News & Headlines

• Drama Club Makes a Grand Return with “Clue”

  From high tech to hijinks, the Mahopac High School Drama Club’s three-day production of the comedy/murder mystery “Clue” was a student-run affair.

  Drama Director Christopher Purr, an English teacher, said 63 students worked on the production, including actors, stage crew and technical crew.

  “We pride ourselves on having the kids mostly running things,” Purr said. “They build the sets, they place the sets. They handle the tech, the lights, the sound. Sometimes they help with costumes. It’s different with each play we do, depending on the strengths of the kids who sign up.”

  Dayton Halmy, a senior and president of the student Drama Club, has been in every play since her freshman year. When she heads to college in the fall, though, she doesn’t plan to major in theater.

  “This is just something I love doing,” said Halmy, who portrayed Mrs. Peacock, a daffy older woman. “It lets me get together with all my friends. People in sports have been able to do so much more during the pandemic. I’m so thankful to Superintendent (Anthony) DiCarlo for letting us put on this show.”

  Until she was cast as Mr. Green tenth grader Kaitlyn Pearsall didn’t know much about the play “Clue,” in which a group of dinner guests is caught up in a raucous murder and blackmail scheme.

  “Before this, I really just played the board game,” she said.

  Nonetheless, Pearsall said she was most surprised by how the stress of putting on a show could bring everyone involved together.

  “You cannot get mad at anyone here,” Pearsall said. “I’ve made a lot of friends.”

  Breseis Forte played the French maid. An 11th grader, Forte has been in school plays before, but this is her first big role.

  “I remember being a freshman and seeing the leads on stage testing their mics,” Forte said. “I thought that was so cool. Now, I wear a mic. It feels so professional.”

  “Clue” had been scheduled for the fall but was postponed until Jan. 13, 14 and 15 because of construction in the high school. In just a few weeks, the drama club will start working on the spring musical, which is scheduled to open April 28.

  “It’s a lot,” Purr said. “The kids are really into it, however. They are so glad to be back. This is the first time we’ve been on the high school stage in almost two years.”

  The drama club was just ready to open “Wizard of Oz” in the spring of 2020 when schools were shuttered because of Covid. Then the fall 2021 production of “Charlotte’s Web” was videotaped without a live audience. Last spring, they performed the musical “Working” just once, for parents only, at The Falls School.

  English teacher Sonya Velez has served as Assistant Drama Director for more years than she cares to remember. Still, she never forgets a play.

  “This is my 42nd production at Mahopac High School,” Velez said. “I know the number of shows based on the number of T-shirts that I have. Soon, I’ll need a new room in my house just to store them all.”

  (Photos by Manny Martinez)

  District News & Headlines

• Lakeview Elementary Students Help Make-A-Wish

  Do you Believe in Wishes? Students at Lakeview Elementary School do! For the past several years, they have participated in the Macy’s Believe campaign in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

  “The Believe Campaign was once again a big success as students at Lakeview raised $637 for their friends at Make~A~Wish of the Hudson Valley,” said Denise Hembury, who teaches third grade at Lakeview. “They spent time giving back to others during the holidays and should be proud of their efforts and accomplishments.”

  At Lakeview, it’s an annual tradition to support the Believe Campaign each November/December. Students take letter writing to a whole new level to help raise money for children with life-threatening illnesses.

  For every heartfelt letter written to either Santa (letting him know they believe in the power of a wish) or Macy’s (thanking the company for hosting such a wonderful campaign), Macy’s donates $1 to Make-A-Wish (up to $1,000,000).

  District News & Headlines

• Lakeview Elementary Students Practice Kindness

  Every year before Christmas, Lakeview kindergarten classes do a Grinch Day. This year, The Kindergarten Team teachers wore shirts with the slogan “In a world of Grinches be a Cindy Lou Who!”

  The exercise is not just fun for the children; it complements the Mahopac Central School District’s curriculum goals for social and emotional learning. 

  All day, students participate in activities tied to the Grinch. They dress up like characters in the Dr. Seuss classic book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and its movie adaptations, and perform acts of kindness to make the Grinch’s heart grow to three times its size. 

  For those who might have forgotten, the Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small” tries to steal all the joy from Christmas in Whoville by swiping all the gifts and decorations on Christmas Eve. His plot is foiled by kindness from Cindy Lou Who, which makes his heart expand.  

  It’s a lesson we never get too old to relearn. 

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac High School Life Teaches Freshman to Navigate High School

  Jason Zides stood in front of a class of ninth graders and pointed to a white board as Google Earth zoomed around the world and landed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

  “Your social studies teachers would be seriously impressed if they got a presentation with this in it,” said Zides, the secondary educational technology specialist for the Mahopac Central School District. “Social studies teachers love this because you can travel around the earth without leaving the classroom."

  Zides was the guest speaker in a Mahopac High School Life class that all freshmen are required to take. He was speaking to Global History teacher Kerry Price’s class about Multimedia Technology Options, including all the Google tools available to the students to use on their district-issued Chromebooks.

  He ran through tools for making slide presentations, templates to make interesting layouts, audio recording sites and links to copyright-free photos that the students can use to augment their projects.

  The skills can help students, whose work is often presented via the Chromebooks, to use technology to be highly creative.

  “On a scale of one to useful, where are we at?” Zides asked the class. The students, busy zooming around the earth on their own, said the lesson was very useful.

  The MHS Life class promotes a positive school culture, while boosting the social, emotional and executive functioning skills that support academic development in high school. The class aims to help students develop self-awareness and self-management skills while building relationships and learning to resolve conflicts, said April Ljumic, the MHS assistant principal who oversees the program.

  Zides’ gave his technology demonstration to each section of MHS Life class. His was just one session of the MHS Life curriculum, which includes a variety of guest speakers throughout the year.

  Over in Amy Mahoney’s MHS Life class, students were learning to question their own preconceptions. Mahoney, a 12th grade English teacher, gave her class a new phrase to think about – a “paradigm shift.”

  “It’s good to question your own mindset,” Mahoney said. “The objective here is to analyze negative paradigms high school students might have and adjust them to reflect positivity.”

  Mahoney gave her class three scenarios and asked them to recast them in a positive way.

  Ninth graders Kelsi Thimm and Giovanna Angrisani took the example of feeling ignored by a friend who was too busy with sports and other activities to hang out. Instead of looking at it in a negative way, they celebrated the girl's achievements.“I really admire my friend Cameron,” they wrote, of the fictitious friend. “She helps her mom with her siblings ... works really hard in school … is dedicated to her sport … and babysits. I hope I can balance my life like she does.”From technology to empathy, the skills MHS Life teaches will last a lifetime.

  District News & Headlines

• Austin Road Fifth Grader Gives Special Gift

  In this holiday season, Mahopac Central School District students had many ways to show their gratitude and give to others. There were toy drives in each building and food and clothing drives throughout the community.

  But, Yulisa, a fifth grader at Austin Road Elementary School, wanted to give something unique. She wanted it to be something that would help another person long after the holidays passed, and so the 10-year-old decided to cut her beautiful waist-length hair and donate it to someone who has lost their own hair. 

  “It makes me happy to help other people,” said Yulisa, whose shiny, jet-black hair is now chin-length. “I went to my aunt’s hair salon and she cut 10 and a half inches. Then we wrapped it in bubble wrap and mailed it off.” 

  With her mother’s help, Yulisa chose Locks of Love, a Florida-based nonprofit that makes wigs for children who suffer medical hair loss. 

  “We did it in honor of my grandmother who has cancer and is starting to lose her hair and also in honor of my grandfather who died from cancer,” Yulisa said.  

  Bryan Gilligan, the principal at Austin Road Elementary School, said Yulisa showed a lot of initiative for a girl her age.

  “We were so impressed that Yulisa was the one who suggested it,” said. “She was the one who went to her mother to ask if she could donate her hair.”  

  Yulisa said she felt so good about giving her hair to someone in need that she is thinking about growing her hair long again – just to cut it and donate it. The hair donation has to be at least 10 inches in length for Locks of Love to accept it.  

  “My hair grows very fast,” Yulisa said.

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac High School Rocks On with Illusion

  For Caroline Carey, the quest to sing in Illusion, Mahopac High School’s annual student rock concert began in sixth grade, when she first saw the show. 

  “Illusion was my goal,” she said. “It’s a bunch of talented kids coming together to do what they love, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

  Now a senior, Caroline, 17, has been part of Illusion for three years, once as crew and twice as a singer. She performed on stage at MHS auditorium for three nights this year – December 9, 10 and 11 –  singing such rock anthems as Joan Jett & the Blackheart’s “I Hate Myself For Loving You.” before a highly enthusiastic crowd.

  The Mahopac Central School District is known for a well-rounded curriculum that gives students a lot of opportunities to play music. The high school offers a wide array of musical ensembles, including the Philharmonic Orchestra, String Sinfonietta, Chorus, Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band. The district was selected as one of the Best Communities for Music Education in 2021 by the NAMM Foundation.

  Illusion began as a jazz-rock ensemble at the school in 1981, said the show’s director Stas Przymylski, an audio and video production teacher at Mahopac High School. And he should know. 

  Przymylski performed in Illusion when he was a Mahopac High School student  in 1988 and 1989. When he started teaching in the school  in 1994, he signed on as assistant director for Illusion and, in 2006, he became director. 

  “This is the real deal,” Przymylski said. “The kids rehearse for months. We bring in professionals to do the lights, the sound, the video. It’s a very professional performance.”  

  This year, the school’s most talented rock musicians and vocalists performed songs from Journey, Harry Styles, Stevie Wonder, Paramore, Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy and more. Due to Covid, seating was limited to 300 per night, with masking and social distancing in place. Still, students said they were thrilled to be performing in the auditorium again. Last year’s performance was held outside on the turf field. 

  Senior Ethan Haley said he changed the whole course of his music education so that he could play drums in Illusion.

  “I was doing a community service project for NJHS in eighth grade, selling food and drinks outside the auditorium,” Haley said. “I came in for a bit and I was really blown away. I decided that’s what I wanted to do. I switched from trumpet to drums in band so I could play in Illusion.” 

  Cameron Dinsmore, a sophomore who plays keyboard and five other instruments, is one of the few performers to get cast in Illusion the first time she auditioned.  

  “Everyone told me I was not going to make it as a freshman, but I tried out and I did,” she said. 

  ---

  Photo Credit: Manny Martinez, Mahopac High School 

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac High School musician was First Violinist at All-State

  Mahopac High School junior Rachel Berger played First Violin in the All-State Symphony Orchestra at the NYSSMA Conference in Rochester in early December. The All-State Symphony Orchestra is made up of the top student musicians in New York and Rachel was selected after auditioning at the Solo Festival in the spring.

  “Even scoring perfectly at the audition, which Rachel did, does not guarantee you a spot in one of the ensembles,” said Evan McGregor, MHS Orchestra Director and Music Department Chair. “Rachel's selection is a testament to her drive for excellence and her achievement of it.”

  Rachel, who started playing violin when she was 5 years old, said it was great to play with a group of such high-level musicians at All-State, but that she also enjoys playing at local hospitals and nursing homes, which she has done for community service. 

  “I really love to play violin because I find it extremely rewarding to see how my music can bring comfort and joy to others,” Rachel said. “It is incredibly heartwarming to see the faces of the old and sick light up when I perform.”  

  The Mahopac Central School District is known for its outstanding performing arts. The high school offers a wide array of musical ensembles including the Philharmonic Orchestra, String Sinfonietta, Chorus, Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band and produces a musical extravaganza known as “Illusion” each year featuring the district’s most talented rock musicians and vocalists. It is also regularly cited as among the Best Schools for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation.

  District News & Headlines

• Middle School Newspaper Seeks Hero Journalists

  When sixth grader Chris Moran first learned that the Mahopac Middle School newspaper, The Torch, was looking for student reporters and editors, he was curious, but not convinced it was the after-school club for him. 

  “I thought I’d wait and see,” said Chris, who is 12. “Some of my friends joined, but that’s not what made me join. It was when I saw the first edition. I said ‘Oh, this is cool.’ I really liked the movie reviews. I want to write movie reviews, so here I am.” 

  That is pretty much the reaction that The Torch newspaper advisor David Gordon was aiming for. Gordon took over leadership of The Torch this year and saw it as an opportunity to update the publication.

