The Inside Press

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Students

The New Castle United for Youth EXPERIENCE

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Two Greeley Students Describe How the Coalition’s Interns Made an Impact

By Janice Seong and Violet Christensen

This summer, a group of Chappaqua teenagers log onto Zoom and discuss youth substance use, eager to make a difference in their community. Every year, New Castle United for Youth (NCUFY) provides an opportunity for local teenagers to work on projects surrounding youth substance use and healthy decision-making through a summer internship program.

Interns meet in two-week chunks with six total work days. The first week of the internship focuses on learning skills such as data visualization and the components of successful public health interventions. The second week of the session consists of more project-based work, where we break into groups to create final projects centered around youth substance use or promoting healthy lifestyle choices.

While working as interns, we share our perspectives as teenagers and work collaboratively with our peers. Intern Ian Freeman relates that the internship offers a unique way for “youth [to] help out other youth as opposed to adults because people are more likely to listen to others that they can relate to more.” Michael Huaca adds that he got to interact with students that were “freshmen, upperclassmen, or students below [his] grade.” The internship held by NCUFY allows us to interact with other youth that we otherwise would not share classes with at school.

Last year, one session focused on finding a way for families to spend more time together during quarantine. The project produced a family cookbook; the main inspiration behind it arose from an activity in which we each had to find and present an item that reminded us of a moment we had with our families. In making the cookbook, we picked various cuisines and included recipes that would be accessible to all age groups. Another project we made emphasizing familial connections was a family craft booklet that included tutorials on activities like making bead bracelets and creating a family tree. Due to the limited amount of activities that were available during quarantine, we wanted to share engaging activities families could participate in together.

Another summer session project was a survey on what a typical weekend looks like for Chappaqua teenagers; its main purpose was to show that a typical weekend does not involve risky activities and drinking–contrary to what many teenagers may believe. Because there was not enough time to fully develop this project in the summer, we began to have weekly meetings on Wednesdays. Throughout the past school year, we reviewed the work that the summer interns did and continued working on a survey for Chappaqua teenagers to complete. The results of the survey show that a majority of the teenagers (94%) do not use substances including marijuana or alcohol on a typical Saturday. We plan on using the results to develop an infographic to share with local youth.

Alex Mancini, a summer intern involved in creating the survey, finds the weekly meetings to be beneficial. He says, “The most rewarding part of participating in the meetings is completing projects that we have been working on and putting them into the real world. Also, the idea that what we are doing could be helping someone in our community is very reassuring to think about.”

As the school year starts, students interested in NCUFY can get involved by joining the weekly Coalition Youth Leadership Council meetings held throughout the school year. An easy way to join is by emailing the Coalition Coordinator, at ncufycoordinator@gmail.com. For more info, visit newcastleunitedforyouth.org. Moreover, students can join Greeley’s SADD club, led by NCUFY member and Greeley Student Assistance Counselor Carolyn D’Agostino who works closely with the Coalition to inspire smart choices in and outside a school environment.

It’s greatly satisfying to have a meaningful impact on your community. NCUFY gives Greeley students the perfect opportunity to put our heads together and reach rewarding outcomes

Janice Seong is a rising senior at Horace Greeley High School and one of the Editors-in-Chief of the Greeley Tribune. A part of New Castle United for Youth for three years as the Youth Sector Representative, she enjoys giving back to her community and working with her peers to make a lasting impact.

Violet Christensen is a rising sophomore at Greeley and has been working with the NCUFY coalition for two years. She is also a member of Greeley’s SADD club and enjoys contributing to the well-being of the community. In her free time, Violet can be seen playing softball, volleyball, and video games.

New Castle United for Youth, a coalition funded through the federal Drug Free Communities grant program, aims to create a supportive and interconnected community for New Castle youth and their families. Each summer, NCUFY hosts an internship program for local teens to hear their perspectives and to empower them to support each other.

