Eldred School Scene 2015

A look at activities in the Eldred Central School District

SCHOOL SCENE A Special Supplement to the Sullivan County Democrat

SECTION E • FEBRUARY, 2015 • CALLICOON, NY

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ELDRED SCHOOL SCENE

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

FEBRUARY, 2015

Eldred CS District: Obstacles are for overcoming “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eye off the goal.” – Henry Ford

I

t’s the day after Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State Address, and Eldred Superintendent Robert Dufour is not pleased with the message.

The State of the State usually gives school business officials and superintendents a snapshot of the governor’s proposed educational funding package. From this information the first estimates, called state aid runs, are released to districts and the budget development process can begin.

This year, this critical information is being withheld until the state legislature agrees to adopt the governor’s Educational Reform Agenda. So what are school districts to do?

“It is unprecedented for the state to hold the release of these runs,” explains Dufour. “They are holding school districts hostage and we’ll be

Eldred Central School District Superintendent Robert Dufour confidently believes the district can move forward, despite a number of recent setbacks.

using last year’s numbers to begin the process. We can’t let this stop our progress – the world keeps moving and so does Eldred.”

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and Eldred has been

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doing that a lot lately. Although the district failed to receive a major statewide grant to increase their prekindergarten program, they made a decision to do whatever it would take to increase it anyway using grant funding.

In December, a capital project referendum was voted down by taxpayers, which would have funded basic infrastructure repairs to the tune of $5.5 million. Now what? “Now we just find a way to fix what absolutely must be fixed. All the vote means is the community did not agree with the Board [of Education]. But repairs are necessary for the safety of our students and staff, so we will find a way.”

It will take more than a few setbacks to get this district down, and the bright, sunny spots will require that lemonade. Grants are being actively sought and state representatives are being enlisted to help Eldred expand to a two-classroom, full day pre-K program in the 2015-16 school year.

The music program has been

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A Look at Activities in the

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named one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation (National Assoc. of Music Merchants) two years in a row and it is estimated that at least one third of the school population at Eldred is involved in music and the arts.

Funding from an STLE Grant or Strengthening Teacher Leadership Effectiveness, has put the development of the curriculum where it belongs – in the hands of those who are teaching it. “The dedication and ownership that our teachers have displayed in this process is truly inspiring,” says Dufour.

In most districts where Common Core is uttered with disdain, the STLE grant is helping the district’s teacherleaders develop a curriculum that works for their students.

“Common Core has merits, if done correctly,” believes Dufour. “We just needed the time to figure that out.

Our strengths far outnumber our weaknesses and really, there’s no stopping us now.”

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STLE grant gives teachers opportunity to ‘right the ship’ rant funding, especially in difficult economic times, can often be a saving grace for school districts. At Eldred, an $80,000 Strengthening Teacher Leadership Effectiveness (STLE) Grant is helping teachers develop the next phase of the district’s Common Core curriculum while building strong leaders from within.

The goal of the grant is to foster leadership by helping districts improve student achievement and overall performance through a strategic focus on teaching and the learning methods used to teach students.

There are multiple areas in which the grant is being used including teacher training and professional development, curriculum development and the most important facet of all – literacy.

“Our teachers looked at each individual method used to teach our students and found that the EngageNY modules were developmentally

inappropriate in many ways in both ELA (English Language Arts) and math,” says Superintendent Robert Dufour. “So they researched methodologies they felt were better suited and are now creating and building the curriculum around that. It gives them the chance to right the ship, if you will, in our district.”

Two teachers who are at the forefront in guiding the STLE Grant initiatives are Marikate Oset and Josh Glantz, both Social Studies teachers at Eldred. Oset, a literacy coach, is making the connection between the new curriculum and literacy.

“The new standards are highly reading intensive – even in math,” she said. “We need to see where we can make connections on how kids can use academic vocabulary across all disciplines so they become more comfortable when they encounter it.”

