Providing
Monetary Aid
Teaching Tools
Enriching Resources
for our Schools
Home
Page
About
Ossining MATTERS
Mission Statement
Board of Directors
Funding Policies
Projects Funded
Donations in Action
Upcoming Events
Archive
Ossining
School District
Sobre Ossining MATTERS en
español
Donate to Ossining MATTERS, Inc. Online
Contact Information
Ossining MATTERS, Inc.
PO Box 1012
Ossining, NY 10562
914-510-9320
Or email us
info@ossiningmatters.org
|
|
What better way to thank your child's teachers or congratulate a graduate?
Make a donation to Ossining MATTERS in honor of someone special.
Gift cards are available.
For more information please contact
Beth Levine - 941-9221 |
In celebration of the Ossining High School Science Research Program's Tenth Anniversary, Ossining MATTERS is sponsoring an alumni, friends and family campaign to fund the purchase of a large format media printer for the program.
Ossining MATTERS will match every contribution, dollar for dollar, until August 15 (up to a maximum of $4,000). Click here to read the letter that was sent to families and alumni. If you would like to help this campaign reach its goal, please send your check to Ossining MATTERS, Inc., PO Box 1012, Ossining, NY 10562, marked "Science Research Printer."
|
|
|
|
|
No matter where we are this summer, Ossining MATTERS to us!
Do you have a photo of yourself or someone you know wearing an Ossining MATTERS
t-shirt - around town on an Ossining "staycation" or beyond? We'd love to post it here.
OM Board member Bill Kress keeps Ossining MATTERS on his mind in Wellfleet, MA.
Send your pictures to lkdepaolo@optonline.net and write OM Travel Pics in the subject line.
|
 |
Ossining MATTERS Donations Reach Quarter-Million Dollar Mark
With Grants Slated for 2008-2009 School Year
Ossining MATTERS Education Foundation marks its fifth year of funding programs and projects to enrich the education of all children in the Ossining School District with a donation of $61,625, supporting nineteen different grants in five of Ossining’s six school buildings.
These grants represent a mix of innovative proposals from Ossining’s creative, dedicated teachers and administrators, continued funding for proven successes, and cooperative projects with other community groups. Each grant helps to further Ossining MATTERS’ mission to support and enrich the learning opportunities for all children in the Ossining School District.
For the 2008-2009 school year, Ossining MATTERS is funding the following grants:
At Park Early Childhood Center (Grades K-1 )
-A pilot chess program for first graders
-Continued support of Formula for Success
At Brookside School (Grades 2 and 3)
-An expansion of Chess at Recess
-Garden Creators, a gardening program for the entire third grade, to include research, artistic creation, and writing along with an outdoor gardening element
-Continued funding for meals for the Family Reading Connection evening program
-A contribution to allow the SPLASH (Science Partners Learning about Animals of the Sound and the Hudson) collaborative science program to continue
At Claremont School (Grades 4 and 5)
-Listen and Learn, a project to enhance the audio book library
-Drums Unlimited, drums plus drumming videos for the HEROES after-school program.
-Continued funding for Kids Make Books for Kids
-Claremont Girls Running Club, an addition to the HEROES offerings that will promote health and wellness for female students
-School of Rock, guitars and related equipment to add a guitar class to the HEROES choices
-A contribution towards the purchase of a portable sound system for assemblies and class productions
At Anne M. Dorner Middle School (Grades 6-8)
-Continued support of High Hopes and Expectations
-Math-Casting, a program to help students review and explain math concepts, better cementing their own understanding and aiding peers who must miss class for music lessons
-Funding to bring a speaker for OABSE Educational Initiatives, for a presentation that addresses the educational needs of the entire community, focusing on students of color
-Funding to allow the expansion of OPACC Community Outreach efforts to reach parents of black students in grades 7 through 12
-Yamaha Silent Brass, funds to purchase a system which allows students to practice their brass instruments in the music suite without disturbing other instruction or activities
At Ossining High School (Grades 9-12)
-A new piano for the auditorium
-A generous donation to the Guidance Discretionary Fund, which allows the OHS Guidance Office to help students in need pay for testing fees, prep classes, college-level classes, and college application fees.
