District News: Week of 12/25/17

BULLDOG BRILLIANCE
Dows Lane, Main Street School Students Express Creativity with Eyes on Art

Students at Dows Lane Elementary School and Main Street School expressed their imagination and created their own art, inspired by Romare Bearden, as part of the PTSA-funded Eyes on Art program from Nov. 13-28 and Dec. 4-8, respectively.
 
The program enables the students to learn more about famous artists and analyze their paintings. Elissa Strauss and Lori Hecker, a mother-daughter team and co-directors of the Eyes on Art program, trained parent volunteers to provide biographical and historical information about the artist. Through the program, the volunteers instructed the students about the various elements of art and examined with them how the artist used those elements to convey a message.
 
The students compared, contrasted and analyzed three pieces of work, “Wrapping It Up at The Lafayette,” “Return of the Prodigal Son” and “The Thirties: Artist with Painting and Model” before creating their own art. Bearden, an American artist, created works of art that celebrated the African-American experience, which he integrated into greater American modernism. He is best known for his richly textured collages and was also prolific in experimenting with all different mediums and styles.
 
“The students reflected upon how the artist layered his life experiences into his collages and created their own individual collages that layered aspects from their own lives, interests and experiences while jazz music was played in the background as inspiration,” Strauss and Hecker said.
 
The volunteers also incorporated the essential questions from both schools into their lessons. At Dows Lane, the students discussed how artists take what they see and feel in their lives and put it into art. At Main Street School, the students discussed how artists envision the world, decide what they want to express and how they transform their observations into art.
 
“Special thanks to Eyes on Art co-chairs Stacey Rosenkranz and Rebecca Rikon at Dows Lane and Lisa Izes at Main Street School,” Strauss said. “In addition, Main Street School Principal Joyce Chapnick, Dows Lane Principal Deb Marinello and art teacher Nina Rossi were extremely supportive, as were Jen Barnett and the PTSA.”
 
For more information about the program, visit the PTSA website at www.irvingtonnyptsa.org/eyes-on-art

---

---

HOLIDAY BREAK

​​December 22nd: Early Dismissal      
December 25th - January 1: NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
January 2nd: Back To School - Full Day
 
Happy Holidays! Have a wonderful break!

---

---

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

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:
--a vote to elect the members of this year’s Nominating Committee
--an 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!

---

---

NOMINATING COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

​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 Page

---

---

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AND BUY A BRICK!

It’s not too early to think about thanking your teacher, a special friend or a family member at the holidays.  What better way to say thank you for all they do than by purchasing a brick in their honor?
 
Best of all, proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to help bring the amazing new Main Street School playground to fruition, for the enjoyment of MSS students and all children in Irvington! Be a part of this great effort while creating a lasting memory on the campus.
 
To place your order, go to: http://www.irvingtonnyptsa.org/brick-drive.html

---

---

SHOP ON AMAZON SMILE

Do you shop on Amazon?  Shop on Amazon Smile instead, and help benefit our schoolchildren.
 
By specifying Irvington NY PTSA when you buy on Amazon Smile, you get all of Amazon, but at no cost to you, the Amazon Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to the PTSA.
 
To participate, please click on http://smile.amazon.com/ch/13-3085349
and enter your existing Amazon sign-in information.

---

---

REGISTER YOUR DECICCO’S CARD

If you have a DeCicco’s card, and have not already done so, please link your card to Irvington PTSA at https://www.deciccoandsons.com/ardsley-pta-program/ or at the customer service desk at DeCicco’s.
 
If you don’t have a DeCicco’s card, please register for one in-store.
 
DeCicco’s generously donates 1% of your purchases to the Irvington PTSA.

---

---

BEST OF WESTCHESTER

​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.

---