SCHOOLSCENE

SECTION E • FEBRUARY, 2015 • CALLICOON, NY

A

look at

activities

in the

Eldred

Central

School

District

A S p e c i a l S u p p l e m e n t t o t h e S u l l i v a n C o u n t y D e m o c r a t

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Published byCatskill-Delaware Publications, Inc.

Publishers of the

(845) 887-5200 Callicoon, NY 12723

February 3, 2015 • Vol. CXXIV, No. 66

School SceneA Look at Activities in the

Eldred School District

Publisher: Fred W. Stabbert III Senior Editor: Dan Hust Editor: Frank Rizzo Sports Editor: Ken Cohen Editorial Assistants: Jeanne Sager, Kaitlin Carney, Kathy Daley, Eli Ruiz, Guy Harriton, Allison Ruef, Alex Rau

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Eldred CS District: Obstacles are for overcoming“Obstacles are those frightful things

you see when you take your eye offthe goal.” – Henry Ford

It’s the day after Governor AndrewCuomo’s State of the StateAddress, and Eldred Super -

intendent Robert Dufour is notpleased with the message.

The State of the State usually givesschool business officials and super-intendents a snapshot of the gover-nor’s proposed educational fundingpackage. From this information thefirst estimates, called state aid runs,are released to districts and thebudget development process canbegin.

This year, this critical informationis being withheld until the state legis-lature agrees to adopt the governor’sEducational Reform Agenda. So whatare school districts to do?

“It is unprecedented for the state tohold the release of these runs,”explains Dufour. “They are holdingschool districts hostage and we’ll be

using last year’s numbers to begin theprocess. We can’t let this stop ourprogress – the world keeps movingand so does Eldred.”

When life gives you lemons, makelemonade, and Eldred has been

doing that a lot lately. Although thedistrict failed to receive a major state-wide grant to increase their pre-kindergarten program, they made adecision to do whatever it would taketo increase it anyway using grantfunding.

In December, a capital project ref-erendum was voted down by taxpay-ers, which would have funded basicinfrastructure repairs to the tune of$5.5 million. Now what? “Now we justfind a way to fix what absolutely mustbe fixed. All the vote means is thecommunity did not agree with theBoard [of Education]. But repairs arenecessary for the safety of our stu-dents and staff, so we will find a way.”

It will take more than a few setbacksto get this district down, and thebright, sunny spots will require thatlemonade. Grants are being activelysought and state representatives arebeing enlisted to help Eldred expandto a two-classroom, full day pre-Kprogram in the 2015-16 school year.

The music program has been

named one of the Best Communitiesfor Music Education by the NAMMFoundation (National Assoc. of MusicMerchants) two years in a row and itis estimated that at least one third ofthe school population at Eldred isinvolved in music and the arts.

Funding from an STLE Grant orStrengthening Teacher LeadershipEffectiveness, has put the develop-ment of the curriculum where itbelongs – in the hands of those whoare teaching it. “The dedication andownership that our teachers havedisplayed in this process is trulyinspiring,” says Dufour.

In most districts where CommonCore is uttered with disdain, the STLEgrant is helping the district’s teacher-leaders develop a curriculum thatworks for their students.

“Common Core has merits, if donecorrectly,” believes Dufour. “We justneeded the time to figure that out.Our strengths far outnumber ourweaknesses and really, there’s nostopping us now.”

Eldred Central School DistrictSuperintendent Robert Dufour confidentlybelieves the district can move forward,despite a number of recent setbacks.

Grant funding, especially in dif-ficult economic times, canoften be a saving grace for

school districts. At Eldred, an$80,000 Strengthening TeacherLeadership Effectiveness (STLE)Grant is helping teachers developthe next phase of the district’s Com-mon Core curriculum while buildingstrong leaders from within.

The goal of the grant is to fosterleadership by helping districtsimprove student achievement andoverall performance through astrategic focus on teaching and thelearning methods used to teach stu-dents.

There are multiple areas in whichthe grant is being used includingteacher training and professionaldevelopment, curriculum develop-ment and the most important facetof all – literacy.

“Our teachers looked at each indi-vidual method used to teach ourstudents and found that the Engage-NY modules were developmentally

inappropriate in many ways in bothELA (English Language Arts) andmath,” says Superintendent RobertDufour. “So they researchedmethodologies they felt were bettersuited and are now creating andbuilding the curriculum aroundthat. It gives them the chance toright the ship, if you will, in our dis-trict.”

Two teachers who are at the fore-front in guiding the STLE Grant ini-tiatives are Marikate Oset and JoshGlantz, both Social Studies teachersat Eldred. Oset, a literacy coach, ismaking the connection between thenew curriculum and literacy.

