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| September 2011 |
September News
Happy New (School) Year!
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One of several fawns welcomes new students to campus
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Excitement had been growing on campus, first as teachers readied their classrooms and updated curriculum, and then as new students and returning students arrived on campus. Hurricane Irene caused some delayed arrivals but, thankfully, very little damage on campus other than brief power outages and downed internet connections. Now, barely a week into the start of classes, the population has taken on a community flavor, as everyone starts to work together. Teachers have been heard at mealtimes describing how awesome their students are. Everyone seems to be off to a great start.
If you are interested in joining The Storm King School community, we accept applications on a rolling basis. Contact us to find out if space is available for your grade level. Please give us a call (845-534-9860) or send us an email (admissions@sks.org) to arrange a tour and interview. There is information about our upcoming Open Houses at the end of this newsletter. We look forward to seeing you!
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 | Orientation Activities Build Community
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New and Returning Students Work Together and Have Fun
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Students pause to enjoy the view
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In an effort led by Assistant Head of School and Academic Dean Jon Lamb, the School redesigned this year's school calendar. Among the changes is a new international student orientation week before returning and domestic students arrive on campus. This extra week gave our new international students time to register, get acquainted with their teachers and peers, take ESL placement tests, do a little shopping, setup their dorm rooms, recover from jet lag, and have some fun.
ESL teachers Kristen Casey and Stephanie Frank scheduled many fun activities including a hike and picnic lunch in Black Rock Forest, a scavenger hunt, a BBQ on the Ledoux Terrace, a movie night in the Walter Reade, Jr., Theatre, a kayaking adventure on the picturesque Hudson River, and day trips to the Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo in New York City. Before long, nervous new international students were laughing and feeling at home with their new friends and faculty.  | |
Movement games help break the ice
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After most of the other students arrived, received their class schedules, organized dorm rooms, and started sports practices, the Storm King School's annual Mountain Day event kicked off the first fall weekend. Students and faculty participated in a long-standing tradition by hiking to the summit of nearby Spy Rock Mountain where they enjoyed a 360 degree view of Black Rock Forest, the Hudson River, and an aerial view of campus. Clear skies and warm weather made for a spectacular afternoon. A BBQ dinner provided by our own Chef Moses (graduate of the Culinary Institute of America) and a campfire with S'mores rounded out the evening. Saturday's activities mixed learning and fun. A self-control workshop in the afternoon featured a three-screen presentation of a film called "Get a Grip" in  | |
Kayaking on the Hudson River
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which a series of vignettes dealt with real-life teen issues and problems. After viewing the film, advisors gathered with their advisees for small group discussions on teen issues including self-esteem, maintaining positive relationships and bullying, among others. Later in the day, students competed in a Storm King triathlon made up of an egg toss, a potato sack relay, and a baseball bat spin and race. That evening, students attended a comedy performance on campus by the People's Improv Theatre from New York City. This year we opened with 129 students from nine states and China, Columbia, Ethiopia, France, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Slovakia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Vietnam, Philippines, and Singapore. There is a lot of positive energy on campus!  | |
Students roast marshmellows over a fire on the terrace
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| Students Use SKS Telescope
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Tuesday Nights Are for Stargazing
 SKS is proud to have on its campus the Cobb-Matthiessen Observatory (located near Highmount Dormitory), which houses a unique telescope. The telescope is both a Newtonian Telescope and a versatile Cassegrain telescope. Math and physics teachers Warren Mumford and Joseph Graziosi will open the observatory on Tuesday evenings in the fall from 9:00 to 10:00 pm, weather permitting. The physics/astronomy classes will be in attendance, while other students, faculty, and members of the community are also invited. |
| Art Students Sketch Live Subjects
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Live Animals Prove to Be Friendly Models
Students in Ms. Ping Xu Moroney's Introduction to Art classes and afternoon Art Club spent the first few days sketching live subjects. The first subject was a gentle dog. Ms. Moroney referred to the docile yellow lab as "Supermodel Pal," but he is simply known as "Pal" to his owners, Assistant Head of School Jonathan Lamb and his wife, Admissions Officer Toni Scherrer.
Pal roamed about as students sketched images of him with colored pencils and charcoal. Ms. Moroney plans to have more live subjects in class, including a lizard, other pets, and perhaps children. The students' drawings will be on display around campus.
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| Student Snapshot
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Senior Practices Mandarin in Beijing
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Parker outside the Temple of Heaven
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Parker W, a senior at The Storm King School, spent three weeks in Beijing this summer enrolled in Program Next Step China, a cultural and language immersion experience. Parker studied Mandarin four hours a day, five days a week with a tutor, further developing the skills he had learned in two years of language classes at SKS. Then, for "homework," he took to the streets of Beijing and put his Mandarin skills to the test, ordering restaurant food, bargaining with vendors, etc.
