June, 2018
District Highlights:
- Inaugural Elementary Robotics Competition Draws Students from All Four Elementary Schools; Organized and Run by MHS Students
- Congratulations to our Newest Tenure Recipients
- Fond Farewell to Our Retirees
- K-12 Writing Curriculum Presented at Board Meeting
- Hommocks Groups Earn 'Superior' Rating at Music in the Parks Festival
- 5th Grade Capstone Projects: Students Gain Valuable Research, Writing, Presentation Skills
- Transition Academy Students Out in the Community; Expanded Plans for 2018-'19
- MHS Senior Art Awards Presented at Year-End Ceremony
- Sports Wrap-Up: MHS Boys Tennis Doubles Team Wins State Championship and Lohud Co-Players of the Year; Lacrosse Wins Section Title; Plus Spring Report/Senior Awards
- American Libraries Magazine Showcases Hommocks Reading Dashboard and the Role It Has Played in Supporting District Literacy Goals
50+ Elementary Students District-Wide Participate in Robotics Competition, Organized and Run by MHS Interns
Mamaroneck High School students Jordan Ramirez and Paul Pedrozo-- as part of their senior internship -- designed, organized and led the 1st Annual Elementary Robotics Competition on Monday, June 11, 2018. More than 50 5th graders from all four of the District's elementary schools came together in the high school library for a day full of making new friends, collaborating, competing, and having fun! In advance of the big day, the students visited all four elementary schools and delivered additional robotics lessons to prepare the students. The day was made possible by a grant from the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation, which provided each elementary school with 12 Finch robots to extend the elementary computer science program. Participating students from Murray Ave. School, Mamaroneck Ave. School, Central School and Chatsworth Ave. School competed as teams (comprised of students from different schools) and worked together to program their robots to complete a maze, draw shapes, sing songs, and follow a course. Additional MHS students served as judges and also shared their own robotic creations with the younger students. It was an exciting day that was ideally aligned with one of the District's Multi-Year Stretch Goals - to "Foster community connectedness: ensure that students, families and district staff engage in meaningful, authentic interactions."
"The day achieved multiple goals. Younger students saw the engineering students they might become, and older students learned the impact they can have on their community as leaders and mentors. We really wanted to celebrate the students' efforts in mastering coding and robotics, while challenging them to collaborate and communicate with others they had never met. As soon-to-be middle schoolers, it was important to teach them how to engage and build relationships with new faces." - Jesse Dancy, Gr K-5 Elementary Instructional Technology Coach
Board of Education Recognizes Newest Tenure Recipients
Congratulations to our newest Tenure Recipients, and welcome to the Mamaroneck School District Family! Tenure recipients were recognized and celebrated at the June 5th Board of Education meeting.
Farewell to Our Retirees
Saying goodbye is never easy. We thank our retirees for their many years of hard work and dedication to this District and wish all of them the very best in this next chapter ahead. Each one of you will be missed.
Overview of K-12 Writing Curriculum
When looking at the writing process at all levels -- elementary, middle school and high school -- it is easy to see the common threads that run all the way through the system. Over the course of their school years, students are taught to find their unique "voice" and write for a broad range of purposes, from argumentative writing, informative/explanatory texts, narratives and written responses to texts, to essays, multi-media writing & publications, blogs, vlogs and podcasts.
Hommocks Groups Earn 'Superior' Rating at Music in the Parks Festival
The HMX HaVoC led by Leon Whyte and HMX Singers led by Kayo Matsushita both received a "Superior" rating at the Music in the Parks Festival at Lake Compounce earlier this month. The HMX singers also won "Overall Best Choir" category for the 2nd consecutive year. Congratulations to All!
5th Grade Capstone Projects Are A Wrap: Students Gain Valuable Research, Writing, Presentation Skills
Our 5th graders at all four elementary schools wrapped up the month of June with Capstone presentations to fellow students, parents and staff. This year-long project is both an opportunity and a challenge to our students. They have the freedom to choose their own areas of inquiry and design their own investigations. They are encouraged to develop original viewpoints and look beyond the school walls for sources of information. But they also have the responsibility of asking compelling questions, managing their time effectively, and giving credit where credit is due. These skills and habits of mind will endure throughout students' secondary years.
Transition Academy Students Shine in Vocational Roles, Working in the High School and At Local Businesses
Throughout the year, students in the Transition Academy Vocational Program have been focusing on building skills in a variety of settings within our community. Students work both in the high school and in many of the local businesses in Larchmont and Mamaroneck. They have been developing skills in the following areas: retail, office, computer, restaurant, laundry and customer service. In the building, students are working on these skills through jobs including mail delivery, data input, copying, shredding, and managing the weekly coffee cart and popcorn businesses. Young adults who work outside the high school are working on continuing to build these skills, while also building their independence with completing their tasks, communication and advocacy in a work setting and traveling safely around the community. Jobs outside the building have included work at offices, restaurants, libraries, nursery schools, and more. The students look forward to next year, when we will continue our partnerships in and out of the building and further expand their skills and independence.
MHS Senior Art Awards Presented at Year-End Ceremony
“The Fine and Performing Arts Program is comprised of the Art Department, the Music Department and PACE. The departments are staffed by highly professional, stimulating teachers. Within each department there is an array of electives from which students may choose. Each area enjoys facilities that are tailored to its specific disciplines. It is apparent that there is high student success in all of these areas." - Middle States Evaluation Committee praising Mamaroneck's Fine Arts and Performing Arts
Sports Wrap-Up: MHS Sophomore Boys Doubles Team Takes Tennis State Championship; Lacrosse Wins Section Title; Plus Spring Report & Senior Awards
American Libraries Magazine Explains How Hommocks Reading Dashboard Helps Supports District Literacy Goals
The Hommocks electronic reading log (i.e., the "Dashboard"), installed this past September, replaces conventional paper and pencil logs used in previous years to help students track their independent reading and supports the District's literacy goal to promote voluminous, engaged reading for all students across all grades. The Dashboard shows that Hommocks students have read more than 14,000 books throughout this school year. By all accounts, it has been positive addition to the middle school environment; Hommocks Librarian Kelsey Cohen explains how in American Libraries Magazine.