Park Avenue Elementary School fourth graders have named one of the four peregrine falcon chicks who recently hatched in a nest box atop the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The students in science teacher Maria O’Brien’s classes entered a competition to name one of the chicks.

There were nearly 200,000 votes cast from third through sixth graders across Rockland and Westchester counties to name the four falcon chicks, and out of 10 finalists Park Avenue School students received 23% of the votes with the name Estrella. The rest of the chicks will be named Beakoncé, Jet and Taylor Swoop.

Principal Rosa Taylor said that a falconer will visit Park Avenue School in the next few weeks to provide a demonstration to the students. In addition, the bridge will be lit up in blue and red, the district’s colors, in recognition of the school.

Date Added: 5/30/2024

Park Avenue Elementary School fifth graders had an educational and fun experience during a field trip to Boundless Adventures on May 22. Throughout the day, the authentic experience allowed the students to apply science and math content while also integrating some growth mindset strategies.

“The students were brave, facing their fears while also encouraging their classmates to do their best,” Principal Rosa Taylor said. “Shouts of ‘You got this!’ and ‘Don't be scared’ could be heard throughout the park. The students were immersed in nature and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”

Date Added: 5/28/2024

All Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District fourth graders had a meaningful experience learning new ways to observe the world around them during a recent field trip to the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, New York. Thanks to a generous grant from the Friends of Caramoor Center for Music, the students were treated to an enriching arts program, which focused on seeing, hearing, and feeling and allied with New York State Arts Standards.  

Led by Caramoor teaching artists and music teachers, the students explored a variety of locations at Caramoor Center, including an open field, a pergola, a forest and outdoor music installations. At each area, the students learned to focus on what they saw, heard, and felt. In addition, they learned how to construct movement sentences that were invented by the dance pedagogue extraordinaire Rudolf von Laban. The fourth graders enjoyed learning to communicate their observations nonverbally by positioning their bodies in shapes based on their observations and creating movement sentences to communicate what they saw, heard, and felt. 

“It was a joy to see my students observe the world in new and unique ways,” Thomas Edison Elementary School music teacher Abigail Young said. “They were quick to point out the sound of birds chirping and masterfully matched their bodies to the sounds. Their eyes filled with glee as they found a chipmunk in the forest.”

As the students departed the estate, they received a small journal to continue recording what they see, hear and feel.

The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is an estate founded by Lucie and Walter Rosen, who began hosting concerts on the estate after their son was killed in World War II. The concerts have grown to encompass music of all varieties, including classical, jazz, pop and folk. Musical installations on site include “in C,” a large structure with 24 tuned tubular bells; “Nafasi Yako Ni Ya Kijani (Your Place is Green),” a rocking chair where listeners can enjoy sounds from Caramoor and Tanzania; and “Stone Song,” a stone sculpture that emits a drone sound affected by the humidity, temperature and the weight of listeners who sit on it.

Click here to view the photo slideshow.

Date Added: 5/16/2024