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Washington Irving
2006-2007 News
Archive
National Geographic Bee
It
is our pleasure to introduce the annual National Geographic Bee to
Washington Irving. The National Geographic Bee is sponsored by the
National Geographic Society and encourages the teaching and learning of
geography. The Geographic Bee is open to all students in fourth through
eighth grades. The Bee is held in thousands of schools across the
United States and in the five U.S. territories, as well as in the
Department of Defense Schools around the world.
The winner of Washington Irving’s Bee will advance to the next level of
competition, a written examination to determine state competitors. All
school winners are eligible to win the national championship and its
first prize, a $25,000 college scholarship, at the national competition
May 20 & 21, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
Your child is invited to sign up to participate in Washington Irving’s
Geographic Bee which will be held after school in January at WI. If you
or your child is interested in participating in the GeoBee, please sign
up with either Mrs. Cook or Mr. Large no later than November 9, 2007.
Participants will receive study materials, be enrolled in a GeoBee
blackboard.com class and receive coaching in preparation for the test
(schedules will vary dependant upon the number of participants, grade
level, etc.).
For more information about the National Geographic Bee, please browse
the GeoBee website:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographybee/
We
look forward to facilitating this wonderful competition for students in
our school.
Karen
Cook
Gregory Large
Challenge
Teacher
Math Enrichment
( Posted
11/4/2007)
“Magnificent Mandalas”
4th Grade
artists in Miss Gallo’s art classes created these kaleidoscopic
designs. Each student started out with an 11” X 11” square and transfer
paper. The square is f olded
into eight triangles and the student’s first name is then drawn within
one of the triangles. Students had to use specific lettering techniques
and modify basic letterforms to fit the space. Then, using their
transfer paper, students had to fold and refold the paper tracing their
name to eventually fill each of the eight triangles. When each student
was finished we all shared our artwork in amazement of the beautiful
shapes and patterns that had been created. The last step was to
inventively color their designs with the option of using patterns.
Through this lesson students learned the meaning of Radial Symmetry.
Radial symmetry is any type of balance based
on a circle with its design extending from its center. A star, the iris
around each pupil of your eyes, a wheel with spokes, and a daisy are
all examples of radial symmetry.( Posted
11/4/2007)
Check
out the WI Digital Backpack
The
WI Digital Backpack is a
website on which you can download office forms, flyers, schedules as
well as WI monthly calendars and newsletters. The school newsletter has
good news from WI principals, staff and the EPTA. See the calendar for
information about meetings, performances, intramurals and other upcoming
events. Check every other week for practice and rehearsal schedules
posted by our music teachers. To find the Digital Backpack from
www.tufsd.org, scroll over Washington
Irving in the list of Schools, then click on the Digital Backpack link.
We will continue to post important and helpful documents here. Over
time, we hope that the Digital Backpack will help us communicate more
efficiently with families and reduce the amount of paper (a precious
resource) we use at school!
(Posted
10/30/2007)
Dr. Henri Parens, Holocaust Survivor, Speaks to Students at Washington
Irving
Prejudice. That was the word that sixth grade students were asked to
keep in
their
minds during the presentation by Dr. Henri Parens, world renowned
psychoanalyst and holocaust survivor.
Throughout his presentation, Dr. Parens kept referring back to the
concept of prejudice and what happens when prejudice becomes violence.
Dr. Parens was living in Poland when the Nazi forces came. His mother
and he were able to escape to France for a while, but when Nazis began
rounding up Jewish people in France, both Dr. Parens and his mother were
sent to a concentration camp.
Dr. Parens went on to tell the students about his escape and eventual
journey to the United States. The sixth grade students were awed by his
story. Though they had been studying the holocaust in anticipation of
his arrival, to hear a first hand account from a man who lived through
it was spellbinding.
In
the end, Dr. Parens again spoke of the tragedies that can occur when we
let prejudice overtake what we know is right. The sixth grade students
and teachers will never forget this experience.
(Posted
10/10/2007)
Washington Irving celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with
Salvador Dalí.

In
celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Salvador Dalí traveling
exhibit will be displayed in the hallways of Washington Irving
Intermediate School. Salvador Dalí, a 20th century Spanish
surrealist painter, is renowned for his striking and bizarre images in
his surrealist work.
The
three painting exhibit will include one of his most famous works,
Persistence of Memory, circa 1931. Persistence of Memory,
also known as Melting Clocks, introduced the surrealistic image
of a melting pocket watch to debunk the assumption that time is rigid
and fixed.
The
paintings will be on display from September 27th-October 11th,
2007. This exhibit will foster the learning of the students in Mrs.
Molina’s 6th grade Spanish classes who are currently studying
Spain. Students will learn about the featured artist and the art of
collages turning the classroom into their own museum. (Posted
9/27/2007)
Dear Washington Irving Families,
Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year. It will be my honor to serve as
the interim Principal for this year. I look forward to meeting you and
your children. Please remember that I am here to help. Contact me if I
can do anything at all to make your children’s education as good as it
can be.
I
come to W.I. with over 20 years experience as a principal. Most
recently I worked in Monticello, New York. Previously, I worked for 20
years as principal of the Stillman Elementary School in Tenafly, New
Jersey. I enjoy the job and hope to be able to bring experience and
enthusiasm to W.I.
I
earned a Doctor of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia
University and a Masters of Education degree from Bank Street College in
New York. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science
from Columbia College. I trust that all this good education can be put
to the service of your children.
Before I became a principal, I taught fifth grade for two years in
Duxbury, Massachusetts and a combination of fifth and sixth grades at
the Walden School in New York City. I love working with intermediate
age students. They combine the enthusiasm of youth and the desire to
pose questions with cognitive abilities which allow them to access
information on their own.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. William Greene
Principal
(posted
8/02/07)
Dear Washington Irving Families,
I
am excited and honored to be joining the W.I. community—a community with
a rich tradition of caring for its students. I look forward to working
together with teachers, and families to help each student flourish.
The intermediate years are a most exciting and critical time in which
students develop new interests, critical skills, habits of mind, as well
as big ideas about the world, their community and themselves. I am
passionate about supporting teachers as they guide students through this
transformation. I am eager to get to know each student and help nurture
an environment in which all students feel safe and inspired to learn.
