Summer 2013SpotlightCommitment to Excellence

A n e w s l e t t e r f o r r e s i d e n t s o f t h e G r e e n b u r g h C e n t r a l 7 S c h o o l D i s t r i c t

A Word from the Board of EducationDear District Residents:Of all my years serving on the Board of Education, I believe this year flew by the quickest.It is truly amazing how much has been accomplished by our students, staff, administrationand the Board of Education within the span of one school year.

This was the first year our students and teachers were exposed to the new Common Corestandardized testing, and we asked both our students and our teachers to effectively learn andimplement these new standards. The state standards are supposed to level the playing fieldon a national basis, so our students will be able to compete on the national stage and beready for the globalization that they face as they move onto college and career.

We have also introduced the concept of Place-Based Education in all our schools, whichmakes the campus and community a living classroom. Everywhere you look, you will seeexamples of our students learning with the community behind them 100%.

Additionally, there is a reorganized administrative team resulting in more streamlined andefficient collaboration. You will read more about this in the fall issue of Spotlight.

Finally, we are moving ahead with our investigation of the possibility of consolidation. TheBoard of Education has assembled a team of highly qualified and experienced consultants,namely the Legacy Planning Group, Turner Construction and CSArch, to work with theDistrict on the prospective of consolidating the schools onto the District’s campus. We expectto have more information available to the community in the early fall.

Of course, we would like to thank everyone who came out to support our budget. Thecommunity’s active role in supporting the education of our children is important, and we aregrateful for everyone’s involvement.

Have a healthy, restful and enjoyable summer. Remember to encourage children of all agesto read, read, read. It is the backbone of what we do in school and in adult life.

Sincerely,Lloyd NewlandBoard President

Dear Parents andCommunity Members:We close the 2012-2013 yearhaving made a number ofchanges that align us to movethe District forward in ways thatbenefit the students. We havereorganized the central officestaff, and we have eliminatedsome positions. We are pleased that the budgetpassed by a supermajority – 67%. On behalf of theadministration, the teachers, staff and the Board ofEducation, I want to thank everyone who supportedour schools and children.In everything we do, the students come first. In June,there was a district-wide literacy movement fromPre-K through high school that provided studentswith new books that will be used for lessons in thefall. It encourages and supports reading, and oncestudents start reading, they get into the habit.Having their own copies means that students willhave no excuses.School may be out, but much happens behind thescenes during summer. We continue building ourProfessional Learning Community (PLC). The princi-pals will be training over the summer so they willbe ready in the fall for the teachers’ professionaltraining. At the heart of our initiatives is the desireto create a solid foundation for making GC7 agreat District.The Jason Project is another example of summerpreparation. New for us, this renowned programenriches our marine biology curriculum, and theteachers will be ready to work with it in the fall.Founded in 1989 by Dr. Robert D. Ballard, it usesSTEM curricula developed with NOAA, NASA,and National Geographic Society to bring theoceans right to the classroom. Students will beworking with top scientists and oceanographersaround the world in real (and near-real) time,virtually and physically. We want our students,especially the girls, to be inspired by science andthink about it as a career.We are also looking at our IB program.International Baccalaureate is a rigorous program,and we will be re-training our teachers to keep upwith it. With the exception of the high school, allour schools are IB schools, and it makes sense tostrive and make this happen in the high school. It isa goal we have.We are also going to design a true gifted and tal-ented program for the elementary schools. This hasbeen a constant plea from the community, and welisten to you. There will be a selection process thatis fair to all students, and we look forward to chal-lenging all our students and bringing out the best ineach one.

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2013 CollegeAcceptancesAdelphi UniversityAMDA College and Conservatory

of the Performing ArtsBenedict CollegeBronx CommunityBrooklyn CollegeBrown UniversityBryant UniversityCanisius CollegeCanterbury Prep SchoolCanton State UniversityCarnegie MellonCastleton CollegeCazenovia CollegeCentral Michigan UniversityChamplain CollegeClaflin UniversityCollege of St. BenedictCollege of Saint RoseCollege of Staten IslandColumbia College of ChicagoColumbia UniversityConcordia CollegeCUNY- Baruch CollegeCUNY- City College of New YorkCUNY- Hunter CollegeCUNY- Macaulay Honors CollegeDartmouth CollegeDelaware Valley CollegeDominican CollegeDrexel UniversityDutchess Community CollegeEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityEmerson CollegeFairleigh Dickinson UniversityFashion Institute of TechnologyFlorida International UniversityFlorida Southern CollegeFort Valley State UniversityHampton UniversityHartwick CollegeHarvey MuddHofstra UniversityHoward UniversityIona CollegeIthaca CollegeJonson & WalesKeuka CollegeLehman CollegeLIU- CW PostLoyola University MarylandMaine UniversityManhattanville College

