P U B L I C S C H O O L S O F T H E T A R R Y T O W N S

A Letter from the Board President

2014Fall

Dear Community Members,

All around our community, we can see the evidence of nature preparing for the coming winter. Our school district is much like an ecosystem of its own, with similar activity going on in preparation for the future. For the Board of Education, this takes the form of annual goal-setting based on aspects of student experience that require periodic examination and evaluation to ensure that our students continue to receive the finest education.

Our goals for the 2014–15 year include assessing our Languages Other Than English (LOTE) program, the Sleepy Hollow Middle School 6–8 model, and the use of the Tappan Hill School. We will also be following through on some ongoing goals from last year, which include revising our Technology Plan and assessing a new writing curriculum. 

In a world of increasing global interdependency, the study of language is more important than ever. Parents have requested that we examine whether we can include more students in LOTE at an earlier age and look at ways to enhance the language-learning experience of our upper-level students while staying mindful of our budget. This year’s senior class at SHHS was the first group of students who were involved in our Dual Language program as kindergarteners, so this is a perfect time to evaluate this program and see if any changes are needed to make it even more effective.

On the flip side, we will also be looking at ways that we can better support our English language learners. Coming to a school district and not speaking the language presents so many challenges to many talented students, so we are also reviewing our English as a Second Language program.

Now that several years have passed since the move of sixth grade into the Middle School, it’s time to look at the Middle School program as a whole and see if any changes should be made to enhance the experience for students and prepare them more effectively for the high school environment.

Tappan Hill has been leased to the YMCA for their early childhood program. This space is an asset to the school district and our villages, and we want to be sure that we are utilizing it to its full potential.

Thanks to the continued support of the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and our community taxpayers, we have one of the finest technology programs in the area. We will be updating our curriculum to better reflect today’s “tech savvy” students but look to address gaps that still exist in their knowledge of how to use technology effectively and safely.

Another program that will also be reviewed is a writing program implemented by Dr. Carroll, the principals, and faculty, now in its second year. 

The Board always welcomes the input of community members and encourages you to contact us with any suggestions, comments, or concerns about these or any other aspects of the educational experience we provide to our community’s youth. 

I’d like to close with one highlight of this fall, which was the formal opening of the Peabody Preserve. This project was the dream of a group of our community members who recognized that the Peabody property contained a wealth of resources as a potential outdoor classroom for our students of all ages. Through the tireless work of Tracy Brown, Katie Scully and Sonia Cawley along with our own Board Trustee Carol Banino, and a dedicated committee that included the time and resources from Teatown, this dream became a reality and a wonderful example of what can be accomplished when a community comes together for the benefit of all of our students! We hope you take some time to visit the Preserve and enjoy the beauty of this time of year. 

Sincerely,

Mimi Godwin Mimi Godwin President of the Board of Education

Table of ContentsHabits of Mind Takes Hold in Tarrytown Schools ........... 2

Message from the Superintendent .................. 3

Sleepy Hollow Seniors Welcome Younger Students at Rose Ceremony .............. 3

Homecoming and Spirit Week a Success in the Hollow ................. 4–5

Washington Irving School Students Reap Fall Harvest . 6

Tarrytown Schools Unveil Peabody Preserve Outdoor Classroom .......................... 6

Sleepy Hollow High School Seniors Win Third Place in Video Contest .................... 7

SHHS Students Collect More Than 5,000 Cans for Tarrytown Food Pantry ........ 7

Update from the Foundation: Annual Appeal and Applications Being Accepted for Creativity Grants ........... 7

Halloween Parades ............... 8

2 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE TARRYTOWNS

Habits of Mind Takes Hold in Tarrytown Schools

So what is Habits of Mind, and why is everyone talking about it in the Tarrytown Schools?

For Washington Irving students, Habits of Mind is a program that reinforces good habits related to learning, both in school and in the world at large.

For students at Sleepy Hollow Middle School, Habits of Mind means taking responsible and safe risks, which can hit home for students who are adolescents.