And, I am dedicated to partnering with families to support and extend
the learning that children do at W.I. Please know I welcome your
thoughts, concerns and questions anytime.
I
have spent the last three years teaching math and science in fourth and
sixth grades, coaching teachers, and helping to develop the new middle
school program at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Riverdale, New
York. I look forward to applying my experience at Fieldston both as
Assistant Principal at W.I. and as a contributor to the Middle School
steering committee. Prior to Fieldston, I taught sixth grade language
arts and math at a public middle school in Wellesley, Massachusetts as
well as math and science in grades 6-8 in San Francisco, California.
I
have also received a Masters of Science in Education with a dual focus
on school leadership and math education at Bank Street College and a
Bachelor of Arts degree in English and psychology from Amherst College.
Most of all, I am a lifelong learner and look forward to learning with
you and your students.
Sincerely yours,
Meghan Fitzgerald
Assistant Principal
(posted 8/02/07)
Washington Irving Creativity Fair
On May
10, 2007, Washington Irving School held its Creativity Fair. The Fair
highlighted the incredible research conducted by the fourth and fifth
grade Challenge students. Students selected topics which ranged from the
Incan Civilization to the Cold War and developed lines of investigation
that connected to their social studies curriculum. Over the last four
months the students became experts in their fields of study through
research, interviews, and field trips. Their products included a replica
of the Empire State Building, a movie about Civil War women soldiers and
a 3-D map of the Hawaiian Islands. It was an truly an exciting and
educational event. (Posted 5/21/2007)
Washington Irving's Garden
The May flowers are certainly
blooming at the Washington Irving School! Trudy Dunbar, a beloved member
of the WI family, has volunteered her time and gardening knowledge to
help the fifth grade students plant the beautiful flowers in front of
the school. The students enjoyed planting a lovely variety of red and
blue salvia, begonias, impatiens, marigolds and white verbena. One
student exclaimed, “I love planting flowers! Can we do this every day?”
Many of the students expressed their enthusiasm as the empty garden came
to life with each new row of flowers. The colorful garden provides not
only a warm welcome to those who enter the school each day, but also
embodies the cheery atmosphere that infuses the Washington Irving
School. (Posted 5/20/2007)
2007 WCSMA Administrator of the Year
The Westchester County School Music Association is pleased to announce
that Ms. Rachel Gonzalez, Assistant Principal of the Washington
Irving Intermediate School has been named the 2007 WCSMA Administrator
of the Year. The award is given to an administrator who has
demonstrated outstanding support for their district music education
program.
Her teachers say:
“The connections that Ms. Gonzalez
makes with over 600 music students are in the places where the
intellect, emotion and spirit converge. It is the human spirit, the
heart; the music!”
“Ms. Gonzalez’ passion for the arts
exudes into our school community and her presence has created a respect
for music with practical assistance and assessment for all. This is
accomplished through exceptional shared leadership and dedication to
lifelong learning.”
Congratulations to Ms Rachel Gonzalez
and the entire Tarrytown community! (Posted
5/11/2007)
Washington Irving Orchestra goes to
NYSSMA
The Washington Irving Orchestra,
under the direction of Amedee Williams, attended this years NYSSMA
Majors festival. They were awarded a silver medal rating for their
performance. This is the first year that any musical ensemble from
Tarrytown Schools has ever attended the festival. “I am really proud of
the orchestra's accomplishment and look forward to attending in the
future" – Mr. Williams
Mr. Gold said, "The students showed
incredible discipline and played beautifully. We are incredibly proud
of them and look forward to seeing how far they will reach now that the
bar has been raised even higher."
Sixth Grade
Poetry Blogs and Podcasts!
During the month of April, National Poetry Month, the sixth grade has
been studying different types of poetry. We’ve mastered figurative
language, read poetry, written our own couplets, quatrains, cinquains,
diamontes. We learned how to use a blog, and we have posted some
of our poems for you to read! We've included Podcasts for many of
our poems, because reading our poems aloud makes them come to life! .
Some of our poems are happy, some are sad, and some are just downright
silly. We’ve had lots of fun learning
about poems, writing our own, and then reading them aloud. We hope
you enjoy them too!
Come
see what we’ve done
We’ve been having so much fun!
Reading, writing,
rhyming, reciting
Poetry sure has been exciting!
Why don’t you read
each blog
And give your mind a jog,
Tell us what you
think
It will tickle us pink!
(Posted 4/27/2007)
Mola Magic
During this unit of study, fifth grade artists in Ms. Gallo’s
art classes studied the art of the Kuna
Indians. Panama is home to the Kuna Indians, living on the San Blas
Islands in the Caribbean Sea. They have lived in the Panama area for
centuries. They have proudly protected their Panama homeland, called
Kuna Yala, or “Land of the Kuna.” The Kuna Indians have become
known to the world through their extraordinary fabric appliqué art known
as Mola. This fabric art is made by carefully cutting and layering very
brightly colored cloth. The word Mola means, “Blouse.” Girls learn to
make Molas at a young age. A woman might spend up to one hundred hours
completing a Mola. Kuna Indians got their inspiration for Molas from
their environment, such as native animals and scenes from nature.
Fifth graders began this project by looking at a map
of Central America and locating Panama. We discussed what the
environment would be like living in this area of the world. Located
near the equator, Panama has many rainforests. Next, students examined
several examples of Molas, and made a list of some of their common
characteristics. Students noticed that they are very colorful, and
contain many shapes and patterns. Also, the animals in this art form
are typically shown in profile. Fifth grade artists then set out to
work by creating a line drawing of an animal. Using a special layering
technique, students cut out silhouetted shapes of their animal. Using a
variety of shapes and patterns, students decorated the body of their
animals, as well as the background space. The completed projects show
principles of balance, pattern and rhythm.
Click here
to view photo gallery. (Posted 4/28/2007)
Fourth
Grade Art Students Inspired By Soles of the Movement
As shoes dangled from the art room ceiling, students were surrounded by
the artwork of our artist in residency Chris Burns. Through the
use of old shoes, Mr. Burns was able to portray a message about the
Civil Rights Movement. When creating his art, he would utilize the
soles of the shoes to paint on meaningful quotes or adhere photographs.
This let students discover that art can be made from almost anything!
