FALL 2014 VOL. 20 • ISSUE 1

Published by the Parents Association of The Churchill School & Center

Winter is almost upon us and the school year is in full swing. Our first annual Churchill Fall Carnival was a huge success! It was a great opportunity for all our returning families to welcome our over 40 new families to the Churchill community. A huge heartfelt thank you is due to Wendi Tush for chairing the celebration. All her hard work and dedication made for Churchill’s most successful Carnival to date. Additional thanks, as always, are due to Aileen Zim for selflessly giving of herself to the Carnival. And to poor Dr. S. who took a giant bucket of ice water poured over his head like a champion to benefit the Churchill PA. Thank you for making every parent and child scream with delight!

The Ronald McDonald Fun Run was held on November 8th in Central Park. It was great to see so many of our families contributing to this worthy charity. Over 100 schools and community organizations from around the five boroughs were represented. All our children finished their races and everyone received a ribbon. Please consider having your child run next year.

Carrying on the Churchill tradition, the Annual Ice Skating Party was held (in the rain) on Dec 1 at Wollman Rink. Despite the weather, over 300 people attended the event. While many adults

opted to stay inside and sip hot cocoa, the kids enjoyed slipping and sliding on the ice. This year, Suzanne Lawee spearheaded a new effort to provide instruction for beginner skaters by hiring Wollman teachers. Many parents were happy to have their little ones partake in the free lessons. Thank you to all those who attended!

Upcoming events are the popular Family Movie Night and a Middle School Sports Night to be held in January and February. These events will be free of charge and should be fun community building events. Natalie Bausone and Shelly Taylor will be chairing these events. Please reach out to them if you would like to help organize these nights.

The PA will be once again be holding the Holiday Fund Drive. This is your one chance in the year to show your appreciation to the teachers, maintenance workers and administrators that make Churchill our childrens’ second home. The school has a strong no gifts policy, so please take this opportunity to bestow your kindness on Churchill’s staff. They are so appreciative and really depend on their holiday gift. Thank you in advance.

- Christina Cenname

From the PA President

PARENTS ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE BOARD

President: Christina Cenname Co-Vice Presidents: Shelly Taylor,

Wendi Tush Secretary: Robin Michaelson Treasurer: Virginia Plithides

Editor: Susan Littlefield

Assistant Editor: Robin Michaelson

Contributors: Rachel Berkey, Janah Boccio, Lindsay Davis Carr, Christina Cenname, Laura Henrich (and a host of tremendous coaches), Lauren McGeough, Robin Michaelson, Robert

Siebert, Shelley Taylor, Wendi Tush

Photo Editor: Jim Conley

Photographers: Pete Halleck, Jonathon Ostroff, Daniel Strausman, Wendi Tush

Proofing: Wendy Federico, Dolores Valdez, Aileen Zim

Indispensible Help: Rosie Padilla, Aileen Zim

Design: Reitdesign, inc. www.reitdesign.com

Submitting Articles to the Torch: Members of the Churchill School community

(current and alumni students and parents, teachers and staff) are encouraged to

submit articles for publication in The Torch. Articles must be of interest to the community

(regarding current Churchill events and activities, life after Churchill, learning

disabilities, etc.) and are published as space allows and at the discretion of the Editor. Send

queries or submissions via email to Susan Littlefield at

churchilltorch@churchhillschool.com.

The Churchill School and Center 301 East 29th Street New York, NY 10016

www.churchillschool.com

Dear Parents,

By the time you read this, the holiday season will be here. As I reflect on these first three months of the 2014-2015 school year, I feel a great sense of pride and confidence for the balance of this school year and for the future of Churchill.

Of course, you all know that a successor Head of School has been appointed. The Search Committee of the Board did a wonderful job selecting Tim Madigan after a thorough and exhaustive process. With his background, energy, intelligence and values, I am confident that Tim will be an effective and inspiring leader of the Churchill community for many years to come. Having completed the search process on schedule, Tim and I will have ample opportunity to overlap in the coming months, which will ensure a smooth and effective transition.

Also right on schedule is the completion of the successor Strategic Plan for the Churchill School and Center. This process started in the spring of 2013 with the formation, by the Board of Trustees, of a Strategic Planning Steering Committee. The committee mapped out a process, which began with a full Board retreat in the fall of 2013, followed by the formation of a 60-member Strategic Planning Committee comprised of teachers, parents and administrators. In the Spring of 2014, this committee spent a full day off site, laying out a strategic direction for the Churchill School. After several follow up sessions and meetings of the Steering Committee, a draft document has been developed

and distributed to the full 60-member committee. The Plan should be ready for public distribution sometime in January of 2015. The new Head of School will have this document as a guide and road map for the next five years.