Habits of Mind is a concept that describes the characteristics of successful learners while they prepare for school, work and life in the 21st century. In their popular book, “Learning and Leading With Habits of Mind,” authors Art Costa and Bena Kallick introduced strategies that teachers can use in curriculum and instruction, while changing the culture of a school along with the academic and social skills of students.

“Habits are inevitable,” said Superintendent of Schools Chris Clouet. “We are, after all, creatures of habit.”

The Tarrytown initiative, he said, “creates a shared vocabulary across grade levels to help students develop these positive habits. Just like a golf coach will be explicit about habits leading to a better swing, we feel that being explicit about the habits of mind will benefit students both academically and emotionally.”

The practice consists of 16 key “habits of mind”:1. Persisting2. Managing Impulsivity3. Listening to Others with Understanding

and Empathy4. Thinking Flexibly5. Thinking About Our Thinking6. Striving for Accuracy and Precision7. Questioning and Posing Problems8. Applying Past Knowledge to New

Situations9. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity

and Precision10. Gathering Data Through All Senses11. Creating, Imagining and Innovating12. Responding with Wonderment and Awe13. Taking Responsible Risks14. Finding Humor15. Thinking Interdependently16. Learning Continuously

At the Washington Irving Intermediate School, students and teachers have been concentrating on learning five Habits of Mind:

• Persistence• Responding with Wonderment and Awe• Creating, Imagining and Innovating• Managing Impulsivity• Taking Responsible Risks

For example, says 26-year WI teacher Alice Sharkey, her students were recently asked to draw examples of when they might be taking responsible risks, with the emphasis on “responsible.”

For one student, that meant venturing out of her comfort zone and trying out for the WI musical this year. This big step reinforces the idea that students can progress beyond comfortable borders to push the envelope of growth.

“Our goal district-wide, and certainly here with our third, fourth and fifth graders,” said Mrs. Sharkey, “is to understand the 16 Habits of Mind and to use the same vocabulary around the program so that we’re speaking the same language.”

Students at the intermediate school also quickly learned that in personal development, a new habit can be developed and actually become “a habit”—good or bad—in about 28 days.

In working with her students on the habit of persistence, Mrs. Sharkey explained the notion of sticking with a goal. Students imagined scenarios in which persistence would be a positive habit to develop, and then illustrated

that in drawings. Students at WI have also written stories and composed poems about the Habits they hope to master.

“We hope that this work will trickle down to make them not only better students, but better people,” said Mrs. Sharkey. “We want them to love learning and for that to continue long past their days at Washington Irving.”

At Sleepy Hollow Middle School, students began their understanding of Habits of Mind after attending inspiring presentations in the fall. Every social studies class in grades six through eight watched videos dealing with topics like taking “safe risks” and aspiring to achieve things that might take them out of their comfort zones.

“What can Middle School students do to act beyond their comfort zones?” asked Jamie Steiner, one of the school counselors

working to introduce Habits of Mind. “They can try out for the school play, student council, sports teams. We hope that they will worry less about what others might think of them and stretch their boundaries.”

To inspire them, the staff at the Middle School showed students a video of British runner Derek Redmond, who during the 1992 Olympics 400-meter semi-final race, snapped a hamstring and had to be helped across the finish line by his father.

After that, said Ms. Steiner, students filled out “reflection sheets” about themselves and their goals.

“We had one student who decided she wanted to try out for our production of ‘Aladdin,’ ” said Principal Beth Lopez. “We had other students who decided they would raise their hands more frequently in class, a big step for some of them.”

The district-wide initiative is so expansive that students have the tenets of Habits of Mind printed on their agenda books, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chris Clouet has translated the Habits of Mind into Spanish for District students and parents.

School officials have also held PTA presentations, to include parents in on the discussion.

“Habits of Mind gives students more tools to put into their toolkit when they might be faced with a situation that doesn’t have a concrete answer,” said Ms. Sharkey at Washington Irving. “At such a young age, wouldn’t it be nice if they started now?”