“The new standards are highlyreading intensive – even in math,”she said. “We need to see where wecan make connections on how kidscan use academic vocabulary acrossall disciplines so they become morecomfortable when they encounterit.”

FEBRUARY, 2015 SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT ELDRED SCHOOL SCENE 3E

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021STLE grant gives teachers

opportunity to ‘right the ship’

Marikate Oset, left, and Josh Glantz have taken advantage of the $80,000 grant the districtreceived.

PLEASE SEE GRANT, PAGE 5E

4E ELDRED SCHOOL SCENE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT FEBRUARY, 2015

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In the Pre-K classroom at theMackenzie Elementary School,the class of 2028 is sitting in a

neat semi-circle, learning abouttheir five senses. As the scent of amystery liquid gently wafts towardtheir noses, the smell is familiar. “Itsmells like cookies!” says one excit-ed 5-year-old. He isn’t far off – thescent is vanilla.

In the past, when the Pre-K pro-gram consisted of two half-dayclasses, a fleeting four hours each,deeper discussions about this topicand allowing time to waft scentsmight not have been possible. Butthis year, the full-day program givesstudents the chance to do so.

The full day program is beneficialin many ways, but it’s not enough.There are currently nine children ona waiting list for this year alone. Shutout of New York State’s round of Pre-K grant funding last year, the Boardof Education and SuperintendentRobert Dufour have made it theirmission to find a way.

“We are applying for federal fund-ing and exploring other grant oppor-tunities as well,” says Dufour, “Butwe are actively planning on two full-day classrooms for the 2015-16school year.”

Started in 2007, the program pre-pares the youngest of students forthe rigors of kindergarten. It seemslike a contradiction in terms; kinder-garten isn’t supposed to be rigorous,but the learning standards ofCommon Core have set the bar high-er.

Where kindergarten was once a

place for children to learn thebasics, those skills are now learnedin the Pre-K setting. “Math skills thatwere once taught in kindergartenare now taught at this level,”explains Pre-K Teaching AssistantKaren Tuso. “They also begin basicreading skills at that level, so it is ourjob to get them ready to read and getthem excited about reading.”

Full day Pre-K also gives the kidstime to adjust to life in a school set-ting. “So much of the beginning ofthe year is learning the routine,learning the rules, social skills andsafety,” says Pre-K Teacher ZitaYennie. “Full day allows us to getpast those milestones and into themeat of the curriculum a lot quick-er.”

In addition, the full day programallows teachers and learning spe-cialists to get into a routine ofassessing and addressing any needsstudents might have. “The earlier wecan catch something like a speech

Pre-K Teacher Zita Yennie shares a mystery scent with her students during a lesson aboutthe five senses.

Full day Pre-K to expand in 2015-16“Math skills that were oncetaught in kindergarten are nowtaught at this level. They alsobegin basic reading skills . . . soit is our job to get them ready toread . . .”

Karen TusoPre-K Teaching Assistant |

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10823Pre-K Assistant Teacher Karen Tuso reads with Eldred’s one and only full-day Pre-K class. Nextyear, the district plans on adding a second classroom to accommodate more students.

issue, the easier it is to resolve,” saysYennie.

With so much emphasis on prepa-ration for kindergarten and beyond,

has the fun of Pre-K gotten lost inthe Common Core shuffle?

“Not at all,” says Tuso. “We makelearning fun every day.”

The goal is to have teachers use thesame academic vocabulary in lec-tures and on tests so students expe-rience it from subject to subject.“Words like ‘discuss’ or ‘explain’ andeven ‘relate the word to a visual’ canbe stumbling blocks for kids. If weare all on the same page, then whenthey get to that Regents or otherevaluation, they are able to suc-ceed.,” Oset noted.

Josh Glantz is responsible forongoing teacher training in the useof technology in the classroom. Thedistrict recently rolled out a Googleplatform school-wide, giving everystudent and teacher their own Gmailand Google account. Google Docs, apopular online collaborative wordprocessing program, is being usedthroughout the district and Glantzestimates that at least half of theaccounts created are being utilizedregularly.

Teacher technology training fromoutside sources – including SullivanBOCES and the district’s technologyhardware provider, Teq Unlimitedfrom Long Island – help round outthe technology part of professionaldevelopment for teachers.

“We’ve always been a very technol-ogy-forward district, and our teach-ers have always been quick toadapt,” says Glantz. “I believe wehad the first SmartBoard in thecounty,” he adds – in his classroom,of course.

