The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

education

Growing Up Greeley

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By Tim Bloom

pastedGraphic_1I have lived in Chappaqua my entire life, except for eight summers in Maine and one in China. I loved growing up here, given the beauty of the town, the cohesiveness of the community and the myriad opportunities to do almost anything. There were times, mostly in recent years, where I felt how small Chappaqua is and how insulated we are from what life is really like “out there.” But, that doesn’t mean I didn’t have some defining moments, mostly thanks to some influential figures I had the good fortune to encounter along the way.

Now that I am in college, I can see what a great education I got here; from a terrific kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kane, at Roaring Brook, to one of my favorite instructors at Seven Bridges,  Mr. Knisely, who taught me how to write and do research. At Greeley I learned how to learn. I also learned how to ask the right questions, but most importantly, I learned how to advocate for myself, and to speak up if something seemed unfair, unethical or just plain wrong. I think it’s hard for some to do that sometimes because the ramifications for speaking up can be significant, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.

There is a sense here that the stakes are high in everything kids do. While that may be true, I am glad I was allowed to screw up sometimes and didn’t always have a backup plan. If we get rescued every time we mess up, we are doomed to repeat those mistakes. There is a lot of pressure on us to always do well, but sometimes that just isn’t possible.  I hope parents let their kids fail sometimes because that is how we learn how not to fail the next time.

tim-babyI played baseball, soccer and eventually football here and was lucky enough to have played for the legendary Bill Tribou at Greeley. He always expected the best from us, and he was a big influence on my determination to always try my hardest at everything I undertake.  I also benefited enormously from joining the Chappaqua Fire Department. I believe real community service should be in one’s community or at least close to it. Being a volunteer firefighter has been one of the highlights for me of growing up here. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but it is a meaningful way to help my friends, neighbors and community.

I am now at a university that is many, many times larger than Greeley and I live in a big city for the first time in my life. I play in the band, am pledging a fraternity, and am on the business staff of a professional theatre company celebrating its 125th year. While it’s exciting and a lot of fun, I appreciate having grown up in a beautiful small town, and having received an education that prepared me very well for college. Don’t know where I will end up living, but I do know how lucky I am to have spent my first 18 years growing up in Chappaqua.

Tim Bloom, HGHS Class of 2013, was Student Council President, a recipient of the Chappaqua Rotary’s Jill Goodman Service award. Tim is a first year student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is studying Political Science and is a member of the business staff of Mask and Wig Club.  

Integrating Special Needs Children In the Early Childhood Education Classroom

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By:  Roxanne Kaplan

One of the very first lessons I remember being taught when I was a student in the field of education was that every child is unique and, as educators, it is our responsibility to meet the special needs of each child.  It was a very important message that, throughout my career, allowed me to treat every student as a child with special needs.

world cup special needsI began my career in Early Childhood Education in 1988.  Back then, most classrooms would consist of a head teacher and one or two assistant teachers. At best, teachers were only equipped to handle children with minor unique needs, so they were less inclusive of children with more substantial special needs.  If you were to visit most early childhood centers today, you will find more than just the teachers and students in the classroom.  There could be a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist and/or a SEIT (Special Education Itinerant Teacher) in the room.  At World Cup, we believe that early intervention and a team approach where teachers, students, therapists and parents work together will ensure that all special needs students become successful learners.

When the parent or teacher notices that a child may have some developmental delays, we encourage the parents to have their child evaluated.  Because research has shown that the rate of human learning and development is most rapid in the first five years, we know that the quicker we can get services in place the better we will be at enhancing the child’s development. Although it is oftentimes hard for a parent to accept that their child has a special need, we encourage them to act as soon as possible.

Our team approach works because we value each other’s input as we identify specific goals for each child and then create a plan to help the child achieve his goals.  We also create an environment that makes every child feel included. This can be as simple as ensuring that all artwork is displayed and celebrated, regardless of its appearance to recognizing and celebrating every milestone, even if it is as minor as a child finally asking another child to play with them.  We are also very fortunate at World Cup to have a facility that helps support a plan to improve physical development. With large, well-equipped classrooms, two gyms, two outdoor playgrounds and an indoor and outdoor bike track, there is more than enough equipment to help support a child’s fine and gross motor development.

We as educators must be sure to reach every child and ensure they feel needed, cared about and successful. It is our responsibility to recognize that all children have special needs. Some needs require more attention and an expert intervention while others may be as simple as adhering to a special diet.  No need is too minor. Throughout the years, we have learned that children with minor needs benefit from the inclusion of children with special needs in their classroom.  At an early age they learn that other children who may not be as able as they are can still contribute. They learn at an early age to accept the differences in others.  Although early childhood education has come a long way to help children with special needs, I look forward to the day when we can include all children, even those who have more extensive needs.

Roxanne Kaplan is the director of World Cup Nursery School & Kindergarten in Chappaqua.

The Gift of Education and The Gift of Opportunity – Fundraiser on Dec. 8!

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By Mrinalini Samanta and Julia Desmarais

Silk bedding and Suzani pillowcases

Please note updated fundraiser date and location!

What does it mean to be a girl in an impoverished nation? For many, it means not getting an education, it means being deprived of the opportunity to get a job, and it means not being able to support your family. It means being restricted to living in a house where you have no say and no rights.

In most third-world countries, it is the mothers who stay home to take care of the families and to teach the children, but if the mothers are deprived of education, how can they teach? How can their children learn? One woman’s lack of education hurts both her sons and her daughters, and their children after them. But until an attitude of acceptance towards women and an understanding of the importance of education are fostered, this cycle will not end. That is where GlobalSchoolhouse, a student-run club at Horace Greeley High School, comes in. The mission of GlobalSchoolhouse is to stop this cycle in its tracks by helping to raise awareness and to fund education for women and girls across the world. We believe that every child deserves the right to a better future, and we believe that by teaching a girl you educate an entire family. In short, we believe in the power of education.

That is why we are raising funds to support an organization called Sir Syed Trust (SST) in India. SST has been teaching women and girls how to sew and make clothes, a skill that will not only help their families and their job opportunities, but will also teach them math and measurement. After those skills are taught, SST moves on to teaching reading and writing. We at GlobalSchoolhouse, as part of our ongoing commitment to SST, are collecting children’s books to supply a new library in India.

But our work does not stop there. We are also sponsoring and corresponding with a girl in Cambodia through the Cambodian Children’s Fund. Her name is Srey Reab, and before we sponsored her, she and her family were picking through the trash to survive. She is now getting educated and making many new friends.

To raise money for these two organizations, GlobalSchoolhouse will be holding a fundraiser on December 8th from 10-2:30 in the Greeley Cafeteria. We will be selling home furnishings (blankets, pillowcases, etc.) made by women in India and generously donated by Kuldeep Kaur, who designs and manufactures these products for many well-known designers including Barbara Barry, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein (http://www.betterlivingcollection.com/). The women who have handcrafted these beautiful works of art were once illiterate and desperate, but are now successfully supporting their families and sending their children to school.

Please come support our cause – we look forward to seeing you on the 8th! In the mean time, if you have any questions, please contact us at global.schoolhousehghs@gmail.com.

Mrinalini Samanta and Julia Desmarais, juniors at Horace Greeley High School, are the Co-Presidents and Founders of GlobalSchoolhouse.