Marymount Manhattan Collegeof the Liberal Arts

Mercy CollegeMonroe CollegeMorehouse CollegeMorgan State UniversityMorrisville State CollegeMount Ida CollegeMount St. VincentNassau Community CollegeNew Haven UniversityNew York UniversityNorth Carolina A & T State UniversityNorthern Michigan UniversityNotre Dame of MarylandNYIT New York Institute of TechnologyNYU PolyPace UniversityPenn State UniversityPhiladelphia UniversityPomona CollegePost UniversityQueens CollegeQuinnipiac UniversityRochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.)Rockland Community CollegeRowan UniversityRutgers UniversitySeton HallShaw UniversitySophie Davis Medical SchoolSpelman CollegeSpringfield CollegeSt. Francis CollegeSt. John's UniversitySt. Thomas Aquinas CollegeSUNY-AlbanySUNY- BinghamtonSUNY- BrockportSUNY- BuffaloSUNY-CortlandSUNY-DelhiSUNY- FredoniaSUNY- Institute of TechnologySUNY-New PaltzSUNY-OneontaSUNY-OswegoSUNY- PlattsburghSUNY- PotsdamSUNY- Stony Brook UniversitySchool of Visual ArtsSyracuse University - Pre Med ProgramTuskegee UniversityUnited States Naval Academy

Prep SchoolUniversity of AlabamaUniversity of Connecticut

University of HartfordUniversity of MaineUniversity of MassachusettsUniversity of New HavenUniversity of The SciencesUniversity of VermontUniversity Women's CollegeU.S. ArmyVirginia State UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWestchester Community CollegeWilliam Patterson UniversityWood Tobe-Coburn SchoolXavier University of Louisiana

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WoodlandsHigh School2013GraduatesClifton AbramsJonathan AlbertAchly AlcinAshley AlmonteChristian AlvarezKatherine AparicioLina ArboledaMaria Alejandra Arcos

PayanStar AriasHenry AvendanoJustin AvisadoMichael BarbieriSteven BarriosAna BravoCaturah BrownJoy ButlerEdeline CalimIsaiah CampbellJennifer CanganaReymart CarmonaPatrick CatalanTanmeet ChawlaTiffany ChristianRobin CiampiKiara ColesCatherine ColladoAndrei ConstantinescuAshley CosbySteven CrespoJoseph D'AngeloJabari DashJackson DavisErika DayDa'Sean DowneyStephen Doyle IIIDylan EddyRikki A. EdwardsMichelle EspinozaTrevor EverlyRaheim FarquharsonSebria FarquharsonErlain Dervinsky FleurinordKevin ForteChristine GarganoMichele GomezMelissa HadleyJoseph HallDeaQuan HarrisBriana HectorJahnae HenryTiara Amber HillsAcacia Hines

Johan HoegerDavon HoustonQuinton HowellYujin Jane HwangEulises R. Iglesias LuceroRaymond JacksonMalachi JohnsonDesean JonasAshley JonesNiya KhanWilliam KraemerDeepu KumarDonna LLamocaRamatoulaye LoumNicole LuisAustin Dale LynchJordon MamdeenTrevonna MeiklePrecious MensahPrincess MensahKyle MerchantJasmine MillerJahmika MitchellJonnathan MogrovejoNury MoncadaMarcus MosleyAmalia NarineJodelson NelsonElijah NguyenJohn PachonteTamara ParkerLeslie PayampsShanice PerryJose PiedraNia Simone PowellKevin QuantLeyla QuevedoGowtham RamadossCourtney A. ReganAsia Isis ReidAnaiz ReynosoJustin RiccioRon RichardsDavid RiveraVictor RiveraWannah RobertEmony RodriguezRicardo RodriguezCharlotte RoederWilliam RoysterJulianna RosenbergJoseph SacheliAlexandra SalasAron SalgueroJason SantosMatthew SavinoAndre ScipioAlexis SealyEryk SimmonsBrian SmallsJustin Smith

Matthew SpagnoliGeoffrey StraughnRaevyn ThigpenBenjamin ThomasD'Andre Tilford

Gabriel TorresGustavo TorviscoStrephon ValentineFrancisco VazquezVeronica Vivaldo

Daryl Warner-EdwardsDane WatsonChannel WilliamsJerome WilliamsT'Shana Williams

Latoya WilsonAshley YoungDaniel Zapata

Service Above SelfEach month the Hartsdale Rotary recognizes a studentfor service above self. This recognition is based on com-munity involvement and leadership. Congratulations toeach Rotary Student of the Month for the 2012-13school year:

Jameiya Valentine Grade 6 OctoberJade Crichlow Grade 8 NovemberSharin Kuriakose Grade 5 DecemberMelanie Lewis Grade 8 JanuaryJeremy Joseph Grade 4 FebruaryHarshal Shet Grade 8 MarchGabrielle Sabia Grade 6 AprilKaisy Gutierrez Grade 8 May

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Woodlands High SchoolWhat a great year!Woodlands High Schoolsoared to heights that we didnot imagine could be reachedin the span of one schoolyear. Educational trips includ-ed visits to the Hayden

Planetarium/Museum of Natural History, theSchomberg Museum in Harlem, theGuggenheim Museum of Art and the AmericanMuseum. In keeping with our marine biologyprogram and its ongoing expansion, studentsvisited the Norwalk Aquarium. The high schoolis diligently working to expand our Science,Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) pro-grams and exposed students to tours of theOssining nuclear plant and GreenburghNature Center. New courses were developedthat promote the concept of “Going Green” (inscience and physical education). The kick-offWISE presentation given by two of our topseniors was on the subject matter of “Magneticand Quantum Levitation.”To further the endeavor of the promotion ofSTEM, events were sponsored such as “NightUnder the Stars,” showcasing our scienceteachers and the launching of the S.S.

