Fall/Winter Newsletter

Buffalo Business First, a business publication published in Western New York, recently released its annu-

al rankings of Upstate New York’s school districts. The rankings were based solely on data released by the

New York State Education Department on the 432 school districts in Upstate New York with enrollments of

greater than 200 students.

The Greenwich Central School District earned distinction in a number of academic areas in this year’s

review. Both the Greenwich ELA and Social Studies departments earned distinction as “5 star” departments (they were both ranked 35th out of 432) in the rankings. The district was identified as the 10th best school

district overall in the Capital Region (out of 83 districts) and the 49th best district in all of Upstate New York.

Buffalo Business First also identified the upstate school districts that it rated as the best at preparing

graduates for college and/or career readiness. According to the publication, a student is considered well

prepared for a college or career if they have met the state's APM (Aspirational Performance Measure) stand-

ards. The three steps in New York’s APM standard are: achieve a score of 80 or better on any Regents

math exam; achieve a score of 75 or better on the Regents English exam; and graduate from high school after

passing at least eight Regents tests to earn an Advanced Regents diploma. Using this measure, Greenwich

was ranked as the 17th best school district in Upstate (top 4%). In the words of Mr. G. Scott Thomas, Editor

of Buffalo Business First, Greenwich is doing “a superior job of preparing their students for college based on

statistical indicators.”

Those interested in reviewing all the statistics/rankings published by Buffalo Business First can go to the

following link: http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2014/10/08/click-here-for-2014-upstate-school-

rankings.html.

Greenwich CSD Identified As Top District in Preparing

Students for College and Career Readiness

One of the most effective ways that your daughter/son can

get the help they need to succeed in his/her classes is by stay-

ing after school during 12th period (2:35pm-3:20pm), Monday

through Thursday with his/her teachers. All teachers in the

Junior/Senior High School are available to help students with

their homework, reteach difficult concepts, or review for up-

coming exams during 12th period.

The new more rigorous learning standards implemented in

ELA and especially Math have made it even more important

that students seek out this opportunity for additional academ-

ic support. If you have any questions about how our teachers

use 12th period to support our students, please contact your

daughter/son’s teachers.

We Want You! (Really, We Want Your Kids to Stay After School for 12th Period!)

Mr. Manera helping a student in Living Environment.

New Faces at Greenwich Junior/Senior High School

Mr. Helmig is the new

high school art teacher for

grades 7-12 at Greenwich.

Mr. Helmig is an alum-

nus of Greenwich having

graduated in 1992. From

there he went on to Syra-

cuse University to earn a

Bachelor of Fine Arts, and

to SUNY Plattsburgh

where he earned a Master

of Science in Teaching.

“Teaching Art has been

a passion of mine since I

was in high school,” Mr.

Helmig said. “I am honored

for the opportunity to give

back to the community as a

teacher here in Greenwich.

I truly look forward to

working with Greenwich

children as they continue

their learning in the visual

arts.”

Mr. McPartland has

joined us as a Health/

Physical Education teacher

in the High School.

He graduated from

Beacon High School (just

south of Poughkeepsie)

and then attended SUNY

Cortland where he earned

a Bachelor’s degree in

physical education and a

Master’s degree in health

education. He also played

baseball at Cortland and

worked as an assistant

coach there. He is cur-

rently attending SUNY

Plattsburgh to complete a

Certificate of Advanced

Study in School Building

Leadership.

Prior to coming to

Greenwich, Mr. McPart-

land worked in the Hud-

son Falls school district.

“The transition to

Greenwich has been really

great!”, he said. “The fac-

ulty has been incredibly

helpful and I am very im-

pressed with the students

here. I have really enjoyed

working with the personal

fitness classes and I’m

looking forward to watch-

ing the transformations

that will take place with

the students in those clas-

ses.”

Mrs. Strope is serving

as the long-term substi-

tute nurse in the High

School this year.

