Daniel Warren Elementary School

1310 Harrison Avenue, Mamaroneck, NY 10543 Tara Goldberg Principal (914) 777-4200 tgoldberg@ryeneck.org Fax No. (914) 777-4201

Announcements

June Principal's Newsletter - Click HERE

Please check the lost and found for missing items!

INCOMING KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION SEPT. 2017 - Contact the main office @ 914-777-4202

If your child is eligible to attend Kindergarten in the Rye Neck School District in September of 2017, and you have not given RN your contact information, please call or email Debbie Hutchinson at (777-4202) or dhutchinson@ryeneck.org. This is necessary to keep you informed of important upcoming incoming kindergarten events.

Volunteer Letter and Application

You must complete an application each year. You only need to complete ONE form regardless of the number of children you have in the district.

News

Second-Graders Bring Studies to Life at Greek Festival, Olympic Field Day

Daniel Warren Elementary School second-graders, who had been studying about ancient Greece’s democratic government, geography and culture, brought their studies to life during the annual Greek Festival and Olympic Field Day on June 13.

Dressed in togas, the students participated in a variety of hands-on activities throughout the day – including Greek dancing and writing, sampling of authentic food and making their own laurel wreath crowns and Olympic torches – as a culmination to their studies. The Olympic-themed field day included relay races, obstacle courses and water activities.

“As educators we try to make learning fun,” second-grade teacher Deena Winchenbach said. “Through the Greek study, we were able to expose our students to an important ancient civilization; while the Greek Festival allowed them to fully engage in their learning and bring it to life.”

Winchenbach said the students studied how the ancient civilization has impacted aspects of our lives today, and many of them were inspired to expand their research independently to learn more about its history and mythology. In addition, the students learned about the city-states of Athens and Sparta and the very first Olympic Games, which were held in honor of Zeus.

“The students were engaged in this study and truly enjoyed learning about this ancient civilization,” she said. “It was wonderful to see them make connections and see contributions that are still evident in today's society.”

The celebration was made possible thanks to members of the PTSA, who volunteered to organize and run each station throughout the day.

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Rye Neck Students Achieve High Scores at NYSSMA Festivals

Forty-seven Rye Neck Union Free School District students participated in this year’s New York State School Music Association spring festivals.

All of the 16 students in the Level 5-6 category achieved scores in the “A” range. Two of those students, Rye Neck High School sophomores Enora Lauvau (cello) and Elena Tisnovsky (violin) earned their scores at the All-State level. Rye Neck Middle School sixth-grader Ena Kitoh and F.E. Bellows Elementary School fifth-grader Tomoka Kawasaki scored a 98.

In the Level 1-4 group, Daniel Warren Elementary School second-grader Aya Nishimura scored a 28 (out of 28) on the piano; while F.E. Bellows Elementary School fifth-grader Alexander Kahn scored a 28 on the classical guitar. Three Rye Neck Middle School students – Brady Chamberlain on the jazz guitar, Erin Gjyrezi on the piano and Asha O’Reilly for voice – scored a 27. Rye Neck High School freshman Kayla Hollmann scored a 25 on the piano.

“Rye Neck students once again represented the district well, demonstrating the strength and diversity of the music program, as well as the dedication and hard work of the student musicians,” said John Mattera, middle school and high school music teacher and band director.

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Daniel Warren, F.E. Bellows Students Showcase Their Best Artworks

Approximately 750 students in grades K-5 showcased their best artwork during the annual art show, held at F.E. Bellows Elementary School from May 9-11. Under the direction of art teachers Trisha Appel and Dara Goodman, the art show featured one project from each student.

“Since all children have varied physiological and conceptual stages of development and grasp art skills and concepts at different times, we used this knowledge and differentiated instruction to choose a project of each child’s area of strength,” Appel said. “The projects were created so every student can succeed and be challenged to their potential. As a result, the show focused on quality over quantity.”

The art show featured self-portraits, abstract portraits, still life, as well as art inspired by Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and more. Through their projects, the students were able to express their creativity and worked on developing an artist vocabulary and techniques while creating works based on master artists and art movements.

“As part of the art programs at Daniel Warren and F.E. Bellows elementary schools, students are exposed to a variety of media and techniques and are encouraged to take risks and make creative decisions – which, in turn, develop higher level thinking skills,” Goodman said. “Since we have the privilege of teaching students for consecutive years, we have the opportunity to build on previously taught concepts and skills, to understand our students and to watch them grow.”

