WVCSD EdTalk: November 20, 2024
Each week in this column, I mention numerous community partnerships that enrich the education of students in the Warwick Valley Central School District. You’ll even see some examples in today’s column. These are just a few of the organizations and entities that contribute countless hours of their time, resources, and knowledge to our students for the betterment of our community. Their collective effort is truly special and noteworthy.
Today, I am taking a moment to reflect and say thank you to every one of you who partners with our school district. Warwick is indeed a special place, and you help make it so. These collaborations foster a shared responsibility for student achievement, leveraging Warwick’s local resources, expertise, and support networks. They enhance education and enrich student experiences.
Community partnerships have become a defining element of our students’ success. These collaborations – with local businesses, nonprofit organizations, parents, senior citizens, government officials, first responders, service members, veterans, and others – serve as bridges, connecting students to real-world opportunities and learning while fostering a culture of mutual support within the community.
When students engage in these types of interactions and learning opportunities, they continue growing toward our Portrait of a Graduate. We want our students to aspire to become collaborators, communicators, creators, innovators, ethical and global citizens, resilient individuals, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners. Our community partners help make that happen.
Just last week, our friends from the Warwick Historical Society visited Sanfordville Elementary’s first-grade classrooms to present information about what life was like in Warwick 100 to 200 years ago. They are frequent visitors to our schools with their Traveling Trunks program, and they also take our students on local tours. We are very appreciative that they share our local history with our students.
Sanfordville also welcomed some of our local veterans for its “Read with a Veteran” event. The week before, Park Avenue Elementary held its annual Veterans Day event, a celebration that has been taking place for 25 years!
The Warwick Rotary Club presents dictionaries to our youth and sponsors the Warwick Valley Interact Club. Rotarians show club members upcoming local events and ways they can get involved.
The Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce participates in job shadowing and provides volunteer opportunities for students in the middle and high schools.
Over the summer, the district partnered with the Town of Warwick Police Department for its Junior Police Academy. The Warwick Valley Prevention Coalition collaborates with WVMS and WVHS to plan community forums and other awareness events.
On warm fall or spring days, you can find Park Avenue students, led by their teachers, strolling to the Albert Wisner Public Library to encourage reading and teach them about this valuable community resource.
These are just a few examples, of course. There are many others. These partnerships and activities strengthen the ties between our schools and the wider Warwick community. We are grateful to all the generous volunteers and organizations that make these learning experiences possible for our students.
Here are some highlights from our schools this week:
Park Avenue Elementary School
Recently, all fourth-grade students had the opportunity to work with retired agriculture teacher Nancy Colgan, as well as some current high school students. Mrs. Colgan and her team are helping our students study the maple trees on Park Avenue’s campus this fall. Later this year, when the weather is just right, students will learn how to tap these trees and convert the sap into maple syrup.
After a brief overview from Mrs. Colgan, classes worked with the high school students to use their observational skills and capture the following data:
● Species of tree based on leaves
● Leaf size
● Leaf color
● Quality of sunlight received
● Health of the bark and leaves
● Tree trunk circumference, height, and canopy size
Students were also asked to estimate the percentage of leaves still on the trees. They made rain gauges, which were placed near the trees to measure and collect rainfall data. With the help of the high school students, the data was tabulated, enabling the fourth graders to compare and contrast the trees more effectively.
The Scholastic Book Fair rolled into the Park Avenue Media Center/Library just in time for parent-teacher conferences. This annual fall event provided Park Avenue’s students with the opportunity to browse exciting titles to enjoy reading. The fair remained open for four days in the library. All K–4 students had a chance to visit the fair with their class, and even parents were invited to join. The fair also stayed open during our evening parent-teacher conferences.
To ensure every student went home with a book—whether they came to school with money or not—the PTA procured a supply of book donations in advance, making them readily available to all. As always, a big thank you to our PTA for their hard work!
If you’ve stopped by Park Avenue in the past few weeks, you may have noticed something new growing in the lobby! Our beautiful new membership tree was painted this September by students from WVHS’s Honors Art class. As new members join the PTA throughout the year, their names will be added as leaves on the tree. We plan to keep this tree growing and changing with the seasons throughout the school year.
