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 Fall 2013 
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Board of Ed Progressing With Superintendent Search

 

The Haldane District Board of Education continues to move ahead with its Superintendent search. After interviewing three search firms, the Board hired Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA). HYA has conducted interviews and community focus groups in order to obtain input from the Haldane community. The information that was collected through these efforts will be used to create a profile for the ideal Haldane Superintendent.

 

"It is essential to the Board that we find the right Superintendent for Haldane and therefore, we will not rush the process," said Board President Gillian Thorpe. "To allow us the time to do our due diligence, the Board agreed that we would need to hire an Interim Superintendent. At the November 5th meeting, we officially announced the appointment of John Chambers. John is a true leader in the education world and has great experience being both a superintendent and interim superintendent." 

 

Updates on the search process will be given during each Board of Education meeting until a Superintendent is hired. Any questions or concerns regarding the search may be directed to Gillian Thorpe at [email protected].

 

 
 

 

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2013BELL

New Staff at Haldane

The Haldane school district welcomed six new staff members this year. From left to right: Amy Hopkin, French Language; Jessica DeCicco, Occupational Therapist; Yesenia Pacheco, ES Social Worker (leave replacement); Heather Milano, HS Guidance (leave replacement); Brandon Milonovich, Math; and Christian Hoolan, Math.
 
 
Haldane ES/MS Principal Brent Harrington and Assistant Principal Julia Sniffen, raised the flag during the district's first "Force For Good Day."

Haldane Students Pledge to Stand Up to Bullying

First Force for Good Day 

a Big Success  

 

On a bright and sunny October morning, the entire Haldane Elementary School student body gathered outside to kick off the school's first "Force for Good" day. The special day devoted to anti-bullying began with the raising of a brand-new flag emblazoned with the statement, "Haldane - A Force for Good."

 

As Superintendent Mark Villanti, Principal Brent Harrington, Assistant Principal Julia Sniffen and PTA members looked on with delight, the students recited the following pledge, crafted by the PTA's "Gang Up for Good" anti-bullying committee:

 

"I pledge to be a force for good wherever I go and a positive role model in my community. As a student at Haldane, I will stand up to bullying and treat others the way I want to be treated - with kindness, consideration and respect."

Students then broke out into a spontaneous and joyful chant of "Haldane, Haldane, Haldane," something which PTA President Lourdes Laifer and Gang Up for Good chair, Melany Campanile both described as "very moving." Mr. Harrington said the moment was "impressive and genuinely heartening."

    

The event grew out of the "Gang Up for Good" committee's desire to empower Haldane students not only to stand up to bullying, but also to give them a sense that they can make a positive impact through their actions. "This event provided an opportunity for our students to commit to being a positive influence in our school community," said Mr. Harrington.

 

The day's theme was reinforced throughout the school day, including a lunchtime "graffiti" art activity, during which students created positive messages on boards set up outside the cafeteria. Later on, students in fifth through eighth grade were treated to a presentation by JLINE Dance Crew, a NYC-based music and dance company that promotes a message of tolerance and respect. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade received "Haldane - A Force for Good" wristbands for their participation in the day's events.

 

Said Ms. Laifer, "This was the first K-8 event presented by the 'Gang Up for Good' committee. We hope to make it an annual event and perhaps even get the high school involved in the future."

 

 

iPads Help High School Students 

Become Digital Scholars 

 

By now all parents are familiar with the obsession digital devices have become for their children. Think about how many times a day children are told to turn off a screen in order to do homework, join the family at mealtime, go to bed, etc. What if there was a way to turn this ubiquitous distraction into an asset, harnessing the appeal of these devices to advance learning and better prepare our students for the future?

 

Students in Kristen Savastano's Geometry class work on iPad tablets during a recent class.

A new program at Haldane High School puts an iPad into the hands of every 10th grader and plans are to continue rolling out the program each year, until every 10th-12th grade student at the school has access to a device for his or her own use. According to Principal Brian Alm, the time is right: the school's new daily schedule, featuring longer, 55-minute periods, allows for deeper project-based interactions and collaborative activities, exactly the type of learning the devices facilitate.

 

While it may be too early to draw conclusions, teachers have responded to this new technology and learning initiative with positive reviews. Kristen Savastano, high school math teacher, said, "The iPads provide opportunities for my students to interact with other students and the world outside their classroom. Whether we use the technology for a few minutes for a warm-up activity, or for a more in-depth assignment, the iPads create a dynamic way for the students to engage with the new knowledge they are learning."


Michelle Grasso, high school history teacher, commented, "I find the iPad is a great tool that enhances the ability for students to make the most out of their learning. With the iPad and the Apple TV in our room, I'm able to design my lessons in a way that allows students to truly explore history with the world at their fingertips. Students are able to analyze ancient artifacts and make connections while utilizing the iPad as a great platform to share their inquiries and discoveries with others."