Chris Burns inspired Ms. Gallo’s fourth grade art classes at Washington
Irving School to use the soles of their shoes to create a
self-portrait. Students started out by taking off their shoes and
tracing the shape of the sole onto the paper. They then had to
study the intricate designs on the bottom of their shoes and replicate
them carefully onto their paper. Next, we began a lesson on
perspective. Perspective is a technique that artists use to
create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface like
paper. This creates a sense of depth and makes your drawing look more
like real life. While utilizing all of these techniques, students step
by step added in tracings of their hands, a body with arms and legs, and
a face with proper proportions. We used watercolor pencils to color the
self-portrait, and lastly, made a collage for the background.
The results were a unique work of art! For more information on Soles of
the Movement visit the news archive for Washington Irving School.
Click here
to view photo gallery. (Posted 3/23/2007)
Washington
Irving School Blood Drive
The New York Blood Center in conjunction with Washington Irving School
will be hosting a blood drive on Wednesday, April 11, 11:00pm - 4:30pm.
Free Cholesterol Testing.
If you have medical eligibility questions,
please call: (800) 688-0900. Click
here for Blood
Donor Pledge Form. (Posted 3/14/2007)
Distance Learning Has a Local Appeal

A few weeks ago Jean O’Brien, our technology integration specialist for grades 4-6, and Nichole Conjura, one of our sixth
grade teachers, had a grand idea to apply distance learning technology to solve a local dilemma. The results have been intriguing.
Recently, one of their students had injured herself and required surgery that promised to keep her on
crutches for a few months. This made the science class and science labs a physical challenge for her, as both were located on the third floor and the
elevator only goes as far as the second floor.
The two teachers requested web cams and configured an internal connection so that the injured student could participate
in the class and the labs via videoconference…from the library on the second floor! Read more
(Posted 3/12/2007)
Internet Safety and Our Children
This week there are two workshops being held in our community, and both are related to keeping our children safe on the Internet.
Now, more than ever, parents need a good understanding of the Internet, its benefits and risks to children,
and strategies for minimizing the associated risks. At the same time, they must have strategies for providing a safe and rewarding Internet experience
for their children. This is no small task or responsibility!
The emergence of social networking sites such as MySpace, and Facebook, as well as popular sites such
as YouTube pose very real issues for parents, as do cyberbullying, online predators, and more. The questions and related complications associated with
these issues are worthy of explanation, investigation, and discussion. Though there is no one simple solution for keeping our children safe online,
being an informed parent who is familiar with a variety of strategies is one of the best ways to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to allow your
children to benefit from this wonderful medium and provide appropriate safeguards.
The two presentations take place this Wednesday and Thursday. Details are as follows:
Wednesday, March 14, 7:30pm
Keeping Your Child Safe in Cyberspace with Guest Speaker John Krouskoff
Fee: $10, JCC Members FREE
Register now
This workshop will
provide an overview of the risks and provide information and practical parenting strategies to help children use the computer safely and responsibly.
John Krouskoff is the
Director of Technology for the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns.
Thursday, March 15, 7:00pm
Internet Safety Presentation at Washington Irving School Auditorium
Please join us to hear Norman E. Friedman, a well-known speaker and
author who will discuss his theory that: “ A child or adolescent may be safer walking down a deserted street or alley in an unknown neighborhood at
midnight than alone in his/her bedroom with one or more adults in the next room while online.”
His topics will include:
- What are the Social Networking Sites?
- Learn the RISKS for Children on the Internet
- What are the Responsibilities of Parents?
- Dangers of Internet Misuse & 21 st Century Electronics
- Internet Safety Tips for Parents
- How to Check Your Computer History
- Internet Safety Tips for Kids
- Cyberbullying
- Internet Assistance for Parents
The topics being covered at these two meetings are extremely important to parents. Our children are frequently
interacting in a global community, and though it is now relatively easy to do so, there are risks and responsibilities that accompany such opportunity.
Parents are encouraged to attend one or both of these meetings.
Diego
Rivera Traveling Exhibit Visits Washington Irving School
From March 12th to 16th, Diego Rivera murals will be
decorating the lobby of WI. The traveling exhibit of three paintings
by
the
20th Century Mexican muralist includes one of his most prominent works,
El Vendedor de Alcatraces, circa 1942. Diego Rivera is renowned for
capturing the culture of the Mexican people.
The exhibit
will enrich all WI students as well as enhance the learning of the
students in Mrs. Molina’s 6th grade Spanish classes who are currently
studying Hispanic artists. (Posted 3/8/2007)
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Colonial Day 2007
On February 8, 2007, the first floor of Washington Irving School
went back through time to celebrate Colonial Day. Our social
studies curriculum came alive with the sights, sounds, smells,
and tastes of a colonial village. Students strolled down the
"village street" where each room was transformed into a colonial
shop.
Crafts and activities highlighting daily colonial life spilled
out into the hallways. Children lined the street, decorated with
beautiful murals of colonial life drawn by teaching assistant
Maureen Considine, to listen to the music of the fife and drum.
Students dipped candles, made mob caps, fashioned rag rugs,
played with Bilbo catchers and whirligigs and wrote with a quill
and ink. The bakery overflowed with cornbread, pound cake and
cider.
We were fortunate to have Sara Mascia, from the Tarrytown
Historical Society; Lynda Fassa, from Green Babies; and Eric
Clingen, from Tarrytown Woodworks, share their special talents.
As always, Lorraine Annicchiarico provided her beautifully sewn
authentic costumes.
The fourth grade team
would like to thank all those who participated. It is truly a
collaborative effort between parents, community and school
personnel.
(Posted 3/2/2007)
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Black
History Brain Quest 2007
Black History Brain Quest is patterned after Channel 7’s popular
game show, Jeopardy. For the month of February, the answer of
the day will be read by a student during the morning announcements.
Students may participate in Brain Quest by placing an entry form in the
Question Box located outside of the main office. The student’s
entry must be in the form of a question and placed in the
Question Box within two school days. In researching the “answer”
students acquire knowledge of the many significant contributions of
African Americans to this country.
Each day five respondents will be selected to receive a Baskin Robbins
gift certificate. The names of the winners will be posted on the Brain
Quest Board.
