Voyages by Suzanne Davis

Voyages S U M M E R

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www.valhallaschools.org

CONTENTS

Award Winning Publication of the Valhalla Union Free School District Dear Parents and Community Members, Congratulations to our students and staff for a successful 2011-12 school year! Kensico School teacher Mrs. Mona Voelkel has been offering a literacy workshop this summer for our teachers entitled "I Can.”

A Long, Sweet Ride for Valhalla’s Retiring Bus Driver...2

The purpose of the workshop is to focus on the new Common Core Learning Standards and to describe the curriculum with student-based “I Can” statements. This is only one of the many learning opportunities being offered for our staff this summer, and "I Can" was a perfect theme for the 2011-12 school year. As you read this and past issues of Voyages, I hope you will be proud of the many and diverse accomplishments of our students and staff. From championship athletic teams to graduating with a 100.68 GPA to passing our first budget under the new Tax Cap legislation, the stories tell of hard work, determination and a Valhalla "I Can" spirit. Moving forward into the 2012-13 school year, an “I Can” vision will clearly be the focus we need. Together, the Board of Education, Leadership Team, the district’s partners and community, will make decisions that will carry the district firmly into the future. Taking forward that idea of “I Can,” there’s nothing the district can’t do for its students.

Valhalla Celebrates 50 Years of Graduations with Class of 2012 ....................................3

Wishing each of you a happy, healthy and restful summer. Dr. Brenda Myers, Superintendent of Schools

Workshop: Turning Difficult Common Core Prose into Kid-Friendly Terms With implementation of the More Graduation Photos .......6-7

state’s adopted Common Core Learning Standards looming on the horizon for schools across New York, teachers in Valhalla have been preparing with training sessions and workshops.

Voyages and Victories...........10

While the Common Core sets the bar higher for what students are expected to learn in English Language Arts and math in grades K-12, the way the standards are written is a little daunting, especially for younger students.

Workshop participants, left to right, seated: Michelle Della Sala, Linda Guzzo, Mona Voelkel, Bill Wright. Standing: Melissa Salles, Pat Trehy, Marcia Williams and Linda Carpentieri.

At the Kensico School, Mona Voelkel, the Reading Specialist for grades three and four, ran a workshop in June to help teachers not only better understand CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Voyages "I Can" Workshop.... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the standards, but to figure out ways to reword them in kid-friendly language for classroom instruction. “The standards are great, but they don’t translate that well for kids,” Mrs. Voelkel said. “With a little thinking from a child’s point of view, we can translate the standards into the language of our classroom.” “I Can” Statements Simplify Language Mrs. Voelkel suggests taking the end goal of each standard and breaking it down using “I Can” statements children can better understand and put into practical use. For example, one Common Core Standard requires grade four students to be able to: “Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.” An easier translation of this standard for children might be: • I can identify the main idea of a non-fiction paragraph • I can identify the main idea of a non-fiction article • I can identify key details that support my main idea • I can summarize non-fiction text “I Can” statements for each standard would be made visible in the classroom, ensuring that students are always aware of the goals as they’re learning, Mrs. Voelkel said. “Visibility is an important tenent of instruction.” Workshop participants included teachers Marcia Williams, Pat Trehy, Linda Guzzo, Kathy Adams, Michelle Della Sala, Melissa Salles, Kathy Pappalardo, Bill Wright and Library Media Specialist Linda Carpentieri.

During the daylong workshop, the teachers selected a standard from the Common Core, reworked it into simpler language and created some sub-goals. The teachers also reviewed data from recent state reading tests for incoming second, third and fourth graders to determine what their needs are. As well as areas for improvement, “we focused on the strengths of each child because that’s important,” Mrs. Voelkel said. “We want to have a balanced picture.” About the Common Core The Common Core establishes minimum standards for each grade level in ELA and math, with the goal of preparing students for college and the workforce by the time they exit high school. New state exams that reflect Common Core Learning Standards will replace New York standards for these subjects starting in school year 2012-13. This past school year, the state requested that all teachers develop at least one Common Corealigned unit each semester as a minimum in preparation for the new exams. Last summer, the district formed the Common Core Standards & 21st Century Learning Committee, led by VMS Principal Dr. Steven Garcia and VMHS Assistant Principal Angela Aguilar, to study the Common Core and determine how best to embed the new standards in existing instruction. Teachers of literacy, math and the arts from each school sit on the committee. “We’ve been very lucky that Dr. Myers has given us a lot of space and time to participate in workshops related to the Common Core,” Mrs. Voelkel said. “We’ve had a lot of support. I definitely think there’s always room for improvement and that the Common Core Standards will give us an opportunity to work hard and improve our instruction.”

