Click to view slideshow.

Kelly, Julia, Madelyn, Noelle, Kaitlyn, Anne, Ashley, Amanda, Ashley, Taylor, Dahlia, and Juliana opened the Town Meeting with a dance they had been rehearsing at recess for many, many months.  Their synchronized movements and infectious enthusiasm produced a thunderous ovation!

Here are our Authors of the Month!  Carlee wrote a poem about chocolate.  Kamryn, Claudia, and Ella co-wrote a piece about Valentines Day, and Greta shared her writing entitled, “Books.”  They ALL did a fantastic job reading their writing aloud in front of everyone.

Here are Sofia, Thomas, and Kyle.  Ms. Feldman chose these three students to be our Artists of the Month based upon the wonderful works they created (take a look on our Student Work page).

Caitlyn, Fiona and Katie were so excited about the science unit they were studying in Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Belger’s class that they shared their learning with us all.  The information about plants ended with a fun sing-along song about photosynthesis.

Here are some representatives from Girl Scout Troop 1461.  They are embarking on a project that will help other kids through the Make a Wish foundation.  They told the school how everyone can help out with an awesome project!

The meeting culminated with another stunning performance.  Jennifer took to the piano and Lilly grabbed a mic.  They both sang an impressive rendition of a song by Adele.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them on the Grammy stage someday!

Our next Town Meeting is scheduled for March 16 at 2 p.m.

This is a picture of my lunch from today.  I do my part to reduce a local landfill by using my own plate rather than the biodegradable food tray (it happens to also make the meal slightly more photogenic).  You may ask, “Mr. Griffiths, are you having a hard time finding new subject matter for the blog?”  My response, “No, not at all!”  You need to know that our cafeteria is something worth celebrating.

I eat in the cafeteria almost every day.  Yes, I own a car and usually have a few spare bucks in my pocket, but I honestly love what is served.  I, like a lot of the kids, especially love Fridays because of the pizza.  It is not too sweet.  As a matter of fact there is no corn syrup in either the dough or sauce, so it tastes far more wholesome than the typical lunch line fare.  Plus, there is always an amazing salad served alongside the slice. In the growing season we even supplement the salad with fresh ingredients from our gardens.

If you are familiar with our monthly menu you may know that, for about a decade, we feature an extra special healthy choice selection every Wednesday.  Next week it is a baked potato stuffed with broccoli & cheddar cheese.   The following Wednesday it is Chicken Cacciatore over brown rice with an organic spring mix salad.

I came across a recent Reuters article that describes the new federal legislation entitled the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA).  Its intention is to combat a culture of schoolchildren “accustomed to a steady diet of pizza and french fries.”  I am proud that here at SIS we never considered there to be a serving of vegetables in a slice of pizza!  Our food service staff (head by Norma Zeller at the district level, and Liz Voss here at SIS) guarantee that fresh ingredients can be found at every meal.  I praise our cafeteria for being years ahead of the curve on healthy choices.  Please join us in encouraging kids who are purchasing lunches to take advantage of the wonderful choices we have for them each and every day.

 Click to view slideshow.

(to view our authors’ and artists’ work visit the “Student Work” page at the top of the blog)

Thank you, student musicians, for bringing further beauty into our lives.  Mr. Griffiths and Mrs. Elconin wish the entire Somers Community a beautiful holiday season!

Promoting a healthy lifestyle is an ongoing focus at SIS. Our after school cooking classes were started last year my Mrs. Manzella and Mrs. Andersen. This year they are more popular than ever. The most recent menu items were Apple Popovers, Spinach and Cheese Quesadillas, Hummus on Pita Chips, and Fruit Snowmen. Enjoy the photos!

Click to view slideshow.

Our very talented Physical Education teachers, Thea Daday, Michele Rabasco, and Cheryl Tahan are in their second year of infusing Yoga into the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade curriculum.  They feel that it is a wonderful contrast to traditional competitive activities. It also introduces students to an activity that they may pursue for the rest of their lives.  Several recent studies support the many benefits Yoga offers children.  They have seen improvements in strength and flexibility. They have also noted greater focus in students who often demonstrate hyperactivity or distractibility .   The greatest benefit is students’ enthusiasm for what they have learned.  They can do the sun salutation on their own.  They also now perform several different poses and know them by name as well.