-January, the Kindergarten students at Tappan Hill have been having weekly adventures traveling around the school, visiting different classrooms, and experiencing some of the culture of Italy and France. One morning each week the children take their passports, wave good-bye to their own teachers, and “fly” down the hall to their destination country (classroom). Once they “land”, their passports are collected and stamped and they are welcomed either in French or Italian to the location they are visiting. When arriving in one of the destinations in Italy, the children get to make homemade pasta with Strega Nona, learn to dance the Tarantella, try out their “opera voices”, practice soccer, or create an Italian tile mosaic. Experiences in France include learning sign language, practicing the art of mime, creating the art of Monet, hearing the music of the “Carnival of the Animals,” and seeing the sights of Paris with Madeline. Then the children bid their tour guides goodbye, gather their passports and souvenirs, and return to the United States (and their own teachers). Once back at “home”, the children share and save special memories about their adventures with conversations, illustrations, and written entries in their travel logs or journals. These travel adventures are truly enriching for all – and a lot of fun too! (Posted 4/19/09)

Small Moments

On Thursday, March 19, the students of Tappan Hill School had a Small Moments Celebration. All of the children have been working very hard to write their Small Moment stories. To celebrate and acknowledge their accomplishments, the children read their stories to other students. Mrs. Blueglass class joined Mrs. Newman’s class for this occasion. The children proudly shared the stories that they had written. Then, we all enjoyed a special snack. (Posted 4/2/09)

Senses Search

As part of our Science 21 curriculum, Kindergarteners are learning about the five senses. After an exciting Senses Scavenger Hunt in the classroom, the children painted a picture of something they found with their sense of smell, taste, sight, hearing or touch and recorded their findings on sentence strips. They especially enjoyed tasting the salty pretzels, sweet cookies and some even liked the sour lemonade! Click here to see student's work. (Posted 3/22/09)

Tappan Hill School Physical Education

Students at Tappan Hill School have been working very hard in their physical education classes. Over the past few weeks, each child has performed and practiced the PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) Test. The PACER Test is a multistage fitness test that is similar to the shuttle run. This test is a progressive test that starts off relatively easy and becomes more difficult as it continues. The PACER Test also helps to measure aerobic capacity in a fun and enjoyable way, as opposed to a typical long distance running test.

The way this test works includes the student’s running back and forth from line to line (15m apart) to beep sounds which are specifically timed and increase in speed as the test progresses. Students begin the test with the first beep and continue to run back and forth to each line at the sound of the next beep. Each student was encouraged to try their personal best and when they became too tired to continue, or did not reach the line before the next beep, they have completed the test. After they completed the test, each student’s results were recorded and they went to a cool-down area where they encouraged their classmates who were still completing the test.

Each child really enjoyed participating in this activity and certainly did their best to complete as many laps as they personally could. Overall, the students performed extremely well at this test and without a doubt exceeded expectations. The results of each student will be placed in the gymnasium to recognize their exceptional efforts. (Posted 2/26/09)

Happy New Year “Xin Nian Yu Kuai”

The students at Tappan Hill School celebrated the Chinese New Year in many different ways this year. On January 26, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu, E.S.L. teacher and in-house “China expert,” spoke to the school during an assembly about some Chinese traditions. This year we celebrate the year of the Ox. Children learned that if they were born in 2003 they celebrate the year of the Sheep and in 2002, the year of the Horse. Mrs. Blueglass’, Ms. Corea’s, Mrs. Pearlman’s and Mrs. Praino’s classes marched in a Dragon Parade. The parade was led by our Asian students, Miae Belmonte, Zoey Millstein (guest appearance by Zoey’s 1^st grade sister,Maya) and Raye Angela Mallari. Children learned how to say Happy New Year in Mandarin ( Xin nian yu Kuai) and Cantonese (Gung hay fat choy). They all participated by bringing noisemakers. Mrs. Pearlman’s and Mrs. Blueglass’ classes cooked dumpling and graphed what dipping sauce they liked best. The children had fun trying to figure out how to use chopsticks and get the dumplings into their mouths! Other classes read books and learned how to write using “Chinese” characters. (Posted 2/11/09)

Calling All Tappan Hill Pre-K and Kindergarten Parents!