Fan Us on Facebook, Watch Us on YouTube The Valhalla Union Free School District can now be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/valhallaschools, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/valhallaschools, and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/valhallaschools.

A Long, Sweet Ride for Valhalla’s Retiring Bus Driver The wheels on the bus will still go ‘round and ‘round, but without Ken Michel in the driver’s seat. Valhalla’s longtime bus driver is retiring after 23.5 years behind the wheel of bus #7, the only bus the district owns. At an average of 12,000 miles a year, Mr. Michel “The entire district will miss has logged about him,” says Superintendent Dr. Brenda Myers of bus driver Ken 270,000 miles Michel, who is retiring after 23.5 driving Valhalla’s years with the district. “He has been a huge resource, constantly students to and from school five lending a hand and being a friendly face for our students days a week, not and staff.” including the field trips and sports games he shuttles them to, and the special mail deliveries he makes on behalf of the district. He started out with bus #3 and drove four other van-sized vehicles over the next 23.5 years. Although he has enjoyed his run as Valhalla’s one and only full-time bus driver, Mr. Michel had just had enough of getting up at 5:30 a.m. and the nightmarish traffic on the Tappan Zee Bridge on his way home to Nanuet every evening. When he got home one winter day after sitting for hours in traffic because of a car fire on the bridge, Mr. Michel talked over the idea of retiring with his wife Kathy, a school bus driver instructor who retired five years ago from Clarkstown Schools in Rockland County. She backed him up and advised him to take a year off to rest, spend time with their six grown children and 11 grandchildren, and travel a bit. “It’s been a nice 23-and-a-half years here,” he said about his time in Valhalla. “I have no regrets at all. There were ups and downs, but overall I loved it. Retiring was not an CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

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easy decision, but it was the right one.” Having six children and 11 grandchildren made Mr. Michel a natural as a school bus driver, a job he also held in Clarkstown for two years before making the move to Valhalla. Handling kids came pretty easy for him, thanks to so much personal experience. “After the first two days of the school year, you read the kids the riot act,” he joked. He made sure the students understood what he considered to be appropriate behavior on his bus, which, in a nutshell, meant “no standing, no screaming and no changing seats when the bus is moving. I tell them what I want on my bus, but you’re always going to have someone who’s going to push the limits and try and get around it, especially the little kids!” Nevertheless, Mr. Michel’s young passengers rarely gave him a hard time, although he’d heard stories from other bus drivers about getting hit in the back of the head with flying pencils. “That never happened on my bus!” he said. Being a school bus driver isn’t all about rules. There’s some emotion and nostalgia in the mix, too. “I had a couple of students that I’ve driven from kindergarten to graduation,” he said. “You really become familiar with the children. You know their faces. You know where they get on and off, who’s there to pick them up. In the morning, they’re still tired. But when they get out of school, they’re so energetic; they can’t wait to get out.” And like the students he has driven all these years, Mr. Michel, too, can’t wait to get out of school. He’s already planning trips with his wife to Niagara Falls and to Ohio to visit friends they made on an Alaska cruise two years ago. He recently renewed his driver’s license so that if he’s ever ready, he can drive vans for a small bus company near his home that he can walk to. One thing’s for certain – he doesn’t do mornings anymore. “I’m not getting up! I don’t want to be on a schedule,” he said. “If I wake up at 7, which will probably never happen, that’ll be early enough.”

