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Event Highlights
2007 - 2008 School Year

	SOCES PTA Donates Signs to South Orangetown's Three Elementary Schools In a formal presentation ceremony held on Tuesday, June 24th, the South Orangetown Community Elementary Schools (SOCES) PTA dedicated one of three signs which they donated to the district. SOCES Co-Presidents Christine Brew-Mitchell and Theresa Costello were on hand at Tappan Zee Elementary during the dedication ceremony as were SOCES VP for TZE Ina Kaplan, Board of Education President Annmarie Uhl, Glen Lumia, President of Design Construction in Northvale, NJ and, to the delight of teacher Mrs. Mary Danner's entire 3rd grade class, a special appearance by ZEE.  The signs were installed at Tappan Zee Elementary, William O. Schaefer and Cottage Lane Elementary.  "We want to thank the South Orangetown Board of Education for accepting these gifts from the SOCES PTA", said SOCES Co-President Christine Brew-Mitchell.  Special recognition and a Certificate of Appreciation was given to Glen Lumia, President of Creative Design Construction in Northvale, NJ for his donation of the installation of all three signs.  SOCES VP for Tappan Zee Elementary, Ina Kaplan went over many sketches and possibilities before final plans and decisions were made as to location and design of the signs.  Board of Education President Annmarie Uhl said, "This is a wonderful gift."  Uhl continued, "Now every school in the South Orangetown Central School District has an event sign in front of the building for the entire community to view upcoming school events."

	COTTAGE LANE RAISES $2,836.00 FOR HEIFER INTERNATIONAL'S READ TO FEED PROGRAM   In a combination check presentation and celebratory picnic, Cottage Lane's 4th Grade Team of teachers Susan Fluger, Pat McFadden and Karen Sperduto unfurled a check in the amount of $2836 to Heifer International in support of the Read to Feed Program.  The program benefits not only impoverished families but also encourages and motivates children to read with a worthy goal in mind.  Children ask friends and relatives to sponsor their reading which helps the children raise money to buy gifts of livestock for impoverished families.  Instead of providing the families with a non-renewable source of food, the family is given a living loan of an animal.  The family then repays the loan by passing on one or more of their animal’s offspring to another family in need.  The animal might provide the family with milk, eggs or wool, depending on the amount of money raised and the children’s vote as to what combination of animals they wish to purchase.   Cottage Lane's reading portion of the program began on March 1 and ended on May 15 with all monies pledged due by May 30.  The children tallied up the total books they read and asked their sponsors to write a check payable to Heifer International.   After final accounting the total donation to Heifer International equaled $ 2836.  "The kids are so excited to be able to do so much good for others," said teacher Ms. Pat McFadden.  "So much credit must also go to our class parent Michele Clements who has gone above and beyond to help make this such a success"  Mc Fadden continued.  Principal Michael Fiorentino added, "This is truly a Picnic Celebration of a job well done."

	COTTAGE LANE MUSICIANS SHINE AT CONCERT  The walls were alive with the sound of music as Cottage Lane's 4th and 5th grade musicians took to the TZHS stage on June 10th.  After opening comments by Principal Michael Fiorentino, the Cottage Lane First Year Band, under the direction of Mr. William Hughes began the evening with musical selections including Hot Cross Buns, Old MacDonald, Freres Jacques and more.  Next up was the Cottage Lane Symphonic Band, conducted by Mr. Charles Yassky.  The Band played two selections as a group and then Andante & Waltz solo was performed by 4th grade clarinetist Lukas Purkis followed by an oboe duet of Hail the Conquering Heroes performed by Rachele deLisser & Ben Sanders.  Conductors Mr. Matthew Rotjan and Mr. Jonathan Rossi then presented the Cottage Lane String Orchestra comprised of 4th and 5th grade strings.  After performing two ensemble pieces, 5th grade violin students Kelly B., Joshua D., Sydney F., Jacob L., Rachel M., Meagan T. and Kelly M. performed Mary Had a Little Lamb, after which  Jack J., Joanna S., Matthew D., Alexandria C., Brianna M., Kenny A., Robert W., Richard F., Christine M., Jesse D., Finuala O., Justin D. and Angelica R. stepped forward with Go Tell Aunt Rhody.  Up next was an original bass duet performance of Las Dos Amigas performed by 5th grade bassists Hannah M. and Alex C.  The Festive Rondo was performed by violins Alice T., Christine C., Christine B., Yuna S. and Bowas S. and cellos Cordelia M., Leonardo K. and Andrew L.  The evening ended with the entire string orchestra's performance of Bile Them Cabbage Down.

 

	South Orangetown's Early Childhood Program Says Goodbye AND Hello South Orangetown's Early Childhood Program's PTA once again sponsored their annual end of year Family Picnic with a new twist. "This year we decided to invite new families coming into next year's program," said ECP Coordinator Jeannine Carr. "This gives the incoming families a chance to meet and speak with the existing ECP "family" before the new school year begins." The Early Childhood Program serves Pre-K (3 & 4 year olds) in preparation for the K-12 experience. The evening began with a picnic dinner of Italian favorites and included mac and cheese, chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks for the younger crowd. After dinner, while the adults mingled, the children found their way around the playground swings, sandbox, slides and anything else they could climb on, cling to or swing from.

 

	South Orangetown Family Resource Center Celebrates Their Year Under picture perfect skies, the South Orangetown Family Resource Center hosted its annual end of year Potluck Party.  Potluck offerings were spread across the long tables as the families and children socialized with each other in what has now become their extended families.  There were new friends made over the year and many old friends who returned.  "This is what the Family Resource Center is all about," said Margaret Umbrino, coordinator of the program.  "This is where lifetime friendships are created and sealed among parents as well as children."  FRC volunteer Yoga instructor Eileen Cary came to wish everyone a great summer.  Additionally, as a special treat Ms. Jo-Ann and Companion dog "Sam" read to the children.  While cookies and frozen ice pops were of special interest to the youngsters, adults enjoyed the different culinary offerings and the overall camaraderie of the afternoon.

