Chappaqua Central School District
May 18, 2019
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Your Vote Matters
On Tuesday, May 21, voters will have the opportunity to vote on the School Budget Resolution for the 2019-20 school year, which authorizes expenditures of $126,152,188. This represents a spending increase of $3,592,200 (2.93%) over the current year’s budget. At the same time, voters will also consider two ballot propositions--one for cafeteria renovations at Bell Middle School and one to create a security vestibule at our 3 elementary and 2 middle schools. Additionally, community members will be voting on the Chappaqua Public Library Budget Resolution for the 2019-20 school year and they will be electing one member to the Chappaqua Public Library Board of Trustees. Finally, the community will be electing two members to the Chappaqua Central School District Board of Education. (It is important to note that the District is not seeking any additional monies by way of these two ballot propositions.) Through careful planning, we believe we have prepared a budget that expands our programs and at the same time addresses key areas of our teaching and learning vision and goals in a fiscally prudent manner. With 77% of the proposed budget going toward instruction, the expenditure portion of the budget is specifically targeted to provide students and staff the resources and infrastructure needed to support innovative teaching and learning, collaboration, creativity, and the use of evolving technologies. We believe the proposed budget will ensure that every student receives a complete and comprehensive K-12 educational experience. |
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ChappHacks: 1st-ever Hackathon held in northern Westchester
Calling all 7th through 12th graders!
Have you ever wanted to use technology to solve a real-world problem?
Come to the first annual ChappHacks to learn how to effectively design, ideate, and prototype a solution.
Sunday, June 9th between 8:30am and 4:30pm at Bell Middle School
Organized by HGHS students, one goal of ChappHacks is to help students develop and refine key skills such as design thinking, innovation, and collaboration. Whether you are new to computing or consider yourself an experienced hacker, you are guaranteed to learn new skills, sharpen existing ones, and meet other people with similar interests, and you will leave ChappHacks better prepared to take on the next big challenge! Click HERE for more information and to register.
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A17291 - The Story of a Holocaust Survivor
To enhance their understanding of the atrocities of the Holocaust, build empathy and complement their unit on World War II, 8th graders at Seven Bridges received a powerful, primary source account of the Holocaust from Trudy Album, a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. Trudy was born in Czechoslovakia in 1929. The oldest child in her family, she attended elementary school and two years in middle school before her life was forever changed at the start of World War II. In the spring of 1944, Trudy’s family was taken to a ghetto where the Jewish people were segregated from the rest of the city. Within two months, her family, and thousands of others were deported to Auschwitz where she, at the time almost 15 years old, was separated from her mother, sister, and grandmother. She stated that her courage and strength came from imagining that somewhere her family was surviving under the same circumstances, but unfortunately, that was not the case. After some time, Trudy and other inmates were moved to a camp in Bavaria. Liberated in 1945, Trudy was able to emigrate to the United States in 1946. After learning English and receiving her equivalency degree, she trained to become a radiology technician. She then married and had three children. To this day, Trudy has the number A17291 tattooed on her arm. Read Trudy Album's entire story HERE. |
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The Flat Stanley Project
Grade 1 students at Grafflin are researching the 50 states as part of their Flat Stanley experience. The adventures actually began when students read the chapter book Flat Stanley, which is about a young boy who is accidentally flattened. The story goes on to tell how Stanley discovers some significant advantages to being flat. He can slide under doors, go down into sidewalk grates, and even fold himself up small enough to fit into an envelope and be mailed to California for an exciting vacation. As part of this inquiry-based literacy experience, which includes elements of writing and communication skills, social studies, and creativity, students will make their own Flat Stanleys and send them off to visit friends and relatives all around the world. Before the journey begins, students must write a letter introducing Stanley and explaining just what the recipients should be doing with their flat friend. The Stanleys will return with their own letters, pictures, postcards, maps, souvenirs and interesting facts about the locations they will visit. Finally, students will discuss and write about their Stanley's adventures and create display boards for a Welcome Home party. What an interesting and exciting way to learn about our country! |
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National Merit Scholarship Winners The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that Greeley's Alan Gu, Isha Puri, and Aron Zhao are National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners, and Nathan Huang is the recipient of the corporate-sponsored National Merit New York Life Family Scholarship. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)--which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.6 million entrants each year--and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements. From the pool of 1.6 million students, 34,000 Commended Students and 16,000 Semifinalists are announced each September, with 15,000 semifinalists advancing to Finalist standing in February. Then, between March and mid-June, approximately 7,500 Finalists are selected to receive a Merit Scholarship award.  |
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Lightning and Twisters and Hail, Oh My!
Second-grade scientists at Roaring Brook have been learning about landforms, how they are impacted by slow and fast changes to the Earth and a little bit about the effects of weather. Thanks to the RB PTA, an educator from the Franklin Institute visited students to talk about the science of weather, where our weather comes from, and the factors that make it a rainy day or a blustery one. Through hands-on experiments and demonstrations, students were introduced to the building blocks of weather. They explored how a star, 93 million miles away, is the impetus for both sunny days and snowy nights. Other activities included discussing the water cycle and thermodynamics, making a cloud, exploring thunder and lightning, and even creating snow! The Institute kept its promise of a stormy ending by demonstrating how tornados are formed. By bringing together the deceptively simple elements of heat, air, and water, this weather show revealed the inner workings of nature at its best – and worst! |
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@ManorFarm
Eighth-grade English students at Bell are reading George Orwell's Animal Farm, which details a poorly-run farm that is ripened for rebellion from its animal populace due to neglect at the hands of an irresponsible farmer. They are analyzing the classic novel and are specifically identifying literary elements such as setting, plot, characterization, conflict, point of view, theme, and tone, but are doing so in a fun and engaging way that incorporates a modern method of communication. Students have created Twitter handles in order to imagine how characters might use tweets to react to major plot events. They are also using hashtags to incorporate thematic elements as well. After creating and displaying the Tweets, each student used post-it hearts to "like" their favorites. |
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Social/Emotional Learning & Music Education
Westorchard music teacher, Rita Lee, taught a jazz unit to her students that culminated in a school-wide Jazz Assembly this past April. To begin this interactive learning experience, students in grades 2, 3 and 4 presented the history of the Blues style of music, explaining its African and European roots and demonstrating its characteristics. Then, fourth graders Ben Brandoff, Tanish Mynampati, Dustin Pitti, and Drew Wolfson acted out a skit about risk-taking and perseverance with professional tenor saxophonist Joey Berkley. The final portion of the assembly involved the “Fantastic Four” improvising through call and response with Mr. Berkley and his jazz band playing “Freddie Freeloader” by Miles Davis. Middle school music teachers Elliot Semel (trombone) and Stan Serafin (trumpet) were a fantastic part of this classic Blues piece. All of these great musicians ended the program by playing "The Pink Panther Theme”. . .complete with a visit by the Pink Panther herself! |
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The Horace Greeley High School Athletic Department hosted a Letter Signing Ceremony for 13 student-athletes who are committing to compete at the collegiate level. The festivities included the acknowledgment of their hard work and dedication, and provided the students with an opportunity to proudly announce the school and sport they are committing to, what factors influenced their decision, and a chance to publicly thank all of those who've encouraged and supported them all the while leading up to this moment. Congratulations on this tremendous achievement!
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In Case You Missed It. . .
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Upcoming Events Quakers Spring 2019 Playoff Schedule
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