  “We are in the process of trying to make a newspaper that the kids themselves would be interested in reading,” said Gordon, an eighth grade social studies teacher. “We’ll publish reviews of movies, books and games, maybe write about new businesses in town and spotlight somebody the kids think is interesting. This has to come from them.” 

  Gordon recruited Michael Woodrow, another eighth grade social studies teacher, to be co-advisor. 

  “We really are trying to create a culture, a community with a mission,” Woodrow said. “We wanted to make them feel like they are part of something big.” 

  The club launched in the third week in September. Students who signed up got a Torch lapel pin and a press pass that allows them to use their phones in school to take photos if they are working on a story. 

  The first issue was published in November. At 16 pages, it included a poem, story and drawings by Mia Panebianco, who had just moved to Mahopac in February, and an editorial by Kylie Quackenbush, the pop culture editor, who asked “Is cereal soup?” 

  “That’s a popular debate right now,” she said. 

  Roma McConnell and Jackson Spedaliere interviewed Mahopac Schools Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo, who recently announced that he will retire in June.

  “I was nervous at the start,” Roma said. “I learned a lot about what he does from talking to him. I learned that he is in charge of a lot of people. We learned a lot about the importance of decisions we make now, and how they can affect our future.” 

  The kickoff issue also included an inspiring front page story by advisor David Gordon that called journalists heroes, quoted the Washington Post’s slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” and referenced mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, as well as muckrakers like Nellie Bly and novelist Upton Sinclair.  

  “Our world needs heroes like Upton Sinclair and Nellie Bly as much as we needed them one hundred years ago,” Gordon wrote. “The Mahopac Middle School encourages students to join the ranks of the heroes who came before them.” 

  Judging by the group of enthusiastic students who attended a meeting in early December, The Torch will have no shortage of heroes. 

  District News & Headlines

• Middle Schoolers Explore Careers

  Mahopac Middle School seventh and eighth graders recently got to spend some time thinking about the age-old question "What do I want to do when I grow up?" At the Middle School Career Fair, held in November, the students got to meet professionals who work in a dozen diverse careers and hear what day-to-day life is like in all sorts of jobs.

  “Rather than a fair where students wander from table to table, this year’s middle school career fair was held via Zoom,” said Aaron Kleinman, Director of School Counseling K-12 for the Mahopac Central School District. “It actually worked better, I think. There were no distractions. All of the children got to hear what the professionals had to say.”

  The professionals included an architect, chiropractor, veterinarian, police officer, firefighter, librarian, banker, marketing executive, Putnam County Youth Bureau representative and a media person.

  It was not the middle schoolers’ first exposure to career choices. They start taking career inventories in the sixth grade, via the district’s Naviance computer system. When they get to high school, career choice is among the first subjects discussed in the freshman MHS Life class, which every student is required to take.

  “We want to have these conversations earlier so the students will start thinking about what classes to take that will help prepare them for their future,” Kleinman said. “Research has shown that the more information and exposure students have to career choices, the more directed they will be when it comes to what they plan to do after graduation.”

  District News & Headlines

• The Thanksgiving Point of View

  In a week when many families might tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Carole Garcia donned a festive turkey headband and read a book about the history of the parade to a class of fifth graders.

  
  “Balloons over Broadway” by Melissa Sweet tells the story of the early years of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the puppeteer who created its iconic helium balloons.

  
  “How many of you know what a marionette is?” Garcia, the Library Aide at Fulmar Road Elementary School, asked the students from Thomas Jordan’s class.

  
  Almost all of the students raised their hands.

  
  “And you know how they move, right?” Garcia asked.

  
  “Yes,” the children answered. “By strings.”

  
  There’s no surprising fifth graders these days. Still, the children sat quietly, completely taken in by the story they were hearing and the idea of character balloons flying higher and higher above the streets of New York City.

  After the book was done, the class discussed the assignment their classroom teachers had given them -- to write a story from the perspective of one of the balloons in the parade.

  Some said they would write about SpongeBob SquarePants and what he would see when he looked down from the sky. Others said they would write from Smokey The Bear’s point of view.

  Delilah, whose favorite subject is science, picked Aida Twist, Scientist.

  “I’m writing a story and saying how it felt to her to be up that high looking down at the world and all that she saw,” Delilah said. “I’m drawing pictures too.”

  For some of the students, the exercise quickly turned into science fiction. Jake didn’t want to write about just one character. He said he would write about a mix of Baby Yoda, Boss Baby and Ronald MacDonald.

  “I’d like to combine them,” Jake said. “I’d love to make that abomination. He’d fly high. Then he’d look down and see a hundred million tiny humans.”

  It may not be a classic Thanksgiving tale of Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrating a feast before winter, but the creative balloon combo gave the 10-year-olds something new to think about as they prepared to celebrate the traditional American holiday.

  District News & Headlines

• Austin Road Students Give Thanks

  In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, teachers throughout the Mahopac Central School District talked to their classes about the importance of gratitude.

  In Carolyn Ryan and Tiffany Ziegelhofer’s fourth grade class at Austin Road Elementary School, the discussion led to feathers -- “Thankful For Feathers,” that is.

  Some children in the class pasted photos of beloved family members, pets, favorite foods, games and more on a feather-shaped piece of construction paper. Others drew their own pictures, of flags, trees, school buildings and nature. The feathers were then assembled around a turkey cut-out for all to see and discuss.

  Paige said she was thankful for her dog Charlie, a German Shepherd. She was also thankful for her parents, who are both police officers, her brother, friends and teachers.

  Lilliana said she was thankful for her older brother, who teaches her what he already learned in fourth grade.

  Throughout the district, children were likely also thankful that they had a long holiday weekend coming up.

  District News & Headlines

• Live and In-Person, a Wonderful Fall Music Concert

  Mahopac High School’s Fall Music Concert marked the first time many of the talented musicians had performed on the school stage in front of a live audience. 

  And perform they did! The Philharmonic Orchestra, String Sinfonietta, Chorus, Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band each took the stage on Wednesday, Nov. 17 and dazzled a highly-receptive, if smaller than usual, audience. 

  “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to perform, so it’s really cool to get back out there,” said Ella, a 10th grader, whose last on-stage performance took place when she was just a middle schooler. “It’s exciting to get to play the pieces we’ve worked on for so long.”  

  Ella, who sings alto in chorus and plays flute in the band, said her favorite choral number was Finale B, from the musical Rent, and her favorite band piece was Highland Legend by John Moss.

  “I think it shows the potential of the band,” Ella said. “I think we bring it all together very nicely.” 

  Band Director Rich Williams noted that the Fall Music Concert was the first in-person, in-house concert since February 2020, in the pre-COVID times. Tickets were limited to two per household, but the concert reached a larger audience via live streaming.

  “Music is a performing art and ultimately meant to be shared with an audience," Williams said. “Last year we played on the field, but that was after never having rehearsed together. It was fun, but we were each about 12 feet apart. It wasn’t like this where the kids hear one another and respond.” 

  Nonetheless, Mahopac was honored this spring as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the  National Association of Music Merchants, or NAMM, Foundation. The award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education.  Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education.

  Chorus teacher Jacob Rhodebeck said the upcoming school year will be a busy one for musicians. There are four concerts scheduled and several small ensemble events. 

  “It was exciting to get the kids ready for it,” Rhodebeck said. “They were certainly ready to have a performance and show what they’ve been doing.”

  James, a 10th grader, who plays percussion was ready for his debut. He joined band in high school at his mother’s urging.

  “I started on pots and pans,” James said. “I was just always picking them up and banging on them. I really wanted to play drums.”  

  The students will have many more opportunities to perform this year.

  District News & Headlines

• High School Teacher Publishes Scientific Research Paper

  As if she weren’t already accomplished enough, Jennifer Degl, an Earth Science teacher at Mahopac High School, just added another achievement to her portfolio.  

  Degl, who has taught at MHS since 1999, was first inspired to activism when her daughter was born prematurely in 2012 and spent months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla. 

  Since then, Degl has written three books about the experience, testified in front of Congress twice, been named to the leadership team of the International Neonatal Consortium, and founded Maria’s Hope, a support group that mentors parents who have babies in the NICU at the children’s hospital. In October, she had another first: Degl was the lead author in a scientific research paper published in the Journal of Perinatology that grew out of her weekly volunteer work in the Maria Fareri NICU.  

  “We wanted to look at how doctors, nurses and parents communicate with each other in the NICU,” Degl said. “I put together a survey of 323 neonatologists, neonatal nurses and NICU parents from around the globe, and we found ways that communication could be improved. When research scientists speak to parents, they speak at a completely different level, with their own scientific vocabulary. Parents, who are under a lot of stress at the time, often do not speak out and say that they do not understand. So there’s a lot of miscommunication.” 

  Degl, a mother of four, remembers being overwhelmed when her daughter Joy was born extremely premature, weighing just one pound four ounces. Joy spent 121 days in the NICU. The experience set Degl on a mission to improve healthcare for preemies. 

  “All of the research and volunteering I do helps me to be a better teacher and the opposite is true as well,” said Degl, who also teaches Living Environment and the MHS Life class for freshman at the high school. “Both experiences help me to better the lives of children. My experience as a NICU parent mentor has helped me immensely as a teacher of the MHS Life course at the high school. I have been mentoring NICU parents for years as they process fear, confusion, conflict, sadness and grief. I'd like to think that all of those experiences shape me and I know they provide me with additional tools to support my students at MHS.”

  District News & Headlines

• Fast-thinking Middle School Students and Teachers Save a Boy from Choking

  William, a sixth grader at Mahopac Middle School was walking through the hallway with a friend during change of class on Friday, Nov. 12 when the friend suddenly stopped and started motioning toward his throat. Then the boy’s face turned red and a terrified look came over him.  

  Thinking fast, William ran into a classroom, where Jenifer Maloney was preparing to teach her MMS Success class and Michael DiLeo was gathering his things after teaching a Spanish class.

  “Help, Help,” William yelled. “My friend is choking!”

  Maloney has taught in the Mahopac Central School District for 22 years and, like all teachers, has had training in life saving. Mr. DiLeo, a first-year teacher in Mahopac, had also received training when he worked as a lifeguard. Still, training is one thing. Actually saving a life is another. 

  “We looked at each other and just said, ‘Ok, here we go,’” Mr. DiLeo recalled. 

  Maloney quickly jumped into action. Grabbing the boy and tried to perform the Heimlich maneuver, wrapping her arm around him and pushing her fist into his abdomen. 

  “He had his backpack on, and it didn’t work,” Maloney said. “It was terrifying.” 

  She pulled the boys’ backpack off and asked DiLeo to step in while she ushered the other students out of the classroom and into the gym. 

  With the backpack removed, DiLeo tried the Heimlich again, and this time, the boy started breathing. 

  “The lifesaver didn’t pop out,” DiLeo said. “It moved enough so he could breathe, though.” 

  The minute the child could catch his breath, he began to calm down. 

  It had all happened so fast that the teachers did not even notice 11-year-old Abby was in the classroom. When she heard the commotion, Abby did not stop to ask permission. She just ran to the school nurse’s office to get help. 

  “Someone’s choking,” Abby yelled to the nurse.  

  When asked how she knew to get the nurse, Abby said: “It was instinct.”

  Abby led the school nurse back to the classroom. By the time they got there, the boy was already breathing again. Then the Sheriff’s deputy arrived and transported him to Putnam Hospital Center where he was soon released. 

  “It felt like it took forever,” Maloney said. “But it was probably really just seconds.” 

  The boy, who the district is not naming for privacy reasons, posted on Snapchat thanking his friends, teachers, first responders and others who came to his rescue. 

  District News & Headlines

• Senior Signing Day Honors 12 Student Athletes

  A dozen Mahopac High School athletes signed commitment letters with colleges during the Senior Signing Day ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 10. 

  As student fans, parents, siblings and grandparents cheered them on, the athletes signed letters of intent to play the sport they love at the collegiate level.  

  Stephen Luciana, Mahopac’s athletics director, told the group they had good reason to be  proud. 

  “Playing college sports is not easy,” said Stephen Luciana, director of health, physical education and athletics for the Mahopac School District. “You are the top of the heap, the best of the best. You represent a very small percentage of the student athletes across the nation.” 

  The players were recruited across many sports, the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, women’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and baseball. 