 

Chappaqua Rotary’s 2020 Student Community Service Awards

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Two exemplary Greeley students, Angelina Brunetto and Quinn Singer, were honored this summer at Crabtree’s Kittle House during the annual Chappaqua Rotary Club’s 2020 Student Community Service Awards.

Vedat Gashi, County Legislator representing District 4 and New Castle Town Board Member Lisa Katz each respectively presented the students with both accolades and certificates to recognize their service.

Angelina Brunetto volunteers extensively at the Veterans Hospital in Montrose she stated, “to gain experience in the healthcare industry while giving back to our heroes… Assisting in different departments, I interact with the veterans, and gain firsthand knowledge of the bravery and sacrifice they experienced while in Service and Active Duty… Through my volunteer work, I have grown more compassionate for Veterans, seniors, and those less fortunate.”

Quinn Singer has been a volunteer at many events for Draw for Paws, a not for profit named in honor and memory of Scarlett. Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue works with homeward bound of Mississippi to transport hundreds of puppies annually from kill shelters to their forever families. Quinn has also volunteered with Draw for Paws to expand pediatric cancer awareness. “This group was created by a young girl who battled brain cancer, and I wanted to help their cause,” said Quinn, who also helped with the not for profit’s efforts and services at local hospitals.

The 2020 Student Award was organized by Horace Greeley High School Guidance Counselor Rebecca Mullen. The award was given to honor Greeley Guidance Counselor Patrick Dougherty “who helped to keep the Community Service Recognition on track and procured applications for many years,” said Sandy Bueti, board member. Community recognition awards by the Rotary, such as these, are accorded to community members who most exemplify the Rotary’s motto of ‘Service Above Self.”

Lavdie Maqedonci-Krasniqi

Incoming Rotary Club president Eileen Gallagher and fellow Rotarians also took the opportunity to thank and honor outgoing Rotary Club president Lavdie Maqedonci-Krasniqi for her service. ‘Lavdie’ thanked many well-wishers for their support during her Rotary tenure and for their support during a successful battle against cancer.

– Grace Bennett

School Districts Receive Guide from County Relaying Opening Guidelines Surrounding COVID-19

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Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced on Monday that The Westchester County School Reopening Workgroup has released an eight-page “Frequently Asked Questions” guide that will assist the County’s school districts in addressing the health, COVID-19, and contact tracing requirements for their schools to reopen safely this school year.

Being one of the “major tasks” ahead of us, Latimer stressed working with school districts in reopening is a responsibility the county will do their best to coordinate. As of last week on August 7, New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced he was authorizing school districts to open. This means 44 of the schools in Westchester are approved to reopen their doors to students in September.

“Each of these schools had to submit plans for what reopening would look like with a host of different protocols. And those protocols involve not just what you do physically to keep people safe, but how you intend to educate children,” Latimer explained.

Although the County Government does not directly control school districts, they play a role in helping implement elements of the school district’s plan. Thus, the working group was created, the County Executive states. The Workgroup has been created to provide a direct link between the County’s health and facilities departments to school administrators, staff, faculty, students, and families as they prepare for the start of the school year.

“The most important thing for all of us is to create a safe and effective plan to best educate our students this fall,” Latimer states. “I am proud of the fast and efficient guidance the County and this working group has provided to assist our school district by making this a reality. By creating these FAQs, we are serving the proper role of government: assisting those who fall within our mandate of public service.”

The work group is co-chaired by Joseph Glazer, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Community Mental Health, and Joseph Ricca, White Plains School Superintendent, and President of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents.

The FAQ’s are part of a larger effort by the Workgroup which has already provided four workshops and answered dozens of questions from school officials and medical staff.

As for the complexity in reopening schools, Latimer acknowledges this is a heavy situation to deal with. “It’s complicated in a school setting. We have the complications in the school setting with younger children. For kindergarten, first, and second graders, it’ll be tough for them to keep their masks on; it’s going to be tough for them to remember who they interacted with.”  Regarding older students, Latimer said, “While they’re capable of understanding what you’re saying, they have to give it the same weight and importance. And one of the issues we’ve had to deal with in this society at large, outside of the school setting, is how do 16, 17, 18-year-olds react when asked to change their lifestyle.”

