Tiger Tuesday Brings Expert-Led Masterclasses, Community Partnerships, and Student Leadership to Life

When a Tiger Tuesday takes place at Croton-Harmon High School, purpose and energy fill every corner of the building. Students dive into immersive, hands-on experiences led by community members, guest experts, administrators, teachers, and even fellow students, transforming the day into one of collaboration, creativity, and discovery. With another Tiger Tuesday happening tomorrow, October 21, excitement is already building for the next round of learning and exploration.

The lineup of opportunities is as diverse as it is inspiring, ranging from psychology and public health to theater lighting design, storytelling through dance, cultural exploration, observational drawing of nature, and even the physics of combustion. Each Tiger Tuesday looks a little different, but all share a common goal: to expand how students learn, think, and engage with the world around them.

At the intersection of physical education and STEM, CHHS teacher Mr. Marty McDonald partnered with Eric Stone, founder and program director of The Rewilding School, to lead outdoor workshops on the physics of combustion through a friction fire activity. Students worked in small groups, using focus, coordination, and persistence to generate enough friction to spark a flame—a first-time experience for most. The collaboration offered students a unique opportunity to learn alongside an expert from outside the school and to make real-world connections between physical science, problem-solving, and teamwork. Teachers from the Quantitative Patterns in Physical Symptoms course, Mr. Vogl and Ms. Glazenburg, also took part, helping students link the experience to concepts in physics and mathematics.

“I teach a unit on survival training in PE classes,” said McDonald. “Students learn about pacing, using a compass, calculating distance, and purifying and filtering water. This opportunity was a great way to extend that learning.”

Students also take a deeper dive into health-related fields through workshops on public health awareness and careers in psychology. Dr. Jessica Carneval, department chair and associate professor of psychology at Purchase College, presented on the scientific study of the mind and behavior and offered an overview of career paths in psychology, including clinical, counseling, school, and research. Her research explores how thoughts and motivations shape behavior—particularly the factors that influence self-control success or failure and the role of concrete versus abstract thinking.

Behind the scenes in the arts, John Froelich, resident lighting designer for the Metropolitan Opera, met with students in the auditorium balcony and booth to discuss the world of stage production. He spoke about production value, budgeting, the demanding schedule of preparing a new show, and how technology continues to transform lighting design.

“Setting up for a new production requires a round-the-clock process to incorporate all the elements of stage design and construction,” Froelich said. “Collaboration happens at every step. It can be demanding, but when you love the work, it’s truly rewarding.”

Freshman Travis Carney said the experience gave him a deeper appreciation for the work that happens behind the curtain. “I think it was very interesting to get to meet a person who actually does stage work as a job,” he said. “It was inspirational to hear how they could solve problems, and it really applied to every part of the school day, not just after school! We obviously learned a ton about how lighting up a stage works, and how theater productions as a whole are handled. As a stagehand, it's my job to make and manage props, and move around set pieces during the show. I'm still working under Margaret and the other 11th and 12th graders, but I'd say on our team we all get an equal say.”

Student leadership also took center stage. The Student Faculty Congress held a brainstorming session in the Community Room to map out new opportunities to incorporate into the school’s reimagined schedule. Meanwhile, Leaders of Tomorrow, a newly formed student mentorship program, hosted an informational and sign-up session in the Innovative Learning Center. The club’s president, Nicky Mukherjee, shared the group’s inception and mission.

“Last year, Mr. Maxam invited students to join an advisory committee to review data from past years and identify new ways to strengthen collaboration and student engagement across all three schools,” Mukherjee said. “We saw an opportunity to work with third- and fourth-grade students at CET to help them understand what it means to be a leader. We developed a lesson plan focused on role modeling and leadership that we’ll teach on Tiger Tuesdays throughout the year.”

“There are so many opportunities and experiences that students should have to deepen their school experience,” said CHHS Principal Dr. Laura Dubak. “Too often, we do not have time for these experiences or we pull a group of students from classes for these special experiences. Tiger Tuesdays give all students the opportunity to explore topics, careers, interests, and experiential learning that they would not normally get the chance to do during the school day.”