  “As you move forward, you’re elite in terms of your commitment to your sport,” Mahopac High School Principal Dr. Matthew Lawrence said. “But nobody goes to college just to play sports.”

  Lawrence noted that in going to college students would have to concentrate on their academic and professional careers as well.  

  Michael Mongon, the president of the Mahopac Board of Education told the students: “You personify the highest standard of leadership and character.”

  Then he read the list of the student athletes who had signed commitment letters.  

  • Audrey Colucci, Lacrosse, Lynn University 
  • Julie DeBrocky, Basketball, Manhattanville College
  • Madison DeCola, Soccer, Seton Hall University
  • Melanie DeMeo, Basketball, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
  • Chris Evans, Lacrosse, Springfield College
  • Michael Harney, Lacrosse, United States Military Academy at West Point
  • Ava Jennings, Lacrosse, University of Cincinnati
  • Mia Lanter, Softball, Wesleyan University
  • Sean Massett, Lacrosse, Monmouth University
  • Madeline McCrosson, Soccer, The College at Brockport
  • Chris McKeon, Baseball, Siena College
  • Avery Przymylski, Lacrosse, Coastal Carolina
  • Ally Savino, Lacrosse, University of Indianapolis 

  There will be another senior signing day ceremony in the spring for students who have not yet decided, football players and some others.  

  District News & Headlines

• Middle Schoolers Learn Team Building

  Naturalists from the Center for Environmental Education at Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES visited Mahopac Middle School recently for a team-building workshop. Students from Team 8A were presented with mental and physical challenges that could only be completed if the students all worked together.

  “Teachers were only there to observe -- not to help -- and it was great to watch the students learn lessons from one another,” said Karen Haitoff, Team 8A English teacher. “At first everyone was talking at once, and doing things the way they wanted, but they quickly realized that in order to meet the challenges successfully they needed to work as a team and listen to one another.”

  Students' social and emotional growth was at the forefront of the activities, which were both fun and impactful. The team-building program is a powerful and proactive tool that helps students learn and practice social skills that create a safe and supportive climate.

  Team 8A is a looping group, so the students have stayed with the same group of teachers for seventh and eighth grades.

  “Although we are in our second year together, we did not have a typical first year together at all,” Haitoff said. “As a result, we are especially excited to further develop the close community we value in our looping program.”

  The BOCES programs put a premium on relationships between members of the group and help establish a sense of acceptance and belonging. Some of the skills and issues addressed include creating a climate of respect and acceptance, understanding and appreciating differences, tolerance, compassion, patience, support and encouragement, positive attitude, humor and flexibility. The workshop emphasizes transferring these skills from the activities to the school environment.

  District News & Headlines

• Lakeview Classrooms Stocked with Books

  If you want to know anything about Greek and Roman mythology, just ask Luke, a fourth grader at Lakeview Elementary School.

  “There’s Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Chronos, the god of time,” Luke said. “Percy Jackson is a demigod. That means he’s the son of a god, Poseidon, and a mortal.”

  Luke developed his expertise by reading the Percy Jackson series of novels that he found in his class, where hundreds of picture books, young adult novels and non-fiction books line the shelves. 

  A classroom library stocked with high-interest books in a range of reading levels is the bedrock of The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, which was launched in kindergarten and first grades in the Mahopac schools in 2019. The workshop-style program was added to second and third grades last year and introduced in the fourth and fifth grades this fall. 

  “It was important to align the reading curriculum in all three elementary schools,” said Michael Tromblee, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning. “Mahopac has made a commitment to the Reading and Writing Project. We’ve brought in a literacy coach to work with teachers, given teachers extra time to learn and purchased hundreds of books for each classroom so all students will have access to books that interest and engage them.”  

  Lakeview teachers Jeanne Russo and Don Triebel unpacked 26 boxes of books last month to line the shelves in their classroom. 

  “The students are really excited to read,” Russo said. “We teach them how to pick a book that is at their level. We want them to pick a book they will enjoy.” 

  Instead of using a textbook that contains passages of books that are chosen to illustrate a literary concept, the children read whole books. That doesn’t mean they don’t get instruction.  

  Reading time starts with a lesson on a topic such as character development or finding the main idea. Then the students read independently -- 20 minutes a day in class and 20 minutes a day at home. Students write about what they have read and teachers conference with students one-on-one to ensure they understand what they are reading. At the end of each book, there is a comprehension test. 

  At the heart of it all, however, is the freedom to choose their own books. 

  “This is basically old school, going back to the way people actually read,” said Triebel, who has taught in Mahopac for 26 years. “The students choose a book they are interested in and read the whole thing. Previously, we had textbooks that included bits and pieces from a book, not the whole book. It’s a different experience. This is about teaching the love of reading.” 

  District News & Headlines

• Fulmar Road Students Use Their Senses

  To be a scientist, you need to be observant. 

  Beth Thompson, a naturalist from the Center for Environmental Studies at Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES, came to Fulmar Road Elementary School recently and pointed out to the youngest students that meteorologists rely on their five senses when they observe the weather. 

  “Use your eyes and tell me what you see,” Thompson said. 

  Some of the students in Jennifer Conroy’s K-1-2 class looked up at the sky. Others studied a worm on the ground. Then Thompson pointed to the flagpole in front of the school and asked again what they saw.

  “A flag,” Daniel said. 

  “What is making that flag move?” Thompson asked. 

  “The wind!” several children shouted.

  Thompson went through the same steps with hearing the rustling of the leaves, smelling the fresh air, feeling the sun on their skin and feeling the breeze on their bodies. 

  Using your senses to identify the weather is the first step in learning to prepare for the weather.  

  District News & Headlines

• Middle School Gourd Contest

  If you’ve been wondering about the strange looking gourds that started appearing in Mahopac Middle School last month, Kelly Kischak, the Living Environment teacher on team 8D, is the person to ask.   

  “We’ve done this every year for about 10 years, except for last year because of Covid, of course,” Kischak said. “It’s a way to get the kids to work together and be creative. It’s a team building exercise.”

  It’s also a contest. The staff at the Middle School have until Nov. 5 to choose the best gourd. The top three winners get a goody bag. Take a look at this Google slideshow and pick your favorite. While you’re scanning, see if you can find the gourd that 8th-grader Vincent meant to look like Mr. Woodrow, another teacher on the team. Or, hunt for the gourd that Ryan made to look like the TV art teacher Bob Ross. 

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac Quarterback Named Con Edison Athlete of the Week

  Mahopac High School senior Anthony DeMatteo has been named Con Edison's Athlete of the Week. 

  Quarterback and captain of the team, Anthony earned the award for his performance in last week's game, said the Con Ed Panel of athletic directors and coaches who chose him.

  "Anthony DeMatteo led the Mahopac HS Football Team to a 44-6 victory over Panas to secure the #2 seed in the Section One Playoffs for Class A North,” the panel wrote in a press release.  “Anthony was 8-10 passing for 249 yards and 5 TDs.  What is most compelling is that he achieved these numbers in the 1st Half and did not play in the 2nd Half.”

  As the panel noted, Anthony is also the third generation of DeMatteos to win the award. His grandfather Tony won it in 1959, his father, Dominick, won it in 1989. Dominick is the team’s coach. 

  “To be selected as Athlete of the Week is a great honor,” Mahopac Superintendent of Schools Anthony DiCarlo said. “Congratulations to Anthony, his teammates, the football program and Coach DeMatteo. Anthony, we wish you all the best for you and the team on Friday night.”

  The Con Edison Athlete of the Week award recognizes students in Westchester and Putnam schools who excel athletically and academically. Leadership, citizenship, and school and community activities are also taken into account. The winner is chosen each week by a panel of athletic directors and coaches who review ballots submitted by each athlete’s athletic director or coach.

  "In my short time at Mahopac, I have been very impressed by the character Anthony DeMatteo has shown, '' Mahopac Athletic Director Stephen Luciana said. “He is the true definition of a student-athlete who has excelled on the field and in the classroom. We are very proud of Anthony for this well deserved honor.“

  Anthony, who has been starting quarterback since his sophomore year, has received All League and All Conference honors. A three-season athlete, Anthony also plays on Mahopac’s basketball and baseball teams. 

  In addition to sports, Anthony is President of the Spanish Club, a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers with community youth camps. 

  "Anthony has evolved into a mature and responsible leader for our Mahopac community,” Coach DeMatteo said. “He has proven himself time and time again as a student, athlete and most importantly as a person.  Ultimately, Anthony serves as an excellent role model for all of the young children in our community."

  District News & Headlines

• Students Learn College-Level Engineering at Mahopac High School

  The VEX V5 robots raced across the table, grabbed plastic cones and returned them to the teams of students competing to collect the most cones in a two-minute stretch.

  The robotics race may have looked like a game, and the students’ cheers and laughter certainly made it sound like one, but there was serious science behind it. 

  “We start with a friendly challenge and then move on to solve complex design problems,” said Thomas Mellin, who teaches the Principles of Engineering class at Mahopac High School. “Later, the students’ Chromebooks will connect to a coding platform that links to the robots. We use VEX VR, a virtual program, to introduce them to coding and machine control.”

  Mellin, who holds degrees in physics and education, teaches three engineering courses for students in grades 9 through 12. He works closely with another engineering teacher,

  Jennifer Johnston, whose experience as a chemical engineer includes work at IBM and several other companies.

  The classes are held in the high school’s new STEM area, which is designed to cultivate student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and prepare them for college and careers. 

  “This is so much fun,” said Anthony Pfeifer, 16. “It helps me learn what I want to do. If someone is thinking about engineering, I’d say definitely take these classes.”

  Though only a junior, Pfeifer is already certain he wants to study engineering.

  Victoria Longo, a senior, juggled her schedule to make sure the engineering class fit.

  “I’ve been trying to teach myself coding and I know how to write a basic if-then statement,” said Longo, describing a programming command for making decisions. “But, if I want to be a chemical engineer, do I still need coding?” 

  To which her teacher answered: all types of engineers need computing and coding skills now.

  Thus began the coding part of the class, where the dozen or so students each created code to maneuver an on-screen robot to pick up a cone, mimicking their real-world robot challenge.  

  It was just another day of fun, games and high-tech learning in a STEM classroom. 

  “The students are engaged and excited about every challenge we give them,” Mellin said. ”I’m so privileged to have the opportunity to apply physics to engineering and focus on problem solving and design with students.”  

  District News & Headlines

• All-Elementary Race is a Long Tradition

  First, the Lakeview Elementary School runners camped on the hill started chanting “Let’s go Lakeview, Let’s go!” Not to be outdone, rivals Austin Road and Fulmar Road elementary schools got loud with cheers of their own.

  The Annual All-Elementary Cross Country race at Lakeview Elementary School is the biggest good-time, healthy sporting event in Mahopac for the second-to-fifth-grade crowd. More than 300 students competed and it drew families, friends and neighbors from all over the district. Some lined up along the field waving signs, others had cameras outfitted with long zoom lenses; one spectator even launched a drone that followed the racers around the course.

  “It’s great to see you all out here,” school Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo said before the races began. “It’s not about winning or losing. It’s just about having a good time.”

  Tell that to Dylan, a 10-year-old in Mary Moriarty’s class at Lakeview who was the fastest boy in the fifth grade. Dylan trained every Friday afternoon with his mother, Angela O’Keefe, and it paid off when he came in first in his race.

  “I heard the cheering and I got so excited,” Dylan said. “I looked one time and I got very distracted, so I tried not to look again. I just concentrated on running.”

  For Kaitlin, a fifth grader in Vanessa Stavisky’s class, the race was all about school spirit. If the green t-shirt didn’t give away Kaitlin’s school allegiance, the Fulmar name in erasable marker on each of her arms might have.

  “I came in as number 31,” Kaitlin said. “I count that as good. I don’t compare myself to others.”

  The race, planned by the elementary school physical education teachers, is a long tradition in Mahopac.

  “This event has been going on for well over 26 years,” Lauren Kittredge, a physical education teacher at Austin Road Elementary School, said. “Children in grades two to five competed in a race according to their age.”

  Those ages 10 and older ran a mile. Those eight and nine years old ran three-quarters of a mile and the youngest runners, six and seven-year-olds, ran a half mile.

  Alexa, a Lakewview second grader whose father stood at the sidelines with a brightly colored sign, came in fourth.

  She mock-collapsed on the ground as if the race had taken all the energy she had.