The answers from Brain Quest will be used as a category during
the tenth annual Black History Jeopardy Contest. The Jeopardy Contest
is the culminating activity for Black History Month. The school
community is invited to cheer and encourage the 5th and 6th
grade contestants during this assembly on March 2, 2007 in the school
auditorium. Click
here to hear the podcast. (Posted 2/2/2007)
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
Don't
Miss the Washington Irving School Circus!
It’s that time of year again! The National Circus Project will be at
Washington Irvin School from Monday, January 22nd to Friday the 26th.
The two circus professionals will be working with all our 4th and 5th
graders teaching them many different circus skills and tricks including
stilts, balance boards, unicycles, devil sticks, and more! There will be
an evening performance involving half of the 5th grade on Friday,
January 26th starting at 6:30pm. Come on by and see the greatest show on
earth! (Posted 1/18/2007)
Congratulations
to all of the Washington Irving WordMasters contestants!
Four students representing our teams recently won highest honors in this
year's first challenge meet. Competing in the Gold division of the
challenge, fourth grader Heather, fifth graders Lily and Dhruv and sixth
grader Emily earned perfect scores in the December meet. In the entire
country, only 67 fourth graders, 67 fifth graders and 272 sixth graders
earned perfect scores! Other students in WI who also achieved
outstanding results in the meet were fourth graders: Jordan, Jason,
Mina, Sara, Brendan, Colin and Madison; fifth graders Meaghan, Tim and
MacKenzie! Students who competed in the first meet scored higher
than any teams that competed last year. Compared to the rest of the
nation, our teams scored well above the median scores in every grade and
division. (Posted 1/9/2007)
|
National Results for Meet #1 |
|
Grade and Division |
Number of teams participating |
Approximate number of students participating |
Median team score |
Our team Score |
|
4 Blue |
712 |
36,360 |
101 |
147 |
|
4 Gold |
272 |
7,470 |
107 |
184 |
|
5 Blue |
715 |
36,530 |
119 |
156 |
|
5 Gold |
287 |
8,270 |
108 |
175 |
|
6 Gold |
200 |
6,620 |
141 |
166 |
Jumping
for Hope
Two Fifth graders from Washington Irving decided to give a special kind
of gift this holiday season, they proposed and organized their own
Jump-A-Thon to raise money for Heifer International. On November 15th,
students flocked to the gym to jump rope. During several one minute
shifts, the girls timed how many jumps our students could complete.
Students, now armed with their jump-roping personal records, took this
information back to their sponsors who either paid per jump or simply
donated money to the cause. After almost a month of collecting
donations, their efforts raised just over $1000 for Heifer International
(an organization that works with communities to end poverty and hunger
by giving them a source of food). The funds raised were used to
purchase two water buffalo, two llamas, two goats, two tree seedlings,
two hives of honeybees, two flocks of chicks, and 1 flock of ducks or
geese. While this was a tremendous gift, an even greater one was
given. These two remarkable girls gave the gift of hope to those in
need. (Posted 12/14/2006)
Winter Concert
The Washington Irving Winter concert was held December 13, 2006 with
performances by: The Senior orchestra, Chamber ensemble, Intermediate
band, Wind ensemble and 4-5-6 Washington Irving Chorus.
Click on the links below to hear
selections from the concert.
Mr. William’s Ensembles
The senior orchestra performance included Skaters Waltz
by Waldteufel and
the Chamber ensemble performed Autumn by Vivaldi magnificently.
Mr.
Spitzer’s Ensembles
The Intermediate Band broke new ground as
they joined the Wind Ensemble in this year’s Winter Concert. They
performed William Billing’s Chester and a rhythm infused Costa
Del Sol which featured 12 percussionists. The Wind Ensemble
followed with a repertoire that included Beethoven’s Turkish March
and Mozart’s Air and Alleluia.
Mrs. DiNome’s Ensemble
The Washington Irving Chorus included a
varied selection of literature.
The first and last
selection was written by Jim Papolous one of Mrs. DiNome’s
favorite composers whose compositions inspire young people to believe in
themselves with beautiful musical harmonies.
Amazing soloists, the
entire chorus and twirling ballerinas graced the stage with fantastic
musical expression performing a selection from The Polar Express
-When Christmas Comes to Town.
The final selection, I
Can Feel the World Dancing, brought tears to the audience while
experiencing a wonderful soloist and 25 amazing dancers with all 155
Washington Irving chorus students!
Vodcasting Comes to W.I.!
Students in Mrs. Conjura’s 6th grade social studies class took virtual field trips around the world. They explored various caves filled with early
human cave art. They traveled back in time and became early humans painting the cave art on the walls of a “cave”. While working in this dark “cave”
students picked out a place to paint their story and were given a flashlight, which was used to represent fire. Students were given red, violet, black
and brown paint, the same colors early humans had to use. Like early humans, they had to use their fingers to paint. The next day, the students
re-entered the cave as modern day archeologists. They explored this newly discovered cave covered in early human cave paintings. Each student
archeologist chose a cave painting they did not paint as an early human and interpreted what the early human who made the painting was trying to
depict. Our class shared these interpretations at our Archeological Conference and created Vodcasts, also known as video Podcasts, as a record this
event. Student archeologists shared their interpretations of their discoveries. The early humans that drew the paintings also had the opportunity to
correct any mistakes the student archeologists may have made in their interpretations of the painting. We have included a couple of sample Vodcasts
from this event. You can also download this into iTunes so it can be played on a video iPod. (Posted 11/12/2006)
Click here to
view the Vodcast (3MB QuickTime movie)
Lion’s
Club International Peace Poster Contest
Lion’s Club International Peace Poster Contest is a contest
that encourages children to creatively express what peace means to
them. The contest allows students to share their unique image of peace
with others, so that we may all have a greater tolerance and
international understanding. The contest was available to Ms. Gallo’s
sixth grade art students at Washington Irving School. The winning
poster was judged on originality, artistic merit, and expression of the
theme “Celebrate Peace.” The winning poster was created by a student
from Ms. Carty’s class. His poster now has a chance to win the
district-wide and national level of the competition. Congratulations
and best of luck from everyone at Washington Irving School. Thank you
to all of the students who participated! (Posted 11/8/2006)
Washington Irving's "Animal Face Off"
Sixth
grade language arts students have been working on a unit based on the Discovery Channel’s television program “Animal Face Off”. The goal of this unit is
for students to understand how readers utilize nonfiction text features for comprehension. Our projects are two-fold. Students research an animal, and
create fact sheets that illustrate their knowledge of non-fiction text features. In the culminating activity, two students’ animals are paired off to
create a cartoon that shows research about their animals, and the victor of the battle. Please view the sixth grade cartoons, and learn about incredible
facts and unexpected results. (Posted 11/7/2006)
Westchester Arts Council
Exhibit Travels to Washington Irving Intermediate School
WI will be hosting the educational exhibit Soles of the Movement By
Chris Burns, October 2006 – January 2007.