With this donation, Ossining MATTERS passes the quarter-million dollar mark in total support provided to the Ossining Union Free School District. Since our founding in 2003, we have now funded nearly 90 grants.
Ossining MATTERS is grateful not only to the teachers and administrators who propose and implement these fine projects, but also to the generous support of the Ossining community, whose donations of both funds and volunteer time make it possible for us to continue to carry out our mission.
|
The Spring Gala 2008 was a great success. Thank you all for taking the time to support Ossining MATTERS, Inc. and all the students of the Ossining School District.
Spaces are still available for the following event:
TAKE IT OFF - An evening in the fall (exact date to be determined) - Girls-night-out with shopping and refreshments at (knoyzz), Mt. Kisco, NY. The store will be shut to all other customers, while our exclusive group receives celebrity treatment with refreshments and personalized service. Plus you will receive 15% off your total purchase that evening! Price: $20 per participant. To reserve a spot to this event, please email info@ossiningmatters.org.
[Space limited to 20]
|
Broadway on the Hudson Brings Fun and
Funds for Foundation
Photos by David Silbert
See more photos of the concert and reception
On Sunday, March 9, the bright lights of Broadway moved a little farther north up the Hudson, as Kerry Butler and Seth Rudetsky brought their star power to the stage of Ossining High School.
The evening’s opening act set the Broadway theme, as eight OHS vocal students, performing in pairs, a group, and a solo, delivered truly outstanding renditions of tunes from Songs for a New World, Dreamgirls, Seussical, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
When Xanadu star Kerry Butler took the stage with Broadway veteran and radio personality Seth Rudetsky, their wattage lit things up even brighter. Playing on his expertise as an interviewer, Seth Rudetsky drew Kerry Butler’s life-on-stage story from her in wonderful sound bites, starting with a song from her first big role in Nunsense, through medleys of hits from crowd pleasers such as Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors and Hairspray, to gems from lesser known Batboy: The Musical and chestnuts Oklahoma and Disney’s Dumbo. By turns broadly comic, heartrending, knowing, and sweet, the songs and chat came together perfectly, and kept the large crowd transfixed straight through the goofy fun of the finale, the title song from Xanadu, and the perfect encore, “Suddenly Seymour.”
It was a rousing end to an evening that began with a reception at the new Ossining Public library. Catered by the Wobble café, with beverages donated by local merchants, the reception featured both a silent and a live auction. Items ranging from a weekend in the Adirondacks, to the chance to be a character in a new novel by bestselling author Anita Shreve, to artworks, Broadway evenings, and more drew friendly but spirited bidding. The auction receipts boosted the evening’s proceeds considerably, helping to ensure that Ossining MATTERS Education Foundation will continue to be able to fund a broad range of programs meeting a wide variety of student needs and interests throughout the Ossining School District.
And in the best spirit of Broadway, there was an exciting encore: Those who couldn’t attend the concert or reception (or just didn’t want to stop bidding) had another chance to further the mission of Ossining MATTERS, as this year’s brand-new online auction remained open through March 16. Supporters were able to bid on over 100 items, from terrific local restaurants, salons, businesses, and spa services to sports event tickets, house seats at Broadway shows, hot air balloon rides and getaways as distant as Puerto Rico and California wine country.
By the time the online auction had closed, Broadway on the Hudson had brought in over $60,000, which Ossining MATTERS Education Foundation will use to supplement academic, cultural arts, and athletic programs throughout the Ossining School District.
We are so very grateful to all who contributed to the evening, whether by attending the concert, bidding at the auctions, donating items for the auction and reception, stuffing envelopes, or any of the dozens of other ways people have helped. Thanks to you, we will continue to make a positive difference in the education of Ossining's students.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More of Your Donations in Action
Multicultural Storytelling
Park School
In January, actors Felix Pitre and Queen Nur, from Theatreworks USA, spent a week at Park School thanks to a grant from Ossining MATTERS. They visited each first-grade classroom three times, demonstrating storytelling techniques and helping the students develop their own stories to tell. At the end of the week, they performed in an assembly, holding students and teachers spellbound with their dramatic and involving presentations. Queen Nur’s “Sweet Potato Pie and Such,” incorporating African-American traditions, was a huge hit with students. Felix Pitre’s use of both Spanish and English words in his “Stories and Songs of Latin America” encouraged native Spanish speakers to see their language as an asset, and entranced everyone. The final component of their residency was a teacher training session.
