COURTYARD-2015

TUNNELTALK!BooK fairA WALK THROUGHTHE DECADESGearing up for our 60th birthdaynext year, the Parents Associationtook the school on a walk throughthe decades at our annualDecember book fair down in theBontecou Gymnasium. The fairwas decorated with panels showingphotographs of the school throughthe years, as well as decadeposters showing iconic decadespecificimages, from musiciansto toys to cars. Tables dedicated toeach decade featured books writtenduring, or about, the time period.Vintage commercials looped on amock TV as teachers and theirclasses visited the fair to browse,and “old movies” were featuredon movie night while parents hada chance to shop sans children.A big 60th birthday cake andparty balloons set the stage for theupcoming and ongoing celebrationthat begins now and continuesthrough this and the comingschool year.commuNity serVicegiViNg BacKThree major community service efforts take place in the first half ofthe year at Dutchess Day. Caring for those less fortunate is at the heartof these endeavors, all of which all are undertaken by specific classeswho then enlist the help of the whole school community. The studentsadvertise these events via the Fencepost, homemade posters, andlunchtime announcements.The 5th grade campaign to help the homeless ran throughOctober. As part of their studies in health class, the 5th graders visitedHillcrest House, a homeless shelter in Poughkeepsie. They learned aboutthe simple needs of the homeless – all things we take for granted, froma roof over their heads, to socks, blankets, and toiletries. The studentsdelivered products collected from DDS families.In November, the 3rd grade organized a food drive to support localfamilies so they wouldn’t have to make difficult choices between foodand other necessities, especially around the holidays. Astor Head Startselected six families in dire need. This year the school gathered enoughfood for holiday meals as well as about two weeks’ worth of groceries.The 7th grade holiday drive fulfills a similar need. Working withthe annual “sponsor-a-family” program at the Astor Home for ChildrenFoundation, the 7th graders invited the families of DDS students,faculty, and staff to help parents who otherwise would not be able tobuy gifts for their children. The needs and wants of struggling familieswho participate in the program can include anything from a wintercoat for a child to a coveted toy, or a household item for the parents.The 7th graders delivered the bounty to the Home for Children andthen spent the afternoon helping out as needed.musicDrumbeatThis past October, the school hosted African drummer, Maxwell “Kofi” Donkor, whospent the day teaching a drumming workshop to 4th graders, and then performingwith them in a drum circle at an all-school assembly. He taught the students more thanjust drumming. He also exposed them to the knowledge, music, culture, and art fromhis homeland of Ghana, in West Africa. The hands-on experience of Kofi’s drummingworkshop was part of the 4th grade class’s ongoing study of African cultures and history.4 www.DutchessDay.org . wiNter 2015