Students at Washington Irving are using illustrations and artwork to depict their understanding of the 16 Habits of Mind, including this one: Persisting.

3BRIDGES

Sleepy Hollow Seniors Welcome Younger Students at Rose Ceremony

The year 2026 must seem a lifetime away to a first grader, but the future was made a bit clearer to W.L. Morse School first-graders, members of the Class of 2026, when they were personally welcomed into the Tarrytown School District family by the Sleepy Hollow High School Class of 2015 at the 24th Annual Rose Ceremony in October.

The Rose Ceremony, a tradition in Tarrytown for nearly a quarter of a century, represents the passing of the torch from seniors to first graders beginning their educations, and is marked by the gift of a rose from the seniors to the wide-eyed 6- and 7-year-olds.

Tarrytown Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet was on hand to witness his second Rose Ceremony and reflected on the meaning of the event, which was packed with family members.

“The ceremony is unique to the District and I had never seen anything like it before,” Clouet said. “It’s a beautiful connection between big kids and little kids and a passage of time that puts the lives of both groups in perspective. The older kids look backward and the younger kids can see themselves going forward. It’s something very special and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

High School Principal Carol Conklin-Spillane welcomed the audience and

Senior Class President Randy Perez addressed the several classes of Morse first graders who filled the front seats of the high school auditorium.

“First graders, soon you will learn how special Sleepy Hollow High School is and you will be ready to take on all amazing things that await you here,” she said. “The Rose Ceremony is a time to celebrate all that we are and all that we have yet to become. It is also a time to say thank you to our parents and teachers for guiding us along the way. The Class of 2015 and the Class of 2026 have much to be proud of.”

Sara Friedman sang the National Anthem, the Sleepy High School Chorus sang “Child of Tomorrow” to their young counterparts and Heather

Brown, Sara Friedman, Glenni Rodriguez and Xiara Rodriguez sang “Hail To Sleepy Hollow.”

Class Vice President Sarah Hofmann introduced a student-produced video, in which high school students gave a humorous and

welcoming guided tour of the high school to two first-graders before Morse Principal Tom Holland and his teachers sent their youngsters on stage for the poignant Rose Ceremony.

A Message from the SuperintendentDear Community Members,

As memories of a festive Halloween fade, and Thanksgiving is upon us, it is a good time to pause and reflect. We have so much to be grateful for. We live in a vibrant, beautiful part of the world. Our children are active learners, mastering their lessons and playing sports and instruments. Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Yet, there is a tinge of pessimism and anxiety evident among many adults, perhaps linked to the election cycle’s negative ads, but certainly connected to troubling world events such as the pandemic spread of Ebola in some West African nations and to the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The horror of the deadly disease and barbaric brutality of the extremists along with other events can make people feel that the world is unsafe.

In response to the negativity amplified in the media, this is a good time to remember what is good in our world. It is an ideal time to be kind to others. The Dalai Lama has said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” Sage advice.

The author George Saunders gave a talk on kindness that became an internet sensation. The link below is an animated version of his speech. He reminds us that the most meaningful relationships we are likely to have in our lifetimes are rooted in acts of kindness. He shares his regret

for omissions of kindness he recalls from his own youth.

http://time.com/76602/watch-an-animated-version-of-george-saunders-amazing-commencement-speech/

During this holiday season let’s all take the time to be a little more focused on being kind—to our children, to other people’s children, to our teachers, our elders, and to the person crossing the street when we feel in a hurry. In the face of world events that can make us feel powerless, let’s take action on a personal scale and spread some kindness around our schools and community.

Speaking of kindness: Community leaders Tracy Brown, Kate Scully and Sonia Cawley recently led a coalition of community partners to make the Peabody Preserve into a vital outdoor classroom for our students and spent countless hours organizing, finding resources, and making a dream come true. They deserve our thanks for giving of themselves. Bravo!

