Art can help us process emotions. Just ask Briarcliff High School freshman Miranda Dempsey.

Miranda, who is a student in Peridot Smith’s Drawing and Painting class, has been working on two projects that helped her with her emotions.

Briarcliff High School students and the greater Briarcliff Manor community recently came together to burn off holiday calories in a Paddle tournament that raised money for a good cause.

Karla Constantinou’s room at Briarcliff High School is full of many interesting objects. For example, she has a whale bone from a North Atlantic Right Whale, for which she had to obtain special permission from the government, as it is illegal to own marine mammal parts. She also has a piece of baleen, which is the part of the whale’s mouth that allows it to filter small animals from the seawater for food.  

No less interesting is her Marine Biology class, where students learn interesting facts about marine creatures through lectures, videos, and, sometimes, by dissecting them in the science lab. 

Books can come to life in many different forms.

At Briarcliff High School, students at the “Books are Great” Club recently visited the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City to view an exhibit based on one of the books they had read in the club.

Developing a theme for an art portfolio can be both exciting and daunting. There are so many ways to go about it. But listening to your gut may be the best.

Each May, students in Peridot Smith’s AP Art & Design class at Briarcliff High School are required to submit 15 works of art that center on a major theme.

Several students in the class – all of whom are seniors – discussed their chosen themes and some of the paintings that will be included in their portfolios.

Playing board games and watching movies can be inspiring, just ask Briarcliff High School senior Cat Lynch. Cat loves playing the “Clue” board game, as well as watching the movie version so much, that she asked Briarcliff theater director Paul Kite to put it on as the fall drama this year.