  Still, she will be back for more. Students from Austin, Fulmar & Lakeview schools will compete at The Mahopac Elementary 5K Run at FDR Park in Yorktown on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

  District News & Headlines

• Simon Says... “Write”

  Learning math isn’t only about numbers in Christina Salo and Jenn Borst’s kindergarten class at Lakeview Elementary School.

  The children in the ICT, or integrated co-taught, class practiced number writing on a recent Monday by reciting poetry and playing a game of Simon Says. 

   When Simon -- also known as Mrs. Salo --  recited a number-writing poem, the children got to work. 

  “Simon says ‘Make an S and close the gate,’” Mrs. Salo said. “That’s the way to make an eight.” 

  The children repeated the rhyme and wrote number eight on their whiteboards.  

  Charlotte, who happened to be celebrating her fifth birthday on the day of the lesson, said writing the number one was easiest. The rhyme sure makes it sound easy. 

  “Come right down and then you’re done,” Mrs. Salo said. “That’s the way to make a one.” 

  Teachers often combine skills, such as using language to reinforce math and vice versa, Mrs. Salo said. When children are just learning to write numbers, it helps to have a little rhyme to remember.

  District News & Headlines

• Putting Out Fires

  After examining the ladder and shiny dials of a fire engine, piling into an ambulance and climbing an escape ladder, it was time for the Austin Road Elementary School kindergartners to grab a hose and shoot out the flames of a burning building.

  One by one, they lined up for their chance to wrestle the hose and aim it at windows that were red with flame.   

  “That was a piece of cake,” said Christian, a 6-year-old in Daniella Morgante’s class. “It was not hard at all. I didn’t even get wet.” 

  The building, of course, was a wooden prop and the flames were cutouts set in windows that the stream of water could easily knock down.

  The Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department came to Austin Road Elementary School to teach the children about fire prevention. Every fall, the department offers fire safety training to children in pre-kindergarten to second grade, Jason Stasiak, a captain of the department, said. 

  “This training really pays off,” Stasiak said  “We have actually seen kids who we taught fire prevention come across a fire and use what they learned. One kid, when he grew up, helped get an elderly woman out of a burning house.”  

  Austin Road’s teachers use the visit as a jumping off point for several lessons. 

  “We integrate this into all the subjects,” Morgante said. “We read books about firefighters and books about fire safety. We incorporate it into writing. The children write about what they want to be when they grow up, or about firefighters they know. Many of them have firefighters in the family. We even used the fire department’s visit to do math, counting the firefighters and fire trucks as they came in.” 

  As important as the fire safety training was for the Austin Road Elementary School children, it was equally meaningful for the firefighters to train the next generation in their own community.  Some of the firefighters were Austin Road alumni, others the parents of children who attend the school. 

  “It’s great to come back here every year,” Stasiak said. 

  District News & Headlines

• Fall into SEPTO event

  Families from across the district came out to Sycamore TownPark on Sunday, Oct. 17, to celebrate the season with the Special Education Parent Teacher Organization. 

  "This was a community event," said Christina Salo, a kindergarten special education teacher at Lakeview Elementary School and member of the organization. "We wanted to encourage people to join, but we also just wanted to create an event where kids can feel comfortable, wear their costumes and enjoy the fall spirit."

  There was no shortage of fun and games, including scavenger hunts, pumpkin decorating and arts & crafts. 

  District News & Headlines

• It is Safety First for School Bus Drivers

  The beginning of the school year is a time of adjustment for school bus drivers everywhere as they settle into new routes and get to know new students. 

  This year, the Mahopac schools, like school districts nationwide, had to contend with a bus driver shortage. Despite the challenge, however, the district’s Transportation Department is making it work and delivering students safely to and from school every day. 

  “We are advertising for new drivers,” said Leonor Volpe, the district’s supervisor of transportation. “We have a reputation in the community as a great place to work, and I am confident we will be able to attract great drivers.”

  Dave Carrido, senior bus driver and trainer, has been driving for Mahopac schools for 33 years. 

  “The kids are terrific,” he said. “They all wear masks now. It’s basically second nature to them.”

  Mahopac school bus drivers spent the first few weeks learning new routes. 

  “In order to have fresh eyes on the road, new routes are always a good thing,” Volpe said. “They keep the driver alert. Every day should be the first day of school. We are transporting precious cargo, after all.” 

  District News & Headlines

• Pumpkin Time

  The minute the kindergartners stepped off the buses at Outhouse Orchards in North Salem the excitement began. 

  It was the children’s first field trip and there was so much to see -- a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a hay-filled tractor. The first thing that caught their eyes, however, were their parents, many of whom had driven to meet the buses and enjoy the field trip with their children.   

  “Mom, Mom, Dad,” some of the children shouted, eager to run for a hug.  

  The kindergarten teachers from Fulmar Road Elementary School -- Kathryn Jesselli, Lisa Barletta, Margaret Bartholomew, Patricia LaPeruta and Fran Shea and Megan Shea, who are known to the students as Mrs. Shea and Ms. Shea, respectively -- kept the students in line until they could all calmly join up.  

  “This is going to be fun,” said Nash, as his mom, Tiffany Ward, smiled.  

  Wearing matching shirts that read “Mahopac High School Class of 2034” the kindergartners broke up into class groups with their teachers and went to explore the orchard. 

  Robert L. Treadway, Outhouse’s tour guide/storyteller started Mrs. Shay’s class off with some tales. 

  “Who knows who Johnny Appleseed is?” he asked, pointing to the fields of apple trees beyond.

  Nash’s hand went up: “He cut down the apple tree.”

  “Um, not exactly,” Treadway said. “That was George Washington.”  

  Later, after talking about the corn maze as a little hint, Treadway asked “What’s another name for corn?” 

  “Corn on the cob,” some children shouted.. 

  “That’s true,” Treadway said. “But I was thinking ‘maize.’”

  Soon the children set out to pick their pumpkins, bounce around in a hayride, find their way through the corn maze and color at a picnic table.

  “A great time was had by all,” Mrs. Shea said. “The children enjoyed apple cider donuts, apples and water provided by their teachers.”  

  District News & Headlines

• What first graders like about Fulmar Road Elementary School

  Caleb, 6, a first grader in Tracy Barrows’ class: 

  “I like Mrs. Barrows because she lets us play math games,” Caleb said. “My favorite number is 100. It’s a big number, but it’s not the biggest number. I’ve counted up to 100 before. How did I get there? I just kept on counting.” 
  
  

  Joseph, 7, a first grader in Tracy Barrows’ class:

  “I love writing stories because you get to draw,” Joseph said. “My last story was about when me and my dad went to a water park in New Jersey. I drew a lot of pictures about that and my dad really liked it. We hung it up in my bedroom. I like to look at it before I go to sleep.” 
  
  

  Leanna, 6, a first grader in Carol Stefunek’s class:

  “My teacher is really nice,” Leanna said. “Once she let us have a lollipop while we were reading. I like making friends. Joselyn put her towel next to mine one day and sat next to me. I asked if she wanted to be friends and she said ‘yes.’  We are best friends now.” 
  
  

  Photos: Caleb, Joseph, Leanna, Leanna and Joselyn

  District News & Headlines

• On Your Mark, Get Set, COOK

  It’s a good thing that being in middle school is nothing like reality TV. 

  Just ask the 7th graders who have been cooking up some tasty quesadillas in Virginia Gertling’s Family and Consumer Science class. 

  “It is kind of like the British Baking show," Emma D. said. “There are five kitchens and they are set up in a circle, kind of facing each other. Each kitchen has a group of four kids who work together. We have a time limit, like they do in those shows. Here, the time is limited by the bell.”

  The comparisons end there. Sometimes the students compare the end results, but no one is judged. Mostly they just enjoy eating their work. If a quesadilla ends up overcooked or a little runny, of course, no one gets kicked out of class. 

  “Quesadillas were the first thing we made,” Ryan W. said. “It was pretty simple and quick. Next we’re going to make pumpkin bread. There’s a lot of steps to that.”  

  Students in the Family and Consumer Science class learn the kind of practical skills that will last a lifetime. In addition to cooking, they learn sewing, how to manage money and how to manage their time when they have so many activities going on at once.

  “I really like this class,” Maya I. said. “It’s fun cooking and getting up and making things rather than always using a pencil and writing on paper.”   

  Just because the students like cooking in school doesn’t mean, don't count on them to start preparing the family meals. 

  “I don’t think I’ll start cooking dinner regularly,” Maya I. said. “Quesadillas are the kind of thing where I’ll always tell my mom that hers is better, even if secretly I think mine is.” 

  District News & Headlines

• Environmental Club Plants Flowering Tree

  Come spring, visitors to the Town of Carmel Airport Park in Mahopac may notice a flowering dogwood tree thanks to the efforts of Mahopac High School’s Environmental Club.

  The tree, donated by Whispering Pine Nursery in Yorktown Heights, will only stand about two feet tall this spring. But it should grow to 20 to 40 feet tall and thrive for many years to come.

  “We tried to water it every other day for the first month that it was planted,” said Matteo P., president of the environmental club. “Its leaves are changing now. We hope it will grow again next year.” 

  The environmental club planted the tree in June as a memorial to those who lost their lives to Covid-19.

  The club, which has about 25 to 30 members, was created as a provisional club two years ago and became an actual high school club just this year. One of the environmental club’s goals is to set up a system to compost cafeteria waste to use in the garden behind the middle school, Matteo said. Another goal is to establish a competition that encourages students to create something sustainable in the community.  

  District News & Headlines

• New Teacher Spotlight: Szilvia Tobak

  Chemistry teacher Szilvia Tobak is the only new teacher to begin at Mahopac High School this year. She joins a 120-plus teaching staff.

  “I feel very lucky,” Tobak said. “Everyone here has been so friendly and so helpful.” 

  On a recent Wednesday morning, she had students come up to a whiteboard at the front of her class and draw Bohr diagrams, which show electrons orbiting the nucleus of an atom. 

  “I think that Ms.Tobak is a really good teacher,” said Brianna F., a junior, who drew the carbon atom. “She makes sure everyone participates in class and makes sure that we understand the material we are learning.”

  A New York City native, Tobak moved to Westchester County a few years ago and developed a love of the great outdoors. She was drawn to Mahopac because of its open space, picturesque lakes, reservoirs and rolling hills. 

  “I grew up in the city, so this is a big change for me,” Tobak said. “I had to buy my first car. I never owned a car before.”

  Though country life is new for Tobak, teaching science isn’t. 

  She taught for seven years at Central Park East High School in Manhattan, where she earned a STEM Education Leadership Certificate. 

  “I was always interested in chemistry, it is the fundamental science,” Tobak said. “Chemistry bridges the knowledge between biology and physics.” 

  After majoring in forensic science in college at John Jay College of Criminal Justice/City University of New York, Tobak received a master’s degree in science teacher education at Hunter College.  

  Tobak said that she knows chemistry will not be every Mahopac High School student’s favorite subject, but she hopes that all of her students learn something that gives them a new appreciation for the building blocks of life. 

  “I hope they have a memorable experience and that the experiments we do in the lab teach them about the scientific method,” Tobak said. “The best thing would be if I was able to inspire some of my students to go on to study science in college.” 

  District News & Headlines

• Kindness Rocks Mahopac Middle School

  Math teacher Marie DeNicola and English teacher Karen Haitoff started the school year with an exercise in compassion for their 8th grade students. 

  DeNicola and Haitoff, loop teachers who stay with the same class of Mahopac middle schoolers for two years, have their students working on the Kindness Rocks project. 

  Started in Cape Cod in 2015 by author Megan Murphy, the project aims to make the world a little happier by painting inspiring messages on rocks that are then left on roadsides, hiking trails, playgrounds or anywhere else that strangers might find them. 

  “These kids are resilient and wonderful, but they have been through a lot this last year and there is still a lot of recovery going on,” Haitoff said. “This gives them a chance to express that.” 

  First the students research quotes and pick three that inspire them. Then they write a paragraph about what the quotes mean to them.  

  “It adds depth to the exercise,” Haitoff said. “It forces them to think about inspiration and how you take that out into the world.”  

  Not to mention that it sneaks in an opportunity for the students to read some great writers. 