In the early spring of 2015, we will be visited by an accreditation team from the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). This team will conduct a five-year interim review as a required component of our successful ten-year (decennial) accreditation process of 2009. The NYSAIS committee will check in on the progress we have made towards the improvement goals specified in our decennial report and review significant new developments and initiatives underway in the school since the 2009 visit. With this process completed, the new Head will have five years at the helm before he has to take on the considerable burden of the next NYSAIS ten-year, accreditation self-study.

With so many new initiatives underway at Churchill, and with these major milestone events at or near completion, we can look forward with great confidence and pride to the second half of the 2014-2015 school year.

Happy holidays to all.

- Robert C. Siebert, Ed.D.

From the Head of School

2 Fall 2014

Fall CarnivalORGANIZER WENDI TUSH DESERVES ENORMOUS THANKS FOR ORGANIZING THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CARNIVAL EVER HELD AT CHURCHILL!In turn, Wendi wishes to thank the following people:

“I really want to thank everyone who volunteered, because we couldn’t have done it without the amazing parents and staff.

Special thanks to Christina Cenname, Joseph Ayoub, Scott Steinberg and Hugh Jackman for going above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks to Dr. Siebert for being such a great sport. Most of all, undying gratitude to Aileen Zim, who, as always, held the whole thing together.”

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4 Fall 2014

Elementary School Art Goes 3-Dby Lauren McGeough

The November PA meeting was abuzz with its usual discussion of upcoming events and an outpouring of parent ideas and suggestions, but at the epicenter of the conversation was a demonstration of work done by elementary school students on that division’s new 3-D printer. The printer was purchased with PA funds, and I was astonished to see the work the students had accomplished. The 3-D printer allows students to see, build and then hold their ideas in real space. The fact that students

can dream and then manufacture their creations offers a tremendous benefit for tactile leaners, and is only one of a long list of opportunities this printer brings to the classroom and to the school.

Having known nothing of its existence until the PA meeting, I was intrigued to learn more about 3-D printers and their ability to transform the learning process. Because the technology is still new to educators, there is a lot of exploration regarding ways it can revolutionize the academic environment. Its technology spans a multitude of disciplines and will prepare the students for the future. It may be used for biology students to study cross sections of hearts and other organs, for chemistry students to print out molecules to study or allow engineering and design students to print out prototypes of their creations.

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So, how does a 3-D printer work?

That was my first question after I digested its capabilities. In short, and according to my research, a 3-D printer is also called additive manufacturing, which is the process of making three-dimensional, solid objects from a digital file. A 3-D object is created by using additive processes, which is in essence creating an object by laying down successive layers of a material until the entire object is created. As the item is printed, it can be seen as horizontal cross sections of the eventual object. The end result: jaw dropping.

There is no doubt that 3-D printers are cutting edge and this new piece of equipment will give Churchill students a head start on tomorrow’s challenges. 3-D printers are expected to have a tremendous impact on STEM education. This equipment offers an authentic exploration of objects and its inspiring capabilities are best summed up in the student reactions from Class 206.

Zac Benalloul predicts, “This thing is the world’s future.” Jarred Hosking said, “The 3-D printer was quite a surprise since I never expected it to be there.” Owen Mitchell thought the 3-D printer was a “scientific thing” and Finnegan McGeough, and Justine Furtado thought, “It was cool!” Max Grillo added, “I thought it was interesting because it printed 3-D objects.”

The printer is already inspiring creativity. Amelia Mack would like to make a little elephant and Owen Mitchell would like to create dice. Austin Schulman is looking forward to making cool figures, while JJ Davis is contemplating the creation of Beyblades. William Maxell wants to generate his face and Isabel De La Torres is inventing a cool car.

3-D printing offers the students a super highway towards ingenuity and I look forward to watching the kids develop this skill set and delve deeper into this creative experience.

“THIS THING IS THE WORLD’S FUTURE”

6 Fall 2014

Technology has become an integral part of the curriculum throughout Churchill, in part due to the 1:1 MacBook Air laptop program in the high school, the 1:1 iPad program in the middle school, and the increased assistive technology and computer resources in the elementary school.

As a result, this summer the Churchill Technology Integration (TI) team – Shannon Stringer, Alex Steinberg, Wendy Semsel, and Liz Gallo -- wrote a new technology curriculum for Kindergarten through 12th grade. Six strands are incorporated in an age appropriate manner in each grade.

“We wanted to map what we do to build on it and make sure there’s a seamless transition between grades,” said Churchill Technology Integrator Alex Steinberg. “We also must address the additional social and emotional issues that increased connectedness brings.”

