How your donations to CHEF make a difference
“The students and faculty at CET are very grateful to CHEF! Their generous grant will allow students to learn about the Hudson River in a very personal way. The fourth graders, on Snap Shot Day, were able to use the water thermometers to monitor the water temperature through out the day. Using the new plastic aquariums enabled small groups to observe the animal life very closely. Younger students will use the Geoscopes to explore the river’s edge in a unique way. Teachers and parents are excited about putting on the waders and using the seining net to explore the animal life in greater depth. The CET Community thanks CHEF for their continued support in our study of the Hudson River!” — Kathy Buckhout, Teacher
“CHEF provided necessary funds needed toward the construction of the CHHS darkroom. The CHEF grant allowed us to purchase specific equipment, consequently allowing us to run our first photography class. We had a significant number of students interested in the class and were able to fill four (half-year) sections. Additionally, more than 60 students have shown interest in the photography club that meets during after school hours. We are grateful for CHEF’s support of our Art program.” — Jennifer Moore, Art Teacher & Art Curriculum Coordinator
“The Arts in Our Schools Committee was fortunate enough to be the recipient of a grant from CHEF that helped to fund an the first ever acting program at CHHS. The program titled Act Out was taught by the education faculty of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. There were two public performances and it was amazing to watch the focused work and growth in all of the students. This was an excellent program and we are so grateful that CHEF helped us to bring it to the students in our district.” — Catherine Riedel, Arts In Our Schools
“It is my hope that the purchasing of iPods will directly benefit those special needs students who struggle with reading comprehension and need to listen to audio recordings of books. The benefit of having the iPods is that it will allow up to four students to listen to an audio recording of a single book. Thanks to CHEF this will become a reality.” — Kim Gaynor, Special Education Teacher
“I want to thank CHEF for granting us the money for Cliff Mendelson’s Day In Clay – Multi-cultural Potter’s Wheel Demonstration Program. It was truly inspirational. It was wonderful to watch the students’ jaws drop in awe as Cliff Mendelson threw giant vessels on the wheel. He shared the history of pottery and the many cultures that use this medium as he worked. It is experiences like this one that students will remember for years to come.” – Wendy Armstrong, Fine Art Teacher
“With funding from CHEF, the CHHS Art Club has made mosaic floor signs for the new wing stairwells which will be installed. The Club has also painted a mural along the length of the World Language hall and is nearing completion. The Art Club used paint purchased with CHEF grant funding to paint the “Art Car” for the Croton Rotary Club’s Annual Car Show this fall. The club will purchase paint to complete the Language wing mural, and execute other murals at CHHS. Thanks to CHEF’s generous support, the Art Club has been able to make our school and community a more colorful place.” — Linda Meo, Art Teacher & Art Club Advisor
“The Digital Library is a tremendous hit in the third grade! Students of with varied reading strengths are reading books together using the I-pods and the read-along books that were “digitized.” Very soon, we are going to create Book Clubs around the books that are downloaded on the Nanos. The students are excited to use the equipment and we all are looking forward to digitizing our own cassettes in the future.” — Linda Reich, Teacher
“We are excited about the future possibilities that our China initiative presents and believe that this program has the potential to help our students develop a global perspective that can powerfully impact their lives now and in the future. As a result of the initial Croton educators’ trip to China, generously funded in part by CHEF, eight Croton seniors visited China as exchange students last spring; Croton hosted 45 Chinese exchange students last summer; and we have a group of 50 Croton high school and eighth grade students studying Mandarin this year before school. Without the encouragement and generosity of CHEF and its donors, none of this would have happened.” – Dr. Marjorie Castro, former Superintendent, Croton-Harmon School District
“I have had a vision to use a school garden as a vehicle for hands-on science inquiry with my 7th grade science students. Thanks to CHEF and the grant I received, I have become able to realize this vision.” – Gerald Ardito, Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School Science Teacher
“Thanks to CHEF, math teachers and students in grades 6-8 now have access to an innovative new software tool that helps students at all levels learn math using a language and medium they enjoy. RM Educational Software offers students multiple activities for learning numerous mathematical concepts, and can be used for academic intervention, regular classroom instruction, or for enrichment. Thank you, CHEF, for helping us enhance the mathematical education of our students.” — Amy Marnell and Kym Timpano, Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School Math Teachers
