The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

schools

A Fresh Take on Learning in a Time of COVID

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Outdoor Classroom at Robert E. Bell Middle School
Outdoor Classroom at Robert E. Bell Middle School

 

 

 

 

In 2017, Robert E. Bell Middle School’s Student Leadership Council Advisors, Justin Olive and Meredith Green, challenged students to apply for a Chappaqua School Foundation (CSF) grant that would have a meaningful impact on the entire student body. They rose to that challenge with a proposal to transform the courtyard space, which had undergone a recent renovation, into a functional learning environment. The grant noted that forming “an alternative classroom environment centered on outdoor collaboration would be a refreshing change of pace” and would also help parents’, students’ and teachers’ concerns regarding “the isolating nature of devices.” The outdoor classroom was installed at the start of the 2020 school year and the goals that prompted its creation are timelier than ever due to the widely-felt impact of COVID-19.

Today, Olive is in a new role as staff developer & K-12 science coordinator and is looking at the space with fresh eyes. “This year, it’s even harder to create an environment where students have the freedom to move around and collaborate. This space will provide us with that opportunity,” he said. Outfitted with a variety of equipment including whiteboards, yoga mats, and crazy creek chairs, the courtyard now appeals to both form and function. As Green says, “These days, we are constantly reimagining what school looks like and having opportunities for outdoor learning experiences are invaluable. Kids are enjoying using it during lunch time and we foresee it becoming a useful space for us in the middle of this pandemic.”

As teachers and administrators forge a new path to learning, they are leveraging every resource available in new and inventive ways. Strategic partnerships between the schools, community and foundations such as CSF have never been more impactful.

– courtesy of the Chappaqua School Foundation

Opportunity to Support ‘Backpacks to School,’ an Annual Initiative of The Sharing Shelf

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The Sharing Shelf plans to fill at least 1,500 backpacks and seeks to raise $45,000 for this project.

Each summer, The Sharing Shelf organizes its “Backpacks to School” initiative to buy new backpacks and fill them with grade appropriate school supplies for low-income children in Westchester County. The program works with individuals and businesses County-wide to raise the funds needed to purchase everything needed for this initiative, from new backpacks to binders, notebooks, folders, crayons, pencils, pens and paper.

At this moment the last days of being in a school are a distant blur and back to school is filled with uncertainty, whether our children will return to school as we know it, shift into a hybrid system, or continue with home-based schooling.

The Sharing Shelf, in consultation with educators, has decided to proceed with its annual program. These educators have told us that regardless of what form school will be, children still need to learn. They will not only need the usual supplies but also resources to keep them mentally engaged and enriched. It is The Sharing Shelf’s plan to provide not just the basics, but enhanced materials such as age-appropriate educational magazines, puzzles, activity sets and books.

Even before the pandemic and economic downturn, Westchester County was a community with a mix of great wealth yet home to nearly 60,000 low-income children. In some of our communities, 8 in 10 public school students qualify for free or reduced lunch. We believe that number, given the current environment, is probably much higher. In April 2020, unemployment in Westchester county skyrocketed to over 14% from 4% in January 2020.  Meanwhile, the average family spends $122 on school supplies, a sum out of reach for families struggling financially.  

The Sharing Shelf plans to fill at least 1,500 backpacks and seeks to raise $45,000 for this project. Volunteers will help assemble the backpacks, using social distancing in a special area at The Sharing Shelf’s Port Chester warehouse during the month of August. The backpacks and supplies are critical to the academic success of low-income children and will allow them to return to school prepared, confident, and ready to learn.

To find out more about how to help or to donate, please contact The Sharing Shelf Program Director, Deborah Blatt at dblatt@sharingshelf.org or (914) 305-5950. You may also visit www.sharingshelf.org and click on Backpacks to School

About The Sharing Shelf

Founded in 2009, The Sharing Shelf is Westchester’s Clothing Bank for Children. The program collects new and gently used clothing for infants, children and teens. The clothing is distributed to local, low-income children through area social service agencies, schools, hospitals and other non-profits at no cost. The children receive a week’s worth of seasonally appropriate clothing matched to their sizing needs. Since 2011, The Sharing Shelf has been filling new backpacks with fresh supplies for back to school. For more information, visit www.sharingshelf.org

This story is courtesy of The Sharing Shelf.

As Cases of COVID Dissipate, Westchester County Focuses on ‘Complicated’ Back to School Protocol

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Continuing Precautions Urged as “We Adapt to the Strangeness”

In this week’s briefing on COVID-19, County Executive George Latimer delivered another encouraging message that the Coronavirus numbers “continue to show the dimension we’ve been talking about for quite a while.”

According to Latimer, 347,649, or 35%, of people in Westchester County have been tested for Coronavirus, and despite the rise in testing, numbers are at an all-time low of 467 active cases since the pandemic began.

“That’s a significant number,” he stated, “We’re seeing steadily every day 3,000 or 4,000 tests in Westchester County since testing is much easier to obtain now than it ever has been before.”