Digital Citizenship

For the digital citizenship strand of the curriculum, the TI team collaborated with their HHR counterparts. It’s part of a push to make all Churchill students responsible digital citizens. “Since we give kids access to great technology, we want to train them how to use it and how to use it responsibly for the rest of their lives,” Alex said.

In the elementary school, TI team member Wendy Semsel has been working closely with Linda Price to facilitate “Netiquette” discussions with students during their weekly HHR counseling sessions. “We’ve been adapting some ideas from Common Sense Media, discussing on a concrete level what can be shared online and what should be kept private, how to appropriately interact online, the idea of a digital footprint, and what to do when something doesn’t seem right,” Wendy said.

As one Cluster A student asked her mother very seriously, “Mommy, you don’t talk to strangers on the Internet, do you?”

In the middle school and high school, students talk about excessive screen time, cyberbullying and sexting. Teachers and students also discuss how to evaluate a website, consider sources of information and cite resources appropriately.

Churchill’s Technology InitiativeBy Robin Michaelson

Scale model of Churchill made by Julia Walter. Designed with the program Tinkercad and printed with a 3-D printer.

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For parents, the TI team created a Churchill Digital Citizenship website, filled with in-depth information and resources, plus reviews of grade-appropriate apps. Here parents can find help as they navigate the digital terrain with their children. To take a look at what they’ve created, go to https://sites.google.com/a/churchillschool.com/

churchill-digital-citizenship/.

Technology in the Classroom and After School

Throughout the school, the TI team works with faculty to infuse technology into their lessons.At the start of the school year, Wendy showed students and teachers how to use the read-aloud features of their iPads and computers, as well as use the program “Clicker,” which has word prediction and word banks to help with writing.

In the elementary school art room, Wendy has helped the art teachers “have fun” with their new 3-D printer. Cluster C and D students have been using the 123D Sculpt app on the iPad to make mask designs. (Check out photos of those mask designs on pages 5-6 of this issue.) Cluster C students also use computers for their

hurricane research in Science, and Cluster D and 7th grade students have created music with GarageBand.

For the Math in Focus program, for grades kindergarten through 8th grade, Wendy worked with Math Specialists Russell Morgan and Stefanie Kerkinedes to roll out the online practice version called “Math Buddies.” Alex worked with a 9th grade Global Studies class to develop computer-generated Mesopotamian civilizations using the educational application of the popular app Minecraft. “Let’s use technology to support and enhance lessons in the classroom,” he said.

Liz Gallo, a new staff member of the Churchill Technology Department who teaches Kindergarten through 7th grade technology classes, is coaching Churchill’s new LEGO Robotics Club, an afterschool program for Cluster D and middle school students. The 10-member team will compete in the First LEGO League qualifiers on January 17, 2015. The students have to design, build, and program a LEGO MINDSTORMS robot as well as respond to a Challenge Project. This year’s challenge is how to learn to do something better, and the Churchill team is focusing on improving the way someone learns how to cook a pizza. More to come after qualifiers!

Teals Computer Science Class

This year, the high school offers a new computer science elective course through the TEALS program (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools). Churchill applied to this competitive program, funded by Microsoft. TEALS matches three professional computer programmers and engineers with a Churchill teacher to teach a programming course based on the “Beauty and Joy of Computing” course developed at the University of California Berkeley. Ten juniors and seniors are in this full-year elective class, which is one period a day. In concert with the three volunteer partner teachers, Alex also learns how to teach the course so it becomes part of the Churchill course offerings in the future.

“This class gives our kids the tools to learn computer languages by teaching them the basics they need to know before you can learn another computer science language,” Alex said.

Cluster D working on puppets for the Digital Citizenship project.

Scale model of Churchill made by Theo Holm.Practicing patterns with K’nex.

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Makerspace

Over the summer, Churchill installed its own Makerspace on the 4th floor. “This is the equivalent of shop class for the 21st century,” Alex noted.

Students can dream up their own projects, using the vast array of materials and techniques available in the Makerspace. Middle school students, who can use the Makerspace Friday afternoons during the last period, have access to sewing materials, foam sheets, cardboard, newspaper, duct tape, felt, Lego, K’nex, Little Bits Circuits, play dough, construction paper, scissors, and popsicle sticks.

The high schoolers can use soldering irons, electronic components, Arduino microprocessors, Raspberry Pi computers, LittleBits Circuits, saws, and other tools. Alex also had students take apart a computer to see its internal components.