  Eighth-grader Angelica picked a quote from Mark Twain, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” 

  “I am not the same as everybody else,” Angelica wrote. “No one is the same, but having kindness in my life reminds me that you don't have to be perfect or fit in. Having kindness in your life can show you that being different is ok!”

  Damian wrote that the quote “Kindness begins with understanding that we all struggle'” by Charles Glassman resonated with him because you cannot always tell from the outside how others are feeling. 

  “Everybody goes through different struggles every single day,” Damian wrote. “It's always a good thing to be kind, but especially when you understand that other people have their own struggles.”

  After the students chose a quote, DeNicola, who teaches math but has a passion for art, had the students paint it on a rock. 

  “As a math teacher, I usually only get to see one side of the kids,” DeNicola said. “This allows me to see their artistic side, and to get to know them a little better.” 

  When the project is finished, the students will have the option of placing the rock out in nature where it can brighten a stranger’s day or keeping it and finding their own inspiration every day.

  Whether they find it on a rock or carry it in their hearts, these middle schoolers know that the quote Noelle chose, “Kindness is giving hope to those who think they are all alone in this world,” is important every day. 

  “There are children who have no friends and feel lonely at school,” Noelle wrote. “There are adults who only focus on work instead of their friends and family. There are old people who are alone in nursing homes. By being nice, saying hello, a quick chat, a warm smile, can give these people hope and happiness.” 

  District News & Headlines

• Fresh-air Studying at Mahopac High School

  Jeanette Coniglio, English Teacher at Mahopac High School, supervised the outside section of 9th period study hall on a recent weekday. 

  “There are four teachers and we take turns supervising the group outside,” Ms. Coniglio said. “I like that the students can get outside, see each other and utilize some mask-free time.” 

  A dozen or so students sat on benches in the shade of an oak tree. Some were reading, others typing on Chromebook keyboards. Many were just taking in the beautiful afternoon, enjoying the return to normal after all the remote and hybrid learning, and waiting for the final bell to ring. 

  “I’d rather be outside than inside,” said Edona L., a junior. “I feel more free, and we don’t have to wear masks. Even at lunch, we can come outside now.“

  Fellow junior Jonathan S. said the only problem was some annoying bees.

  “They are very aggressive now,” he said. “But I hope we can come outside even in the winter. When it snows, we can bring blankets.”

  District News & Headlines

• A break for fun at Austin Road Elementary School

  The grass field on the side of Austin Road Elementary School was full of the sounds of children playing on a recent Monday afternoon. The school was taking advantage of the good weather to give the students some healthy outdoor and mask-free time.

  “I got it, I got it, I got it,” yelled Thomas, a fifth grader who gave a swift kick to a big rubber ball his classmate had thrown. His kick sent the group of kids scrambling to catch the ball and win their turn to throw it to the group. 

  “I’d rather play kickball, but we’re in the yard, not the kickball field,” Thomas said. “We call this game ‘King of the Hill.’”  

  Christina Tucci, a permanent substitute teacher in the district, was overseeing Thomas’s class during a lunch and recess break that emphasized social skills the students may have missed during remote and hybrid learning. 

  “They initiate play on their own,” Ms. Tucci explained. “They bring the ball down, they organize the game themselves. It’s their time.” 

  Across the yard, school monitors Nancy Libertino and Lori Plath were supervising another group of students. 

  “It’s so nice to have them outside,” said Ms. Libertino, who has worked for the Mahopac schools for 15 years. “On a day like this, we are outside all day long. As monitors, we get a different class every period.” 

  “All the kids are so good,” Ms. Plath said. "They are very happy to be back at school. Because of the pandemic, some of the little ones have never even been to school before.”

  District News & Headlines

• Fulmar Road Reads Outside

  Schools throughout the Mahopac district took advantage of the good weather to have storytime, lunch, gym and some other classes outside during the first week of school. 

  After 18 months of remote and hybrid learning, the outside time also gave students the option of taking a break from mask-wearing for a while.

  At Fulmar Elementary School, teachers and even the principal made sure outside time was part of the daily routine. 

  During a recent snack time, third graders in Stacey DiLullo and Nicole DiMeglio’s classes spread out under a shade tree on a lawn in front of the school while they listened to a book about anxiety.

  “We just wanted to acknowledge their feelings about coming back into school for the first time,” Mrs. DiLullo said. “It’s a lot to process.” 

  Mrs. DiLullo read “Wilma Jean, the Worry Machine,” by Julia Cook. 

  “My stomach feels like it’s tied up in a knot,” the book begins. “My knees lock up. My face feels hot. You know what I mean? I’m Wilma Jean, The Worry Machine.”

  If the Fulmar Road third graders were worried, they didn’t show it. Sitting on the beach towels they brought from home, munching on snacks and sipping their drinks, the students seemed quite content to be with their classmates once again. 

  Wilma Jean is just one of a series of books about school jitters that teachers are reading to classes as the school year begins. 

  Even Principal Gary Chadwick got in on the outside action, reading “School is More Than a Building,” by Kelley Donner, to a class of kindergartners. 

  District News & Headlines

• A Great First Day of School

  Students returned to the Mahopac schools on Friday, Sept. 10, kicking off a new school year full of hope with full-time, in-person learning.  

  “It’s great to have everybody back,” Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo said. “Socialization is such an important part of education. We’ll not only have in-person learning, but the full return of all athletic seasons, extracurriculars, and co-curricular programs that add so much to student development.” 

  The joy students felt at seeing their friends and teachers was easy to see as they stepped off buses to schools that some had not seen in 18 months. 

  The transition grades – kindergarten, first, sixth and ninth – started on Thursday to give the youngest students time to adjust to a new building.

  At Mahopac High School, the educators designed a schoolwide scavenger hunt to give the freshman a fun way to explore the building on Thursday. There was a lot of laughter heard as students checked off boxes and searched out each new location.  At the last stop, they got to meet the assistant principals. 

  Every school in the district had a unique way of welcoming new and returning students. 

  “It’s a credit to the district to be able to have us here five days a week,” said Austin Road Elementary School Principal Bryan Gilligan. “After last year, I think everyone has a new appreciation of sending their kids to school.”

  District News & Headlines

• MHS Art Teacher Announces Publication of "Sam's Unboring Adventure"

  Mahopac High School Art Teacher Sean Flanagan has been busy this summer! He announced this week the publication of a children's book called “Sam’s Unboring Adventure” which he wrote and published.

  “This labor of love is finally complete,” said Flanagan. “I started on it when my son was in his early stages of bedtime reading and have now (finally) completed it with the arrival of my third child!”

  In the story, the main character, Sam, rediscovers his imagination after setting out on an urban adventure through Manhattan and visiting a buddy in Suburbia (or "upstate" to most N.Y.C. Dwellers). An ordinary trip to the ‘burbs turns into a wild adventure of ingenuity from morning to night. 

  “The story has a strong local connection, you'll see I used lots of iconic imagery

  from Central Park, Grand Central and The Metropolitan Museum of Art,” he said. Flanagan’s goal was to depict Sam’s desire to explore, be brave, and learn to look at his surroundings differently in a way that was infectious and would ultimately push young readers to be creative and to “see more.” “It has been an exciting experience that would have never come to fruition without the support of my family and friends! 

  The book is available on Amazon and anyone wishing to obtain a signed copy of the book should email Flanagan directly at srflanag@gmail.com

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac Board of Education Selects Mongon as President and Savino as Vice President

  Michael Mongon and Adam Savino, both long-time residents of Mahopac, will once again serve as Mahopac Central School District Board of Education President and Vice President, respectively, for the 2021-2022 school year. They were both sworn in, along with re-elected trustees Lucy Massafra and David Furfaro, at Tuesday night’s reorganization meeting on July 13th. Trustee Michael Martin was sworn in the week before, as he attended the meeting remotely.

  Mongon, who is beginning his sixth year on the Board of Education, has previously held leadership positions on the board including committee chairs, vice president, and last year president, said he enjoyed the challenge of leading the organization through the pandemic.

  “From navigating zoom and figuring out ways to bring the public into our meetings, I am proud of what we accomplished and look forward to continuing the good work we have started with the rest of this team,” Mongon said. “Working closely with my colleagues on the Board, Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo and our District leadership, we were able to welcome students and staff back in-person, settle various contracts, and break ground on the capital project. Changing guidance from state and local agencies demanded a great deal of everyone’s attention every day, making these achievements even more noteworthy.” 

  He remarked that the District did an outstanding job with enhanced training and support around technology. “The entire Mahopac team collaborated to ensure confidence and competence with the use of technology - both hardware and software - as they taught and learned in the remote environment. I am both proud of and grateful for our teachers whose commitment to educating our students shone particularly brightly during the past year.” 

  Along with looking back at the challenges of the past 18 months, Mr. Mongon recognized the positive moments that marked a particularly demanding year, “At our last board meeting we celebrated our sports teams, clubs, and some students’ achievements, and our graduation could not have been any better. Our retirement celebration was perfect along with our tenure recognitions.” He also praised the community and thanked the members of the community who attended meetings both in person and via zoom, adding “This is a golden opportunity for residents to get involved through committees and the PTOs, who do amazing amounts of work for Mahopac. Our schools offer a tremendous amount of avenues to get involved”.  He looks forward to the emotional and academic growth for the students of the district.

  Mongon and his wife Lynne have six children, including three MHS graduates. He is a Sports Fields and Parks consultant and Assistant Superintendent for Parks in New Jersey and serves on the Town of Carmel Recreation Committee. Savino, and his wife Claudia, have two children in the district, he is a 30-year veteran of the utility industry and has served on the board since June 2019. He also served as co-president of the Lakeview PTO and is active in the community outside the schools as a member of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department and Vice Chair of the Board of Fire Commissioners. 

  District News & Headlines

• Spring 2021 Scholar-Athlete Teams and Individuals Announced

  The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced its spring 2021 scholar-athlete teams and individuals and Mahopac Central School District has nine teams and 165 athletes on the list.

  To receive team recognition with a certificate, the team’s average GPA for 75% of the roster must be greater than or equal to 90. Those students with an average of 90 or above are recognized as individuals.

   

  “Along with our unprecedented success on the track, fields, and links this Spring, our student athletes also excelled in the classroom. This is truly a winning combination for the entire community,” said Athletic Director Stephen Luciana. “Please join me in congratulating our Baseball, Softball, Boys Tennis, Boys & Girls Golf, Boys & Girls Lacrosse, and Boys & Girls Track & Field teams.”

   

  This is the 29th year the NYSPHSAA has conducted the Scholar-Athlete program.

  District News & Headlines

• St. John's Thanks Lakeview Students for Donations

  More amazing Lakeview Raise Craze news: Deanne DelCampo’s class was celebrated one last time before school ended for their amazing efforts to promote kindness at Lakeview and beyond. Her class logged the most acts of kindness during the RaiseCraze event - 111 to be exact - so representatives from Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Mahopac Food Pantry stopped by to say thank you and bring a banner to be displayed in the school, marking the momentous accomplishment.

   

  St. John’s Parish Manager Terry Komendowski and President of the Financial Committee and CYO director Gil McMahon (pictured on the far left side of the photo) praised the kids for their amazing efforts and thanked them again for food donations that were part of the week’s festivities. Ms. Komendowski said, “It took us two days to unpack the donations and put them on shelves and distribute. These items made a difference to over 100 families in the Mahopac community.”

   

  Mrs. DelCampo (far right) and Principal Jennifer Pontillo (center) posed for this photo with the class.

   

  What a great way to end the school year!

  District News & Headlines

• 4-H Program Connects MHS Senior and Lakeview 3rd Grade Class

  As part of the National 4-H Ag Innovators Project, MHS Senior WISE Intern and Putnam 4-H Teen Leader, Anne Kasparian facilitated the Curbing Your Carbon Appetite Lesson for Denise Hembury’s 3rd Grade at Lakeview Elementary.

  This is the eighth year, National 4-H Council has collaborated with Bayer for the annual 4-H Ag Innovators Experience (AIE) to provide 7,000 youth in seven selected states, from urban, suburban and rural backgrounds, the opportunity to develop the workforce skills to feed the planet. The AIE helped drive youth awareness of, and interest in, agriculture innovation and agriculture careers.

  Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program applied for and was selected to take part in the 2021 4-H Ag Innovators Experience, Curbing Our Carbon Appetite Challenge; which is a series of interactive, hands-on activities that helps youth understand why everyone has a role to play in addressing climate change.

