The Croton-Harmon School District recently welcomed high school students from La Rochelle, France, for a visit.
Croton-Harmon and Lycée Jean Dautet have a special friendship, allowing students from each country to visit annually. This year, 28 French students were hosted by families in Croton-on-Hudson during their two-week stay, spending time in the Croton-Harmon schools.
The relationship has been ongoing for more than 25 years, and the students correspond via letters prior to the visit.
At the high school, the visitors interacted with all of the French classes.
“They work on a project with classes at each level,” said French teacher Susan Bree.
During one class, the French and American students worked together to discuss slang in each of their languages responding to specific social situations. The French students presented their responses in English, while Croton students shared theirs in French.
“One of the highlights for the visitors is coming to Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School,” said CET teacher Linda Reich. “The students come with French storybooks to read to our students.”
CET students also led their visitors on tours, showing them the different classrooms, artwork displayed on walls and other highlights of the school.
Next spring, Croton-Harmon High School students will visit their counterparts in La Rochelle for a similar visit.
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French Visitors Explore Croton
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Destination Imagination Teams Earn Global Honors
Competing against 15,000 talented students from around the world, Croton-Harmon’s Destination Imagination teams made a big statement at the annual global competition in May.“Placing in the top 10 in a category at globals is a remarkable achievement, and two of our Croton-Harmon High School teams achieved that honor,” Croton-Harmon Destination Imagination coordinators Zhanna Glazenburg, L.B. Luebbers and Anne-Marie Stok said. “Top 10 achievers are listed on the big screens for all attendees to see.”
One CHHS team placed fourth overall in the project outreach “Brand Aid,” a community-service themed project.“The fact that the team won both scoring elements of their main challenge, a first in Croton DI history is truly remarkable,” the coordinators said. “A few more points in the Instant Challenge would have earned them a place on the podium. This same team won a Renaissance Award at the regional tournament in Dobbs Ferry. Congratulations to ‘All about that Alkaline!’”
A second CHHS team, “010001010100001001001111: The Musical,” competed in the technical challenge “Creature Feature” and earned a ninth overall place, thanks to a strong main challenge and strong instant challenge.
Additional accolades were awarded to the CHHS team “Mom,” which finished 13th place in “The Improv Games,” a Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School team’s 18th place finish in the middle level of the “Brand Aid” challenge and “The Taped Mirrors” team’s 27th place in the project outreach challenge.
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CET Student's are "Happy" to Learn ASL
CET students learned American Sign Language and performed Pharrell William's "Happy"! Join them as they spread their new found love for learning and teaching sign language to others! Special thanks to Christine Fico for her passion and enthusiasm as a sign interpreter in the Croton-Harmon School District! CET now has a new sign language club!
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Thanking District Retirees, Volunteers
Croton-Harmon’s Board of Education thanked some of the people who have dedicated countless hours to the district at its June 4 meeting.
The Board and administrators thanked the following faculty and staff members who will retire at the end of the 2014-15 school year: William Austin; James Foster;
Carol Hoffman; Kathleen Kooney; Joseph Vetrano; Judith Vetrano; and Virginia Vessa.
A number groups and individuals who have contributed their time to the district were also recognized at the meeting.
“This evening is an opportunity to see how many different types of volunteers we have,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward R. Fuhrman, Jr. “It’s just so impressive in a school district of this size to see all the different groups we have all advocating for one thing in common – and that’s to make it better for the kids. It really is an honor to recognize the different groups.”
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Croton-Harmon Represented at Summerfest
Croton-Harmon Board of Education members Patrice Davidson, Andrea Furey,
Joshua Diamond and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward R. Fuhrman, Jr.
attended Croton-on-Hudson's 2015 Summerfest on June 7.
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Picnics Mark the End of a Great Year
Students across the district took time to relax during the annual end-of-year picnics with their grade-level peers.
During the special picnics, students had a chance to laugh and converse with friends, enjoy a fun meal and relax with their teachers.
View photos from the first-grade picnic below.
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Dancing with the Bots
Two Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School classes put their robotics skills on display during a “Dancing with the Bots” competition.
Students in Rachel Lang’s and Alison Romm’s homerooms entertained their peers and faculty members with the robots they built themselves and taught how to dance.