Henry Vas Nunes’ 9th grade math class used the 3-D printer to make scale models of Churchill as part of a lesson on the principles of scale. First students built their own inclinometer to measure building angles to use in a trigonometry function to figure out the building’s height. The students also measured the width and length of the building to plug into a scale formula. Using the Tinkercad computer software each student was then able to design and print a scale model of Churchill.

Liz’s Cluster C technology classes participated in a “Monster Project” to build a monster based on body part and accessory descriptions from classrooms around the world. The Churchill students described the “skateboard.” Then the Churchill kids used all the definitions to build a monster based on those descriptions, which was displayed in the lobby. Finally, the students will create movie trailers about the specific body parts they made.

MAKERSPACE: WHAT & WHY

What is a Makerspace?

Makerspace is a space to explore the human made world by inventing and creating.

Who are Makers?Makers are hands-on inventors, motivated by curiosity and creativity, collaborative not competitive, who use the design process—designing, testing, re-designing and refining—when doing their work.

Why is this approach particularly important for Churchill students?

Our students need hands-on experiences to learn. They have difficulty transferring skills and Making allows them to use a variety of pragmatic and meta-cognitive skills in a hands-on, non-academic environment. In this non-academic environment, students are more comfortable with, and motivated by, the process of re-designing and refining projects than they might be in another medium, such as when editing a paper!

Robotics Club in the Makerspace.7th graders building strong tables out of newspaper in the Makerspace.

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8th Grade is Prepared!by Janah Boccio

For the second year in a row, the Middle School’s 8th grade students have had the wonderful opportunity to be working with Prepare, Inc., a comprehensive violence prevention and safety program. For six weeks, twice a week during their PE period, the students learn how to negotiate uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situations and how to tune in to and trust their own instincts in order to keep themselves safe. Using a variety of methods including role plays, small-group

exercises, real life stories and simulated scenarios with an instructor in a padded suit, the students learn verbal and physical strategies they can use in both low-level situations of discomfort and high-level situations of potential danger.

Our students began this year with a two-hour introduction that incorporated real experiences the students themselves shared in an anonymous survey. Combining that information with data collected from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, Prepare’s instructors discussed the real-world situations young people are more likely find themselves in vs. the myths perpetrated by crime dramas like Law & Order and CSI. Part of the program’s

focus is to break down stereotypes and biases in addition to helping students identify their personal boundaries and practice communicating them with strong, clear voices.

The students aren’t the only ones benefitting from Prepare. We also hosted a parent workshop so parents of 8th graders could learn about the program as well as a workshop for the 8th grade faculty. The teachers have been active participants in class, following along with air drills and taking turns in simulated scenarios with the male instructor.

To find out more information regarding this program, visit their website at http://prepareinc.com/.

Save the Date: Churchill 2015 Annual Benefit!

We hope you will join us on May 14, 2015 for the Annual Benefit at The Tribeca Rooftop. This will be a very special night as we honor Dr. S. and send him off to retirement in style!

More details to follow after winter break.

Second Annual Churchill Golf Outing!

The Second Annual Churchill Golf Outing will take place on Monday, June 8, 2015 at Rockrimmon Country Club in Stamford, CT. At this time, we have a variety of Sponsorship opportunities available and you can reserve a foursome. Please contact Julie Wityk at 212-722-0610, ext. 2014 or email jwityk@churchillschool.com.

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BILLY TAYLOR – Competitive Cyclist Grade 7

Billy started cycling a lot when a friend’s son was visiting us from England. Adam was in his late teens and was already a competitive cyclist in England. He came back from cycling with Billy and told us how good a cyclist Billy was. We started looking for races because Billy had expressed an interest. We tried a triathlon, but he hated that. He didn’t want to run and swim. Billy only wanted to race bikes. We found our first cycling-only race in Harlem. It was a really short race, and not very good, but there was a silver lining. At that race, my

husband started talking to a dad there because he saw that this man’s kids were wearing a distinct jersey that said “Star Track Cycling.” Pete discovered that there was a velodrome in Kissena, Queens where there was a cycling program for kids called “Star Track.” It was started to get kids active and on bikes. We were able to get Billy into the program. Star Track uses fixed gear bikes with no brakes. They ride around a velodrome, which is a banked oval track. The one in Queens is 400 meters long. The only way to stop your bike after a race is to go around the track again until you slow down enough to stop. Billy had never ridden a fixed gear bike until Star Track. He loved

it. He went from being a beginner to riding with the best kids at the track within a month. He learned to race at Star Track.