  In January, Putnam 4-H teens were given an opportunity to apply for a leadership role to serve as 4-H Ag Innovator Youth Leaders.  Five Putnam teens representing Brewster, Carmel, Haldane & Mahopac School Districts were selected.

  Throughout February and March, 4-H Ag Innovator Teen Leaders took part in National and Statewide train-the-trainer workshops to learn how human activity, including burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, soil mismanagement, and unwise food systems are increasing atmospheric carbon and contributing to climate change.  The 4-H Ag Innovator Teen Leaders also learned how to lead a series of hands-on activities, which are aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, for elementary and middle school students in both an in-person and virtual format.

  The Putnam 4-H Ag Innovator Youth Leaders were also given the task of finding a teacher in their home school district to work with on this project and allow them to teach in their classroom.

  Once teachers were identified and the training was completed, the teen leaders began to visit classrooms. Between April and June, Putnam 4-H successfully delivered the 4-H Ag Innovators Experience, Curbing Our Carbon Appetite Challenge to 266 elementary and middle school youth in Putnam County, serving four out of five school districts. We are so proud that Anne and Lakeview were part of this exciting project!

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac Softball News: Becker Player of the Year and Giansante Coach of the Year

  Read Lohud's year-end coverage of our Westchester-Putnam softball standouts!

  District News & Headlines

• Weiss Places Second in Assemblyman Kevin Byrne's 94th Assembly District Art Competition

  Congratulations to MMS 8th grader Alexandra Weiss for placing second in Assemblyman Kevin Byrne's 94th Assembly District Art Competition.  Designed to offer more opportunities for young people to engage with their elected representatives and witness democracy in action, this year Assemblyman Byrne’s office launch its first ever district-wide Art Competition for middle school students (Grades 5-8) throughout the 94th Assembly District.

  The contest sought submissions in a wide variety of mediums - painted canvas, drawings , two dimensional collages, mixed media, computer generated art, and photography - all of which were on display at the A. Eric Arctander Gallery from June 5 to June 13, where parents, teachers and students were able to come in and admire them. Winners were announced at a ceremony on June 13 at the Putnam Arts Council.

  District News & Headlines

• MCSD 2020-2021 District-wide Art Show

  The Mahopac Central School District believes that Art education is an essential component of human development. Through Visual Art, students are empowered to be creative, “out of the box” thinkers and conscious designers; they are able to discover and express who they are, communicate their ideas, understand the visual, cultural, and virtual world, take risks, work collaboratively, make connections in their learning, innovate, develop an increasing sense of their own aesthetic, and authentically engage in their education.

  The inaugural District-wide Art Show centralizes all the a talent district wide from Kindergarten to 12th Grade. Click the link below, explore, and enjoy!

  2020-2021 MCSD District-wide Art Show: https://sites.google.com/mahopac.org/2020-2021-art-show

  District News & Headlines

• Maxwell Semegran and Alexa Tyberg are MCSD Valedictorian and Salutatorian

  Mahopac High School has named its distinguished seniors Maxwell Semegran and Alexa Tyberg as valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the Class of 2021. 

  Both students said they were honored to receive the school’s top honors.

  Semegran, who has attended the Mahopac schools since first grade, enjoyed all of my classes because of my excellent teachers, “but if I had to choose I would pick AP Environmental Science and Orchestra.” He added, “I am likely going to go pre-med because of my interest in STEM influenced by my science and math classes at Mahopac and my interest in the medical field developed by my parents, who are both doctors. However, I might do a government major because of my interest in environmental and public health policies.”

  As much time and effort as he put into his success during his time in Mahopac, he knows he could not have done it alone. “I would especially like to thank my parents, who have given me everything they have and have guided me to become the person I am today. I would also like to thank all of my teachers, from elementary to middle to high school, who made me excited to learn and pushed me to succeed. Finally, I would like to thank all of the administrators and staff who have facilitated a positive environment in which to grow and learn.”

  “My parents and older brother are my main source of inspiration,” said Semegran. “My mom immigrated to America from Vietnam when she was 6, barely able to speak english, and went on to college to eventually become a doctor.”

  “This definitely isn't the senior year that I expected with the ongoing pandemic, but I would say that this is still a pretty killer way to end my high school career. I'm most looking forward to the prom and the sectional track meet.” Speaking of running, it was not lost on Max that the last three valedictorians have been on the cross country team, or as he suggested, “#SmartestTeamInMHS.”

  Not only did Semegram and Tyberg earn the top academic awards at MHS, their paths crossed in orchestra and on the Science Research team.

  Tyberg too began her career in Mahopac in elementary school and has enjoyed most of her classes over the years, “AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Calculus. Going way back to middle school, my 7th grade math teacher, Mrs. Myler, used to give students lollipops and/or Froot Loops.  I don't remember exactly why. Maybe it was when we did our homework for a certain amount of days or got a high score on a test) but maybe she was training us to enjoy math.  If so, it definitely worked on me!”

  “I'd like to thank all my teachers who guided me through high school.  The care and effort that so many teachers at Mahopac put into their classes is extraordinary, and without them I may not have thrived as much as I did here.” Along with sweet rewards and her teachers, Tyberg knows that her drive to achieve also comes from within, along with her competitiveness. “I've always been pretty self-motivated, but my peers have pushed and inspired me over the years.  Both our friendly competition and our collaboration motivated me to do as well as I could in all my classes.”

  “This year is going as best as it can with the pandemic,” she said, echoing Semegran’s sentiments. “I'm very happy that we were able to come in full time so I could see a lot of people I hadn't seen in a year. And I'm glad we're able to hold events such as prom and senior day.  I look forward to college since I feel I'm prepared for it and that I will enjoy it immensely.”

  Tyberg is headed to University of Virginia in the Fall where she plans to major in math or physics and Semegran will attend Harvard.

  District News & Headlines

• MMS Teacher Dave Gordon named Senior Fellow by the James Madison Foundation

  Mahopac Middle School history teacher David Gordon has been named Senior Fellow by the James Madison Foundation. Selected as this year’s educator from New York to be awarded a scholarship for a master’s degree in American history, he will attend a four-week Georgetown University summer program on the United States Constitution.

  “I am humbled to have been selected as a Senior Fellow by the James Madison Foundation.  This presents both an amazing opportunity and a tremendous challenge for me,” Gordon said.  “I look forward to learning, growing and changing throughout the experience.”

  The James Madison Memorial Fellowship, established in 1986 by the United States Congress, allows one secondary school history teacher from each state each year a chance to thoroughly study the Constitution. The academic focus of the Institute is a graduate course entitled, "The Foundations of American Constitutionalism." Taught by constitutional scholars, this course is a study of the principles, framing, ratification, and implementation of constitutional government in the United States.

  “I am excited that David will have the opportunity to collaborate with 49 other educators who are doing exactly what he’s doing with his class but in different places around the country,” said Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo. “I’m eager for him to share what we are doing here in Mahopac, learn from his colleagues in the program, and bring that knowledge back to our students. The great benefit of this program will be his opportunity for interaction with a wide range of individuals whose varied interests can lead to enduring friendships and professional associations.”

  In a note to MCSD administrators Gordon said, “I cannot thank you enough for the part you played in helping me get this most prestigious honor.  Fewer than forty residents of NYS have ever received this honor and it is both humbling and rewarding to be able to stand among them.”

  Gordon is pursuing his master’s degree in history at Southern New Hampshire University.

  District News & Headlines

• Thank You School Nurses!

  May 12 is National Association of School Nurses' National School Nurse Day and we are celebrating our seven amazing school nurses who are compassionate, caring, and committed and have worked tirelessly to keep us safe during this pandemic: Lynn Karst (MHS), Alice Foley (MMS), Lori Farrell (HS/MS), Mary Brunetti (Lakeview), Teresa Sedran (Austin Road), Marianne Meenan (Fulmar Road), and Margherita Chirurgi (Elementary)!

   

  “On National School Nurses Day, I know that our school community joins me in thanking them for their efforts, said Dr. Greg Stowell, Assistant Superintendent, Pupil Personnel & Educational Services. “The only thing that has remained constant for schools during this pandemic is that everything we know and have to do ultimately changes. School nurses have played a critical and important role in opening our schools in the Fall , keeping them open throughout this school year, and ensuring that our school community continues to stay healthy and safe. Our school nurses have spent a significant amount of time educating students, families, and staff on ways to mitigate the spread of the disease and what to do if exposed to or contracted COVID-19.” 

   

  Thank you nurses!

  District News & Headlines

• Music Education Program Again Receives National Recognition

  Mahopac Central School District has been again honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.  Now in its 22nd year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. 

  “This truly is a district effort,” said Evan McGregor MHS Orchestra Director and K-12 Music Department Chairperson. “From the support at district office for funding, accessibility, and curriculum development; the daily guidance and coordination from our building administrators; custodial staff making sure the facilities are in the best shape for our students to succeed; and the tireless efforts of our dedicated music teachers from K-12, working with our students everyday in every way, shape, and form.” 

   

  To qualify for the Best Communities designation, detailed data was analyzed about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. The details of Mahopac CSD’s Music Program were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. 

  Since the passage by Congress in 2015 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and a stated emphasis on a well-rounded education, many school districts have re-committed to music and arts education programs and found that in this time of a national pandemic music provides a valuable way to keep students engaged in school. 

  Michael Tromblee, the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Learning, best articulated the district’s commitment to its music education program: “Our Strategic Road Map states that one of our goals as an educational community is to support students in becoming collaborative and creative critical thinkers. There is a well known link between high quality music education supporting students develop and refine critical thinking skills. Additionally, we seek to educate the whole child at Mahopac and engaging in the study and creation of music benefits our students in so many ways. I want to thank the faculty of our music department and our community for their dedication to and support of our music education programs.”

  Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational, cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music: After two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers and that students’ everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech, pay attention, and aural memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound: young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism. 

  Echoing these benefits of Mahopac’s music program, Mahopac High School senior, Max Semegran, who was selected as one of the best violinists in the state to perform with the NY All-State Symphony Orchestra, stated that "...Mahopac High School's orchestra has been such a major part of my high school experience, I can't imagine my time at Mahopac without it. Educationally, orchestra has given me self-control, brain development, and teamwork, important things for any student to have. Arguably more important however, are the memories that I have made in orchestra. I recall entering the stage my first day of school filled with nerves. These nerves were quickly put to rest with the humorous yet confident leadership of Mr. McGregor and the comradery of my fellow musicians. Little did I know how many incredible times I would have with this wonderful group of people... I will forever cherish the memories that I have made in MHS' orchestra."

  The music program in Mahopac has a strong heritage and is continuing to grow recognition for a remarkable culture of excellence. In recent years, Mahopac has been well represented by the middle and high school ensembles (band, orchestra, and chorus) at regional competitions, receiving superior ratings and the MHS Philharmonic Orchestra has received multiple best overall orchestra awards. For the past few school years, members of the MHS Symphonic Band were selected as best in the state for the New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA) Honor Band and Jazz Band. In 2020, two Mahopac students were section leaders of the NYSBDA Jazz Band. The MHS Jazz Band continues to be recognized as the “Showcase Band'' at the Sleepy Hollow Jazz Festival, along with numerous other individual recognitions in the competition. Last year, sixth grader Sarah Kayler was one of two elementary student composers selected for the All-State Conference Composers Showcase.

  Current senior, Mark Dusociv said, “I feel like I've improved a lot as a musician because of this music program. I've also made some of my best friends through it. I love how many opportunities we get to perform in and out of school.” Indeed, within the Mahopac community the MCSD music program hosts a multitude of events every year. Fulmar Rd, Lakeview, and Austin Rd Elementary put on multiple band, orchestra, jazz, and chorus concerts each school year. The middle school groups do the same, along with a hit, spring musical production and an end-of-year Steel Drum concert with Mr. Flynn. At the high school, there are many great events. A late-winter Pops Concert is always a packed community event, hosted by the Mahopac Friends of Music parent group. Mr. Rich Williams and Mr. Steve Wands, directing the Jazz Bands, put on a swing dance night every winter which has professionally-led dance lessons and an evening of upbeat swing tunes. The Jazz Bands also put on an always sold-out spring show at the St. George Winery in Mohegan Lake. The high school rock experience, Illusion, annually holds three straight nights of arena rock and top 40 pop, to a packed and energetic audience. Illusion, directed by Stas Przymylski, also recently performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A true community staple, members of the marching band can be seen at every home football game and in Mahopac parades. 

