Horace Greeley principal outlines advisory, curriculum changes and new ninth-grade science electives
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Summary
Horace Greeley High School leaders told the Chappaqua Central School District board they are expanding advisory, piloting an IB Career-related LifeSchool pathway, shifting some English classes to full-year and offering five semester-long ninth-grade science electives that emphasize hands-on work.
Horace Greeley High School Principal Dr. Sandra Seppi told the Chappaqua Central School District Board of Education on Feb. 12 that the school is focusing on two priorities: making a large school feel smaller and rethinking curriculum to improve student belonging and challenge.
The changes include a schoolwide advisory program, expanded freshman orientation, a planned International Baccalaureate Career-related (IB CP) pathway for the LifeSchool program beginning next September, and a restructuring of some 11th- and 12th-grade English offerings from semester to full-year courses.
"How do we make a large school feel smaller? How do we help students feel a greater sense of belonging?" Seppi said, describing a two‑pronged approach. She said advisory has been the "most exciting and most important initiative this year," with "over 60 advisories" staffed by faculty and focused initially on ninth- and tenth-graders. The program uses a trusted-adult model to foster connection, she said, and the plan is to expand advisory to include eleventh graders next year while tenth graders exit the program.
Seppi also described a proposed change to the first day of school: ninth graders would arrive at 7:45 a.m. and tenth through twelfth graders would begin at a delayed opening (10:45 a.m.) so freshmen can learn the building and procedures with less stress. She said the day would still allow all students to complete a full schedule and close with an ice-cream social.
On curriculum, Seppi said the school is pursuing authorization of an IB Career-related program for LifeSchool, which administrators expect to begin in September and to provide structured, inquiry-based coursework and career-skills instruction. She said student interest in the pathway has been strong.
"The full-year options give students more time to connect and get to know their teachers and deepen that relationship," Seppi said of the move to year-long junior and senior English classes, which also would allow time in class for college-essay work and provide an additional SUNY-accredited literature and film option.
Dr. Gamma and Mr. Kevin Kuzma, the department chair for science, described a new set of ninth-grade science electives collectively called Science 9. The program offers five semester courses — citizen science, unraveling the genetic code, energy odyssey, ripples in resonance and a one-year physics 9 option — aimed at hands-on inquiry and problem solving. Students and teachers set up an iLab demonstration for the board after the presentation.
"These courses allow students to see their learning in action," Dr. Gamma said, and enable students to explore different scientific interests within a single year. Kuzma and Seppi said about 20 students participated in the evening demonstration and that stations let visitors sample several projects.
Board members thanked students and staff for the presentation. Ryan, board president, and Dr. Ackerman, the district superintendent, both expressed appreciation for the student demonstrations and for the new ninth-grade options as a response to prior years' feedback.
The presentation carried no formal vote; it was provided as an informational update ahead of upcoming budget and curriculum deliberations scheduled in March.