“The generous grant from CHEF has kicked off the first Drama course offered at Croton-Harmon High School. This course gives those students interested in theater the opportunity to learn from a professional to expand their budding knowledge of theater arts.” — Francine Kadish, Arts in Our Schools Committee
“The support from CHEF – the grant of 28 wireless laptops and a mobile cart last year – has helped us establish a wireless learning environment. Even our youngest learners have developed and applied their skills in digital-print literacy for learning basic technology skills. Our older students are now able to utilize PC Tablets in our new School-Wide Enrichment Model of learning focused on integrating photo journalism. We are so excited that our science initiative was embraced with the support of CHEF in helping us to partner with Clearwater to bring place-based learning about the historical, environmental and cultural aspects of the Hudson River. Our students have experienced a variety of programs both on-site and off-site to frame their learning. Together, thanks to CHEF, all members of our community have become ‘Stewards of the Hudson River’ – a life-long learning experience!” — Karen Ames, former Principal, Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School
“We are eternally grateful to the Croton-Harmon Education Foundation for making Upstander Day a possibility. It is a rare thing when a group of students is not only given the chance to put on a day-long event, but is entrusted with the funds to do so. Not many organizations would be so willing to hand over a thousand dollars to a group of teenagers (especially one deeming themselves a ‘task force’), yet CHEF believed in us and enthusiastically supported our plan. With the support of CHEF, we were able to educate and inspire the student body, and instill in them a greater sense of civic responsibility.” — Addie Rolnick, Student Croton-Harmon High School Human Rights Task Force
“The addition of acoustic guitar to our music curriculum enables students to apply what they have learned in music theory to an enjoyable and popular instrument. These instruments give students a new way to understand the common language of music, including notes on the treble clef, half step-whole step note relationships, and major, minor and 7th chords. Additionally, learning the guitar allows students to study the music they listen to outside of school alongside more traditional music, providing a great motivation for the students. Thank you, CHEF, for providing our students with access to these new instruments.” — Michael Katzman, Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School Music Teacher
“Club Getaway provided a jump-start for our school year, helping the fifth and seventh grade kids bond with their teachers early. We also saw the students in a new light. Kids who are leaders in the classroom were not necessarily the same kids who were leaders in this open-air environment. Thank you, CHEF, for making a difference at PVC.” — Barbara Ulm, Principal, Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School
“Your support has permitted the (Occupational Therapy) program to design a therapeutic sensory setting here at school. With such items as a platform swing, cloud nine pillow, balance bean and trampoline, the environment will be fun and provide “just the right challenge.” It is the commitment of your organization that has allowed this to become a possibility.” – Eileen Stark, Occupational Therapist, CET
“All three schools, as well as the larger Croton community, use the Croton-Harmon High School auditorium for arts programs and assemblies. CHEF helped us to take a giant step forward with their generous grant to provide a new sound system for the High School Auditorium. Thank you CHEF for this valuable and lasting improvement to our schools.” — The Arts in Our Schools Committee
“…thank you for granting us the money for our etching press. It is a wonderful addition to the art room. It has made the printing process more professional and consistent. Students have a greater appreciation of the true benefits of the medium.” — Wendy Armstrong, PVC Art Teacher
“It’s remarkable how hard children work when they know they are going to be filmed. These multi-media tools will provide children a DVD portfolio they can take with them and add to during their language journey through their school years. Bravo to CHEF for supporting our efforts.” — Charlene Sirlin, PVC Foreign Language Teacher
“A string orchestra is not complete without the addition of larger, low register cellos and basses. These instruments are costly and would not be available without the fine matching grants provided by the Croton-Harmon Education Foundation. Play on, CHEF!” — Christine Chu, Jane Parkhouse, Sara Worden – Croton-Harmon School District Strings Teachers