STEM FAIR

The teen adventurers had a small sojourn this past Saturday. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the South East Consortium offices the Hommocks School was holding their 2nd annual STEM Alliance Fair. With a picnic lunch behind us and an adventure ahead  the teens piled into the SEC bus and headed over to the familiar stomping grounds.

STEM (Science. Technology. Environment. Math) is a grassroots organization working out of communities throughout the nation with the goal of inspiring young people to innovate, initiate and imagine through science and technology. One of the many programs the STEM Alliance offers are community fairs where demonstrations are held, students present science projects, classes are offered and fun is always had.

More than just your run of the mill “science fair” the STEM fair is more of a festival, a celebration of science and innovation for young people. Saturday’s event saw architecture, physics, fire trucks and operational hoses, a green house, robots, cannons, an a real life astronaut, hover boards and much much more! Best of all was this was all accessible and hands on for children and the kids in all of us.

Amare Stephens had a captivated crowd as he built an impressive tower of thin blocks over 8 feet high. Natalie, Ryan and Lukas took a spin on a hover craft while Alec inspected to the two fire engines parked outside. Liam and Rafael took turn on a fire hose blasting some water into the parking lot.

The fun and learning was not just contained to the first floor of the school. The group ventured upstairs to see what the library had to offer. There the teens found a hover craft building station where they were instructed to build a structure that would float in an air vent. Ryan was thrilled when his craft was successful.

Amare and Lukas hunkered down across the library and got hard at work on their robotics. Participants were instructed to build a miniature Ferris wheel via tablet consisting of gears and rods. No easy task! But our teen adventurers were successful and we had a working Ferris wheel for our Lego riders in no time.

It was a day of problem solving, learning and fun! Our teens are looking forward to their final adventure for the spring season next month!

Big Apple Circus

On Sunday May 17th the Sunday Excursions group traveled to Queens, NY to see the Big Apple Circus. Aboard the South East Consortium bus we headed to Cunningham Park to eat subway sandwiches for lunch. After lunch we took in the beautiful day as we walked to the circus tent to prepare for our show.

The performances kept us on the edge of our seat as we watched contortionist, jugglers, trampolining, tumbling, plate spinning, flying trapeze, quick change and more! Some of the highlights for our circus goings were the acts that involved animals such as a "Living Carousel" with real live camels, horses, mini horses and lamas. Also the "Down on the Farm" act that involved horses, mini horses and dogs doing a variety of tricks, so cute! Francesco the clown kept us laughing and entertained between acts. 

After the circus we headed back to Mamaroneck and ate dinner at Frankie and Fanucci on Mamaroneck Avenue. We started our meal with mozzarella sticks and bruschetta, than a caesar salad and for the big finale we had enjoyed their wood oven pizza and it was simply delicious!! 

It was a wonderful day and a really fun trip! Fun was had by all!

TRI Sports

The kiddos at Tri Sports are hard at work this spring honing skills and having fun! The Tri-Sports program, in its inaugural year, rotates through sports on a seasonal basis; soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring.

“We find that it gives participants time to really work on the sports skills, gain some long lasting progress and appreciate the sport a little more,” said program instructor Dane Arias. Dane has been a dedicated staff member at SEC for the past 3 years and really taken the Tri-Sports program to the next level in its development.

Last night’s program was a great one! Participants began the evening by warming up tossing the baseball back and forth with one another as Dane and program staff set up stations for the proceeding drills. The little athletes then completed a technical obstacle course involving an agility ladder, hula hoops and a ball toss.

“These drills are designed to help develop and improve key physical and cognitive abilities like balance, coordination, attention, and executive functioning as well as gross and fine motor movements. We try to do that in a fun way,” said an always enthusiastic SEC staff member, Gary Pace.

After a quick bathroom and water break the kids sat down and worked on coordinated ball rolling across the gym floor. This was a lot of fun for the kids and a lot harder than it looks!

The practice ended with a home run derby with a boom bat and a batting tee. Kids ran the bases while other children were taught the significance of each base. Hands in…………. TRI SPORTS!

Travel Club - Lightscapes

The night was alight with a soft and comforting glow emanating from the Van Cortlandt Manor. The Friday Night Travel club journeyed to this illuminated wonderland of elegant curiosities last Friday night to explore this Springtime delight.

The Lightscape show, in its first year, is a self guided walking tour of a lighted sculpture garden featuring all hand- made pieces  assembled on site. Recycled elements serve as eco-friendly building blocks for intergalactic flora and friendly woodland creatures. Otherworldly mushrooms, immense insects, and brilliant butterflies are among the thousands of treasures you’ll find.