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First-Graders Buzz with Curiosity About Nature

First-graders at Daniel Warren Elementary School, who have been studying about insects as part of their science curriculum, welcomed visitors from the Rye Nature Center to their school for a lesson on bees.

As part of the lesson, the students learned about the life cycle of a honeybee family and its metamorphosis from an egg, to a larva, pupa and an adult bee. They also discussed the bees’ purpose in nature and the different adaptions they need to survive. During the hands-on learning experience, the students got to taste local honey and plant marigolds and snapdragons, which provide a source of food to bees.

“It makes the students feel like they are part of nature, part of the whole cycle and they helped it along by planting flowers,” teacher Madeleine Biegen said. “Hands-on science is a really important part of their learning.”

The first-graders will continue to study insects when they welcome butterfly eggs to their classrooms to observe their transformation into a caterpillar, chrysalis and eventually a butterfly. When the students are outside in the garden during recess, Biegen said they will investigate how the flowers they planted attract butterflies and bees.

The Rye Nature Center’s visit was generously funded by the PTSA.

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Circus Yoga Program Teaches Daniel Warren Students New Skills

Daniel Warren Elementary School students participated in a fun and interactive program that allowed them to engage in circus yoga exercises. Sponsored by the PTSA, the program covered partner balances and counterbalances and taught students introductory circus stunts.

“The students loved it and it excited them to try the activities they have seen at the real circus,” physical education teacher Kristin Desio said. “Many of the activities involved work on fine motor skills and, basic to advanced, body awareness practices, which we focus on within our own yearly curriculum.”

An instructor from the Rye YMCA led the students through a number of activities, including stilt walking, spinning plates, balance feathers, Chinese yo-yo, juggling and angle sticks. Rotating through a variety of stations, the students practiced hand-eye coordination and ambidexterity.

Through the program, the students also gained experience and learned new skills they will put to the test when they transition to F.E. Bellows Elementary School, where they will have the opportunity to put on a circus performance for the community.

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Children’s Author Visits Daniel Warren Elementary School

Daniel Warren Elementary School students welcomed award-winning children’s author Emily Jenkins to their school on April 24 for a variety of educational activities.

Jenkins, whose books include Lemonade in Winter, Toys Meet Snow, The Fun Book of Scary Stuff, Skunkdog, Toys Go Out, Toy Dance Party and Toys Come Home, talked about the inspirations behind her books and offered advice to the young budding authors.

“She did a fantastic job with the students,” said librarian and media teacher Leigh Ann Kowalchick-Porphy, who organized the PTSA-sponsored event along with parent Nora Lucas. “She made connections to her work and engaged the students in ways that could help them think about and explore their own work as readers and writers.”

Following her meeting with each grade level, Jenkins was treated to a special lunch session with representatives from each class. For more information about the author, visit her website at www.emilyjenkins.com.

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Students ‘Bash the Trash’ to Celebrate Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, Daniel Warren Elementary School students – who have been learning about the importance of recycling, conserving electricity and caring for their environment – were treated to a special performance by “Bash the Trash” musicians on April 19.

During the performance, three musicians showed the students how they built instruments from reused and repurposed materials such as plastic bottles, coffee cans, cardboard tubes, pipes and Styrofoam. They also demonstrated what sounds different objects make, and got the students to feel the vibrations on the floor, clap along and snap their fingers to the beat.

“The limit is your imagination,” said musician John Bertles, who asked the students to promise to help keep our planet clean and find creative ways to “bash the trash.”

Founded by Bertles and his wife Carina Piaggio in 1988, “Bash the Trash” combines science, music and environmental awareness through musical performances and programs. The duo brings their creative messages to schools, concert halls and other performing venues.

The event was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Rye Neck PTSA. Celine Dujeux, a member of the PTSA and chairperson of the STEAM committee, said the program not only provided entertainment to the students, but it also allowed them to experience how trash can be turned into something useful.

“Children really see the correlation between the trash and music,” Dujeux said. “They love music, so it was a fun way for them to learn about a subject through music. Earth Day is all about making people aware of the concepts of reuse, recycle and reduce. It’s something that we all believe in.”

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Science Fair Celebrates Creativity, Curiosity at Daniel Warren

Daniel Warren Elementary School students shared their enthusiasm and passion for science when they showcased their projects at the Daniel Warren Science Fair and Inventions Convention on April 6.