Respectfully,Christopher Clouet Superintendent of Schools

4 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE TARRYTOWNS

HOMECOMING AND SPIRIT WEEK

The battle for Spirit Week superiority and class pride rose to its highest point before Sleepy Hollow High School’s Homecoming when the entire student body, faculty and administrators shook the school gymnasium with cheers on the annual Color Day and Pep Rally on Oct. 9.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year because everyone is totally involved through the week as a family,” SHHS Principal Carol Conklin-Spillane said as she emceed the rally. “The spirit of Sleepy Hollow High School is on display.”

The Pep Rally joined freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior classes in the Homecoming tradition that includes presenting class banners, with each class performing its own cheer. Representatives of each class, in costume or team colors, danced, cheered, sang or rapped in a creative battle to claim the title of most spirited.“This is always an amazing thing to watch,” District Athletic Director Chuck Scarpulla said. “These kids really put their hearts into the week and the Pep Rally.”

5BRIDGES

HOMECOMING AND SPIRIT WEEK A SUCCESS IN THE HOLLOW

The black-clad freshmen dubbed themselves “Freshmen Fugitives,” the sophomores were “The Siege” in gray, the

juniors, in purple, took on Batman’s “The Jokers” persona, and the veteran seniors were “The Spartans,” dressed in white togas and ready to go to war for class pride.

The dance and cheer routines each lasted several minutes and raised the response of the student body—sitting in the gym bleachers in ordered sections—to a fever pitch. The freshmen did a dance routine, the sophomores performed in step, the juniors were led by “The Joker,” and the seniors waged an all-out narrated and choreographed battle as Spartans of myth and legend.

Each class decorated sections of the school’s hallways in its theme as Spirit Week reached its Friday conclusion, Saturday’s Homecoming Day with a victorious football game against visiting Lakeland.

6 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE TARRYTOWNS

The long-hoped-for vision of a living, outdoor classroom for Tarrytown students became a reality with the official opening of the Peabody Preserve Outdoor Classroom on Monday, Oct. 22.

 Framed by an autumn wind moving through the plant life, light rain, and audio evidence of wildlife, village and school families joined organizers and community and political leaders in cutting the ribbon on the 40-acre learning center located along Route 9 opposite the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chris Clouet emceed the program, which included remarks from PPOC’s Co-Founders Tracy Brown, Katie Scully and Sonia Crowley, who were at the forefront of making the parcel of mostly unused land into a unique, living laboratory for students of the District.

“We started the project with two goals in mind,” said Brown. “One is to enhance the education of our students with hands-on, outdoor learning. The other is to preserve and protect this beautiful open space and its unique habitats. We believe the students will become passionate and effective stewards

of this land and of the creatures who call it home.”

Dr. Clouet praised the creators, supporters and community groups as well as the young people who helped fulfill the dream.

“This is a big day and a big project—40 acres—and it reflects the big multicultural heart of the school district and the villages,” he said. “Why outdoor learning? Studies show that nature shifts the brain into a state of

involuntary attention, which restores directive attention, which is so fundamental to academic growth.”

The preserve, said Dr. Clouet, “is a case study in how students, parents, teachers, artists, environmentalists and scientists, when they, when we, collaborate and persist and think flexibly, things can happen.” 

Guest speakers included Board of Education President Mimi Godwin, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, state Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti, Teatown Executive Director Kevin Carter, and student representatives including senior Javiera Morales, eighth-grader Max Cover and freshman Jayne Knight, who shared their visions for the habitat/classroom.

Cover offered a student’s perspective on the extended classroom now available to students.

“The days we get here stand out from the other ones,” he said. “It’s relaxing, refreshing and a release from all the tension we build up with test grades and homework. Nature can be so exciting, the smallest thing, like a stream, can be so enthralling that it takes up your entire afternoon.”

Thanks to contributions from partners—the Tarrytown Board of Education, Teatown Lake Preserve and Scenic Hudson, as well as private funding from the Kathryn Davis Family, Alida Livingston Davis and IBM, the preserve includes a new trail system with points of interest, wooded areas, the ruins of a brick factory, a pond, fresh- and salt-water wetlands, and scenic views of the Hudson River.

