Recently, students in Crisan Crozzoli, Jennifer Curry, and Teresa Fox’s classes from Balmville Media and Communications Center in Newburgh participated in an English Language Arts musical to coincide with the school’s Compact Committee goal of increasing ELA skills and the Arts.
The fifth grade teachers chose a musical titled, Pirates from Grammar Island, to energize their language arts curriculum. The script was introduced with a live reading, 60 vocabulary words, and 10 engaging songs. With a map in one hand and a dictionary in another, the students scour uncharted waters for grammatical goals: complete sentences, parts of speech, contractions, subject-verb agreement, correct punctuation and capitalization.
The colorful scenery came together under the supervision of Rene Goldsmith, a Balmville Teaching Assistant, who organized the stage crew students to build a larger than life treasure map and palm tree.
Recently, the Newburgh Enlarged City School District Early Childhood Development and Care Program held a special graduation for three and four year old students enrolled in the Teens and Tots Program at the Newburgh Free Academy North Campus.
The Early Childhood Development and Care Program, part of the Career and Technical Education Department, is designed for Newburgh Free Academy students who enjoy working with children and have set an early childhood career as part of their future goals. The program introduces the student to responsibilities for planning, preparing and caring for children in a group situation. In addition, students participate in the management of the Teens and Tots nursery program. The program provides students with real world experience in the education fields and acts a stepping stone for students that will pursue further schooling in the field of early education.
Recently, an opening reception was held to honor Art Through the Schools at the Ritz Theater and The Cornerstone Residence on Broadway in Newburgh. The annual art show, which began in 2005, celebrates the artwork from art programs in elementary and middle schools throughout the Newburgh Enlarged City School District as well as Newburgh Free Academy.
“The Newburgh Enlarged City School District Fine and Performing Arts Department is pleased to collaborate with the Ritz Theater on such a wonderful community event where the arts are celebrated. It is thrilling as an educator to be able to showcase the talent of our students in the Newburgh schools. The students put so much effort into their work and we are so proud of their creative accomplishments. The arts play an important role in developing students and increasing academic achievements,” explained Temple Hill Academy Art Teacher Elizabeth Cappello.
Tricia Haggerty Wenz, Executive Director of Safe Harbors of the Hudson and the Ritz Theater, explains “We are honored to host this art show for the sixth year in a row. It is such a pleasure for us to work with Newburgh’s dedicated art teachers to provide a venue to showcase the outstanding artistic works of their talented student.
The Newburgh Enlarged City School District is proud of continued student achievement in the Unlimited Horizons Program at Horizons-on-the-Hudson Magnet School. The Unlimited Horizons Program presents a unique opportunity for students in kindergarten through sixth grade to learn at an accelerated rate. The school is currently looking for students who excel in all academic areas and who achieve above and beyond the levels of their peers. Targeted students are intrinsically motivated, exhibit leadership ability, and possess the potential for exceptional intellectual ability and creativity.
Screening for entrance into next year’s Unlimited Horizons Accelerated Academic Program K-5 at Horizons-on-the-Hudson Magnet School, 137 Montgomery Street in the City of Newburgh and grade 6 at South Middle School, 33-63 Monument Street, in the City of Newburgh, will take place on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 9 a.m. at Horizons-on-the-Hudson Magnet School.
Unlimited Horizons is the school district’s only academically-accelerated program on the K-6 grade level. Horizons-on-the-Hudson is in the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate School. International Baccalaureate is a globally recognized program that develops inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The International Baccalaureate Organization works with Horizons to provide the students with challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. South Middle School is currently exploring the possibility of implementing an International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
Students from all over the district who are eligible for Unlimited Horizons are encouraged to attend one of the screenings, which includes a group-administered ability test battery to assess each student’s abilities in reasoning and problem solving. Incoming
students in grades K-2 will be interviewed as well and incoming students in grades 3-6 will complete an essay in addition to being interviewed.
Each class in the Unlimited Horizons Program follows an accelerated-pathways, honors-prep program which involves the students in curriculum work advanced by one year. Kindergartners, for example, follow a strong 1st grade curriculum. Sixth graders are better prepared to go into 7th Grade Honors classes at the middle school. Strong parental involvement is a crucial requirement of the program.
Since a limited numbers of seats are available for each grade level, the application process for the Unlimited Horizons Program requires interested students to demonstrate their ability to succeed in the program. Along with the testing mentioned above, criteria for entrance include high academic standing as shown by report card grades and teacher comments. Pre-K attendance with outstanding assessment is an indicator of success in this program. Attendance and discipline records will be part of the selection process. For further information about Unlimited Horizons, call Horizons-on-the-Hudson Magnet School at 563-3725.
