December News
Honor, New Head, and Rock & Roll  

Community Remembers Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

On campus memorial

The Storm King School marked a blustery Veterans Day with a ceremony beside Memorial Rock on campus. Head of School Helen "Steevie" Chinitz greeted students, faculty and special visitors, and explained the importance of the day, encouraging students to reflect upon its significance. She said, "...They must have our respect; we must mourn the loss of them and honor their sacrifices. And when any one of them comes back less sound, less fit, less able, we must provide for that young person." She concluded, "This is a day to honor real sacrifice asked for or imposed on young lives, and a day to hope that your generation can in its honoring also look to providing other ways to have young minds and bodies preserve and serve the highest ideals."

Assistant Head of School Jonathan Lamb placed a wreath beside Memorial Rock and, with the help of former Comptroller and veteran Jack D'Angelo, Boy Scout Matthew F '14, and National Guard member Marilyn H '10, raised the flag. As in years past, Abby Mayer sounded the bugle.

Paul Domingue

Peter M. Duggan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Storm King School, recently announced that after an extensive search, Paul C. Domingue has been chosen to serve as the next Head of School. He will take over the helm from current Head of School Helen "Steevie" Chinitz on July 1, 2012.  

This fall we asked all students to purchase a copy of Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual for use in their history and English classes. "Hacker" is a quick reference guide to the essentials of writing and research, and it is used by hundreds of schools and universities. The manual includes sections on grammar and mechanics as well as how to reference sources. English and ESL teachers spent part of the fall introducing students to the elements manuscript and documentation format of the of the Modern Language Association (MLA) through various papers and assignments.

This winter, history teachers will assign a research paper and help students through the various stages of determining a topic, assembling resources and notecards, and writing several drafts to complete the process. Teachers in disciplines such as psychology or economics may introduce students to other manuscript forms, such as those used by the University of Chicago or the American Psychological Association (APA). Some teachers will introduce their students to "Noodle Tools." Noodle Tools is a software program that helps students through the steps of writing research and term papers. Resources, note cards, appropriate citations, and various drafts of a project are maintained on the Noodle site. Teachers are able to monitor student progress through the various steps just by going to their class' files on the program. In addition to the use of Hacker and Noodle Tools, teachers and students are trying out some on-line databases such as "Facts on File" or "Oxford online" to help students with their research.

Increasingly, during the past two decades, the tools of written research have moved to a computer-based arena. The Storm King School strives to be deliberate and comprehensive in making sure all students have the twenty-first century skills and tools they need when they get to college and beyond.

Mrs. Ping Moroney's Intro Art and Drawing and Painting classes have been at it again. This time, she challenged her students to create self-portraits or scenes on recycled boxes. The cardboard containers ranged from shoe boxes to pizza boxes, and provided something of a 3-D effect. Explained Ilyas O '13, "To save our fragile planet we started to use boxes in our drawings and paintings. From my point of view, it is quite a good idea, because they are made of recycled materials. Moreover, it is very interesting and unusual to draw on something not flat." Zhou L '12 agreed, "It's good for the environment; we do not need to waste the paper to paint. Also, it's pretty fun to use the brush to paint on the box." Added Paige M '13, "It was great working with the box because of the different texture." Students liked the way their artwork could be combined into a sculptural arrangement on the piano in the dining room in Orr Commons.

Photo by Parker W '12

It has been clear throughout the season that SKS coaches are more than a little proud of their teams. Conversations at mealtimes often include play-by-play accounts, with assessments of how individuals have improved their skills and how far the team has progressed during the season. Following are snippets of such talk caught on paper.

Assistant Coach Morris writes, "This season's volleyball team was a great success. We made it to the semi-finals and played Wooster for the third time. Although we did not bring home a victory, our team played commendably and with vigorous energy. Our ladies were more than just players, but friends on the court. We supported each other and had some strong leaders who kept our motivation going despite setbacks. Lily S and Katrina W had a strong command of the rules of the game and were always a mighty presence on the court. Their experience, guidance, and unflinching abilities were pivotal in modeling the correct way to handle the ball, especially to all our new players. Some of our other teammates who exhibited great improvement this season were Kristina L, Cici Z, and Jamie Z. They were timely, unaccustomed to complaint, and ready to work as a team. Unfortunately, by the time we built a worthy team it was time to part ways. I think our greatest accomplishment was our team's ability to have a good time on the court at every practice and every game whether home or away."

From Coach Casey: "Cross country is a challenging sport, and I'm proud of my students for coming to practice every day and trying their best. Austin O, new to the team this year, joined XC to get in shape for basketball and proved to be a valuable member of the team. He worked extremely hard and ended up being the team's most improved runner. Freshman Anthony M emerged as a natural leader. He showed never-ending support toward his team and worked hard to keep them focused and together. It was a great season."

Coach Frank reports: "The crew team had a wonderful opening season this fall. We started the season learning boating vocabulary, how to move the boats into the water, and then how to row. We had a few scrimmages against teams in the area and concluded our season with an impressive first place finish in the 8-man-boat against Newburgh Rowing Club, Kingston, and Rockland. The team developed an excellent group dynamic and enjoyed encouraging each other to excel."

Students attended the US vs. Ecuador international soccer match

Every weekend, SKS students are invited to take advantage of our rich surroundings by participating in experiences serving the community, attending arts and cultural events, and adventuring in the outdoors. This fall's offerings have included service to Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, The Center for New Hope, Walk for Hunger, and more. Arts and Cultural trips have included the Renaissance Faire, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, Storm King Art Center, the viewing of The Wizard of Oz at Eisenhower Hall at West Point, folk

Students moved four truckloads of insulation for Habitat for Humanity.

music at Two Alices Restaurant in Cornwall, and Portfolio Review Day at SUNY Purchase. There have been numerous Outdoor Adventures including hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, apple picking, trail clean-up, and Great Adventure Amusement Park. In addition, there have been on-campus happenings such as the wild and wacky Halloween Social and a student-directed coffee house. Whew! That's a lot of enrichment!

Students and faculty visited Bard College to see the American Ballet Theatre Photo by Amanda Penecale

Photo by Taras Ferencevych

The Storm King School Department of Performing Arts will present "The 30-Minute Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, Much Ado about Nothing, and Romeo & Juliet" on December 16, 17 & 18 at The Walter Reade, Jr., Theatre. The two evening performances are at 7:30 and the Sunday matinee is at 2:00 p.m. "The 30-Minute Shakespeare"is a new series of abridgements by Nick Newlin that tell the "story" of each play from start to finish while keeping the beauty of Shakespeare's language intact. While performing Shakespeare can be a daunting task for high-school students, the young actors and actresses at SKS are meeting the challenge with energy and enthusiasm!

Please contact Anne Fulton at (845) 534-4135 or at afulton@sks.org for additional information.

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 tour our beautiful campus. After the tour, you will see a short video about the School and participate in a discussion about the application process. 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

Saturday, January 21, 2012    10:00 am-12:00 pm       

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.  

It is helpful if you call (845-534-9860) to register in advance.