A message from our superintendent
It’s hard to believe that the first month of 2025 has already come to a close and what a busy month it has been!
There may have been snow and frigid temperatures but that didn’t stop our amazing teachers and staff nor our students, the latter of whom continue to experience all sorts of educational and exciting programs, trips and events.
Students at Seward have taken fun and insightful trips from the United Nations to the state capital in Albany. They continue to enhance their education by participating in extracurricular activities such as the Youth in Government club, where students learn firsthand about how local government functions; and the Spartan players, who will present their take on the classic musical “The Wizard of Oz.”
Our younger Spartans at Golden Hill have also kept busy by writing their own graphic novels and books and helping those less fortunate over the holidays by organizing a Toys for Tots drive during which they collected over 80 new and unwrapped toys.
I also want to extend my gratitude once again to the voters who helped to approve our $12.4 million capital improvement project which will see new bleachers, HVAC improvements, roof replacements and renovations to the libraries at our two schools, just to name a few.
My team and I appreciate your support throughout this school year and be sure to keep up with all of what’s going on in Florida on our website, Facebook page and ParentSquare.
-Dr. Lisamarie Spindler
In our schools
Seen at Seward
Students learn about local government in long running club
The Amy Bull Crist Youth-In-Government program has been at Seward for over 20 years where students have become interested in government and how it functions.
The program was inspired by former Orange County Republican Committee chairwoman and United States Congresswoman Katherine St. George who found that while people knew about national politics, they knew little about how town and county governments function.
Social studies teacher Wendy Anderson has been advising the club for 11 years where up to 15 students learn first-hand about the democratic process by participating in mock conventions and elections for political positions, including county sheriff, as well as shadowing elected officials from local to national government. The club is open to all Seward students.
“Getting kids interested in government is exciting,” Anderson said. “Students are presenting proposals to eight different school districts and they have to convince them to pass the laws.”
In addition to the elections, students form committees to work on presenting laws to students from other schools with the goal of getting them passed during November’s Steering Convention. One of the previous committees met about Legoland New York in Goshen where they had to present reasons for and against building it. At times, students have witnessed firsthand the challenges that can come with politics.
Students involved, including Matthew Murtha shared why they enjoy the club.
“Youth in Government has given me, and all of us, an opportunity that can’t be found in other clubs around the school,” Murtha said.
Christian Rodriguez appreciates how much he has learned by participating.
“Going to the conventions opens doors to different ways of thinking and perspectives,” he said.
Anderson noted that this process teaches them the valuable life lessons of compromise and hearing new ideas, as well as dressing in suits and professional clothing.
“It gives them a chance to hear a perspective they didn’t consider before,” Anderson said. “It’s important to see different ways of how to present their research and points.”
Some students who are successful in their political endeavors have a chance to attend County Service Day in April where they shadow Orange County government officials.
“Wicked” fever inspires Spartan Players to revisit a classic
Inspired by a recent blockbuster hit, the Spartan Theatre Players will put on three performances of the classic musical “The Wizard of Oz.”
The story centers on Dorothy, who along with her dog Toto, have to reach the Emerald City to see the great and powerful Wizard of Oz to help get them home after being transported to the Land of Oz, while meeting a host of colorful characters along the way.
Director Nicole Ecker and the students decided to do this musical because it had never been done before at Seward and it gave the returning students and an influx of sixth graders plenty of roles to choose from. Additionally, the recent success of the movie musical “Wicked” cast a spell on students.
“It’s made the students more excited to be in the show,” Ecker said. “We are hoping it will make others want to come see it as well.”
The show will be a larger and more challenging production than last year’s musical “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” but Ecker knows her kids can handle it.
“There are more costumes, sets, props, vocals, and dances that we have to tackle,” Ecker explained. “We’re more than up for the challenge.”
Junior Sophia LaBelle, who plays Dorothy, appreciates the opportunity to work with an amazing cast and noted that playing this iconic role represents remaining hopeful even when faced with challenges.
“Every admirer of this story is pulled in by connecting to the significant sense of friendship and family, the meaning of home and belonging,” LaBelle said. “Everyone can find themselves connecting with these characters and we all sometimes dream of that place over the rainbow.”
