A Look at Activities in the Livingston Manor Central School District
A Special Section of the
March 18, 2014 Section L Callicoon, NY
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Focus on Common Core’s learning goals pays off at LMCS
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Livingston Manor Drama Club co-directors Kelly VanDemark and Daniel Smith and lead actors Brandon Sparkman and Nathaniel DePaul agree that ‘Willy Wonka’ is a musical with a message. The play is set to open on Friday, May 16.
Staging ‘Willie Wonka’ is hard work and all play
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randon Sparkman becomes adept at memorization and plumbing the meaning behind the lines. Nathaniel DePaul polishes his public speaking skills and works on varying word articulation. A school musical is as much about growth and skill building as it is about fun — especially if you’re Willy Wonka (Brandon) and the second male lead, Charlie the poor kid who wins a contest over arrogant rich kids and inherits Wonka’s amazing chocolate factory (Nathaniel). A huge gathering of 60 children from kindergarten through 12th grade comprise the cast of “Willy Wonka,” the school’s choice for its spring musical. “This is a highly anticipated event,” said teacher Daniel Smith, who codirects the Livingston Manor Drama Club along with colleague Kelly VanDemark. “There are 40 oompa-loompas alone,” adds VanDemark, referring to the wacky workers in Wonka’s worldfamous candy business. In choosing “Wonka” with its frenetic and funny Disneyworld-type sets, the co-directors are targeting an audience of younger children. “We hope it will spark interest in
the younger kids so we can build our program,” said VanDemark. “So the young ones can eventually be oompa-loompas.” Rehearsals take place now for three days a week from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., but those days and hours will extend as the spring season itself progresses. The story features the adventures of young Charlie inside the chocolate factory of the eccentric Wonka, who is seeking a successor to take over his business. Charlie wins out over four other children who are, in turn, spoiled, abrasive, gluttonous and tantrum throwing. “It’s about character, about really being respectful, and that spoiled kids don’t win out,” said Smith. It’s also about the power of being cheerful and positive, the group agreed. So it’s not a stretch to predict that most of Livingston Manor will find itself reporting to the school on opening night Friday, May 16. That’s the evening when, after months of practicing their lines, songs and dance steps, five dozen children will find themselves costumed, made up and ready for the curtain to rise on the first Livingston Manor staging of “Willie Wonka.”
tudents at Livingston Manor Central School are absorbed in higher-level thinking, deeper problem-solving and a greater understanding of math concepts as the District embraces the Common Core State Standards. “Our staff is working above and beyond to implement the Common Core,” said Principal Sandra Johnson. “We’re really excited.” Livingston Manor has given teachers extensive staff development sessions, including training by BOCES during the summer. The District provides staff with special time to collaborate with their grade-level colleagues and offers them release time to study the new modules, or the actual lessons they teach to their students. At an open house earlier in the
school year, a Powerpoint presentation explained to parents the District’s implementation of the Common Core over the last two and a half years. The hard work is reaping rewards, as students tackle depth in subject matter and develop critical thinking skills. “The amount of learning is escalating as a result of the new teaching practices,” said Principal Johnson. “Teachers are telling me that students are keeping up with the rigor of the Common Core. After giving a test on one module to her students, a teacher told me the students are (already) doing very well.” “Other teachers tell me,” said Johnson, “that they feel like new teachers — in a good way.”
Principal Sandra Johnson lauds teachers and students for digging into the academic standards of the Common Core, which is boosting expectations and student achievement.
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Kids rise and shine at new after-school enrichment program
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or some 210 Livingston Manor students, the hours after 3 p.m. and before dinner don’t involve tons of TV watching or texting their friends. Instead, they study the Japanese language, or work on set design for an upcoming school musical, or learn the ancient art of yoga. And they’re engaged first in homework completion and/or tutoring help — all part of the new afterschool program called RISE. Paid for by a federal 21st Century Learning Communities Grant, RISE stands for Rigorous Interventions Support Excellence. The nearby Roscoe School District applied for the grant with Livingston Manor and Downsville districts as part of the package. The $750,000 award is shared among the districts. “In Livingston Manor, there are very few opportunities for enrichment and recreation activities,” explained LMCS Principal Sandra Johnson. That is precisely the point of 21st Century Learning Communities program, which is administered through the U. S. Department of Education. The intent of Learning Communities is to level the playing field for students in low-wealth communities by offering the kinds of programs available to children in high wealth areas. With RISE, said site coordinator Paul Favata, students get the extra help they need and the exciting enrichment opportunities they want. In addition, working parents benefit from knowing their children are in
RISE coordinator Paul Favata takes attendance at popular after-school program assisted by fellow teacher Julie Bauer.