Billy entered the 2014 Junior National Track Cycling Championships in Carson, California in June. Although Billy was only 12, his racing age was 13 (His birthday is December 17, and your racing age is determined by how old you’ll be on December 31.). So, even though he was 12, the racing group that Billy was in for Nationals was for ages 13 -14. He ended up coming in 7th in the country, but he had 4th place on one race, which got him to the podium. He was the only one on that podium who was younger than

Churchill Kids InspireOur creative Churchill students accomplish amazing things on a daily basis. This new column is a space to showcase some of our kids who have followed their passions, dared to dream big and accomplished something special as a result, whether it’s in sports, art, writing, leadership, community service, science, tech or any other pursuit.

Do you know a Churchill student who deserves a special mention in Churchill Kids Inspire? Please write and let us know! Email us at churchilltorch@churchillschool.com.

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14 years old. He also has started doing more road racing, which means riding a traditional geared bike. Billy has competed at tracks in Pennsylvania and in England. He has ridden at the Olympic Velodrome in London, and the National Cycling Center in Manchester, England.

Billy trains at the track in Queens three or four times a week during the track season which runs from April to November. He goes out on the road and trains with a coach sometimes. Recently, Billy and his teammate and a coach rode from Manhattan to Piermont, NY and back again, which is a very hilly 50-mile trip. He also takes Spin classes throughout the winter to keep his fitness level up. We have to fight to keep Billy off a bike—we’ve had to stop him from riding around the apartment on a bike! There have to be some limits. As a parent, it is a wonderful feeling to know that your child has found his passion at such a young age. It is particularly wonderful to see something like this bolster their self-esteem. It is so important for a child with learning disabilities to find success in areas that aren’t limited by their individual disabilities.

- Shelly Taylor

HARRISON TUCKER – Long Distance Athlete Grade 9 Someone forgot to tell Harrison Tucker, 14 years old and in the 9th grade, that it is crucial to train if you are going to run the NYC Marathon and that you must be 18 years old to compete. Harrison has been competing around the country in the past year in long distance long boarding (think long skate boards with softer wheels and better suspension systems). Starting in January 2014 with the 24-hour Ultra Skate at the Homestead, Florida NASCAR track, Harrison did 132 miles in 22-1/2 hours before giving into fatigue. That was followed by a three-day 188-mile race from Smyrna, Georgia to Anniston, Alabama and back in late May 2014 along the Chief Ladiga & Silver Comet bike trails (formerly train right-of-ways). This October, Harrison travelled to Portland, Oregon, and then Seattle, Washington a week later, to participate in a series of long distance skate board races where he placed 1st in all six races for the 18 and Under category and 8th to 9th overall in the races. That was punctuated by finishing first in an even draw with his long boarding buddy, Kyle, a

college junior studying computer science, in a 56-mile race from Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx to Connecticut, one week before the NYC Marathon.

So, Harrison decides the Tuesday preceding that NYC Marathon that it would be a fun event to participate in and that it would be good cross-training for his future long boarding events. When he was advised by his elders that one had to be 18 to participate in the Marathon and that doing 26.2 miles requires a good deal of conditioning, he bought a race number advertised on Craig’s List from a 72-yr old man who injured himself this year training for his 17th NYC Marathon. Harrison completed the marathon in six hours and enjoyed it. He is now dedicated to actually training to run long distances and making that a part of his annual exercise rituals.

- Torch staff

12 Fall 2014

by Rachel Berkey, Head Librarian

Fall into Books best describes what happens every September in the library when the school year begins once again! This is when our library transforms into the bustling, busy center at Churchill that it had been only two months before when we left for our summer vacations.

The rhythm resumes when the elementary school library librarian, Paula Zamora, begins to teach ES classes. At the same

time, our upper school’s students are finding their way here to use our amazing resources for special research projects and seeking out independent reading books.

Best of all, so many of our upper school students enjoy using the library as a place to have library classes, to browse for books and check them out, to study and to even just “chill” in those comfy chairs.

In addition to enjoying and appreciating this beautiful space (and its up-to-date collection of library materials!), our students also benefit from the library’s Visiting Authors and Illustrators Series. So far this year we have been fortunate to have two different authors visit with our students.

In October, Angela Dominguez, a new illustrator/author, visited with our Cluster

A WAY WITH WORDS:NEWS FROM THE L IBRARY

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A and B students, and Gordon Korman, the author of over 75 books for young teens, visited with our middle school students.

Angela, born in Mexico City, has illustrated four books for children. Her presentations at Churchill delighted the children as they listened to her give a new twist to the classic rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb” which became “Maria Had a Little Llama.” She also described her journey when she started as an illustrator of children’s books and she is now on the road to being both an illustrator and an author.

