A Sweet Beginning to a New WISE Season 
Rondout Valley’s WISE program, now seventeen years old, continues to flourish – and is as fresh as the delicious cookies that Environmental Science teacher (and WISE mentor), Meg Maisch, baked for this year’s “kickoff” for the 41 students enrolled in WISE. Coordinator Franny Hertz, who threw the shindig for the new WISE recruits, brought in several guests to celebrate the occasion with the students.
Words of WISdom The new WISE students were handed appropriately wise advice by their guests, who came to the event both from inside the school, Rondout Valley High School’s Principal, Robert Cook, and from outside, with Blue Stone Press reporter, Donna Cohn Viertel, and local attorney, Sara McGinty. Principal Cook reminded the students of the 21st Century Skills that they will be mastering as they go about doing the research for their projects, collaborating with others and engaging themselves individually in their projects. Donna Viertel was able to give them good advice about one of the often most daunting tasks in a WISE project—going out and interviewing adults with expertise in the subject. And Sara McGinty tackled another potential roadblock to project success – time management skills – and suggested methods students could use to improve theirs.
Moving On Into WISE After lunch (a delicious pizza and those WISE cookies), the 41 students took part in a journal writing workshop, another productive way to start off the WISE season. In the next few weeks, they will be participating in economic workshops where the topics having to do with Participation in Government and Economics that they will be dealing with that will help them incorporate. And, of course, there will be much more to come. All in all, a great start to the WISE season.
Saving...