 

	Everything's Up To Date At Cottage Lane's State Fair With all states represented, this year's Cottage Lane State Fair was a "national" success.  Teachers Evelyn Murphy, Sheila Schneider and Paul Doctor spearheaded the "tour" to which the entire student body and their parents were invited.  The students researched their state and created informational booths touching on all curriculum areas," said Mrs. Murphy.  "They created PowerPoints and did presentations involving math skills, ELA, social studies and science, while sharpening their social skills at the same time."  Visiting students and parents traveled from state to state answering questions and/or playing games to win tickets.  Tickets were cashed in for sweet treats and smiles at the end of the tour.

 

	SOMS STUDENTS AND THEIR SENIOR PEN PALS CELEBRATE YEAR END Students in Ms. Arlene Sorenson's 6th Grade ELA class, along with their Senior Pen Pals enjoyed a celebratory year-end lunch catered and donated by The Mountain House Restaurant in Sparkill. The Bridging the Generation Gap Senior Pen Pal Program, was created almost 15 years ago by Ms. Sorenson in an effort to bring students and seniors together to share life experiences and to give support to students from a source that would not ordinarily be available to them. In all, there were over 50 students and "mentors" enjoying lunch and contributing to the many lively conversations at each of the long tables. Becky, whose Grandma and Grandpa are her pen pals, said, "I really, really like the Pen Pal program. It's a great ways to interact with people you've never met before and to learn more about people you have met before." Molly, whose pen pals are Cecile and Simon Jeruchim said of the program, "I love hearing all the stories the pen pals tell us." Mr. & Mrs. Jeruchim are two of the hidden children of the Holocaust. Senior Pen Pals include, WW II veterans, Holocaust survivors, children of the Holocaust, doctors, lawyers, POWs, Grandmas, Grandpas and representatives from almost every walk of life. "It is such a rich gift to give to these students," said Ms. Sorenson. "Each of them will take something from this program which they will remember for the rest of their life."

	COTTAGE LANE CELEBRATES FIRST ANNUAL "CLAY DAY"     Cottage Lane art teacher Heidi Benson, assisted by special-area teachers, Lisa Kahn, music, Steve Sutton and Tom Dehler, PE, quadrupled classes to give the entire school a "Clay Day".  Using grant funds from The South Orangetown Central School District Education Foundation enough clay and clay tools were ordered for the entire student body to create their own piece of pottery.  To coordinate with the 4th and 5th grade curricula, Ms. Benson chose Native American pottery as the theme giving students examples from different tribes across the country. Students were shown how to hand build a pot by pinching a ball of clay, turning it in your hand and getting a feel for how thick and what shape to create and also how to add designs by using wooden clay tools.  "It's a very important experience to give a student because it's not the kind of art material most parents think to buy." said Ms. Benson.  " It's really, really messy, wet or dry."    Students had a unique and memorable art experience, outside the box and outside the building. Staff and administrators were very supportive and already thinking about making Clay Day and annual Cottage Lane event.

	FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER WELCOMES THE BIG APPLE CIRCUS The South Orangetown Family Resource Center hosted a preview performance of the Big Apple Circus in the gymnasium at the William O. Schaefer school.   Circus family Christopher, Christian, Maritza and Ivan Atayde Stoinev thrilled the students with acts of aerial balancing, juggling and dog tricks.  Christopher (8), who juggles balls, rings and bowling pins and Christian (16) a hand balancer and aerialist, both grew up in the circus.  Their mother, Maritza and father, Ivan met while they were performers.  Ivan, now the Performance Director and Maritza, the Customer Service Manager are no longer in the performance ring. The children travel and perform full time.  They attend a traveling school with 5 other children and are fluent in three languages.  The performance was followed by questions and answers from the student audience.  The Big Apple Circus will be at the Palisades Center Commuter Lot J in West Nyack from June 20 - July 2.

 

	SOCSD LIBRARIANS WIN "Picturing America" GRANT The South Orangetown Central School District Librarians have been announced as recipients of a grant presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in collaboration with the American Library Association. The award, "Picturing America", is an innovative program that helps teach American history and provides students with a gateway to the entire universe of the humanities. The five libraries in the South Orangetown Central School District will be provided with images that span several centuries and feature artists ranging from early American Indian artisans, painters, photographers, to more recent architects. The librarian in each building will receive forty large, high-quality color reproductions of the selected masterpieces (24” x 36”) along with a Teachers Resource Book and additional resources and lesson plans. The district librarians will work with the faculty in their building(s) to find innovative ways to incorporate these images into their curriculum. School libraries are required to keep as many of the reproductions as possible on continual exhibit in classrooms or public locations in the school during the September 2008 through May 2009 grant term, and to retain the reproductions for future display and educational use. Further information about this program is available on the Picturing America website, http://picturingamerica.neh.gov

 

	COTTAGE LANE GRADUATES 260 FROM D.A.R.E. PROGRAM DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION    On May 21st Cottage Lane's entire 5th grade filed into the Auditorium at SOMS for their graduation from the D.A.R.E. program.  In his opening statements South Orangetown Police Chief Nulty said, "We are so proud of the D.A.R.E. Program which we have run since 1989."  Nulty continued, " We have given you skills that you will be able to use as you enter your teen years and far beyond."  In all 260, graduates crossed the stage, exchanged high fives with Daren the D.A.R.E. lion, shook hands with Mr. Fiorentino and assembled dignitaries and received their D.A.R.E. diplomas.  As each class was called to the stage one representative read their essay citing what they've learned from the program.  Then each teacher read the names of the students in their respective classes as a long line of white D.A.R.E. T-shirted 5th graders marched around the auditorium and onto the stage, each with the smile of accomplishment and self-satisfaction in having completed the program.

