Faculty News Jessica Chen Presents at Balanced Mind Conference
Bill Hiss’ first Green Vale memory involves arriving in 1981, and being introduced to the students during outdoor assembly in the amphitheater which used to contain wooden benches. “I remember all those heads turning around to check out the new sports teacher.” He has coached boys soccer, basketball, and baseball teams ever since, along with P.E. classes for younger boys and girls. One of his favorite aspects of the job was the range of ages he taught. “You get to really see the kids grow up.”
Music teacher and choral director Jessica Chen was a featured presenter at the Balanced Mind Curriculum Conference, an annual professional development opportunity for Nassau County arts educators. With a mission of advancing arts education, the conference promotes content knowledge, pedagogical skill and professional inquiry.
Prior to joining Green Vale, Hiss played major league baseball for the Cleveland Indians. He had been drafted as a junior at Queens College, the 50th overall draft pick. His proudest athletic accomplishment was his selection as the best college shortstop (All-American), news he learned from an opponent while on second base.
She designed and presented a one-hour session entitled "Functional Piano Skills for General Music and Choral Educators in 5 Minutes a Day." The presentation was geared towards vocal/chorus educators looking to improve their piano skills for teaching purposes. Topics included:
Despite his own elite-level talent, Hiss is far more focused on the life lessons of sports, or what we would now call the social emotional learning opportunities that are wonderfully prevalent in sports.
• performance skills vs. functional skills • choosing piano skills suited to your needs • building harmonic fluency • creating accompaniments for melodies • simplifying a complicated score Enough attendees pre-registered for Chen’s session that she was asked to present it three times in one day. “I was thrilled that there seemed to be such a need for this topic,” says Chen.
“Green Vale gives everybody the opportunity to play and be part of a team. The point is for everybody to learn teamwork and sportsmanship, and how to treat others. When a substitute-level player comes in late in the game and scores the winning goal, that’s what youth sports is all about. We can all recognize it.” Hiss watched his son Kevin go through Green Vale, winning an athletic award at graduation and going on to play Division I baseball in college. He made countless friends among the faculty, including Mike Mattia who played at Hiss’ wedding. “Mike was one of the quiet ones who just do the right things for the kids.”
In past years, Chen has presented "Teaching Boys to Sing Well: K-8" and "Taking Your Chorus Concert to the Next Level”.
“I really just wanted to give back after all the great coaches I had,” says Hiss with characteristic humility. We predict countless former students will continue to pay Mr. Hiss’ gifts forward.
U.S. Citizenship for Ben Toms
“You get more sentimental as you get older. It makes you amazed how great this place is.”
You knew him as Ben Brosseau, but that was before he became a United States citizen. Born in England, young Ben moved to Maryland at age five, living in this country with his stepfather’s surname until recently. As he clicked the final prompts on the computer administering the citizenship test, the screen presented one final question: do you want to change your name? In a matter of seconds, he decided to initiate a change back to “Toms”, his birth name which he shares with family in England. Now, when he teaches about immigration and the passage through Ellis Island, he is able to add a very personal perspective. He describes the diversity of people taking the oath, and their abundantly evident pride.
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Bill Hiss Retires after 40 Years