She has been an RN

for 15 years working in a

variety of settings. She

started her nursing expe-

rience at Samaritan Hospi-

tal in Troy in the Cardiac/

ICU Step-Down unit.

She also ventured out

to Colorado where she

worked at Presbyterian/St.

Luke’s in the same type of

unit.

She then returned

home and worked at Cen-

tury Same Day Surgery in

Latham.

Mrs. Strope has been

subbing in the Greenwich

district for the past four

years and is excited to

have the opportunity to

be a part of the Green-

wich team taking care of

all of the students.

Mrs. Janet Townsend has

made the move from the

Elementary school to the

high school this year as a

Physical Education teacher.

After graduating in 2004

from Ithaca College, she

was hired as one of the ele-

mentary physical education

teachers in Greenwich. She

worked for eight years in

the elementary where she

enjoyed introducing stu-

dents to new games, teach-

ing the benefits of being

physically active, helping

motivate each individual to

meet their fitness goals and

celebrating their successes

with them.

Mrs. Townsend said that

she was also very fortunate

to be able to take two years

off to be with her children.

“Although I am still get-

ting used to things here in

the high school, it has been

really nice to see all of my

former students and how

much they have changed

since grade school,” she

said.

Mr. Travis Helmig

(Art Teacher)

Mr. Nick McPartland

(Health/PE Teacher)

Mrs. Karen Strope

(School Nurse)

Mrs. Janet Townsend

(Phys. Ed. Teacher)

Veteran Greenwich Teachers Highlighted connected with professionals from our BOCES, as well as all

across New York State.

“Being an ambassador has opened doors allowing me to

attend the Network Team Institute trainings given by

NYSED and the vendors who have created the modules,”

she explained. “I then turn-key train other professionals in

our own school district, and our BOCES network. I have

trained teachers in Galway, at the Gick Road BOCES center,

in Waterford/Halfmoon and in our own district.”

Ambassadors are part of a professional learning network

of other teachers, curriculum writers, administrators, and

literacy coaches who are working on implementing the new

standards in their respective districts.

Mrs. Dixson Named Master Teacher The NYS Master Teacher Program selects successful

STEM educators to share their experience and knowledge

with their colleagues, furthering student success and helping

to improve college readiness across the state. The selection

process for the master teacher program includes a lengthy

application process, an interview and a presentation on a

STEM subject.

This spring 23 teachers of science, math and technology

were named to the local Capital Region Master Teacher Co-

hort. Greenwich teacher Mrs. Nicole Dixson was one of two

Living Environment teachers named to the Cohort. After

becoming part of the Master Teacher Program Mrs. Dixson

has been involved with professional development in the

flipped classroom and training on NEXTgen Science Stand-

ards. She attended the Statewide Master Teacher Conven-

tion in August. Mrs. Dixson has also been involved as a men-

tor through a CASDA grant initiative for teacher leadership

in the region. Later this month Mrs. Dixson will be present-

ing at a SUNY Albany STEM conference for pre-service and

in-service teachers on Research in the Science Classroom.

Mrs. Aierstok Helping to Train Teachers Mrs. Emily Aierstok has been working as a Curriculum

Ambassador in ELA for BOCES. As an ambassador she is

responsible for becoming an expert on the ELA curriculum

shifts, Common Core State Standards, and the modules in

grades 3-12. Through this experience, Mrs. Aierstok is also

PAGE 3

In response to a recent push to better prepare students for careers in STEM (Science,

Technology, Engineering, Math) fields, Greenwich Central School has begun an exciting

monthly STEM Speaker Program. From October 2014 to April 2015, Greenwich Central

School has scheduled a speaker for each month who is experienced in a relevant field. The

calendar is as follows: October: Machine Tool Technology; November: Civil Engineering;;

December: Agricultural Robotics; January: Network Analyst/Information Technology; Feb-

ruary: Electrical Engineering; March: Pharmacy; and April: Nano-Technology.

