The lights dimmed and voices quieted, bodies settled in seats and lights on the stage burst on letting the audience know it was time.

As the afternoon wore on Pocantico third graders waited patiently to see their classmates work come to life. Pleasantville’s ARC Stages had selected several original pieces written by the students to perform as part of their Vision and Voices program.

They saw “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” written by Shay D., “A Super Cold Portal” by Vera H. and “Underwater Allies” by Lila O. and Victoria C., among other selections from students throughout the region.

Back at Pocantico the young playwrights were excited to have seen their work performed.

“There were a lot of kids to choose from, and they chose us,” said Lila.

“I had fun working on it,” Shay said. “I liked how they did it, most of it was done correctly. I just really had fun working on it.”

Vera said students worked in groups and they all had time to work on their plays independently too.

Victoria said it was fun to see her play come alive and liked how the actors incorporated big eyes on to the characters.

For ten years the theater has offered the Vision and Voices program, which include visiting students at their schools to put on a play-writing workshop and working with students in their classrooms where they review the elements of a play and help students get started. Once done, and edited, the plays are submitted, and the theater selects a number to perform live.

While at the theater the students were informed that more than 500 plays had been submitted from different schools and that each student who wrote and submitted a play would receive a certificate “because it’s very hard to write a play.”

The end!

The pictures are alarming, thin and frail children, wearing what amounts to rags that were displayed on posters around the room. However, a closer look also tells the inspiring tale of how these individuals were assisted and went on to thrive.

Each year sixth graders at Pocantico engage in a weeks-long research project where they delve into the Armenian refugee crisis in the early part of the last century and its aftermath. The class visits the nearby Rockefeller Archive Center where part of their research included looking and studying primary sources, including letters and newspaper articles. They not only wrote a research paper on what they learned but also created a website that they could share information.

 

“It’s pretty inspiring,” said Sona Viola, Director and Curator at the Near East Relief Historical Society, that visited Pocantico on May 14 when students had a public display of their work. “Working with the historical information, they really mastered that at a young age. And the empathy they had was impressive.”

 

“It’s beautiful to hear their perspective and how it impacted them,” she said. “I am really proud of them.”

 

Students studied the humanitarian crisis, and their research led them to learn about what happened in its aftermath. Using primary sources, including letters and newspaper articles, students gained more extensive knowledge about events.

 

The Armenian Genocide resulted in the estimated death of between 600,000 and more than a million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The Near East Relief Foundation was established in 1915 to aid the humanitarian crisis suffered by the Armenian people.

 

“It was challenging making a website,” admitted Ayan K. about the project. “It was like putting a puzzle together.”

As to the subject, “it was interesting to learn about,” they said.

 

“I didn’t know anything about the topic at all,” Savannah B. said. “It’s fun to learn about a new topic, the genocide was so traumatic.”

 

 

 

In the second in a series of programs for parents, Joseph McGrath presented a virtual session “Managing Your Child’s Devices,” to help parents manage in this new era of screens.

The burning question among many parents, including Mr. McGrath who has two children one currently at Pocantico, is how to limit screen time.

The simple answer he said, “bubble wrap your kid.”

Not very practical, he admitted. However, while there may not be a perfect answer he shared practical things parents can do to help themselves and their screen-obsessed child.

He presented a character to parents in the session, “the child lawyer” who argues why they should have a device—not surprisingly the child says “they are bored,” “they will learn more with one,” or “they want to stay close with their friends” and the age old “why are you so mean” when they are denied.

“You need to consider what decisions need to be made and why,” Mr. McGrath, an educational technology director and member of the Pocantico Board of Education, said. However, parents also need to be careful what they tell their children, if they are told they can get a phone at age 13, they will demand one for their 13^th birthday.

Mr. McGrath strongly encouraged parents to use media controls on devices. The negatives of using devices demand it—including an increase in anxiety and depression, gaming, scams, contact with strangers and more.

He encouraged parents to research on their own what media their child may be engaging with and how they can limit it. He said doesthedoggie.com and commonsensemedia.com or connectsafely.com are good websites for this. He also suggested the book “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt, which is a popular title.