  A member of the MHS Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras, class of ‘21 senior Olivia Vataj said that "being a part of orchestra and the wider music community here at Mahopac has been such a rewarding experience. Making music with my friends and peers is one of the defining components of my high school career, and I am so lucky that we still have such a vibrant and welcoming music program during distance learning." 

  When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, and New York went on lockdown, that did not stop Mahopac CSD Music from being there for the students. A quick look at the Virtual Performance playlist from Mr. Williams and the MHS Bands shows that music education remained a vital part of the student experience, and the weekly installments gave the community a regular bright spot to look forward to. Vincenzo Pascarella, in the junior class at MHS, said that “even during this pandemic we have been able to rehearse and perform in ways that have helped restore a bit of normalcy during these crazy times." 

  Fellow bandmate, Dylan Ellrodt (class of ‘21), put it best, saying, "The Mahopac Music program has and continues to change my life for the better every day. I have no idea where I would be now if not for this music program." Through the continuous trials of the COVID crisis, Mahopac’s music program continues to work hard for the students, and the spring performances are highly anticipated. “I want to say that I've really enjoyed being a part of the orchestra these past few years.  The music program helped me love performing and I'm honestly super impressed by the hard work and musical successes of the music community here, especially during the pandemic,” said Alexa Tyberg, Class of ‘21. The music program in Mahopac Schools continues to be a hallmark of the community and with a hope towards normalcy, the student musicians of Mahopac High School will be eventually welcomed by completely renovated rehearsal spaces and classrooms as a part of the ongoing Capital Bond Project. 

  Mahopac CSD’s Program provides a robust offering from beginning instruction to college and AP coursework. There are opportunities for all students at all levels to be involved and learn from the top-level educators of the music department. The Mahopac CSD music program is staffed by Elizabeth Day (Austin Rd), Marcia Webb (Lakeview), Jennifer Gilbert (Fulmar Rd), Joseph Seeley (Middle School), Steve Wands (Elementary Band), Don Flynn (MS Band), Rich Williams (HS Band), Heather Palkewick (MS Chorus), Jacob Rhodebeck (HS Chorus), Stas Przymylski (Music Technology), Rob Loprinzo (Elementary Orchestra), Katelyn Tai (MS Orchestra), Evan McGregor (HS Orchestra). 

  About The NAMM Foundation

  The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

  District News & Headlines

• MCSD Recognizes World Autism Month

  April is World Autism Month, beginning with United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Throughout the month, people are encouraged to focus on sharing stories and providing opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, fostering worldwide support.

  Austin Road special education teacher Amanda Giacquinta snapped these fabulous pictures of the hallway decorations and said, “I love walking through the halls and seeing this in honor of Autism Awareness Month!”

  We agree, Mrs. Giacquinta!

  District News & Headlines

• May 1st is Principals' Appreciation Day!

  School Principals’ Day is celebrated on May 1 annually to recognize the importance of principals, from elementary to high school, and all the work they do for the betterment of the school.

  "We appreciate our principals everyday, but a #PrincipalsAppreciationDay is the perfect opportunity to say it loud and proud! Mr. Chadwick, Mrs. Pontillo, Mr. Gilligan, Mr. Cozzocrea, and Dr. Lawrence- you’re the best and we are grateful for you!!"

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac Brings Home Six Awards from WESEF, Plus a Microscope!

  Congrats to the  seven Mahopac High School students whose work was recognized at the Westchester Science & Engineering Fair (WESEF) and to all our students who participated!!  564 students from around the region participated in the virtual fair this year.  MHS sent seven projects and were awarded a total of six awards!

  “Please join me in congratulating all of the MHS Science Research students on their participation in the WESEF.  These students all upheld the MHS Core Values as they completed scientific research despite a global pandemic and I am so proud of all that they accomplished,” said MHS’ Science Research Advisor Elizabeth Stephens who worked with Mahopac’s Science Research program and credits shares her students’ success this year with all of Mahopac, “Thank you to MCSD for continuously supporting the scientific endeavors of our students, and to the entire Mahopac Community for consistently pushing our students to be the best that they can be.Congratulations to our winners and to all our seniors!”

  Alexander Gaspar and Andrea Settembrini: Recipient of the Leason Ellis Team Project Award
  Victoria Longo and Olivia Saturn: Recipient of the Critica Behavioral Science Achievement Award
  Renuka Muralidhar: Recipient of the United States Air Force Award
  Alexa Tyberg: Recipient of a 2nd Place Award in the category of Computer Science
  Maxwell Semegran: Recipient of the American Meteorological Society Award AND Recipient of the Teatown Young Environmentalist Award

  Additionally, MHS was the lucky recipient of a brand new, top of the line Stereo Microscope thanks to a generous donation by Carl Zeiss Microscopy!  

  Here's a complete list of Mahopac's WESEF Categories and Project Title submissions:

  Behavioral and Social Sciences

  Veronika Bilinkski and Kiarra Condon: "Analyzing the Change in Crime Rates Among Different Areas in New York Due to the Outbreak of Covid-19"

  Alexander Gaspar and Andrea Settembrini: "The Relationship of the Platforms Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram with Depression, Stress, and Anxiety in High School Students" (Recipient of the Leason Ellis Team Project Award)

  Victoria Longo and Olivia Saturn: "The Effects of Artificial and Natural Ambient Light on Short Term Memory" (Recipient of the Critica Behavioral Science Achievement Award)

  Nicole Silvagni: "Effect of Owners' Personality on Dogs' (Canis Lupus Familiaris) Behavior"

  Computer Science

  Renuka Muralidhar: "Modeling for Identifying Methane Emissions" (Recipient of the United States Air Force Award)

  Alexa Tyberg: "Investigating Channel-Adapted Bacon-Shor Quantum Error Correction Codes in a Realistic Setting" (Recipient of a 2nd Place Award in the category of Computer Science)

  Environmental Sciences

  Maxwell Semegran: "Aquatic Invasive Species Survey of Lake Mahopac" (Recipient of the American Meteorological Society Award and Recipient of the Teatown Young Environmentalist Award)

  District News & Headlines

• The MHS Drama Company presents Charlotte's Web

  Grab your popcorn and get ready to be entertained by our amazing actors: MHS Drama Company 2021 - Charlotte's Web

   

  "Congratulations to the resilient members of the MHS Drama Company for not letting COVID stop them from producing Charlotte’s Web! They followed the rules and they got it done! Stay tuned for our Spring Musical!" -- Director Chris Purr

   

  Check out the fabulous playbill created by our talented students! Charlotte's Web 2021 Playbill

  District News & Headlines

• Miele Appointed Acting Superintendent, DiCarlo on Medical Leave

  At a special meeting on Monday, March 8, Superintendent of Schools Anthony DiCarlo advised the Board of Education that he would be taking a medical leave. 

  In an email statement shared with the community on Monday after the Board’s special meeting, Mr. DiCarlo said, “The Board of Education and I have full confidence in the strength and teamwork of my cabinet. I look forward to returning to the Mahopac Central School District as we make Mahopac stronger and better.” 

  On March 11 Board of Education Budget Meeting former Mahopac Athletic Director Frank Miele was appointed acting superintendent. 

  “Frank Miele is a legend in the Mahopac school district. A graduate of MHS, he taught here for more than 40 years has come back on a couple occasions to help out,” said Board of Education President Michael Mongon stated at the March 11 meeting. “He was a gym teacher and football coach, a baseball coach who won a couple state championships, an athletic director and assistant principal. Everybody knows Frank,  and it will be a seamless transition. I could not be any happier for our school district.”

  District News & Headlines

• Cote Earns Scholastic Art Honorable Mention for Photography

   

  Holly Cote was recognized with Scholastic Art & Writing Award Honorable Mention for both of her photography submissions. The one of the dog looking into the pool is titled Curiosity and the one of the dog with the dirty face is titled Young.

   

  "I'm honored to be recognized by Scholastic Art Award for doing something that I love," she said when asked about the award. "I look forward to pursuing a degree in interior design where I can continue my passion for art!”

   

  Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for young artists and writers in grades 7–12 and serves as a launch pad for furthering students’ future success by providing them with access to scholarship programs and workshops, as well as the ability to have their work published and displayed in regional and national exhibitions.

   

   

  District News & Headlines

• MHS Artists Featured at Katonah Museum of Art

  Each year, the Katonah Museum of Art celebrates the work of high school senior artists in what has become, as they describe it "a perennially popular exhibition." In addition to having their pieces exhibited, students work alongside Museum professionals to take part in publicizing, curating and installing the exhibition. This year's exhibit, its 38th consecutive, will feature nearly 350 artworks from more than 30 regional schools. MHS Senior Abigail Park was the winner of the Katonah Museum of Art’s annual Young Artists postcard design contest.  

   

  "The digital artwork I created was inspired by the hunger for creativity I see in young artists. I wanted to capture that creativity in a fun and cheeky way: the girl is representational of that spirit in artists, and she's painting the Katonah Museum of Art logo onto a large piece of glass in front of her. In my artworks, I always strive to deliver meaningful messages for its viewers to think about. I'm honored and so grateful to have won this competition, and I hope to always continue creating artwork!"

  Abigail's artwork will be used to promote this year’s exhibition including on the banner and on all other marketing materials. 

  In addition to having their pieces exhibited, students work alongside Museum professionals to take part in publicizing, curating and installing the exhibition. Mahopac High School Art Teachers Kaitlin O'Brien and Sean Flanagan have 11 students participating this year and the submissions span a variety of mediums including digital illustration, colored pencil, mixed media, graphite, acrylic paint, and digital animation. The exhibit is open daily through February 28. For more information visit https://katonahmuseum.simpletix.com/e/62319

  District News & Headlines

• MHS Athletics Hosts Perfect Playcement Webinar

  MHS athletes & families with an interest in playing college athletics were invited to a Zoom to discuss the desire to play college athletics & Character Matters. Organized by Athletic Director Steve Luciana, sponsored by the Booster Clubs and hosted by MLBPA Certified Agent and former non-scholarship Division II athlete Mark Leinweaver, the event was designed for high school parents, students, and coaches to discuss "recruiting" during this pandemic. The session also addressed anti-bullying, volunteering, social media dangers, and how getting cut doesn’t mean a college career is over. 

  Watch a recording of the event here.

  District News & Headlines

• Mahopac Athletes Advocate

  At the Board of Education meeting on January 21, Athletic Director Stephen Luciana and Coach DeMatteo discussed the #LetThemPlay movement in New York and shared this video of the student athletes describing the situation in their own words.

  Read the Lohud coverage of this topic here. 

  District News & Headlines

• #STEAMFair2021

  Mahopac's annual celebration of STEAM is this Saturday, January 23, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Follow this link to the program of events for the day. The award ceremony will be live live-streamed at 2 p.m. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyyGXNnB-fKndXzHrPO_WqA/videos (once the live-stream starts the link will update).

  Please access the STEAM Fair 2021 website using your Mahopac.org username and password. For the security of our students, it will not be accessible without Mahopac credentials. 

  This website includes:

  • Middle School STEAM Fair participants' projects 
  • Information about MHS Science National Honor Society (SNHS)
  • Middle school technology & engineering classes
  • MHS Project Lead the Way (Engineering Class)
  • Science-inspired art projects done by Mrs. Lyons’ class
  • Interactive Math Games hosted by the Math Experts
  • STEAM ITalian - save Venice!
  • Staying Healthy During COVID - participants can win prizes!
  • Gender Equality Club - Learn about the Red Box Project
  • STEAM Week highlights for our 5th grade students

  District News & Headlines

• Letter Signing Day!

  On November 20, parents, coaches, District administration, and teammates gathered on the turf - masked and socially distanced - to  celebrate our student-athletes’ commitment to playing at the collegiate level. The event was broadcast on LocalLive.

  Congratulations Shannon Becker (University Of Notre Dame/Softball), Brett Shane Crecco (Mercy College/Lacrosse), Krista Dietz (Pace University/Field Hockey), Gigi Genovese (Pace University/Lacrosse), Vincent Mariella (Susquehanna University/Baseball), Tatiana Moran (Mercy College/Lacrosse), John T. Nolan (Pace University/Lacrosse), Caitlyn O’Boyle (Tufts University/Basketball), Jack O’Connor (Suny Oneonta/Baseball), and Hailey Pereira (Bryant University/ Soccer)!

