Putnam Valley Central School District

Newsletter

Building a Foundation for the Future

Letter from Dr. Luft

Dear Putnam Valley Community,

The Putnam Valley School District once again recognized the many first responders that live and/or serve within our community through a series of special events, including a First Responders Community Read Aloud at PVES and an Apparatus Showcase at PVMS. We know that many members of our community serve in these critical fields, either as a volunteer or as a professional; we are a community of first responders. If you are a medical professional, a member of law enforcement or the fire services, in the military, or serve in any other role as a first responder, please consider participating in our event this Friday at PVHS during our football game, beginning at 5:30pm.

It is truly an exciting time here in Putnam Valley! As we shared during our last board meeting, the Garrison Union Free School District is considering offering Putnam Valley High School as an option for their students. Garrison UFSD currently serves students in Grades K-8 and has for many years allowed their students to choose between O’Neil High School in Highland Falls and Haldane High School in Cold Spring; Putnam Valley High School would become a third option.

In recent weeks, two separate groups of board members from Garrison have visited Putnam Valley High School. During a recent public discussion of the potential partnership, one member of the Garrison Board of Education used the following to describe Putnam Valley: “If I were writing a story about high schools for The NY Times Magazine, I'd do a story about Putnam Valley. It is an extraordinary place, and they are doing things there that I don't think are being done in most high schools...” These words are wonderful to hear and are a testament to the hard work of our teachers, staff, and administration; with the support of our board of education and community. Putnam Valley has become a school district that others are watching and taking note of all the great things that we are doing on behalf of our students every day.

It continues to be an honor to serve the Putnam Valley School District and the Putnam Valley Community. Thank you to our students, faculty, and families for continuing to make us proud every day!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeremy Luft

Superintendent of Schools

Putnam Valley Central School District

Website

Building Community at PVHS

September was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and, on September 23rd, Ms. Schoetz and the Media Production Club ran a fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Research. The Club was able to raise over $350 for the cause. The school also came out in force dressed in teal to show their support, including faculty and staff!

In late September, the Young Historian Society went to help Putnam County Veterans and Parks Department set up the Traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial at the Putnam Veteran Park on 301 in Carmel. This 80% replica of the actual wall in Washington DC still has the ability to evoke much emotion and gratitude. The PVHS students also took part in the day by kicking off the reading of names. It was impressive and meaningful to witness our students navigate through every part of the day. There is no doubt that the connections they made will last a lifetime.

Welcoming Ms. Zecca!

We are delighted to welcome Ms. Jamie Zecca to our Middle School as the Interim Middle School Assistant Principal. Ms. Zecca comes to us with 17 years of experience teaching middle school for the New York City Department of Education. She is a passionate educator with expertise in literacy, data, and academic intervention, and she is laser-focused on successful outcomes for all students! In these first few weeks of school, Ms. Zecca has been focused on learning about the community, getting to know the students, faculty, and families. We welcome Ms. Zecca and look forward to watching her lead beside Mr. McCarty this year!

Did You Know?

Our Counselor and Clinician team developed a Family Resources page for PVCSD families that they share with the school community. This site provides connections to food pantry information, mental health resources, and other important information for the community. Check out the Family Resource page using the link below!

Click here to view the page.

PVES Begins our Fourth Year of Mandarin Lessons!

We are so fortunate to again be working with PNW BOCES to provide our K - 3 students with weekly Mandarin Language classes again this year. In previous years, Ms. Sharon Lum provided this enrichment to students in grades K - 2, and she recently began teaching Mandarin full time at the Middle School and High School. This year, PVES welcomes Ms. Tina Lei, Mandarin teaching assistant, to our building to continue the work with our K - 3 students. These 30-minute Mandarin lessons at the ES support the growth of language acquisition and cultural awareness with our students. Our current third graders are taking Mandarin classes for the fourth year in a row!

#TigerPride Alert: Congratulations to our NYSSMA Candidates!

Haley Craane (Voice) and Atticus Lee (Clarinet) have been selected for the 2022 NYSSMA Zone 10 Area All-State Music Festival. This is a two-day festival where the top student musicians from Putnam, Dutchess, and Columbia counties come together and work under the baton of college directors with a concert series culminating on Saturday, November 19th. These two students were selected based on their exceptional 2022 NYSSMA solo scores.

Congratulations to both Haley and Atticus!

Our Field Hockey team is heading to the semi-finals, beginning with Hastings this Thursday at 4:30pm. Come out and support these awesome Tigers!

PV Volleyball is gearing up for Sectionals next week on 11/1! We are excited to see how far this record-breaking team will go!

Color Run Fun and the Upcoming Trunk or Treat!

Our PVEF hosted its annual Color Run at the Putnam Valley Town Park on October 16. Students, faculty, administrators, and families came out in full force - and full color! - to enjoy the day and support the PVEF. We thank the PVEF for hosting this and other great events, like the upcoming Trunk or Treat on October 30. Check out the link below for more details about Trunk or Treat, and join us at 2pm in the Putnam Valley Middle School parking lot this Sunday for a spooktacular event!

Click here to visit the PVEF site and learn more about Trunk or Treat and other ways to get involved!

About the PVEF:

The PVEF is a non-profit organization that enhances our students’ education. This year the PVEF was able to fund grants over $8k back to the PV schools. These grants support innovative projects and programs outside of the school budget. The PVEF hosts 4 fundraising events throughout the school year; the Color Run, Trunk or Treat, Auction & Apps, and Casino Night. We rely on our community attendance to support these initiatives and look forward to our upcoming events in the new school year! Questions?

Visit pvefny.org for more information and to contact the organizers.

PVCSD Calendar: A Helpful Planning Tool!

With the holidays fast approaching, we know busy Putnam Valley families juggle many special events and school performances, especially when you have children in different buildings! Keep track of the great opportunities for connection and celebration with our color-coded district calendar, located here on the website and updated regularly. High School events are in BLUE, Elementary events are GREEN, and Middle School dates are RED. This is a one-stop-shop for all of the exciting dates to keep in mind for Putnam Valley Schools!

Our Mission

The PVCSD, in partnership with our families and community, will ensure that all students are engaged in a challenging, student-focused educational program, understand and assume their responsibility for life-long learning, work to achieve their personal best and become productive citizens in a diverse global society.

Putnam Valley Central School District

(845)528-8143

171 Oscawana Lake Rd

Putnam Valley, NY 10579

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