Not only within the schools, but reopening will also have a large effect on society as a whole. “In opening schools, we are opening a major entity within our society. It’s an economic impact. It directly involves other types of decisions that have still yet to be made.” says Latimer.

“There’s a real dynamic here involved with the schools. This is the biggest thing we’re opening, probably since restaurants. But even restaurants are still voluntary. School, if school is open and is mandatory, you have to participate. And we’ll see how it plays out. I’m hopeful, but the jury is out until we get into it, and I do think we’re prepared. If it doesn’t work, however, we’ll shut it down–I think that has to be your mindset.” the County Executive concluded.

As for the statistics, there are 434 Active cases now in Westchester, a reduction of almost 30 from the previous week, 92 from the previous month, and over 700 from the peak in cases in April. The testing has been “consistent and sufficient,” according to Latimer, with 3000-4000 range of individuals being tested per day. There have been 428,800 people tested, which is well over 40% in the Westchester area, and 1/10 tested have come out positive.

“This is a good sign,” says Latimer. “The statistics are not so you can write them down in a little book; it’s to show that the level of infection here in Westchester County has dropped. And that’s important because here in Westchester, we’ve opened restaurants, retail establishments, beaches, offices, and throughout all of those different changes, we’ve been able to maintain a decreasing level of invention and impact.”

Learning How the Kids are Doing with iLearning

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March 31, 2020, Chappaqua, NY-– Chappaqua School Superintendent Christine Ackerman stated the Chappaqua Central School District took steps in February to “get ahead of” COVID-19 with an iLearning System “and had prepared for it well” hopefully minimizing potential pitfalls and maximizing its potential for success now and in the months to come. Ackerman shares more in this 3/28 interview about how iLearning has been faring.

An End Note of Encouragement to HGHS Seniors, too.

Christine Ackerman prior to the District’s closure on account of COVID-19. PHOTO by Grace Bennett

A soft launch of the iLearning System began on March 19th; a full implementation took place on March 23rd.

GB: So you had a lot of work to do as this crisis unfolded. Your letter and video to the district’s community is an excellent summary about iLearning. I’m looking for what you might wish to add to our readers about how the teachers and students are doing with it.

CA: Back in February we started talking about this as a possibility and we started to consider how we would transition to online instruction. If we had to ask ourselves: How could we do that? How could we make that work being that, the faculty are all in different places in how they deliver instruction?  Our current system allows for certain pedagogical freedom in terms of how you present your concepts and content. We were faced with trying to honor this in the virtual system while ensuring students had meaningful experiences. 

We began talking with our teacher leadership team about if we had to move online, what that would look like for our district? We came up with a plan with parameters so we could have a level of consistency across grade levels and enough autonomy for people if we had to move to iLearning instruction.

Our plan was approved by our board before we even had a close up of what this would look like in real time. We started offering professional development to help faculty get ready for the eventful closure–which we anticipated was coming based on our analysis of the map, even though there were no decisions made yet from the health department or governor ordering a systematic closure. 

In the end I believe we were ahead of this closure with enough time to prepare for this well. This was an enormous lift for our faculty as they had to deliver instruction differently–so we created the framework in order for that to work with them.  As the weeks press on, the instructional system will get stronger and better because the faculty will be more used to using these tools with fluidity. I do feel like the district is in the best place we possibly could be given the circumstances that we are in.

GB: That is a very positive statement. I appreciate it and I am sure others will appreciate hearing this too. Can you tell me how many teachers and faculty, a general number of who is involved in participating–are all the teachers accessing this system?

CA: Every class and every teacher is online delivering instruction. How they are doing that is different depending on which class they are teaching. For example, supporting our students who have special services, obviously looks different from what a middle school English class might look like.

