WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld. January 18, 2012:

White Plains High School senior Benjamin Van Doren has been named a Semifinalist in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search. 

He is one of 300 students selected nationwide, from more than 1,800 entrants.  Timothy Selg, Teacher of the school’s Science Research Program, said he was proud to report that Van Doren is the 16^th student to receive this prestigious award since 2000, the year of the first graduating research class at the school.

Van Doren’s research is entitled “Meteorological, Topographical and Behavioral Correlates of Diurnal Autumn Morning Flight Migration in the Northeastern United States.” The data has implications for the growing wind power industry, aviation and conservation efforts.

Van Doren will receive a $1,000 prize, with a matching award to the high school.  Among his other activities, he is Track Team Captain, plays in the Jazz Band, is on the Academic Challenge Team, and was president of the New York State Young Birders Club in 2010.  He plans to attend Cornell University next year.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, White Plains Schools. January 5, 2011:

The White Plains Board of Education has announced the district 2012-13 budget planning process, continuing the successful community-wide forums held last year.  Board President Rosemarie  Eller said, “Next year’s budget will be a tremendous challenge, responding to the state-imposed

 2% property tax levy cap, in addition to the difficult economic situation. 

With proposed carry-forward increases of $4.5 million in salaries, pension costs and reductions in aid, the district will need to consider  about $1 million in budget reductions to remain within the cap.”

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The district is seeking broad input on the budget from the community, beginning with two Budget Forums to be held in January:  The first is Wednesday, January 11, at 7:30 P.M., in the B-1   Room at White Plains High School.  The second is Wednesday, January 18, at 7:30 P.M. in the  Church Street School Cafeteria. 

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the White Plains City School District. December 22, 2011:

The City School District reported this morning that surveillance  video tape taken by White Plains High School boys lockerroom security system recorded two teenage boys in the act of robbing a younger student in the locker room after school on Tuesday.

Michele Schoenfeld told WPCNR that security, as a result of the tape,  apprended the two alleged assailants, shortly after the incident still within the confines of the high school.  Police were notified by security. The students, both enrolled at WPHS , were  turned over to police.

Schoenfeld said the two teenagers accused of the attack are suspended from school. The victim is back in school, and she reports the victim's parents "are happy with that."

Police, Schenfeld said, obtained confessions from the two suspects.

 Police charged the pair of suspects with second degree robbery, a felony. Police said that the victim, 15, was punched in the face and robbed of a $500 gold chain he had been wearing around his neck, and a bag containing the victim's wallet, keys, identification and a credit card and clothing.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, White Plains Schools. October 20, 2011:

Eight White Plains High School seniors were named Semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Competition.  The students are:  Matthew Africano, Aneesh Bhattacharya, Emmett Caruso,Isabelle Daly, Adam Jaffe, Jens Sannerud, Eric Smiley and Benjamin Van Doren.

Approximately 16,000 Semifinalists were named nationally -- less than one percent of U. S. high school seniors – who will continue in the competition to advance to Finalist level and compete for about 8,300 scholarships worth more than $34 million.  The program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Commended students in this competition program are Shaina Brady, Rong-Si Deng, Rachel Eddy, Jordan Grobe, Alyssa Habermann, Michael Lau, Khalilah Lushiku and William Tunney.

            In the National Achievement Scholarship Program, which provides recognition for outstanding Black American high school students, Khalilah Lushiku and Cheyenne Vlymen-Williams are Semi- finalists and Ty Matsushita was named Outstanding Participant.

            Three students were named National Hispanic Recognition Scholars:  Matthew Africano, Selina Thompson and Anna Velasquez.  John Medelius received Honorable Mention.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Program, to honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence. 

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld. September 19, 2011:

Eight White Plains High School seniors were named Semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit  Scholarship Competition.  The students are:  Matthew Africano, Aneesh Bhattacharya, Emmett Caruso, Isabelle Daly, Adam Jaffe, Jens Sannerud, Eric Smiley and Benjamin Van Doren.

Approximately 16,000 Semifinalists were named nationally -- less than one percent of U. S. high school seniors -- who will continue in the competition to advance to Finalist level and compete  for about 8,300 scholarships worth more than $34 million.  The program honors individual students  who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

            National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1955  specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Program, to honor the nation’s scholastic  champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.  Finalists will be announced in February and scholarship winners will be named in the spring.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld. September 19, 2011:

Four students from White Plains High School have been selected to participate in the 2011 New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State Conference in Rochester, NY, in December.  They were selected from thousands of students across the state, for the most prestigious honor a New York State music student can receive. 

Each student prepared a NYSSMA solo at the highest level of difficulty possible and scored at the highest possible level within their instrument group or voice part. 

            The students are:  Shaina Brady (Violin, String Orchestra), Lauren Gamiel (Double Bass, Symphony Orchestra), Klara Gribetz (Alto, Women’s Chorus) and Jens Sannerud (French Horn,  Symphonic Band).  Their teachers are Penelope Cruz, Kathryn Davis and William Eckfeld.

Gary West, Coordinator of Fine Arts, commented that “White Plains is very proud to have four students chosen from our district.”