The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns Invites you for Breakfast in the TH’s all purpose room, on March 3 at 8:15 a.m, right after drop off.

Find out about the many Foundation-Funded Programs that your child will be experiencing as he/she continues in the elementary schools and upper schools. Take the time to ask questions to Foundation representatives, and learn what the Foundation does for your children and for all the children of the Tarrytown Schools

We also need your help more than ever before with our largest fundraiser, the Dinner Dance and Auction. Find out how you can help keep these enriching programs alive….Get Involved, Give Back!

Please RSVP via email to Shelly Colley, foundation@tufsd.org, so we can get an idea of how many parents will be attending. Feel free to call 366-8457 for more information.

LLAMANDO A TODOS PADRES DE ESTUDIANTES DE PRE-K Y KINDERGARTEN

La Fundación para las Escuelas Publicas de los Tarrytowns les invita a un desayuno en el cuarto publico en la escuela Tappan Hill, Marzo 3, a las 8:15, de la mañana inmediatamente después de que lleguen los estudiantes

Aprenda de los programas fundado por la Fundación en que sus hijos participan en las escuelas primarias y secundaria. Representantes de la Fundación estarán dispuestos a contestar sus preguntas y tendrán información sobre lo que hace la Fundación para los estudiantes de distrito.

También necesitamos ayuda con la Gala y Subasta que la Fundación tiene todos los años. Aprende como usted puede ayudar mantener estos programas.

Participen. Devuelvan a las Escuelas.

Pro favor RSVP a Shelly Colley, foundation@tufsd.org, para poder tener idea de cuantos de ustedes van a venir. Llame a 366-8457 para más información.

Kindergarten Math Night Rescheduled

There will be no Kindergarten Math Night tonight Monday, February 9, at Tappan Hill School. It has been rescheduled for Monday, March 2 at 7pm.

No habra reunion de Matematicas esta noche, Lunes, 9 de Febrero en la Escuela Tappan Hill. La reunion la hemos pospuesto para el Lunes, 2 de Marzo a las 7pm"

Tappan Hill School Experiences History!!!

January 20^th, 2009 was a most momentous day. The inauguration of our first African American President is an historical highlight that illuminates the values of our country. Tappan Hill Kindergarten celebrated along with the nation and international community by witnessing history as the inauguration unfolded.

Ms. Milliam transformed the All-Purpose Room into a screening room where the children and staff--sporting red, white, and blue--watched the events of the day. The huge screen revealed the grand nature of the celebration as millions applauded. The scale of the projection created a virtual experience that helped the children feel as though they were among those gathered on the National Mall. The students cheered and clapped after Vice President Biden and, then, President Obama were sworn in. They were moved by Aretha Franklin’s heartfelt and soulful interpretation of “Let Freedom Ring”. They were transfixed by the beauty of John Williams arrangement of “Simple Things” as expressed by violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and cellist Yo Yo Ma. The children were taken with the epic experience as well as with the interest and emotion expressed by the Tappan Hill teachers and staff. They realized that they were experiencing history in the making. The inauguration of the 44^th President of the United States of America, although now part of our most recent past, has become a living memory for all of the kindergarten students. It is a day that will never be forgotten. (Posted 1/26/09)

The Nutcracker Ballet

The Tappan Hill kindergarten students attended a performance of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Ballet” on Thursday, December 4^that the Tarrytown Music Hall. The musical score and story plot were reviewed in the classrooms beforehand and the students thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. The students view a Nutcracker collection, collaboratively created by staff members, in the school’s lobby display case daily. (Posted 12/13/08)

