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Forty New Rochelle High School students were treated to healthy dishes including beet bruschetta with hummus and sweet potato and parsnip soup served by their schoolmates recently.

The student cooks in the Science of Food class whipped up dishes from their own recipes with farm-to-table, sustainable ingredients as the culmination of a semester-long "Food Ed" program with the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

They studied personal and cultural connections to food as well as topics of sustainability. The lessons focused on many facets of agriculture, even caring for the soil itself.

"They studied how to maintain healthy soil, how to restore depleted soil and how the foods that you choose to grow have an impact on that living skin of the earth," teacher Julia Chillemi Kouyoumdjian said.

For the lunch event, Chillemi Kouyoumdjian's 30 students prepared, cooked and served the meal to two other classes in Room 207. The focus was "mindful eating," which "increases your awareness of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation," their menu explains. It continues, "Eating mindfully is a practice that uses all your senses in choosing to eat food that is both satisfying to you and nourishing to your body."

They chose ingredients from the Stone Barns farm; others were sustainably sourced. In addition to the bruschetta and the sweet potato soup, there was kale risotto, "classic farm soup" and a seasonal salad. With each course came a story about how people can share their cultures by sharing foods, how food can be a form of medicine and how healthy soil leads to more nutritious ingredients.

Students who took the class said they planned to eat healthier and to spread the word about the connection between how we grow food and the world around us.

"I commit to eating healthy foods and staying away from bad foods that may be detrimental to my health," Gillian Okaiteye wrote in an action plan questionnaire.

Several said they would start their own gardens or join a community garden. Nick Calderone said he would like to help his mother cook and perhaps even make the family dinner on his own. Colin Logan, like many others, said he would let others know what he had learned.

"I will spread awareness about issues with the food system, such as unfair distribution and non-ethical production practices," Logan said.

At Trinity Elementary School, the holiday season is the perfect time for the Love Committee to spring into action.

Not that this group of teachers waits for winter before spreading their message of appreciation for all. The committee was formed during a school book fair last February, when Physical Education teacher Troy Millings saw the need to make books available for all students, even those whose families could not easily afford them.

Soon, he was working with several other teachers - Ivette Herrera, Kelly Hawkins, Patricia Thomas and Jillian Ritacco.

They made books accessible to everyone in a subsequent sale, and they continued to spread random acts of kindness to colleagues and others to keep school spirit high. For Mother's Day, all female teachers received lollipop flowers. On Father's Day, it was construction paper bow ties with candy centers for the male teachers.

"If we love our students and we love what we do, we need to reach out," Millings said.

"The Love Committee has become part of the fabric of our school," said Principal Michael Hilderbrand.

Just this morning, the committee held a surprise breakfast for school monitors, the unsung heroes of the school, with carol singers, a photo booth and more. With the holidays arriving, they started an "Amazon Toy Drive" that brought in more than 100 wrapped presents - which was so many that they were able to donate 25 to a local church and to families that were affected by recent fires in New Rochelle.

"Whether it's Christmas or Hanukkah - whatever they celebrate - these kids need gifts," Hawkins said.

The committee's initiatives have also expanded, with outside organizations joining in.

"It has spread to the entire community. It's more than just Trinity," said Herrera.

At one point, the members may have been easy to identify with their distinctive Trinity blue T-shirts. But the shirts caught on, and now many others have them as well. On the front of the shirt is a paw with heart in the center. The back sports the words "Everything you do matters," something Hilderbrand is known for saying.

"It's now the school mantra," Millings said.

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Webster School where our mission is: We Educate the Whole Child. Our dedicated and talented faculty and staff are committed to addressing each child’s individual talents, strengths and needs. With curriculum aligned to Common Core Learning Standards, we insure that students are cognitively engaged and challenged with real world problem solving as we prepare them for College and Career Readiness. Collaborating with parents and community members is an integral part of each child’s success, and helps to create a dynamic environment where our students are celebrated for their academic and creative accomplishments. Our values are embedded within the Webster Way which we live on a daily basis. The Webster Way stands for: Wise, Empathetic, Benevolent, Sincere, Trustworthy, Educated and Responsible. On behalf of the entire Webster family, I look forward to an amazing school year for all students!

Melissa A. Passarelli, Principal

School Announcements

Families of Incoming Webster Students

Please call Webster School at 576-4462 to make an appointment for initial registration. You can also email Mrs. Fennell at jfennell@nredlearn.org to request an appointment. Include your name and phone number in the email.

2019-2020 KDG Reg.pdf

Daniel Webster Elementary School

Calendar of Events

Feb 15