SAVE THE DATE

the

Fanwood Weekly

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3

9/21 Fanwood Picnic 9/23-9/27 DAW (Deaf Awareness Week) 9/24 New Staff Gathering

(2:45pm) 9/27 Soccer/Volleyball

Away 9/27 Staff Night Out 9/28 Fanwood Celebrates 75 Years in White Plains!

SEE PAGE 4 FOR PROFESSIONAL DEV

SCHEDULE

Dear Staff, Welcome Back! It was wonderful to see the campus filled with students and staff members again! Thank you for your participation and attention on Opening Day. I hope everyone enjoyed the presentation by speaker, Rich DiGirolamo, as much as I did. Personally, I think his message was a great way to kick-off the school year. One of Rich’s many messages was to remember to find the fun in what we do here at Fanwood. Yes, Fanwood is our “job” but that doesn’t mean that we can’t benefit from having fun with what we do! We all work so hard focusing on our student’s learning environment, that sometimes we all forget to focus on OUR working environment. Remember to communicate always, think positively and try to throw away any labels you may have placed on people in the past. Let’s have a GREAT start to an AMAZING year! Dr. Dickinson

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September 9, 2013

Opening Day Announcements Since Opening Day was so busy, I wanted remind you of several announcements that I shared with you in my presentation last week.

New Gym Equipment (Shhh! It’s a surprise for the students!) Through a contact introduced to us through Julie Gesoff, NYSD was the lucky recipient of BRAND NEW GYM EQUIPMENT! We feel so fortunate to have received this amazing donation and cannot wait to utilize it. Thank you, Julie!

Modular Classrooms: This summer, all required paperwork was submitted to the Town and State for their approval. We can start building the modulars as soon as we learn of our approval. We will keep you posted! Playground: This summer, we learned from KaBOOM that the funding partner unexpectedly backed out of our playground project. They left us with hope, though, as they stated that we are on top of their priority list, and our next chance for funding will be next spring. Even so, we are continuing to explore every avenue for bringing a playground to Fanwood.

Changes in Family Fun Day: This year we will have Family Fun Day on four (4) occasions, rather than once a month. We are reducing the number of days, so that we can really make each one a special event. Additionally, we will be providing transportation to and from the Woodlawn station, in an effort to alleviate some of the transportation struggles that our parents face.

Haunted House: October 18, 19 & 25, 26 The Haunted House preparation is well on it’s way! The Haunted House team will send an email out this week with more information about how you can help.

Fanwood Think Tank: This year we will hold Think Tank at two (2) different times in order to allow more staff members to participate. Each month we will rotate (October 3rd will be at 3:00pm and November 7th will be at 7:15am etc.) We hope to see you there!

Staff Wellness Program: We finally made it happen! Julie Gesoff developed a Staff Wellness Calendar with monthly activities such as a healthy cooking class, Zumba lessons and a “how-to” on how to grow a healthy garden. This program also includes a “Walking Club” open to anyone who wants to join! More details coming soon.

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September 9, 2013

75 Years in White Plains! Although Fanwood is nearing it's 200th anniversary...we are celebrating another milestone in our rich history! Please join us in celebrating 75 years in White Plains! Date: Saturday, September 28th, 2013 at 10:00 am Admission: $50.00 Early Purchase (Deadline September 16th) $60.00 at door Kids are FREE (under 18 years of age) Cost Includes: All Day Campus & Museum Tours BBQ Lunch, Commemorative Photo with Classmates & Tree, Special Presentation in

Auditorium (Special Recognition, Movie: Fanwood History, trivia), Evening Hors d' oeuvres and refreshments, and a special souvenir. For payment information, please contact Yvonne Davis-Talley. All proceeds will go to NYSD. QUESTIONS: Email: anniversary@nysd.net

Fanwood Picnic Students & staff members... bring YOUR lunch and YOUR family to Fanwood for a school-wide picnic!

Date: Saturday, September 21st Time: 11:00am-2:00pm Location: Fanwood Quad (In the case of rain, event will be moved indoors) Bring your own picnic basket with enough food to feed your group. Fanwood will provide beverages for everyone. Also…don’t forget to bring a blanket or chairs for your family to sit on. The goal of this picnic is simple: We want a chance to meet your families and mingle. We will have soccer balls and Frisbees for anyone interested in playing!

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September 9, 2013

September/October Professional Development Schedule

DATE

FIP

PREK ELEMENTARY MS/HS RELATED SERVICES

TA’S

SEPTEMBER 11TH

TOPIC: INTRO TO DANIELSON (DOMAIN 1),

POWERSCHOOL, & PARENT PORTAL (AUDITORIUM)

DEPARTMENT MEETING

JOIN TEACHERS

SEPTEMBER 18TH

TOPIC: COCHLEAR IMPLANT TRAINING

TOPIC: WEBSITE TRAINING & SET UP

TOPIC: 1. GRADUATION

REQUIREMENTS & EXIT CREDENTIALS CON’T…

2. TEST ACCOM. 3. WEBSITE

AUDITORY & SPEECH: (JOIN C.I. TRAINING) RELATED SERVICES: (JOIN MS/HS)

TA’S NOT

REQUIRED TO ATTEND

SEPTEMBER

25TH

DEPARTMENT MEETINGS

1. UPDATES 2. DANIELSON BOOK STUDY Domain 2 3. ACCOMMODATIONS (GRADES 2-5)

DEPARTMENT

MEETINGS

T.A.

TRAINING IN THE

BOARD ROOM

OCTOBER 2ND

TOWN HALL MEETING (2:45 – 3:15) SPECIAL TRAINING: BLOOD BORN PATHOGENS (3:15 – 4:15)

OCTOBER 9TH

TECH TRAINING #1 TOPICS TO BE ANNOUNCED - BASED ON STAFF SURVEYS

TA’S ARE WELCOME, BUT NOT

REQUIRED TO ATTEND

OCTOBER 16th

DANIELSON BOOK STUDY: Best Practices in Instruction - Domain 3

Related Services: Department Meeting and Assistive Tech.

TA’S NOT

REQUIRED TO ATTEND

OCTOBER 23rd

Department Meetings 1. Updates 2. DANIELSON BOOK STUDY: Domain 4

Department Meeting

T.A.

TRAINING

OCTOBER 30th

“TRICK-OR-TREATING”

(Come & Go Fall Get Together at Dr. Dickinson’s Home)

Class Websites Due to the fact that the training needs vary so greatly between teachers, we have decided to provide training mostly on a 1:1 basis. Teachers, please reach out directly to Darrell Long to arrange an appointment, if you would like training or support on setting up your class website.

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September 9, 2013