Supporting groups also included Trailblazers, Pioneers and the Friends of PPOC Board.

Tarrytown Schools Unveil Peabody Preserve Outdoor Classroom

Busy, soiled hands and big smiles were in abundance when dozens of fourth graders from Tarrytown’s Washington Irving Intermediate School harvested a bountiful autumn crop of vegetables at their farm-away-from-home at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund gardens in Pocantico Hills in early October.

Having planted in the spring, the students spent a Monday morning at their garden, picking, washing and slicing and dicing carrots, parsley, squash, onions, potatoes and more for a picnic soup lunch cooked on the garden grounds.

Washington Irving School Students Reap Fall Harvest

“We planted with the children in the spring and learned all about how each product grows and what would happen—worms, weeds, sun—through the season,” said Washington Irving teacher Maureen Considine. “Now we’re back to see and experience the harvest. It’s wonderful to have this hands-on experience. The children really get to understand what comes to their table and what healthy food means.”

Senta Stich, Master Gardener provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, leads an all-volunteer staff in connecting local children with the world of agriculture.

“The idea is to grow it, handle it, prepare it and then hopefully, the children and their families will learn to eat healthier foods,” said Ms. Stich, a retired teacher and principal for the New Rochelle schools. “This project teaches first-hand where foods come from and what it takes to get food to the table.”

The children took notes on the harvest, gathered herbs and veggies, washed their crops, and delivered the ingredients to adult volunteers, who cooked the soup under sunny, autumn skies for a midday lunch. 

Those interested in supporting Peabody Preserve may log on for more information at PPOC.outdoors@gmail.com

7BRIDGES

Congratulations to students in the SHHS Participation in Government and Contemporary Issues 12 Honors class, who placed third in Con Edison’s Get Out the Vote contest by creating a 90-second video message that included every class member in a creative combination of interviews, posters, and human letters spelling out the word VOTE.

Six seniors attended a screening reception held at the Museum of the Moving Image located in Astoria, Queens, on Oct. 28, where they met contest judges and staff and viewed video entries submitted by their peers.

In placing third, the Sleepy Hollow class was awarded a $250 Apple Store gift card. The top two entries were from students attending the Academy of Careers for TV and Film.

The contest was open to all middle and high school students living in New York City and Westchester County. Judges included staff from the Museum of the Moving Image, the Jacob Burns Film Center, and Con Edison. The goal was to create a video message that promoted the right and civic duty to vote on Election Day, Nov. 4.

Sleepy Hollow High School Seniors Win Third Place in Video Contest

Sleepy Hollow High School students participated in a week of events that created indelible memories, rekindled rivalries between the grades, and brought out the

altruistic side of the Sleepy Hollow High School community. This year’s Spirit Week saw a record-breaking collection of close to 5,000 cans, which were collected by students and staff, then donated to the Tarrytown Food Pantry.

SHHS Students Collect More Than 5,000 Cans for Tarrytown Food Pantry

SHHS seniors, left to right: Thalia Criollo, Ashley Pesantez-Quesada, Cristian Yuqui, Jeffrey Asante, Daniel Elia and Joseph Galasso.

The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns has launched its annual appeal to supporters, and has announced its 2015 Creativity Grants Program.

In a letter to community members and staff soliciting Creativity Grant requests, Director Shelly Colley and Co-Presidents Cathy Foti and Rosa Nigro explained that the Grants Program supports creativity in meeting classroom curriculum and testing requirements.

The Foundation especially welcomes ideas that have not been introduced in the District before or may cross disciplines or age groups.

The Foundation welcomes grant participation from student/teacher and parent/teacher teams as well as teachers alone or in collaboration with other teachers. We have a total of $14,000 available and will make individual grants of up to $1,500 and collaborative grants of up to $5,000 for use between January 2015 and December 31, 2015. There is no limit to the number of applications from each school.