 

	SOMS PRESENTS "YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE" AWARDS SOMS annual You Make a Difference celebration and award ceremonies were held on May 20th. This year 30 students and community members were nominated by SOCSD staff for making a difference in the lives of those around them. Words that were consistently repeated during the introductory speeches included: leadership skills, maturity, responsibility, thoughtfulness, kindness, respect, patience, diligence, talent, generosity ,cheerfulness, and the list goes on. All honorees received an introduction by the person who nominated them and a plaque of recognition which was given out by SOMS Principal William Lee and SOMS Assistant Principal Paul Guglielmo.

 

	COTTAGE LANE WELCOMES CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR Cottage Lane's entire 5th grade was flattered with a visit from Raul Colon, noted illustrator and author of children's books.  Last year, as one of their books of the month, students read his book entitled "Roberto Clemente - Pride of the Yankees".  They enjoyed it so much that they invited him to visit the school and tell them the story of how he became an illustrator.  Born in New York City, where he spent the first 10 years of his life, his family lived in Puerto Rico for the next 15 years.  He then returned to live in Florida and now resides, with his wife in New City.   "I never remember a time in my life when I did not draw," Colon told the children.  "Wherever there was a piece of paper, I would draw."

	SOMS STUDENTS BUILD CRAYON MEMORIAL TO THE TROOPS Students in Ms. Sara Nybro's SOMS KEA self-contained program are collecting crayons with hopes of amassing enough crayons to create a memorial for the military personnel who have died serving in the Iraqi War.  Their aim is to collect over 4200 crayons and to then create a small permanent memorial in the SOMS main hallway.  With the rest of the crayons the students will build small, portable memorials and a collaborate on writing a children's book about hope and tolerance which they will read to younger students. SOMS KEA self-contained program presently serves 9 students. They all have special needs  relating either to socialization or educational delays.  During a holocaust study unit they became interested in the idea of building this memorial.  Over 2500 crayons have already been collected through donations.

	Hidden Children of the Holocaust Visit SOMS Students in Mrs. Arlene Sorenson's 6th grade Language Arts class were honored on Monday, May 12th with a visit by Mr. & Mrs. Simon and Cecile Jeruchim.  Mr. & Mrs. Jeruchim, both Jewish, were "hidden children" during the Holocaust.   Cecile Jeruchim was born in Belgium. Her parents were taken one afternoon by Nazi soldiers to the Auschwitz concentration camp where three days later they were brought to the gas chambers and killed. Simon Jeruchim was born in Paris, France and was hidden in the farmlands of France during the war.  He was separated from his siblings.  His parents were taken and killed in concentration camps.  The Jeruchims each had a tragic childhood, but remarkably, they developed the fortitude necessary to live through such tragedy at such young ages.   Both found their way to the United States and destiny drew them to each other.  Their stories have been featured in a book entitled "Hidden in France."  Mr. Simon Jeruchim is an artist and author of several books which are featured in The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

	Walk to Wellness:  South Orangetown "Commit to Get Fit" Walk to Wellness GOAL:  $2,500 Total:  $5,266 View slide show from day! Thank you South Orangetown for making our first annual Commit to Get Fit Wellness Walk a rousing success.

	SOCSD Celebrates Second Annual Poetry Day! In honor of National Poetry Month, SOCSD celebrated its Second Annual Poetry Day on Tuesday, May 6, 2008. Students from Tappan Zee HS, South Orangetown MS, and Tappan Zee Elementary schools connected by video conferencing, the newest educational venue to share student work. For many of the students, this is their first time reading to such a crowd. The students shared either poems they wrote or their favorite poems by celebrated poets, such as the favorites Douglas Florian and Shel Silverstein. The district librarians Patty Eyer (TZE), Dorothy Taylor (SOMS), and Lois Parker-Hennion (TZHS) orchestrated and conducted the event. Students enjoyed sharing their poems and appreciated the audiences in the other buildings. SOCSD can proudly boast that poetry was read and heard non-stop among its students for an entire day.

 

	Chalk Up Another Success for ECP's Family Fun Day! Under threatening skies and less than tropical temperatures, South Orangetown's Early Childhood Program literally threw caution to the wind on Saturday, and set up their annual Family Fun Day activities.  The always well attended event was eventually forced to pull up stakes and move inside leaving the petting zoo, horse rides, jumping castle, slide and trackless train to brave the elements.  However, as promised, by 12:30 all rain had cleared and the event went on without a hitch.  Among the activities were: face painting, goldfish toss, paper bag designing, plastic bottle design, sand art and a myriad of other activities to challenge and entertain all ages.  The Early Childhood Program is dedicated to transitioning pre-kindergarten children with a focus on meeting their broad educational needs.

 

	William O. Schaefer Celebrates EARTH DAY REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE was the motto of the day as William O. Schaefer's entire first grade involved themselves in Earth Day Projects.  The Earth Day Grocery Project and the Waste Free Lunch Day were two of the major efforts that steered the day.  Waste Free Lunch Day, which was spearheaded by School Librarian Media Specialist Patricia Eyer, began last week when students weighed the amount of trash resulting from one lunch period.  They then learned how that total could be greatly decreased simply by bringing lunch in reusable food and drink containers, and discouraging the use of disposable packaging such as drink boxes.  At yesterday's lunch, the trash was collected in large bags according to class.  That trash will be weighed, charted and compared to the previous weights to see how the amount of trash  generated was reduced. The other project was The Earth Day Grocery Bag Project, a national awareness endeavor.  Initiated by First grade teacher Ms. Pat Caverzasi, students were given brown paper shopping bags on which they designed and drew original Earth Day messages over the past two weeks.  In their Earth Day assembly, 244 decorated bags were presented to Northvale Shoprite Manager Dave Wolf who then took the bags back to the store and distributed them to each cashier to be used for their customers on Earth Day.  Mr. Wolf addressed the first grade assembly explaining the importance of recycling and telling the students of Shoprite's commitment. "Northvale Shoprite is very concerned about our environment and has been active for decades."  Wolf said. "These 244 decorated bags mean 244 messages will go out to our community to tell them how they can help our Earth".

