What's Right with Spackenkill Oct 26, 2018

 

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Halloween Parade: RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY!

Architecture & Design Career Event

Poughkeepsie Performing Arts

Cheer Clinic

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What's Right with Spackenkill!

October 26, 2018

Blue Ribbon schools 

 

blue ribbon schools

Dear Spackenkill Community,

One of the school events that I greatly enjoy attending is “author talks.”  This year Hagan is involved in The Little Read, and the high school and middle school also participated in the Big Read through our school libraries. The Hagan book talk was impressive for many reasons. For one, gaining insight into the writing process was impressive. But surprisingly my biggest take-away had little to do with the topic. Let me share an observation that I passed on to the Hagan staff.

If I were asked what are some of the key indicators of student success in an elementary school I might suggest the following observations from the book talk:

  • When asked by the author how many of you (students) love reading, a room full of hands went up.
  • When asked by the author how many of you love writing, a room full of hands went up.
  • When asked if they had questions, students paused and raised their hands enthusiastically.

Teach children to love reading, writing, and be curious and socially responsible about their world and we have a recipe for future academic success. Hagan students keep it up. You are on the right path!

My best,

Mark Villanti

Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

 

Meet Principal John Farrell

In recognition of National Principals Month, we want to say thank you to all of our hard-working principals. Following is a Q&A with Hagan Principal John Farrell about his experiences in the district and aspirations for students.

John Farrell

You were a principal at Nassau for a year before you came to Hagan. What was the reason for the change?
It was during the time the district changed over to grade level schools. I came to Hagan in part  because I had intermediate elementary school experience in the Wappingers District at Kinry Road School, a 4-6 building, for five years. I had also been an assistant principal at Van Wyck Junior High for 3 years, a very large 6-8 middle school with over 1500 students.

 

Why did you want to come to Spackenkill?
I grew up in a really small town in the Adirondacks, Indian Lake. I graduated in a class of 20, so the idea of getting back to a place that was much smaller and more intimate was definitely appealing to me.

You also used to teach in the Arlington District  Do those years still influence your job as a principal today? 
Having been a teacher is an asset for sure. I taught 6th and 7th grade for several years in Arlington.  Even though I’ve been an administrator for several years, I still feel and think  like a teacher in a lot of ways, and I’d say I’ve not lost that.  I definitely have a solid appreciation for the struggles of teaching and what they’re up against Over the last few weeks, I taught a writing lesson in fifth grade classrooms. It was a good reminder for me about how challenging it is and also to be with kids in a different way.

Tell us about the time you spend with parents.
I try my best to be really accessible. We do offer Principals Coffees several times a year. That’s a nice time for us, probably the only meeting I have all year without an agenda. They can ask anything and say anything. I like doing building tours during the day: Some parents haven’t been in the building when school is happening to see what it looks, sounds, and feels like.  

Hagan has a lot of extra-curricular activities for an elementary school. Why is that important?
The more ways we find to have kids be involved the better. We’re really fortunate to have a staff that is dedicated and involved with our extra-curricular activities, from intramurals to Garden Club. The Jr. Spartans Runners Club was started, organized, and supervised by volunteer staff. Hagan is a place where people hopefully feel like they are invested and feel like they have a say in things and are an important part of the decision making process.

What qualities do you hope to instill in Hagan graduates?
We miss them when they go, but our job is to make sure they’re ready for 6th grade at Todd. I want them to be done with Hagan and ready to move on, ready for the next step. I want them to be ready for something that’s going to require more maturity and independence and responsibility. Obviously, we want them to be academically ready for middle school.  We want them to become involved with things. To go to school and just go home, it’s not good enough. Join Art Club, band, music, go to intramurals, play soccer. There are plenty of choices.  We want them to get involved and be a contributor, not just sit back and watch.

You always take beautiful photos of the 5th grade Sharpe trip. Is photography one of your hobbies, and what are some others?
I’ve been interested in the photo piece for a long time. I took adult ed classes through BOCES. I couldn’t wait each week to go to my class. As for hobbies, I have four kids, with two kids running collegiately, and one a freshman in high school and one in sixth grade in middle school. My wife and I are busy and involved. Plus, I’m the youngest of five, so there are a lot of family events throughout New York State!  I also do genealogy. My Dad’s family came over from Ireland in the mid-1800’s and my Mom’s roots go far back in into the 1700’s.

John Farrell with students

Above: Hagan Principal John Farrell chats with students before an assembly.