The LEGO Robotics initiative represented the culmination of the classes’ engineering unit, which requires students to ask, imagine, plan, create and improve.“As we worked our way through this unit, I introduced a new phase with each new task/experiment,” said Lang. “With LEGO Robotics, the students had to use the entire process to build and program a successful robot.”
In Lang’s classroom, students enjoyed plenty of laughs and attempts until one group was crowned the winner.“It took us numerous times to actually build our robot, until eventually, we decided to stick to the book,” winning team Bot Co.’s members Aliyah, Ella, Maria and Sofia said. “We had a lot of laughs and fun in the making and programming of our robot, and we were so surprised we won.”
In Romm’s classroom, the Panda Eagle Ballerina Palm Trees team was victorious. “When programming our robot, we had lots of trial and error,” group members Anneka, Emma, Kate and Molli said. “However, when we built our robot, it was much easier because we already had the experience from our previous challenges. One thing that made the programming difficult was being able to include all of the challenge requirements, including two working sensors. In the end, we worked it all out, and had a fabulous experience.”“This is such a rewarding experience for me and the students, to watch them grow and problem solve,” said Lang. “I live for those ‘light bulb’ moments that often happen during programming. I am so proud of all my students on their growth during this engineering unit and everything they we able to accomplish; it was no easy task.”
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Authors Share Writing Tips at CET
Fourth-grade students at Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School participated in the annual Writing Workshop on June 19.
Spearheaded by fourth-grade teacher Ana Mara Strattner, the day included opportunities for students to work on their writing in small groups and receive feedback and advice from published authors, including two who presented to the entire grade.
Students had a chance to learn and ask questions when authors Lauren Tarshi and Tommy Greenwald discussed their own writing processes.
Greenwald said he has always enjoyed reading and writing and was discouraged when he discovered his three children were not interested in books.
“I spent 10 years trying to get my kids to read,” he said. “So, I decided to write the kind of book my kids would like to read.”
Appropriately, the title of his first book was “The Boy Who Hated Reading,” which featured a character named for his three sons, Charlie Joe Jackson.
Charlie Joe Jackson has gone on new adventures in Greenwald’s subsequent books, including a quest for extra credit and an eventful summer vacation.
Greenwald told students it’s fine if they don’t like to read yet and promised, “You will find a book, an article…something that you will love.”“For those who already like reading – keep reading, you are already ahead of the game,” Greenwald said.
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HS Named in Washington Post’s Most Challenging List
Croton-Harmon High School has been identified by The Washington Post as one of America’s Most Challenging High Schools.
Croton-Harmon High School was listed as the 63rd most challenging high school in New York, the 119th most challenging high school in the northeast region and 809th out of the nation’s approximately 22,000 high schools.
The Washington Post’s criteria for the annual list includes the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at the high school each year; divided by the number of graduating seniors. “The Croton-Harmon Schools are proud to again be home to one of America’s Most Challenging High Schools,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward R. Fuhrman, Jr. “This recognition is a testament to our outstanding high school faculty and staff who work tirelessly to provide the best opportunities for our students. Croton-Harmon High School students consistently move on to some of the best higher education institutions in the country and world.”
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Class of 2017 Visits Hershey Park
Ninety-one Croton-Harmon High School sophomores enjoyed the annual class trip to Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, at the end of May.“The trip was a huge success and everyone had a blast,” said class advisor Kerri Tracy. “On Friday night of the trip, we went bowling, and once we arrived to the hotel afterward, they gave us a late night snack while we assigned rooms.”
Students woke up bright and early the next day to get to Hershey Park in time for opening.
“It was a hot and humid day, so many of the students enjoyed the water rides this year,” said Tracy. “All in all, the sophomores were well-behaved and really enjoyed themselves. A huge thank-you to all of the chaperones who gave up their Friday and Saturday to make this happen.”
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Successful First Year for Signing with a Friend Club
When Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School sign language interpreter Christine Fico noticed how enthusiastic students in Linda Reich’s third-grade class were about learning how to say the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language, she extended the interest to a lunch club for all third-grade students.“The response was overwhelming,” she said. “When other third-graders saw what was going on, they begged to join.”
Soon, the club was meeting two days a week, and the group of 12 students haven’t missed a single meeting.“Students learned signs related to playground, food, colors and numbers, and my deaf student suddenly had friends to communicate with,” said Fico. “Their interest didn’t stop there, however, and holiday songs were the next step. They learned so quickly and had so much fun with the language – their new super power – that the only thing left was to record them.”