Woodlands (kayaks) to be utilized to study pondsamples and the natural habitats of our campus.In conjunction with all District schools and ourPTSA, a science fair was held here at the highschool. Telescopes have been purchased, tankshave been filled and we are launching, no punintended, a mechanical helicopter program, withan eventual goal of partnering with WestchesterCounty Airport to provide internship opportunitiesfor our students.In an effort to excite the youngest students in ourDistrict, we invited students from ECP to help usplant flowers around our new greenhouse. Weexposed them to international culture throughinteractive lessons where they learned to writetheir names and understand basic symbols inboth Chinese and Arabic. Staff from the highschool also went to Lee F. Jackson to read to the Continued on page 5

From theDesks of thePrincipals

students. The initiative to make learning moreexciting and varied was carried out here withthe implementation of new classes that includeShakespeare: Comedy/Tragedy, Culinary,Marine Life and Biological Studies, andPhysics First.Woodlands High School’s greatnesscontinues! Our National Federal TeachingEntrepreneurship (NFTE) program won FirstPlace in the county for the NFTE competitionand will be competing on the national levelnext year. Our students took the Gold andSilver medals in the ACT-SO competition, andour Varsity Football Team were the Section 1Class C Football champions. New classroomswere opened, e.g., World Language Labalong with renovations of the GuidanceDepartment, Computer Lab and W.I.S.E.Seniors received full scholarships to some of themost competitive schools in the world, includingColumbia University, the Sophie Davis Schoolof Biomedical Education and North CarolinaA & T’s Engineering Program. We are alsohonored that one of our seniors will be attend-ing the United States Military AcademyPreparatory School - West Point.

Best Wishes to RetireesBarbara Burquest Elementary Teacher, LFJ

Mary Capowski Teaching Assistant, WHS

Michael Chambliss Principal, WMS

Eudora Dell’Aglio School Social Worker, WHS

Charles Gerardi Head Custodian, Administration Building

Tina Goldman School Psychologist, WMS

Patricia Gorgone Senior Office Assistant, WHS

Bruce Gottlieb Director of Pupil Personnel Services

Willie James Head Custodian, WHS

Patricia Levy Special Education Teacher, RJB

Deborah Pace Teaching Assistant, HV

Margo Parker Special Education Teacher, LFJ

Annie Rivers Teaching Assistant, ECP

Susan Sciascia, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources

Francine Shorts School Psychologist, HV

Stephanie Wooley Teaching Assistant, RJB

Tenure RecipientsNew York State mandates that teachers andadministrators who complete a probationary period(usually of three years) receive tenure.

The 2013 tenure recipients are:

Nicole Barone Special Education Teacher, RJB

Maria Biddle Science Teacher, WHS

Maralyn Brois Reading Teacher, WHS

Roberto Dominguez Guidance Counselor, WHS

Mandel Holland Social Studies Teacher, WHS

Melissa Iamonico School Librarian, RJB

Amber Muller Math Teacher, WHS

Jane Neubardt Special Education Teacher, HV

Jason Parker Physical Education Teacher, WHS

Danielle Zottola Special Education Teacher, ECP

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In an effort to promote respect for our past, cul-tural diversity and global awareness, studentsvisited the Ferncliff Cemetery where they visit-ed the gravesites of Malcolm X and his wife,Betty Shabazz, along with other notables;toured the United Nations and participated ina “Unity Breakfast” with our neighboringschool, Solomon Schechter. A group of stu-dents and staff traveled to Washington, D.C.,for an overnight visit to tour historical land-marks, including a guided tour of the NationalBlacks in Wax museum in Baltimore. Thegroup visited the Smithsonian Museum,national monuments and toured the UnitedStates Capitol. They were given a guided tourof the building and were met on the front stepsof the Capitol by the Honorable Nita Lowey,our Congresswoman. Presented with a letter ofrequest at that time, Congresswoman Loweylater addressed the Woodlands High Schoolfamily at its 2013 Graduation Ceremony atthe Westchester County Center.Last, but certainly not least, in January, our stu-dents achieved an unprecedented 100% passrate on the English Regents exam amongst ourregular education students.WAY TO GO WOODLANDS!

Will Washington

Woodlands Middle SchoolThis has been a great year atWoodlands Middle School.We are excited to welcomethe National Junior HonorSociety, which is a first here.Just as its sister organization,the National Honor Society,

acknowledges high-achieving students in thehigh school, the NJHS recognizes students atthe middle school level. To be considered formembership, a student must have a highscholastic average for three consecutive mark-ing periods or have made the honor roll fiveout of the past seven marking periods. Studentswho are selected to the NJHS must have agrade point of average of 85 and above anddemonstrate service and leadership qualities.This year, 52 students in grades 7 and 8 wereinducted into the organization. This is an elite

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From the Desks of the Principals

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group, and these students demonstrate excel-lence in five areas: Character, Scholarship,Leadership, Service and Citizenship. As is cus-tomary, an induction ceremony was held withfive candles lit, each representing a differentcharacteristic.

Another highlight of the year was the 8th gradetrip to Boston, with 76 students traveling to thecity that was key in the American Revolution.Boston has many historic sites along its FreedomTrail, and the students were able to see many ofthem including the site of the Boston Tea Partyand the Burial Grounds. Learning about Boston’scultural heritage by visiting the city made historycome alive for these students.

