The Newsfrom

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The new Monticello High School Fine Arts Academy (FAA) is off to a solid start as its inaugural year takes fl ight. Students who once could only dream of having a career in the arts are now realizing that they truly do have a chance to pursue what they love.

They are learning that there are many more jobs in the arts than they ever realized. They are also being shown that if their interests do not lie in the performance or visual art areas, there are alternative careers in business, promotion or production that will still allow them to be involved in the arts and earn a decent wage.

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Fine Arts Academy striking a harmonious chord with students

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Chase Elementary School teachers were visited by wellness guru Diosdado Santiago (pictured left) from the HTM Fitness Studio in Monticello. Santiago engaged the teachers in an early morning discussion as to how student behavior can be directly affected by what they are eating. He also demonstrated a 30 second breathing and stretching technique for teachers to perform with their classes. This is aimed at stimulating students through proper oxygen intake to be more alert and receptive to class activity. Fifth-grade teacher Marilyn Loundsbury (pictured center) really enjoyed the exercise and praised it as an innovative method to make her feel more invigorated early in the morning.

Though not all the students in Laurie Kilgore’s Studio in Art class will continue their studies as part of the FAA, the general consensus was that by taking the class, students have learned more about their creative talents and truly enjoyed the experience. Here students proudly display their Elements of Design two-dimensional mixed media texture project about animals.

Teaching the teachers Eye on Professional Development

Realizing new options while exploring potential

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GE8 The new Project Dream Tank program

is having great success as it opens its doors to at-risk youths

6 BOE members lobby in Washington D.C.Chase student helps the communitySenior citizen party more than just fun

7 ClubRec program for elementary kidsBoys & Girls Club expands offeringsRJK student honored as leader

5 Upgrading safety in our schoolsPTO shows teachers appreciationAlways a smile at Rutherford

2 Letter from the Superintendent about the accomplishments and continuing efforts to improve our schools

4 Inaugural Wellness Fair and Earth Day celebration partners with the Monti Games to educate about health

WHAT’S INSIDE

C E N T R A L S C H O O L D I S T R I C T

Superintendent honored as Peace Maker

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Letter from the Superintendent: Thank you

It has been a great school year. The Monticello Central School District is on the move and improving on all fronts. We are very pleased and proud of the progress our children are making and the dedication of our teachers, staff and administrators. We could not have made the strides we have thus far, without the active involvement of our parents and our community. We want to thank all those who supported our budget and those who have supported the growth of our programs.

We will be starting a new school year offi cially on July 1, 2008, and it is important to understand our goals and why we are continuing to make changes. Our children must compete in a world that is very different from the world in which we grew up. We are preparing our students for employment that requires much higher levels of education than ever before. In a recent statement from the U.S. Labor Department, it was noted that the level of

Dear Community Members,

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Michel

At the silver anniversary celebration of the Dispute Resolution Center, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Michel was honored as the Sullivan County Peace Maker of the Year. He was chosen based on his contributions to the community both through his role as superintendent and his general community involvement which included helping implement a peer mediation program at the RJK Middle School. Monticello High School Principal Arleene Siegel, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Support Services Gladys Baxter, Dr. Michel and his wife, Salvina, enjoyed brunch at the Hotel Thayer awards reception.

education needed in order to obtain a job and support a family is equivalent to a two-year college degree. This does not mean that all of our children must go to college. Training in the automotive, construction and green technology industries and many other traditional blue collar careers are an equivalent to a college education. It is a grave mistake if we fail to recognize that to be successful in the world today, our children must have the skills required for college level coursework, whether they plan to attend college or not.

To that end, we began a restructuring process throughout the school district that will prepare our children for the global marketplace. Some of the changes we have made are paying dividends already. Our elementary schools have made signifi cant strides in English Language Arts (ELA) and math and it is our expectations that the Rutherford Elementary School will be removed from the state list for poor ELA grades. We are also anticipating that our high school will be removed from the state list for math. That leaves only our middle school, which is on a state list for ELA. We are hopeful that this year they will make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and if they continue to improve, by next year they will be off the state list, as well.

