Anderson Guidance
Gail Ridder
K-8 Guidance Counselor
Contact info:
Email: gridder@schools.nyc,gov
Phone: (212) 595-7193 Ext 1142
HS Acceptances
Check out where our 8th Graders get into High School!
Specialized
American Studies at Lehman
Bronx Science
Brooklyn Tech
MSE at City College
Stuyvesant
LaGuardia
Non-Specialized
Bard Manhattan
Bard Queens
Baruch
Beacon
Bronx HS For the Visual Arts
Clinton School for Writers
Columbia Secondary
Eleanor Roosevelt
Frank McCourt
Frank Sinatra
HS For Environmental Studies
Harvest Collegiate
Humanities Prep
Lab
Manhattan Hunter
Millennium
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Nest
NYC Museum
PPAS
Tottenvile
Townsend Harris
West End Secondary
Students were also admitted to the following independent schools:
Avenues
Trinity
Horace Mann
Poly Prep
UNIS
Friends Seminary
Chapin
Xavier
Fordham Prep
Riverdale
Dalton
Spence
Packer-Collegiate
Dwight-Englewood
LREI
St.Vincent Ferrer
Dominican
Mindfulness
September 18, 2015
Dear Anderson Families,
Now that we are starting a new school year at Anderson, we are excited to announce a new initiative that we will be bringing to our K-8 classrooms this fall. The idea originated from our School Leadership Team (SLT) this past spring and after much research, we are thrilled to start implementing the practice of Mindfulness into our Anderson classrooms. We feel so strong about the necessity to bring this to our community that we have made this a school-wide goal for our CEP, Comprehensive Education Plan this school year.
Mindfulness is a practice that helps children, teens, and adults, learn to change impulsive reactions to thoughtful responses. It does this by teaching a particular way of paying attention and of purposefully bringing awareness to what is happening in the moment. Mindfulness can be applied to the five senses, thoughts, and emotions by learning the skill of focused attention.
Thirty years of research, combined with brain science, offers evidence to support the use of mindfulness in education. The skills learned for mindfulness by both students and educators have the potential to improve focus and concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, increase mental wellness and awareness of self and others, and improve relationship skills. The development of these crucial life skills will advance the social and academic successes of our students.
Our Kindergarten through Eighth grade students will have fifteen age-appropriate classroom lessons on mindfulness. For grades Kindergarten through Third, these lessons will take place during daily morning meetings, after lunch, and afternoon homeroom. For grades Four through Eight, our classroom and Advisory teachers will be leading our mindfulness lessons during Advisory classes, in addition to integrating mindfulness into all classroom practices and transition times here at Anderson.
Administrators, teachers, and all staff members will be active members in modeling and teaching mindful-behavior in our school community. Teachers will receive weekly training on mindful-practices, including awareness of breath, being present in the moment, and reaction vs. response. One of our intentions for bringing this program to Anderson is not only to teach these skills to the students and faculty, but also to support the integration of mindfulness into the daily school culture and community as a whole.
We feel bringing the practice of mindfulness to our school community aligns with our mission to provide a positive social and emotional environment for student development; the teachers and I are invested in this initiative and are very much looking forward to introducing mindfulness to our students. We are confident that by sharing these mindful-practices with our community, our students will develop a capacity for the life skills of focused attention, self-regulation, and empathy.
Sincerely,
Jodi Hyde
Gail Ridder
Nicole Chandonnet
Social Emotional Learning
December 2014
Dear Anderson Families,
This month we are learning about the character trait Courage, which comes in many shapes, sizes and forms.
Here are some ways you can reinforce the learning activities that are taking place in school:
- Throughout the month, ask your child to discuss the lessons done in class and what he or she learned from these character trait lessons.
- Encourage your child to show an actionable display of courage outside of school. When you see your child display this character trait in a positive way, commend him or her and have a discussion on the positive outcome.
- Have a discussion about courage. How does someone show courage throughout their life? Who are some historical figures that have shown courage in breaking barriers?
- Throughout the month look for your child showing courage. Make sure your child knows he or she has displayed this character trait of courage. Expressing your approval is a powerful way to reinforce courage.
- You are your child's most important teacher. He or she will learn a lot about showing courage from watching what we do outside of school.
There will be many opportunities throughout the month to celebrate this character trait. Any work that is done outside of school to support our initiative is a way to connect in class discussions. We leave you with the quote of the month to discuss with your child:
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill
Sincerely,
The Anderson SEL Team
Banana Splits
Banana Splits is for children who have experienced divorce, separation or the death of a parent. The name, Banana Splits—“splits” is to describe the reality of the child’s circumstances and “banana” to suggest the supportive, forward-moving tone of the group. This program is not intended to be therapy. Rather, it is an opportunity to discover commonalities with peers and to get and receive help with problems others have already dealt with or are currently feeling. The group is appropriate for children whose”split” was a few years ago or for children who are currently involved in a split. It is helpful for children to see that they are not alone while also helping them build self-esteem by sharing coping strategies.
I will be running theses group meetings for children in grades K-4. Banana Splits groups are voluntary and will be held approximately twice a month during the lunch time. The rules for the meetings are simple. Children must attend the whole meeting if they come, they must behave in a way that allows everyone to help or be helped, and they must preserve confidentiality outside of the group. Children are encouraged to communicate with their families about the issues they raise in the group
If you would like more information about the group or would like to sign up your child, please email me at gridder@schools.nyc.gov. I will need a permission slip signed for each child that would like to participate.
Our Favorite Resources
Respect for All General Information
Each student and staff member brings to our school community the richness of our city’s cultural diversity and the desire for respect. It is the policy of the New York City Department of Education to maintain a safe and supportive learning and educational environment that is free from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying committed by students against other students and discrimination by students against other students on account of actual or perceived race, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability or weight. (Chancellor’s Regulation A-832)
It is the policy of the New York City Department of Education to provide equal educational opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, age, creed, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, disability, sexual orientation, gender (sex) or weight. It is also the policy of the DOE to maintain and environment free of harassment on the basis of any of these grounds, including sexual harassment. Accordingly, it is a violation of this policy for any DOE employee to discriminate against or create a hostile environment for a student by conduct and/or verbal or written acts on school property , or at a school function on the basis of any of the above-noted grounds. (Chancellor’s Regulation A-830)
We are committed to promoting respect for diversity among students and between students and staff, so that all day our students feel valued, safe and supported. Any student who believes that he/she has been the victim of bias-based harassment, intimidation and/or bullying by another student should report the incident to the Respect for All Liaison in the school verbally or in writing.
Our school’s primary RFA liaison is Gail Ridder. She can be reached by calling the school at 212-595-7193. Parents may report student to student bias-based harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying verbally or in writing to the principal or to Gail Ridder.
If a parent feels he/she needs additional assistance, he/she may e-mail RespectforAll@schools.nyc.gov.
Any student or parent who feels that the student has been discriminated against by a DOE employee may file a complaint with the DOE’s Office of Equal Opportunity either in writing or orally by contacting:
Office of Equal Opportunity
Room 1102
65 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-935-3320
Middle School Resources
Middle School Process
Coming soon...