Although participation in the science fair was voluntary, it featured more than 150 projects, which students had completed at home. During the school day, kindergarten- through second-grade students headed to the school’s multi-purpose room to make observations about their peers’ work, while parents and friends celebrated the students’ scientific accomplishments when they attended the fair in the evening.

“The Science Fair and Inventions Convention was an exciting learning extension, which was designed to focus on student exploration and understanding of a variety of scientific principles,” said Principal Jane Scheinman. “It was a chance for them to use their creative minds as they begin to explore new things. The students take such pride in their projects and what they’ve done, and it’s something we look forward to every year.”

Each student, who contributed to the fair by showcasing an experiment, presenting a collection or making a model, received a certificate for their participation. First-grader Joe Crawford, who conducted a “rubber egg” experiment by placing an egg in a cup containing vinegar, said he enjoyed taking on the role of a scientist.

“What’s fascinating is the vinegar went inside the egg, and the egg was getting bigger and bigger, and then [it] turned into rubber through osmosis,” he said.

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‘What Do Scientists Do?’ at Daniel Warren Elementary School

Second-graders at Daniel Warren Elementary School took on the roles of scientists when they conducted experiments and made scientific observations as part of a special workshop, titled “What Do Scientists Do?” on March 23 and 24.

Led by guest scientists Lori Adams and Jill Eisenstein, the students participated in a number of hands-on activities and discussions to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific process, research and roles of scientists. Looking through a magnifying glass, they examined the larvae of the Painted Lady butterfly and noted their observations in a science report notebook. They also conducted an experiment to discover what color ink is found in brown and black markers.

“I hope our young scientists got a basic understanding of the scientific method, and most of all, I hope they understood that science is all around us,” Principal Jane Scheinman said.

The science workshops served as an introduction and entry point for the students as they prepare for the upcoming Daniel Warren Science Fair and Inventions Convention, which will be held on April 6. Students in kindergarten through second grade can participate by showcasing an experiment, presenting a collection or making a model.  

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Cardio Boot Camp Promotes Student Wellness at Daniel Warren

Daniel Warren Elementary School students performed a variety of high intensity exercises when they swapped in cardio boot camp for their regular physical education classes as part of the school’s Health and Wellness initiative.

Sponsored by the PTSA, an instructor from the Rye YMCA led the students through the cardio workouts during the week of March 6. They performed a number of exercises at each station, which included an agility ladder, shuffle steps, sprints, interval training through crunches and shuttle runs. They also learned about the importance of cooling down their bodies before the next set of interval training circuit.

“The program exposed the students to activities and fitness concepts that are an extension of what is taught within our physical education curriculum,” teacher Kristin Desio said. “The students always enjoy having a guest presenter at school. It also connects the local community with our district and it’s a great way to promote staying active.”

In her physical education classes, Desio said she teaches students about the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. They also learn about the major muscles within their bodies and their functions.

“I want them to be exposed to various activities from sports to exercising and other fitness-related hobbies,” she said. “The goal is to try to expose them to enough activities so they find something they enjoy and pursue outside of the school day.”

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Daniel Warren Students Improving Emotional Balance with Mindfulness

Daniel Warren Elementary School students are learning different strategies to relax, focus, improve attention and better prepare for class as part of the school’s newly implemented Mindfulness program, a pilot that is currently available to six classes.

Each week, the students meet with mindfulness instructor Cheryl Brause, director of 2bpresent, to learn mindfulness skills that can help them feel energized, engaged and ready to learn. During the 15-minute sessions, they stretch their muscles, listen to the singing bowl, close their eyes and practice focusing their attention. They also learn how to become more aware of their emotions and thoughts and practice basic relaxation exercises.

“The whole idea is to get students familiar with ways to improve their ability to focus and pay attention and understand they have control of their own emotional regulation,” Brause said. “All of those skills can help them exercise greater self-awareness, improve their emotional wellbeing and boost their concentration so they’re ready to learn in school.”

During a recent session, Brause used a breathing ball to help students visualize their own deep breaths and teach them how to control their breathing, which can help them concentrate and calm down. She said some of the benefits of teaching mindfulness include reducing stress, increasing physical wellness and emotional balance, improving cognitive function and creating a sense of ease in daily life.

Students will continue to meet with Brause to practice a variety of mindfulness techniques through the end of April.

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Students Collect Books for Children Worldwide

The PTSA is hosting a children's book drive at Daniel Warren Elementary School to help enrich the literary lives of children who are less fortunate around the world. Students and their families are encouraged to donate their gently used books and drop them off on the table in the entryway through March 3.