The students learned the lyrics to the Pharrell song “Happy” and recorded a music video that was edited by a former CET student, who is also deaf.“Teachers, aides and lunch staff also started learning signs and recognizing the beauty of this 3-D language,” said Fico.
An end to a successful first year for the Signing with a Friend Club was fitting as the group was invited to sign “Happy” at the spring concert.
Click here to watch a video of the event
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Eighth-Graders Teach CET P.E. Classes
Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School eighth-grade health students recently visited Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School to teach their younger counterparts about fitness and nutrition during their physical education classes.“The students planned and prepared various content and activities for the PE classes at CET,” said health teacher Jessica Butts.
Classes rotated through stations led by the students, taking part in activities like planking and relay races, as well as learning about what a well-rounded nutritional dinner plate should look like.
“What did you have for dinner last night?” the eighth-graders asked CET students as they examined different food groups.“We did extensive research on food plates and nutrition,” said eighth-grader James.
Classmate Ellie added, “Proper eating can really make a difference.”
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Superintendent's Letter to Governor June 2015
Latest Letter from Dr. Fuhrman
Superintendent's Letter to Governor June 2015
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CET Heads Outdoors for Field Day
Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School students enjoyed fresh air, cooperative games and healthy competition as part of the annual Field Day on May 27.
Classes rotated to different areas on campus, participating in games like kickball on Fireman’s Field, relay races on Manes Field and an unpredictable water balloon toss in the Monet Garden.
In the woods, students participated in the log shuffle, zip line and other fun courses.
The day offered a break from regular classroom activities and allowed students to build trust among each other as they worked together to complete tasks.
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HS Students Acknowledged at Awards Assembly
Croton-Harmon High School acknowledged students who have excelled in a number of disciplines during its annual Awards Assembly on June 5.
Student Faculty Congress President Caroline Barnes, also the Class of 2015’s valedictorian, led students in the Pledge of Allegiance to start the assembly.
The day’s honorees included National Honor Society award winners, students who won the high school literary contest, Book Award winners, math and science award winners, and leadership award winners, among others.
A number of high school club advisors also handed out awards to student members, and students who earned their Girl Scouts Gold Awards and Boy Scouts who reached the Eagle Scout rank were also applauded.
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Fourth-Graders Say Goodbye to CET
Fourth-grade students said goodbye to CET and hello to PVC as their moving up ceremony concluded on June 24. The ceremony marked the first major milestone in the 105 students’ academic careers in Croton-on-Hudson, and the adults who spoke to the students encouraged them to embrace the next step.“I have enjoyed watching you grow,” Principal Kelly Maloney told the group. “You are ready to go and have been well-prepared.”
Maloney acknowledged that the students are academically, as well as socially and emotionally, poised to be successful fifth-graders when they enter Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School in the fall.
And there will be at least one familiar face when they get there – Principal Dr. Barbara Ulm, who was on hand to personally greet and congratulate each student as they stepped off the stage with their certificate.
Both Maloney and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward Fuhrman recognized the fourth-grade class’s kindness.“This is a very caring group of children,” said Dr. Fuhrman. “They care about each other and they care about the school. This is one of the reasons CET is a National Blue Ribbon School.”
Student government representatives Emma Windrum and Justin Craig offered words of advice to their classmates before the grade sang “Goodbye CET,” a song written by the students themselves.
In her address, Board of Education trustee Iris Bugliosi asked the students to think about why they go to school. “Perhaps one good reason is to collect memorable moments in your lives,” she said.
The students left the stage as graduates of CET, prepared to start collecting new memories as they begin their journey at PVC.
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HS ‘Buddies’ Help with Freshman Transition
Eighth-grade students preparing to move up to Croton-Harmon High School in September will find the building a little less overwhelming thanks to the Big Buddies.
Each year, CHHS juniors apply to be buddies for the incoming freshmen. Recently, the eighth-grade students met up with a buddy during a visit to the high school. There, the juniors led the younger students on tours of the building and shared important information about how the school operates.
Students also shared personal information with one another, including the types of clubs and sports with which they are involved, as well as their study habits. The Big Buddies also gave their contact information to the eighth-graders and encouraged them to reach out with any questions.
