Students at Irvington Middle School and Irvington High School recently participated in the second annual creative program, “Melt Away Your Stress,” held by library media specialist Lovetta James and student assistance counselor Jennifer Nunziato.
 
Held at the campus library all day, James and Nunziato encouraged students to visit the library during their lunch or free periods to take a break, learn healthy ways to manage their stress, interact with their peers and create paper snowflakes to decorate the library.
 
“Research shows that taking a short break and being creative and mindful can help lower stress levels,” Nunziato said. “The activity was open to both the middle and high school, and we received very positive feedback from students and faculty alike.”
 
Nunziato added the activity was done prior to winter break when students can experience increased stress around the holidays at school and at home.
 
“The activity was designed to help students learn another healthy coping skill to manage stress and to encourage balance between school work and relaxation,” she said. “Additionally, the students’ participation allowed them to give back to the campus by beautifying the library.”

​Friday, February 9 will be an early release day for all students due to staff professional development. 

Kindergarten Registration is coming up!
 
Dates:
Tuesday, February 13, 7:15am - 11:00am 
Wednesday, February 14, 9am - 11am
Thursday, February 15 1:30pm - 4pm
Tuesday, February 27, 6pm - 8pm
 
For more information, and for registration forms, click on: http://www.irvingtonschools.org/pages/Irvington_UFSD/Students___Parents/Kindergarten_Registration_Info
​

Who says the kids get all the fun? Join us for a night out for the grown-ups!
 
Date: Friday March 2, 2018
Time: 8pm-10pm (check-in at 7:45pm)
Where: Bowlmor Lanes, 47 Tarrytown Road, White Plains
Cost: $65 per person (Cost includes hot and cold finger foods, drink tickets, bowling shoes and 2 hours of bowling.)
 
Click HERE for Tickets. 
 
Sign up deadline is TUESDAY FEBRUARY 27!
Sorry, tickets will not be sold at the door. ONLINE ONLY
 
If you have any questions, please contact  Melissa Stein at melissa.stein19@gmail.com

​The Science Fair is Coming!
 
Irvington School District (K-12) Science Fair
 
 
Saturday, March 24, 2018
12pm - 3pm
Gina Maher Gym at the IMS/IHS Campus
 
Sign up to participate, to mentor participants, or to help out: http://www.irvingtonnyptsa.org/science-fair-2018.html

MINDFULNESS
Wednesday, May 2
Hastings-on-Hudson
A presentation by Dr. Christopher Willard.  Dr. Willard teaches at Harvard Medical School and has presented at TEDx conferences.
He is the author of Child’s Mind (2010) Growing Up Mindful (2016) and Raising Resilience (2017)


FAMILY TINKER NIGHT
Friday, May 18
Irvington
TINKER, THINK, AND EXPLORE your way through an evening of hands-on STEAM! (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) See and experience innovative, inquiry-based learning in action on a night where everyone gets to be a kid again!

For more information, please see: RIVERTOWN PARENTS MAY 2018 SAVE THE DATES or visit: Rivertown Parents

​BULLDOG BRILLIANCE
Dows Lane and Main Street School to Participate in World Read Aloud Day

Dows Lane Elementary School and Main Street School students will host more than 35 members of the community, first responders, teachers, administrators, politicians, journalists and authors during World Read Aloud Day on Feb. 1. With a book in hand, each guest reader will greet the students, explain what his or her role is in the community and read a story from a beloved book.
 
“On this day, we join millions of readers around the world to raise awareness of the importance of access to literacy,” Main Street School Principal Joyce Chapnick said. “World Read Aloud Day celebrates the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories.”
 
Dows Lane Elementary School Principal Deb Mariniello said there would be a guest reader in every kindergarten through fifth-grade classroom.
 
“Studies show that literacy is the foundation for emotional and physical well-being, intellectual growth and economic security,” Mariniello said. “Furthermore, reading aloud improves listening skills, vocabulary acquisition and the understanding of common story themes and structures that will factor into children’s future success.”
 
The event – which is sponsored by the PTSA Legislative Strategic Advisory Committee – will take place at Dows Lane Elementary School from 8:30-9:30 a.m. and at Main Street School from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Feb. 1. Special thanks to committee members Tanya Hunt and Elissa Strauss for bringing World Read Aloud Day to Irvington.
 