The one thing parents may not realize is that when they were children, before cell phones and iPads were a thing, their parents worried about them watching too much television. The difference this time with phones and other screens is that they are much more stimulating, and not necessarily in a positive way.

He encouraged parents to set up the safety guidelines on their child’s devices which usually needs to be done manually.

Ultimately, the best safety precaution they can take, as has been said in the past, talk to your children.

“Begin to talk to them at a young age letting them know not everyone they meet online has good intentions,” he said.

Additionally, know your child’s passwords, put rules in place and remind them too that “the internet is forever.”

Talk to them about what they should and should not reveal about themselves online, what strangers can learn from them based on what they are posting, how to spot scams, cyberbullying and how to deescalate conflicts.

“Have multiple conversations,” Mr. McGrath reiterated. “You want them know how to ask for help and when to ask for help.”

In the event that their child makes a mistake online, help them understand that they can come to you.

Resources such as Family Link, Google Calendar, Family Keep and Google Assistant can be helpful. As is disabling auto play on their phone so they are unable to scroll and scroll endlessly and they go from one video to another.

There are paid monthly services that can help set up controls too, but Mr. McGrath warned it can get expensive and he suggested researching and looking at reviews to see if they are worth it.

Click here for a link to Mr. McGrath’s presentation.

 

Weekends are for fun, errand running and relaxing. Most of the time. However, for a select group of students at Pocantico Hills, the weekend of March 8-9 was one for performing.

Several students participated in the 2025 Westchester County School Music Association’s All-County Music Festival. The Elementary and Intermediate Band performed on Saturday, March 8. And the Elementary and Intermediate Choirs the following day. All performances took place at New Rochelle High School.

“It was cool,” Collette B., who performed in the Elementary All-County Chorus, said.

Fellow choir participant, Sonja C. agreed, saying she thought the performance was fun, but she really enjoyed the rehearsals.

The two were part of a group of elementary singers from schools throughout the county. Together they sang several numbers, including: “Laudamus Te,” “Al Shlosha D’Varim,” “When I Close My Eyes,” “Sing to Me, and “Walk in Jerusalem.”

“Bigger is better,” Sonja said, noting that the larger choir made for a better sounding performance.

“Everything always sounds better,” agreed Collette. “Everyone is better and more prepared.”

Participants are selected to be a part of the experience each year.

Milana G. said she enjoys singing and agreed singing in a larger choir makes a difference.

“You hear every part,” she said. “Everyone sounds in tune, like its one person singing.”

She was part of the Intermediate All-County Chorus.

Fellow chorus member Shreya J. said it make her nervous, but as anyone who does not know their part can be asked to leave.

Playing in the Elementary All-County Band were Kyle J. (clarinet) and Grace I. (Timpani).

“It’s a bit more stressful, but worth it in the end,” Grace said, adding that her favorite song they performed was “Kamehameha.”

“The stakes are higher as you are playing and singing with the best in Westchester,” Band Director Michael Murphy agreed.

“As a small school, it’s always good to have an opportunity to perform with other teachers and work with new people,” Music Teacher Sheila DePaola said.

Mr. Murphy said too for band participants they work with a full compliment of instruments and they can more easily hear all the parts equally.

Ms. DePaola said the experience will be a wonderful memory for students. While they may not remember every detail, they will recall the experience.

“You’ll always remember different quotes musicians use to motivate,” she said.

Peter S. performed in the elementary band last year, and this year he was part of the Intermediate All-County Chorus.

“It definitely helped me prepare and know what I had to do with my music,” he said of coming back again this year.

He enjoyed playing the Gershwin medley and said he was glad to have the experience of bonding with fellow performers and “singing good pieces.”

 

The excited chatter quieted, and a sense of concentration was felt throughout the room. The soft “click, click, click” of a keyboard could be heard, only broken by a suggestion.

 

“OK, I got you. Just wait here, you are good,” was one such note.