We also have had several assemblies thatfocused on different topics such as Women’sHistory Month in March when we studied theworks of writers such as Toni Morrison and ZoraNeale Hurston, with students doing readingsduring the assembly. The District ScienceExtravaganza also was a big hit; our studentswere proud and happy to display their research.One of the winners did a project that related toeffective toothpaste, making this event fun anduseful, too!

In April, we had a great turnout for the parentconferences. It is important that parents partici-pate in their children’s education, and I thankparents for being so involved. The school alsohad a Multicultural Celebration in May that cele-brated cultures through food, music and interna-tional games. Everyone enjoyed it.

Of course, I want to mention our assessmentresults. Almost 80% of our students passed theNYS Science 8 Assessment, and 100% of ourHonors students passed the Algebra and EarthScience Regents. We are proud of our studentsand applaud their hard work!

Brodrick Spencer

Richard J. Bailey SchoolBailey is meeting the needs ofour “digital native” students innew ways. For those unfamil-iar with the term, it refers tostudents who are born in theage of technology and fluentwith it practically since birth.Educational research tells us

this generation may have shorter attention spans,

but they are great at multi-tasking and workingwith visual media.Among the many ways we meet their needsare through the greater use of data, experien-tial learning and incorporation of the CommonCore Learning Standards.The greater use of data helps us meet thelearning needs of every child. All GC7schools are being trained in the principles ofProfessional Learning Communities (PLC) whereinformation is used to design programs to meetthe individual learning needs of each child.Teachers meet in grade-level teams to analyzestudent progress and implement strategies toencourage growth. The collaborations amongteachers inform instruction.Experiential learning is also very important inall our lives. As GC7 explores the communityand history around us, students will enjoy theactive learning that “Place-Based Education”brings to the curriculum. Projects will be con-structed throughout Bailey where students willresearch and present interesting and relevanttopics. In this photo, Mrs. Mendoza's sixthgrade class is exploring math using floor tilesin the hallway. In another example, theGreenburgh Nature Center has been awardeda grant to work with Bailey to study environ-mental issues on our campus, including thewater in Reilly Pond and the surroundinganimal habitat.

Mrs. Mendoza's students utilize tiles in hallwayfor hands-on, Place-Based lesson on math.

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From the Desks of the Principals

The Common Core Learning Standards areincreasing the rigor in all content areas atBailey. When aligned with the InternationalBaccalaureate Programme, they will producea learning environment that engages studentsin more complicated thinking and problem-solving activities.The Bailey teachers, administration and staff aredelighted with the innovative educational oppor-tunities the GC7 School Board, Mr. Ross andDr. Chase have made available to our school.

Marguerite Clarkson

Highview SchoolWe have had an excitingspring with a big emphasis onscience. In early May, we hada special visit from Millenia, alife-size robot that was createdby Dr. Robert Doornick of PaceUniversity’s STEM program. Heuses robotics to encourage stu-

dents to get into science, and Millenia certain-ly had the attention of our Highview studentsduring the schoolwide assembly. Studentshelped Dr. Doornick put Millenia together andthen saw how he controlled her from theback of the auditorium using a palm-sizeremote-control device. A parent in our school,

Dr. Pauline Mosely, initiated the visit. A professorat Pace, Dr. Mosely thought that the robot wouldbe a great way to get our students motivatedabout science, even though they are younger.Typically, Millenia visits students in grades 6-12,so we thank Pace University for making heravailable to our school. Dr. Doornick’s messageto the students was to “Follow your dreams,” ashe did. (As a child, he dreamed of building arobot.) The professor encouraged students tothink about what they might create.

We also participated in the District’s ScienceExtravaganza with STARLAB, our portable plane-tarium. The inflatable dome can hold a class ofup to 25 people and is a fun way to teach stu-dents science, particularly astronomy. It wasgreat to share it with visitors to the Extravaganza,especially since second-grade teacher PattyRoloff conducted lessons inside the STARLAB dur-ing that evening. Second-grade teacher Valerie

Galdau and her students were also on handconducting lessons with magnets.Our Summer Reading Kickoff was held on June10, and, with Clifford the Big Red Dog andSuperintendent of Schools Ronald Ross in atten-dance, the assembly was a hit. I want to stresshow important it is for students to keep read-ing! Research has shown that students’ readingskills decline over the summer, so reading iscritical to avoid the “summer slide.” During thekickoff, we held a book swap so studentscould exchange new or slightly used books.They also picked up their summer readingpacket that included five brand new books,and also a letter from Superintendent Rossencouraging them to read. There was a lot ofpositive energy during the kickoff, and I hopeparents will help students keep reading throughJuly and August. We’ll see you in September!

Gary Mastrangelo

Lee F. Jackson SchoolThere’s so much happening atLee F. Jackson that it’s hard toknow where to begin. Tostart, you will notice whenyou arrive that our first-gradershave completed the sculpturesthat grace the lobby’s new

wall niches. Working with artist-in-residenceTova Synder, a Yale graduate who has pre-sented international art installations, the stu-dents worked on the IB Theme “How WeExpress Ourselves” with the central idea ofhow people can show their feelings and

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Nettie Jackson, Gwen Cort and Rita Jones are honored with a garden plaque in front of LFJ Schoolfor their help as mentors.

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Millenia the robot impressed students.