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, White Plains Schools. September 13,  2011:

The Eighth Annual Summer Field Experience academic symposia at White Plains High

 School, by students of Proyecto BBRAVO, begin next week, with sessions on September 20^th, (6 P.M.), October 6^th, (8:30 A.M.), October 12^th  (6 P.M.), and October 14^th (8:30 A.M.).  This program is a dual celebration of the students’ experiences and Latino Heritage Month.  The events are held in the school’s Library/Media Center. 

Participating students are:  Bianca Acuna, Maria Bautista, Claudia Benitez, Sara Espinoza, Maria Camila Gomez, Emily Huapaya, Ricardo Martinez and Lilibeth Ramos.  

Proyecto BBRAVO (translated stands for Bilingual/Bicultural, Supporting, Ascending toward Virtues and Opportunities) is a multi-faceted program for Latino students that culminates with a summer field experience component.

Eight students participated this year, at various sites including El Museo del Barrio, New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s Multicultural Office of International Affairs, White Plains Hospital, the Edelman Company, Latina Magazine, Bikkal & Associates, Hudson Peconic, and the Westchester County Legislature.    

            In order to be selected for the program, students must write an essay in Spanish, stating their interest, and then be interviewed by a panel comprised teachers, Guidance Counselors, representatives from different site partners, and the Director/Advisor of Proyecto BBRAVO, teacher Alberto Minotta. 

Following acceptance the students must fulfill a minimum of 200 hours at the site, write a research paper, keep a journal BLOG in Spanish, and present an academic symposium before the White Plains High School community on their experiences.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. August 15, 2011:

In Grades 4 to 9 starting school in 2 weeks in September, data from the New York State Education Department, analyzed by WPCNR show the district must address approximately 1,339 children of 2,549 taking the English Language Arts  Assessment Tests, who did not  achieve English proficiency on their May ELA Achievement test.

Approximately 208 Freshmen of some 500 starting high school in 9^th grade at the high school in September will have failed to pass the ELA 8th Grade Assessment in May

The 2011 school district  beat the increased passing scores  by a wide margin in Grades 3,4 and 6  (3 of the six grades tested) on the English Language Arts assessments

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS By John F. Bailey. August 15, 2011:

 WPCNR News has learned that the White Plains  Board of Education extended present Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet’s contract by one year through the 2014-2015 School year, after one year on the job at a Special Meeting on June 21, 2010  of last year.

Dr. Clouet’s contract extension defines his salary for years 2, 3,4, of his original contract, signed in 2009 when he replaced former Superintendent, Timothy Connors, and adds a fifth year to the contract keeping him with the district through June 30, 2015.

The original Clouet contract was a four year agreement which had been written calling for his salary to be reviewed each year in June. The fifth year extension specifies his salaries for years 3, 4 and 5 of the extended contract, and specifying his contributions to his health benefits provided by the school district.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. Statement from  Jessica O'Donovan, White Plains School District Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction to WPCNR on the District's 2011 State Test Scores. UPDATED 6:15 P.M. August 9, 2011:

(Editor's Note:)Monday the New York State Education Department released the test scores across the state from the Grade 3 to 8 Achievement Tests administered three months ago in May. White Plains English Language Arts scores from Grades 3 to 8 showed that 55% of students in those grades passed the ELA exams, and 65% passed the math exams. WPCNR asked the Superintendent's Office for a statement on the district's position. Jessica O'Donovan, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction issed this statement to WPCNR:

Jessica O'Donovan shown with White Plains Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet in April, 2011 at a district budget meeting.WPCNR News Archive

"We are pleased at the increases in our district-wide ELA scores in grades 3, 4 and 6 (despite a statewide decrease), and the math increases in grades 4, and 6-8. We are now outperforming the State average and the regional average (Westchester County) in middle school mathematics.

Yet, we also realize we still have work to do in order to prepare every student to meet the new, more rigorous State standards.

To this end, we will continue implementing and fine-tuning the Intervention Block at the elementary level, with a clear focus on using data to drive flexible small-group instruction that directly addresses students’ individual needs.

We will also be implementing an enrichment reading program called Great Books in grades 2-8, which will utilize classic high-quality literature and the "shared inquiry" approach to enhance reading comprehension, critical thinking, vocabulary, and writing (please the the Great Books website at http://www.greatbooks.org/about/ for further information).

Third, we will continue to use our early release days to engage in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that provide teachers with much needed time to develop common assessments, collaboratively analyze data and then develop action plans, and share best practices.

Finally, we will be implementing a comprehensive reading intervention program at the middle school and high school level that will provide targeted and intensive reading and writing instruction for students who are performing below grade level.

This summarizes some of the key changes we will be making next year in order to ensure we continue making progress in helping every student meet, and ultimately exceed, the new standards." 

 In a follow-up response to Ms. O'Donovan's statement, WPCNR asked Ms. O'Donovan why the remedial efforts in response to the higher passing levels fell short and how much of a gap remains to be closed. We asked whether the district scores in May were lowered exponentially by the Hispanic and Black student groups, and what she gauged the achievement gap between black, Hispanic and white students appeared to be.