In Chappaqua, an earlier spike due to the Horace Greeley High School graduation and field day, has “run its course.” Now a month since the incident, there have been no new cases identified in the past week. The same goes for the 4th of July weekend. Now two weeks past the holiday, the period of incubation for the Coronavirus, there has been no spike in cases, which is a good sign, Latimer noted.

However, similar to last week’s briefing, the county executive stressed, “there is nothing to be overly confident about. I say that very dispassionately with a corporate mindset. We are doing well, but we’re not through the woods. We still have no understood vaccine to treat the disease. Nor do we have an antiviral treatment for the disease.”

He urged residents to wear masks, practice social distancing, wash and sanitize our hands, and refrain from activities that can put people in harm’s way.

In other news, the county has been having meetings for reopening schools across Westchester this fall, including K-12 and college to help the local education institutions meet protocols set down by the state and open safely.

“You can imagine each of those two different types of education has different challenges,” Latimer conveyed, “On the K-12 side, you’re dealing with children whose ability to follow certain restrictions and orders is much more difficult than older students,” he explained.

“When you get to the college level, you’re dealing with students who are on campus in a dorm setting, and that overnight residential setting crates other types of problems than in a K-12 situation. In working with each of those, we’re trying to put together a practical group of people to work with.”

As of now, Latimer reported a “working group” that has been developed for the local school districts will include the deputy commissioner of mental health, White Plains School Superintendent, and some others in the Department of Health.

“They’ll all be working as a task force with our local elementary schools to try to provide that assistance that the schools need from the county. Whether it’s the structure in contact tracing protocols, what to do in situations when someone in the school tests positive, or assisting in purchasing personal protective equipment, all of those things and many more are part of those efforts we’re in the process of serving.”

The school situation is very complicated, said Latimer, and in need of great vigilance. “We’re dealing with a public service that probably touches more homes than any other single one because the community involves the school and the homes of which students live in. This could be an area for the great spread of the disease if we’re not exceedingly careful.”

“Overall, we’re looking at trying to deal with this strange world and adapt to the strangeness of it. I think we’ve tried to do that effectively now into our fifth month.”

According to the County Executive, the governor will announce on August 7 whether schools will open up and if so, under what circumstances.

Pollinator Pathway Gardens: Gaining Local Support

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Pollinator pathway garden in downtown Chappaqua. Prior to this, the area was full of weeds.

Article and Photos by Missy Fabel

Just last year at a meeting of the Earthwatch Institute, a prominent environmental non-profit, scientists declared the bee to be the most important living being on the planet. This notion was shared by Albert Einstein more than a century ago who boldly stated that “if bees disappear, humans would have four years to live.” Yet bees are at risk of extinction. In fact, in some regions of the world, they have disappeared up to 90 percent.

While that news is sobering, local residents and county-wide initiatives are doing their part to keep bees and other pollinators happily buzzing in the communities of Northern Westchester.

Bees, butterflies, birds and even bats are all pollinators that play a vital role in the transfer of pollen from one plant to another, enabling fertilization and the production of fruit and seeds. More than 30% of our food grows as a result of pollinators. Yet, the habitat loss of native plants and widespread use of pesticides and herbicides are causing worldwide decline of pollinators.

The History Behind the First Pollinator Pathway

Sarah Bergman started the very first Pollinator Pathway in Seattle more than a decade ago as part of a social and ecological project to combat the decline in pollinators. In an effort to connect two green spaces more than a mile apart, Ms. Bergman went door to door to the homeowners in-between to create a mile long 12-foot-wide corridor of pollinator friendly gardens, a literal “pathway” to sustain pollinators with pesticide-free habitat and nutrition.

With increasing public awareness of the decline of pollinators, particularly native bees, Bergman’s idea caught on. In 2018, Norwalk, Wilton and Ridgefield together with Hudson to Housatonic Regional Conservation Partnership (H2H) set up the first Pollinator Pathways in Connecticut. Westchester followed their lead and New Castle Pollinator Pathway Coalition (NCPPC) is among the more than 16 municipalities, organizations and hundreds of individuals joining Pollinator Pathways in Westchester.

Pollinator Pathway sign on Route 120 

Pollinator Pathways in New Castle

The New Castle Pollinator Pathway Coalition (NCPPC) is a volunteer effort consisting of individuals and organizations that support pollinators by connecting properties and green spaces to create a more hospitable environment for bees, butterflies, birds and other wildlife.

Pollinator Pathway signs have been popping up in New Castle on resident’s mailboxes and downtown near the train station in recent months. These signs mark just some of the properties that are part of the NCCPC.

According to New Castle resident Victoria Alzapiedi, founder of New Castle Healthy Yards and co-chair of NCCPC, more than 130 public and private properties are already on the Pathway and the list is growing. “I’m so excited that there are so many property owners in our community signing on to the New Castle Pollinator Pathway. Not using pesticides and other lawn chemicals and adding native plants–including specific host and nectar plants for each species of butterfly, moth, and bee–will attract these important insects to your yard and provide a haven for them to live and to thrive,” Alzapiedi explained.

