SpackenkillUnion Free School District

Dear Spackenkill Community,

There have been several articles written recently about emergency drills and the anxiety that they may cause some children and teens. Our principals, support staff, and teachers do their best to communicate sensitively about the drills in the hope of allaying the worry that they may cause some students.

This morning a student‘s backpack inadvertently tripped an alarm. Our students evacuated the school, as they have been trained to do. Afterward, I spoke to one student about this incident and learned that some students were a bit worried when it happened. As a former high school principal, I was grateful when accidental alarms went off because it demonstrated the effectiveness of our drills. Here is my request: Families, please talk with your son or daughter about drills and evacuations and reassure them that 99.9% are only a drill.

Reminder: The vote to provide permission to sell Martha Lawrence will be held next week on Tuesday, September 24th. Voting is from 7 AM to 9 PM at the high school. Please vote. As usual, parking is in front of the auditorium.

The Board of Education meeting is also this Tuesday at 7:30 PM at the high school library, located on the second floor. Mr. Erik Lynch’s appointment as the new Nassau Elementary School principal is on the agenda. Mr. Lynch has indicated that he plans to attend the meeting. This is an open meeting and all are welcome to attend. 

My best,

Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Vote on Sale of Martha Lawrence

September 24th, 7 am to 9 pm, Spackenkill High School Auditorium Lobby

Students Share Their Talents

Students Share Their Talents

To learn more, visit www.thinkdifferently.net

Alum's Ceramics on Display

At the Spackenkill High School open house, community members might have noticed the display case in the 400 wing filled with pottery. It was created by 2014 Spackenkill Graduate Isabella Condorelli. After attending Dutchess Community College, Isabella is finally fulfilling her dream of attending Alfred University. “Isabella was one of the best ceramic students I have ever had,” said teacher Janet Stong. “She is a hard worker and loves being an artist.” If you are interested in purchasing any of the pieces in the case, please send an email to: [email protected].

Flu Clinic Planned

Todd Offers Fresh Fruits & Veggies

Teacher Establishes Tech Book Club

Hagan’s Jen Darcy will be facilitating a book club centered around the book Learning First, Technology Second, by Liz Kolb.  She learned of this book at the two-day "Tech It Up a Notch" conference at Dutchess County BOCES. 

Learning First, Technology Second is meant to provide teachers with the professional learning they need to move from arbitrary uses of technology in their classrooms to thoughtful ways of adding value to student learning.  The likelihood that technology will effectively be used to improve achievement is greater when digital tools are helping students meet the instructional goals of the lesson. This initiative is consistent with the district's belief that in-house professional development helps facilitate a learning community among teachers.

“Our schools use digital resources in a variety of ways to support teaching and learning,” said Dr. Lori Mulford, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Pupil Personnel. “Electronic grade books, digital portfolios, learning games, and real-time feedback on teacher and student performance are a few ways that technology is being utilized to power learning.”
 

Take the Scenic Route

Spackenkill teachers Karin McGuire (Todd) and Geraldine LaGasse (Hagan) completed an impressive 95-mile relay race on August 24th, along with fellow team members Mia Chong, Phil DiNonno, Cortney Resto, and PJ Darcy (husband of Hagan Teacher Jen Darcy). The inaugural RiMaConn Relay began in Rhode Island, went through Massachusetts, and finished in Hartford, Connecticut.  It took place primarily on New England’s version of our Rail Trail, known as The East Coast Greenway.  

The leadoff leg started at 4:45 am on Saturday and the team finished about 7:30 that evening.  Waves of runners were staggered about 45 minutes apart to reduce congestion.  Each runner completed three of the 18 legs. Each leg varied in length and terrain, and each runner completed a total of at least 13 miles by the end of the day. 

“The finish line was a great experience as well,” said Mrs. LaGasse. “The last runner crossed over the Connecticut River in Hartford via the Founders Bridge Promenade to Mortensen River Plaza,  where other members were able to join him and ‘break the tape’ at the finish line together. Even after 15 hours in a minivan on three hours of sleep. driving through dozens of small, unknown towns in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and running some challenging courses, we still had a great time and are already planning for next year!”

For more information, visit this link:  https://rimaconn.hartfordmarathon.com/index.html
 

Captivating the Crowd