By Kerry Butrick, Newburgh Enlarged City School District
Recently, students in the seventh grade Community & Government House at South Middle School met with influential citizens from the area who spoke to students about their experiences growing up in and around Newburgh. In addition, participants discussed why school is important and how to strive for a better life while achieving your goals.
Guest speakers included Jerome Pickett, a Secret Service Agent who has worked on President George Bush and Barak Obama detail, James Taylor of Taylor Recycling/Biomass, and Newburgh native Deanna Prisco, a New York City Police Department
Probation Officer.
Of the visit, teacher Jonelle Formato-Santo explained that the visit was well received by the appreciative students and the discussion inspired many students to change their way of thinking. “I am very thankful for the guest speakers. Living in Newburgh, a lot of kids would think that they wouldn’t become successful. But the three guests, Jerome Pickett, Deanna Prisco, and James Taylor are very successful and hearing them speak made myself and a lot of other students realize that it doesn’t matter where you live or where you’re from, but what you do with yourself and your life,” explained one student.
Pickett has been a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service for 12 years. In his time with the U.S. Secret Service, SA Pickett was assigned to the Presidential Protective Division (PPD) where he conducted protective advances under both the Obama and the Bush Administration. While a member of the PPD, SA Pickett was selected as a Protective Driver, where he drove the primary limousine for the U.S. President and visiting Heads of State/Government, to include the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. In addition to various professional accolades and experiences over the last several years, SA Pickett, a 9/11 survivor, was awarded a Medal of Valor by the United States Secret Service for his heroic actions following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Taylor, a graduate of Valley Central High School in Montgomery, is the founder of Taylor Biomass Energy as part of his family businesses’ commitment to waste reduction, recycling and reuse. He built the first of these businesses, Taylor Tree, Inc., into one of the New York Hudson Valley’s largest land clearing and tree service companies after buying the firm from his father, who founded it in 1956. Taylor led the firm’s transformation from a tree service business into Taylor Recycling, a leading recycler of construction and demolition debris. Taylor Recycling Facility LLC reputation grew even more as contractor for debris sorting/separating and recovery efforts after the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001.
Prisco, born and raised in New Windsor, is a product of Newburgh schools, including South Junior High and Newburgh Free Academy. She attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice and has a Bachelors degree in Forensic Psychology and a Masters in Public Administration. In 2005, Prisco began a career as a United States Probation Officer where, upon their release from custody, she supervises offenders convicted of federal crimes. In addition she is a certified defensive tactics instructor, CPR instructor, and is in charge of an office wide health/wellness program.
On Wednesday, April 13, 2011, Newburgh Free Academy staff and students raised approximately $3,600 during Empty Bowls, an annual event held to benefit the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. Empty Bowls is a national network of volunteer efforts to provide hunger relief. Each year, students from NFA ceramic classes volunteer to make one-of-a-kind bowls for the dinner. Students then volunteer their time to help serve a basic meal of soup, salad, fruit and bread for guests.
The donation for each meal is $15 – but guests keep the bowl to remember all year that there are plenty among us who face empty bowls each day. All proceeds go to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, the main food supplier to local food pantries and soup kitchens.
According to NFA French teacher Pilar Treus who helped organize the event, “The event was a success again this year. We hope to raise even more for the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley next year. We must remember in these difficult times that many people’s “bowls” don’t often get filled.”
In addition, door prize and raffles of many gift certificates from local businesses were donated for the event. Sponsors for Empty Bowls 2011 include: Commodore Chocolatier, Hannaford Supermarkets, Price Chopper, Wal-mart, Stop & Shop Supermarket, Shop Rite Vails Gate, Rockland Bakery, Adams Fairacre Farms, Showtime Cinemas, Rainbow Hair Salon, Morning Pond florist, Yuess Garden Florist, La Guadalupana Bakery, T. Marie Hair Salon, Nature’s Pantry, Billy Joe’s Ribworks, Longhorn Restaurant, Chris- Dian Florist, Stewart Shops, Leptondale Nursery, Zafar Produce, Devitts Nursery, NFA Cafeteria staff, and Jim Morrison.
Recently, students in Crisan Crozzoli, Jennifer Curry, and Teresa Fox’s classes from Balmville Media and Communications Center in Newburgh participated in an English Language Arts musical to coincide with the school’s Compact Committee goal of increasing ELA skills and the Arts.