We feel strongly that meeting state benchmarks is not good enough. We needed to put adequate time into making our schools safe and removing them from the state lists. Now that we have achieved most of these goals, our job is to further this change process. We will be looking to expand the International Baccalaureate program at the elementary level. We will continue our expansion of the Enriched and Accelerated program at the middle school and we will begin looping in September. At the high school, we are redesigning options for students during their senior year through our Smaller Learning Communities program. All these efforts combined will result in further academic achievement for our children.

As always, please contact me if you would like to discuss your concerns or talk about education in general.

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High school sophomore Joe Davis sings, dances, and plays piano, but his real interest is entertainment law. According to Joe, who seems to have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, he is looking forward to being one of the movers and shakers behind the scenes, of course, making the big bucks!

But for many of the FAA students, their grandest dreams will bring them to the stages of Broadway and Carnegie Hall or to the galleries of Soho and Greenwich Village.

Even though the high school has always had a strong visual arts program, the creation of the academy structure is giving teachers a chance to fi ne tune the curriculum to make their classes more current and relevant. The new program is setting its sights on preparing students with enough skills to get a job right out of high school and giving the students who want to continue on to art school more comprehensive portfolios.

Monticello’s music department is already touted for its excellence as one of the top 100 in the nation. Nevertheless, Director of Music Dr. Kevin Dirth still sees room for expansion and change. Part of his short term plan to prepare students for the demanding music classes given in the FAA, is to implement an accelerated program at the middle school level.

Fine arts exposure = creative problem solving skills

Monticello High School music teacher Ann Trombley, right, has been working to help formalize the Fine Arts Academy with the new dance teacher, Kelly Keesler. Keesler, who also teaches physics, began offering dance classes this past year with ballet, modern and Hip Hop on the beginner level. She plans to add intermediate and advanced classes in the near future.

Gaining knowledge to make dreams real

Kelly Pfeister and Amanda Mckeighan are both enrolled in the new Fine Arts Academy. Kelly enjoys music and photography while Amanda loves to sing and play keyboards. Both girls would love a career in professional theatre and they hope to one day perform on the Broadway stage.

More classes, more choices

With the creation of the Fine Art Academy, came new classes in theatre and dance, making Monticello one of the few districts, regionally, offering such courses.

A variety of local professionals work with FAA students to help them learn how to create, design and promote a full scale theatrical production. This year, some of the students’ mentors included, from left, Bill James from WSUL and WVOS radio stations; Norman Duttweiler from the Forestburgh Playhouse and Meghan Stalter and Katie Lemery from the Bethel Woods Arts Center.

One chance that students get to be involved in a huge professional-style performance is the annual Nutcracker Festival that allows Monticello High School to partner with Tri-Valley and Liberty High Schools. During this event, which is organized by Tri-Valley’s Director of Music Lori Orestano-James, FAA students collaborate in an “interdisciplinary, arts-based learning project.” This year, after their many long hours of practice, students got a real life lesson, when unfortunately, the public performance of the show was canceled due to inclement winter weather.

For Denny Diaz and Julia Valencia it’s all about the visual arts. The girls are looking forward to next year, when they’ll get to draw and paint more in class – the two things they love most about art!

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This inaugural event was co-sponsored by the district’s Wellness Committee, the Robert J. Kaiser Middle School Panther Pride team and the RJK Environmental Club. The club’s advisor, 8th grade science teacher Lauri McBride, hosted a table with her students to provide attendees with a variety of information about living greener, recycling and eating locally. Students gave a demonstration on how to make beads out of recycled paper and distributed free locally grown apples that they personally peeled and cored.

RJK Middle School teachers volunteered their time to sell “recycled” items that were too good to throw away. The district’s Food Service Director Kathy Kelley and head cook Debbie Muller were available to answer questions about the school’s menus. They also provided attendees with free healthy snacks. A table manned by the

Getting the community involved

Wellness Fair celebrates Earth and HealthThis year, in conjunction with the annual Monti Games,

the Monticello School District hosted a Wellness Fair and Earth Day celebration in the high school cafeteria.

school district nurses was fi lled with dozens of pamphlets and brochures about childhood obesity, smoking cessation, sun safety, cholesterol and stress reduction.

Other vendors included the Prasad Children’s Dental Health Program, which dispatches a mobile dental clinic to all Sullivan County Schools to provide dental health education and services; Sullivan County BOCES nursing program; Center for Independent Living; Sullivan County Public Health Services; Hospice of Sullivan and Orange Counties; the YMCA; and the Health Training Methods (HTM) Fitness Studio of Monticello.

