In Harold Fogelman's Memory: Pond Groundbreaking for Nanuet Student Research

Dan Fogelman has a gazebo, formerly a St. Agatha Cottage, named after him on the former St. Agatha’s Home grounds. Today, the land is the Outdoor Nanuet Outdoor Education Center after the Nanuet Schools bought it in 2006.

Dan’s gazebo is not the only Fogelman in park. He is being joined by his late uncle Harold.

Harold H. Fogelman, a child psychiatrist, was involved in the Nanuet School District for 25 years and was the president of the school board when he died at age 67 on Oct. 31, 2010.

Although, it’s been several months, he’s not forgotten. The future Nanuet School District Environmental Sciences Research Pond was dedicated in his memory.

“Fogelman was excited at the prospects that might be possible at the Outdoor Education Center, so I know he would be pleased to see that we will have many opportunities for our students,” said the Nanuet schools.

Several community and school members gathered on July 6 for the pond’s groundbreaking ceremony.

“I think there’s not a better way to remember Dr. Fogelman than to build a pond that allows kids to apply their learning in a real world environment,” said Superintendent Mark McNeill.

“This is a wonderful tribute to Dr. Fogelman and a good opportunity for the students,” said Anne Byrne, Nanuet School Board President. “We plan to build this summer and hopefully it’ll be ready for the fall when school starts.”

The pond will be used in the curriculum of “Kindergarten through grade 12 to develop a greater understanding of their environment through observing and studying the evolution of a new pond, including life cycles of fish, amphibians/reptiles, plants, insects and other animal behavior,” according to the Nanuet schools.

The Environmental Science class is brought to the Nanuet Outdoor Education Center for hands-on learning. The design came from Nanuet High School students themselves.

“I break the kids up into groups and have them research and calculate the things that are needed to go into the pond,” said Charles Barone, Environmental Science teacher at Nanuet HS. “A group of students came up with this pond location and design.”

He added that this following school year, his class will probably just start with a hole in the ground and research methods on how to fill it with water. The following year’s students will then research native organisms for the pond and each year will be a different project in which the curriculum is built around the pond.

“We planted trees in what we call a tree library,” he added, pointing to the trees that lined the future pond site. “If it can grow in this climate, I want to plant it.”

To the south of the pond are birdhouses. In a previous project assigned to his students, they had to pick a bird and research its natural habitat. Rockland Auto sponsored the best research project and the student design became a reality, just like this pond.

Here is a list of Fogelman’s school board leadership over the years :

• Board President: 2009 to 2010; 1999-2001; and 1991-93, 1999-2001

• Chairperson of the Board's Personnel Committee, Curriculum Committee, and Liaison to Business/Industry/Legislature 

• Recipient of Mid-Hudson School Study Council's Award for Excellence in School Board Service

• Recipient of Rockland County School Boards Association's prestigious Eddy Award for his board service.