For Ecker, she hopes audience members enjoy the show, but also leave with a “no place like home feeling,” and sit with the musical’s message.
“I also want them to see that although we are a small school we’re still capable of putting on a terrific musical,” Ecker said. “It’s truly a classic musical that everyone knows and loves.”
The show will run March 21 with a performance at 7 p.m. and March 22 with performances at 2 and 7 p.m. at Seward. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door and are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Children five and under can watch for free.
Read more from S.S. Seward Institute MS/HS here:
Golden Hill happenings
Odyssey of the Mind provides unique opportunity
Golden Hill’s Odyssey of the Mind club is going strong in its second year, giving kids a chance to put their exceptional creativity and innovative thinking to good use.
Advisers Amber Saunders and Bianca Mendola help students work together to solve problems in creative ways by using out of the box thinking to get results, a skill that has lifelong benefits.
“We’re really homing in on that skill with them at this age to help them build it as they get older,” Mendola explained. “When they get a job as an adult, they know how to work together with others.”
The Division 1 team, consisting of third through fifth graders, focuses on one problem to solve out of five potential ideas. Last year, the situation revolved around a rock band on tour which got delayed and they had to concoct a solution using their music to get back on tour.
The students also work on spontaneous verbal and hands-on problems, such as building a structure out of Lego bricks where half the team had the structure, while the other half could not see it and had to be given instructions on how to build it from the students with the structure. Mendola finds students like working on these problems best.
“They had to really use their verbal skills and work together,” Mendola said of the Lego problem. “They seem to really enjoy being part of it, working together and having that space to just let their creativity run wild.”
The students will participate in an Odyssey of the Mind competition March 1 at Orange-Ulster BOCES in Goshen, where the Division 1 team will compete against other schools, while the Primary Team, consisting of younger students will showcase its problem solving skills as a way to encourage other students to join.
“The primary team is really great because it exposes younger students to Odyssey of the Mind and allows them to get constructive feedback,” Mendola said. “We have great teams here at Golden Hill.”
Fifth grader Patrick Verblaauw has been a part of the program for two years and enjoys all the work that goes into preparing for the March competition.
“Every week, I look forward to the days when I have Odyssey after school,” Verblaauw said. “Everything about Odyssey is awesome and I’ll continue to do it until I graduate high school.”
Golden Hill Principal Starla Ciarelli considers the program valuable for several reasons.
“It provides a unique platform for developing critical skills that align with both academic and social learning goals,” Ciarelli said. “This organization fosters creativity and problem-solving skills along with teamwork by the students learning how to work together.”
Golden Hill initiatives foster school spirit and community
Golden Hill was buzzing for the last couple of months with fun activities that proved to be tons of fun, but also provided a chance to build camaraderie.
The popularity of No Shave November, which encourages participants to use their natural hair growth to spark conversations around cancer prevention, was used as an opportunity to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Before Thanksgiving break, students and staff participated in a fun activity, held in partnership with Golden Hill’s PTA, where they had to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar and $1 was contributed for each vote. Around $200 was raised for the society.
“The students and staff members with the closest guesses had the chance to choose a staff member to pie in the face,” Golden Hill Principal Starla Ciarelli recalled.
A host of fun activities were held leading up to Holiday Break that also encouraged students to attend class on the half day before school wrapped before the break. A door decorating contest and inflatable races provided a chance for students to engage and helped encourage attendance leading up to the holidays.
For the door contest, each class collaborated on a design and decorations for their classroom door for the holidays. The classes that received the top three votes for their decorations were awarded a trophy for their classroom, serving as a nice conclusion to the event.
“Students took the lead in creating their designs and members of the district office visited to vote on the winning doors,” Ciarelli said. “The judging criteria included creativity, student involvement, effort, theme and visual appeal.”
Another highlight for students was the Inflatable Races where they voted on which inflatable they thought would win, adding an element of friendly competition.
“These activities not only built school spirit and student engagement but also fostered a sense of community and teamwork among our students and staff,” Ciarelli said.