Valhalla Celebrates 50 Years of Graduations with Class of 2012 Ninety-one VHS seniors walked the stage on June 22 to receive their longawaited and hard-earned diploma during a commencement that marked another special occasion – Valhalla’s fiftieth graduation. “We are ready to go, but not quite ready to leave,” said Mary Trujillo, whose 100.68 overall GPA during her four years of high school put her at the top of the list of Valedictorian candidates. “When people cry on the last day of school or this evening, it is not from joy that we are leaving, but from knowing how much love there is here for us, how much we will miss our teachers and our friends, and the simple knowledge that we always knew where we were going and what we could do. “But now we’re no longer children enjoying Fun in the Sun at Virginia Road, going to Nature’s Classroom, to Washington DC, or even down those familiar hallways knowing where our classes are and who we could sit next to at lunch,” she said. Ready to Leave, Ready for the World Mary, who will attend MIT in the fall, said that despite the struggle with which she and her classmates contend about what they will do next, where they will go and who they will become, “the truth is, we are ready to leave. We have outgrown

Valhalla. It may be hard to realize that school will go on without us, that we are replaceable to an extent, that the friends we laughed with and shared secrets with will find new best friends next year. But the sorrow from such a realization can never be as paralyzing as the fear of realizing what would happen if we were never to leave. If, in fact, high school was the best four years of our lives. Please don’t misunderstand – Valhalla is not some unloved place. It is a resting spot. A place to gain knowledge and social skills so that we can press play and continue on our journey.” The evening was filled with speeches by Superintendent Dr. Brenda Myers, VHS Principal Jon Thomas, Salutatorian Jane Jacob and Senior Class President James Fulgenzi, who left these words with his classmates: “Believe in yourself, give yourself to the world, and in so doing, believe that the world will give its best to you.” With an overall four-year GPA of 100.5 and acceptance to Harvard University in the fall, Salutatorian Jane Jacob said the Class of 2012, despite its small size, “has definitely left its mark on Valhalla.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Sports teams have advanced farther than ever in the district’s history, especially the Varsity baseball and softball programs, which have both won championships over the past two years. “As excited as we are to move on to new things, we’ve really grown to love this place,” and have found comfort doing familiar things “like chilling out on the library sofa because it was the senior hang out spot and wandering through the halls during my free period,” she said. “I’m going to miss all those class parties where everyone just has chips, soda and cookies, and the Candy Cane tournament. Thank you to Valhalla for giving us a lot to remember.” Gifts Galore for Valhalla The senior class officers – James Fulgenzi (President), Gisella Drago (Vice President), Samantha Franzese (Secretary) and Mariah Koeltl (Treasurer) – made the pres-

entation of the senior class gift: a portable scoreboard to be shared by the baseball and softball teams so that fans can keep track of the scores. Grads Julian Guy and Lesly Mejia-Flores together presented another class gift of the senior mural depicting a sunset that will be hung in the school. “When the Vikings set sail for new lands and found America, they went forth boldly and courageously to fight the dragons they thought would meet them along their way,” Julian said. “But after defeating them, they set sail again looking for new lands to conquer. We are those Vikings, leaving the conquered land of VHS and going on to a new quest, to new lands to begin a new chapter of our lives. And so we are very excited to present this year's senior mural.“ Really? Dr. Brenda Myers, like all of the district’s administrators, was dressed in her own cap and gown. She told the graduating seniors that she often hears a word that

has become overused: really. "When you listen to it, it really means unbelievable. And you know, as I look at you – really? You’re inspiring. You’re awesome. We’re very proud of you. From the academic extremes to the artistic expression, to the special successes out on the field, to the caring contributions you’ve made to our community and society. Really? You are incredible.” She said she has a favorite phrase – infinite potential. “Infinite being endless and potential being that source of energy you still have to tap. I think that phrase describes you when I think about the future, the next 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years, we’re going to read about you, hear about you – Facebook, Twitter, Tweet, blog and some other form of communication we have yet to know. And what we’ll learn about these graduates who are making our world a better place is that someone here will find a cure for cancer, negotiate world peace and ensure no child goes hungry. These students here will start a new play on

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Broadway, create art that rivals the Mona Lisa, and engineer new technology so that no one ever suffers from paralysis again. You see, that’s the kind of hope that we have for you because of what you've shown us so far.” Quoting author Edith Wharton, Dr. Myers said that there are two ways to spread light: be a candle or be the mirror that reflects it. “As a class, you have been our candle and you have been our mirror and you help us shine. We know you will continue to light the way and we will watch in great pride all of your accomplishments.” Fifty Years Later, the Questions Are Still the Same Before handing out diplomas, VHS Principal Jon Thomas also had some thoughts to share with his departing students. Fifty years ago, Valhalla’s first graduating class would have sat on the stage having

the same thoughts and feelings as their counterparts in 2012, he said. They, too, would have wondered about their future, what they would do next with their lives and who they would become. “Take solace in the fact that every graduate who has gone through the same ceremony that you have has faced the same set of questions. And guess what! There are no answers to these questions yet. You want to keep asking the questions, but the answers are still being developed. “Right now, your future is a clean sheet of paper waiting to be written on. You can choose to write a word, a sentence, a paragraph or a novel. The choice is yours. Face the world and all that it has to offer you. But remember -- Valhalla has been there for you in the past, it is there for you now, and it will be there for you in the future.”