The program, said Student Assistance Counselor Ellen Hackett, “addresses the intimidation factor.”
Big Buddy Marissa Calcutti said the students in her tour group had a lot of questions about scheduling.
“They wanted to know lunch works,” she said.
The high school students all said it’s important to stay on top of school work and to take advantage of extra time with teachers during the helping period.
While it can be tempting to want to leave school early, Hackett said, “Use your time during the day to get things done.”
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Class of 2015 Celebrates Commencement
The members of Croton-Harmon High School’s Class of 2015 cheered enthusiastically for one another as they officially graduated on the evening of June 24.
Student leaders and administrators offered inspiring words to the graduates, each touching upon the theme of embracing oneself fully, before the students collected their diplomas from Board of Education President Giuseppina Miller.
Class President William Livingston discussed his personal struggle with fitting in, including the eventual acceptance of himself as a high school sophomore. “I spent 14 years of my life running from the person I wanted to be,” he said. “We have all come so far on our own paths.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward Fuhrman echoed Livingston’s sentiments and encouraged the graduates to believe in themselves. “Seek extraordinary accomplishments knowing other support you,” he said. “Be courageous, Class of 2015.”
Salutatorian Emily Grossman told her peers, “Now is the time to be the person you always wanted to be. No one is stopping you.”
Principal Alan Capasso reminded students, “The only constant in this world is change,” and encouraged them to regularly consider their lives, priorities and mistakes. “Unless you take the time to periodically reflect, you won’t know what you are capable of,” he said. “Accept, or better yet, embrace change. Take risks.”
The ceremony included an impressive musical performance of “Con Te Partiro” by seniors Emile DiCroce, Chiara Mancinelli, Shaun-Marie Murray and Jack Redsecker that elicited a standing ovation. DiCroce also sang the national anthem at the opening of the ceremony.
Valedictorian Caroline Barnes paused to take a selfie with the entire class before her address. “Let’s hold onto the importance of such an event,” she said. Barnes also offered advice to the school’s younger students: “Keep yourselves in the present and find ways to enjoy every moment you have.”
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PVC Grads Ready for High School
Pierre Van Cortland Middle School’s eighth-graders crossed the bridge from middle to high school on June 25 during a graduation ceremony that represented the conclusion of one chapter and beginning of another.
The eighth-graders marched onto the Croton-Harmon High School field to the traditional tune of “Pomp and Circumstance,” which the PVC symphonic band performed along with “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Student Council representative Aidan Lally led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Principal Dr. Barbara Ulm welcomed students and guests. “These are the people who will change the world we live in,” she said. “We do not need to wait until the future to see this group’s accomplishments – they have already made a difference. Graduates, you are leaving PVC a better place than you found it years ago.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward R. Fuhrman Jr. also provided remarks. He shared the example of rocks and rock walls to illustrate the ways in which people, all different and distinct, can work together to form strong groups. “The power we gain from each other, from our teammates, is so much greater than we as individuals can ever hope to have,” he said. “And like a rock wall, we can fit together, each playing a part while retaining our unique characteristics.”
Board of Education President Giuseppina Miller addressed the group and read a poem, encouraging the students to believe in themselves. Student Council President Wilma Abam-DePass delivered the message from the eighth grade on behalf of her classmates and reflected on many memories from the past three years, while also extending thanks to staff and family members. Throughout the ceremony, the chorus and string ensemble performed musical interludes.
As Dr. Ulm presented the middle school diplomas and Assistant Principal Michael Plotkin congratulated the graduates, high school Principal Alan Capasso welcomed the soon-to-be freshmen who will enter new doors in September. The ceremony was followed by a reception courtesy of the PTA.
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Seniors Honored at Awards Night
Croton-Harmon High School, faculty members and school district administrators congratulated graduating seniors at the annual Croton-Harmon High School Senior Awards Ceremony on June 23. Students were recognized for their academic and athletic achievements, as well as their work in the community.“We gather to honor those seniors who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in various areas while at Croton-Harmon High School,” Principal Alan Capasso said.
