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Read the latest copy here: Hastings Happenings September 6, 2024

To provide context to the book, they also viewed the film Schindler's List, in which German industrialist, Oskar Schindler, saved over 1,000 Jewish prisoners from being killed by Nazi executioners. An authentic learning experience further engaged students, when they received a visit from the daughter of one of the Jewish survivors, Schindlerjeuden, Barbara Lissner (and her husband Michael).

Ms. Lissner's father, Sol Urbach, lived to the ripe age of 96 and was a treasured eyewitness to the kindness and respect for humanity that Schindler possessed. Lissner spoke with the students about her father's experience as Schindler's personal carpenter and the countless atrocities he witnessed, even while under the protection of Schindler.

"Students were riveted by her presentation and engaged in thoughtful dialogue," said Dr. Cotrone.

 

This is the second year in a row that Farragut’s Debate Team has qualified for the invitation-only championship tournament.

“Our students spent countless hours researching, preparing speeches, and developing high-level crossfire questions regarding the affirmative and negative of Japanese revision of Article 9 of their Constitution to allow for offensive military capabilities,” said Debate Team Advisor Devita Cruz. “For the last month, and every day the week leading up to the tournament, these girls worked to understand both the history and the intricacies of this advanced topic. Sixth graders!”

Well, the students’ hard work paid off, as they each walked away with Top Speaker Awards in their division:

• Phoebe placed 10th, Mehrunissa placed 5th, and Anna placed 4th, among 76 other middle schoolers in their division.
• The team of Nami, Poppy, and Keren placed 3rd, among 37 teams in their division.  

“I am so incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication these students have put into their debate performances this year,” Cruz said. “Each student deserves all the accolades they have attained this season.”

 

For round two of the Geography Bee held on April 18 in the Blue Lecture Room, a set of questions were presented to the top 12 students from round one: Sixth graders Miles Gray, Lucas Greenfield, Diego Nafziger, and Jane Weber Seventh graders Elias Costa, Antonio Marquez, Alyssa Schlacter, Miles Schwarz, and Liam Sexton Eighth graders Jason Kass, Louis von Rege, and Benjamin Massey

With the timer set to 10 seconds, the middle schoolers quietly wrote their responses on the white board. Once their time was up, they stepped away to reveal their answers. Correct answers allowed them to move on to the next question and incorrect answers were marked. To stay in the running, each student was allowed just one incorrect answer. According to sixth grade social studies teacher Alexis Comerford-Jones, the stakes were high. “The original goal was to end with five finalists,” she said. “But at the end of the group written round, we still had nine contestants, and so a tiebreaker round began.” The top five out of the final nine contestants will move on to round three at Hackley at a date to be announced later this month. These students are: Seventh graders: Antonio Marquez and Miles Schwarz Eighth graders Jason Kass, Louis von Rege, and Benjamin Massey Congratulations to the top five and to all of Farragut's scholars on their geography brilliance.

Larry Cerretani’s Daily Living Skills class is hosting its Second Annual Dog Treat Fundraiser at Farragut Middle School.

The charitable campaign, which began in March, aims to promote neurodiversity acceptance, equality, and inclusion. All proceeds will benefit Hudson Valley's Paws for a Cause, a local pet therapy organization that has worked with Cerretani’s class since the beginning of the 2022 school year.

Coinciding with several worldwide initiatives including Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 18-March 24), World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), World Autism Awareness Day (April 2), World Autism Acceptance Week (April 2 – April 8), and World Autism Month (April), the fundraiser will last through the end of April, and is the perfect way for students to show their appreciation for Paws for a Cause’s volunteers.

For weeks, busy baker bees have been preparing batches of treats that contain sunflower seed butter, pumpkin puree, and rolled oats, a healthy and tasty option for Farragut’s four-legged family members. The students are even packing the treats, and specially delivering orders to their teachers, peers and their families. 

“It's not just about supporting a good cause,” Cerretani explained. “It's also about spreading awareness and fostering acceptance.”

Orders can be placed through Tuesday, April 30. Purchasing options include:

• 2 treats for $1.00
• 7 treats for $3.00
• 13 treats for $5.00

Use this form to make a purchase request and to support a good cause. Please note, the fundraiser is for FMS staff members, students, and their families only.

 

Before spring recess, renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Student Performance Group lit up Hastings High School’s auditorium with a riveting performance for students and staff.

The event, funded by the Race Matters Committee, Farragut Middle School, and Hastings High School, with leadership from Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator Dr. Jenice Mateo-Toledo, was the result of the collaborative effort of Hastings faculty members and community partners. Several high school students even stepped into leadership roles, forming a Welcoming Committee for the dancers, creating banners, and assisting with the run-of-show, lighting, and sound. Click here to view the full list of collaborators.

Freshman Ruby Black gave a heartwarming introduction to the program and to Ailey's Student Performance Group (ASPG) Rehearsal Director Freddie Moore. Taking the microphone, Moore delved into the history of the Alvin Ailey organization, including how it grew from a now-fabled performance in 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Mr. Ailey and his group of young African American modern dancers forever changed the perception of American dance, going on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents.

 Moore went on to explain that Mr. Ailey drew on his African American roots in 1930s Texas, using the blues, spirituals, gospel, and ragtime for inspiration. This resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations (1960), as well as 79 other ballets over his lifetime.

“What you’ll see is beyond dance steps,” Moore said. “There are stories behind the movement.”

The dancers performed six excerpts from their repertoire. Vibrant colors and pulsating rhythms transcended the confines of the stage. The movements were fluid, graceful, and electrifying, all at once. With each leap, twist, and turn, a captivating story was told.