A week later, on October 20, middle school students met with Gordon Korman, who started writing novels when he was about the same age as they are now. His first novel, This Can’t Be Happening at MacDonald Hall!, was published when he was only fourteen years old. Since then, his novels have sold millions of copies around the world and have been translated into many different languages.

During his presentations, Gordon shared with the students the secret to his success: he writes for kids about kids. The characters in his books and their dialogue seem and sound very real.

Thank you all for your continued support of our very special library. Your Birthday Book donations and your contributions to our Visiting Authors and Illustrators Series have helped us to maintain our mission of providing all of our students with access to literature, information, and resource materials in many formats.

Homecoming 2015This year’s Homecoming event will be held at Churchill on Thursday, January 8, 2015. The evening will include an Alumni advice panel, the Alumni vs. Varsity basketball game and the Alumni Art Show. If you are interested in contributing art to the show, please contact alumni@churchillschool.com. All high school students and parents are welcome to attend. More details to come in the following weeks.

The Churchill FundDuring this season of giving, please remember The Churchill Fund! Our goal for 2014-2015 is $1.5 million, with 100% participation from current Churchill parents. Make your gift by December 31, 2014 for your 2014 tax deduction! You can mail a check, give online, or make a gift of appreciated securities. Go to www.churchillschool.com/supportus to make a secure gift by credit card for stock transfer instructions or to make. If you have any questions, please contact the Development Office at 212-722-0610. Thank you for your support!

14 Fall 2014

The High School Deepens Its Commitment to Service Learningby Susan Littlefield

One Churchill high school student sews adaptive clothing for veteran amputees. Another works with an organization that helps disabled girls fulfill their dreams of studying ballet. Yet another gives his time to a group that helps children and their parents understand issues surrounding adoption. And this is just a small sample of the service learning experiences our high school students are having.

Service learning—or community service, as it was called in the old days—has been part of the high school experience at Churchill since the beginning. In years past the then-requisite ten hours could be logged by doing things of relatively marginal benefit; manning the buzzer at school basketball games, for example. Last year, however, the school took the step of intensifying its commitment to service learning by doubling the hourly requirement, requiring students to log

twenty hours of service learning per year instead of ten. Initially there might have been a groan from certain adolescent quarters, yet the students also see that they have much to gain. The increased hourly requirement comes with additional support from the school in fulfilling that requirement, and the projects mentioned above exemplify the types of interesting engagement that are possible as a result.

High school principal Jason Wallin explains, “The words ‘caring’ and ‘active engagement’ are in right there in Churchill’s mission statement and our service learning program reflects that.” He continues, “Service learning is no longer just an add-on; it’s an integral part of the curriculum. It’s a graduation requirement, for one thing, which speaks to our seriousness about it.”

Newly appointed Service Learning Coordinator Ivy Lehner, who took over the job this year (on top of her position as a high school head teacher), has worked hard to put together a new framework to support the students at every stage of the process. Under Lehner’s leadership, service learning is woven into the curriculum in new and very tangible ways. This provides “a cohesion,” says Lehner, “that makes it more meaningful. It might seem like students are giving a lot of time, but they gain so much more.” (Besides, she adds, “twenty hours is hardly onerous. It’s really seventeen

because they get three hours of credit for time they spend researching programs. And that seventeen is spread out over the course of the whole school year.”) There’s a greater focus on the education and learning piece and it’s spread out over a number of different areas of the curriculum. “The process is as important as the result,” according to Lehner.

An important change this year is that responsibility for implementing the service learning curriculum is decentralized. Lehner’s not the only point person. She provides the framework and is always available to students, but it’s mainly the classroom advisors who help with the details. “Students can go to any advisor for help with their service learning,” says Lehner. Every Wednesday, throughout the high school, the advisement period is devoted to helping the students with some aspect of the service learning process. Lehner has set up a specific mini lesson for each week. “It might be learning how to research a subject of interest, or how to write a proper email,” she says. It’s not hard to see how learning these skills will help our students in the real world. “In a way,” says Wallin, “the year long arc of the program prepares students for the college experience.” They are accountable for managing their time, have the responsibility for reaching out and must develop a long range plan that carries through the entire school year, rather than

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just weekly assignments. Like a college course, if they delay everything to the end of the semester they’re going to find it more difficult to fulfill the requirement.

The best place to view the new framework is Churchill’s Service Learning website, which you can do by clicking on the URL at the end of this article. Stages of Service Learning lays out the five stages in the program our students follow. Stage 1 is where they investigate community areas of need. In Stage 2 they get specific with how they propose to be involved in their chosen area of interest. Stage 3, Action, involves logging and keeping track of their service hours. Stage 4 provides the space for reflection about what they’ve learned, and Stage 5 helps them think about how they can present their findings to the larger community. The Service Hours and Timeline section details the curriculum as it’s followed month by month throughout the year. Of course, there is an ever growing list of resources on the website, as well as a FAQ. As a resource the website will only continue to grow.