 

The library had been converted into a room of creativity during two sessions of a pop-up event, “Using Book Creator to be an Author: Tell Your Story.”

 

Sessions were led by third grade teacher Marina Pisto and Education Technology Director Alana Winnick, along with a group of teacher volunteers. One session was enjoyed by kindergarten and first grade students and a week later older students had an opportunity. In all more than 70 students participated. Students were using the Book Creator program to write autobiographical stories.

 

“Are you excited about using Book Creator,” Ms. Pisto asked at the start of the first session.

 

The response?

 

“Yeah!” from the students.

 

“Today is all about being an author,” Ms. Pisto said. “Today you are going to create a story about YOU.”

She suggested student’s think about what is in their heart, maybe reflect on a fun vacation they took, their favorite toy or food or a game they like to play.

 

“We want students to be creators, and we want technology to be fun and creative,” Ms. Winnick said. “We want to bring what they are learning about to life.”

 

As the students worked on their stories, members of the Innovation Club walked around lending assistance, helping students log in, showing them how to add photos to their pages or how to change the font and more.

 

“I like to help people,” fourth grader Ki-Ann W. said as to what motivated her to volunteer. She would return a week later to participate in the session.

 

“I like creating books and telling stories,” Ki-Ann said when it was her turn to write.

 

She said one of the things she had learned was to not simply start the story by saying something like “this is my story about . . .”

 

Ki-Ann said she was planning to write about her experience taking dance lessons and participating in a dance competition.

 

“I really like making things and creating things about what I love,” said fourth grader Layla G.

 

Second grader Matthew G. said he was going to write a non-fiction book about escaping from a bear, inspired by a book he had read.

 

“I know Book Creator,” Matthew said. “I just like creating things.”

 

The older students were treated to listening to an excerpt from a story ENL teacher Joy Scantlebury had written about her family roots.

 

She had begun her story with “clink, clink, clink.” Its only later readers learn that the noise came from her mother’s bracelets as she was stirring food that would be a part of the holiday meal she was preparing.

 

Ms. Scantlebury offered the aspiring writers several tips to keep in mind: Brainstorm, show, don’t tell what is happening with words, use the five senses and revise and edit.

 

“Never give up with your writing,” Ms. Scantlebury encouraged.

 

Having time to be creative was a common theme when students were asked what they liked about the event. Several said they enjoy having the time to do what they like and not be confined to a particular school assignment.

 

Kindergartner Henry C. said his story was about his desire to own a snake. He said he loves snakes and wants an anaconda.

 

For classmate Charlotte R., her story was about her favorite shape, the star.

 

“I like the points,” she said of what attracted her to that particular shape.

 

As part of her storytelling, she researched for star shapes to find just the right one to put in her story.

 

As the students worked, they would often ask their friend sitting next to them to take a look at their work.

 

The two sessions were part of what has now become a regular event at Pocantico Hills. Other pop-up sessions have included an Hour of Code and a closer look at Black History Month.

 

“Can we do this every Thursday,” one student inquired.

 

The answer was, yes, not exactly every Thursday, but students will have an opportunity to engage in other upcoming pop-up sessions as they school year continues.

 

“We’re very committed to having experiences with technology that are creative,” Ms. Pisto said. “We want to help them have positive interactions with devices.”

On March 27, families gathered at Pocantico Hills School for Family Math Night, an event designed to strengthen connections with our families and increase excitement about the methods teachers use to help everyone succeed in math. Kindergarten through middle school students attended with their families and engaged in grade-specific interactive math activities, giving parents insight into how math is taught at each grade level.

Principal Adam Brown welcomed the attendees in the auditorium before students and their families moved to their designated classrooms.

Each grade level focused on different mathematical concepts. Pre-K and kindergarten students and their parents engaged in counting games and solving story problems. First- and second-graders enjoyed practicing addition and subtraction and learning tape diagrams. Third-grade students worked on fractions and area concepts, while fourth-graders focused on multiplication strategies and fraction comparisons. Fifth graders took on a "Decimal Diner," which involved adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Sixth-grade students raced against the clock at stations, collaborating on problem-solving challenges.

