Board of Ed hosted Garrison officials and board
Three students, and what goes on every day at O’Neill High School, were the main focus of last week’s joint Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery CSD and Garrison USD Board of Educations. The meeting was held at O’Neill, and Garrison Superintendent Dr. Laura Mitchell was also in attendance.
Forty-three of the 502 students at the high school are from Garrison. As students are about to graduate from eighth grade in that community they have the choice to pick either O’Neill or Haldane if they choose to continue in public school. The Garrison district pays tuition for its students to attend O’Neill.
Freshman Counselor Heather Milano and Principal Debbie Brand gave the presentation, with the assistance of students Aleksander Maasik, Valerie Mancuso and Megan Horan, all Garrison residents. No doubt, their experience at the school were of the most interest to the Garrison BOE members. The board members specifically wanted to know why the students chose O’Neill.
Maasik said the many sports and extracurriculars were of interest to him, as was the “competitive and rigorous” academic program.
“It seemed to have so many more opportunities,” he said, “and I love the diversity of the people”.
He’s a Safe Schools ambassador at O’Neill, as well as plays varsity soccer and attended RYLA last summer.
Mancuso, who said she had an older sibling who also attended O’Neill, spoke about the flexibility of scheduling at the high school as well as the “really unique” library and its offerings and the expanded day program, where students get additional time with any teacher they choose. She is involved in S2S, Red Cross, Interact, in the chorus, in last year’s musical and a Safe Schools ambassador.
Horan, a junior, said “everyone” on her initial tour of the high school “was so welcoming, and added that the expanded day period has been a help to her with her honors classes. She has played soccer, softball and basketball at O’Neill, and is a member of S2S, Reading Buddies, the Spanish Club, Red Cross, the chorus.
Milano and Brand talked about the variety of clubs the school has — 30 — and how with the academic programs and clubs, students are getting “an educational experience that fosters diversity”. Milano said the administrators are “constantly looking for new experiences for the students”.
Brand spoke about some of the new programs. She explained a new senior English class called RISE which, during the second semester of the school year, sends students out to internships in the community; she said the school district is hoping to grow its computer science program with new computer coding classes; and the first year of American Sign Language classes are “incredibly popular” with four full sections and a waiting list.
Next year she said they will be working to build the school’s math program with a ‘math concepts’ course, Algebra 2A/Intro to Calculus Course, and higher level advanced placement courses. In addition, next year students who take AP courses will be able to earn a special distinction on their NY Regents diploma.
Brand closed her presentation by noting how the upcoming capital project at the school will add additional benefits to students’ days, including new physical fitness opportunities and modernized science rooms.