	Ciao South Orangetown There was telephoning, teddy bears and tears as 38 Tappan Zee HS Italian language students and their 4 chaperones said their good-byes, got their last minute hugs and advice, gathered their luggage and boarded their bus for the trip to the airport and 10 magnificent days in Italy.  The group will tour Rome, Pompeii, Capri, Naples, Sorrento, Palermo, Agrigento and Taormina.  Accompanying the students are TZHS Assistant Principal, Ms. Tricia Castelli; TZHS Italian language teachers Ms. Maria Stillo and Ms. Christina Crowe; and TZHS Science teacher Mr. Steve Purkis.

	Family Treasure Night at Cottage Lane The evening of Tuesday, April 1st, was set aside for the families (including brothers and sisters) of Mrs. Sheila Schneider, Mr. Paul Doctor, and Mrs. Evelyn Murphy’s team  to gather at Cottage Lane to view family albums, share stories, poems, and enjoy a delicious Pot Luck Dinner organized by the class moms and prepared by all of the parents. Special purpose was given to the evening through the sharing of Family Treasures that will last a lifetime.

 

	TZHS HOLDS ANNUAL MU FEST On April 9, Mu Alpha Theta (TZ's Math Honor Society) held its annual MuFest.  The entire student body was invited during their math classes to play original math games created by the members of Mu Alpha Theta.  Proceeds from the event are used to fund math department Scholarships for deserving seniors.  All games required students to solve a math problem as part of the conditions for winning.  Some highlights this year included "Mu Fight Club," in which two students first solved a problem and then fought with "Rock'Em Sock'Em" robots, each adorned with the face of the TZ math teacher of their choosing; "Mudden 2009," in which students tried to score touchdowns by solving math problems correctly; and the perennial favorite "Cream the Cow," in which the first of two competitors to solve a problem got to smash a pie in the face of his or her opponent.  Three of Cottage Lane's fifth grade classes were invited to take part in the various math challenges.

	STEP ASIDE MR. EDISON & MR. BELL - MAKE ROOM FOR COTTAGE LANE'S NEWEST INVENTORS!   The rooms were bursting with buzzers and bells and all things inventive as two of Cottage Lane's fifth grade teams under the direction of Mr. Moretti, Mr. Krump, Mr. Feller, Mrs. Lane, Mr. McAuliffe and Mrs. Tan introduced the newest inventors in the second of the two day 2008 Invention Convention.  Among this years exhibits were: The Cushion Relaxer, The Cereal Dispenser, The Turtle Trap,  The Face Stopper, Shovel De-Icer, a Double Headed Golf Club, the Gym Spin, and many others.  The 4 step assignment included: What is the need of the problem solved; How does your invention work; How is your invention made; What research did you do to make sure your invention is new.  Students then had to methodically document a scientific method of approach in the creation of their invention.

	TZHS SPANISH HONOR SOCIETY MENTORS COTTAGE LANE STUDENTS As part of an annual tradition since 2003, thirty three Spanish Honor Society students from Tappan Zee HS visited Cottage Lane Elementary on Wednesday, April 2 to teach Spanish mini-lessons to all of the fifth grade classes.  The Spanish Honor Society students presented a variety of basic lessons including  colors, numbers, animals, days, months, and seasons, all accompanied by games and activities, created by the honor students, to practice the words. Mrs. Elise Moloney and Mr. Peter Burgos, Chapter Sponsors of the Spanish Honor Society, thanked Mr. Fiorentino, Cottage Lane Principal and the fifth grade teachers for providing the time for the high school students to share their love of learning Spanish with the students at Cottage Lane.

	SOCSD Celebrates Founders' Day On Thursday, March 27th the SOCSD held its annual Founders' Day celebration at Casa Mia Restaurant.  The Founders¹ Day Celebration is a national PTA event in which units across the country celebrate the founding of the PTA.  This year celebrates the 111th anniversary of the founding of the PTA. The evening opened with the sounds of the TZHS Jazz Band led by Mr. Bill Hughes.  Ceremonies began with a color guard provided by the Tappan Volunteer Fire Company and The Pledge of Allegiance led by Ryan, Matthew and Andrew Uhl followed by the singing of the National Anthem by TZHS senior Ellen Knapp.   Highlighting the evening was the presentation of Lifetime Membership Awards which are bestowed upon individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the welfare of children and youth.  This year¹s recipients were: Board of Education President, Annmarie Uhl; South Orangetown Middle School Principal, Dr. William Lee;  Tappan Zee High School Assistant Principal and former Italian Teacher, Patricia Castelli; Speech Therapist, Ellen Kriegel; Second Grade Teacher, Joan Rudolph; and South Orangetown Middle School PTA President and Community Volunteer, Allison DeRosa.

	"Bridge to Peace" at Tappan Zee High School !! Students in Amy Rosenthal's Issues classes were greeted today by two students from Israel who were in the United States on a  mission of world peace.  The program, called "Bridge to Peace", is part of Cherish our Children International.  The Education and Social Project of Hapoel “Keter” Tel Aviv gives over 25,000 disadvantaged children and youth all over Israel the opportunity to realize their full potential. The opportunity to play soccer, be coached, wear the premier league soccer team's uniform, participate in tournaments, and be invited to home games of Hapoel "Keter" Tel Aviv's team motivates children and youth to participate. The programs provide tutoring and educational enrichment activities, directly linked to soccer training and practice of the highest quality. They motivate children to succeed in school and integrate sports into their daily lives. They give these children a sense that they belong to something very big, very successful, and very Israeli, that they themselves can be winners, and have a stake in the future. Cherish Our Children has supported this program in recent years, with a specific focus on creating and empowering “mixed teams” where children from a broad diversity of backgrounds play together, including Jewish, Arab, Bedouin, Druze and Ethiopian children and youth. These children who are attached to a long history of violent conflict play together on the same team. Their families cheer together on the same bleachers, they wear the same team colors and learn to trust each other and play together, literally toward a common goal.