Students from RJK’s Builder’s Club sold tomato and spider plants, while Monticello High School Key Club students provided face painting. Both groups were raising money to donate to a local family whose house had recently been damaged in a fi re.

RJK Principal Deborah Wood and district Wellness Committee co-chair Assistant Superintendent Gladys Baxter watched as RJK Environmental Club members Helen Sywalski, and Laurie Schoonmaker demonstrated how to peel and core an apple.

From left, RJK Panther Pride team co-chair John Langseder, SCBOCES teacher Gloria Cahalan, RJK 6th grader Jessica Muntz, and RJK Middle School art teachers Tricia Cahalan and Elizabeth Bassett volunteered their time at the event.

RJK Builder’s Club advisor and technology teacher William Oefelein worked side by side with 6th grader Jesse Conklin, to sell tomato and spider plants. All the money raised was donated to a local family in need.

Monticello High School Key Club advisor Jackie Herrmann, center, helped students raise money for a local family by providing face painting for attendees. Student volunteers included, from left, Jessica Concors, Shannon Thomas, Mitchell Waichman, Jennyfer Franca and Huiwon Lee (not pictured).

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Monticello Schools: Upgrading Safety

District wellness initiative taking fl ight

To help fi ght the rising rates of childhood obesity, Monticello School offi cials are targeting elementary school students by increasing their daily physical activity. As part of the plan at the Cooke Elementary School, youngsters are given a recess period for about 20 minutes a day, directly after their lunchtime, which gives them the opportunity to run around and play.

As part of Monticello’s new wellness initiative, district offi cials had a food service program audit performed earlier this year in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the service. After analysis of the results, some of the changes for next year include new menu options for lunch, supplying the nutritional breakdown of meals and an improved program to cut down on wasted food and food waste.

Showing appreciation

As part of the week-long celebration of Teacher Appreciation, the Chase Elementary School PTO provided its teachers with a complimentary bagel and cream cheese breakfast and an Italian buffet lunch. Chase literacy coach Ann Kurthy was thrilled by the generous gesture. “It’s not often we [teachers] get thanked,” said Kurthy. “It’s really nice to be appreciated!”

Welcome to Rutherford

Rutherford Elementary School receptionist/secretary Helen Reno, left, is the fi rst face visitors see when they enter the school. She has worked for the district since 1984 and still loves to come to work everyday! Some people may have noticed the beautiful artwork that now adorns the walls of the school’s entrance. The fi ne wood-burning designs depicting the school building, the Rutherford Cheer and the district’s panther mascot are all the creations of Rutherford teacher assistant Sharone Armstead.

With shootings and other violent episodes escalating in schools around the country, Monticello School District offi cials are scrutinizing every aspect of their school safety policy in an effort to create a bigger and better plan.

In compliance with new state and federal school safety mandates and to meet the higher expectations of parents, Monticello is making strides in tackling many tough safety issues. The District Safety Team, comprised of district and school offi cials, law enforcement personnel, parent volunteers, teachers, students, community members and the Sullivan County BOCES Health & Safety Coordinator, meets four times a year to evaluate all aspects of school life that relate to safety. Discussions include the schools’ emergency response plans, playground safety, air and water quality issues, surveillance cameras, ID badges, hall monitors, parking lot improvements, vandalism, graffi ti, fi re drills, evacuation plans, hazmat training and emergency planning for a health epidemic.

Safety Committee Chairwoman, Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning Ms. Kathleen Pagano-Fuller helped NY State Education Department inspectors do a rigorous safety audit earlier this year. In the fi nal reports fi led with the district, there were only a few recommendations for improvement.

According to offi cials, the main points that still need to be addressed have to do with the advanced technology that gives today’s youth access to different avenues of expression and exploration, specifi cally, the internet. With web sites like Facebook and MySpace, cyber bullying is becoming almost more common than hand to hand combat. That’s part of the reason why the district plans to expand its Code of Conduct for students to address issues that pertain to technology. Part of the solution has been to block access from school computers to the known web sites where problems can occur. In addition, each school is now enforcing an awareness campaign that includes a strict policy of supervising students at all times when they are using computers.