The travel crew explored the Colorwheel Castle and squiggled through the Caterpillar Cavern. They discovered larger-than-life elements like a colossal praying mantis and a massive mayfly. There were scores of delightful dragonflies, cute ladybugs, and an avalanche of pinwheels!

After this sweet springtime stroll the Travel Club gathered in the hospitality tent and enjoyed some fresh popcorn and delightful conversation. The Lightscape show was an excellent compliment to the fall Jack O’Lantern Blaze traversing the same gorgeous landscape at Van Cortlandt Manor. The Friday Fun group will experience the Lightscape Show this week. Enjoy!

South East Consortium Formal 2015

It was all glitz and glamor this past Saturday at the 2015 South East Consortium Formal. The SEC formal, in its 8^th year, saw the best attendance yet from participants dressed to nines and ready to party the night away.

Sunset Rendevous on the Beach was the theme for the evening and the decorations matched the theme perfectly. Beautifully laid out table cloth of white and mahogany complemented the sand and seashell center pieces that captured the essence of the shore. Elegant and refined the formal also offered some excitement with a model volcano in full eruption! Perfect for photo ops.

DJ Mike spun some fresh tunes as everyone present spent some time on the dance floor. Bronxville High School students led by David Russert and Nina Richeter got the party started and even tired out some of our dancers! Party goers were dragged off the dance floor to eat a delicious dinner catered by Village Pizza and Pasta of Mamaroneck. After dinner it was right back to the dance floor!

Whats a party without some cake! After dinner dancers had a some party cake and were able to take a break from all the fun and excitement on the dance floor which of course included a Conga Line!

As is tradition at the SEC formal a King, Queen, Prince and Princess are named. Of course only a select few get bragging rights to this honor every year. This years prom King was TJ Marchese with a lovely Susan Eagan as his Queen. Brad Zeifer was thrilled to be named Prom Prince along with his Princess Kathleen McCandless.

What an exciting spring evening for everyone! Many thanks to the Bronxville High School students who came out and enjoyed the evening with us, DJ Mike for another great show, Village Pizza and Pasta for the delicious food and all the staff and parents who made this night possible!

Hawks Versus Bronxville High School

The Hawks took to the hard top revved up and ready to rock last Tuesday night at the 2^nd Annual BVHS game. The highly anticipated night did not disappoint. The Hawks soared to victory once again against a gritty Bronxville High School JV team. The night also featured a celebrity coach appearance by former Michigan State player Anthony Ianni. Parents, friends and family gathered in the stands to cheer on the Hawks and enjoy a fun night.

The Hawks came onto the court hard with a starting lineup featuring Alexander Pflaum, John Reichelt, James Beveridge, Andrew Brooks and Matthew McCarthy putting up 12 points in the first quarter. At the half BVHS had crept back up on the scoreboard coming within 6 pts of taking the lead. The second half of the game saw the Hawks bury the Broncos racking up another 24 points taking the game for a second year in a row 46-28.

Jason Frank was a highlight of the game once again with an outside the paint shot in the 4 quarter with a fantastic assist from teammate Johnny “Rockets” Reichelt. The crowd went wild! Under the guidance of celebrity coach Anthony Ianni the Hawks showed their true colors last Tuesday; sportsmanship and dedication.

At the age of 4, Anthony was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), a disorder on the autism spectrum. Doctors told Anthony’s parents that he would barely graduate from high school, would never graduate from college, would never have a shot at being an athlete, and as an adult, he would likely live in a group institution.

Anthony played for legendary coach Tom Izzo while at MSU. He won two Big Ten Championships, a Big Ten Tournament Title, was the recipient of both the 2011 Tim Bograkos Walk On Award and the 2012 Unsung Player Award, and was a member of the 2010 Final Four team. He is also the recipient of the Epling Agent of Change Award.

Anthony has pledged his life and career to help those who face similar challenges. He has been invited to tell his story and share his message across the country and has inspired countless individuals to LYD - Live Your Dreams.

Anthony was not the only celebrity appearance. Executive Director of South East Consortium Jerry Peters  and Bronxville Student Activity Director David Russert threw on the zebra suit and made the run up and down to court to officiate Tuesday night’s game.  Mr. Peters and Mr. Russert called a fair and honest game.

The Hawks are flying high off this recent victory and are already looking forward to their next game against rivals North East in a couple of weeks also at Bronxville High School. GO HAWKS!