Math specialist Anne Kikrissoff, who organized tonight's event, shared its significance and impact. "We'd like our parents to leave tonight with a better understanding of the strategies and models their children use in class," she said. "With Math Night, we are strengthening the home-school connection and fostering a sense of community. The more parents and students understand our approach to teaching math at each grade level, the less anxiety families will experience around math at home. When we are all speaking the same language, everyone feels more empowered."

Principal Brown highlighted the value of strong connections between teachers and parents. "Math Night creates a positive spirit around learning, allowing parents to engage more with their child's teachers. It's wonderful to see so many families taking advantage of this opportunity," he said.

Pocantico Hills recently hosted a forum highlighting the concerns over the use of smartphones and social media. 

 

Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Pocantico parent, Dr. Nathan Thoma, presented “Smartphones, Social Media, and Your Child’s Mental Health: What Science Tells Us and What You Can Do,” to a group of about 30 parents and educators via Zoom.

 

While the news was alarming, Dr. Thoma assured those in attendance that parents can curtail their child’s use of phones and social media, by setting guidelines with their children and collaborating with other parents to develop activities and events to keep children off their devices.

 

Smartphones, like the iPhone were launched in 2007, however the data really begins to show its impact beginning in 2010. Dr. Thoma said, that is when there is a clear increase in depression and anxiety in young girls and boys and a “massive increase in mental health struggles.”

 

He said too that in the following years there as a noticeable uptick in ER visits for self-harm among adolescents. He noted that studies show that the technology also impacts academic performance and sleep.

 

He shared how by 2015, 20 percent of teen girls reported using social media more than 40/week, and in 2023, more than 46 percent of teens reported being online most of the time.

 

“The purpose of social media is to help people feel more connected,” he said. “Sadly, there is an increase in loneliness by their peers, even while they are at school.”

His view of the data is that even if the numbers are a bit off, they show a clear message.

“The trends are quite real and substantial,” he said. “The effects are so profoundly large across the country; we have a massive and potential growing problem on our hands.”

Technology on its own is not the culprit, but rather how it’s used, he said.

“It invites negative comparisons with others, the number of likes or followers becomes a measure of self-worth, each post becomes an emotional roller coaster,” Dr. Thoma explained. “Human behavior online is different than when face to face. We see more bullying online.”

“It’s like social rejection on steroids,” he said.

To counteract these negative impacts, Dr. Thoma said experts offer guidelines, such as not allowing a child to have a Smartphone until the age of 14 and no social media until the age of 16. Also, these devices should never be used during school hours and there needs to be an increase in screen-free time for kids.

Dr. Thoma understands how difficult it can be for parents, as he is one and faces the same issue as others. When or if to get their kids a Smartphone, how to instill guidelines for its use, and how to push back on the “everyone else has one,” tactic a child may use are issus he's faced too.

He said he was advised to hold off as long as possible in getting a child a Smartphone.

Dr. Thoma suggested getting them a device that is strictly used for communication and does not have access to social media or online games.

“Parents can unite around a healthier path,” he said.

He suggested each class have a parent volunteer who would serve as a digital liaison, organizing meetings for parents to discuss what is happening in their lives with this technology and learn from one another ways to combat the pressure they and their children may experience.

In addition, he suggested parents do not allow the phones in their child’s rooms overnight. They can also do a phone stack at certain times when everyone in the family who has one leaves the phone in a certain place and does not touch it for a set period. Parents can also look for non-tech activities to do, like playing a board game or going for a hike.

“Emphasize the value of interacting and being off of phones,” he said.

Parents in the meeting shared the challenges they face. Sometimes it’s trying to decide when or if their child should have a device or finding a way to manage how much time their child is on one.

One of the things that will help with this issue, is that Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering a bill to make schools cell phone free during school hours beginning in September. Pocantico is also following state guidelines in not allowing students to have access to YouTube. And Camp Poco will now be phone free during camp hours.

It's also a balancing act, as Dr. Thoma alluded to, as being too restrictive with the use of this technology can turn into a problem as well and parents need to be flexible.

