What's Right with Spackenkill!
November 8, 2019
Dear Spackenkill Community,
I have quite a few comments today, but I’d like to begin by thanking all our veterans and families for the sacrifices they make and their service. Of course, school is closed on Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.
I also want to thank our schools for acknowledging the great sacrifices that veterans make and the freedoms we may take for granted.
Today is the day we will hear about the Governor signing our amnesty bill. I am anticipating I will hear by the end of the day. I am asking Mary Forsell, our public information officer, to send out a notification to let you know the status of the bill.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter as much as I did. I appreciated every article I read. Three stand out: It’s especially hard for me to figure out how a high school chemistry team can beat college teams. We’re so proud of the students, the science department, and their teachers, especially Mr. Latino.
Another story that pops out in the newsletter is the new mural at Hagan. I just love that it’s a contribution of our students, under the direction of Mrs. Ciccone and, of course, our muralist, Joe Pimentel. Small world: He was a high school student when I was a principal at John Jay and reminded me when I saw him that I rejected his mural request. However, he did agree with me, in retrospect, that I made the right decision.
I also want to give a shout-out to physical education teacher Carrie Spiegel on receiving her award. If you’ve ever seen a physical education class led by Ms. Spiegel, I’m sure you’ll agree: Is there anyone who has more energy in a gymnasium with her students? So congratulations, Ms. Spiegel, on this honor. It’s something we take pride in, and I know the physical education department does as well.
Break a leg, Spack Onstage! I’m seeing “Little Shop of Horrors” tonight. Please come out and support our young thespians this weekend.
My best,
Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Carrie Spiegel Named 2019 PE Teacher of the Year
Nassau teacher Carrie Spiegel has been named Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Southeastern Zone of New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD). She was presented with the award at Tuesday's Annual Southeastern Zone Election Day Conference in Westchester. Along with all the things Ms. Spiegel does for Nassau and our physical education department, she is a very active member of the NYS APHERD. We are very proud!
Learn more: https://www.nysahperd.org/content/leadership/executive-council/southeastern-zone-pages/southeastern-zone-awards.cfm
Above, Carrie Spiegel with Margaret Robelee, SEZ NYS AHPERD President.
'Little Shop of Horrors' Is This Weekend!
This weekend--November 8th, 9th, and 10th--Spack Onstage presents their fall musical, Little Shop of Horrors. A horror-comedy, this iconic show tells the story of Seymour, a meek floral assistant manipulated by a people-eating plant. Come enjoy the infectious music--combining rock, Motown, and Broadway--and see if Seymour gets the girl before the fast-talking plant gets everyone else!
Click here to get your tickets now!
Visit spack onstage.com to learn more
You won’t want to miss the talented cast in Spackenkill High School’s production of Little Shop of Horrors! Above left to right: Macy Hammond (Audrey), Cody Usher (Mr. Mushnik), and Johnny Mulcahy (Seymour).
Students Score Chemistry Victory
On Tuesday, October 29 four Spackenkill seniors competed and placed first in the Vassar College Chemistry Bowl. The competition involved seven other teams from Vassar College, Marist College, and SUNY New Paltz. Representing Spackenkill were Luke Hannan, Emilio Herrera, Qihang Yao, and Erik Adolfsson
Congratulations on this stunning victory to both the team an to teacher/mentor John Latino.
Above, left to right: Qihang Yao, Luke Hannan, Erik Adolfsson, and Emilio Herrera.
On Friday, November 8th, Todd Middle School presented a Veterans Day Assembly
in the gymnasium, This assembly was attended by the Todd student
body to honor the men and women who have served our country. Principal Dan Doherty reminded students to thank veterans in the community. Student Government President Ella Hanaburgh and Vice President Melaney Ragoo both shared their thoughts on the importance of recognizing veterans' sacrifices.
Featured speaker Marine Sergeant Tyler Mendelson of Vet2Vet spoke about how the tragedy and shock of 911 motivated him to enlist in the military. Though he was only nine years old at the time, he recognized how Americans were negatively impacted and wanted to do something to help his country. He encouraged everyone to not take the service of veterans and our freedoms for granted.
After the assembly, there was a breakfast reception for the veterans in the dining hall hosted by Student Government..
All enjoyed patriotic music by the Todd Middle School Seventh and Eighth Grade Orchestra, conducted by Mrs. Franca.
Throughout the day, veterans Jack Burghardt, Tyler Mendelson, and Jim Thomas spoke on a panel in the library. They represent Army, Marines, and Navy, respectively.
Above, top photo: Student Government Adviser Albert Scanlon with SGO Vice President Melaney Ragoo, SGO President Ella Hanaburgh, and Principal Dan Doherty. Above, bottom photo: Veterans stand for patriotic music.
Hagan Students Send Messages to Service People
On October 31st, Hagan students gathered in the cafeteria to watch a video about the sacrifices that members of the military make for their country. Afterward, they wrote letters or decorated cards for veterans thanking them for their service. The exercise served two purposes: Military personnel will receive letters to brighten their days, while the students now have a fuller understanding of why November 11th is a holiday in honor of people who have made sacrifices for the good of all.
Above: Hagan students work on cards and letters to send to the military.
Author Mary Knight Engages Middle Schoolers
Mary Knight, the author of Saving Wonder, (the NEA Poughkeepsie Big Read, Little Read), visited Todd Middle School on October 29th. She presented to reading and writing classes in the library throughout the day. “What is worth fighting for?” was one of the major themes of her presentation, not just as it relates to the characters in her book but also in the everyday world.