	Look Out Charlie - Family Resource Center Goes on a Tuna March Not even the raw, drizzly day could keep the South Orangetown Family Resource Center pre-schoolers or the William O. Schaefer kindergarten from their annual Tuna March.  Appropriately named, because of its purpose, this gathering of the South Orangetown community signals the beginning of the yearly tuna collection for delivery to Rockland Meals on Wheels.  The cans are used as part of the emergency kits given to area seniors.  The emergency kits are made up of a days worth of non-perishable foods which can be stored and kept without spoilage concern for a given amount of time in case a regular delivery of food cannot be made.  "It is a wonderful cause and so many of our families become involved every year to help our seniors," commented Family Resource Center Coordinator Margaret Umbrino.  "It's just a fun event", she said marching off with the youngsters in tow.

	3.14 = Pi Day at Cottage Lane On March 14 (3.14) 5th grade teachers, Bernard Connaughton (reading), Shannon Sorrentino (math), Phil Krump (math), Jamie Tan (math), Bill McAuliffe (science) and Librarian Barbara Bandura gathered their students together for Pi Day.  Having collected caps, lids and tops in preparation for the day, the students first listened to a of "The Dragon of Pi" and "Sir Cumference".  Then the group broke up into three study areas where they participated in activities with wheels, lids, string, calculators, caps, tops and all things circular.  The purpose of the entire exercise was an in depth discussion of what Pi is and how it affects our everyday life.  The final question.......Why is Pi day always held on March 14th????

 

	HOOPS FOR TROOPS" YIELDS SUPPLIES FOR SOLDIERS On March 14th, the SOMS National Junior Honor Society and the Italian Club sent boxes of supplies to troops in Afghanistan.  The supplies were purchased using the money raised at the recent Hoops for Troops event.  Items purchased included: socks, power bars, snack food, tuna, crackers, video games, and DVD's.  Students helped pack up and seal the boxes, load them on the bus and deliver them to the Blauvelt post office for shipment to Afghanistan.  Students and advisors expressed their delight with the results of the fundraiser which enabled the National Junior Honor Society and the Italian Club to bring a successful completion to the Hoops for Troops project.

 

	And the Winner Is..........................   TZHS held their third annual "Who Makes the Best Irish Soda Bread?" contest.  All entries were brought in and presented on a long table identified only by a number.  Passers-by sampled each of the breads and cast their closed vote for the winner.  After all was said and done............the winner is............ Susan Gleeson in the #1 spot followed by Christina Crowe in #2.  It was a fun contest, everyone did a superb job and congratulations are in order all around!!

	Music Composer Jerry Custer Visits TZHS   Michigan composer Jerry Custer spent the day at Tappan Zee HS conducting workshops with the music theory class, the TZHS Concert Choir, and members of the Select Vocal Ensemble.  Custer's composition, "Under the Greenwood Tree" was written for the Choir's London tour which will take place in April.  While working with the Concert Choir, Custer reinforced their interpretation of his composition and commended them on the overall sound of the group.   Custer is presently Director of Music at the First Presbyterian Church of Farmington in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where he leads a multiple choir program and directs an active performing arts series.

	Comic Author Visits SOMS   Students in Ms. Arlene Sorenson's and co-teacher Ms. Marie Bauer's 6th grade ELA class were treated to a classroom visit by local comic book creator, Darren Sanchez to help them in their Journey to the Storybox unit.  In the comic industry since 1991, Sanchez has worked for Valiant Comics and Wizard Entertainment.  He is now in the discussion phase of turning his newest creation, Foxwood Falcons into a movie.  Sanchez explained the different phases in comic book creation and brought many samples of each of those phases for a hands on view.  This tied into the students' Journey to the Storybox project where each group of children are presently in the process of creating their own comic book storyline for presentation later in the term.  Sanchez handed out copies of his Foxwood Falcons, and Impossible Tales to the students.  "The creativity that comes out of the students during a project such as this is absolutely amazing." stated Ms. Sorenson.  "Talents never before exhibited now come to the surface."

	Unfortunately, the demand for food and other supplies from our local food pantries is continually increasing. In Rockland County, People – To People, Inc. helps to meet this need by providing more than 200,000 pounds of food annually to the many families as well as the homeless in Rockland County who have no resources. This year EASO, (Educational Association of South Orangetown), SOSA, (South Orangetown Secretaries Association), SOEAA, South Orangetown Educational Aides Association), SOTAA, (South Orangetown Teaching Assistant Association), and SNASO, (School Nurses Association of South Orangetown) are proud to be part of the 15th Annual New York State United Teachers food drive to support People-To- People, Inc.’s extraordinary work. Thank you to everyone who donated food and money to our annual People to People Food Drive in conjunction with the New York State United Teachers. We collected 1335 lbs of food and over $700.00. A special thanks to Burke Anderson, Stephanie McElroy and the middle school Student Government who encouraged the middle school students to bring in cans!

SADD Midnight Run The students of SADD Students Against Destructive Decisions coordinated a midnight run to NYC to help the homeless on Saturday, January 9, 2008.   Through Midnight Run, volunteers come to see the homeless as real people, not a commodity. And homeless men and women learn that many mainstream adults and teenagers have commitments and concerns that go beyond their own lives and families. The run was organized by SADD Vice President Meg Nevins and assisted by President Brittany Alexander. Erin O’Brien was also instrumental in the runs success. The SADD members would also like to extend a special thanks to Ms. Parker Hennion and Ms. White for all their help. Thank you for all who participated.