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Marikate Oset, left, and Josh Glantz have taken advantage of the $80,000 grant the district received.

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Full day Pre-K to expand in 2015-16 I

n the Pre-K classroom at the Mackenzie Elementary School, the class of 2028 is sitting in a neat semi-circle, learning about their five senses. As the scent of a mystery liquid gently wafts toward their noses, the smell is familiar. “It smells like cookies!” says one excited 5-year-old. He isn’t far off – the scent is vanilla.

In the past, when the Pre-K program consisted of two half-day classes, a fleeting four hours each, deeper discussions about this topic and allowing time to waft scents might not have been possible. But this year, the full-day program gives students the chance to do so.

The full day program is beneficial in many ways, but it’s not enough.

There are currently nine children on a waiting list for this year alone. Shut out of New York State’s round of PreK grant funding last year, the Board of Education and Superintendent Robert Dufour have made it their mission to find a way.

“We are applying for federal funding and exploring other grant opportunities as well,” says Dufour, “But we are actively planning on two fullday classrooms for the 2015-16 school year.”

Started in 2007, the program prepares the youngest of students for the rigors of kindergarten. It seems like a contradiction in terms; kindergarten isn’t supposed to be rigorous, but the learning standards of Common Core have set the bar higher.

Where kindergarten was once a

“Math skills that were once taught in kindergarten are now taught at this level. They also begin basic reading skills . . . so it is our job to get them ready to read . . .”

Karen Tuso Pre-K Teaching Assistant | place for children to learn the basics, those skills are now learned in the Pre-K setting. “Math skills that were once taught in kindergarten are now taught at this level,” explains Pre-K Teaching Assistant Karen Tuso. “They also begin basic reading skills at that level, so it is our job to get them ready to read and get them excited about reading.”

Full day Pre-K also gives the kids time to adjust to life in a school setting. “So much of the beginning of the year is learning the routine, learning the rules, social skills and safety,” says Pre-K Teacher Zita Yennie. “Full day allows us to get past those milestones and into the meat of the curriculum a lot quicker.”

In addition, the full day program allows teachers and learning specialists to get into a routine of assessing and addressing any needs students might have. “The earlier we can catch something like a speech

Pre-K Teacher Zita Yennie shares a mystery scent with her students during a lesson about the five senses.

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Pre-K Assistant Teacher Karen Tuso reads with Eldred’s one and only full-day Pre-K class. Next year, the district plans on adding a second classroom to accommodate more students.

issue, the easier it is to resolve,� says Yennie.

With so much emphasis on preparation for kindergarten and beyond,

has the fun of Pre-K gotten lost in the Common Core shuffle? “Not at all,� says Tuso. “We make learning fun every day.�

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The goal is to have teachers use the same academic vocabulary in lectures and on tests so students experience it from subject to subject. “Words like ‘discuss’ or ‘explain’ and even ‘relate the word to a visual’ can be stumbling blocks for kids. If we are all on the same page, then when they get to that Regents or other evaluation, they are able to succeed.,� Oset noted.

Josh Glantz is responsible for ongoing teacher training in the use of technology in the classroom. The district recently rolled out a Google platform school-wide, giving every student and teacher their own Gmail and Google account. Google Docs, a popular online collaborative word processing program, is being used throughout the district and Glantz estimates that at least half of the accounts created are being utilized regularly.

Teacher technology training from outside sources – including Sullivan BOCES and the district’s technology hardware provider, Teq Unlimited from Long Island – help round out the technology part of professional development for teachers. “We’ve always been a very technology-forward district, and our teachers have always been quick to adapt,� says Glantz. “I believe we had the first SmartBoard in the county,� he adds – in his classroom, of course.