The grant has also helped teacherswork together to find solutions. “Ithas honed us in on making sure wehave excellent training on a regularbasis, provides resources andallowed us to focus our energies oncreating the best curriculum for ourstudents, Glantz explains. “That is,after all, the most important part ofour job: being the best teachers wecan be.”

GRANT: Funding helps find solutionsFROM PAGE 3E

6E ELDRED SCHOOL SCENE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT FEBRUARY, 2015

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Music thrives at Eldred

Although Eldred is the thirdsmallest district in SullivanCounty, its music program is

on par with schools twice or moreits size – and it shows.

Thirty-seven students were select-ed district-wide to perform at theAll-County Festival and that’s juston the instrumental side. Six stu-dents were selected to perform inthe All County Jazz Band – as manyas Monticello or Liberty.

What makes Eldred’s music pro-gram successful? The same thingthat makes a successful musician –commitment, dedication, supportand love of the art form.

Eldred’s music department con-sists of instrumental music teachersBrian Nivison (high school) andBrittany Robinson at MackenzieElementary. Both have taught atEldred for the past nine years andtogether they have built up the pro-

gram so that from 12 studentsattending All-County it has nowtripled.

Choral music instructor JustinGlodich joined the district six yearsago and is responsible for Pre-K to12th grade choral instruction andfive choral groups, including the acapella group Key Elements. He isalso the director of the PerformingArts Club.

More than music teachers,Nivison and Robinson are a drivingforce and a great example for theirstudents, according to their col-league Glodich. “It comes down totheir work ethic,” he says. “The stu-dents see how hard they work andhow much they love it and want toemulate that.”

Offering as many opportunities as

possible for their students is also a‘key element,’ to the programs’ suc-cess (pun intended). Take for exam-ple, the Eldred string section. Whilethere is no orchestra for them toplay in, 12 students were selected toperform in the All-CountyOrchestra. How can that be?

“That’s all Ms. Robinson,” saysNivison. A string major in college,Robinson never discouraged stu-dents who wanted to play stringedinstruments. According to Nivison,“We just incorporate them into theband by re-arranging parts or hav-ing them play, say, a flute part. Wewant every student to enjoy musicand to participate, so we’ll go aboveand beyond to make it work.”

Other exciting news for Eldred isthat 16 students from the Key

Instrumental music teacher Brian Nivison works on an All-County Jazz Band piece with stu-dent David Powers.

Julia Kehrley practices her piece for the All-County Jazz Band concert coming up in March.

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Elements will be performing atCarnegie Hall on March 29 at anevent called the Distinguished Con-cert Singers International TotalVocal with Deke Sharon (Arranger/Conductor, Pitch Perfect). Withabout 400 other a capella singersfrom around the world, the concertis certain to be an amazing experi-ence for both performer and audi-ence.

“The kids are working hard and themusic is difficult, but they areincredibly excited about this oppor-tunity,” says Glodich. “We’re lucky tobe in a district that is committed tomusic and arts education. It trulymakes all the difference.”

**If you would like to see the KeyElements perform at Carnegie Hall,tickets are available at the CarnegieHall website.

Jackson McGril practices for All-County Jazz Band.

Eldred artists earn recognitionSULLIVAN COUNTY — Eldred HS

students were winners in a region-wide artistic competition.

Congratulations to the followingstudents in Ms. Jennifer Powell’sGraphic Arts class who have beenselected as 2015 Scholastic ArtAwards Regional Winners:

Gold Key Winners in Digital Art:Sebastian Barbarite, Cameron Con-klin, SaraJane Drewett.

Gold Key in Photography: SavannaFinck

Silver Key in Photography: JamesFahnestock, Dylan Storms

Silver Key in Digital Art: JonathanSantoro

Silver Key in Design: EmersonHeasman

The district also had 13 Honorable

Mention Awards in numerous cate-gories.

The work of Gold and Silver winnerswill be on display in the Fine ArtsBuilding of SUNY New Paltz fromFebruary 6-24, 2015

The Scholastic Art Awards, whichare open to students in grades 7-12,bring outstanding visual arts byteenagers to an audience by showcas-ing their remarkable work andencouraging their creative journeyand career development.

This is a consortium of organiza-tions – including Sullivan CountyBOCES – which have come togetherto organize and present the RegionalScholastic Art Awards Program forSullivan, Dutchess, Orange, andUlster Counties.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Winning region-wide arts awards were, front, from left: SaraJane Drewett, James Fahnestockand Savanna Finck. Back: Emerson Heasman, Cameron Conklin, Sebastian Barbarite andJonathan Santoro.

8E ELDRED SCHOOL SCENE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT FEBRUARY, 2015

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