Fairytales Tell a Story

During the month of December, the kindergarten students at Tappan Hill visited Lyndhurst for their Fairytale Holiday presentation. The children were amazed by the details incorporated into the exhibits, such as the Seven Dwarf’s wheelbarrow filled with jewels, the delicious meal set up in the Arabian tent, the glowing bubbles in Ariel’s bathtub and of course they had to be quiet not to wake Goldilocks sleeping in the Baby Bear’s bed! They also were able to view a portion of the home set up for an early twentieth century holiday, along with toys from that era. The reading of fairytales is embedded in the kindergarten curriculum. (Posted 12/13/08)

Little Hawk

Little Hawk, a member of the Mohawk Tribe, came to Tappan Hill on Wednesday, November 19th. We have been lucky enough to have him come to our school for the last seven years. Little Hawk taught the children to say hello in four (4) different tribal languages. He explained that at gatherings, powwows, there are a variety of dances that are performed. Little Hawk described how the Smoke Dance got its name (It was danced only by children … and they can kick up a lot of dust!). He began his program with a Hunter’s dance where the children saw him paddle an imaginary canoe but he had a real bow to shoot imaginary arrows. Next, he invited some of the children to perform a Friendship Dance. This dance is put on with everyone holding hands to make a circle. To the Native Americans, the circle symbolizes strength. He performed a Challenge Dance in which the person challenged must pick up a feather with his/her teeth and the ONLY part of the body touching the floor are the feet! It requires a great deal of agility. That was evident when he finished the program with a hoop dance in which he used 18 hoops to dance in and out of. While dancing he made the hoops into a snake, an eagle and finally Mother Earth! (Posted 11/25/08)

We Did It!

Thanks to your efforts Tappan Hill raised $616.78 for the trick-or-treat for Unicef Program

Thank you for all your support!!

(Posted 11/17/08)

Dr. Smith Boom, Chicka, Rocks!

At the beginning of each school year Dr. Smith, Superintendent of Schools, comes into each Kindergarten class to read. He bravely faces a sea of unknown, eager five year olds and reads a book he has never seen before! This year he left our class smiling with the refrain “Boom, Chicka, Rock, Chicka, Rock, Chicka, Boom!” swimming in his head. Dr. Smith will return in June so that all the Tappan Hill students get to read to him! We can’t wait. (Posted 11/13/08)

Lessons Learned From Picking Apples

The students at Tappan Hill School traveled to Stuart’s Farm in Somers, NY in late October. Mrs. Stuart showed them how they sort and shine the apples and Mr. Stuart explained how they make apple cider. The students picked apples from the trees and enjoyed a picnic lunch at the orchard. Upon their return to Tappan Hill School, the teachers and students made a variety of apple treats including applesauce, apple crisp, and apple pie. After tasting a variety of apples, the students graphed their favorite kind. Math is always exciting when you graph and sort apples by color and size. Writing also takes on a different feel when you have photographs of a trip as a story starter. A delightful trip experience was had by all. (Posted 11/11/08)

Voting - A Right and a Responsibility

The staff and students at Tappan Hill School celebrated Election Day on Tuesday, November 4^th. Everyone wore red, white and blue. The school looked like one big American Flag. The front hall of the school was decorated like there was going to be a parade. Patriotic music was playing in the hallways as the children were passing to their classrooms. It was a beautiful sight.

Our Social Studies curriculum addresses the child, their family and friends, their community and citizenship. It also incorporates map studies and where the US is on the globe. The children have learned to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Children were given an opportunity to vote on something. Voting on “best snack” is a favorite. The EPTA is giving the elementary students a chance to vote on a movie that they would like to see at a later time. The children were reminded that their vote is their secret and they may share it if they like.