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From the Desks of the Principals

thoughts about poetry using other art forms.Reading is always important, and at this gradelevel, it is critical. This is where the foundationis set, so literacy is a focus all year long, andin spring we really try to celebrate the students’achievements. Our Reading Festival was heldin April, and reflected great community involve-ment and support. We had phenomenal edu-cational leaders reading to the children thatday, including administrators and representa-tives of the police and fire departments. Duringthe Summer Reading Kickoff in June, we heldan assembly that included a book swap, andthe students were very excited about that.Every child received a book baggy that includ-ed five books. We would like to thank andacknowledge Dr. Tahira DuPree Chase forspearheading and bringing this initiative to us.The assembly was especially fun because ithad a musical component organized byChristine Lutz, music teacher. Since most chil-dren are familiar with the pop song by BlackEyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling (it’s gonna be agood night),” it provided a great tune for thenew lyrics we used: “It’s gonna be a greatbook!” There was plenty of energy for this!I also want to thank the community for comingout to support the budget. We made the day alittle fun for our students by involving them intheir own vote. As their parents voted on thebudget, our students voted on their favorite:Pajama Day or Crazy Hat Day. It was a lessonthat taught them about the concept of ballotsand voting, and by the way, Pajama Day wasoverwhelming the favorite.It is also important to thank our mentors. Forthose who may not remember, the beautifulgarden in front of our school was planted in2005 by three mentors and their LFJ mentees,as part of the Greenburgh Mentoring Program.Nettie Jackson, Gwen Cort, Rita Jones andmany students all worked on the garden that isnow thriving, and, in May, we honored themwith a plaque that you will see there. We thinkit is a wonderful way to say thank you. Onthat note, I want to remind everyone to keepreading and enjoy summer.

Patricia Simone

Early Childhood ProgramWhat a great year we havehad! Throughout the year, wehave been reinforcing all ourconcepts, such as numberrecognition, alphabets andobjects, which come in differ-ent sizes, shapes and colors.

And it’s been a wonderful spring with lots ofopportunities for Place-Based Education here onthe Warburg campus, especially at WoodlandsHigh School. Collaborating with High SchoolPrincipal Will Washington has been a greatexperience, and together, we have come upwith some great initiatives that the children havereally enjoyed, including building awareness ofother cultures and languages such as Mandarinand Arabic. In one project, the ECP studentsreceived passports that (while not authentic)were certainly impressive. In each passport, thestudent’s name was printed in English along withtheir graduating year: the Class of 2027 (Canyou believe it!). What made it really specialwas that their name was also written in Arabic.Shehnaz Hirji teaches Arabic, and it was inter-esting for the students to see that Arabic, likeMandarin, is unlike English in many ways,including how it is read from right to left. Theyalso worked with globes to locate places wherethese languages are spoken, and did researchon computers. It is an important cultural lesson,

With a visit from Clifford, the Big Red Dog, ECP kicked off its summer reading program.

and the students enjoyed it and are proud oftheir passports.The students spent time visiting the high schoolgreenhouse, where they brought the seedlingsthat they have been growing in biodegradablepots in the classrooms. With help from thehigh school students, the children learned howplants need water, soil and sun, as part of ourGrowing and Changing Unit. The biology labat the high school offered more science learn-ing as students saw all the aquatic life there.From snakes and lizards to exotic crabs, livecoral and bearded dragons, it was an excitingfield trip for them.Warm Weather Fun is our last thematic unit ofstudy, and students learned that in order togrow big, healthy and strong, they need to beactive and eat the right foods. Finally, sincesummer is here, I want to remind students toread! Clifford the Big Red Dog visited us tokick off the Summer Reading Program, and wehave a suggested book list in the office.Please stop by and get one, if you don’t haveit. Let me remind you of my favorite quote byauthor Alice Hoffman, “Books may well be theonly true magic.” So have a magical summer!

Dawn Male

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Scholarship winner Acacia Hines with AthleticDirector Matt Smith

A Word from theFalcons NestAnother successful Greenburgh Taste Off setthe stage for a successful 2013 AthleticAwards Night, with the Falcons Nest BoosterClub (FNBC) being in great financial shapefor the 2013/2014 school year. We wereable to set aside $2,116.17 as the start ofour capital campaign with a goal of raising$275,000 for the Athletic Department. Wewill be getting the word out about the CapitalCampaign during the beginning of the2013/2014 school year. As you may beaware, in addition to the Greenburgh TasteOff being the most successful community eventin the Town of Greenburgh, all of the moneyraised - $8,000 this year - doesn’t just go tothe FNBC: $1,600 went to the Middle &High School PTSAs, $1,600 went towardsscholarships, and $800 went to the FoodBank for Westchester.

We hope you were one of the hundreds ofathletes, parents and community members onhand for the Woodlands Middle/High annualAthletic Awards Night on June 5. This is thefifth year in a row that the Falcons NestBooster Club has been a co-sponsor of thisevent. Booster Club members transformedthe gym into a glittering banquet hall, seniorstudent-athletes were treated to dinner, andthe presentation included numerous scholar-ships and awards. Thanks to the successof the Greenburgh Taste Off, $1,600 inscholarships were awarded by the FNBC.