National Junior Honor Society & The Italian Club Have Great Success with Hoops for Troops The National Junior Honor Society (advisors Eric Goldstein and Jill Jakubowski) along with the Italian Club (advisor Roberta Avantifiori) sponsored “Hoops for Troops” on January 18, 2008 at SOMS.  The main purpose of the event was to raise money to purchase supplies to send to the troops overseas.  Over 250 middle school students had a fantastic night participating in a variety of events including a ‘4 on 4’ basketball tournament at each grade level. Others challenged each other playing Guitar Hero, Dance, Dance, Revolution, and other video games.  Tournament and game winners received AMC Theatre movie tickets, gift certificates to Best Buy and FYE.  The gift certificates were donated by the Italian Club, the Rockland County Sheriff's Department, and AMC Theatres.  In addition, the Italian Club members sold a variety of homemade treats. We would like to thank Pizza del Arte, Calabria Pizza, Taste of Italy, and the Sedotto family for their generous donation of pizza, pasta, garlic knots and chips for our fundraiser.  In addition would also like to thank the SOMS PTA for their charitable donation to purchase all of the game systems and games used at this event.  Together the NJHS and the Italian Club raised $2,500 for this great cause!  The staff and student support was overwhelming!

SOMS ITALIAN CLUB VISITS THORPE SENIOR CENTER On December 20th the South Orangetown Middle School Italian Club brought a little Italian holiday cheer to the senior citizens at the Thorpe Senior Center in Sparkill run by Meals on Wheels. The students danced the Tarantella, played Tombola (a game similar to Bingo) with the seniors and sang holiday songs in Italian. Students and seniors shared a wonderful and festive afternoon.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS.................? Students in Ms. Sarah Kulka & Mr. James Amandola's 7th grade geography classes completed three days of grueling geographic questions and answers in multiple elimination rounds culminating in the selection of the "Final 12" contestants competing in the SOMS Geography Bee. One student from each of the twelve geography classes won their elimination rounds and came together on the stage of SOMS for overall grade victory. Final elimination came after two incorrectly answered questions. After three rounds two competitors remained. The winner, Wendy L., edged out runner-up Jack B. with the correct answer to the following: The ancient Maya city of Tikal, abandoned in the 10th century, is located in what Central American country?   The winning answer: Guatemala

William O. Schaefer Presents Covered Cupboards to Meals On Wheels For the sixth consecutive year, parents, students and teachers at William O.Schaefer School have volunteered their time to help the elderly and home bound senior citizens of the South Orangetown Community. They have filled and decorated shoeboxes with nutritious ready to serve foods, such as tuna, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables to create a "Covered Cupboard". The "Cupboards" are presented to Meals on Wheels recipients to use when hot meals can not be delivered due to snow storms or other emergencies. Cassie Coslit, Supervisor of Volunteer Programs for Meals on Wheels, visited the children to receive over 270 Cupboards and to express her deepest appreciation on behalf of local seniors who benefit from their efforts. "Without such support from the community, Meals on Wheels may experience a shortage of Cupboards for our seniors this winter," said Coslit.

American Idol South Orangetown Style The SOMS American Idol Club , under the direction of teacher Arlene Sorenson, performed a holiday show to the delight of the residents of the Nyack Manor Nursing Home on Monday, December 17th.  A festive and enjoyable time was had by all.

Tappan Zee Elementary Gets Their Digs In TZE archaeologists did some research work on digs revealing the culture of the Inuit of Alaska. A donation of artifacts, from unidentified ancient fossilized teeth, to modern day earrings, depictive native clothing, to shards of baleen, helped students piece together key discovery information. This hands-on project was fun and exciting, but also challenged students to think critically, putting pieces of information together to come to a possible conclusion of who, what, when, where and why. The set of six digs will rotate throughout the third grade classrooms at TZE. Third grade teacher, Ms. Colleen Morahan  assisted in designing the project and developing a shared lesson plan.

IT'S CHECKMATE FRIDAYS AT TAPPAN ZEE ELEMENTARY Early any Friday morning, one might find up to 50 bleary eyed 2nd and 3rd graders diligently settling in for some early morning chess. They could also be sleeping in or enjoying a second bowl of Fruit Loops, but instead, they measure the impact of moving the Rook to A4, and the impact of possible return tactics by their worthy opponent. "Learning chess has been proven to develop critical thinking skills and improve math problem-solving. Chess is a game of life - each move we make has consequences - positive or negative. Chess is a quiet game, a game that is hands-on and interactive, but also very introspective," observes TZE Assistant Principal Beth Lipton . The TZE Chess Club is led each Friday at 8:30 by Dr. Alex Levy, a TZE grandparent and competitive chess player, TZE Assistant Principal, Beth Lipton and School Psychologist, Sean Jones.

(Almost) A Century of Experience Visits SOMS Classroom SOMS teacher, Arlene Sorenson, invited a very special guest to speak to her Gifted and Talented project based 7th & 8th grade class.  Samuel Hazard Gillespie, a 97 year old attorney who still travels to his office in Manhattan every day visited the class to share with them  stories about his long and successful life and career.  Mr. Gillespie first met Ms. Sorenson as a member of her Senior pen-pal program which is part of Bridging the Generations. Born in Morristown, NJ, Mr. Gillespie attended Yale College and Yale Law School beginning his law career in 1936.  He advised the students to, "Get a plan.  Not only in Middle School, but in HS and College and in life."  He told them they must have objectives as he still does.  Mr. Gillespie told of his love of sailing and horseracing.  In 1993 he accompanied a friend in a 2800 mile 17 day sailing odyssey from the Canary Islands to Barbados in a 47 ft. sailboat.   During his career he had the distinction of arguing four cases in the US Supreme Court having gained valuable experience as the principle assistant for 15 years to then Solicitor General John W. Davis.  He served as US Attorney for the Southern District under the Eisenhower Administration.  At one point in his career he represented a number of actors and actresses including Mary Pickford and Maurice Chevalier.  When asked for his most impressive memory of the 20th century he quickly responded, "Well, personally, there is no question.  It was 15 years ago when I met my present wife and got married."  But he told the class historically, he felt his most impressive memory was in May of 1945 when WWII came to an end.  He felt it ended a very depressing period in America. Mr. Gillespie has lived in Piermont since the summer of 1977 and still walks 1-2 miles every day,  sails his 40ft sailboat, keeps up with old friends, makes new ones and continues to love horseracing.  When asked by one of the students how he spends his free time he responded, "Free time?  I don't have free time.  I fill any time that might be free with things that are interesting and challenging to me.  I love coming and talking to students like you."  When the bell rang, Mr. Gillespie put on his scarf and coat and made his way to the stairway.  (He also always takes the stairs!)

