October 2, 2023

Letter from the Superintendent

Dear Mahopac Community,

As the first month of school is behind us, I am so proud of our students’ transition into the new school year. I am always impressed during my classroom visits and the many activities and opportunities that our staff provides to our students. As we begin October, I hope that the entire community will join us for Homecoming on Friday, October 6th at Mahopac High School at 7 p.m. We are excited to cut the ribbon on our new turf field just prior to kickoff.

Please join me in recognizing all of our staff members in the Buildings, Grounds, and Custodial department as today is their Appreciation Day. Our building custodians, cleaners, groundskeepers, and supervisors, under the leadership of Tim Walsh, work in all types of weather, year-round, to keep our facilities clean, safe, and beautiful. I am constantly impressed with their wide scope of abilities as we are able to do so much work "in-house" due to the efforts of these individuals. This year's opening was a true testament to their work this summer to prepare our schools and grounds while a huge amount of capital project work took place in every building. 

Later this month, we will be recognizing our Board of Education, a group of Mahopac residents who selflessly volunteer their time, expertise and energy in governing our school district. These nine individuals provide fiscal oversight, develop policies, and meet several times each month at committee meetings, work sessions, and Board meetings to discuss and vote on the operations of the District. We will highlight their work in a future newsletter.

I am very excited to share that beginning today, the Mahopac CSD District Office is located at the Falls School at 100 Myrtle Avenue. My office along with human resources, and the business office is joining the administrative offices of curriculum and instruction, special education, technology, and buildings and grounds. Having all of the offices under one roof improves collaboration and efficiency.

Finally, enjoy this edition of our newsletter as we highlight some of the wonderful activities happening in our schools. This edition kicks off a new feature where we recognize new staff in our schools. Have a wonderful October!

Sincerely,

Christine Tona

Superintendent

Science Research Student Works to Improve Ear Health

While some high school students spent their summer at the beach or the pool, Mahopac High School senior Samiksha Mogallapalli was doing research that might someday improve hearing for many people.

“I worked with the auditory sciences group at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals,” said Mogallapalli. “I worked in a lab on research on ear-related disorders. One day, this research could help to improve ear health across the country.”

Mogallapalli is a part of Mahopac High School’s Science Research Program, which allows students to delve into the research process, make their own discoveries, and contribute to the greater scientific community.

“It was a full nine-to-five, five-days-a-week experience. I would meet with my mentor at the beginning of the week to discuss my research for the week, but I was on my own a lot of the time. I got to spend most of my time working on my research in the lab.”

Mogallapalli, who has always had a strong interest in science, said her experience at Regeneron was invaluable.

“I had to manage my time well because I had a lot to do and was working with busy scientists. I also had to take great notes, not just in the lectures, but also about lab work and my methodology.”

Science Research Program students gain valuable perspectives on future education and careers through the program. Mogallapalli said the science research program helped her see a future in the sciences. 

“There were career panels that gave me insights about what I could possibly do in the future related to pharmaceuticals. I got to spend time at group lab meetings where I got to sit with scientists from the auditory sciences group,” Mogallapalli said. “It was an eye-opening experience. I wasn’t sure when I started my project, but now I know that I want to do research like this. I want to become a scientist and get my PhD.”

Mahopac High School’s Science Research Program is in keeping with the district’s Vision Statement, “to become Schools of Excellence that produce exceptional members of society.” The program promotes academic excellence while empowering students to direct their own learning. Mogallapalli and other students in the Science Research Program will complete and present their research at symposia and competitions later in the year.

Meet Austin Road Elementary's Newest Teacher

The Mahopac Central School District has seen an influx of highly qualified new teachers this year. We will introduce them through a monthly feature in Mahopac Matters.

Jessica Morelli came to Mahopac from New York City, where she taught for eight years. She now co-teaches kindergarten with Kristin Voorhis at Austin Road Elementary.

"I knew that I wanted to teach kindergarten ever since I was in kindergarten," said Morelli. "I love to do small group activities because each child learns in a different way and that makes you meet the students where they are. We incorporate hands-on activities, technology, and anyway that I can keep them moving because that helps them stay focused."

This Week in Photos

Students Get Hands-On with

Stop Motion Videos and Marble Tracks

Mahopac Middle School seventh and eighth-grade students got a hands-on education this week in Scott Hocutt's technology class when they built marble tracks out of sticks, construction paper, and hot glue and created stop-motion videos.

"Students need time to experiment and learn with their hands. I wanted to make that a priority, so this year we got right to building," said Hocutt.

Students in Hocutt's classes are doing everything from building marble tracks to creating stop-motion videos. Hocutt flew from group to group around the classroom, providing instruction on frame rates of videos and showing students how to build corners into their tracks. Whenever anyone was stuck, Hocutt was there with advice and encouragement.

Mahopac's Elementary School Teachers

Hone Their Skills

The Mahopac Central School District aims to provide the best possible education for students and that starts with Mahopac's incredible teachers. Mahopac's elementary school teachers got together all week last week for professional development with Sharon Forman, former Mahopac teacher, and current Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES educator. Teachers developed ways to better communicate and teach math concepts to students at all levels of elementary school. Providing teachers with professional tools and training is the first step in cultivating student success stories.

Mahopac Advocacy Committee Looking for Applicants for the 2023-24 School Year

The Mahopac Advocacy Committee is a committee of parents, community members, School Board Trustees, and the Superintendent of Schools dedicated to giving the Mahopac Central School District a voice on policies that impact education. The Mahopac Ad Hoc Committee is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year.

Mahopac residents can click here to submit a letter of interest.

Lakeview Elementary Hosts Gourmet

'Book Tastings' for Students

With the school year well underway, Lakeview Elementary's Denise Hembury, Sandra Bogdan, Leanna Capetillo, and Michelle Savino transformed their classrooms for 'book tastings'. Thanks to the Lakeview PTO, which donated the supplies needed to transform the third-grade classrooms into gourmet Italian restaurants, students donned chef hats and perused a wide selection of books, from story books to nature magazines.

The Board of Education adopted a new mission statement on August 22, 2023, which is: The Mahopac CSD develops educated, upstanding citizens with practical life skills through rigorous preparation for the real world.



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Mission Statement

The Mahopac CSD develops educated, upstanding citizens with practical life skills through rigorous preparation for the real world.