Tappan Hill is a designated Polling Place for Districts 6 and 74 so the children had the opportunity to go to the basement where everyone votes. Mrs. Garibaldi’s class serenaded the election officials with their five year old versions of God Bless America, This Land is Your Land, America, You’re a Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doodle, I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy and our National Anthem. The election officials and voters actually joined in. Mr. Garibaldi, who was an election official, showed the children the voting machine. The children were able to spell and sign the word ‘vote.’ The children were reminded that it is every adult’s right and responsibility to vote. It is also important to remember that no matter who wins the presidential election, they are our new Commander and Chief and we should celebrate their win and support their efforts. (Posted 11/6/08)

“Hands-on” Science at Tappan Hill

The students at Tappan Hill School thoroughly enjoyed their first unit of study in the Science 21 Program. It was all about germs. Those Mean Nasty Dirty Downright Disgusting but . . . Invisible Germs. (That happens to be the title of a very favorite book by Rice and Merrill, purchased for every classroom.) The children drew pictures of what they thought a germ might look like if they could see one. Germs cause headaches, sore throats and “throw – up.” The children have learned that water alone does not kill germs. Soap kills germs. We also have to really dry our hands because germs like warm, wet places. So everyday before snack and lunch, we soap, wash, rinse and dry. We know that the germs have gone down the drain. The children are also learning to cough and sneeze into their arm and not their hands because they touch everything with their hands. The children were shown how germs travel from one person or object to another when we put petroleum jelly on our hands and pretended that some whole wheat flour were the germs. They could see how the germs transfer from one thing to another. We found germs on chairs, blocks, paper, markers, books, dolls, doorknobs and instruments. Yuk!

So . . . Wash your hands and get rid of those germs! (Posted 11/5/08)

Tappan Hill Students Learn to Stay Safe on Halloween

Tappan Hill Students were treated to a Halloween Safety Program that was sponsored by the Tarrytown Police Department and the Automobile Club of America.Detective Burns and Ms. Blackburn Presented a very age appropriate program using a miniature automobile called Otto and a puppet called Bob. Bob was dressed as Batman for Halloween and Otto was telling Bob (and the children) what he had to do to be safe at night.It was a participatory program so the children were very engaged in the instruction.And of course every child wanted to tell what they were going to be for Halloween.The classroom teachers have been talking about bus safety, fire safety, and now Halloween Safety. The teachers feel fairly confident that the children will do what they have been taught. The children will be Trick or Treating for candy and for coins. The candy they may carefully look at, share with their parents, and enjoy themselves. They may not bring it to school. The coins should have been collected in their UNICEF boxes for less fortunate children. The boxes should come back to school. Speaking of candy, Please make sure that your children are brushing, flossing, and going to the dentist. (Posted 11/5/08)

It’s a Small World -- A Multicultural Celebration

At Tappan Hill School, we are fortunate to have children from diverse backgrounds. This year in Ms. Oré’s class, parents will teach the children about their country of origin: India, Morocco, France, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Lebanon and Iceland.

This month, we began our class celebration with Diwali. Diwali is a celebration that means “row of lights”. The holiday is known for its festival of lights. In every person’s home, their windows and doors are lit up with little earthen lamps called “diyas” to welcome in the Hindu New Year. The New Year usually takes place in October or November.

Ms. Dhingra came to Ms. Oré’s class and read a story about the celebration and taught the children all about this wonderful tradition. All the children made diyas (small clay bowls) and decorated them with glitter. The children enjoyed learning about Diwali. (Posted 10/29/08)

Tarrytown Fire Department Visits Tappan Hill

The Tarrytown Fire Department came to Tappan Hill School to present a Fire safety program to the students. Freddie, the Fire Truck helped the Fire Fighters to discuss fire safety. The fire fighters showed the children all the gear that they wear. The firefighter walked around and shook the hands of the students to show them that this may look a little frightening, but they are there to help. The children learned about Stop, Drop, Roll and Cover. After the presentation by the firefighters, the children went outside to see the fire engines and sat in the cabin. It is important that you make a fire safety plan for your home. (Posted 10/27/08)