Beyond the “feel good” benefit that community service provides, the service learning curriculum teaches our kids valuable skills for engaging with the real world. It offers “the best space for meaningful engagement that we offer at Churchill,” says Wallin. “It’s an important piece of our curriculum that will stay with our students.” Since it’s a relatively new program, Wallin knows that it will continue to grow, change and evolve. “We’re flexible in terms of implementation,” he says, “but our commitment to service learning is firm.” One thing is for sure: as the service learning program continues to grow, it’s certain to increase the opportunities for our children to be involved members of our community.

Visit the Service Learning website at: https://sites.google.com/a/churchillschool.com/churchill-service-learning/

“SERVICE LEARNING IS NO LONGER JUST AN ADD-ON; IT’S AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CURRICULUM”

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Middle School Cross CountryCross country is known to be a tough sport. This didn’t discourage the Middle School Cross Country team. In every meet, the athletes were given a goal and each time they successfully accomplished it. They worked together to help each other run personal best times. On the day of the championship, each athlete ran with passion. Both the boys and girls placed in the top 10 places: 2nd place Jake Scherer 9:04, 5th place Griffin Sisk 10:34 (he ran a personal best of 17 seconds), 6th place Rubin Parker 11:13 (he ran a personal best of 11 seconds), 3rd place Jade Boulton 11:59 (she ran a personal best of 16 seconds), 5th place Alma Kastan 13:36 (she ran a personal best of 9 seconds), 6th place Sydney Slater 13:47 and 7th place Liat Levy 14:28 (she ran a personal best of 58 seconds).

- Cinthya Sandoval

FALL SPORTS UPDATE

Middle School SoccerThe Churchill Hawks Middle School Soccer team had a championship season! They opened the season by defeating Dwight, who were the defending champs from a season ago, by the score of 4-1. Nick Crawford netted 3 goals for the Hawks, while Will McCafferty added an incredible goal. The Hawks strong defensive performance was led by Kyra Williams, Kai Felix, Jeremiah Brown, Gian Morris-Perez and Gavin Tierney.

In their second match the Hawks scored two goals off the foot of Timmy Moran, and were kept in the game by goalkeeper Hendrik Ayoub and his spectacular saves. Although the Hawks fell to Brooklyn Friends 4-2, the team did not get down on themselves and were ready to run the table.

A pair of goals by Beau Matic and Bruno Servisi were enough to get the Hawks past Garden by a score of 6-4 in the Hawks third match of the season. The left side of the pitch was led by Oscar Jackman, Kaya Cevikel and Chris Tomsen, which helped the Hawks control play and win this crucial match.

A day later, the Hawks took to the field against York Prep and showcased their ability to score plenty of goals while performing at a high level on defense. Caspar Piasecki and Jordan Lawee were all over the field, out hustling the opponent to every ball. Jonathan Arias scored his first career Churchill Hawks goal, Griffin Reische added another, and Jacob Benmen had a great game as keeper in a 6-1 victory.

The stage was now set for a showdown with BWL in the final League match of the season. The winner would take the League title and the Hawks came ready to play! Henry Dzialo, Noah Moss, Solomon Dubner and Myles Guerra-Pierre shined for the Hawks on the offensive end, keeping possession and creating plenty of scoring chances. Goalkeeper Toby Uberoi recorded a clean sheet in goal for a 2-0 Churchill win and the I.S.A.L League Championship title!

The Churchill Middle School soccer team and their coaches would like to thank the entire Churchill community for their support during this season and a special thank you to our parents whose support at every match helped give our team the home field advantage!

- Greg Pitz

Fall 2014 17

FALL SPORTS UPDATE

Junior Varsity VolleyballThis years JV Volleyball team had one sophomore, two 8th graders and nine freshmen, all of which showed much dedication to learn the sport and improve on already developed skills. Their hard work this season paid off, taking them all the way to the league championship game to face Brooklyn Friends, who gave us our only two losses of the season. Knowing we were playing the championship game against Brooklyn Friends made the girls very nervous. But those nerves disappeared very quickly soon as the game started. Our team came out confident, excited, and ready to fight hard for the win. They displayed consistent serving, solid defense, great communication on and off the court, as well as remembering to have fun. All of that helped the JV Volleyball team beat Brooklyn Friends in 2-0 where they became the first JV Volleyball team to win the championship game for Churchill. It has been a pleasure to coach these girls and I look forward to seeing each of them continue to play and dominate the sport. Our tournament championship team is: Violet Prisk, Kate Goldwater, Ruby Minsky, Sophia Newburgh, Bellamy Crozier, Katie Mauthner, Olivia Phillips-Falk, Stephanie Plithides, Hana Soule, Grace Alber, Shula Klingsberg, Emmi Lawrence and Megan Sher.

