August News

Late Summer Anticipation 

Beginning in September 2012, iPads will serve as the primary platform for textbooks, notes, organization, and many other school functions at SKS. Each student will receive an iPad2 when he or she arrives on campus. Research has shown that well-designed iPad programs increase the level of collaboration among students and amount of reading by students, and they facilitate organization and research.

Teachers have been exploring how best to use the exciting new format. The following comments were offered by English Department Chairman Jeremy Freeman.

"All of the SKS English teachers feel that it will stimulate the process of active reading and note taking while you read--the lost art of annotating is made so easy with the highlighting and note taking capabilities in iBooks and Kindle apps, which we will be using for just about all our texts.  

"Additionally, with a four finger swipe across the iPad you can quickly switch from reading Crime and Punishment to, for example, a search on the business of pawnbroking in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the 1800s, and then to a thematic analysis by Harold Bloom. And, if you find anything in the secondary reading useful, it is very easy to copy sections of text and embed them into your notes in iBooks and the Kindle app, and all of your notes are neatly catalogued for you. Overall, the iPad has helped me become a more curious and productive reader, because any questions I might have are easily answered, and any connections I think of when reading are easily recorded for further development. Often I have several ideas that get triggered when reading, and the iPad makes it very easy to capture them." 

English teacher Kate Jylkka added, "I've found an app by the New York Public Library all about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I'm excited to use images of her first drafts and other materials to show my students more about the context of their summer reading."

SKS's Creative Arts Center, under the direction of Frank Annunziata, will offer an introductory iPad Multimedia Arts class. Students will learn to use apps to create music, video, and other multimedia projects, and they will learn to use iPad tools to create songs or compose music. Additionally, class members will learn how to make a quick music video or a simple documentary. With free or inexpensive creative apps being released nearly every week, students can expect to make some incredible creations. The iPad Multimedia Arts Class will prepare students who wish to journey into more expansive pro multimedia arts programs at The Storm King School's recording studio using Avid Protools, Reason Rewire, Ableton, or our Video Production Suite using Media Composer, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe CS video production--all state-of-the-art hardware and software. For more on SKS's Creative Arts Center Multimedia Arts class, click here. 

The 2013 edition of Study in the USA, a publication that informs students around the world about U.S. boarding school opportunities, features an interview with Miriam Sefcikova, a rising sophomore at Storm King. Miriam decided to attend SKS because her brother Julius '12 was already an SKS student, and she liked the close community feel when she came to campus on his Registration Day.

Miriam likes the small classes and the way her teachers really care. She finds that they are happy to provide extra help even outside of regular school hours. Not only is her English improving, but she is also learning to write research papers and essays, skills that she will need in college.

Miriam finds it easy to make friends at SKS, and she enjoys campus activities such as the Halloween Party. She plays on the soccer, basketball, and softball teams. Weekends include off-campus trips to places such as the Bronx Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, Fifth Avenue, and Rockefeller Center as well as community service opportunities such as helping children before Christmas and cleaning up an historic cemetery.

To read Miriam's complete interview, click here. 

SKS is proud to welcome the following teachers and staff members to its vibrant community:

Garrett Bamann was mentioned in our last newsletter as SKS's new Associate Director of Admissions.
Jennifer Bamann is SKS's new Webmaster and Dormitory Head in Highmount. Previously, she was the Associate Director of Admissions at Bridgeton Academy. Ms. Bamann also served in the admissions office of Elmira College. She earned her BA in History and Secondary Education at Elmira. 

Dennis Costello will teach law, government, English, and history. Mr. Costello previously served as Principal of St. Thomas of Canterbury School and as Head of New York Military Academy. He has taught English, ESL, Latin, math, and science. Mr. Costello earned his BA from Ramapo College of New Jersey in English Literature, and a MS in Educational Leadership from Fordham University. He is a decorated combat veteran who served in Viet Nam.
      
John Carruthers brings years of experience to our Visual Arts Department. He taught in New York City at the elementary level and also served as an adjunct professor in art history at Mercy College. Before that, Mr. Carruthers was the lead teacher and Program Coordinator for the Artists' Association of Nantucket, where he worked with students in grades K-12. He holds a BFA from Fordham University in Studio Art, an MFA in Studio Art from New York Academy of Art, a New York State Teaching Certificate in Art Education, and a MEd in Math 7-12 and Special Education from Mercy College. Mr. Carruthers also coached cross country and tennis.

David Dardani will teach AP computer science. David is experienced and knowledgable in many computer systems and worked at IBM and at IES Computer Systems in a variety of roles including programmer/analyst, network communication, CPU operation, and systems engineer. David earned his BS and MS in Computer Science from Union College.
      
Marc Kets will teach ESL, coach soccer, and live in Dempsey dormitory. Previously, Mr. Kets served as Associate Dean of Students and ESL instructor at Idyllwild Arts Academy in California. In addition to teaching, he ran a media company and assisted in promotional areas and marketing. Mr. Kets played professional soccer in South Africa. He attended boarding school at the Diocesan's College in Cape Town, South Africa, and he earned a BFA from the University of Cape Town in Design and New Media.
      
ESL instructor and crew coach Kathleen Minahan taught ESL in Warsaw, Poland, for the Academy of New York and Lingua Nova. She attended Phillips Andover for secondary school and served as an Admissions Alumni representative for the school. Ms. Minahan earned her BA from Indiana University in History, Slavic Languages, and Literatures, and she also rowed crew for IU. She has her MA in European and Russian Studies from Yale. She earned a CELTA (English Language Certification) from the International House in Wroclaw, Poland, and spent a semester in Russia at St. Petersburg State University. Ms. Minahan speaks both Polish and Russian and won numerous scholarships and fellowships both at IU and Yale. She also played field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse.
      
Michelle Scotello joins the math department after teaching algebra and geometry at Umatilla High School in Florida and economics at Daytona Beach Community College and North Carolina State University. Ms. Scotello earned a BA in Economics and a BS in Environmental and Earth Science from the University of North Carolina-Asheville, and she holds an MA in Economics from NCSU. Ms. Scotello is also Florida State Certified in Mathematics 6-12 and in Exceptional Student Education K-12. She has coached both volleyball and softball.
      
Wim Sprenger will head our Foreign Language and English as a Second Language Departments and help coach crew. Mr. Sprenger was Assistant Professor of Spanish for the U.S. Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He taught Spanish at Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, and in the IB program at Punahou School in Hawaii, where he also served as dormitory head and took students on sailing excursions in the Pacific. Mr. Sprenger earned a BA, an MA, and his teaching certificate in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Oregon. He is a dual citizen of the United States and the Netherlands and a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.  

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    Closing Remarks
 
Please contact the Office of Admissions for more information.
314 Mountain Road
Cornwall on Hudson, NY 12520
845-534-9860
admissions@sks.org

Saturday, August 18, 10:00 AM-12:00 Noon  
Saturday, September 15, 10:00 AM-12:00 Noon   

Open Houses generally start in Orr Commons in the center of The Storm King School campus.  We will begin 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.