The TUFSD Green Committee and the EPTA partner to help friends and families of our district live in a more earth friendly way AND support the schools. Greenraising.com is a web site on which anyone can purchase green products for home and school, including healthy and reusable SIGG water bottles and reusable lunch bags. Greenraising is also a fundraising tool. Whenever anyone shops on Greenraising.com and selects "EPTA of the Tarrytowns" as their affiliate, proceeds from the sale go back to our schools. To use Greenraising, either go directly to http://www.greenraising.com/?AFID=561 or go to www.greenraising.com and select "EPTA of the Tarrytowns" from the affiliate drop-down list at the top of the page. Please take advantage of this unique partnership and send the link to family and friends, as anyone can participate! (Posted 9/11/08)

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Dear Parents,

The first days of Kindergarten have gone remarkably well. Children have made the transition into the public school setting very smoothly and quickly. Parent volunteers assisted with arrivals the first few days of school and now the children get off the bus and go to their classrooms without help or hesitation. Thanks to everyone for contributing to a great opening of school.

As many of you may know, our plans to move the Prekindergarten Program to the former Fordham at Marymount site, did not come to fruition. Last year, while the plans for the space were being negotiated, one of the PreK classes was held at the John Paulding School. I am pleased to inform you that, as a result of creative planning and collaborative reorganization of space, the class has been returned to Tappan Hill. Now all of the Prekindergarten and Kindergarten students are together again!

One of the very special things we do to begin the year is to visit students and their parents/families in your homes. Our hope is that we start the year off with a focus on the “home/school connection.” Children learn that we recognize and value what occurs in their lives outside of school. For young children, the most important people in their lives are their family members. The second most important are their teachers. How memorable that both parties meet and share the mission of a successful school year from the very beginning. Thank you for your cooperation, understanding, enthusiasm and preparation in anticipation of teachers’ visits. It is our hope that we will continue to strengthen relationships throughout the year and that you will be an active participant in your child’s education.

I am looking forward to working with you to make this an exciting, adventurous year of learning and fun for our PreK and Kindergarten students.

Yours truly,

Ms. M. Milliam

Principal

Tappan Hill Celebrated Spain

It was a festive occasion on May 30^th. The Kindergarten students participated in a cultural learning experience about Spain-- its artists, music and history.

Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu, E.S.L. teacher, presented a power point presentation about her culture. She showed the students various artifacts that were made in her country. The children were especially excited about the pictures that showed a “human tower” in the festival La Merce in Barcelona. This involves teams of people wearing traditional costumes trying to build the tallest human tower. Also, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu showed the students a picture of her family dressed for Carnaval in Overa, Spain. They were wearing large paper mache heads and oversized clothing. In Spain, we call these costumes “gigantes”. In other words, giants.

Mrs.Sanchez-Zhu was also dressed up in a typical Flamenco dress. She even taught the students how to Rumba. Everyone clapped during the dance and had a great time!

During the slide show presentation, Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu showed paintings that were painted by Spanish artists. Goya, Velaszquez, Picasso, and Miro were among the artists. Mrs. Sanchez-Zhu even showed some of her paintings that she has in Spain.

The students at Tappan Hill enjoyed learning about Spain and culture.

Viva Espana! (Posted 6/11/08)

Celebrating Poetry at Tappan Hill

On May 29, the Kindergarten students participated in a poetry celebration. The hallways were beautifully decorated and the classrooms were charming and inviting, welcoming the poets in the school. Throughout the month of May, students listened to, responded to, created and wrote poems. They wrote list poems, free verse poems, and cinquain poems. Each class also created a class poem together. These young poets gathered with one another from different classes and shared their unique poetry. The poetry celebration was a huge success!!! (Posted 6/8/08)