Applications are due by November 25, 2014. Guidelines and an application can be found on the Foundation website.  Go to www.tarrytownschoolsfoundation.org, click on Grants, then click on the highlighted blue “online grant application.” Save the grant

application in a word document, and then send back to the Foundation as an attachment.

The Creativity Grants committee will review each grant application and present its recom-mendations to the full board at its Jan. 6, 2015, board meeting. Recipients are contacted with decisions sometime shortly after the January meeting.

In its annual appeal to donors, the Foundation noted that “As pressure increases on educators to concentrate on ever-stricter Common Core programming, the need to enhance and enrich our students’ educational experiences, in and out of the classroom, becomes even more essential.”

To develop and fund programs, the Foundation asks donors to consider making a fully tax-deductible gift of $25, $50, $100 or more. Annual appeal letters are being mailed out to community members this month.

“We are very careful with your dollars,” says the Foundation letter. “Just this year, donations to The Foundation from our parents, friends and neighbors made it possible to fund a science program in the High School that uses technology to implement traditional lab experiments in chemistry and physics. Foundation donations also supported programs

in theater arts, foreign language, math, music, media and photography.”

The Foundation has also promoted learning outside the classroom by funding field trips including sails aboard the Hudson River on the Clearwater and trips to Washington, D.C. Other trips have included performances of the Nutcracker ballet, Shakespeare performances and visits to Caramoor.

Hands-on learning experiences are encouraged by providing students with organic gardens in which to grow vegetables and flowers. For the emerging reader, the Foundation buys books appropriate for all reading levels. And new athletic programs and equipment have been purchased with help from the Foundation.

For questions, call the Foundation office at 366-8457, or email them at foundation@tufsd.org.

UPDATE FROMAnnual Appeal and Applications Being Accepted for Creativity Grants

8 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE TARRYTOWNS BRIDGES

Non-ProfitUS Postage

PAIDPermit #91005

White Plains, NY 10605

CARRIER PRESORT

POSTAL CUSTOMERTarrytown/Sleepy Hollow, NY

10591

UFSD of the Tarrytowns200 North BroadwaySleepy Hollow, NY 10591www.tufsd.orgSchool News-Cable Channel 77

Board of EducationMimi Godwin, PresidentCraig Laub, Vice PresidentCarol Banino, TrusteeJennifer Liddy-Green, TrusteeB. Joseph Lillis, TrusteeJohn A. Paine, TrusteeKatharine M. Swibold, Trustee

Superintendent of SchoolsDr. Christopher Clouet(914) 631-9404

Evelyn McCormack, Editor Maria Ilardi, Art Director Joe Golden and Julie Larsen-Maher, Contributing Photographers

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns do not discriminate on the basis of sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, citizenship, age or disability or any other protected classification in its employment, admissions practices, vocational opportunities or access to and treatment in programs or activities, in accordance with Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Inquiries concerning application of these regulations may be made to the Assistant Superintendent of the UFSD of the Tarrytowns, 200 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. 10591.

Students Celebrate ‘Hollow-Ween’ In Tarrytown Schools

at the John Paulding School in morning and afternoon parades, while students and staff at the Winfield Morse School showed their Halloween spirit in an afternoon parade.

John Paulding Principal Maureen Barnett joined staffers dressed as the Three Blind Mice in a revival of the Halloween parade for the district’s youngest students.

"The parade hadn't been held here for about 25 years," said Ms. Barnett. "We thought it would be nice to have it back. We wanted it to be a positive, fun day for everyone."

Paulding pre-K students toured the parking area at the front of the school as parents cheered and took videos and photos.

Kindergarten students repeated the parade in the afternoon, taking a full lap of the parking lot area.

The Sleepy Hollow High School marching band marched down to the Morse School and provided a sound track for the Halloween parade, which took children and teachers along village sidewalks on two laps around the school as a crowd of parents and residents watched.

Tarrytown's little people spent Halloween dressed as Disney princesses, superheroes, police officers, firefighters, goblins and ghosts as the elementary schools celebrated Halloween in the home of the Headless Horseman.

Children in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten stepped out in full costume in front of parents and other family members