This interactive installation illustrates
the African American struggle for civil rights. Working closely
with the artist, students will learn about this important period in
history.
Teachers will incorporate aspects of the exhibit in their ongoing class
activities. The ongoing exhibit will be installed and located on
the main floor and in the cafeteria of Washington Irving Intermediate
School. Please join us in this cultural experience.
The Arnold E. & Olga
C. Feldman Fund of the Westchester Community Foundation has made this
program possible. The exhibit has been brought to WI through the efforts
of the Westchester Arts Council.
(Posted 10/24/2006)
Art Contest Winners at
Washington Irving School
From May 15th to May 19th the Open Door Family
Medical Center in Ossining held a poster contest on the topic of Healthy
Living. It required fourth and fifth grade students to create a poster
that illustrated what healthy living looks like. Ms. Gallo, art teacher
at Washington Irving School, had several students from her classes enter
artwork into the contest. Eight W.I. students were chosen for the final
judging by Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey. The top three winners were
revealed at a reception held on August 12th in Ossining.
Three of our students took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place in the contest!! Thank you to all the students who participated
and congratulations to the winners!
(Posted 10/6/2006)
Mrs.
Clark’s Class is in a Food Frenzy!
The students in Mrs. Clark's 5th grade class are off to an
enthusiastic start as they explore the world of health and nutrition.
They have enjoyed interacting with a virtual food pyramid as they
learned about the food groups and the creation of healthy well-balanced
diets. The SMART Board has become an integral part of all aspects of the
curriculum, and has provided new and exciting opportunities for both
teaching and learning. "It’s wonderful to see the students zest for
learning as they take an active role in discovery," said Mrs. Clark as
she encouraged the students to explore the interactive food pyramid. As
one student in her class exclaimed, “Wow! This SMART Board is great!”
Please click the image to view in full size. (Posted 9/23/2006)
SmartBoard
Training
At the
staff development day Washington Irving staff received training on the
new technology made available to them, in part, through a grant from
Senator Nicholas Spano. Teachers are being trained to utilize the
SmartBoard and shown how to integrate it with the curriculum.
Mrs. Gabrielle Carty, pictured here, shows how the SmartBoard can be
used with interactive WebPages. This year promises to be an
exciting one for students and teacher, and the eighteen new SMART Board
setup will be widely used to make learning interactive and fun, while
working toward the goal of improving student achievement. (Posted
9/18/2006)
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)
Summer
Reading, Assignments and Supply Lists for 2006-2007
Summer reading is an important,
but often overlooked part of a student’s education. Sometimes,
unfortunately, the summer slips by and students find that they have read
little or nothing because they were not encouraged to read anything. To
prevent this we are requiring that middle school and high school
students read three books this summer and write a “Record of Reading”
for each book. Please follow the link for your grade to view a letter
explaining the requirements for your grade. Click
here for reading
lists and expectations for grades K - 6. Click
here to view Back
to School Supply Lists (Posted 7/6/2006)
Freedom in Roman History
To appreciate what we all share now as Freedom in our lives, sometimes
we must remember when it was not so commonplace. Dr. Bernard's Latin
language students
were asked to imagine
what it would be like if everything in their life were thrown into the
Roman period of slavery! They expressed their thoughts of a time when
Freedom, and Civilization, was paid for by the enslavement of many less
fortunate men, women and children. Here is what some have written.
(Posted 6/16/2006)
Math
Olympiad
This past Thursday, June 1, 2006 Washington Irving held a celebration and
mystery hunt for this year’s Math Olympiad students. Our students were
among the 150,000 students worldwide who participated in the Math Olympiad
program this year.
Out of the three teams Washington Irving
entered, there were 15 students who won a silver pin for scoring in the 90th
to 97th percentile. One
student scored in the top 2 percentile.
The Sixth Grade team was awarded a plaque
for scoring in the top 10 per cent of all teams.
The celebration was a great success with
the awards, mystery hunt and snacks (Posted 6/9/2006)
Operation
Egg Drop
The fifth grade at WI has just concluded a very exciting science project,
“Operation Egg Drop”. Every
fifth grader was expected to design and create a container to ensure that
a raw egg would remain intact when dropped from a height of 15ft.
The containers were made from materials that the students found at
home and in their classrooms. The
creativity was endless: jello, parachutes, cotton, sponges, rice, pillows,
etc. Both the students and
the teachers had a great learning experience.
We look forward to seeing next year’s great ideas! Click here
to view movie of the egg drop. (Posted 5/31/2006)
A Walking Tour of Tarrytown and Sleepy
Hollow for Our E-Pals Across the Pond
Fourth grade students in Mrs. Zerafa’s class have been communicating via
email with “e-pals” from Willington, England. Ms. O’Brien, technology
specialist, established this activity in November with the children
writing letters to one another. The third and fourth graders from England
then sent pictures of points of interest in their community.
Washington Irving’s fourth grade students took a walking tour of Tarrytown
and Sleepy Hollow and photographed historic landmarks and places of
interest. In the computer lab, the children researched and recorded the
information to be “pod casted” to our friends across the pond. We hope
they (and you) will enjoy our final product.
Click to view the eight minute full length project (11MB, please allow
the project to load)
Click
to view a 20 second excerpt (.5 MB) (Posted
5/30/2006)
Washington
Irving School Construction Timeline Presentation
At the final general EPTA meeting for this school year, Dr. Howard Smith,
Superintendent, gave a presentation outlining the phases of construction
for the Washington Irving School and the impact on students for the
upcoming school year. Click here
to see the PDF version of the slide show. (Posted 5/31/2006)
Picasso
People at Washington Irving School
Picasso People is based on the well-known Modern artist Pablo Picasso.
He was born in Spain in 1881 and developed a painting style called
Cubism.
Picasso People is a one-man show performed by Carlton Van Pyrz.