a safe after-school environment. “Our school and our families are very excited,” said Favata, who teaches science at LMCS. “I really like it because it’s fun,” agrees seventh grader Annette Perez, who stays after school for a yoga class and is also learning ping-pong. “I get to do my homework and spend time with my friends,” she said. The District is also noticing that bad behavior referrals have plummeted by half since RISE was launched in November. The program begins each after-
noon with a snack in the school cafeteria. Students then report to classrooms for an hour of tutoring and homework help. Then the K-6 grade students enjoy educational and recreational activities provided at the school by staff from the Sullivan County Branch of the Boys and Girls club. Games, crafts, dance, edible projects, singing and computer enrichment are all part of the afternoon. A special computer program allows individual students to boost their standardized test scores by engaging
in interactive learning similar to an on-screen TV show or video game. At the same time, seventh through 12th graders engage in activities offered by Livingston Manor teachers and staff, along with some 20 community members. All told, 60 adults are involved in the program. The 7-12 grade enrichment activities include a competitive outdoors club called Envirathon, a Japanese Language and Culture Club, art, weight training, set design, ping pong, an audio-visual club and a school store/career club just starting. Auto mechanics is planned for the spring. High School students Ashley Madison and Brent Carlson are studying Japanese with Emily Lee, who is a substitute teacher at the school. Both teens are fans of the Japanese animation comics Anime and Manga and they wanted to learn more, they said. “This is great,” said Carlson. “It’s too bad that I’m a senior and won’t be coming back for more next year.”
All photographs and stories for this special School Scene are by Sullivan County Democrat Photographer/Reporter Kathy Daley. The Democrat would also like to thank the Livingston Manor and Roscoe School Districts for all their cooperation in this project.
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o far, they have reached El Paso, Texas. The waist-band pedometers are the smallest piece of new fitness equipment that’s got the school buzzing with healthy activity. “There’s been a big push in the past two years for more staff wellness� in addition to the initiative to get students physically active, said District physical education teacher David Eggleton, who is also the Athletic Director. Just as society recognizes the importance of health and wellness to students’ reaching their full academic potential, so does the ability for staff to keep fit lower school spending in terms of absences and health insurance costs, said Assistant Principal Chris Hubert. So this year the wellness push has spawned major changes at the
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Tenth grader Katie Spencer takes time to work out on a new treadmill at her school’s newlyoutfitted and expanded fitness center.
school’s previously small and aging fitness area. “We doubled the size of the room and created two rooms – a weight training room and a fitness room,� said Eggleton. The rooms feature two new treadmills, two new ellipticals for cardiovascular workouts, two new recumbent bikes and two new spinning bikes. “Our Wellness Program invites students and staff to go in and use the rooms, to get physical fitness each day or a few times each week,� Eggleton said. He added that at some point in the future, the center will open to the local community. Students use the room during gym class or, if they are athletes, for training and conditioning. An Open Gym after school attracts students, and school employees use the school
after 3 p.m. as well. A new high school elective focuses on the proper use of fitness equipment. Weight training classes are now offered on the middle school and high school level, pointed out Physical Education and Health teacher Adam Larson. In the fall, a training session for the school’s adults focused on the importance of fitness and how to use the weight and fitness equipment, Larson added. “Some (staff) were experiencing a room like that for the first time,� said Larson. “It was great to see a lot of staff members utilize the equipment.� As for students, “it’s really important for them to get in there and get a background in weight training if they want to play college sports,� Larson noted. “It’s important for everybody to get physically fit.