“We stress the importance of peace and friendship at Daniel Warren and this is a way for our students to learn about helping others as a beginning to the concept of community service,” Principal Jane Scheinman said.

The books will be donated to the Darien Book Aid, a local charity that will distribute them to schools and libraries worldwide. The all-volunteer organization seeks to build a foundation of peace through the free distribution of books.

“Last year we donated more than 1,200 books,” Scheinman said. “We are trying to beat that number this year.”

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Kindergartners Celebrate 100 Days of School

Daniel Warren Elementary School kindergartners marked the 100th day of school on Feb. 14 and celebrated by using the number 100 in a variety of ways. Through the meaningful and enriching activities, the students commemorated how much they have grown and learned since September.

“Every day in our morning meeting we count the days of school, which builds a number sense for the kindergartners,” teacher Connie Levin said. “100 is a very big number to them and the activities helped make it into something concrete and much more tangible.”

Throughout the day, the students practiced counting to 100 by 1s and 10s, solved puzzles, constructed necklaces and shared their creative art projects, which were made out of 100 items, for the milestone event.

Besides having fun on their 100th day of school, the students also gained a better understanding of place value and numbers through the activities.

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Second-Graders Conduct Weather Experiments

Daniel Warren Elementary School second-graders kicked off their new science unit on air and weather by exploring concepts such as lightning, clouds, tornadoes, precipitation and condensation through a number of science demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Thanks to a generous grant from the PTSA, the students welcomed scientist Mark Goldstein to their classrooms on Jan. 10 and 11 and experienced the science enrichment program, Weather or Not. Goldstein, who brought energy and excitement to his presentation, interacted with the students as they discovered the properties of air and air pressure and learned what causes the different types of weather. As part of the experiments, the students watched an egg get sucked into a jar, lifted ice cubes with a string, played with tornado tubes and made a cloud in the classroom.

“This was a wonderful program,” teacher Tara Linehan said. “It directly correlated to our curriculum on air and weather. Mr. Goldstein introduced so many science content words that got the students excited to begin our new science unit. They’re going to learn about air pressure, the water cycle, different types of precipitation and all of those things were covered during his hands-on experiments.”

Principal Jane Scheinman said two second-graders have been joining her each morning since the beginning of the school year to provide their peers with a daily weather report during the morning announcements. Now, the students will have a better understanding of what they’ve been reporting on as they continue to build on their knowledge of weather.

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Daniel Warren Students Stay Healthy with Zumba

Daniel Warren Elementary School students showed off their dance moves when they swapped in Zumba for their regular physical education classes as part of the school’s Health and Wellness initiative.

Sponsored by the PTSA, a Zumba instructor from the Rye YMCA led the students through the dance workouts during the week of Jan. 9. In addition to Zumba, school officials arrange for a variety of unique exercise activities to take place during physical education classes throughout the year, including circus yoga and cardio boot camp.  

“We strive to teach our students to be fit and healthy,” Principal Jane Scheinman said. “We encourage healthy eating and have guidelines for snacks and birthday celebrations. We want our students to understand that healthy eating and exercise can be fun.”

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Kindergartners ‘Make Sense’ of their Five Senses

Daniel Warren Elementary School kindergartners explored their five senses with scientist Christopher Stetson, who helped them conduct several experiments during his visit on Dec. 14.

During the interactive “Let’s Make Sense” program, which was generously funded by the PTSA, the students tested their visual and auditory skills, differentiated between odors and discovered the four tastes – sweet, salty, sour and bitter – that our taste buds can distinguish among. Kindergarten teacher Kathy Blaney said the program provided a great introduction to their science unit on the five senses.

“We like this program because [scientist Stetson] really helped the children focus on each of the senses and engaged them in an interactive, hands-on workshop,” Blaney said. “Children learn by doing and participating, so this is perfect for this age level.”

As part of the experiments, the students shined a flashlight into their eyes to examine how their pupils react to light. They also identified different scents in a balloon and cans; and shook jars to determine whether they were filled with sand, paper clips, a wooden block or pennies. They also grouped different pictures of food according to the four tastes, and felt three different pieces of sanding paper to determine which one had the roughest surface.

“This is a very appropriate science unit for kindergarten as the children are learning a lot about themselves, their bodies and how they’re growing,” Blaney added. “We’re working on having them be aware of themselves and others, and how they’re part of the environment.”

Following the program, the students will continue to conduct experiments to further study the senses.