The show began with “Carlton the Curator” leading students
through a gallery tour of some of Picasso’s most popular works of art.
He then brought to life those various works using mime, mask,
puppetry, narration, and music. “The
inspiration of Picasso’s work is explored in a light-hearted array of
clever stories and vignettes based loosely on his true-life
experiences.”
Picasso People is an exciting way for students to develop an
appreciation for art in combination with music and live theater.
This program supports a lesson taught on Pablo Picasso in Miss
Gallo’s 5th Grade art classes. (Posted 5/25/2006)
Haiku
Poetry
The students in Mrs. Elmore's English
class have been studying the haiku. The
haiku was invented in Japan centuries ago. The haiku consists
of 3 unrhymed lines in a set pattern of 17 syllables, 5 in the first
line, 7 in the second line, and 5 in the third line. Listen
carefully as the students read their original haikus. (Posted
5/18/2006)
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Haiku
1 |
Haiku
5 |
| Haiku
2 |
Haiku
6 |
| Haiku
3 |
Haiku
7 |
| Haiku
4 |
Haiku
8 |
Washington
Irving's Garden
The magnificent floral garden at Washington Irving School is due to
the tireless efforts of our own, Mrs. Trudy Dunbar, teacher
assistant. On Tuesday, May 9th, she recruited all the 5th
grade students for the planting of these flowers. This is a
yearly ritual and the children always look forward to this eventful
day. The flowers thrive due to Mrs. Dunbar's loving care and
devotion to tending the garden all summer long. Thank you Mrs.
Dunbar for making our school surpass the beauty of The Botanical
Gardens! (Posted 5/18/2006)
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Sixth Grade
Creative Writing (and multimedia!)
Do you know what’s real and what’s not? Mrs. Mullin’s sixth grade classes sure do! Students in both of her classes worked very hard creating realistic
fiction stories. And the story was just the beginning…
Students went through all stages of the writing process. Some students wanted to improve their work,
and they went through as many as five drafts until they felt it was perfect.
Students then learned about book binding as they used steady hands to sew their books together.
Dedication and “About the Author,” pages came next. Finally, students illustrated their stories with fantastic drawings.
But, we weren’t done yet! With the help of Ms. O’Brien and Mr. Fishbeck, students learned how to use a
scanner and voice recorder so that we could share part of our finished project with you! Hear a story written and narrated by:
Alex (1.4 MB)
Ali (1.9 MB)
Christian (1.2 MB)
Marina (0.6 MB)
(Posted 5/14/2006)
Poetry in Motion
During the month of April, Mr. Dietz’s class focused
their attention on a month long poetry unit. This section involved
learning various poetry forms such as couplet, quatrains, cinquains,
diamantes, haikus, tankas, ABC poems, bio poems, and concrete poetry.
Many of the students learned new literary devices such as figurative
language, to enrich their poems. Using alliteration, simile, metaphor, and
onomatopoeia students wrote with true “poetic license.”
As a culminating activity for this unit students
presented five poems to the their peers. Our focus for the presentation
was to couple the power of writing with expressive speech. The following
are some of our finest examples. See if you can determine the exact
format, and rhyming patterns by listening and clicking on the links
below.
Click here to send us
your comments about our poetry unit!
(Posted 5/2/2006)
Fourth
Grade Earth Day Celebration 2006
On Friday, April 21, 2006, fourth grade students at
Washington Irving participated in Tarrytown’s Annual Tree Planting
Project as part of an Earth Day Celebration.
Mayor Drew Fixel kicked off the ceremony by reading an official
Tree Proclamation hereby designating Washington Irving School as part of
Tree City USA. Students shook
hands with the “Treeture.”
In addition to our assistant principal, Mrs. Gonzalez, fourth grade
teachers and students, present were members of Tarrytown’s Tree
Commission including Diedre Dobson-Carsto (Tree Warden), Eric Clingen
(Chair), Bob Stone (Planning Board Liaison), Stefan Yarabek (Village
Landscaper), and Lou Cebesta from the DEC Forestry.
Each group of two classes are now experts on our newly adopted
trees: the Sugar Maple, the European Beech, and two Cherokee Princess
Dogwood trees thanks to all those who came to WI to share their knowledge
and expertise. (Posted 4/26/2006)
Sixth
Grade does Spring Cleaning for Earth Day
Have you done your spring cleaning yet? The 6th grade did theirs on Friday, April 22nd in honor of
Earth Day. The students
worked together diligently to clean up the school grounds at Washington
Irving School. They were
armed with gloves on their hands and trash bags.
The initial appearance of the school grounds led students to
believe that there would be very little trash to pick up.
They were all very surprised to collect three large trash cans of
litter after cleaning up the entire outside of the school.
This community service activity helped the 6th graders gain new
incites into the sometimes negative impact human beings have on their
environment.
(Posted 4/26/2006)
Gardening
at Washington Irving School
Did
you know that there is a greenhouse on the third floor?
A group of fifth graders including members of 4-H is growing plants
in Washington Irving’s very own green house.
We’ve been working very hard and our seeds are finally sprouting.
It all started at Stone Barns where we made
blocks of soil and placed seeds into them.
Each day a student spends 5 to 10 minutes watering the seeds and
checking the temperature.
Soon we will be able to transplant them
into the garden in front of our school.
The seeds started as little brown and black things.
Soon they will be beautiful flowers and herbs. (Posted
4/24/2006)
Creativity
Fair
Come one, come all
Please heed our call
You mustn’t stall
Because we have it all!
Hard-Working
kids
have given their hearts
To increase their knowledge
and their smarts
At
the W.I. Creativity Fair
These amazing kids have much to share
The
Creativity Fair is here
Everyone will scream and cheer
If you come, you’ll have a ball
When you leave, you’ll know it all!
Written
by Fourth Grade Challenge
(vetted
by fifth grade challenge)
Please
join us on Thursday, April 20th in the Washington Irving Gym.
7:00pm – 8:00pm (Posted
4/4/2006)
Sixth
Grade Student Olympic Advertisements Include Study of Propaganda
Students in sixth grade are studying Ancient Greece. As part of the
integrated Social Studies/ELA curriculum, Challenge students analyzed
various media to identify propaganda techniques. They then utilized this
information as they developed and produced their own advertisements
promoting the Ancient Greek Olympics. Students conducted a Webquest to
research the Ancient Greek Olympics and were required to integrate
historical facts as well as propaganda to create a print, radio or tv advertisement. We had a lot of fun creating our advertisements and hope you enjoy
them!
