February 5, 2024

Dear Staff:

Beginning in September 2022, a Core Team, led by Dr. Melissa Szymanski and external partner Judith Wilson, took the first step towards developing a strategic framework for the future of Hastings-on-Hudson Public Schools. This framework is called the Portrait of a Hastings Learner (POHL).

Now, 18 months later, as a result of the efforts of several committees explained in the Winter Mailer (pg. 2), the POHL is starting to take shape for all students. Implementation of action plans has begun, and it is quickly becoming the primary focus not only for instructional leadership, but for all that we do in Hastings.

The Portrait in Action

Today, we're introducing the Portrait in Action, a new biweekly series aimed at showcasing the Portrait coming to life throughout the district.

Here is where we will feature the great work that you and your students are doing to weave the Portrait framework into daily classroom activities and model the Attributes outlined below:

Attribute Icons Design Credit: HHS Student Angelina Ye

Hastings High School

Melissa Shandroff's Science Research students are preparing for the Regeneron Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF), which will be held on Saturday, March 16. The students have completed their authentic research projects and will be presenting their work to expert judges for a chance to move on to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

Using last year's posters as a model, students are discussing requirements for designing their posters, which will be used to communicate their results and conclusions. According to Shandroff, a big part of her Science Research class is teaching students presentation skills, a critical skill not only for scientists, but in all fields.

Hastings High School's Science Research students are exhibiting the attributes BOLD, EMPOWERED, INQUISITIVE, and INVENTIVE, as they set out to prove the validity of their research and design comprehensive posters that will wow the judges.

Farragut Middle School

In Media Literacy, an elective added last year, Arianna Grassia is teaching seventh graders critical thinking skills and how to make informed decisions about what they see and hear in the media. As they begin to investigate their own media consumption through media-mapping, students are EMPOWERED and INQUISITIVE. This could be the first time that they've looked inward and asked themselves, "What types of content am I drawn to and why?"

Hillside Elementary School

In Nina D’Amato’s and Caren Cort’s kindergarten class, student Silas Burke shared a story with his classmates. The story was about how he and his family rescued an injured seagull that they saw while walking at the Hastings waterfront. Students listened in admiration of Silas, who was BOLD in his efforts. After carefully picking up the bird, Silas and his family contacted Greenburgh Nature Center. A representative connected them to a rehab specialist and emergency vet in White Plains where they took the seagull for evaluation and treatment.

For a separate “How To” writing assignment, the kindergartners chose topics pertaining to their personal lives and gave expert advice to their peers. In small groups, they used the step-by-step instructions they wrote to teach each other about their topics. One student, Crosby Krum-Ross, demonstrated a sequence of karate moves that he had learned from his martial arts class. Crosby was EMPOWERED to lead his classmates through the various karate moves. The “How To” assignments fostered a COLLABORATIVE and engaging learning experience for all students. 

Stay tuned for the next edition of the Portrait in Action, which will feature more examples from our three schools. If you have an idea for a feature, feel free to reach out to Jackie Saviano at communications@hohschools.org.

And remember: you can visit the Portrait of a Hastings Learner (POHL) section of our new and improved website for more information!