“Our children need our help with this,” he concluded.

Links to recording to watch the presentation: https://pocanticohills.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=2a10350b-6889-4d43-9583-b2920117c6e1

Link to slides:

https://pocanticohillsorg.sharepoint.com/:p:/s/EducationalTechnology/EUkvRtldgrZEtf-SkboIdE8BSn0wbFrblCrZQwUL7NZ-WA?e=LAeV8M

 

The Pocantico Hills eighth graders have been busy the past several weeks, working on both an art project and a special activity in their FACS classes. All their hard work culminated in an evening of fine art and fine food during the Art and Recipe Design Show, held on Feb. 25.

During the evening, guests had an opportunity to peruse the school hallways and view original artwork created by the class. This year’s theme was “Gardens.” And the students delivered. Adorning the wall was a colorful display of flowers and the natural world and animals that the students had painted using acrylics.

If that was not enough, in the cafeteria guests were treated to an array of delicacies, with all the recipes created by the students themselves. In their Family and Consumer Science class, students learned about food fusion, and then, working in small groups, they developed recipes reflecting the cultural heritage of everyone in the groups. On this evening, guests had an opportunity to sample a selection of the recipes the students had developed.

“I’ve been looking forward to it since sixth grade,” said Evelyn B., as she stood in front of her painting, “Sunset Boulevard,” speaking of the art project. “You could paint what you wanted as long as it stayed within the theme.”

Her painting depicts a seaside landscape.

In the cafeteria, Colin G. had just finished sampling from the array of delicious options.

“I thought it was great opportunity to get away from the regular schoolwork,” he said of the recipe project, explaining that he worked with classmate Shreyan T. Together, he said, they developed Baked Potato Paneer Soup with Irish Cheddar Naan Crisp reflecting his Irish heritage and the Indian heritage of his recipe partner.

“We created this recipe completely from scratch,” he said. “It lets our cultures unite us.”

Art Teacher Jolene Morotti said she has been having the eighth- grade students work on this special project for the past 17 years.

“I love putting these up,” she said of hanging the students’ work. “I love the buzz from the other students.”

She enjoys providing a safe place for the students to work as many may not have much confidence in their abilities. But, she said, as they paint, they discuss their work with their classmates and talk about what’s going well, what may not be and offer suggestions that could help.

“They always amaze me with their work,” Ms. Morotti said.

Back in the cafeteria Chef Clyde Ripka was busy plating the food.

“We discussed with the student’s what fusion was and they went off on their own,” he said.

Chef Ripka made the recipes selected by some of them to serve during the event and the Pocantico kitchen staff cooked them up.

FACS teacher Alyson Morilla said she knew this particular class enjoys the culinary arts and would enjoy a project that focused on cooking. Each student received a recipe booklet of all the recipes they had developed.

“It brought out a lot of pride in their heritage and gave them an opportunity to shine in the kitchen,” Ms. Morilla said.

“I’m really grateful to the Pocantico administrators and the kitchen staff for showcasing the kids and the amazing job they did,” she continued.

 

 

During her presentation to Pocantico elementary students, author Nana Euka Brew-Hammond used her own curiosity, science and easy demeanor to help students get excited about the colorful world around them.

And her story involves snails. And red cabbage.

 

It all began when the text she was reading mentioned a blue curtain. It made her wonder why was the color of the curtain important? Why mention it all?

 

Curiosity sent her on a great adventure where she learned that there was a snail that was used to create blue for fabrics. This was discovered when a fisherman saw his dog eat a certain type of snail and it left the dog with a blue tongue. Fascinated, Ms. Brew-Hammond researched more.

The more she discovered about blue, the more intrigued she became.

 

“I found out there are a lot of things that can create the color blue, plants, flowers,” she said. And yes, red cabbage too.

 

And to prove her point, Ms. Brew-Hammond showed how powerful the cabbage can be when she scooped some of the red cabbage she had been boiling on hot plate into a clear bowl. The resulting cabbage-water was purple, thanks to the antioxidant anthocyanin. That was until she added some baking soda, and the water suddenly turned a blue-green color, much to the amazement of the students. When vinegar was added, the liquid turned a bright magenta.