– Regina Liamero

Varsity VolleyballThe Girls Varsity Volleyball team enjoyed a breakthrough season! They took some big steps in a positive direction, led by Senior Captains Elise Loving, Sofia Passick and Emily Plithides, who led by example with their hard work and exceptional dedication to the team. This team showed tremendous improvement skill-wise in their footwork, passing, serving and hitting. In several sets this season, they were only a few points away from beating some of the elite teams in the league. They played with a lot of heart and showed great team chemistry in each and every match, and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with next season!

- Leslie Kohen

18 Fall 2014

Girls Varsity SoccerThe Girls Varsity Soccer team enjoyed a tremendous season that ended with a thrilling, 2-1 loss vs. the French American School of New York. The girls on our team played well and competed in a fierce manner, and also their character was frequently complimented by opposing teams and referees.

Here are the girls who represented themselves and our school in such a positive light: Mikaila Alacoque provided tough defense from the midfield position. Elektra Babian was a force at forward, a constant threat to score or set up a goal. Gabriela Cohen played strong defense and made nice offense contributions as well. Shannon Doherty played center defense. Opponents who came her way were often turned away quickly and Shannon provided outstanding leadership, too. Eva Kaufman dazzled at center midfield, performing one nifty move after another and shooting with the best of them. Mara Kleinberg played midfield and provided some real tough defense. Her sense of humor and awesome personality always contributed to our high spirits. Wells Kochey played forward. Her speed, dribbling and shooting skills had opposing defenses scrambling to figure out how to contain her.

Bailey Lawson was rock solid on defense and she provided great leadership and toughness. Jordan Levi played sweeper, our last line of defense. She’s fast, smart and tough. Scoring chances for our opponents were often quickly taken away by Jordan, who also provided great leadership. Allison Myar played midfield; she was awesome, covering her whole side of the field with tough defense and providing some nice offensive contributions too. Rose Reiner was as tough as it gets on defense. She helped defend the middle of the field and opponents heading her way usually ran into a total roadblock. Nona Scherzer played midfield and forward. Her dribbling skills are off the charts and she scored or set up many of our goals. Shea Shapiro-Barnum was our goalie. She’s as fearless and tough as they come. Shea made many great saves, including a few breakaways. Theo Smith-Miller had a tremendous season. She was very tough at midfield and defense and her fancy footwork contributed much to our attack, as well. Maggie Thomashauer played midfield and defense. She was tough, determined and had a lot of takeaways. Ariel Velez, with her endless energy and enthusiasm, was a force on defense. Ariel often shadowed our most dangerous opponents, and her quickness and relentlessness exasperated opponents and helped us so much.

What a great and fun season! Thank you so much to the girls on our team - you are all extraordinary!

- Jim Scotto

Boys Varsity SoccerBoys Varsity Soccer finished it’s regular season with a 5-3 record and in 4th place. We made the playoffs and fought hard against the number 1 team. Dave Nordhorn was our goal-scoring leader with 12 goals in 9 games. Eyob Ford was our leader in assists and also scored his share of goals. Antonio Principe was our lock down defender with the versatility to play forward and score. James Polin-Gillooly was our fearless goalie and leader on defense, along with starting sweeper and part time goalie Mateo Flores. We could not have won without the support of all the other players who played like true champions. Coach Calabro and I thank you all!

- Joe Dudley

FALL SPORTS UPDATE

Fall 2014 19

High School Cross CountryThe Churchill High School Cross Country team had a productive season. They were really hungry and ready to compete. This young team of runners, which included six freshmen, improved their time throughout the season. There were 11 runners on the team this year, which included Thomas Mastracchio, Lydia White, Dan Strausman, Sarah Benmen, Joshua Weinstein, Owen Feil, Jack Warmflash, Lillian Vila Licht, Jessica Fine, Joseph Keefe, and Indra Irvin. All runners were able to finish the grueling 3.1 mile race, which started on grass, then went onto trails, and finished on a track. Their hard work paid off during the ISAL Championship, which had 58 boys and 25 girls running. Joshua Weinstein finished in 5th place, and Jack Warmflash finished in 7th place in the Varsity Boys League Championship. Lillian Vila Licht finished in 6th place in the Varsity Girls League Championship.

- Henry Vas Nunes

FALL SPORTS UPDATE

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