2024

Artist Guest Speaker—NPHS (James Gill): Bryan Collier, renowned artist, illustrator, and Caldecott Award winner, will speak to High School students about his career path as an artist and warrior for social justice. Students from classes ranging from Government to Art to Black Studies attended this inspiring talk in November 2024.

Colonial America—Lenape (Meredith Oppenheimer, Erin Bulson): Students will study Colonial America and perform a play in the Lenape Amphitheatre based on what they learn. Prior to the performance, the class will visit the New Paltz ReUse and Recycling Center, where they will learn about sustainability and collect items to use for the play’s props and sets. Wireless microphones, a
speaker, and costumes will be made available for future presentations and performances, encouraging use of the Amphitheatre.

MS Book Room—NPMS (Kristen Conrad, Dean Engle, Rosemary Sharpe): Room 22 will be converted
into a reading room to encourage struggling and at-risk students to read on a daily basis from a
diverse, up-to-date selection of novels.

Open and Closed Circuits—NPMS (Donna Gallo, Michelle Olson, Ryan Burns, Victoria Schenkman); Middle School Science students will use the Nasco Current Electricity Multi-Group kit and Snap Circuits Light Electronics Exploration Kits to actively engage in hands-on learning experiences while creating models of open and closed circuits.

Math Department Screencastify subscriptions — NPHS (Randa Abdelrahman on behalf of all of the High School math teachers): Math teachers will be given a one-year subscription to the platform Screencastify to update teaching videos, which students can access at any time through their Google Classrooms — especially helpful when students are absent, if they need to refresh concepts while doing homework, and toward the end of the year when reviewing for finals and Regents.

Classroom in the Field Revival—NPHS (Matthew Esposito): Soil, mulch, seeds, and plants will be purchased for the Horticulture and AP Environmental Science classes to implement new projects and specific garden zones within the High School Courtyard Gardens. The Environmental Club will also have access to the new materials.

Create Environmental Supports for Inspired Learning, Phase 2—Lenape (Tara Crowder): Lenape hallways will be populated with pictures, posters, and vinyl decals to create a positive atmosphere toward learning, growth, diversity, belonging, cooperation, and kindness. Images will include inspiring figures and interests and will serve as everyday reminders that will ideally empower students to be their own versions of greatness.