Please join the Peekskill City School District in welcoming Mr. Randy Lichtenwalner (or “Mr. L.” as he is known by students). Mr. Lichtenwalner, a former Peekskill resident, is pleased to return and join the distinguished staff of Hillcrest Community Elementary School. He comes to Peekskill from Pound Ridge Elementary School in the Bedford Central School District. Prior to assuming the principalship at Pound Ridge, he served as principal of Dows Lane Elementary School in the Irvington School District. He previously worked in the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns as Assistant Principal of Washington Irving Elementary, and as the Elementary Staff/Curriculum Developer, working across the district’s four elementary school buildings. He also worked in New York City as a classroom teacher, an elementary literacy coach and new teacher mentor, as well as working as a Fellow Advisor for the New York City Teaching Fellows Program. He has served as an adjunct instructor at Mercy College, Pace University and Marymount College. Originally from Pennsylvania, he is a graduate of Bank Street College of Education, City College, and Marymount Manhattan College.
Thanks to the Hillcrest Community School program, Hillcrest Elementary recently welcomed a number of local community members and school employees who came to speak with the children about their professional careers. The purpose of the event was to expose the students to both traditional and non-traditional jobs. Speakers visited on separate days between May 16 and June 8. Areas of occupation included nurses, hairdressers, custodians, party planners, lawyers, local business owners and more. Students listened to presentations and were engaged in hands-on activities, during which they were able to ask questions of the presenters.
Throughout the month of May, over 500 students at Hillcrest Elementary School brought color and positive affirmations to life in their school community by creating an almost 100 foot mural on the school’s playground. To gain inspiration for the piece, students discussed the history of Hip Hop culture, with an emphasis on graffiti, and spoke about the importance of getting permission when creating public murals. The students worked together to choose positive words that best described their personalities and painted the words within the piece. Students also signed a pledge that described how they would educate younger and older individuals on how to protect their new community artwork.
If you see a photo of a lighthouse on the front of a classroom door inside one of Peekskill’s schools, it’s not for simple decoration. It’s a symbol of the dedication and learning going on behind the door. CLick on the headline above to learn how Peekskill's Literacy Leaders are "lighting" the way for their students.