Tappan Hill Visits Tarrytown Lighthouse

On a bright, blustery mid-May morning students from Tappan Hill took turns receiving a guided tour from Mr. Miller at the Tarrytown Lighthouse. The lighthouse is a white, conical cast-iron tower on cast-iron caisson that sits just beyond the old GM parking lot. After crossing the grated bridge overlooking the Tappan Zee Bridge, Mr. Miller introduced us to the interior of the lighthouse to share historical insights. Students were interested to learn that this lighthouse was a home to families twice in history. In Mrs. Magliano’s class, Mr. Miller stated that the light house is cone shaped and asked if they thought the rooms would appear smaller or bigger as we climbed upstairs. The students used their math knowledge of cones to answer “smaller.” Since the visit, students have written both poems and stories about their visit and they have drawn pictures of this important landmark only a stone’s throw away. (Posted 6/2/08)

Celebrating Young Authors at Tappan Hill

On April 17, Tappan Hill held their first school-wide writing celebration.

Students from different classes shared their “Small Moments” stories with each other. Classrooms were beautifully decorated and classical music played in the background, while the young authors read to each other. Special guests included Ms. Milliam, Principal, Mrs. Schoenberg, Reading Teacher, Ms. Almogabar, ESL Teacher and Dr. Smith, Superintendent of Schools. Anyone walking around the school would have seen proud authors reading as well as active listeners. The publishing party ended with delicious snacks for everyone to enjoy. (Posted 4/28/08)

I Like Ants! They Make My Mama... Dance...

On Friday March 14, John Farrell, singer, author and songwriter entertained the students at Tappan Hill School. The children were completely captivated by his interactive approach that allowed the children to become an important element to the show using song, storytelling, and sign language. John Farrell was also impressed by the number of his songs that the children already knew how to sing. Throughout the year teachers play his CD’s and sing along with his music in the classrooms. We love his songs! Each song helps children explore important issues such as respect for oneself, community, and the earth in a fun and delightful style. Some of our favorite songs are: Library Song, Habitat, I Like Ants and Love Grows. John introduced us to his new book, Dear Child. It was an outstanding concert!

If you are interested in purchasing his CD’s for your child, the order forms are available in the main office at Tappan Hill School. (Posted 3/30/08)

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)

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)

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)

Food for Thought food drive

The annual NYSUT Food Drive is in full swing at Tappan Hill School. The entire Tappan Hill community of staff, students, friends and families is involved in this year’s drive. The collection of food to delight every taste bud is appearing daily to the collection site. The students are excited about the amount and variety of food that has already been collected and is continuing to arrive. (Posted 1/28/08)

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)

Dear Parents,

I am pleased to inform you that we have begun our “Enrichment for All” Program. We developed the program with the African proverb in mind: “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. The countries we have chosen to “tour” are: France and Italy.

Through various activities, children will have experiences in using their Visual/Spatial, Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematic, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Musical/Rhythmic, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal intelligences.

Some of the activities that the children will experience are: Stregga Nona and Pasta making , Italian Folk Dances (including the Tarantella) , Soccer, Opera and Mosaics in Italy; Sign Language, Ballet, “Carnival of the Animals,” Monet and Madeline in France. Please dress your child in loose clothing suitable for dance and athletics on Thursdays.

Your child will bring home “souvenirs” to share with you from their various experiences. The program will last for nine more weeks and will generally occur on Thursday mornings from 8:45– 9:30 a.m. If you would like more information, you can call either me or your child’s teacher. Make every effort to have your child get to school on time (8:00 am) so they don’t miss one minute of this enriching journey.

Excitedly,

Ms. M. Milliam
Principal

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 that most fairytales have a “mean” or “bad” person in the story. Many of the fairytales take place in castles and that many of the main characters are kings, queens, princes and princesses. Lyndhurst is Tarrytown’s very own castle. The exhibit was so magical. One could look at each of the over 10 rooms and feel that they were a part of each story. The children all had a favorite, which we graphed when upon returning to school. The children also drew pictures and wrote about their favorites. Many of the classes did a comparative literature study with the many versions of Cinderella. If your family was not able to attend the exhibit, be sure to see it next year. (Posted 1/8/08)

Run! Run As Fast As You Can!

