In his poem [in Just-], E.E. Cummings describes the season of springtime as “puddle wonderful.” In anticipation of the upcoming Spring Recess and in recognition of the first day of Spring, I hope that each of you are also feeling the joy that is associated with the renewal of nature.
This past week, I had the privilege of seeing our Tappan Zee High School production of the musical comedy, The Producers. Many hours of hard work were spent by our students and staff preparing for this event. In addition to the many talented performances by our actors, the set-design, costumes, and pit-band were also top-notch. Beyond this, I am proud of all of our students who were able to rise above the controversy that was playing out in the press and in social media concerning some of the symbols that were used in the play. On that note, it was visibly obvious to the hundreds of audience members that 1.) the play was not censored and was performed in the manner intended by the playwright and 2.) that the students took great care in presenting the imagery in a manner that was respectful to the audience and the larger community. In the final analysis, it was an evening of great entertainment for anyone who had the pleasure of watching the work of our talented students.
Another significant event this week was the Maker Faire, held on Wednesday night in the Tappan Zee High School Cafeteria. The space was packed with students of all grade-levels who were eager to display their work in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). We were all fascinated by feats of student scientific discovery as witnessed by projects in robotics, computer programming, astronomy, computer-aided design, hydraulic engineering, and electronics…to name a few examples. Each year, the number of students participating in this event grows in size, and I have come to the realization that next year, we’re going to need a bigger venue.
Perhaps the most inspiring springtime event, in any school district, is Kindergarten Registration and Orientation. This past Tuesday and Wednesday we had a significant turnout of families getting their young ones registered for the 2016-17 kindergarten cohort at William O. Shaefer Elementary School. We have been able to streamline this registration process using our new online student registration system, Infosnap. While it was great to see so many families registering their youngsters, we know that there are still more families that have yet to register. If you have a child who will be eligible for kindergarten in September 2016, please contact the Main Office at William O. Shaefer as soon as possible – don’t wait.
We are looking forward to giving our school buildings a good “spring cleaning” while the students are on Spring Recess next week. Hopefully, each of you will have the opportunity to spend time with loved-ones and be able to enjoy the first signs of “puddle wonderful” Spring. Have a safe and enjoyable break and I am looking forward to seeing you all when we return on March 30, 2016.