|
|
 |
| Queen Nur’s gestures and expressions had Park students hanging on her every word |
Students practice adding their own touches to a story. |
Photos by Elisabeth Gilbert
Discover Dinosaurs and Fossils
Brookside School
Last November and December, Brookside students became paleontologists for a day, participating in hands-on activities that helped them learn about extinct creatures from the Mesozoic era. The “Discover Dinosaurs and Fossils” workshop, funded by a grant from Ossining MATTERS, generated tremendous excitement among the students, who thoroughly enjoyed touching and seeing real and replica fossils, and working with life-size dinosaur footprints. At the conclusion of the program, the students used reference books to write reports on the prehistoric age.
Brookside’s Library became an archaeological dig site, where fascinated students worked with tools to find replica fossils
.
 . |
 |
 |
Scientists hard at work |
Proud paleontologists display their work. |
Photos by Debbie Lenaghan
See more of Your Donations in Action |
Your Donations in Action
Ossining MATTERS-funded programs for the 2007 – 2008 school year are well underway throughout the district. You can read more about each of these programs in our second annual newsletter (see link above).
Dance Dance Revolution
Claremont, AMD, and OHS
Mr. Maliniak’s students have fun working out with DDR.
Photos by Robert Maliniak
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) has kids moving and grooving at Claremont! Thanks to a grant from Ossining MATTERS, students are getting great exercise through the integration of video games and dance.
Here’s how it works: Two students play the game at the same time. They stand on dance mats in front of the video display, choose a specific song, and then move their feet to the patterns of the arrows that appear on the screen. They score points while keeping the beat of the music. Alongside, the other students in the class execute the same movements on practice pads without scoring points electronically. Students move to higher levels the more they practice and participate. The game provides a fun and challenging workout, and the system is flexible, allowing for use at beginner through advanced levels, from grades four through twelve.
AMD will be using the equipment next, with OHS to have a turn either late this spring or early next fall.
Kids Make Books for Kids
Claremont School
 Students in Laura Myerson’s class study information about Nicaragua and begin planning their stories and illustrations.
Photos by Nancy Scorcia
Claremont students have begun working on the books they’re creating this year for students in Nicaragua, through the Kids Make Books for Kids program. Before making their books, they learn about the destination country and its culture. They then choose their topic, and create picture books with simple English words and sentences. Kids Make Books for Kids is sponsored by Kids to Kids International, a Yorktown-based organization with a mission to “provide an opportunity for communications between young people of different cultures through student-created picture books.” The program is in its fifth year at Claremont School, though this is the first time materials, laminating, and binding have been paid for by a grant from Ossining MATTERS.
------------------------------------------ |
|
Community Chips in for Fifth Annual Ossining MATTERS Run/Walk
September 8, 2007 marked the fifth time that runners and walkers have taken to the Aqueduct trail to raise money for Ossining MATTERS, the community Education Foundation that funds enriching programs for students throughout the Ossining School District. (More)
See the Final Overall Race Results
See Award Winners by Age Category
See Photos from the Race*
*You can also purchase our photos at this link.
All profits from photo sales support Ossining MATTERS.
|
|
Make a donation to Ossining MATTERS in honor of someone special.
For more information Call Beth Levine 941-9221
Support our Corporate Development Program
by seeking contributions and matching funds for your donation or volunteer hours from your employer.
More Info in English
Mas informacion en espanol
Looking for a unique gift for someone?
Make a donation to Ossining MATTERS in honor of someone special. Gift cards are available. For more information please contact Beth Levine - 941-9221
Ossining MATTERS - Making a difference for all of Ossining's students!
See a list of the projects we have funded.
Help Wanted ! Call Beth Levine at 941-9221 for more information or to volunteer.
Ossining MATTERS is looking for volunteers to help on a variety of committees and in a variety of capacities. We seek people who are able to make large commitments such as chairing committees, as well as people who only have a limited amount of time to give us (even just a few hours on a single day). We specifically need people with the following skills or experiences but also welcome those who are willing to help by stuffing envelopes, hanging posters, or working a table at a fair.
See how you can help. |
|
|