Ms. O'Donovan responded:

The remedial efforts did not fall short in my opinion.

The changes we put in place to begin addressing the new standards have not even been implemented for a complete year.

Significant increases will take far more time – a minimum of three years.

Our scores decreased more than 20% between 2009 and 2010 when the new standards were implemented.

The achievement gap varies between grades, subjects (ELA versus Math), and schools. In most cases, it is greater than 10%. All of that information will be available for your review when the State officially releases our district report card.

PCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the New York State Department of Education. August 9, 2011 (EDITED):

The State Education Department  released the results of the math and English Language Arts (ELA) exams taken by all New York students in grades 3-8 in May 2011 Monday.

In the White Plains City School District, slightly more than 50% of students in Grades 3-8 passed the English Language Arts Exams at the proficiency level, despite diligent efforts to prepare them for the new score levels.

(In 2010, 54% of all White Plains 3rd to 8th graders passed.)

In 2011, with higher passing grades to surpass, in Grade 8,52.7% passed the 2011 English Language Arts Exam; Grade 7, 52.5% passed; Grade 6, 59%.

At the Elementary level; 52.6% left 5th grade "proficient" in English; 4th grade, 56.3%; 3rd Grade, 57.2%.  

The White Plains students did considerably better on the Math Tests.

In 8th Grade,  71.5% passed;  69.9% of 7th Graders passed; 69.4% of 6th Graders passed. In the elementary grades,  60.1% of 5th graders scored in the "Proficient" range; 66.7% of 4th Graders passed and 58% of third Graders passed.

In 2010, 64.5% of White Plains 3rd to 8th graders passed the math test, and in 2011, 65% passed at the higher passing level.

The state data show that the average scale scores on this year’s English exams are slightly lower than last year’s at all grade levels; the average scale scores in math are about the same as last year’s. While the majority of students statewide met or exceeded the state’s proficiency standards in both math and ELA, overall performance remains low and the gaps in achievement persist.  Actions to implement the Regents education reform agenda are underway, with the related goals of closing the gap and preparing all students for college and careers.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld.(EDITED) June 23, 2011:

The White Plains High School A-Team finished as one of the top four teams in the nation at the National Academic Competition in Chicago last week, won First Place in the Hudson Valley Region.

The White Plains High School Academic A Team earlier had won the Westchester Hudson Valley Regional (Academic) Tournament and the Tri-State Competition on MSGVarsity this week, in its best season ever.Photo, Courtesy, White Plains Schools

The team of Aneesh Bhattacharya, Adam Jaffe, Jens Sannerud, Eric Smiley and Alex Johnsson, the only senior, defeated Horace Greeley in the semifinals and Briarcliff in the finals of the Regional, and won the Tri-State competition against seven other teams from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The team went to Chicago for the NAC Nationals, and all three teams – A, B and JV – made the playoffs and won their first matches.  

The JV placed second in the Chicago phase of the tournament, and B team member Hannah Fine won the audition for “Who Wants to be a Game Show Host,” and will return to  the Nationals next year as a moderator.  Other B Team members are Avi Bronstein, Tom Liu and Ben VanDoren.  The JV Team members are Amy Brown, Matthias Fried, You Kim, Sam Ragusa and Andrew Smiley.  Teacher Les Roby is Advisor.

The White Plains Academic Team began play in 1990 and has been in five semifinals in the  last eight years.  In 1990 the team placed second in the nation.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Church Street School. June 14, 2011 UPDATED WITH PIX:

Parents and teachers have pioneered the very first walk-through butterfly pavilion for the students at Church Street School. 

“To our knowledge, it’s the only one in the area and the only one located at a public elementary school,” said Darrell Stinchcomb,(inside the butterfly pavilion) Church Street Principal.   “We have an enclosed outdoor classroom at our school.  It’s a unique resource that has helped bring hands-on science and enrichment into our students’ learning experience.”  

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS By John F. Bailey. June 13, 2011 UPDATED 4:10 P.M. E.D.T.:

The Board of Education meets this evening to take the legislative steps to enact the $185.5 Million 2011-12 school budget to begin the new school year July 1.

The Board will vote on eliminating 38 positions, permanently, and to place Teachers and Teaching Assistants with the least seniority whose jobs are being eliminated on the Preferred Eligible List for 7 Years.

Being furloughed permanently from teacher ranks are 16 positions:  11 Teaching Assistant Positions, 5 full-time Teachers, and one administrator.

The meeting will be in White Plains High School Media Center at 7:45 P.M., following a reception for retirees and staff who have served 25 years.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. February 25, 2011: 

A letter has gone out to members of the White Plains High School Hall of Fame, that this year's induction ceremony, usually held in November "will take a hiatus," resuming in 2012.

The reason according to a letter from high school Interim Principal Diana Knight and Amy Geiger, Co-Chair, (Hall of  Fame)Steering Committee, determined by the Steering Committee in consultation with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet and Ms. Knight is "all parties felt that the High School would benefit from focusing on its core academic programs for students in the year ahead."

Nominations are being accepted for 2012. The Hall of Fame ceremony usually consists of visits to classes by new inductees in the Hall of Fame each year and takes up only one day.