View one of the video
advertisements. (1.4 MB)
Listen to audio commercial one (1.7MB)
Listen to audio commercial two (1.1 MB)
(Quicktime
7.0 required for video. Download Quicktime for
Windows)
(Posted
3/24/2006)
View
the Video of the 9th Annual Black
History Jeopardy Contest at WI
(Quicktime
7.0 required. Click
here to download Quicktime for
Windows)
9th
Annual Black History Jeopardy Contest
The
Washington Irving School hosted its ninth annual Black History Jeopardy
Contest on March 16, 2006.
The contest patterned after ABC’s popular game show
“Jeopardy” is the school’s culminating celebration of Black History
Month. A greater
understanding of the many significant contributions of African Americans
is brought to the forefront in this assembly.
The pursuit of knowledge by all contestants fosters academic growth
and appreciation for cultural diversity.
This year’s categories
were: African Americans
Firsts, Education, Name That Tune, Picture This, and “Quotable
Quotes.” Student contestants worked in pairs collaboratively and
willingly devoted many hours to prepare for the competition. The competition between the fifth and sixth grade class
representatives proved to be fast paced and exciting. The use of modern technology, the PowerPoint
presentation, the automatic team responder circuitry, picture clues, and
the pre-recorded audio clues, heightened enthusiasm for the audience and
participants.
The judges, Trudy
Dunbar, Louise Gonzalez and Jackie Versace, are to be commended for using
wit and wisdom in making pivotal decisions.
Thank you to Jeanette Gallo’s art students for this year’s
elaborate display and to Neal Spitzer for operating the sound system.
Commendations to the statisticians, Cathleen Brogan, Will Jacobs
and their student assistants, who so aptly compiled the scores for the
sixteen contestants. Applause
and a very special thank you to Jean O’Brien for her technical design
and support. Congratulations
to contest advisors, Gabrielle Carty, Linda Elmore and Gertie Tippitt, for
continuously implementing changes to the format of the set and design of
the contest.
(Posted 3/17/2006)
No
Junk Food Week is coming to Washington Irving School March 13th - 17th
Students at
Washington Irving Intermediate School will be taking the No Junk Food
Pledge. No Junk Food Contracts are filled out daily with healthy foods
eaten. The students will have the opportunity to trade in their unhealthy
snack for a healthy one. Random prizes will be given all week long for
kids "getting caught" making healthy food choices. At the end of
No Junk Food Week all participants will receive a certificate of
participation. Fit Kids is an initiative of the Westchester County
Executive and Department of Health. The programs objective is to help
children gain the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to establish
healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Contact Nancy Checchi, RN
for questions at 631-2122 or nchecchi at tufsd.org (change at
to @ and eliminate any spaces).
" A child must be healthy to learn... A Child must learn to be
healthy" (Posted 3/7/2006)
Conjunction
Junction …What’s Your Function?
The Family YMCA at Tarrytown After
School Enrichment program, in conjunction with The Westchester Community
Foundation, The Foundation for the
Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and Washington Irving Intermediate
School, is joining schools across America with a production of SCHOOLHOUSE
ROCK LIVE! from Broadway Junior, with performances on March 2nd (at 8:30
am) and 3rd (at 9:30 am and 7 pm) at Washington Irving School.
For more information, contact Barbara Turk at (914) 631-4807 or visit the
Family YMCA at Tarrytown’s website at www.ymcatarrytown.org
(Re-Posted 2/28/2006)
Passport
to the World: WI Olympics
Please join us March 22,
2006
, 6p.m. to 8 p.m.
at Washington Irving. An Olympic opening ceremony,
games, international sports history and a wide array of foods will be part
of the festivities.
To volunteer, call Kim Gaudin de
Gonzalez at 366-6622 or email kg
at futurenm.com
(change at
to @ and eliminate any spaces). (Posted 2/27/2006)
Changes
in Chickens by Ali (6th Grade)
Our
Challenge class' mummified chickens are all skin and bones - literally!
Our two chickens, Chickopatra and Cluckankhamen, have gotten very
skinny and much drier. When
we first started this process, the chickens were meaty and wet.
We poured salt on them, and already halfway through the process of
mummification, the chickens have almost entirely dried out.
The have lost most of their fat.
Chickopatra has the most fat out of the two chickens and has a very
bad odor. The herbs we
sprinkled on the chickens, including cinnamon, chamomile and thyme, were
supposed to mask the smell of the dead chicken, but it didn't work too
well! This chicken looks as
though a slyer of skin has been taken off of it.
Cluckankhamen most fits the description of skin and bones.
It has hardly any fat at all and a lot of its bones are visibly
sticking out of its skin! Cluckankhamen
is very hard to the touch. This
chicken's odor is unbearable! It
is much worse than Chickopatra's smell!
This is part of the process of mummification though, and the
chickens will soon be off to a better place.
(Posted 2/7/2006)
 Black
History Jeopardy Brain Quest 2006
In
preparation for the Ninth Annual Black History Jeopardy Contest, all 4th,
5th, and 6th grade students will have the
opportunity to play Black History Brain Quest all month long!
Each day during the month
of February the Black History Brain Quest “Answer of the Day” will be
read during the morning announcements.
Students may find the Answer of the Day on the district’s
Blackboard.com website under Ms. O’Brien’s computer class.
Students are encouraged to do research and to discuss the
“answers” with family and friends to determine the question.
Students participate by placing their “Question of the Day” in the
Black History Brain Quest “Question Box.”
Students must respond within 48 hours of hearing the “Answer of
the Day.”
Each
day five lucky winners with the correct response in the form of a question
will be selected. The
response from the students in the very first few days of the contest has
been great. Thank you to
Baskin Robbins for providing gift certificates to the winners and good
luck to all the future contestants who decide to accept the challenge!
(Posted 2/7/2006)
Parent Volunteers Needed!