Students have been enjoying searching for their parents’ and teachers’ names as they walk past the tree each day. Huge thanks to PTA volunteer Katie Zack for coordinating this project and for keeping our PTA bulletin board up-to-date and looking beautiful. We hope you’ll stop by to check it out the next time you’re in the building!
Sanfordville Elementary School
The Warwick Historical Society visited with students, who learned about artifacts and gained a better understanding of what people and students experienced on a daily basis in the past. Thank you to the Warwick Historical Society for the engaging lessons and activities they bring to all of our students.
Our PIE 3/4 students are creating Extreme Weather Newspapers. They have been researching various types of extreme weather and are now using their expertise to teach others how to stay safe through a newspaper format featuring nonfiction text elements. Students have organized their knowledge into six chapters and are integrating both narrative and expository writing styles. They are also ensuring their own voice and ideas shine alongside the information they present.
Fourth grade has begun a unit on Native Americans. As an introduction, students participated in a gallery walk, examining artifacts from a group of people who lived in this area long ago. Divided into groups, students were given three different pictures of artifacts to analyze and discuss. They then answered questions to make inferences: What do you think the object is? What do you think it was made from? How do you think it was used? The groups posted their answers on chart paper, and as a class, they drew conclusions about what the artifacts tell us about the people who lived here, their environment, and the importance of studying these artifacts.
Last Wednesday, students in Mrs. Nyland’s, Mrs. Caswell’s, Mrs. Nagel’s, and Mrs. Santander’s classes celebrated World Kindness Day. Students participated in a variety of activities centered around this year’s theme: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” They baked cookies and delivered them to special adults around the building, who were also given pictures, thank-you cards, and bookmarks. Students enjoyed creating World Kindness Day crowns and “Officer of Kindness” badges.
On Friday, November 15, Sanfordville held its “Read with a Veteran” event. Our fourth-grade students paired up with their K-Buddies, and together with our honored veterans, they took turns reading to each other. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our veterans for their service. We also hope to see them at our Valentines for Veterans Breakfast in February!
Warwick Valley Middle School
The middle school recently held its first Student of the Month breakfast, a cherished tradition that highlights the incredible efforts of our students. Held every other month, these breakfasts celebrate and recognize students who exemplify the qualities outlined in our Portrait of a Graduate. These traits include being a collaborator, communicator, ethical and global citizen, resilient individual, problem-solver, and lifelong learner. Academic teams select the students who best demonstrate these qualities, ensuring that each recognition is both meaningful and reflective of the middle school’s values and culture.
Now in its seventh year, the Student of the Month program has become a beloved tradition, bringing together students, families, and staff in a shared celebration of excellence. The breakfast serves as a moment of pride for students and their families, offering public acknowledgment of their dedication, hard work, and commitment to personal growth. During the event, students receive certificates commemorating their accomplishments, and families have the opportunity to express their pride and support for their children’s achievements.
The Student of the Month program is a powerful reminder of the importance of fostering well-rounded individuals who not only excel academically but also contribute positively to their communities. By celebrating these students, we inspire others to embody the same traits of collaboration, resilience, and lifelong learning. It’s a wonderful way to head into the holiday season, and we look forward to continuing this tradition throughout the year, honoring the exceptional students who make our school great.
The names of the winners for September and October are listed on our website.
Warwick Valley High School
The high school proudly hosted its annual blood drive, sponsored by the Student Senate. This year’s event was a resounding success, collecting 45 units of blood—enough to potentially save up to 135 lives and make a lasting impact on countless families in need.
The drive showcased the remarkable generosity and community spirit of Warwick Valley’s students, staff, and local supporters. Throughout the day, dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure the process was efficient and welcoming, creating a positive experience for all donors. Their hard work and commitment elevated this year’s drive to one of the most successful in recent memory, setting a new standard for future events.
The Student Senate and organizers extend their deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed, whether by donating blood, volunteering time, or supporting the cause in other ways. This extraordinary achievement has already sparked excitement for the next blood drive, scheduled for March 2025. The event demonstrated the transformative power of unity and the profound impact of giving back to the community.