Paul Fronhofer, the now retired founder and president of Fronhofer Tool Inc., con-

ducted the first workshop of the seven month program. Throughout the forty minute

presentation he was peppered with questions from several of the more than fifty students

in attendance. His overriding message was, "Follow the heart --- do what you love." He

stressed looking for a niche that is vital and necessary. While he didn't get overly technical,

he did expose attendees to jargon, the machining process, description for a variety of ma-

chines used in the process, how prevalent machining is in our society, and finished prod-

ucts that resulted from projects awarded to Fronhofer Tool, Inc. Mr. Fronhofer initiated

his education in the field while he was a student at Greenwich Central School. He went to BOCES and participated afterwards

in a four year apprenticeship through the State of New York. From a small workshop in his basement, his company now has

some eight buildings at his plants in Greenwich and Argyle. He invited any interested student to come for a tour at the facilities.

Anyone interested in more information regarding this program should call the Greenwich Central School Counseling Office

at 692 9542 x-6600.

STEM Speaker Series at GCS

Mrs. Aierstok and Mrs. Dixson

Mr. Paul Fronhofer

National Honor Society Induction Held

PAGE 4

♫ Music Department Notes ♫

MUSIC STUDENTS EXCEL: Music is in the air at GCS! This fall, several Greenwich students will be performing in honor

music groups throughout the state. Nine Greenwich students were selected to perform in the NYSSMA Zone 7 Area All-State

Music Festival in Saratoga Springs on November 21 and 22. This is a festival comprised of the most outstanding musicians in the

Capital District. The Greenwich students attending are: Chandler Hansen (chorus), Noah Heimbach (chorus), Joseph Oswald

(chorus), Keith Pratt (chorus), James Brown-Kinsella (band), Christopher VanDerwerker (band), Riley Vandewater (band), Janelle

Whitman (band), and Alexandra O’Brien (orchestra).

In addition, James Brown-Kinsella was also selected to perform with the Conference All-State Mixed Choir in Rochester on De-

cember 4-7. This is the most prestigious honor group in New York State.

A HALLOWEEN TREAT FOR CHORUS: On Friday October 31, the Senior High Chorus, accompanied by select band

students, traveled to Schenectady County Community College to participate in the SCCC High School Choral Workshop. They

worked with an expert clinician, heard performances from high school choirs throughout the region, and toured the SCCC music

department. An incredible amount of learning happened in a short amount of time, and fun was had by all!

CATCH A PERFORMANCE: GCS Winter concerts are fast approaching!

Junior High Winter Concert: Tuesday, December 9 – 7:00 PM.

Senior High Winter Concert: Thursday, December 11 – 7:00 PM.

Snow Date for any concert: Thursday, December 18 - 7:00 PM.

OR CATCH US ONLINE: Did you know that you can live stream any GCS music department concert?

Just click to: http://www.greenwichcsd.org/videostream.html. You can also follow the Greenwich Band Department on twitter

@greenwichband or check out our website at http://www.greenwichcsd.org/music.

On Monday, October 6th the Greenwich Chapter of

the National Honor Society inducted seventeen new

members at the ceremony in the high school auditorium.

The ceremony began with a processional featuring the

senior members, carrying candles, set to classical music.

Senior member Janelle S. Whitman sang The National

Anthem and then the four officers delivered speeches on

the most important qualities according to the society.

President Chandler Hansen spoke about scholarship,

Vice President Alexandra O’Brien talked about the im-

portance of leadership, Treasurer Sofie Hoerning spoke

about service, and Secretary Laura Strasswimmer gave a

speech on character.

After the speeches, each of the senior members

tapped the new inductees. The new members were led

onto the stage, given a certificate and a National Honor

Society pin and donned green robes. Once everyone had

been tapped, President Chandler Hansen led new and

current members through the induction pledge. After

the induction pledge, the new members were led out by

the senior members with a candlelight recessional. A

reception was held in the library for families and friends of the new members.

