Raider Report January 2024
Every Friday morning Mill Road Intermediate students come in an hour early to participate in the Young Scholars Program. Students taking part in these enrichment days have applied and been accepted to the program under the direction of Principal Dr. Brian Boyd.
The current session has 86 students participating, which is the largest group ever. Students join mixed-grade teams to collaborate on interdisciplinary real-world problems that demand critical thinking, creativity, and perseverance to solve. The activities allow students to challenge themselves beyond grade-level standards in science and mathematics.
Dr. Boyd started the Young Scholars began in 2012. Since the program’s inception, hundreds of Mill Road students have participated. This year, teachers Jami Craig and Caroline Milles and library teacher’s aide Chrystal Smith-Mineault are also involved in the morning enrichment program.
“The students come in excited and are very eager to get started each morning. They love the challenges and are energized by them,” noted Teacher Jami Craig. “One aspect of the program that I really love is that while students must apply, anyone who is interested is given the opportunity to try,” she added. “Students are encouraged to take intellectual risks, question assumptions, and develop the collaborative problem-solving skills necessary for future innovation," explained Principal Boyd.
So far, in week one, students have studied different types of number patterns, learned about the Fibonacci Sequence, and completed missing numbers from Pascal's Triangle. During week two, students learned about basic algebra principles, including variables and algebraic equations. On week three, students worked on a special NASA Challenge to build a landing device for animals sent to a fictional newly established Mars colony in 2035. The young engineers had to design a landing device from paper, straws, rubber bands, strings, balloons, and recyclable plastic bags. Students enjoyed designing and creating their prototypes and testing them from a height of 7 feet.
Fourth grader Declan Turley explained the program’s appeal. "I love being with my friends on Friday mornings and getting challenged. It's fun working in groups and sharing ideas, like our landing devices, with each other." Each week, there is a new theme, with more to come as the program continues through the end of January.
According to Dr. Boyd, "Unlike occasional pull-out gifted services, Young Scholars meets every week to provide consistently accelerated pace and elevated curricular concepts for math and science. Students design solutions and investigations while sharpening their abilities to reason, analyze, infer concepts, prove arguments, and think flexibly. They are encouraged to take intellectual risks, question assumptions, and develop the collaborative problem-solving skills necessary for future innovation."
"The students love the challenge and working 'beyond their grade level,” he added.
Red Hook’s own Chloe Mort, a senior at the Dutchess BOCES Resilience Academy, was named BOCES’ Student of Distinction for December due to the numerous changes and efforts she has brought to her school. Chloe was recognized and given a certificate during the Red Hook Central School District’s Board of Education meeting on December 13th.
BOCES social studies teacher Sheri Tompkins considers Chloe, secretary for the school’s Student Council, instrumental in the school rebranding from the Alternative High School to the Resilience Academy. “She is the role model for our school – a student that’s resilient,” Tompkins said. “Red Hook, you’re lucky that she’s in your district.”
Ms. Mort almost singlehandedly planned both an October fall festival and a December holiday bazaar for special needs students in BOCES’ Pegasus program that were well received. “She volunteers on a daily basis to work one-on-one and in a group setting with those students,” Tompkins said. “Remember her name, she’s going to do amazing things in the future.”
For Chloe, being involved with Student Government and working with Pegasus students was an easy decision as she likes to help out where she can. “I’m a big people person, I like helping people,” she said. “I think Student Government has helped a lot of students here.”
Chloe is proud to receive the honor after working hard to improve herself academically. She credits the supportive teachers and self-paced learning curriculum for her continued success. “Coming to BOCES has helped,” Mort said. “The teachers really care about you here and you get really close with them.” Coming to school every day, keeping on top of schoolwork, advocating for one’s self and getting involved in extracurricular activities are some of the tips Chloe recommends to younger students. “If you need something, you have to be a voice,” she said. “Getting involved in things at school has helped me a lot personally.”
In addition to this honor, Mort was also named as one of Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotary’s Students of the Month. Congratulations Chloe!
Congratulations to Linden Avenue Middle School (LAMS) teacher Kim Goldhirsch. She recently received the 2023 Middle Level Advisor of the Year award from the New York State Council on Leadership and Student Activities (NYS CLSA). The award recognizes outstanding dedication to the field of student leadership development and support of student activities. To be eligible for the award, a nominee must be a Student Council adviser who utilizes leadership skills with students on a daily basis, and be a faculty/staff member in a school that has a NYS CLSA membership and a National Association of Student Councils (NatStuCo) membership.
Ms. Goldhirsch, who serves as the adviser to the LAMS Student Council, is actively involved in helping LAMS students develop leadership skills. LAMS Student Council promotes the ideas of leadership, service and spirit. The group regularly plans and runs programs and events that benefit the school and local community. Ms. Goldhirsch joined the Red Hook Central School District as a mathematics and computer science teacher in 1991, and has advised the Student Council since 1994. She also served as an adviser to National Junior Honor Society, the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes, the school store, book club and STEM club. She coaches indoor and spring track & field and was a JV and modified volleyball coach for 26 years. According to Ms. Goldhirsch, “Spending time with "my kids" through the years in co-curricular activities has always been more of a joy than a job.”
In addition to a plaque, the association donated to the Dr. Earl Reum Award Fund in Ms. Goldhirsch’s name.
Fifth-grade students at Mill Road Intermediate participated in a special workshop focusing on the works of William Shakespeare led by children’s theatre specialist Cindy Kubik. A local resident who has been directing children's theater for 35 years, Ms. Kubik established the Mill Road Players Shakespeare Program seven years ago. Since then she has directed plays with hundreds of third through eighth graders. Through the program, Ms. Kubik has helped students gain an appreciation for Shakespeare by making his plays lively and engaging.
The annual Shakespeare workshop is an opportunity to introduce students to Shakespeare and teach them about theater traditions. Each fifth-grade class took part in two sessions a week during the six-week program, working with Ms. Kubik on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the school day. Students explored characters through acting exercises and studied the language, themes, and some of the best-known scenes from Shakespeare’s plays.
The workshop culminated with a final skit with selections from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” presented for classmates and families to enjoy on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Red Hook CSD Performing Arts Center. “Students were thrilled to showcase what they learned and bring Shakespeare to life,” Principal Dr. Brian Boyd said.
Superintendent Dr. Janet Warden's Message
Happy New Year! I want to extend my heartfelt wishes to everyone for a joyous and prosperous New Year.
As we begin 2024, let us embrace the promise of new beginnings and possibilities. In this spirit of optimism, let us also remember the profound words and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., whose dream of equality, justice, and unity inspires generations. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us, “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other." Let us use this occasion to celebrate our differences, cultivate empathy, increase communication and collaboration, all exemplified in our Raider Profile, to build an environment where everyone thrives.
May the new year bring opportunities for our students to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally. Let us make 2024 a year of progress, understanding, and fulfillment for our children.