The grant has also helped teachers work together to find solutions. “It has honed us in on making sure we have excellent training on a regular basis, provides resources and allowed us to focus our energies on creating the best curriculum for our students, Glantz explains. “That is, after all, the most important part of our job: being the best teachers we can be.�

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Music thrives at Eldred A

lthough Eldred is the third smallest district in Sullivan County, its music program is on par with schools twice or more its size – and it shows.

Thirty-seven students were selected district-wide to perform at the All-County Festival and that’s just on the instrumental side. Six students were selected to perform in the All County Jazz Band – as many as Monticello or Liberty.

What makes Eldred’s music program successful? The same thing that makes a successful musician – commitment, dedication, support and love of the art form.

Eldred’s music department consists of instrumental music teachers Brian Nivison (high school) and Brittany Robinson at Mackenzie Elementary. Both have taught at Eldred for the past nine years and together they have built up the pro-

Instrumental music teacher Brian Nivison works on an All-County Jazz Band piece with student David Powers.

Julia Kehrley practices her piece for the All-County Jazz Band concert coming up in March.

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gram so that from 12 students attending All-County it has now tripled.

Choral music instructor Justin Glodich joined the district six years ago and is responsible for Pre-K to 12th grade choral instruction and five choral groups, including the a capella group Key Elements. He is also the director of the Performing Arts Club.

More than music teachers, Nivison and Robinson are a driving force and a great example for their students, according to their colleague Glodich. “It comes down to their work ethic,” he says. “The students see how hard they work and how much they love it and want to emulate that.”

Offering as many opportunities as

possible for their students is also a ‘key element,’ to the programs’ success (pun intended). Take for example, the Eldred string section. While there is no orchestra for them to play in, 12 students were selected to perform in the All-County Orchestra. How can that be?

“That’s all Ms. Robinson,” says Nivison. A string major in college, Robinson never discouraged students who wanted to play stringed instruments. According to Nivison, “We just incorporate them into the band by re-arranging parts or having them play, say, a flute part. We want every student to enjoy music and to participate, so we’ll go above and beyond to make it work.”

Other exciting news for Eldred is that 16 students from the Key

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Eldred artists earn recognition SULLIVAN COUNTY — Eldred HS students were winners in a regionwide artistic competition.

Congratulations to the following students in Ms. Jennifer Powell’s Graphic Arts class who have been selected as 2015 Scholastic Art Awards Regional Winners: Gold Key Winners in Digital Art: Sebastian Barbarite, Cameron Conklin, SaraJane Drewett.

Gold Key in Photography: Savanna Finck Silver Key in Photography: James Fahnestock, Dylan Storms Silver Key in Digital Art: Jonathan Santoro Silver Key in Design: Emerson Heasman The district also had 13 Honorable

Mention Awards in numerous categories.

The work of Gold and Silver winners will be on display in the Fine Arts Building of SUNY New Paltz from February 6-24, 2015 The Scholastic Art Awards, which are open to students in grades 7-12, bring outstanding visual arts by teenagers to an audience by showcasing their remarkable work and encouraging their creative journey and career development.

This is a consortium of organizations – including Sullivan County BOCES – which have come together to organize and present the Regional Scholastic Art Awards Program for Sullivan, Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties.

Jackson McGril practices for All-County Jazz Band.

Elements will be performing at Carnegie Hall on March 29 at an event called the Distinguished Concert Singers International Total Vocal with Deke Sharon (Arranger/ Conductor, Pitch Perfect). With about 400 other a capella singers from around the world, the concert is certain to be an amazing experience for both performer and audience.

“The kids are working hard and the music is difficult, but they are incredibly excited about this opportunity,” says Glodich. “We’re lucky to be in a district that is committed to music and arts education. It truly makes all the difference.” **If you would like to see the Key Elements perform at Carnegie Hall, tickets are available at the Carnegie Hall website.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Winning region-wide arts awards were, front, from left: SaraJane Drewett, James Fahnestock and Savanna Finck. Back: Emerson Heasman, Cameron Conklin, Sebastian Barbarite and Jonathan Santoro.

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