The Female Senior Varsity Student-Athlete ofthe Year, who received a $500 scholarship,was Acacia Hines (in photo with Mr. Smith)who will be attending North Carolina A&T;the 1st Runner Up ($200) was Jane Hwangwho will be attending the University ofConnecticut; and the 2nd Runner Up ($100)Tiffany Christian who will be attending theMacaulay Honors Program at City College.The Male Senior Varsity Student-Athlete of the

Year, who received a $500 scholarship, wasJohan Hoeger who will be attending HarveyMudd College; the 1st Runner Up ($200)was William Kraemer who will be attendingthe University of Connecticut; and the 2ndRunner Up ($100) was Joseph D'Angelowho will be attending the University ofAlbany. The Booster Club takes scholarshipseriously. Scholarship recipients playedmultiple sports for multiple years and hada GPA of 85 or more. In addition to scholar-ships, the FNBC gave each middle and highschool student-athlete with a GPA of 85 orabove for the first three (3) quarters of thisschool year a Scholar-Athlete T-Shirt so theycould proclaim their achievement and allof us can take pride in their athletic andacademic success.The success of the FNBC is only possiblewith your support and we thank you!

2012-13 DonationsThe District appreciates all the donations received from the community. Theybenefit our students in many ways. Here, we thank the following individuals,groups and organizations for all they have shared with us.

Target, as part of its “2012 Take Charge of Education Program” donated $41.46 for use byLee F. Jackson School, $60.54 and a $25 gift card for use by Highview School, and $221.40for use by Woodlands Middle School.

Simon & Schuster, Inc. donated 500 books for use by Lee F. Jackson School.

The Greenburgh Central 7 Educational Foundation donated $3,337.20 to fund specified projects.

Robert Martin donated a 55 gallon fish tank with filters and pump for use by the WoodlandsHigh School Marine Biology program.

IBM donated office furniture and supplies for use by the District.

Staples donated school supplies valued at $200 for use by R.J. Bailey School.

David Cintron donated an electronic piano for use by the R.J. Bailey School music program.

Southern Westchester Elks Club donated 125 new dictionaries for use by the R.J. Bailey School4th grade classes.

Elaine Dillon donated 5,000 Marvel comic books for use by R.J Bailey and WoodlandsMiddle/High schools.

Joe & Elizabeth Kronk donated 250 soft and hard cover fiction and non-fiction books for useby Highview School.

Lloyd Newland donated office supplies and books of various topics for use by the District.

BASF of White Plains donated 50 lab coats and 100 safety goggles for use in the 2013Science Extravaganza.

Nettie Jackson donated $500 for use by the Lee F. Jackson School for durable supplies – furniture.

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And now, I want to thank our student-athletesfor working so hard.Congratulations to all our sports teams for aseason well done, with a special congratula-tions to the football team, girls bowling team,soccer team and volleyball team on theirleague championships.This is the first time in the history of the schoolthat our football team has become the SectionI Class C undefeated Champions! It was noteasy, but this was a special group of studentswho worked hard on the field and off. The

Sports Roundup By Athletic Director Matt SmithThe first thing I would like to do is thank the Booster Club for all they do. Thisis a very special group of volunteers who give a lot of hours for their kids andeveryone else’s kids. They are always there to help in a tireless effort assistingthe athletic department. My only wish is that more parents would get involvedwith this great organization. Remember, their main focus is the kids!

academic expectations were high, and thesestudents met all the challenges. They workedclosely with Destination College (see story thispage) to keep the grades up, and I think thattime together spent with tutors helped them gelas a team on the field. I want to thankDestination College volunteers, too, for allthey do. It is a great program.

The girls bowling team was also a first. Thegirls won the Section I League Championship,another first for Woodlands. The team wasalso awarded a scholar-athlete award with a

GPA of over 96 as a team!I want to mention a couple of students forother highlights:

• Elijah Simmons, in his first timeparticipating, made the State bowlingtournament. It was the first time weever sent a student to the tournament,so this was super.

• Crystal Hopkins finished third in theState shot put.

• The 400-meter relay team finishedthird in the State Track and FieldChampionship. The team includedJonathan Albert, William Kramer,Lamar Martin and Tyrone Barber.

You can see, it was a great year for us, andwe look ahead to many more just like it!Enjoy the summer and keep in shape for fall!

Athletes Stay on Course with Destination CollegeWoodlands football players get a little extra support with the help of Destination College, an extracurriculartutoring program offered to them. Volunteer tutors come in on a weekly basis to work with students in grades 9-12on study skills, writing, vocabulary building, and even the college application process. An SAT Prep course isavailable for juniors.

The program is in its second year at Woodlands. The 12th graders often speak to younger students, impressing the athletes with the importanceof starting early to focus on their academics. Da’shan Downey, a senior, thinks the program has been great. “The tutors help us to be betterstudents,” he said.

Football Coach Mike Meade introduced the program to Woodlands last year, and is happy about how well it is going. “We want our studentsto realize how important academics are, as early as possible. They need to know that their GPA starts in 9th grade and it carries weight.This program encourages them and keeps them directed.”

The program’s mission is to take the drive, dedication andambition exhibited by high school athletes and channel thesequalities into the academic realm. Through the ReadingProgram, SAT Prep courses and assistance with the collegeapplication process, the objective is to ensure that all of ourstudents get accepted into a college of their choice.

Volunteers work each week with their students and try toprovide the support and encouragement they would fortheir own children. Many of them have gone through thecollege process with their family members and know howdaunting it can be. In Woodlands, the program is runby Vera Kiernan and Tracy McVey.