Tappan Zee HS Interact Club Makes Thanksgiving Basket Donations Through the generosity of over 50 members of Tappan Zee High School's Interact Club, more local families enjoyed a complete Thanksgiving meal.  Interact members arranged and donated 6 all-encompassing baskets containing turkeys and all the fixings to be delivered to members of our Orangetown community.  The baskets were distributed through Saint Dominic's Home in Blauvelt.  The Thanksgiving Basket Project has been a tradition of The Interact Club for the past several years. The students have given of their time and energy in an effort to make the holiday season brighter for those less fortunate in our community   The TZHS Interact Club is sponsored by the Tappan Zee/Piermont Rotary.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow   Over the past two weeks South Orangetown Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society conducted a “Can the Principal” fundraiser for People to People.  All homeroom classes participated, donating tons of canned goods, which was stored over the two-week period in SOMS Principal Dr. William Lee’s office.  “I couldn’t even hold meetings in my office!” "protested" Dr. Lee wearing a smile from ear to ear.  SOMS raised 2,392 canned and boxed goods, with a total of over 6,200 pounds and an estimated value of $12,000!  The winning homerooms from each grade level include Mrs. Mantin’s homeroom with 238 cans & boxes, Ms. McElroy’s homeroom with 206, and Mr. Sullivan’s homeroom with 252.  Each homeroom will receive a breakfast for all their efforts.  National Junior Honor Society students also delivered the goods to People to People and helped organize the bags and boxes to be delivered to families throughout Rockland.  NJHS Advisors Jill Jakubowski and Eric Goldstein oversaw the Herculean efforts of the drive and added, "We are all very proud of our students and their families for being so generous."

SOMS ELA Teacher to Present Workshop at National Conference Ms. Arlene Sorensen, ELA teacher at the South Orangetown Middle School will be presenting a workshop on November 15, 2007 at the New York State English Council and National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference and Convention.  The program she created entitled "Bridging the Generations-Student/Senior Citizen pen-pal project was selected out of hundreds of entries for this convention.  This year's theme for the conference is "Speaking from the Margin: Critical Literacy and Social Justice".  It will take place in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. Ms. Naomi Anthony who marched with Martin Luther King, Mr. and Mrs. Simon Jeruchim who were hidden children during the Holocaust, and Mr. Chet Lubbock who was a prisoner of war during World War II will speak during the workshop.  All of these speakers have been Senior pen-pals in Ms.Sorensen's program for several years.

During the week of November 5th – 9th is ”World Interact Week”.  “Interact” is a club that is active in a high school where a Rotary club is the sponsor.   The Rotary Club of Tappan Zee/Piermont “salutes” the Interact Club of Tappan Zee High School.  These students give of their time and talent to help make their community and the world community a better place.   “Congratulations” to Nicole Lai, the teacher advisor, and to all of the young men and ladies who participate.  You “Lead the Way” and show that “Rotary Shares”.   The Rotary Club of Tappan Zee/Piermont

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!!! A better day could not have been ordered as the annual Cottage Lane Halloween Parade left the Cottage Lane School in bright sunshine on their march up Cottage Lane, onto Erie Street with a quick right onto Western Highway and then back up the driveway to the school.  All this under the watchful eyes of a full police escort.  Nothing in the world of animals, cartoon characters, hobgoblins, athletics, and anything else for which a costume could be fashioned was missing from the parade. Parents along the parade route snapped photos and exchanged glances of recognition with the masked and costumed "characters".

On Friday October 26th, Ms. Sorensen and Mrs. Bauer's 6th grade Language Arts classes hosted a very special event entitled The Cay Gallery.  Students were assigned creative projects based on the novel The Cay.  Their creations were shown in an "art gallery" format to other 6th grade ELA classes. Projects such as travel brochures, theme collages, collages of West Indian culture, survival booklets, original poetry books, character masks, models of WW2 vessels, and models of the cay island were on display.  Students recreated the room to make it look like it was a cay island including fire piles, model sharks and palm trees.

WOS CUTS RIBBON FOR NEW BLACKTOP GAMES   Students at the William O. Schaefer school will now be able to enjoy their outside recess time so much more because of the hard work and creative hand of Jastlin K. of Pearl River Girl Scout Troop  #515.  Jastlin has spent over 100 hours completing her Gold Award Project entitled "Leaping for Learning" at the William O Schaefer School.  She, along with a few assistants, painted black top games that can help kindergarten and first graders practice math, reading, and social skills, enabling them to have fun while learning and exercising at recess.  Jastlin had to follow specific guidelines in choosing her project to qualify for the award.  She worked through the summer creating a colorful fantasy playground for the students.  Included in the games are; hopscotch and double hopscotch, tic tac toe, a bicycle/walking/running lane, patterns for completion, the Alphapillar, a painted map of the United States and many more.  In addition to the games, the basketball nets on both sides of the field were lowered to better accommodate the Schaefer students.  Coach Hudson was extremely pleased with the way the new gaming field came out and looks forward to the possibilities of the new athletic venue.  A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Friday, October 26 to officially open the games for WOS students.