Parker also met up with several recently graduated SKS alumni whom he knew, and they took him to see the sights and experience life in Beijing. Gibson L took Parker and his parents to a restaurant famous for Peking Duck, where they were given a private room and treated to delicious traditional fare.
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Parker visits with Jack
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Jack L '11 and two of his Chinese friends escorted Parker to Hou Hai, a well-known lake lit up at night and surrounded by restaurant and entertainment venues. Another destination was The Olympic Village from the 2008 games and the famous Birds Nest Stadium. Parker also enjoyed the Beijing Zoo, Peking University, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, and the Lama Temple. At the Silk Market, he bargained for products in traditional fashion. Parker enjoyed hanging out with additional SKS alumni, including Alice '11, Bruce D '10, and Diana Z '10. He found that even strangers wanted to be photographed with him because he was a foreigner.
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Parker, Jack, and friends at Hou Hai
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While Parker enjoyed seeing the famous sites, he also loved the details of Chinese customs. For example, Parker observed bicyclists piling amazing mountains of cargo on their bikes for transport. "This was a real different life style in China than the European life styles I saw when I went to France," commented Parker. "At first it was very stressful ordering food at a restaurant. I had to do all of the talking for my parents, and I was second-guessing myself when I would speak Mandarin. Now, I just speak like I am speaking English. If I mess up, I just laugh it off and ask what I should have said."
Parker plans a college major in Mandarin and hopes to pursue an occupation that requires travel in China. Associate Director of Admissions Joanna Evans said, "We are tremendously proud of Parker for taking on the challenge of learning Mandarin and then taking the initiative to go to China to study the language further and apply what he has been learning. He is a great ambassador of the Mountain Center, which is our school-within-a-school for students with learning differences." Students in the Mountain Center are bright, college-bound students who are ready for the traditional college preparatory curriculum but benefit from very small classes (average of 5 students) taught by specially trained teachers who understand how each student learns best.
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Parker and Alice shopping
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Parker concluded the interview about his trip by saying, "I am definitely going back."
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| Campus Is Spruced Up for Students' Return
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Summer Improvements Provide a Pleasing Appearance
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Fresh, refinished tennis courts
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While students were enjoying their summer break, SKS's maintenance staff and others were hard at work on several campus improvement projects. Most obvious is new paving on the driveway leading from Mountain Road through the center of campus. Stone masons replaced an asphalt path in the center of campus with an attractive new stone path. Students found new carpeting in the common areas of all the dorms and new furniture in the lounge in each dorm. In some cases, dorm parents themselves wielded paintbrushes and other tools to provide decorative wall color and curtains. Inside the gym, popular training equipment was moved into a larger space with better lighting, enhancing the workout experience for students and faculty. These and many additional projects, such as festive paint in the  | |
A beautiful new stone path in the center of campus
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stairway of the Allison Vladimir Art Center, newly planted trees and shrubbery, treatment of the stage curtains in the Walter Reade, Jr., Theatre, provide pleasant surroundings for learning and living.  | |
The lounge in High Mount has new furniture and carpeting
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| Open House on Saturday, September 17
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Tour, Video, & Discussion with Students & Faculty
 The Office of Admissions cordially invites you to attend an Open House for prospective students and their families. The Open House will begin in Orr Commons at the center of The Storm King School campus.
This Open House will provide an opportunity to meet and interact with teachers, administrators, and students, and tour our beautiful campus. There will be plenty of time to answer your questions about the School.
Open House Schedule:
10:00 Tour of Campus
11:15 SKS Video
11:30 Overview of Application Process and General Question
and Answer Session
12:00 Open House Concludes
Please contact the Office of Admissions for more information.
314 Mountain Road
Cornwall on Hudson, NY 12520
845-534-9860
admissions@sks.org |
| For Your Calendar
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Upcoming Open Houses
Monday, October 10, 2011 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Saturday, November 12, 2011 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Saturday, December 3, 2011 10:00 am-12:00 pm
These Open Houses start in Orr Commons in the center of The Storm King School campus. We will start with a tour of the campus after brief welcoming remarks. You will learn about the School and its programs. After the tour, you will see a short video about the School and participate in a discussion about the application process. Families attending Monday Open Houses only will be invited to stay for lunch. It is helpful if you call (845-534-9860) to register in advance. |
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See you soon!
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SKS students and faculty gather on top of Storm King Mountain
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| | Founded in 1867, The Storm King School celebrates a long tradition of helping students translate potential into success as they prepare for college and meaningful lives. Through academic classes, outstanding fine and performing arts, competitive and club sports, and interesting extracurricular activities, the faculty and staff offer students in grades 8-12 opportunities to enrich themselves through learning and confidence building. For college-bound students with learning differences, a small (35 students) school-within-a-school program called The Mountain Center, offers specialized, differentiated instruction in up to four core classes. Mountain Center students are full participants in the SKS community. In addition, The Learning Center offers support to any SKS student who needs extra help with study and organizational skills. Boarding and day options are available.
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