The recent growth of the program into the SAT and collegearea is the brainchild of Nancy McKenna, who is Chairof the organization’s board and organizes the SAT courses.Destination College is a 501(c) (3) non profit organization entirely runby 50 volunteers from communities in the county.

Students worked hard on and off the court. Here, Destination College volunteershelped athletes with academics.

Spotlight Commitment to Excellence A newsletter for residents of the Greenburgh Central 7 School District

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Did You Know?�

She is aW-I-N-N-E-R!MiddleSchool stu-dent ChanyaHolnessmade it tothe semi-finalroundof the ScrippsNationalSpellingBee. Shewas one ofthe final 50students outof 281 inthe high-stakes competition that was held inWashington, D.C. in May.

First Place at NFTE. At the Annual NationalFederation Teaching Entrepreneurship BusinessPlan Competition this year, Nicole Moncada andMelanie Weiner from Woodlands High Schoolwon first place for their business plan presenta-tion of Chameleon Covers. Chameleon Coversmanufactures custom covers for crutches, canesand wheelchairs. Their target market is the youthmarket as Chameleon Covers strives to improvethe assistive device experience for temporarily orpermanently disabled children. “The NFTEBusiness Plan competition is a great opportunityfor students to display their efforts and talents,”said teacher and club advisor Elizabeth Egan.“It is rewarding for the students to be recognizedand a great learning experience to be able tointeract with successful and talented profession-als.” Nicole Moncado,11th grader, thought itwas a great experience. “I never thought I’d

walk out as the 1st place winner with my partnerMelanie Weiner,” she said. “This was a memo-rable experience and I'll never forget the smileon Mrs. Egan's face and the tears streaming downmy mother's cheeks.” Nicole and Melanie willmove on to the National Business PlanCompetition, which will be held in October at theMarriott Hotel in Times Square.Woodlands Students Awarded Gold, Silver andBronze Medals at NAACP ACT-SO CompetitionWoodlands High School students took home thegold, silver and bronze medals, among others, at

the 2013 ACT-SO Regional Competitionthis spring. The gold medal winners willparticipate in the national contest thissummer. Here’s the list:• Jonathan Albert - Honorable

Mention for Poetry• Caturah Brown - Gold for Oratory

and Bronze for Dramatics• Ashley Cosby- Honorable Mention for

Contemporary Vocal• Stephen Doyle III - Silver for Oratory• Awa Nyambi - Silver for Music

Instrumental/Classical and Silver forMusic Instrumental/Contemporary

• Siliane Pierette - Bronze forContemporary Vocal

• Heather Valentin - Silver for Biology• Akibo Watson - Bronze for Biology

The NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural,

Technological and Scientific Olympics,a year-long achievement program, is designed torecruit, stimulate, and encourage high academicand cultural achievement among African-American high school students. ACT-SO includes26 categories of competition in the sciences,humanities, business, and performing and visualarts. More than 260,000 young people haveparticipated from the program since its inception.Athletic Director Matt Smith and TeacherWilma Houston Honored. The NationalAssociation for the Advancement of ColoredPeople (NAACP) White Plains/GreenburghChapter held its local image awards honoringoutstanding community leaders, including someof Greenburgh Central School District 7 faculty.

• Wilma Houston won BestTeacher/Counselor. Other honorees inthis category included: Tenee JohnsonBowman and Gregory Thorpe.

• Matt Smith won Best Youth OrganizationalLeader. The other honoree in this categorywas Joslyn Perkins.

• R.J. Bailey and Woodlands Middle Schoolwere recognized in the Best Schoolcategory.

The NAACP promotes and ensures political,educational, social, and economic equality.Since 1909, the NAACP has served minorities.The White Plains Chapter has been in operationfor the past 75 years.

Chayna Holness

NFTE winners Nicole Moncada andMelanie Weiner

Rotary Winner. Rudgerry Robert was the firstplace winner in Rotary International District7230's 4 Way Test Speech Contest, open tohigh school students who are sponsored by aRotary Club within the District. He was spon-sored by the Hartsdale Rotary Club that is partof District 7230.

Wilma Houston and Matt Smith

Rudgerry Robert with Assistant Principal FrankGluberman and Rotary's Diana Juettner

Continued on page 11

Commitment to Excellence A newsletter for residents of the Greenburgh Central 7 School District

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SpotlightTimely Tips from the NursesSummer is here, and with that comes lots of fun in the sun andat the beach or pool. But it is also time for extra caution,because both sun and water carry dangers.

Rosemary Kamholz, the District’s Nurse Coordinator, offerssome tips for keeping healthy and safe during the summer, forboth parents and children. In light of the new FDA guidelineson sunscreen, she advises that we begin to adhere to the newrecommendations now, even if they don’t go into effect untilnext year. Here’s a synopsis:

• The first thing to remember is that the sun is strongestbetween 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so limit exposure duringthose hours.

• Wear clothing that protects, such as hats and sunglasses.

• When in the sun, use sunscreen that offers “broadspectrum” protection. These words should appear onthe packaging. Both UVA and UVB rays cause cancer, so it is wise toprotect against both, which is what broad spectrum indicates.

• Make sure you use enough sunscreen, apply 30 minutes before heading out into the sunand then reapply frequently, and after getting out of the water.

• When buying sunscreen, be aware that the SPF (sun protection factor) should be atleast 15 to prevent cancer and premature skin aging. Whether an SPF of over50 gives more protection is still under review.

