STEAM Week at Buchanan-Verplanck
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It was full steam ahead at Buchanan-Verplanck during the school’s first-ever STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) week this spring!
Every grade level took part in hands-on activities throughout the week, covering such topics as heart health, robotics, electricity and the study of microorganisms.
A highlight of the week was when students from the high school’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Science and Engineering programs visited K-4 classrooms and worked with the younger students on a variety of fun and eye-opening activities. Using clay that conducts electricity, programmable drones, stethoscopes and Ozobots, the high school visitors brought science to life -- even inspiring some elementary students to pursue the PLTW track when they get to the high school.
“Learning about hydroelectricity, programming a drone and moving things with a computer was very interesting,” said a fourth grader. “It takes a lot of hard work, but it is fun!”
Biomedical Science teacher Jeanine Hall said that the experience was extremely rewarding for both the older and younger students. “My students’ passion for Biomed is contagious, and the elementary students were highly engaged and very excited to learn more.”
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REMINDER: School Budget Vote on May 21, from 7 am to 9 pm at Frank G. Lindsey ES
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Everybody Plays - Unified Sports Team Debuts at HHHS
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Aiming to provide an inclusive, educational and fun experience for its students, Hendrick Hudson High School has joined a number of other schools in Westchester and Dutchess Counties offering a Unified Sports (basketball) program.
The Unified Sports program consists of co-ed athletic teams made up of students with and without disabilities. Students train and play together, with the goal of having fun and forging new friendships. Coaches for the new team are high school teachers Bradley Fredman and Dina Bertoline.
A partnership between Special Olympics New York and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association launched the Unified Sports program among local school districts.
Approximately 25 student athletes comprise the school’s unified team, which competes against similar teams from Fox Lane High School, Arlington High School, Pelham High School and John Jay (Cross River) High School.
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“Frindle” Author Visits Frank G. Lindsey
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Students filed into the gym tightly clutching their copies of “Frindle,” the book everyone at Frank G. Lindsey had read as part of a school-wide read. The excitement grew when they realized that Andrew Clements, the book’s author, was standing right in front of them.
Surrounded by balloons and student-made banners, Clements spoke to the students about his own writing process, the types of books he likes to write and how he develops his ideas.
Clements traveled from his home in Maine with his wife Becky to visit the school. The visit materialized after a school parent reached out to him and explained that the entire school community -- students and staff, as well as students’ families -- had read and loved “Frindle.”
Clements waived his speaker’s honorarium, asking that the school instead use the money to buy books for every classroom. He specifically asked that the books be purchased at a local bookstore.
FGL students read “Frindle” as part of their school-wide read earlier in the school year. The book, about a third grader who coins a brand-new word, was the winner of a 2016 Phoenix Award, granted by the Children’s Literature Association for the best English-language children’s book that did not win a major award at the time of its publication.
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REMINDER: May 28 has been added to the
Memorial Day holiday, due to unused snow days.
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Blue Mountain’s Digital Makerspace
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Cardboard scraps and duct tape littered the table tops, and string lights gave the classroom a festive glow. During a recent Tech for the Visual Arts class at Blue Mountain Middle School, students were fashioning camera filters out of the low-tech materials in order to create soft-focus photographs in a technique known as Bokeh. Every student was engaged and focused, requiring very little direction from teacher Logan Krause.
“It’s amazing how self-directed the students are when they have the freedom to do their own work,” said Krause. “They take complete ownership of their projects.”
Krause’s class runs on a Makerspace model, in which students are given materials and tools, along with general project objectives. Beyond that, they are free to experiment, explore and arrive at the end product by whatever means they choose.
Known for its hands-on, collaborative vibe, the Makerspace model has proven to be a perfect fit for the school’s art elective programs, run by Krause and fellow teacher Paul Gioacchini. The teachers have found the approach produces a higher level of creativity in their classes, which range from Mixed Media Design, 3-D Modeling and Computer Graphics to Digital Photography and Game Design.
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HHHS and Teacher Garner PLTW Reconition
This spring, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) bestowed prestigious awards on both Hendrick Hudson High School and Biomedical Science teacher Jeanine Hall.
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For the second year in a row, the high school was named a PLTW Distinguished School. The title recognizes the school for providing students with broad access to transformative learning opportunities through PLTW Computer Science, Biomedical Science and Engineering programs.