The inductees were Peter Simoneau, Thomas Nevins, Lukas Whitehouse, Caitlyn Robertson, Joseph Oswald, Laurel Becker,

Noah Heimbach, Gabrielle VanDeWater, Una Miller, Tricia Jordan, Anna Watkins, Taylor O’Connor, Kaylah Gulley, Meghan

Coldwell, Alexis Curley, Elizabeth Waite, and Sarah Gabriel.

The members of the National Honor Society.

PAGE 5

Coach Steve Patrick’s Greenwich Central High School harriers finished another sterling team season at the New

York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships.

The girls’ team won an eleventh straight Wasaren League and Section championship and placed third at the State

Meet. Junior Tori Spiezio was the team leader throughout the year, having won the Wasaren League Championship

and placing second at Sectionals. At the State Meet, Tori placed 21st. Eighth grader Annabel Gregg realized the poten-

tial she showed during last spring’s track season and ran her best race of the year at States, placing sixth. Seventh

grade twins Brooke and Brynne Wright gave the team a much-welcomed boost this season. One of Brooke’s season

highlights was a second place finish at the Grout Invitational. Brynne was a solid third among the Witches in most

meets and placed 41st among 127 runners at the State Meet. Freshman Chloe Littell was a very consistent top-five per-

former throughout the season and placed 50th at States. Senior Jillian Perkins came through for the Witches at the

State Meet, running in the team’s fifth spot at 63rd overall. Freshman Bryanna Booth gave the team needed depth

throughout the season. In her first season of running, Swiss foreign exchange student Ramona Lo Verde followed the

lead of her teammates and improved throughout the season. Lucia D’Acchille practiced this year and will be expected

to contribute in meets next year.

The boys’ team won a third straight league and sectional title and finished fourth at the State Meet. They were led

by nationally recognized running star Jeremy Spiezio, who was undefeated throughout the season until the State Meet,

at which he placed fourth. The senior has left his mark as one of the top cross country runners in Section 2 history.

Senior Chandler Hansen ran the best races of his career at Sectionals and States in becoming the Witches’ second run-

ner. Sophomore Colin Beasor was one of the top sophomores in Section 2 this season and was a pillar of consistency

and high performance throughout the season. Senior James Brown-Kinsella ran his best race of the year at Sectionals,

placing 6th. He was 71st of 132 runners at the State Meet. Junior Lucian D’Acchille became the solid 5th runner for the

Witches and showed enormous potential, placing 18th of 108 run-

ners at Sectionals. Senior Riley Steindl ran 24th at Sectionals and

added strength to the roster. Freshman Sam Grimmke ran his

best two races at Sectionals and States. Freshman Ellis Pemrick

was typically a top seven runner for the Witches this season and

placed 14th at the Wasaren League Championships.

Reflecting on the season, Coach Patrick credits the runners.

“On one hand, we have a string of success with the boys and girls

teams, but it’s important to remember that the teams change

from year to year and this year’s teams got it done independent

of past teams’ success. The boys and girls worked really hard and

showed up ‘big’ when they needed to.”

Patrick also acknowledges the cross country “family.” “Our

parents really make it happen for us. We could never have this

level of expectation and commitment without parents being ‘on-

board.’ They do it all for the team. We are also really lucky to

have Bob Lane and his Fastlane summer running camp. Bob and

Greenwich track and field coach Pat Morris are also a big help

during the cross country season.”

The forecast for next year is bright. The girls could contend

for a State title and the boys could rebuild and challenge Section

2 rivals.

Greenwich XC Teams Complete Championship Seasons

PAGE 6

Tips for Smart Cellphone Use from ConnectSafely.org

Cell phones are increasingly full-blown handheld computers, and everything that can be done on the Web via computer - photo sharing, Web

browsing, game playing, tune-swapping, real-time text or video chat, and (oh yeah) talking - can be done on a phone. Here are some basic

ideas for keeping mobile phone use safe and constructive:

Share with care. Use the same good sense about what you post from your phone as from a computer. Once they’re posted,

text, photos, and video are tough to take back, can be copied and pasted elsewhere, and are up there pretty much forever. Think

about the people in them (including you!). Reputations are at stake.