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From left, Academy of Finance Director Wendy Levinson with six of her 27 AOF seniors: Darren Fraser, Jessica Simpson, Sarah Pimienta, Charles Marinaro, Victoria Dunlap and Sergio Guillermo. Also pictured are Atlantic Records President Julie Greenwald and AOF Advisory Board Chairperson Joyce Salimeno of the Gersten-Hillman Insurance Agency.

BOE members lobby for Monticello Board of Education

members, Liza Glick and Richard Feller, recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent the Monticello School District at the Annual Federal Relations Network Conference (FRN). The FRN helps school board members gain knowledge about how federal issues impact

local schools. The conference specifi cally focused on areas of legislation and funding and how board members can effectively lobby their legislators on behalf of their school districts.

This year, organizers spotlighted the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and federal legislation regulating individuals with disabilities (IDEA) both of which impose strict rules schools must follow. However, the federal government is not supplying adequate funding to fully support these mandates. During their trip, Liza and Richard met with district representatives from Congress and the Senate to make a plea for more money for Monticello Schools.

Lobbying efforts did not stop there. Upon their return, the duo, along with district administrators and other BOE members, met with offi cials in Albany to push for more aid from New York State.

Serving seniors is rewarding endeavor

At last month’s Senior Citizen Prom, some Monticello High School and RJK Middle School students learned that no matter what your age, you can still have fun.

The young volunteers were part of a concerted effort be-tween the schools, the Sullivan County Boys & Girls Club and Monticello’s Communities That Care to sponsor a dance for local senior citizens that would allow for various age groups to plan, attend and enjoy the social event.

As organizers had hoped, the Mardi Gras style evening did indeed break down some of the barriers and misconceptions between the generations. While the youths served dinner, they socialized with the senior citizens and watched while they had a splendid time listening to music and dancing the night away. For the senior citizens, they learned indubitably that the younger generation has some really great kids!

Young philanthropist helping others

Chase Elementary School fourth-grader Maggie McDermott donated 10 backpack “Kid Kits” to the Wurtsboro Fire Department to give to children who are involved in a house fi re or auto accident. Each backpack contained donated, age-appropriate books, stuffed toys, blankets and music players.

Chase Elementary School Principal Susan Gottlieb helped Maggie implement her idea by allowing her to send home a fl yer explaining her project. Parents, teachers and students supported the benevolent youngster’s plan and donated mounds of items to fi ll the backpacks.

Maggie got the idea for this project when her mother, Linda, explained to her about the diffi culties some kids deal with during a tragic event. Wurtsboro fi refi ghters were happy to receive the donation and plan to distribute the backpacks as necessary.

AOF students connect with community supporters

At the recent Monticello High School Academy of Finance (AOF) Community Reception, the suit-clad AOF students conducted themselves with such professional confi dence it was diffi cult to differentiate between them and the community businesspeople. That brought a smile to the face of Academy Director Wendy Levinson, who tirelessly strives to get her AOF members ready for the real world.

This annual event is a way for students to mingle with the businesspeople, teachers and parents who support the AOF program and to personally thank them for their commitment. With the crowd at Mr. Willy’s Restaurant bustling with close to 100 attendees, and with words of business wisdom shared by Keynote Speaker Julie Greenwald, the young Academy members seemed poised to take on the world.

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The ClubRec after-school program has really blossomed since its introduction to elementary school students in the Monticello District three years ago.

ClubRec providing diverse activities for Monti youngsters

The federally funded, Children & Family Services approved program is run till 6 p.m. Monday-Friday at each of our four elementary schools. Their activities include homework help, sports & games, arts & literature, life games, character education and music. One of the student favorites is the Culture Club, which explores what it is like to be a child in other cultures throughout the world, including sampling homemade foods from those cultures.

Program director John Muollo and assistant director Dawn Van Doran oversee Monticello’s ClubRec and are always looking to add new fun and learning to their program.

“We welcome any community organization or parent who would like to come and give a demonstration or presentation to the kids,” said Muollo. Presently, one parent gives a workshop on snakes, complete with his live boa constrictor. Other annual presentations are given by the local police and fi re departments, a veterinarian and an animal educator.