 

“What is so interesting, are the colors in nature can be so unexpected, there are so many surprises in nature,” she said.

 

“Did you know how many things a history behind it have,” she asked. “I had to write a story about it.”

 

This resulted in her book “Blue, A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky.”

 

The story tells how the color was created in ancient times, using the aforementioned snails, minerals found in rocks, indigo, and even the chemically created color blue dye, created by Adolf von Baeyer.

 

The story shares how blue was so difficult to find and create, that it came to be considered sacred and often only found among the wealthiest people.

 

“But in nature, it’s the blue sky and the sea,” Ms. Brew-Hammond said. “It’s the science of it, the poetry of it.”

 

“What is so inspiring, I got interested in all the colors,” she continued. “There is a story behind all of it. All colors have something so fascinating, so sacred and holy with it. Every culture and human makes a connection to what we see around us. It animates your imagination.”

 

Having finished her deep dive into blue, Ms. Brew-Hammon shared with students that she has found two new colors for two new books. In one she will explore red, in another, yellow.

 

“I want to encourage you, when you read something, the story does not have to end there,” she said. “Do some research about what you read.”

 

Reading was one of her favorite hobbies growing up, as was writing. One of her teachers would give her an extra writing assignment now and then to encourage her interest. Ms. Brew-Hammond grew up in New York and currently lives in California, where she has enjoyed a career as a writer. In 2010 she published a Young Adult novel, “Powder Necklace,” and has written other books for this age group as well as adults.

Pocantico Middle School students enjoyed an opportunity to travel through time to learn about and celebrate the contributions of African-Americans throughout history with a recent visit to the Bethany Arts Community in nearby Ossining.

 

As they toured the “Black History: Eyes Wide Open” exhibit, students were introduced to several black innovative men and women who made their marks in a wide range of fields, including the culinary arts, medicine, the military and everyday life.

 

The exhibit shares details about their contributions and who was behind the improvement or invention.

 

Among the people students met were James Hemings, who accompanied Thomas Jefferson to France. It was here that Mr. Hemings learned how to cook French cuisine. Upon returning to the states, he introduced macaroni and cheese and French fries to the American diet.

Students were intrigued with the inventions of Garrett Morgan. He helped to invent a protective hood that firefighters wear. However, students were most intrigued with the hand operated traffic signal he developed, that later would become the red, yellow and green lights we use today. The signal required a person to stand in the street while they held a post, on one side it would say stop, when it was turned it said go, and when another way indicated travelers should slow down.

 

Students appreciated the display that showed black contributions in the military, specifically the women of the Six Triple Eight. Several students had seen the Netflix series of the same name, which told the story of the black members of the Women’s Army Corp who commanded a postal battalion who took on the onerous task of delivering mail to soldiers against significant difficulties.

 

Students were also introduced to Madam C.J. Walker, a woman entrepreneur who created a multi-million-dollar hair care product line. She lived in Sleepy Hollow and is considered one of this country’s first millionaires.

 

Then there was Lonnie Johnson. He excelled at being an aerospace engineer, but the students loved the fact that he also invented the Super Soaker.

 

Other parts of the exhibit highlighted the black press, the medical field and the fishing industry, led by local resident Henry Gourdine.

 

“Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter,” is an African proverb that weaves its way through the exhibit.

 

Tour guide Donna James asked students why Black History Month is celebrated.

 

“They did important things as part of this country,” one fifth grader answered.

 

For fifth grader Khali S., he said his favorite part of the exhibit was the room that highlighted the food, but he appreciated the other things he learned too.

 

“I love how they invented things,” he said. 

 

“I liked learning about Madam C.J. Walker,” student Dominic W. said. “She was losing her hair and made a product to help.”

 

For Rose M., she appreciated that Matthew Cherry invented the tricycle.

 

“A lot of black people had invented a lot of things,” she said of what she learned while viewing the exhibit.