Phones are personal. Letting other people use your phone when you’re not around is like letting them have the password to

your social network profile. They can impersonate you, which gives them the power to mess with your reputation and relation-

ships. Lock your phone when you’re not using it, and use strong and unique passwords for all your apps.

Keep it kind. Because people socialize on cellphones as much as online, cyberbullying can be mobile too. Treat people on phones

and the Web the way you would in person, and the risk of being bullied goes down. Be aware, too, of people randomly taking pic-

tures at parties, in locker rooms, etc. – you may not want to be tagged in their social-network photo albums!

Sexting: The vast majority of kids are smart and don’t take, send, or post or even store nude photos of themselves or peers on

their phones. People who do so can be charged with production, distribution, or possession of child pornography, a serious crime.

They can also be subjected to jokes, bullying, blackmail, expulsion from school, loss of a job, etc. and the images can circulate for-

ever. Just don’t go there.

The value of presence. If you do a lot of texting, consider the impact that being “elsewhere” might be having on the people

around you. Your presence during meals, at parties, in the car, etc. is not only polite, it’s a sign of respect and appreciated.

Know what your apps know. Pay attention to any permissions apps request as you install them. If an app asks to access your

location, contact list, calendar or messages or to post to your social networking services, consider if the app really needs that in-

formation to function. When in doubt, consider withholding permission or not using that app.

Down time is good. Constant texting and talking can affect sleep, concentration, school, and other things that deserve your

thought and focus. You need your sleep, and real friends understand there are times you just need to turn off the phone.

Share location mindfully. A growing number of apps allow friends to pinpoint each other’s physical location. If you use such a

service, do so only with friends you know in person, and get to know the service’s privacy features.

Have a conversation (not a lecture) with your kids about smartphone use. Consider drawing up a family cellphone contract and

talk with your children about why each point is important (there’s a sample contract at ConnectSafely.org/mobile). If you decide to

use parental-control apps, discuss them with your children.

Consider parental-control tools. There are actually two major types of parental controls. The first is family rules or guidelines

that you establish with your children, and the second is technology tools provided by cellphone companies, smartphone makers

and app developers. If you do use technology to monitor or limit your child’s phone activities, in most cases it’s a good idea to be

up front with them and revisit it every now and then as they mature.

No texting while driving! Research shows that texting while driving can significantly increase the risk of a crash or near-crash

situation. Silence your phone in the car, pull over if you need to use it, and of course follow your state’s hands-free laws for mobile

phones in cars.

Upcoming Events

Junior Drama Play 11/21 and 11/22

Junior High Concert 12/9/14 @ 7 p.m.

Senior High Concert 12/11/14 @ 7 p.m.

Holiday Recess (no school) 12/22/14—1/2/15

Martin Luther King Day (no school)

1/19/15

Regents Testing (school in session)

1/26/15 - 1/29/15

Grading Day (no school) 1/30/15

February Vacation (no school)

2/16/15- 2/20/15

Pops Concerts 3/13/15 & 3/14/15

All-County Band Festival 3/20/15 & 3/21/15

FFA Farm Toy Show 3/21/15

Senior High School Play 3/27/15- 3/29/15

Spring Recess (no school) 4/3/15 - 4/10/15

NYS FFA Convention 5/14/15 - 5/16/15

Graduation 6/28/15 @ 2:30 p.m.

Yearbooks On Sale

This year’s Junior/Senior High School yearbook, The Cauldron, is now on sale. The 144-page, full color yearbook is only $40.00 plus tax (a reduction of $10.00 from last year) and can be purchased online by accessing the link on the High School website, or by completing an order form available in the High School Main Office.

Students who want their yearbook personalized with their name on the cover, must have their order in by January and this year all seniors will receive their name on the yearbook for free!