While 223 high schools in New York State offer PLTW programs, Hendrick Hudson High School is one of just four in the state to receive the distinction this year, and one of only two high schools in the state to have received it the past two years.
PLTW also recognized science teacher Jeanine Hall as its Biomedical Science Teacher of the Year -- the highest recognition given to the program’s Biomedical Science educators.
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Jeanine Hall PLTW Teacher of the Year
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Troopers Teach Literacy at Furnace Woods
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Furnace Woods students know that the police protect and serve, and now they know that many officers also love to read, just like them! Earlier this year, three New York State Police officers visited Furnace Woods, stopping into each class to read aloud to the students.
The visit was a special thank you for the school’s efforts during a book drive organized by the State Police. Furnace Woods students collected more than 600 books for area families in need. The book drive was part of a new program called Law Enforcement Officers (L.E.O.s) for Literacy, which aims to promote literacy and positive interactions between law enforcement and the community.
Detective Jonathan Sanchez of Troop K in Cortlandt spearheaded the initiative. “As a former teacher I know how important literacy is in the development of our youth,” said Sanchez.
Third grader Avery said it was “cool to have someone here who helps keep us safe.”
Bella, a fourth grade student, said it was “awesome to be able to learn about police work.”
Teacher Megan Waluk said that the reading activity was a positive experience for her students and had an important takeaway. “They can see that police officers are real people, just like us,” she said.
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Hen Hud Students Perform in National Honor Choirs
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In a first for Hen Hud, four of the district’s music students traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to perform with the ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) National Honor Choirs: high school students Kiely Beltran, Rachel Moon and Matthew Quarles; and middle school student Tony Mills.
In preparation for the performance, all four students spent months learning some of the most challenging and difficult music they had ever sung.
Once in Kansas City, the students spent four days rehearsing with their guest conductors, spending eight to 10 hours a day practicing. The performances took place in the beautiful Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
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Capital Project Update: Track and Field
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At the April 24 Board of Education meeting, the district awarded DeRosa Sports Construction the contract to begin construction of the new turf field and track at the high school. As Phase I of the district’s capital project kicks into gear, Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter sat down with Armand Quadrini, managing partner at KSQ Design, the district’s architectural consultant, to discuss what the project's next steps will look like.
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U.S. News & World Report Ranks Hendrick Hudson High School in Top 100 Statewide
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Hendrick Hudson High School was again ranked among the top high schools in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 high school rankings list. The high school ranked 80th statewide and 843rd nationally.
Each year, thousands of high schools across the country are ranked based on factors such as college readiness, reading and math proficiency, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates. The data also take into account school enrollment, student diversity, participation in free and reduced-price meal programs and the results of state assessment tests.
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Hen Hud Mobile App Available Now
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Don’t forget to download the free Hen Hud Mobile App and access all the latest news and information from the Hendrick Hudson School District on your smartphone! The mobile app will offer a constantly updated feed of district news and events with photos and links to the district’s website. Users can customize the app by selecting the schools they are most interested in for news and updates. Users may also choose to receive push notifications to get breaking news, updates about school closures, calendar changes, or even sports updates.
Download the free app at the following links:
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District Unveils Phone System Upgrades
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The
phone system throughout the district has been upgraded to a network based system, with many new and valuable features. Cisco IP phones are a widely used solution across school districts and the business community. The new phones are network-based and powered
over ethernet, with backup battery power, which allows them to work up to an hour in the case of a power outage.
The new system means that, throughout all five of the district’s school buildings, intercom and PA functionality will be greatly improved. Additionally, every staff member now has access to a phone for contacting parents directly, and/or receiving direct calls to voicemail.
The new system provides many security-specific advantages:
- Because phones are tied into the district’s security system, notifications will go out to all pertinent individuals within the district when 911 or other emergencies occur.
- The phones have the capability to communicate with our security system, and can be used to automatically lock doors, display digital signage for emergency notifications, and communicate with our security cameras.
- Phone calls can be recorded and archived for safety and security purposes
- All staff members have the ability to use their phones to make emergency calls such as 911 or to call building emergencies, such as a lockdown.
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Hendrick Hudson School District, 61 Trolley Road, Montrose, NY 10548
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