For the 2008-09 school year, ClubRec offi cials hope to offer an early morning program beginning at 7 a.m. They also offer a summer program that coincides with the district’s summer school which runs July 14 through August 8. ClubRec is a subsidiary of Footings,

RJK Middle School student Shane Jackson (pictured with Athletic Director Doug Murphy) was invited to participate in the 2008 National Young Leaders State Conference (NYLSC). Shane was nominated by his physi-cal education teacher Karen Atack for being an outstand-

ing individual who has achieved academic excellence and displays strong leadership qualities.

The NYLSC has an intense four-day curriculum that focuses on teaching leadership skills such as confl ict resolution, communication, decision making, goal setting, group dynamics, self-awareness and project management. The conference is way for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC) (which is the sponsoring agency) to inspire selected individuals to recognize and achieve their full leadership potential.

Student honored as a leader

Boys & Girls Club offering more options

The newly appointed Sullivan County Unit Director of the Boys & Girls Club, Nora Drummond (pictured left) has many creative ideas for the program’s expansion. If all goes well, she will “take the Club in a new direction and make it more of a full service teen center.”

Some of her plans include extending the hours of operation, adding teen dances, installing a full-blown computer lab and adding Saturday hours. With some construction projects coming to completion in the Club’s St. John Street location, extra space will soon be available for new programs. Presently, the Club runs from 2-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and offers activities such as homework help, health & life skills, sports, fi tness & recreation, character & leadership development, education & career development and arts & music. Open Gym is offered on Wednesday and Friday nights beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Inc., a not-for-profi t corporation in Monroe, NY and is open to all school children grades preK through 5 registered in the Monticello School District.

To volunteer as a presenter, or for more information about the program, its costs or registration requirements, please contact ClubRec at 794-8830, ext. 6 or 783-7505.

For more information or to register, call 794-3080.

Non-Profi t Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 1301Newburgh, NY

CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT237 Forestburgh Road, Monticello, NY 12701

Postal CustomerECRWSS

The News from Monticello Central School District

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Superintendent of SchoolsDr. Patrick Michel

Assistant Superintendentfor Student LearningMs. Kathleen Pagano-Fuller

Assistant Superintendentfor Business & Support ServicesGladys P. Baxter

Board of EducationRobert Stewart, PresidentAlyce Van Etten, Vice PresidentJacob BilligTara Buckstad-RussoRichard FellerLiza GlickYvonne HousmanEugene NesinBarbara O’RourkeTaylor Fasce, Student Representative

Renata Gittler, Editor, Layout & Photography

Produced in cooperation with the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service.

www.monticelloschools.net

When Project Dream Tank began in the fall of 2007, Judge Josephine Finn never expected it would take on a life of its own. The grant-funded program be-gan as a way to help keep high-risk Sullivan County youth out of the criminal justice system.

This unique program utilizes the artistic interests of our youth to teach them important life lessons and help them get organized, focused and on a righteous path to staying out of trouble.

With programs in music, art, dance, life skills and etiquette, the young students are actually excited about attending their Saturday morning classes. So much so, Judge Finn had to extend the program from six weeks to 10 weeks. And that’s just the beginning. With funding from the Dream Tank’s community partners increasing, organizers plan to add more activities and perhaps even fi eld trips to its curriculum.

From left, Monticello High School students Melissa Bickham, Dwight Boothe and Matthew Sze all have graduated from the Project Dream Tank. Bickham, who is a

senior, really enjoyed the Dream Tank classes and plans to continue with the program as a mentor. Boothe, who is a rap artist, said he learned a lot about the music business

from his Dream Tank teachers. For Sze, who is a graffi ti artist, the Dream Tank program got him to focus his talents in a positive direction and gave him the skills he needed

to launch his own graffi ti design business. Also pictured are Dream Tank creator Judge Josephine Finn, right, and Monticello High School Principal Arleene Siegel.

“So far we’ve had great success,” explained Judge Finn. “We’ll take this as far as it can go. My

dreams for these kids have no limit.”

The Dream Tank meets on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Recovery Center in Monticello and

is open to all area youths ages 13-24. For more information or to register, contact Sonia Caycho at 791-5600 or Arleene

Siegel at 794-8840, ext. 10915 or asiegel@k12mcsd.net.

“Dreaming” of a better life brings new possibilities