November 30, 2022

We are excited to share this month’s edition of What’s Happening in Chappaqua’s Schools. Please enjoy these highlights from our schools and classrooms. For more news from the District, visit our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Author Visits: Weeks, Uwiringiyimana, and Hinton Visit Secondary Schools

The Chappaqua Central School District has hosted three authors at the secondary level this month to amplify our social justice and equity work throughout the District.

At Bell and Seven Bridges Middle Schools, co-author Sarah Weeks spoke about her novel, Save Me a Seat. This book is one of the fifth grade culturally responsive anchor texts and explores themes of friendship, acceptance and identity. Through this text, students developed a deeper sense of empathy and engaged in thoughtful discussions describing how assumptions about culture and identity can be harmful.

Sandra Uwiringiyimana, co-author of the memoir How Dare the Sun Rise, visited eighth graders at both schools. Her memoir tells the story of how the author survived a brutal massacre in Burundi, yet found the strength to overcome the trauma and loss she experienced. Both middle school author visits were made possible due to generous support from, and collaboration with, the School PTAs.

Anthony Ray Hinton spoke to all students at Horace Greeley High School. Hinton is the author of the memoir, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. Hinton survived thirty years on death row for a crime he did not commit. His presentation was possible thanks to the ENOUGH club, the Miles Chair Fund, and the Greeley PTA.

Learn more about each of these author visits on our website here.

Success with Student-led Conferences

For the first time, our fifth and sixth grade families participated in student-led conferences. In this collaborative experience, students identified academic or study skills goals and led a conversation with their parents and teachers about their progress and growth. We feel that middle school is a time of discovery and as adolescents start to think critically, become interested in solving real-world problems, and assert independence, an essential part of this phase is a child’s ability to identify and set goals. This makes fifth and sixth grade the perfect time to try this new format of collaboration.

Learn more about the Student-led Conference experience on our website here.

Facilities Improvements & School Safety Bond Vote: Referendum #1 Passes

Thank you to our community for coming out to vote, and to our volunteers who facilitated the voting process with us throughout the day. We look forward to beginning the next steps for the infrastructure repairs and upgrades projects listed in Referendum #1. We sincerely appreciate your continued support as we strive to provide an academic, social-emotional and physical environment where all of our students continue to grow and thrive.

For the full results of the bond vote, please visit our website here.

Sustainability Across the District

The Chappaqua Central School District’s commitment to sustainability education and literacy continues with multiple learning opportunities for students across the District. Here are highlights from the month of November:

• Grafflin’s second graders took a field trip to the Sustainability Research Center to learn about active and passive hydroponics systems, what plants need to grow, and how they can further apply their learning in Grafflin’s own sustainable gardening systems.
• At Bell, the Gardening Club recently planted in their hydroponics tower to start their indoor winter garden, while over at the Seven Bridges Garden students were seen harvesting vegetables, making unique bouquets, and building cold frame prototypes to extend the growing season! Fresh herbs and veggies were at their fingertips to finish off the delicious dishes to be cooked in FACS classes. #FarmToTable
• Peer Leaders at Horace Greeley explored their carbon footprints in preparing for an upcoming lesson with freshmen students.

These highlights capture only some of the important work around sustainability this month. Learn more on our website here.

Strategic Planning Process Begins

The District has begun the process of creating the next five-year strategic plan with the first meeting of the Strategic Coherence Planning Steering Committee. The group is made up of staff, Board of Education members and community stakeholder groups. The District is again partnering with Jonathan Costa, Assistant Executive Director of EdAdvance, who helped facilitate the previous strategic plan.

Throughout this process, the Committee will be looking for feedback from as many stakeholders as possible; please be on the lookout for opportunities to engage with this process and provide feedback.

OLAS Hispanic Heritage Fiesta Night

The Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) at Greeley hosted a new event for the Chappaqua community, Hispanic Heritage Fiesta Night. The evening included music, dances and foods from Latin America and across the Spanish-speaking world.

Nicholas Silva, OLAS Club President, shared, “It was a memorable night with performances from teachers, students and families across the District that showcased the Hispanic culture that is present in our town. This is the first of many fiesta nights in the District in the years to come.”

CCSD Superintendent’s Conference Day Keynote: Dr. Fernando Reimers

On November 8, 2022, the Chappaqua Central School District welcomed Dr. Fernando Reimers as the keynote speaker for our Superintendent’s Conference Day. Dr. Reimers is the Ford Foundation Professor of the Practice of International Education and Director of the Global Education Innovation Initiative at Harvard University. His research and teaching focus on understanding how to educate children and youth so they can thrive in the 21st century.

Following Dr. Reimers’ keynote presentation, staff participated in a full day of professional learning. Read more about Dr. Reimers presentation and the day of professional learning on our website here.

School Security Survey Results

The CCSD has continued our efforts to ensure that our school safety and security measures are up-to-date and aligned to student, staff and community needs. Earlier this fall, the District asked students, staff and parents to participate in a survey to better understand their opinions about school safety and security. This anonymous survey was conducted by a third-party research organization, and the results were shared at the November 16th Board of Education Meeting.

The full presentation of the survey results can be found on the Board of Education website here.

Clue: On Stage at Horace Greeley High School
    December 1st, 2nd & 3rd at 7pm (HG Auditorium)

This show is described as a “murder-mystery comedy thriller” that follows six guests at a mysterious dinner party where they find themselves implicated as murder suspects when their host turns up dead. Following in the footsteps of the film, this stage production bills itself as a “comedy whodunit.”

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For more information, please visit the show website: HGHS Clue Tickets & Show Info.