If you would like to volunteer to help make
Colonial Day a success, please call the office at 631-4442 or email Gayle Seti
at gseti at tufsd.org. (change at
to @ and eliminate any spaces) (Posted
2/1/2006)
Westchester
Arts Council Presents Awards to Washington Irving and Morse Schools
Washinton Irving School hosted the
The Westchester Arts Council's Arts Partners Challenge Grants program
award ceremony on January 24. The
ceremony recognized outstanding collaborations between artists, arts
organizations and schools for their collaborative projects in arts
education in Westchester, Putnam, and Orange Counties.
Westchester Arts Council Executive Director Janet Langsam presented
grant awards to Peter Royston and Washington Irving Principal Zbynek Gold
for the 6th grade Ancient World theater residency that will take place at
the school starting this March. In
addition, Principal Joe Carmody accepted the award for a dance residency
that will take place at Morse School with the Tappan Zee Dance Group.
The Hudson Valley Writers' Center also received a check for their
continuing work with Washington Irving School.
Board member Julia Rust and Executive Director Dare Thompson
accepted a check on behalf of the Writers' Center, to continue the Write
Mind language arts program led by writer-in-residence David Surface. (Posted
1/26/2006)
A
Dutch Treat
The fourth annual Colonial Day will be
held on February 9th (snow day, the 10th) from 8:00-12:30. Colonial Day
celebrates the fourth grade study of Dutch and English influences in New
York during the 17th and 18th centuries.
The fourth grade corridor will be magically transformed into a colonial
village. The students, many dressed in colonial attire, will enjoy over 25
activities such as candle making, baking, weaving, quilting, and toy
making. The students will also have the opportunity to make butter, shop
in the bakery featuring colonial goodies, visit the apothecary and examine
authentic colonial treasures from Tarrytown.
If you would like to volunteer to help make
our day a success, please call the office at 631-4442 or email Gayle Seti
at gseti@tufsd.org. (Posted
1/20/2006)
6th Graders Study Ancient
Egypt
Do you know what flower the Nile River Valley is shaped like?
Well, the 6th graders know. In
fact, the 6th graders at Washington Irving school know a lot about the
Nile River Valley and the Ancient Egyptian civilization.
Students in all classes constructed 3-D projects representing
different aspects of the civilization.
From mummies, to sphinx’s, to relief maps, students got their
hands dirty building their different projects.
Not only did students have to build their projects, they also had
to become experts on that aspect of the civilization.
They presented their project to their classmates and endured an
intensive question/answer session where students inquired about all
aspects of their projects. Students
became teachers and teachers became students as information was shared and
delivered. “Did you know that in one ancient Egyptian city, the
Persians are rumored to have tossed cats over the walls,” instructed one
student. “The Egyptian army gave up without a fight, preferring to be
captured rather than risk injury to the sacred animals.”
A fact, none of her teachers knew before her presentation. (Posted
1/18/2006)
The
National Circus Project is back at Washington Irving School!
From January 23rd-27th, two circus professionals
will be working with students at WI and teaching them various circus
skills including spinning plates, unicycles, juggling, and devil sticks. 105
randomly selected 5th grade students will be putting on an
evening performance on Friday, January 27th at 6:30pm in the WI
gymnasium. All are welcomed to stop by and cheer on our performers!
Children attending must be accompanied by an adult Hope to
see you all there! (Posted 1/17/2006)
Lion’s
Club International
Peace
Poster Contest
Lion’s
Club International Peace Poster Contest is a contest that encourages
children ages 11-13 to creatively express what peace means to them.
The contest allows students to share their unique image of peace
with others, so that we may all have a greater tolerance and international
understanding. The contest
was available to Ms. Gallo’s sixth grade art students at Washington
Irving School. The winning poster was judged on originality, artistic merit,
and expression of the theme “Peace Without Borders.” The winning poster was created by a student from Ms.
Mulhearn’s class. Her
poster now has a chance to win the district level and national level of
the competition. Congratulations
and best of luck from everyone at Washington Irving School.
Thank you to all of the students who participated!
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Show
Enthusiasm for the Arts!
William
Shakespeare’s Musical Comedy - Twelfth Night
The Family YMCA at Tarrytown After School Enrichment program, in
conjunction with The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
and Washington Irving Intermediate School, will present William
Shakespeare’s musical comedy Twelfth Night this fall, with
performances on Monday, November 21st
at 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and November 22nd at 9:15 a.m.
at Washington Irving School located at 103 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY.
Funding for YMCA After School Theater programming comes from
Westchester Community Foundation, the Foundation for the Public Schools
of the Tarrytowns, and the YMCA. This production, with actors in fourth,
fifth and sixth grades, will be directed by Peter Royston.
Admission is FREE, donations for New Orleans hurricane relief
will be accepted.
Music
for Hope Benefit Raises Over $1,100
On October 17th, Washington Irving Intermediate School hosted
Music for Hope, a benefit concert to aid relief efforts for child
victims of hurricane Katrina. Under the guidance and coordination efforts
of Washington Irving’s own Dr. Ginette Bernard and Neal Spitzer, a variety
of amazingly talented musical guests came together to donate their time
and talent for our community. The night was a rousing success due to the
combined efforts of the musicians, our staff, administration and, of
course, our community.
After an introduction by
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Howard Smith, Master of Ceremonies Brian
Conybeare, Anchor and Reporter for NEWS 12, hosted the evening. The
showcase of talent at Music for Hope included seasoned Broadway
performers Gina Valentine & Ashton Byrum, who sang with the incredibly
talented pianist Christophe Chalamet. In addition, our own Dr. Ginette
Bernard sang accompanied by flautist Becky Gonzalez and Christophe
Chalamet. Rounding out the evening was Neal Spitzer and his band, who
performed a variety of music for the crowd of over 100!
Special
thanks to Bella’s restaurant and The Coffee Labs who generously donated
food and beverages to help make the night a success. In addition to the
money earned through food sales and donations taken at the door, both Neal
Spitzer and Dr. Ginette Bernard donated 100% of the proceeds of the sale
of their CD’s. In all, Music for Hope raised over $1100.00, all of
which will be used to purchase school supplies for children affected by
Katrina. Music for Hope is just one of numerous District-wide
efforts to promote caring and compassion for those affected by the
devastation of Katrina.
Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort
We are collecting the following supplies to send to schools that
have been devastated by hurricane Katrina. You help is greatly
appreciated. Items can be brought to school and placed in the boxes in the
main lobby:
SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
Backpacks - new or gently used
loose leaf paper
spiral notebooks
composition books
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