February 17, 2023
Message from the Superintendent
Dear Mahopac Community,

I hope you have been enjoying this taste of an early spring. It has been wonderful to see our students outdoors during many of my school visits. This week included celebrations of friendship and kindness on Valentine’s Day as well as the milestone of the 100th Day of School. We have many student athletes to celebrate as our Winter athletics season is winding down and Section finals and playoffs are underway. Good luck and Go PAC!

Budget season has begun and the 2023-2024 school budget is being developed. Please be sure to review the monthly presentations to the Board of Education. You can access them on the District website. Mark your calendars for the Budget Vote and Trustee Election on May 16, 2023.

The New York State Education public comment period regarding the Mascot will close on February 28, 2023. You are invited to share data, views, or arguments regarding the mascot regulation. I submitted a statement which you can read here: Statement from Superintendent Regarding Mascot. The Board of Education Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy recently met and developed a letter template addressing this unfunded mandate. The Board of Education adopted this letter template which you may access here. Should you wish to send this letter to the New York State Education Department or share your opinion on the mandated mascot change, the email address is Regcomments@nysed.gov.

As the Winter recess is upon us, I hope our students and faculty enjoy the opportunity to spend time with friends and family, relax, recharge, and take advantage of the mild weather. Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Christine Tona
Superintendent of Schools
Mahopac Alum Engineer
Visits MHS Students
George Samuels II, a 2013 graduate of Mahopac High School, returned to Mahopac High School with three of his colleagues from IBM on Tuesday to speak to students in the school’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program about careers in engineering.
 
Jasmine Herd, a firmware engineer, and Alex Vazquez Zavala and Seth Robinson, both of whom are hardware engineers, joined Samuels, a software engineer.
 
“I want you guys to put on your engineering hats and try to make a bridge across the ‘Hudson’,” Samuels said, as he introduced a hands-on activity for the students.
 
Samuels pointed toward a makeshift bridge made of paper straws and scotch tape spanning a short distance between two desks. A pouch containing coins was suspended from the middle of the straw bridge.
 
The teams were challenged to create similar bridges, with the one supporting the greatest weight and coming in at the lowest budget being declared the winner. Students were in a creative frenzy, working quickly and efficiently to make the best use of their limited resources.
“Be careful with the tape!” one student said as his teammate held their entire 20-inch allowance of scotch tape loosely in the air.
 
Teams were limited to a “$200” budget for building materials, straws and tape, and teams whose projects came in under budget would have an advantage at the end. Some teams resolved to try and make efficient use of as little of their funding as possible, while others decided to focus on building the strongest bridges possible within their allowances.
 
“We’re going to use the full $200 budget,” said sophomore Madelynn Behrendt.
 
Mahopac’s future engineers were excited to stress test their creations and to speak to Samuels and his colleagues about their careers and the future. Herd explained that she came into her position without going through the traditional college route.
 
Join the new Mahopac High School Alumni Network by filling out a quick and easy form here.
This Week in Mahopac
Mahopac's Elementary Schools Celebrate
The 100th Day of School




It's hard to believe that the school year is already half over, and as the 100th day of school approached, Lakeview, Fulmar Road, and Austin Road Elementary took the opportunity to celebrate all of their students' hard work so far this year. Students' efforts this year appeared to have put a few years on them when all of the kindergarten classes came in dressed as centenarians, but they had no shortage of energy to partake in fun, educational activities.
MMS Health Fair
Mahopac Middle School students participated in a Health Fair today in the MMS cafeteria. Students got to partake in interactive exhibits and displays hosted by Mahopac's own health and PE teachers. The theme of this Health Fair was "I Love Health."
RICE Basketball Three-Point Competition






Mahopac High School's RICE Club hosted a basketball three-point competition this week for both members of the club and for any other interested MHS students. Congratulations to Elisha Fearon for winning the competition.
Celebrating Valentine's Day in the MCSD





The Mahopac Central School District celebrated love and kindness this week for Valentine's Day at all of its schools. Check out these photos from Fulmar Road Elementary School where students wore reds, pinks, and hearts to celebrate the day.
MHS Science Research Needs Judges

2/20 - 2/24 - Schools closed: Winter Recess
2/27 - BOE Public Hearing and Special Meeting on Tax Exemptions
Brendan White, MHS Class of 2016, has been invited to Spring Training as part of the 40 man roster for the Detroit Tigers. He attended Siena College on a baseball scholarship and was drafted by the Tigers in 2019.
Mission Statement
To prepare each and every student for college and career readiness, and
to educate all students to be responsible and productive members
of the global community.
Mahopac Central School District
179 East Lake Boulevard, Mahopac, NY 10541-1666
Phone: 845-628-3415 Fax: 845-628-5502
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