Among the award presenters were Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward Fuhrman, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Deborah O’Connell and Assistant High School Principal Mark Maxam. Don Daubney presented the Croton Lions Club Award, Rachel Pilla presented the Lacey Carr Scholarship, Dennis Kooney presented the Croton Yacht Club Award, Jacqueline Bufi presented the Rachelle Gambino Award and Anne Kennedy presented the Croton Caring Committee Award, to name a few.“The thing that’s really exciting is seeing all the different talents,” said senior class advisor Daniel Delaney, who was one of the award presenters. “The school honors athletic, academic and community involvement. It’s a very close-knit community. It’s exciting and fulfilling to watch [the students] be acknowledged.”
Awards and Scholarships:
• AAUW Outstanding Student Award — Maya Levine• AAUW Writing Award — Miriam Rose• American Legion Scholarship Awards — Kyle Rossini (Arthur L. Redding Boys’ Memorial) and Erin Livingston (Madeline G. Dobbs Girls’ Memorial)• Antonio C. Martinez Memorial Award — Maya Levine• CHHS Alumni Association Scholarship — Erin Livingston, Connor Griffin• Christopher McDonough Memorial Award — Richard Leach• Christos Zaharias Memorial Scholarship — Connor Griffin• Class of 1985 Memorial Scholarship — William Livingston• Croton Booster Club — Erin Livingston, Nicholas Derbabian, Gabriella Miller, Benjamin Vasta• Croton Booster Club/Len Gober Award — Blaise Jacobson• Croton Booster Club/Mary Brooks Award — Kristina Traditi, Peter Dinger• Croton Caring Committee Award — Lexi Milano• Croton Police Association Award in Memory of Charles Riegel — Eric Gaccione• Croton Yacht Club Scholarship — Richard Leach• Humanity Scholarship — Theresa Judge• Lacey Carr Memorial Scholarship — Carolina Pauta• Marjorie E. Castro Scholarship — Leo DiRusso• Mark E. deGroat Memorial Scholarship — Claire Wixted, Sonia Ferrante, Tyler Scelza, Shaun McEntee, Kathryn Tuttle• Mary Ann Miller Memorial Scholarship — William Garone, Nicholas Minett• Michael Bencivenga Memorial Scholarship — David Gutierrez• Michael Cawley Memorial Scholarship — Delaney Buccellato-Ritchie• OSEETAH Award for French Studies — Jacy Pare• Peekskill/Cortlandt Women’s Club Award — Jacy Pare• Rachelle Gambino Music Award — Jack Redsecker• Richard Albert Scholarship — Sebastian Gonzalez, Kiara Curtin• Robert D. Schulze Scholarship — Jacy Pare, Connor Thomann• Student Faculty Congress Scholarship Award — Vivian Vaisman• Vic Ridder Memorial Scholarship — Richard Leach• Art Award — Julia Vindigni• Book Award — Vivian Vaisman, Michelle Kenny• Carol Powell Loatman Music Award — Christine Turturro• English Award — Caroline Barnes• Environment Award — Tyler Scelza• Fred Blais Actor Award — Matteus van der Wilden, Emeline DiCroce• French Award — Caroline Barnes• History Award — Caroline Barnes• Josephine Neff Memorial Award — Claire Wixted, Bradley D’Auria, Daniel Vlad, Samantha Dominello• Mandarin Award — Benjamin Shapiro• Marge Valzania Memorial Student Service Award — Caitlyn DeMichele, Carolina Pauta• Mary Marrin Award — Caroline Barnes• Math Award — Lexi Milano• Sara Tykol Memorial Scholarship — Jordan Ogihara, Nicholas Derbabian• Science Award — Emily Grossman• Science Research Award — Emily Grossman• Spanish Award — Lexi Milano• Stage Crew Award — Delaney Buccellato-Ritchie• Theater Crew Award — Samuel Davidson• Virginia McGrath Memorial Scholarship — Angela Pepdjonovic, Brianna Toback• Croton Lions Club Scholarship Awards — Amelia Mullins (Terry Fiorentino Achievement Award), Thomas Kaplan (Joe Rose and George Smalls Community Service Award), William Garone (Sal Vassallo and Perry Lipkin Leadership Award)• Croton Rotary Club, Stanley Kellerhouse Scholarship — Taylor Penberthy, Shane Mozzor, Kyle Rossini• New York State Education Department Scholarships for Academic Excellence — Michelle Kenny, Connor Griffin, Caroline Barnes, Samara Levy, Miriam Rose• Hudson Valley Gateway Award — Caroline Barnes
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