Jane’s Top 10 Pieces of Advice Salutatorian Jane Jacob gave her class her own Top 10 pieces of advice to take away:

10. Don't be so quick to get out of school and grow up. You're going to miss these days, so try something new and make lots of memories. 9. Don't hold grudges because they're nearly never worth it. Take things with a grain of salt. 8. Don't leak to Wikipedia one day because it probably has saved your life multiple times. Not to mention the inventors of Google. We all owe you one. 7. Remember you're young. You're not very smart compared to the rest of the world, so it's okay to make mistakes. 6. Don't be too quick to judge because you'd be surprised. 5. Don't get into drama unless drama always seems to find you, in which case, you're good. 4. Most of what you learn will be outside of the classroom, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to class. 3. If you don't have your driver’s license by now, please try to go get one. 2. Learn to take responsibility for the mistakes you made and not just the achievements. 1. Take a deep breath once in a while and realize things really will be okay.

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Congratulations, Class

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of 2012!

Voyages Moving Up Ceremonies! Second, fifth and eighth grade students all have something in common every June: they move up to the next grade at a new school! Virginia Road, the Kensico School and Valhalla Middle School traditionally send off these up-and-coming students with a ceremony, parties, music and song. Congratulations, students!

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Voyages Voyages and Victories Summer Fun at Kensico Field Day It just wouldn’t be summer without the Kensico School’s always highly anticipated annual field day! After end-of-theyear exams, the kids got to break free in June with relay races, games and water pistol action!

PJ/Movie Day at VRES Pajama-clad cuties got to spend a day in June all comfy-cozy in their PJs and slippers and watch movies – their reward for the district school budget vote passing on May 15. The day’s blustery weather was perfect for staying indoors to watch “Charlotte’s Web,” “Finding Nemo” and other kid-friendly favorites.

Fun in the Sun K-2 students had field day fun the week of June 11 during Virginia Road's annual three-day Fun in the Sun romp, with outdoor games and picnic lunches. The little ones competed in relay and scooter races, played soccer and used bubblemakers to make giant bubbles. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Voyages Voyages and Victories

VHS Foreign Language Honor Society Welcomes 28 Twenty-eight Italian and Spanish language students joined the VHS Foreign Language Honor Society during the group’s sixth annual induction ceremony in May. Induction into the FLHS is an honor bestowed upon students who have studied a language for four years, starting in the seventh grade, and who have maintained a 90-plus average during that time.

Music, Music, Music! The finest singers and musicians from VMHS performed for family, friends and staff during spring concerts in May.

Stars Shine in Music Man Jr. VMS students staged a musical production of Music Man Junior in May. The story is about a con man who tricks the residents of River City, Iowa, into believing they need a boys’ band and plans to skip town once the boys have paid for their instruments and uniforms. Only the goodness and love of the town’s librarian turn him into an honest man. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Valhalla Union Free School District 316 Columbus Avenue Valhalla, NY 10595

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID White Plains, NY Permit No.9501

Board of Education LaVerne Clark, President Joseph Garbus, Vice President James Adams Valentina Belvedere Ronald Cavallo Alan Higgs Robert Ierace Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brenda Myers School Business Official Christina Howe Newsletter Editor Suzanne Davis Contributing Photographer Susan Rossi

This district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, marital status, gender, age or disability in its educational programs and employment practices.

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VMHS Art Show From sculptures and paintings to pencil drawings and other whimsical works, the annual VMHS Art Show in May was a treasure trove of student art.

Art and Music Go Together at KS Kensico School students went to town creating all kinds of art --- murals, clay pieces, masks and paintings, for their very own art show in May, but the show was a double treat for visitors thanks to music performed by the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jazz band, orchestra and chorus. 12