Message from the Superintendent |
|
Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had an enjoyable holiday and that our students and staff have recharged and are ready for a productive 2023.
As you will read in this week’s newsletter, please join me in congratulating our newest NYS Master Teachers, Jennifer Cauthers and Kelley Posch. These motivated High School teachers are two of 221 teachers across the state selected. Ms. Cauthers and Ms. Posch are joining a cadre of more than 1400 Master Teachers that already include High School teachers Tricia Fuller-Johnson, Michael Mahoney, Frank Rizzo, and Elizabeth Stevens. I am continually impressed by all of our staff members for their dedication to our students.
Mahopac is a wonderful community where many of our graduates have remained or returned and have families of their own. With the support of the Board of Education, the District is establishing an Alumni Network. We hope that this forum will reconnect alumni living in Mahopac and beyond as well as provide additional support and resources to our current and future students. If you are a graduate of Mahopac High School or you know someone who is, please complete or forward this introductory survey: Mahopac Alumni Registration Form. Thank you in advance for completing and/or sharing this link.
Also included in this newsletter is a new feature titled, “Did You Know?” Each week, a different fact related to our school district will be shared.
Lastly, several months ago I informed the community that the water system for the High School, Middle School, Mahopac Falls School, and Bus Garage had improvements through the Capital Project. However, there were concerns with the water testing associated with turning the system back on. While it took much longer than anticipated, today we received word from the Putnam County Department of Health that our water system meets with their approval. All restrictions are now lifted and water fountains and bottle filling stations will be reactivated next week. I thank the entire community for your patience during this unforeseen situation.
Sincerely,
Christine Tona
Superintendent of Schools
|
|
Learning About Winter Adaptation in Mahopac's Elementary Schools |
|
How do different animals survive when the winter weather turns cold? Ask Austin Road and Fulmar Road Elementary school students! |
|
A visit from educators with Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES Center for Environmental Education (CEE) offered the students many insights into how various animals adapt when their habitats become colder and when resources become scarce.
“When an animal like a hedgehog goes into hibernation, it slows its body way down, including its heart,” said CEE educator Julia King.
The CEE educator mimicked the rate of a hibernating creature’s heartbeat by clapping in a slow rhythm.
“It seems like it’s not beating at all!” said Abigail, an Austin Road first grade student.
Students got to see some examples of animals that use different strategies to survive in the winter, and even got to meet a few such animals.
|
|
One class of Fulmar Road third graders were introduced to Mona Lisa, a painted turtle.
“Make sure that you only touch the shell,” educator Samantha Pierce said, “and make sure to wash your hands after.”
One student asked what Mona Lisa did during the winter. Pierce explained that painted turtles experience “brumation”—a state of sluggishness—when it gets cold outside and they hibernate under water.
While preparing to play a game to illustrate why some animals migrate during the winter, Pierce posed the question to the class. A third grader named Titus spoke up.
“They leave to get to someplace warmer with more food,” the student said.
As the students at Austin Road and Fulmar Road Elementary discovered this week, understanding the ways in which animals adapt to changes in their environments is a critical part of understanding the natural world.
|
|
MHS Teachers Join the
NYS Master Teacher Program
|
|
Two Mahopac High School teachers have been selected for their skill and dedication to teaching to join the New York State Master Teacher Program. Jen Cauthers and Kelley Posch have proven themselves to be exceptional examples of New York State high school educators and will continue to lead by example into the future. |
|
The Master Teacher Program is a network of over 1400 K-12 STEM teachers from all throughout New York State.
“They are very selective,” said Cauthers, the MHS Anatomy and Living Environment teacher. “You have to go through a very extensive application process, documenting all of your professional development and not just your background in education.”
On top of all of the professional development and work required to apply, the Master Teacher Program requires that teachers not only know their curriculum, but are able to teach it in a way that makes it tangible and applicable for their students.
|
|
“We get the question ‘when am I going to need this’ all of the time,” said Algebra teacher Posch. “Making those real-world connections by turning the subject into more relatable tasks is critical for getting students invested in what they’re learning.”
Both Cauthers and Posch have met the NYS Master Teacher Program’s high standards as teachers and have displayed a high level of dedication to their students. Both teachers intend to use the connections created through the Master Teacher Program to further their abilities as educators and that of other teachers across New York State.
“There’s a couple of us from across the program that are in the health sciences and we’re hoping to form a network so that we can work together,” Cauthers said.
“The NYS Master Teacher Program is a great avenue for teachers to grow and share their skills with other teachers,” said Dr. Matthew Lawrence, principal of Mahopac High School. “Thank you to Ms. Posch and Ms. Cauthers for being examples of professionalism to the MHS family.”
"The entire Mahopac Central School District is proud of Ms. Cauthers and Ms. Posch for their extraordinary efforts in becoming leaders in their craft," said Superintendent of Schools Christine Tona. "These two teachers join High School colleagues Tricia Fuller-Johnson, Michael Mahoney, Frank Rizzo, and Elizabeth Stephens who have already earned the designation of Master Teacher. I commend and thank all of these teachers for their dedication and professionalism."
|
|
|
|
1/11 - Middle School Curriculum Night
1/16 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Schools Closed)
|
|
The MHS class of 2022 earned 3,927 college credits through 29 courses offered for concurrent high school and college credit. |
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