There are a limited number of yearbooks avail- able, so order soon so you don’t miss out on a year-book this year.

Graduation ceremonies are scheduled for the weekend of June 26, 2015.

Awards Night - Friday, June 26th at 7 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.

Graduation - Sunday, June 28th at 2:30 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.

More information will be coming home in the spring regarding graduation and other

upcoming senior class events.

Important Info for Seniors

MAIN NUMBER 692-9542

Mr. Niesz (Principal) Ext. 6301 Mr. Cronin (Asst. Principal) Ext. 6302 Main Office (Mrs. Wilbur) Ext. 6300 Main Office (Mrs. McPhail) Ext. 6303 Counseling (Mrs. Facin) Ext. 6600 Mr. Zwirn Ext. 6601 Mr. Morris Ext. 6602 Mrs. Finney Ext. 6603 Nurse (Mrs. Strope) Ext. 1030 Attendance (Mrs. VanDriel) Ext. 6311 Attendance (Mrs. Lapham) Ext. 6310

IMPORTANT PHONE EXTENSIONS

School events, including sporting events, are all listed

on the school calendar online at the school’s website—

www.greenwichcsd.org.

To access the calendar, just go to the Home page and

click on the calendar.

For specific details on an event, just click on that

event.

If you are looking for information on when, where and

what time games, concerts, and other events are being

held, please visit the website.

(Items are updated as often as possible.)

School Event Calendar Online

The 2014-2015 school year is off to a fantastic start! By the time you receive this newsletter, the second quar-

ter of our school year will have already begun (hard to believe).

Each year brings new initiatives to our school as we continue to try and improve the academic programming

that we offer our students and streamline the procedures we use to manage our building. At the same time, we are

proud to continue to offer our students the opportunity to participate in our renowned athletic program, award win-

ning FFA program, and rich theater and music programs. This year is no exception. Some of the initiatives we are

pursuing include:

1) Studying how we can reduce the amount of testing our students are experiencing by replacing “pre-

tests” (pre-tests are exams administered to students at the beginning of the year in order to establish

baseline performance data for students) with a system that uses our students’ performance on final exams

from the previous school year to establish a baseline for student performance for the current year.

2) Proposing to the Board of Education that our district create a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Math) designation for our diplomas for students that concentrate their studies in these areas while

enrolled in our high school. This local designation would be awarded by our Board of Education and

would indicate to colleges and/or employers that the student has successfully completed a concentrated

course of study in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

3) Continuing to implement the new more rigorous learning standards adopted by the New York State

Education Department in ELA 9, 10 and 12, as well as in Geometry. This year our students will be taking

a new exam based on the new standards in Geometry while our Algebra and ELA 11 students continue to

take the new, more rigorous Regents exams that we began administering last year.

These three ongoing initiatives are a sample of some of the exceptional work our professional staff continues to

dedicate to their craft and our students. I hope that you are able to take a look at the sections of this newsletter

which include some biographical information about our new staff members, as well as review some of the outstanding

professional work being completed by some of our veteran teachers.

The cover of this newsletter summarizes some of the most recent honors/recognition earned by the students

and staff members of our school. The rankings confirm two things about our school/community. First, we have great

kids from supportive families that continue to work exceptionally hard at their academic and extracurricular activities.

Secondly, our school is full of exceptional educators who continue to dedicate themselves to the improvement of

their profession and the academic and social/emotional development of our students.

We hope that you find this newsletter informative. If you have any questions about any aspect of our school,

please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

Respectfully,

George C. Niesz

Junior/Senior High School Principal

Message from the Principal

Several of the departments in the High School have begun working on newsletters to keep families up to date on

what is going on in their classrooms and departments.

All of these newsletters are available through the district’s website at www.greenwichcsd.org. Just click on the Jun-

ior Senior High School Quick Link in the top right hand corner and then scroll down to the newsletter links in the

center of the page.

Department Newsletters Available Online