For more information, visit www.litworld.org/wrad. The worldwide event is spearheaded by the international literacy nonprofit LitWorld International Inc. and sponsored by Scholastic.

Please join us for a presentation on
Preparing for Your Child's Annual Review

​
Presented by:
Stephanie Bellantoni, 
Community Outreach Coordinator, Hudson Valley Special Education Parent Center
Westchester Institute for Human Development
 
 Parents are integral partners in the special education process. This workshop will start with the purpose of the annual review, how the CSE team navigates the various sections of the IEP in their discussion and measures parents can take to effectively prepare for the annual review so as to properly engage in the CSE meeting. Discussion will include a review of essential online tools to support your preparation, as well as strategies for approaching differences of opinion and keeping the focus on your child.
 
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Irvington High School/Middle School Campus CPR 
 
RSVP to Patricia Riccobono at patricia.riccobono@irvingtonschools.org
 
For more information, please click on: Annual Review Flyer 

Kindergarten Registration is coming up!

Dates:
Tuesday, February 13, 7:15am - 11:00am 
Wednesday, February 14, 9am - 11am
Thursday, February 15 1:30pm - 4pm
Tuesday, February 27, 6pm - 8pm

​For more information, and for registration forms, click on: Kindergarten Registration 2018

Who says the kids get all the fun? Join us for a night out for the grown-ups!
 
Date: Friday March 2, 2018
Time: 8pm-10pm (check-in at 7:45pm)
Where: Bowlmor Lanes, 47 Tarrytown Road, White Plains
Cost: $65 per person (Cost includes hot and cold finger foods, drink tickets, bowling shoes and 2 hours of bowling.)
 
Click HERE for Tickets. 
 
Sign up deadline is TUESDAY FEBRUARY 27!
Sorry, tickets will not be sold at the door. ONLINE ONLY
 
If you have any questions, please contact  Melissa Stein at melissa.stein19@gmail.com

The Science Fair is Coming!

Irvington School District (K-12) Science Fair


Saturday, March 24, 2018
12pm - 3pm
Gina Maher Gym at the IMS/IHS Campus

Sign up to participate, to mentor participants, or to help out at: Irvington Science Fair 2018

The Irvington High School chapter of the National Honor Society is in full swing. In its second year, the NHS welcomed back 28 members and inducted 60 more students in the fall.
 
Students are selected for the National Honor Society based upon the pillars of scholarship, service, leadership and character, and are required to perform community service. Juniors and seniors who were inducted as members of the inaugural National Honor Society are continuing last year’s peer tutoring program by working with their peers in different subjects.
 
“Most notably, the NHS members are currently helping to prepare their peers for the upcoming midterm exams by offering a series of tutoring options,” said Diana Cassidy, adviser for the National Honor Society. “Later this year the members of NHS will further embody the four pillars by engaging in additional community service and outreach opportunities.”

Please join us for our second General Membership Meeting of the school year.
 
Wednesday, January 24
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Dows Lane Multi-Purpose Room
 
Agenda items include:
--Information on the Nominating Committee and the vote to elect this year’s members
--Interactive discussion about fundraising. What works? What doesn’t? Should we try something new? The PTSA would love to hear from you as we review fundraising for the next school year
 
Hope to see you there!

Volunteer to be on this year’s Nominating Committee!

The Nominating Committee’s job is to nominate one person to fill each of the nine upcoming openings on the Executive Committee for the July 1, 2018-June 30, 2020 term. The committee will meet several times between February and May.
 
For more information and to apply, please go to: 
Nominating Committee Member Page

Please join us for a presentation on
 
Preparing for Your Child's Annual Review
 
Presented by:
Stephanie Bellantoni, 
Community Outreach Coordinator, Hudson Valley Special Education Parent Center
Westchester Institute for Human Development
 
 
Parents are integral partners in the special education process. This workshop will start with the purpose of the annual review, how the CSE team navigates the various sections of the IEP in their discussion and measures parents can take to effectively prepare for the annual review so as to properly engage in the CSE meeting. Discussion will include a review of essential online tools to support your preparation, as well as strategies for approaching differences of opinion and keeping the focus on your child.
 