In between each dance, Moore engaged students with historical facts and asked them for their own interpretations. They were treated to the real "Ailey Experience" when he taught them two eight-count phrases of movement. 

 When the finale Revelations came to an end, the auditorium erupted into thunderous applause. The dancers, who joined Ailey from all over the world, took their bows. Students were left feeling inspired by the unifying power of dance and the enduring spirit of human expression.

 

“Dance came from the people, and it should always be delivered back to the people.”

-Alvin Ailey

Before performing for guests at the main events on Thursday, March 7, and Friday, March 8, fourth graders gave their fellow Hillsiders a preview of Frozen KIDS with a school-wide assembly and dress rehearsal. The students confidently took the stage, singing and dancing their hearts out to catchy tunes from the Disney movie. 

Congratulations to Director Lisa Levine, Production Coordinator Phyllis Udice, First Grade Teacher Emily Isidori who used her dance background to teach the choreography, and to all of Hastings' teachers and staff for guiding the students to a well-received production.

Fourth Grade's Frozen KIDS

For a behind-the-scenes look at the show, watch a couple of short videos below.

 

Fifth Grade's Mary Poppins Jr.

On Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16, Farragut Middle School’s fifth graders performed their musical Mary Poppins Jr. On both evenings, there wasn’t an empty seat to be had, as audiences smiled in admiration at the talented youngsters. Featuring song, dance, and visual effects, including a flying and disappearing kite, the cast lived up to their show’s key closing lyric, “Anything can happen if you let it.”  Congratulations to Director Jonathan Riss, Production Coordinator Phyllis Udice, and all of Hastings' staff who made the production a joyous success. For a behind-the-scenes look at the show, watch the below photo montage.

The culmination of a workshop led by external partner Folklore Urbano NYC, the scripted production of original music and choreography showcased what the students learned over the course of the six-week program. 

Connecting to the fifth grade Social Studies standards, the workshop highlighted the diversity of the Spanish, Indigenous, and African roots of Latin America with lessons on their culture, geography, and language. 

“Folklore Urbano NYC's Cumbia for Kids Residency is the company we used for the second year now,” said fifth grade teacher Kyle Case. “We are so glad to have this experience continue for our students each year.”

Specially designed for students to connect and relax, the event featured a wide range of activities. From bingo, chess, and board games to ping pong, foosball, and Twister, middle schoolers rotated through the stations. There was even participation from Hastings faculty, high school students, and parents, who brought their energy by facilitating the games and giving the kids pointers. 

A special thank you goes to everyone who helped make the event a success, including the Custodial and Facilities staff for their help with the behind-the-scenes set up and clean up, as well as the Guidance Department who helped the PTSA and SEPTA to maximize the experience for students.

 

The week featured a string of morning announcements kicked off by middle schoolers Amichai De Lowe and Julia Levan. Each day, students greeted the school in other languages such as Hebrew, Polish, German, Danish, and Chinese Mandarin, and afterwards, read a Language Fact of the Day.

In English, Julia L. presented the first Language Fact of the Day. "Mandarin is considered the most difficult language to learn because of its nuanced, tonal nature," she explained. "It is also the most commonly spoken language in the world!"

Fifth graders Ethel Gautschoux and Ember Lustbader wrapped up the announcements on Friday by greeting the school in French and Portuguese, respectively.

Based on their knowledge of multilingualism and the daily facts they heard, students were encouraged to take a survey. More than 275 middle schoolers participated, entering in a contest to win prizes. From the survey, it was learned that there are 35 languages represented at FMS! 

See below for the list of languages. 

Even the ninth graders in Andrea Bromberg's class aided in the cause, taking a poll of over 300 students in the cafeteria, who were asked to guess the number of languages represented at FMS. Eden Greenberg was the only student to guess correctly, which won her a multilingual themed t-shirt. 

Other prize winners, eighth graders Kota Shemonski and Gigi Levinson, were chosen based on their thoughtful responses to the survey’s short-answer question, which asked students to reflect on the meaning of the following quote by actress and writer Fiona Lewis:

"Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things."

Below are several of the students’ reflections.

 “I am thrilled by the number of students who participated in the optional survey and the enthusiastic support from our staff and administration,” Sullivan said. “The data collected shows the rich linguistic culture of the school and helped us learn more about our students. The first-ever, week-long language celebration generated many authentic conversations around the benefits of multilingualism.” 

Due to its far-reaching impact, Sullivan plans to make World Language Week an annual tradition, with hopes of expanding to Hastings High School in future years. 

All students who participated in the survey were offered multilingual themed stickers. 

“Harper has become an unofficial member of the class,” Cerretani said.

To honor Harper and the organization’s volunteers, the students crafted specially made cards leading up to Valentine’s Day. They sold the cards to their fellow students during their lunch periods, as well as to Farragut’s faculty and staff. 

“The fundraiser spread love throughout the school, while also raising funds for a local organization that has become near and dear to the students’ hearts,” Cerretani added.

Following the Holiday Card Fundraiser in December, which raised over $150, the Valentine’s Day Card Fundraiser raised an additional $215 for Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause – another feather in the caps of Cerretani’s students! Through these efforts, the students also learned essential life skills such as product development, salesmanship, financial management, and philanthropy. Most importantly, they are continuing to model compassion for others. 

“I am so proud of what they’ve achieved and the impact they’ve made on the larger community,” said Cerretani. 

In honor of Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 18-24), World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), and World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) Cerretani's students will host their Second Annual Neurodiversity Awareness Fundraiser at FMS. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks. 

Thank you to our families who attended the Parent Gender Workshop at Hillside Elementary School. 

Please click here to review the presentation and access helpful resources.