GB: Are you finding, or are the teachers and faculty finding cooperation among the students, or are there more loopholes for them? How is iLearning being monitored in terms of homework and expectations?

CA: That is a great question! Our families in this community place a significant value on education. The partnership between the district and our families enables this to work well for a lot of children. For students who we are concerned about, before we left, we created systems with our clinical staff, so they would be able to support those students in a more individualized way. The clinicians have daily interactions with the administrative teams in each building to monitor and address children who need support in a different way because we moved to an online system.

GB: When you say clinicians, do you mean (the students’) getting emotional support?

CA: Our school counseling team, our psychologists, our social workers, our assistant principals, our principals are all working to make sure that students we are concerned about have support. That support looks different depending on who the child is and what their needs are. We had a system for reporting abuses and maintaining attendance. We have procedures and protocol to monitor student engagement. 

GB: Are there any special anecdotes about any of this you might share?

CA: The amount of work that the faculty is engaged in to support our students is tremendous. They are in the midst of not only supporting the instruction of the Chappaqua school’s community, but also supporting what is happening in their own homes. I just couldn’t think of a finer faculty to be able to move to online instruction than the teachers in this district. I also want to share that the visionary leadership provided by our assistant superintendent, Dr. Adam Pease,  has been extraordinary. What he has been able to accomplish in partnership with our faculty in such a short amount of time is unbelievable.

GB: How long do you see this system being in place or I guess you must just be consulting and getting information as it goes on. Is this indefinite right now? Where are we?

CA: The governor has provided an anticipated reopening date of April 15, but we will be able to sustain this for as long as we need to for our kids.

GB: How do you see this as changing the face of education after this is over, too?

CA: Well this is what I think it will do, when we finally return to school – I think faculty will be leveraging technology now in very different ways because of this experience.

GB: Do you think it may become a more part and parcel of how they teach?

CA: I do think that there will be an increase in the integration of technology and resources based on this virtual experience right now.

GB: What has the feedback been like from kids?

CA: This is the iGeneration and they are very accustomed to online technology, so our delivery method is not outside of the comfort zone for many.  They already access content over social media or online and use these tools. The feedback that I received when I met with the high school students this week on Zoom was that the online instruction, in their minds, is very effective. The piece that they are missing, of course, is the interaction with their classmates and the interaction with their teachers. Even though we have opportunities for our faculty and our children to interact in many classes over Zoom, it doesn’t take the place of what we are able to do in our classrooms. So, even though this is, in a sense, working for a lot of kids, it does not take the place of being in the building and being able to interact with each other, face-to-face.

GB: I will share that! Thank you. I am also wondering about the seniors, in particular. I have already posted something from a high school student saying that this is really upsetting for them because they are thinking of graduation and prom and all that. So I’m wondering if you can address that. What can you say to those students? Are there contingency plans in place for all that or are we hoping for the best that everything gets back to normal and nothing’s changed after April 15th?

CA: We will have a moment where we will celebrate our seniors. Whether that takes place in June or not, at this point, I don’t know, but I will share with you that our seniors deserve to have their accomplishments acknowledged and we will find a way to do it when the time is right.

 

Special thanks to Inside Press Intern Kiran Sheth who assisted in preparing this interview.

 

District Parents Weigh in About iLearning

Picking a Pre-School For Your Child

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Courtesy of Bet Torah Nursery School

When it comes to making a decision about where your child will attend preschool, there are many factors that are part of this first school experience. Visit the places you are considering. Talk to other families who have attended the program. Here are a few things you and your family may wish to consider:

1. Your first impression of the school

2. Referrals and recommendations and the reputation of the program

3. Qualified, experienced and caring staff

4. School accreditation

5. Changing and stimulating curriculum

6. Clean and safe facilities

7. Indoor and outdoor play spaces and afterschool enrichment programs

8. Signs of community, parent and family engagement as well as children’s programs

9. Are adults talking to students in warm, welcoming and nurturing ways?

10. Inviting and exciting programs, happy staff and active and happy students

Visit us at bettorah.org.