Two Date/Time Options:
 
Monday, January 22, 2018
10:00 pm - 12:00 pm
Dows Lane Elementary School - Multipurpose Room
 
OR
 
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Irvington High School/Middle School Campus CPR
 
*************************************
RSVP to Patricia Riccobono at patricia.riccobono@irvingtonschools.org
 
For more information, please click on: Annual Review Flyer

 Drop off your unused or expired medication!
 
Saturday, January 20
between 10 am and 2 pm
at the Irvington Police Station at 85 Main Street between.
 
For more information, including permanent drug disposal locations throughout Westchester, go to: http://www.iask-cab.org/takeback/
​

The Irvington Union Free School District is in the running to receive the coveted title of Best Public School District in Westchester County. Community members can cast their votes in Westchester Magazine’s Best of Westchester competition for 2018.
 
The District was voted as the best school district in the area in the annual Best of Westchester list for two consecutive years. In addition, Irvington High School students’ weather website, Weather in the Hud, was voted by the public as the best local website in 2016 and 2017.
 
The public can vote on a number of categories, including Best Public School District, from Dec. 4 through late January. Let your voice be heard and make IUFSD #1 again in 2018!
 
Vote now at www.westchestermagazine.com/bowvoting.

Irvington Union Free School District educators Jennifer DeLisi-Hall and Elizabeth Winnegar presented their best practices during an “Empowering All Learners” conference at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES.  
 
Centered around the idea of personalized learning, the conference brought together educators from across the region, including administrators, teachers and instructional coaches, to engage in meaningful discussions and share their innovative work on student empowerment. DeLisi-Hall, an English teacher and department chair at Irvington High School, served on a panel of educators and led a breakout session titled “Empowering All Readers: Engaged Reading Through Accountable Talk.”
 
“The focus was best practices in adolescent literacy, which allow for the fundamental tenets of personalized learning: variety, ownership, innovation, collaboration and engagement,” DeLisi-Hall said.
 
DeLisi-Hall highlighted a variety of strategies she has implemented in her classroom, including providing students with choice so that their reading truly is personalized, as well as in-class reading that allows a teacher to assess, diagnose and coach student needs in the moment. She has also implemented book clubs that provide authentic reading experiences to help students collaborate and make meaning of challenging texts.
 
Winnegar, a third-grade teacher at Dows Lane Elementary School, led a breakout session titled "Empowering All Learners: Elementary Geniuses." During her presentation, she discussed how the implementation of “Genius Hour” at Dows Lane Elementary School and Main Street School has empowered students to pursue their interests, make discoveries and explore a topic in depth each week. It has also allowed them to work independently and take control of their own learning. Winnegar shared best practices and techniques for how other educators can implement the program in elementary classrooms. 

​“The focus was on using the design thinking model for problem-based learning by having students work on a passion project that answers a question or solves a problem,” Winnegar explained.  
 
The conference also included a discussion with keynote speaker Allison Zmuda about ways schools can empower students by providing personalized learning through relevant and challenging work and by creating pathways to innovative pedagogical practices.
 
“We were so pleased to have two Irvington teachers as leaders at this conference,” Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Human Resources Dr. Raina Kor said. “Both Jen and Liz design their classrooms to be student-centered, empowering learners to engage at high levels of individual growth. As a district we seek to promote innovation in teaching and learning. Liz and Jen are part of a cadre of teachers who actively explore ways to create active and engaging leaning environments here in Irvington.”

Irvington schools will be closed on Monday, January 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Schools will have a 2-hour delayed start on Tuesday, January 16 for staff development. 

Please join us for our second General Membership Meeting of the school year.
 
Wednesday, January 24
7:00pm - 8:00pm
​Dows Lane Multi-Purpose Room
 
Agenda items include:
--Information on the Nominating Committee and the vote to elect this year’s members
--Interactive discussion about fundraising. What works? What doesn’t? Should we try something new? The PTSA would love to hear from you as we review fundraising for the next school year
 
Hope to see you there!

Volunteer to be on this year’s Nominating Committee!
Nominating Committee Member Page
 
The Nominating Committee’s job is to nominate one person to fill each of the nine upcoming openings on the Executive Committee for the July 1, 2018-June 30, 2020 term. 