  District News & Headlines

• MHS Staff Invited to Present at Regional Curriculum Council

  April Ljumic, High School Assistant Principal, and Kelley Posch, High School MHS LIFE and Math teacher have been selected to present a breakout session for the Putnam|Northern Westchester Curriculum Council’s Virtual Learning Regional Conference, which will be held via Zoom on Friday, December 4, 2020. April and Kelley are co-facilitating a break-out session entitled: “More Than Screens: Forming Lasting Relationships in a Virtual World” with Dan Novak and Catherine Leist from the Center for Environmental Education at PNW BOCES. In this session, teachers and administrators will focus on creating and fostering relationships built on trust in a hybrid and virtual setting. Mahopac High School’s “MHS LIFE” 9th grade program will be showcased for its work in building positive long-term relationships and its collaboration with the Center for Environmental Education of PNW BOCES to continue this great work in a virtual setting. Showcased practices are designed to build empathy, facilitate communication, and encourage lasting personal development and healthy relationships even through a screen. 

  "MHS Life Program is a robust and impactful course that each of our freshmen take, MHS Principal Dr. Matt Lawrence said.  "I am extremely proud that we have been asked to participate as presenters at the Regional Curriculum Council Professional Development Program."   

  District News & Headlines

• Virola Invited to Participate in the National Hispanic Recognition Program

  Jaime Virola, Jr. scored in the top 2.5% on the PSAT/NMSQT among all Hispanic and Latino test takers in the region.  As a result, he has been invited to participate in the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP). 

  “We are extremely proud that Jaime has been honored as part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program,” said MHS Principal Matt Lawrence. “This recognition celebrates his success thus far and the brightness of all that's ahead. Please join me in congratulating him on this outstanding academic achievement.”

  When he learned that he had been recognized, Virola said, “It is not about enduring the hard work, but about loving the work you do. You will be surprised how far anyone can travel if they enjoy the journey.”

  Participation in this program enables students to highlight their outstanding educational achievement to top colleges and universities. In a statement regarding NHRP, The College Board said, “Colleges know that students who have earned this recognition are some of the most talented across the country.

  District News & Headlines

• School Board Recognition Week 2020

  The New York State School Boards Association recognizes October 19 - 23 as #SchoolBoardRecognitionWeek. This is a time to promote awareness and understanding of the important work performed by school board members. The Mahopac Central School District is joining all public school districts across the state to celebrate School Board Recognition Week to honor local board members for their commitment to Mahopac and its children.
  
  “It takes strong schools to build a strong community, and these men and women devote countless hours to making sure our schools are helping every child learn at a higher level,” Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo said. “They make the tough decisions every month and spend many hours studying education issues and regulations in order to provide the kind of accountability our citizens expect.”
  
  Mr. DiCarlo said the key work of school boards is to raise student achievement by:
  • Creating a shared vision for the future of education
  • Setting the direction of the school district to achieve the highest student performance
  • Providing accountability for student achievement results
  • Developing a budget that aligns district resources to improve achievement
  • Supporting a healthy school district culture in which to work and to learn
  • And much more!
  
  “School board members give the Mahopac citizens a voice in education decision making. Even though we make a special effort to show our appreciation in October, their contribution is a year round commitment,” DiCarlo said. “Thank you to the members serving our district President Michael Mongon, Vice President Adam Savino, and Trustees Ben DiLullo, David Furfaro, Lawrence Keane, Lucy Massafra, Tanner McCracken, Ray McDonough, and Michael Simone.”

  District News & Headlines

• Congratulations Max Semegran, NYSSMA All-State

  Max Semegran has been chosen to participate in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State Festival. The festival will be held virtually.

  Over 7,000 student musicians from across the state compete for a spot in one of the eight All-State ensembles. Being named as a violinist is the result of an arduous process including performing scales, a solo or ensemble piece of choice from the designated NYSSMA repertoire, and a sight reading piece. The judges score and comment on the students' performances according to defined guidelines set by NYSSMA.

  “Participating in such a prestigious event significantly benefits students,” said Mahopac High School Orchestra Director Evan McGregor. “I truly wish Max could meet fellow musicians and perform to an in-person audience, but the experience still offers an opportunity to learn and play challenging material. Last year, Max was selected as an alternate but ultimately did not get selected to participate, so this year being able to participate as a full member of the All-State String Orchestra is particularly gratifying. I'm proud of the work he's done and I think a fine example of Mahopac's potential.”

  “In addition to earning a perfect ACT score, being named a National Merit Semifinalist, being a three season athlete, and now NYSSMA All-State, Max is a peer leader, brother, and community member,” said MHS Principal Matt Lawrence. “Over the years we’ve had the pleasure of watching him grow and flourish. We look forward to his All-State performance.”

  District News & Headlines

• Fall Sports Spotlight

  Superintendent Di Carlo and Athletic Director Stephen Luciana talk Fall Athletics in the latest edition of Spotlight https://youtu.be/SA7oTgbWb1w

  District News & Headlines

• MHS Announces National Merit Scholars

  Congratulations to Max Semegran and Alexa Tyberg who were named Semifinalists and Angelo DiTocco for being named a National Commended Scholar in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Competition.

  Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. 

  Each of the students shared his and her reaction to the news. Max stated, “I am thankful to my parents, teachers, and the Mahopac High School administration for all their support. These incredible people facilitated an environment that allowed me to achieve this goal.” Alexa said , “I'd just like to say that I'm excited about National Merit and it was really cool to learn I had qualified for it.” Angelo said, “I didn't expect this to happen, but I appreciate the honor!"

  They received this distinction by scoring among the top 5% of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2021 scholarship program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

  To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

  Finalists will be announced in February 2021.

  District News & Headlines

• Austin Road Welcomes New Assistant Principal

  Michelle Tween has joined Austin Road Elementary as the school’s new assistant principal. 

  “I speak for everyone at  Austin Road in saying that I am pleased to welcome Michelle to the Austin Road Family,” said Principal Bryan Gilligan. “I am grateful to the administration and The Board of Education for working diligently to select someone with the combination of educational experience and philosophy that she brings. I look forward to working closely with her to continue the good work being done at Austin Road to the benefit of all our students. I believe that her passion and dedication to early childhood and elementary education is well-aligned with mine and am confident will make a great team.”

  Prior to joining Austin Road, Mrs.Tween spent nearly a decade as Director of Early Childhood Education at the Chapel School in Bronxville supervising and supporting preschool and K-2 team leaders, teachers, and teacher aides. Her other duties included coaching and observing teachers in instruction, management, and planning. She also created and implemented a schedule and protocol for school-wide faculty instructional rounds to create a culture of collegiality and collaboration. She was a reading specialist and a classroom teacher for Kindergarten, first, and second grades and participated on and led several educational and community committees including chairing the Cultural Competence Curriculum Review Committee.

  “I am thrilled to be joining the Austin Road team. The warm welcome I received from Mr. Gilligan, the staff, and all of the teachers has been nothing short of amazing,” said Mrs. Tween.   “Everything that I was told about the culture of Austin Road is what drew me here, and my experience so far is better than I could have imagined.  Austin Road’s commitment to each other, to our students, and to our families will continue to keep us a truly connected and strong community.” 

  Mrs. Tween, who lives in Eastchester, NY, earned both a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fordham University and a master’s degree in early childhood education and early childhood special education as well as an advanced diploma in school building leadership from The College of New Rochelle. She returned to Fordham to earn an Ed.D in Educational Leadership, Administration & Policy and is planning to graduate in 2021.

  District News & Headlines

• A Great First Day of School

  Students returned to the Mahopac schools on Friday, Sept. 10, kicking off a new school year full of hope with  full-time, in-person learning.  

  “It’s great to have everybody back,” Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo said. “Socialization is such an important part of education. We’ll not only have in-person learning, but the full return of all athletic seasons, extracurriculars and co-curricular programs that add so much to student development.” 

  The joy students felt at seeing their friends and teachers was easy to see as they stepped off buses to schools that some had not seen in 18 months. 

  The transition grades – kindergarten, first, sixth and ninth – started on Thursday to give the youngest students time to adjust to a new building.

  At Mahopac High School, the educators designed a schoolwide scavenger hunt to give the freshman a fun way to explore the building on Thursday. There was a lot of laughter heard as students checked off boxes and searched out each new location.  At the last stop, they got to meet the assistant principals. 

  Every school in the district had a unique way of welcoming new and returning students. 

  “It’s a credit to the district to be able to have us here five days a week,” said Austin Road Elementary School Principal Bryan Gilligan. “After last year, I think everyone has a new appreciation of sending their kids to school.”

  District News & Headlines

• An exciting first day

  Students returned to the Mahopac schools on Friday, Sept. 10, kicking off a new school year full of hope with full-time, in-person learning.  

  “It’s great to have everybody back,” Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo said. “Socialization is such an important part of education. We’ll not only have in-person learning, but the full return of all athletic seasons, extracurriculars and co-curricular programs that add so much to student development.” 

  The joy students felt at seeing their friends and teachers was easy to see as they stepped off buses to schools that some had not seen in 18 months. 

  The transition grades – kindergarten, first, sixth and ninth – started on Thursday to give the youngest students time to adjust to a new building.

  At Mahopac High School, the educators designed a schoolwide scavenger hunt to give the freshman a fun way to explore the building on Thursday. There was a lot of laughter heard as students checked off boxes and searched out each new location.  At the last stop, they got to meet the assistant principals. 

  Every school in the district had a unique way of welcoming new and returning students. 

  “It’s a credit to the district to be able to have us here five days a week,” said Austin Road Elementary School Principal Bryan Gilligan. “After last year, I think everyone has a new appreciation of sending their kids to school.” 

  
  
  

   

  District News & Headlines

• An exciting first day

  Students returned to the Mahopac schools on Friday, Sept. 10, kicking off a new school year full of hope for full-time, in-person learning.  

  “It’s great to have everybody back,” Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo said. “Socialization is such an important part of education. We’ll not only have in-person learning, but the full return of all athletic seasons, extracurriculars and co-curricular programs that add so much to student development.” 

  The joy students felt at seeing their friends and teachers was easy to see as they stepped off buses to schools that some had not seen in 18 months. 

  The transition grades – kindergarten, first, sixth and ninth – started on Thursday to give the youngest students time to adjust to a new building.

  At Mahopac High School, the educators designed a schoolwide scavenger hunt to give the freshman a fun way to explore the building on Thursday. There was a lot of laughter heard as students checked off boxes and searched out each new location.  At the last stop, they got to meet the assistant principals. 

  Every school in the district had a unique way of welcoming new and returning students. 

  “It’s a credit to the district to be able to have us here five days a week,” said Austin Road Elementary School Principal Bryan Gilligan. “After last year, I think everyone has a new appreciation of sending their kids to school.” 

  
  
  

   

  District News & Headlines

• 2021-2021 Budget Vote and School Board Election Results

  Here are the unofficial results of the Budget Vote:

  Budget Vote Result: YES 917- NO 694

  Proposition 2 Result: YES 967- NO 702

  Board of Education Vote Results
  Lucy Massafra 724
  Joaquim Mota, Jr. 491
  David Furfaro 767
  Michael Martin 780
  Roger Duran 571
  Allison Mueller 685

  District News & Headlines

• Austin Road Students Sign Song of Thanks

  When Austin Road Elementary students can't sing together (check out the video here!), they sign together instead! Music teacher Elizabeth Day, using technology and sign language, helped her students perform "Thanks a Lot" by Raffi in celebration of Thanksgiving and in gratitude. Enjoy!

  The Lyrics of the song are:

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for Sun in the sky.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for clouds so high.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for whispering wind.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for the birds in the spring.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for the moonlit night.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for the stars so bright.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for the wondering me.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for the way I feel.

  Thanks for the animals,
  Thanks for the land,
  Thanks for the people everywhere.

  Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for all I've got.
  Thanks for all I've got.

  District News & Headlines

• 2020-2021 One Page Calendar

  This Calendar includes school breaks, holidays, and color cohort days for the entire 2020-2021 school year. *Please refer to specific communications from schools for building specific changes and updates.* 

  District News & Headlines