• Use care with sunscreen sprays. They are easy to inhale.

Here are some water safety tips from the American Red Cross:

• Learn to swim.

• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.

• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.

• Ensure that everyone in the family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Crosswater orientation and Learn-to-Swim courses.

• Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to anotherchild; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.

• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.

• Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail. For example, set limits basedon each person’s ability, do not let anyone play around drains and suction fittings, anddo not allow swimmers to have breath-holding contests.

• Even if you do not plan on swimming, be cautious around natural bodies of waterincluding ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes. Cold temperatures, currents and underwaterhazards can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.

• If you go boating, wear a life jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.

I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe summer!

Kudos to our Budding Scientists. The District’sfirst “Science Extravaganza” was a tremen-dous success that featured science exhibitsfrom students grades Pre-Kindergarten to12. Held in conjunction with the PTA Council,the extravaganza was free and open to thepublic. Special appearances included Mr.Bubbles, Bash the Trash musicians, a Birdsof Prey show, and many hands-on scienceexperiments.

Exhibition Showcases Student Art. TheAnnual Student Art Show has become aGreenburgh tradition. In addition to the beauti-ful artwork created under the tutelage ofGreenburgh CSD7’s wonderful art teachers,Dawn Weiss, Claire Cronin, Andrea Walters,Teresa Berasi, Mary Frances Perkins andConstantine Andreadis, there was work exhib-ited from ECP, a poetry jam featuring originalpoetry by students in our schools and musicalselections from the swinging Bailey Jazz Bandunder the direction of Doug Denniston. Whata night! Congrats to all involved.Above, art by rising senior Eula Baek.

Continued from page 10

Did You Know?...

Rosemary Kamholz, our NurseCoordinator

12

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDWhite Plains, NYPermit No. 3111

SpotlightGreenburgh Central 7 School Dstrict475 West Hartsdale AvenueHartsdale, N.Y. 10530(914) 761-6000

Board of EducationLloyd Newland, PresidentDavid Warner, Vice PresidentEric BittermanSonja M. BrownDeborah CampbellClaudia GlasserTerry WilliamsSuperintendent of SchoolsRonald O. Ross

Last, but never least, we are excited about the waywe ended the year with many letters from parents,community and staff members who told us that theyare happy with the positive direction the District ismoving. We are going to channel that excitementand use it as we move forward to bring the newbuilding referendum before the residents. This is aviable plan, and we are going to share it with thecommunity in the fall.Until then, I hope you enjoy the summer and timespent with your children. Time with family is aprecious element of their development.Sincerely,

Ronald O. RossSuperintendent of Schools

Continued from page 1

Dear Parents and Community Members:

2013 ScholarshipsAd Altiora Achievement Award – $12,000AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts – $3,000AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts – $32,000 (4 yrs)Brockport College – $16,000Buffalo State University – $11,000 (4 yrs)Canisius College – $44,000City College of NY – $5,000/yearCollege of New York – $12,000/yearCollege of Saint Rose – $36,000College of Saint Rose – $52,000 (4 yrs)Columbia University – $88,000Columbia University School of Engineering & Applied Science – Full TuitionDelaware Valley College – $64,000Dominican College – $32,000 (4 yrs)Fredonia Student Affair's Freshman Award – $2,000Hartwick College – $34,000Hofstra University – $28,000Hofstra University – $100,000Hofstra University – $88,000 (4 yrs)Howard University – $120,000 (4 yrs)Iona College – $64,000Iona College – $7,000/yearLIU - CW Post – $60,000Loyola University Maryland - $20,000/year (2 awarded)Maine University Distinguished Student Scholarship Award – $32,000Manhattanville College Presidential Scholarship – $68,000 ($17,000/year)Marymount Manhattan College of the Liberal Arts – $8,000/yearMercy College – $14,000/yearMount Ida College – $48,000 (4 yrs)Mount Ida College President's Merit Scholarship – $30,000Mount St. Vincent – $17,000New Haven – $44,000New Haven – $48,000North Carolina A & T State University – $35,000/year

NYU Poly – $20,000Oswego State University – $4,868/semesterPace University – $62,000Pace University – $72,000Pace University – $74,000 ($18,500/year)Philadephia – $30,000Plattsburgh State University – $44,000Plattsburgh State University – $10,000Pre-Med Studies Philadephia – $48,000Quinnipiac University – $77,000Rutgers-Camden Delaware River Scholarship – $32,000Samuel Nelson Scholarship – $20,000Sophie Davis Medical School – full 7- year scholarshipSt. Francis College – $48,000St. John's University Academic Promise Award – $10,000/year (2 awarded)St. John's University – $15,000/yearSt. John's University – $21,000St. Johns’ University – $48,000St. John's University – $60,000St. Thomas Aquinas College – $52,000SUNY Oswego – $18,000SUNY Cobleskill – $44,000SUNY New Paltz – $40,000SUNY Oneonta – $68,000SUNY Oswego – $17,000/yearSUNY Plattsburgh Academic Merit Award – $12,000SUNY Plattsburgh – $10,000 (4 yrs)School of Visual Arts – $30,000University of Connecticut – $3,500University of Connecticut – $60,000University of Hartford – $25,200University of Hartford – $49,000University of Hartford – $7,300/yearUniversity of Massachusetts – $5,000/yearUniversity of Vermont – $16,401/yearXavier University of Louisiana – $8,000