Please join us for a presentation on: Preparing for Your Child's Annual Review
 

Presented by:
Stephanie Bellantoni, 
Community Outreach Coordinator, Hudson Valley Special Education Parent Center
Westchester Institute for Human Development
  
Parents are integral partners in the special education process. This workshop will start with the purpose of the annual review, how the CSE team navigates the various sections of the IEP in their discussion and measures parents can take to effectively prepare for the annual review so as to properly engage in the CSE meeting. Discussion will include a review of essential online tools to support your preparation, as well as strategies for approaching differences of opinion and keeping the focus on your child.
 
Two Date/Time Options:
 
Monday, January 22, 2018
10:00 pm - 12:00 pm
Dows Lane Elementary School - Multipurpose Room
 
OR
 
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Irvington High School/Middle School Campus CPR
 
*************************************
RSVP to Patricia Riccobono at patricia.riccobono@irvingtonschools.org
 
For more information, please click on: Annual Review Flyer

The Irvington Union Free School District is in the running to receive the coveted title of Best Public School District in Westchester County. Community members can cast their votes in Westchester Magazine’s Best of Westchester competition for 2018.
 
The District was voted as the best school district in the area in the annual Best of Westchester list for two consecutive years. In addition, Irvington High School students’ weather website, Weather in the Hud, was voted by the public as the best local website in 2016 and 2017.
 
The public can vote on a number of categories, including Best Public School District, from Dec. 4 through late January. Let your voice be heard and make IUFSD #1 again in 2018!
 
Vote now at www.westchestermagazine.com/bowvoting.

Now is your chance to become a volunteer at your child's school. Meetings are one Tuesday a month, for about an hour. You can make a difference!
 
Dows Lane School and Main Street School are each in need of two (2) Site Committee Members and the Middle and High Schools are each in need of one (1).
 
If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Donna Friedlander at donna.friedlander@irvingtonschools.org

TALENT AND CONFIDENCE ON DISPLAY AT ANNUAL WINTER CONCERT, NOVEMBER 29

Talented student-musicians from Irvington Middle School and Irvington High School held their annual winter concert on Nov. 29, which featured performances from members of the middle school bands and high school band and jazz and wind ensembles.  For more info, click on: IMS/IHS Band Concert

IMS, IHS ORCHESTRA STUDENTS IMPRESS AUDIENCE AT WINTER CONCERT, DECEMBER 14
​
Irvington Middle School and Irvington High School held their winter orchestra concert on Dec. 14, which featured performances from the talented members of the orchestra and chamber ensembles.  For more info, click on: IMS/IHS Orchestra Concert​

MIDDLE, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SYNC AT CHORUS CONCERT, DECEMBER 18

Talented students from Irvington Middle School and Irvington High School worked together to prepare and perform a varied repertoire and seasonal music during the winter chorus concert on Dec. 18. Thanks to a new concert format, students in grades six through 12 had the opportunity to perform together at their best.  For more info, click on: IMS/IHS Chorus Concert 

Please join us for our second General Membership Meeting of the school year.
 
Wednesday, January 24, 7:00pm - 8:00pm, Dows Lane Multi-Purpose Room
 
Agenda items include:
--Information on the Nominating Committee and the vote to elect this year’s members
--Interactive discussion about fundraising. What works? What doesn’t? Should we try something new? The PTSA would love to hear from you as we review fundraising for the next school year
 
Hope to see you there!

The Irvington Union Free School District is in the running to receive the coveted title of Best Public School District in Westchester County. Community members can cast their votes in Westchester Magazine’s Best of Westchester competition for 2018.
 
The District was voted as the best school district in the area in the annual Best of Westchester list for two consecutive years. In addition, Irvington High School students’ weather website, Weather in the Hud, was voted by the public as the best local website in 2016 and 2017.
 
The public can vote on a number of categories, including Best Public School District, from Dec. 4 through late January. Let your voice be heard and make IUFSD #1 again in 2018!
 
Vote now at www.westchestermagazine.com/bowvoting.

Now is your chance to become a volunteer at your child's school. Meetings are one Tuesday a month, for about an hour. You can make a difference!
 
Dows Lane School and Main Street School are each in need of two (2) Site Committee Members and the Middle and High Schools are each in need of one (1).
 
If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Donna Friedlander at donna.friedlander@irvingtonschools.org