Students also discussed “The Power of One,” that is, the ability of one person to make a difference through both words and actions. It was also interesting for the students to learn about how Ms. Knight goes about writing a book. “First and foremost, a writer gets the readers to care and turn the page,” she said. The author also talked about the process of discovery in being a writer—that is, having plot twists come as unplanned surprises during the writing process. As students offered their impressions of the book, Ms. Knight commented that one of the joys of reading and writing is that readers bring their own ideas to a story and might notice something that even the writer did not. Students enjoyed a literary lunch with the author in which they discussed the ways that they read and study a novel. Thank you to Library Media Specialist Eileen Cunningham for suggesting Saving Wonder to the NEA committee and to the Poughkeepsie Library District for their support.
New Mural at Hagan Reflects Community Values
Muralist Joe Pimentel recently spent time with fifth graders creating a mural. The process began last year in Mrs. Ciccone’s art classroom when the students were in fourth grade. They created symbol drawings that represented their idea of "The Power of One.” Mr. Pimentel gathered the drawings and planned out a mural that expressed the students’ vision. Incorporated into the mural are words that represent what is important to the Hagan community, such as “belonging,” “empathy,” “responsibility,” “fairness,’ and “respect.” The hawk at the center of the mural represents Hagan as one community.
On Columbus Day when students were not in school, Mr. Pimentel came to Hagan and sketched the outlines of the artwork, then met with students upon their return to discuss how they were going to create it. He made a presentation about his life as an artist and emphasized the importance of not giving up on your dreams, as well as the value of teamwork, patience, and focus.. Working in small groups, all the fifth graders painted parts of the artwork last week, with the artist adding the final touches. Thank you to the Elementary PTA for sponsoring this event.
To see more examples of Mr. Pimentel’s work, visit his website joepimentelart.com
 
Hands-On Math
Second graders in Mrs Zanca and Mrs. Christolon’s class recently participated in math centers. Mrs. Christolon organized the centers to reinforce such skills as number comparison, expanded form, concentration, and understanding place value to the hundreds.
Students in the classes of Mrs. Zanca and Mrs. Christolon, Mrs. Boyce, and Mrs.Wilcox engineered pumpkin transporters for their October STEM activity. The challenge was to create a design using limited materials that would support a pumpkin when carried from one side of their classroom to the other. Each group worked with three feet of yarn, one foot of tape, four straws, and scissors.
The students had 10 minutes to plan their designs individually and 15 minutes to plan as a team. Teams were given 25 minutes to build the transporter. Two team representatives carried out the transporter experiment. It turned out that the most effective transporters used yarn as a carrying web or straws assembled together like a raft.
Reviving the Classic Coffeehouse
On Halloween, the high school library transformed into a creative coffeehouse. Students read their own poetry and stories and entertained the audience through song. Art & Literary Club co-advisors Mr. Calderone and Mr. Romani, Library Media Specialist Ms. Joy, and Teaching Assistant Karen Baker hosted and organized the event. Chorus teacher Holden Maiorana accompanied singers on piano.
Even though the idea of a coffeehouse might seem new, it’s actually an old Spackenkill tradition revived. “When I first started working in the district [1998} Pegasus, now called Art & Literary Club, hosted the coffeehouses, a combination of the students’ creative writing, art, and music in a small venue after school for primarily the student population,” says Mr. Romani. “The coffeehouse format allows students to plan or spontaneously get the courage to share their creative voice in a smaller more intimate space - in this case, our library. I decided that reviving the coffeehouses would be an excellent way to bring together the Spackenkill community through the lens of creativity.”
Mr. Romani donated hot chocolate and cotton candy to keep the audience happy. He has been archiving creative writing and art in special volumes in the library each year. “I feel that in bringing together all the faculty through a shared appreciation for creativity in all its forms, we acted as role models for our students, who obviously needed such an outlet. I could not have done the job by myself and I really appreciate the efforts and support of all involved.”
Students Get Insider's Tour of UN
On October 22nd, 22 11th grade students from the high school toured the United Nations building in New York City. Students had the opportunity to see such rooms as the General Assembly and Security Council as well as the inner workings of the complex. Following the tour students, enjoyed lunch at the Indian restaurant Zaika and got to experience tastes from that part of the world. This is a culmination of taking an interest in foreign affairs over the last two years through Model UN.
Teammates Head to Running Championship
Congratulations to Cross Country runners Sarah Chiarieri and Mya Hansen. They finished in the top 10 at the Section 9 Class C Championship at Bear Mountain State Park on November 6th Both Qualified for the NY State Cross Country Championship In Plattsburg on Saturday, November 16. Kudos to Coach Ed Kennedy.
The Spartan Girls team finished in 3rd place in the Class C division.
Above, left to right: Sarah Chiarieri and Mya Hansen.are moving on to the NYS Cross Country Championship.
Professional Development Throughout the District
On November 5th, staff throughout the district participated in professional development, departmental meetings, and other curriculum initiatives. Hagan staff was pleasantly surprised to be served a pancake breakfast by Principal Farrell and the food service department before attending a literacy teaching workshop!. Technology Integration Teacher Marcella Byrne presented to the Nassau Tech Fellows and later to clerical staff. The music teaching staff and physical education teachers attended professional conferences out of district. Art teachers from K through 12 worked at the high school in an Art Inquiry and Investigation workshop. Elementary Principal Weisel changed it up with a team-building activity that involved constructing a "tower" from spaghetti and marshmallows. The purpose of the activity was creative problem solving and making the most of limited resources and time. It was an effective and creative way of concluding the day.
15 Croft Road, Poughkeepsie, NY
(845) 463-7800
Mission: Inspired by a tradition of excellence and a spirit of continuous improvement, the Spackenkill School District will provide all of our students with the academic and social skills necessary to pursue their goals and become responsible citizens in an interdependent global community.
Vision: All Spackenkill graduates will be lifelong learners who are inspired to pursue their dreams and contribute to the global society.
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