COTTAGE LANE'S NEW MOTTO - BE A  BUDDY NOT A BULLY Wearing brand new BE A BUDDY NOT A BULLY buttons, Cottage Lane's entire fourth grade filed into the gymnasium for an assembly to kickoff the second year of their anti bullying program.  The fifth grade assembly had taken place earlier in the day. Principal Michael Fiorentino, Assist. Principal Stephanie Acito, Music teacher Lisa Kahn and Art teacher Heidi Benson assisted during the program in reinforcing in the children the idea that bullying is not an acceptable form of behavior.  Teachers and Administrators in the Cottage Lane School are now in their second year of the OLWEUS Anti Bullying Program.  This program gives teachers the strategies for awareness in dealing with a problem which can cause great anguish for those children being bullied by other children.  While showing projections of school rules regarding bullying such as being kind, including those who are left out and telling an adult if you feel someone you know is being bullied, Principal Fiorentino advised the children, "These are not complex rules, it's simply how we treat each other."  Music teacher Lisa Kahn then led the assembly in a song titled "Don't Laugh at Me", a sensitive look into the world of bully victims.  Art teacher Heidi Benson with the help of a number of her fourth grade art students then unfurled a BE A BUDDY NOT A BULLY banner made up of the thumb print of each member of the fourth grade class in an act of solidarity against bullying.  Some of the children then read their own poetry aloud.  Assistant Principal Acito ended the assembly by reading passages from an anti bullying book.  "We are trying to instill in the children not only an awareness of the problem, but an understanding of how to identify it, what to do about it, how to reach out to avoid it and at the same time to build in them a sense of self-confidence", stated Ms. Acito.  "It's really a wonderful program".   DON’T LAUGH AT ME By Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin   I’m a little boy with glasses, the one they call a geek, A little girl who never smiles ‘cause I’ve got braces on my teeth, And I know how it feels to cry myself to sleep. I’m that kid on every playground who’s always chosen last, A single teenage mother trying to overcome my past, You don’t have to be my friend, but is it too much to ask?   Don’t laugh at me.  Don’t call me names. Don’t get your pleasure from my pain. In God’s eyes, we’re all the same.  Someday, we’ll all have perfect wings. Don’t laugh at me.   I’m the beggar on the corner, you’ve passed me on the street, And I wouldn’t be out here beggin’ if I had enough to eat, And don’t think I don’t notice that our eyes never meet.   Don’t laugh at me.  Don’t call me names.  Don’t get your pleasure from my pain. In God’s eyes, we’re all the same.  Someday, we’ll all have perfect wings. Don’t laugh at me.   I’m fat…I’m thin…I’m short…I’m tall…I’m deaf…I’m blind…  Hey, aren’t we all?   Don’t laugh at me.  Don’t call me names.  Don’t get your pleasure from my pain. In God’s eyes, we’re all the same.  Someday, we’ll all have perfect wings. Don’t laugh at me.  Don’t laugh at me.

On Monday, October 22nd, the TZHS PTSA held a presentation on Internet Safety, Social Networking Responsibility and PC Monitoring Systems to help keep your children safe.  View the presentation here.

South Orangetown Central School District Participates In Caps For Kids Day When Tappan Zee Elementary's Jim Sharkey spearheaded the initiative for this year's Caps for Kids Day efforts it spread throughout the district like wildfire.  Every school in the South Orangetown Central School District participated successfully in Wear Your Cap to School Day.  On this day all students are invited to donate $1.00 and wear their favorite sports cap to school.  All proceeds then go to the Caps for Kids organization. Caps for Kids is an international 501(c)3 non profit organization with programs in more than 90 hospitals scattered throughout the United States including 4 in Canada. It is dedicated to giving caps and scarves signed by athletes, entertainers and other notable celebrities to children who are pediatric cancer patients. SOCSD will donate over $2,400 to Caps for Kids as a result of donations received from Wear Your Cap to School Day.   Well Done!

Early Childhood Program Hosts "Welcome Back" Family Picnic   The evening was a gift from Mother Nature as The Early Childhood Program PTA hosted its second annual "Welcome Back" family picnic at The William O. Schaefer School.  Returning families, new families and perspective families gathered together to celebrate the beginning of a new school year, meet new friends, and to exchange information, hugs and phone numbers.  It was a wonderful evening to just "hang out", have a great time and a great dinner.  The South Orangetown Early Childhood Program offers a full complement of programs for children aged 2-5 with special needs.  Located in the Pre K - Grade 1 building of The William O. Schaefer School, the county funded program is open to resident and non-resident students.   "This is such a special event", said Coordinator Jeannine Carr.  "It is at these gatherings that friendships are made not only by the students but by their siblings, parents and grandparents as well".

TZHS's THE AMAZING (MUSIC) RACE   TZHS Vocal Music/MusicTheory teacher Russell Wagoner supervised in the first annual running of his own creation of The Amazing (Music) Race.  Eight groups of first year music theory students were arbitrarily teamed in groups of two putting to use knowledge acquired so far in note and rhythm reading as well as sleuthing.  The groups started the seven-leg race in the Choir Room with envelope #1 containing clues written in words and musical notes that had to be deciphered and interpreted.  Amid caveats of “no running, no littering, no noise” the group “bolted” out into the hallway on their journey.  Each envelope of clues, (randomly distributed among the 8 teams at the different pick-up points), if properly decoded led the team to the next venue and the next envelope.  There was a timed roadblock set up in the Cafeteria where students had to choose a line of musical notes and, staying mindful of the clef, properly write in the note names within 45 seconds.  Other clues led to the Asst. Principal’s Office, Library, Nurse’s Office, hallway outside Rm. 317 and the final "Pit Stop" – The Choir Room.  The winning team received a box of “Baton” wafers, congratulations from Mr. Wagoner and kudos from their classmates.