Cocoa Cafe keeps kids engaged
Students in English teacher Kate Riehle’s class kept reading and learning this past holiday season by reading books in a cafe setting called Cocoa Cafe.
Riehle finds that the sessions, where students read books, sample different cookies and help themselves to hot chocolate, creates a sense of community.
“The kids absolutely love it,” Riehle said. “Kids got to contribute and feel like they were in a coffeehouse.”
This year, the students studied graphic novels and read one in the Percy Jackson series. They later created their own works in the genre centered around Greek mythology.
“It’s a fun way to keep them focused and engaged with school,” Riehle said of the initiative.
This was not the only time Riehle’s students took a crack at writing their own books. In the fall, students wrote and edited books in numerous genres from realistic fiction to science fiction that were put on display during a publishing party. Riehle noted that she did a similar project when she was in sixth grade and found it to be a memorable experience.
“The kids worked super hard on publishing their own books,” she said. “They dedicate the book to someone and It’s something that they can hold onto for life.”
Read more from Golden Hill Elementary here:
Athletics Update
Student teams bring home the gold
Congratulations are in order to many of our Spartan teams who earned wins at recent games and competitions.
Despite some challenges, the varsity cheer team won first place in the Class C and D combined division on Jan. 25 at the Highland Cheer Competition. Coach Francesca Allen praised her girls for coming together and working hard to meet their goals.
“They are always willing to try new skills and improve individually and as a team,” Allen said. “They know they still have a lot of work ahead of them to reach their goals.”
The Lady Spartans varsity basketball team also scored a victory. They beat John S. Burke Catholic, 30-28 in their first divisional matchup in mid-January. This win improved the Lady Spartans to 5-1 overall and placed them into the postseason competition.
These two teams will be celebrated during the upcoming Senior Night on Feb. 10th.
Athletic Director Joe DiMattina shared two tips for athletes to be successful which include individual athletes improving themselves on a daily basis and teammates working together to achieve success.
Great work everyone!
Read more from athletics here:
Florida’s Finest
These short features highlight FUFSD staff who add so much to our Spartan community.
Read the features we’ve had so far here.
Florida hires new facilities director
Jason Pickford, who has experience in areas as diverse as construction, landscape and electrical work, is Florida’s new facilities director. He stands ready to tackle whatever comes his way.
“I am grateful they chose to go with me,” Pickford said. “I’ll do my best not to let them down.”
For Pickford, whose most recent role was head custodian at Clarkstown High School North for 11 years, a sense of unity and camaraderie was important when looking for a new place to work and Florida more than fit that bill. He has already received tons of support from everyone, including administration and school principals.
“I liked the fact that the district seems to want to be involved in the community and have the community involved in the learning process for children,” Pickford said. “It was very important to me going into a new role that that community feeling was there.”
Pickford’s top priority is the district’s recently passed capital project ensuring it goes smoothly.
“I hope to do everything I can in my role to assist and have that project kick off,” Pickford said of the capital project. “I’m trying to get the efficiency of the buildings under control.”
He also coordinated with some contractors to give the Golden Hill playground a refresh.
In addition to Clarkstown, Pickford served as the facilities manager for Saint Augustine Church in New City and provided grounds and maintenance work for Saint Agatha’s Group Home. Outside of work, he helps to coach his son’s hockey team where they practice and compete up to five days a week. Pickford loves to golf when he is not coaching.
Announcements
BOE seeks student representative
Incoming juniors and seniors, want to represent your fellow students at Florida’s Board of Education meetings? Looking to gain experience to put on your resume? Then apply to be a student BOE representative.
Every year a Seward junior or senior is selected to serve as ex officio, or non-voting members, who serves as the voice of students by providing brief reports regarding issues important to the student body.
To be eligible for this role students must:
- Be a junior or senior in the upcoming school year.
- Be in good academic and disciplinary standing.
- Attend board meetings (with exceptions for illness or advance notice of conflicts).
- Be prepared to provide a brief student report at some BOE meetings.
Students will have approximately four weeks to complete the online application and submit their references, once the application goes live in March. A final candidate will be chosen in May and they will be sworn in at the July BOE meeting. The link to the application can be found here: Student BOE Application