44°
CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. Summer vacation ends for Chappaqua students Wednesday with the start of the 2012-13 school year, which will bring both minor and major changes to faculty, school lunches, curriculum and more.
Administrative changes include new Horace Greeley High School Principal Robert Rhodes, new Roaring Brook Elementary School Principal Amy Fishkin, new Assistant Superintendent Andrew Selesnick and new Athletic Director Peter Kuczma. The Greeley varsity football team also got a new head coach in Tim Sullivan, following the resignation of Bill Tribou.
Many of those administrators have been at work aligning the districts curriculum with common core state standards as part of the new Annual Professional Performance Review. According to Assistant Superintendent Eric Byrne, many of the changes revolve around a focus on literacy skills. During summer workshops, English language arts teachers have been working with science and math teachers on persuasive-argument writing that students in those classes will now have to do.
In construction and maintenance, Assistant Superintendent John Chow said the districts facilities department has been installing Smart Boards and new computers, and replacing carpet with tile in classrooms.
Bigger jobs include repaving the front parking lot at Westorchard Elementary School, installing boilers at the districts three elementary schools and moving the boys locker room in Robert E. Bell Middle School to a new location next to the gym.
While the district will be gaining some new faces, it will be losing some familiar ones. Lyndall Boal of Bell and Seven Bridges Middle School, Barbara Carlen of Seven Bridges, Susan Constantini of Westorchard, Barbara Fingeroth of Westorchard, Tore Heskestad of Bell, Thomas Howley of Seven Bridges, Bod Oddo of Greeley, Colette Principe of Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School; and Betsy Scroope of Roaring Brook have all retired.
New regulations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture required the district to change its lunch menu. For 2012-13, more whole grains will be available; students must take at least half a cup of fruit or vegetables each day with a school meal; flavored milk will be available only as fat-free or skim; and unflavored or white milk may be skim or 1 percent. The district also has introduced a new fruit and vegetable bar.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Chappaqua and receive free news updates.