 

Calling All District Veterans


Veterans DayOnce again, Todd Middle School will hold a Veterans Day Assembly, this year on November 8th. Please click here to read a letter from Principal Dan Doherty inviting district veterans to attend.

 

SHS Shows Its Spirit

Spackenkill High School had a high-energy pep rally today, showcasing the talents of the band, particularly drummers, cheerleaders, and seniors on the varsity teams. Classes competed against one another in a tug of war and other games. Master of ceremonies Clinton DeSouza was joined by The Spackenkill Spartan in keeping the rally moving at a fast pace. One of the highlights was when teacher Becky Koenig delivered a pie in the face to Principal Steve Malkischer  (as part of a fundraiser for Red Cross Hurricane Relief). Click here to see the video. 

Spirit Week continues this evening with a Homecoming Game at 7 pm and tomorrow with a Homecoming Dance beginning at 6:30 pm.


pep rally
pep rally


Author Shares Tips & Insights


Author Wendy Wan-Long Shang visited Hagan Elementary this past Wednesday as part of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District's Little Read, the younger, companion version of the National Endowment of the Arts Big Read. The theme this year is the Chinese-American experience.  Students in grades four and five had been reading Ms. Shang’s first book, The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, a story of a Chinese-American girl whose world is turned upside down. Ms. Shang talked about how she was inspired by author Judy Blume’s book Blubber, which has a Chinese-American character.  She wrote the book “for the reader inside” because it was “something a younger me would have wanted to read.” (The photo above shows Ms. Shang with a picture of herself as a little girl.) Ms. Shang inspired the students to write, sharing stories of how she gets her ideas, and offered hints and tips for improving writing through practice, rewriting, and being brave enough to share your work with others. Thank you to Hagan’s own librarian, Betsy Marchesona, as well as to Yvonne Laube and Jewel Ratzlaff of PPLD, for supporting this visit.  
 Little Read
Above: Students had plenty of questions for the author. Ms Shang showed students example of artwork done by the same person 10 years apart. Her point was that you can always improve if you work at it!

Pumpkin Tech

Thanks to a visit from technology integration teacher Mrs. Byrne, second graders in Mrs. Wilcox’s and Mrs. Zanca’s classes designed their own jack-o-lanterns and wrote a short story about them on the Chromebooks. Students learned how to copy and paste, among other skills. Each student’s jack-o-lantern will be part of a fun class slideshow. 
jack o lantern experiment

Spack Onstage News

Cabaret collage
Spack Onstage presented Cabaret Night last Friday, an evening of classic and contemporary songs and musicianship. Some scenes from the night are below.


With Their Eyes
Stay tuned for the drama club's upcoming show, With Their Eyes, which tells the stories of the students of Stuyvesant High School and the events they witnessed on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The performances take place on Friday, November 16 at 7 pm; Saturday, November 17 at 7 pm; and Sunday, November 18 at 2 pm. All performances are held at Richard D. Woolley Auditorium at Spackenkill High School. Tickets are $5 for all. Tickets may be purchased online at www.showtix4u.com, accessible through the drama club's website, www.spackonstage.com.

Around the World in 40 Minutes

Hagan VR

Technology integration teacher Marcella Byrne introduced Hagan students to Google Goggles Virtual Reality this week. The students went on fascinating expeditions, visiting places all over the world, including the Amazon, Mayan Ruins, and the seven wonders of the world, as well as studying physical geography and different biomes.

Waste Not!

DC waste assembly

Last Friday, Kerry Russell from the Division of Solid Waste Management of Dutchess County visited Hagan students to talk about best practices for recycling. Students learned that a lot of items can be recycled beyond the usual bottles and cans, such as aluminum foil, clean milk and juice cartons and boxes (without straws), pasta and cereal boxes, bread bags, and plastic storage bags with the zip tops removed. Mrs. Russell talked about brand-new products made from recycled items, such as fleece items and shirts transformed from plastic bottles. After Mrs. Russell's talk, Hagan teacher Mrs. Riehl challenged the students to improve their recycling habits by using the blue recycling bins in their classrooms, recycling plastic bags in the cafeteria, and practicing the same good habits at home. 

 

Girls Soccer Gives Back


Earlier this month, the Girls Soccer team organized a “Pink Out” game to raise money for the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation. This week team captain Kaitlyn Kilpert, who helped organize the event, presented Pari Forood from the foundation with a check for over $600. 

 

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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