 

Mr. Alm sees a wide level of enthusiasm among parents for the program. "Our parents understand that this is a great way to leverage a new teaching and learning paradigm -- one that promotes 21st century skills such as problem-solving, creativity, analytical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, and reflection."

 

 

Fall Ball Rings in School Year, 

Honors Dr. Villanti

Haldane Superintendent Dr. Mark Villanti speaking at the Fall Ball, while Haldane School Foundation Vice President Craig Roffman looks on.

The Haldane School Foundation's Fall Ball at the beautifully restored Bear Mountain Inn was a great success, raising more than $35,000 for the Foundation's educational grant program and honoring Superintendent Dr. Mark Villanti, who will retire at the end of this year. In honor of Dr. Villanti, the theme of this year's event was "Be the Solution."

 

The event featured cocktails, fine food, music and dancing, and silent and live auctions. Proceeds will fund educational enrichment grants for classroom technology, educational field trips, library upgrades and more.

"It was a great night, said Linda Speziale, HSF Trustee. "Everyone seemed happy, the silent auction was beautiful, the band was fun and we raised a great amount for our kids. The Haldane community should be proud of what it can do when people come together like this."

 

 

Common Goals for Math Curriculum

 

Over the summer, Haldane teachers received training on the new Engage New York math curriculum for grades K-5, now aligned with the well-publicized "Common Core." Haldane teachers worked with teachers from districts throughout the region during a weeklong workshop at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES in Yorktown.


The consensus among Haldane teachers has been positive, according to Superintendent Dr. Mark Villanti. "In general, we think the new standards are a good thing. Though it has been widely publicized in the media that the pace of change is not ideal, we believe that, with patience during this transition period, the changes will improve educational quality.

"My criticism is not with the Common Core itself," continued Dr. Villanti. "It is with the assessments, for which there has not been enough preparation time. Despite the rapid changes, though, I feel the students will receive an overall higher quality math experience."

 

Haldane ES Principal Brent Harrington sent a letter to parents over the summer explaining the shift from the Everyday Math that had been taught in the district for more than a decade, to the new Engage New York math curriculum. Although Everyday Math had served the district quite well for more than a decade under the old New York State curriculum, it didn't align with the expectations outlined in the Common Core. "As expected, this program has proven to be rigorous but appropriate, challenging but engaging," said Mr. Harrington.

 

"In my personal observations of classroom math instruction, I have witnessed an elevation of mathematical reasoning with our students," Mr. Harrington explained. "Students are developing a deeper conceptual understanding of numeric relationships, and our teachers have expressed enthusiasm with students' demonstrating greater automaticity with mathematical calculations."

 

In an effort to assist parents in the transition to this new curriculum, Mr. Harrington has sent monthly newsletters communicating the work being done by staff to support students' success with the curriculum as well as resources to help parents support their child at home. The curriculum is structured by "modules" or units of study that allow students to focus deeply on specific skills and concepts. Grade level teachers have sent resources from the Engage New York website (www.engageNY.org) at the beginning of each module so parents understand the topics being covered and the vocabulary that is being used in the classroom. These module overviews are also readily available on www.engageNY.org.

 

Parents are encouraged to visit www.engageNY.org, which features many resources for parents regarding the Common Core. Additionally, parents should feel free to contact their children's teachers and building administrators, should they desire more information about the Common Core.

 

 

Field of Dreams
 
Homecoming was cause for a double celebration. Not only did Haldane win the game, but the community joined together to recognize those who helped turn the dream of a new field, new locker rooms and upgraded performing arts facilities into a reality. At a pep rally the day before the big game, Haldane students and staff pumped up the school spirit on the brand new field.

 

 

All Three Haldane Schools Named 

NYS Reward Schools

 

New York State's Department of Education has identified Haldane Elementary, Middle and High School as "Reward Schools," based on the 2012-13 school year. Reward Schools are among the highest achieving schools in the state or are among the schools that have made the most progress.

 

Reward Schools must show a growth in student performance above the state average for two consecutive years, meet the state's definition of Adequate Yearly Progress for all student accountability groups for the past two years, achieve a high school graduation rate exceeding 80% (based on the four-year cohort) along with graduation goals for at-risk students and growth levels for bottom quartile students.

 

"I am extremely proud that all of the schools in the district qualified this past year for Reward School status," said Haldane Superintendent Dr. Mark Villanti. "This designation by the NYSED signifies that we are among the highest performance districts in the state." 

 

 
 
Campus-Wide Safety
Improvements
 

A variety of campus safety improvements have either been implemented or are in the process of being completed, as part of the district's Capital Improvement program. "Technology for security purposes is very diverse and ever expanding," said Haldane's Director of Facilities, Mike Twardy. "The deeper we look, the more options become available. We are in consultation with our architects to determine the best options for our district and within our budget."