The students in Mrs. Garibaldi and Mrs. Sanchez Zhu, E.S.L. teacher, collaboratively taught Mrs. Garibaldi’s Kindergarten class a comparative literature study during the month of December. The students studied the likes and differences between the many different versions of The Gingerbread Man. We then read some other variations on the same theme. We read The Gingerbread Baby, The Gingerbread Boy, The Gingerbread Cat, The Musubi Man, and Stop That Pickle. Stop That Pickle was similar to The Runaway Rice Cake, which we will be rereading for the Chinese New Year. There are other “runaway” versions such as The Runaway Latka and The Runaway Dreydl. These are good books to read for Hanukkah. The Matzah Man is a good one to read for Passover.

A lot of the vocabulary had to be reviewed first when reading a version that took place in another part of the country. The children looked at the similar characters, settings and plots. Sequencing was very important. The children participated in ‘turn and talk’ and contributed to the creation of various Venn diagrams. The children then graphed their favorite stories. As a class we also went on the internet to discover other existing versions of the story. To the delight of the girls in the class, we discovered during our research, that there are several books about a gingerbread girl. This was an enjoyable, exciting and an enriching experience for the children!

The children were delighted by the activity of decorating and eating of the gingerbread people (limb by limb,of course!). Their most favorite activity was decorating the Gingerbread Houses with Matthew Burnette’s mom on one day, and being able to eat a piece of candy from them every day after that.

We are now going on to an author study of Jan Brett because her book, The Gingerbread Baby, was a favorite of the children. (Posted 1/7/08)

Snow People Relay

In Physical education class the students at Tappan Hill get into the spirit of the holidays and winter weather by creating snow people. Their creation is a team effort. This allows every student to practice in both fine and gross motor skills while being creative and having fun!

Brief description:
Four Students match up in relay lines. A piece of construction paper and a magic marker are placed about 15 feet in front of each line. When the music starts the first child from each line runs to the paper and creates the beginning of the snow person, the head & face. Then they put the marker down and run back to tag the next child in line, who then runs down to create the second part of the snow person, the body and arms. This continues until the last child of each team has a turn. To display the pride that the children have in their work, they are also asked to sign their names. Every picture and each team wins for their effort! (Posted 12/16/07)

Tappan Hill Goes Green!!

Tappan Hill School is making a concerted effort to recycle all paper and plastic goods within the school. Merry Thomas and Alia Yeater, two of the kindergarten teachers in the building, have volunteered to head the district-wide clean-up project at the kindergarten level. Plastic bins are being utilized to collect the recyclables throughout the building. The entire staff at Tappan Hill is teaching students the importance of going green. The children will be involved in picking up and proper placement of recyclables to make it more manageable for the Village to pick up. Parents and friends of Tappan Hill School please join us in celebrating the importance of going green!! (Posted 12/9/2007)

Little Hawk

Little Hawk, a member of the Mohawk Nation, came to Tappan Hill to teach ou Little Hawk r students about some of the cultural traditions of Native Americans. Among the many things that he taught the children were some dances. He explained how the Smoke Dance got its name (It was danced only by children … and they can kick up a lot of dust!) He performed a Challenge Dance in which the person challenged must pick up a feather with his/her teeth and the ONLY part of the body touching the floor are the feet! (on the right) That was very difficult, as a few students found out! He finished the program with a hoop dance in which he used 18 hoops to dance in and out of. While dancing he made the hoops into a snake, an eagle and finally Mother Earth! (Posted 11/28/2007)

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, fire 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 bus 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.

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 20^th, 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 29^th	8:00 –8:45 a.m.	Tappan Hill School
Friday, March 31^st	8:00-8:45 a.m.	Tappan Hill School
Wednesday, April 5^th	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 31^st. 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 9^th. 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 3^rd and 4^th 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 4^th! 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!

parent and child working on art project 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 talks safety 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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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.

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.