Pollinator Friendly Gardens Gain Traction in Other Towns

Garden clubs and other organizations in Pleasantville, Bedford, North Castle and other towns in Westchester are also spreading the word, through education, outreach and the creation of pollinator friendly gardens.

“Our mission includes educating people about ways to help the planet,” says Phina Geiger, president of the Pleasantville Garden Club, whose members planted a demonstration garden next to a playground in Mt. Pleasant this past spring. “Many of the plants we used were ones from our yards, tried and true locally sourced native plants that people may not know about, but can come and see and be inspired to use in their own yards. The Pleasantville Garden club is also partnering with their Parks & Recreation department to promote Pollinator Pathways in other areas of town, she added.

Plans to add native and pollinator friendly plants are also in the works in Armonk. This spring, the North Castle Public Library is adding native trees, shrubs and perennials to its foundation planting as part of the New York Library Association (NYLA) state-wide Sustainable Library Certification Program. “We wanted to enhance the landscaping in front of our library,” says Edie Martimucci, Director of North Castle Public Library, “and using native plants just makes sense from an environmental and sustainability standpoint.”

Tips for Creating a Pollinator Friendly Garden

Whether you live in an apartment with a balcony, a typical suburban home, a large estate or are a commercial business in town, everyone can participate in Pollinator Pathway by avoiding the use of pesticides and choosing native plants. Nature preserves, such as Glazier Arboretum in New Castle, Eugene and Agnes Meyer Preserve in North Castle, town and county parks, schools, typical backyards and front yards, even window boxes can help support pollinators.

“It’s simple, really,” declares Filipine de Hoogland of Westchester Pollinators. “Many people already have native trees and shrubs in their yards with natural pesticide free areas. If we connect our pollinator friendly yards, we can construct pathways. Pathways create safe territory for our pollinators and other wildlife to survive.” She also suggests informing your landscaping company about the steps you are planning to take to create a pollinator friendly yard, so they can help you achieve your goals.

A bee on wild sweet William 

Year-Round Needs for Pollinators

Pollinators need nectar and pollen in all seasons. Native spring flowering trees and shrubs are an important nectar and pollen source early in the season as well as common native plants often considered “weeds,” such as the common violet. Violets provide nectar as well as leafy greens for the recently hatched butterfly larvae of the Great Spangled Fritillary. Consider leaving violets and other wildflowers in your lawn in spring.

Aster and goldenrod are vital sources of both nectar and pollen in the fall. White wood aster naturally colonizes the woodland edges common in suburban landscapes and can easily be encouraged to spread. Leaving some leaf litter in your garden or natural area also helps support pollinators by providing cover for overwintering insects.

Local Pollinator Events On the Horizon

Look for NCPPC and Westchester Pollinator events this spring and summer, including activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day as well as national Pollinator Week, June 22-28. In addition, mark your calendar for The Chappaqua Garden Club’s Mother’s Day weekend plant sale from May 7-10. The sale offers hundreds of native plants including specific pollinator friendly plant combination kits for sun, shade, wet and dry areas, according to Chappaqua Garden Club co-president Melanie Smith. For more information, visit chappaquagardenclub.com

Missy is a native plant landscape designer and consultant, teacher, writer and  naturalist in Chappaqua. She is a Steering Committee member of the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, a member of the Town of New Castle Conservation Board and co-chair of the NCPPC.

For more information on Pollinator Pathways and how to start one in your town, visit: https://www.pollinator-pathway.org

How to Join the Pollinator Pathway Initiative

  • Include native plants on your property for all seasons
  • Avoid using pesticides and herbicides
  • Consider leaving some bare ground for nesting native bees and leaving some autumn leaves for overwintering eggs and pupae of pollinating insects

If you reside in New Castle, register at: pollinator-pathway.org/new-castle

 

Why are Pollinators Under Threat?

  • Habitat loss due to urban development and agriculture
  • Widespread application of pesticides
  • Climate change

The Harlem Wizards are Coming to Town!

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Chappaqua’s favorite day of hoops and alley oops is back on Sunday, January 26that 1:30 pm. Come watch the beloved teachers of the Chappaqua Challengers as they take on the Harlem Wizards! This annual highly anticipated event, hosted by the Chappaqua School Foundation, is the definition of local family fun. Not only an opportunity to support your schools, it’s guaranteed laughs as the tables are turned and the kids cheer on their teachers.

Make this event even more memorable by purchasing the coveted Benchwarmer or Courtside Plus VIP seats! Both include premier seating, a meet & greet with the Wizards, a souvenir lanyard, team poster and discount on team jerseys.  The newly introduced Benchwarmer seats, however, is the only way to watch the action straight from the Wizards bench and includes a half-court photo opp.

Don’t miss out on the fun and purchase tickets today.

Courtesy of the Chappaqua School Foundation