Putnam Valley Central School District

Newsletter

Building a Foundation for the Future

Letter from Dr. Luft

Dear Putnam Valley,

We are excited to be back in the full swing of the school year. Summer was incredibly productive at the Putnam Valley School District. Thanks to the dedicated work of our custodial staff, our buildings were transformed back to their pristine condition, having completed several new projects. At the Elementary School, hallways have been revitalized with a new coat of paint, offering students and staff a bright and welcoming environment. Many bathrooms received a much needed makeover, with the remaining facilities scheduled to be updated in the next couple of years. Our Middle School reopened with a new student support suite, housing our clinical staff members and a much needed conference room. Several classroom spaces have been updated to accommodate the needs of our instructional programs. Improvements have been made to the wellness trail, upper field at the Elementary School, and athletic facilities, including new bullpens on the baseball field. These projects, along with many smaller ones across our buildings, are made possible thanks to our talented staff members in the buildings and grounds department.

Throughout the summer, our buildings were bustling with a variety of professional learning opportunities and academic programs. Earlier in July, we hosted a Regional Leadership Institute at Putnam Valley High School, welcoming administrators from across the region to learn together. Our extended school year program, summer boost programs, and Kindercamp have filled our classrooms with eager and enthusiastic students. Each of these programs provides invaluable opportunities for those students needing additional support, and we are so grateful for the dedication of our leaders, instructional staff, and teaching assistants.

Many of our classrooms now feature new interactive BenQ displays, replacing the older Newline boards. This new technology offers teachers a range of instructional tools and improved connectivity. Training will be provided in the coming months to ensure a smooth integration of this technology into our classrooms. These enhancements to our learning environment are the result of the district technology department’s commitment to supporting both infrastructure and instructional needs.

Last summer, we announced the district’s newly adopted C.O.R.E. Values. These values are the product of collaborative efforts involving parents, students, staff, administration, and community members, each contributing feedback on what is most important. These C.O.R.E. values will serve as our guiding principles and focal point for all future endeavors. Last year, we focused on the first of these values, Community. This year, we will turn our attention to Opportunity, as we continue to explore ways to build on last year's successes.

District C.O.R.E. Values:

Community: Empathetic learners who take great pride in their school community.
Opportunity: Courageous learners seeking opportunities to improve themselves and support others.
Resiliency: Joyful learners who display resiliency when faced with challenges.
Empowerment: Reflective learners who empower themselves and others to always be better.

There is much to celebrate as we look forward to the upcoming year. We continue to receive feedback from recent graduates, applauding their preparedness for post-secondary learning thanks to the work of our dedicated staff members and the rigorous academic program they were provided. Last school year, we welcomed three students from the Garrison School District into our high school. We anticipate welcoming fourteen students this upcoming school year, representing well over half of the Garrison School District’s rising ninth graders. It is evident that Garrison students and parents have taken notice of all we have to offer in the Putnam Valley School District.

After several years of hard work, Putnam Valley Middle School will seek authorization to be recognized as an International Baccalaureate School offering the IB Middle Years Programme. This anticipated authorization is a testament to the hard work of our administration and instructional staff, especially the teacher leaders who have guided this work over the past few years. At the Elementary School, our staff will further implement the Scholastic Reading program and phonemic awareness, while placing increased focus on writing across the curriculum.

As always, there is much to be proud of in Putnam Valley. Our buildings have reopened, and we welcome back our students, staff, and new dynamic educators joining our team. Please watch for important information from our school building leaders throughout the school year. We are excited for another fantastic year filled with incredible opportunities for our students and staff.

Dr. Jeremy Luft

Superintendent of Schools

Welcome Back Students and Staff!

Welcome Back, PVES!

PVES students are all smiles as we welcome back grades 1 - 4 and introduce our new kindergarten students to the community! Our kindergarten bus run on August 22 was a huge success, allowing our youngest learners a chance to ride the bus for the first time and meet their teachers before school officially began. Parents of our new kindergartners had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Podesta and others about what their children's first year of school would be like.

Our elementary students are diving into the Science of Reading with a new program supporting phonemic awareness: Heggerty! Each day, the K-2 teachers use sounds and hand motions to help children learn how to break apart and chunk words, strengthen their understanding of letter and vowel team sounds, and grow in their understanding of how letters and sounds work. The Heggerty Program supports the Scholastic Literacy and Fundations programs to help children learn how to decode, encode, and comprehend what they read. We are so excited about this work!

New Year, New Learning Opportunities at PVMS

The start of the school year has been nothing short of exhilarating. The energy buzzing around our hallways is palpable, with students reconnecting with friends and getting into the rhythm of their new schedules. The kickoff of our Middle Years Programme has been very exciting, as our teachers and students begin to discuss the IB Learner Profile and our Approaches to Learning. Additionally, our young scientists had a blast at the "Science in September" fair, experimenting and showcasing their innovative projects. This month has set the tone for a year filled with curiosity, camaraderie, and countless opportunities for our students to shine.

Thanks to Ms. Denise Hajkowski and PVMS Assistant Principal, Ms. Zecca, who secured a grant for all of our PVMS students to attend a full day of outdoor learning experiences at the Taconic Outdoor Education Center. Students engaged in fun and challenging team-building exercises and strategy games that helped them build important skills and great connections with one another! Thanks so much to the TOEC team and to our colleagues for making this happen for our students!

New PVMS School Counselor Ms. Malagiero and her Therapy Dog - Murphy

Dear PVMS Families,

Happy September! My name is Kristina Malagiero, and I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new middle school counselor working with our current 5th and 7th grade students. Our school counseling program will allow students and me to interact in various settings, including classroom SEL instruction, individual and small group counseling, and lunch bunches. I am here to help support every student's social, emotional, and academic success. I am excited to work with you and your children and support them through their middle school years.

I am also pleased to introduce Murphy, a canine friend. Murphy is a certified Therapy Dog; he is a gentle and loving Golden Retriever who will be available to work with students, providing comfort and support when needed throughout the school year. Therapy dogs have been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and create a more positive school environment. Murphy is friendly, well-trained, and excited to join our school community!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to an incredible year working with you and your children!

Sincerely,

Kristina Malagiero

School Counselor (5th /7th Grade)

kmalagiero@pvcsd.org

Save the Date:

First Responders Events

We are thrilled to welcome back our First Responders events! If you are a First Responder and a member of the Putnam Valley community, please consider joining us at one or all of the following events:

October 24: PVMS Youth Corps Visits

October 25: PVES First Responder Classroom Visits

November 1:

PVHS First Responder Football Game Recognition Ceremony -

First Responders should arrive at 5:30 pm to lead our team onto the field.

6 pm Kickoff.

If you or a family member are a first responder and would like to help us recognize and celebrate all first responders please click here:

https://forms.gle/bKPWDWcusZpEpQcY9

For more information about these events please email jdenike@pvcsd.org.

Enthusiastic Opening at PVHS with Big Buddy Program!

PVHS Big Buddy Program: Seniors are partnered with incoming freshmen at the beginning of the year to help them with the transition to high school. Plenty of thought and planning goes into training the Big Buddies and empowering them to create positive connections. Thanks to Ms. DiSiena and Ms. Penta, our Big Buddies are prepared to set a positive tone for the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

Welcome Freshmen! Thank you Seniors!

Our First International Baccalaureate Evaluation

An important part of becoming an International Baccalaureate World School is going through a rigorous evaluation process every 5 years. This includes closely examining and revising our curriculum, assessing our school environment and culture, and reflecting on our journey as well as the future of the program and the school as a whole. This entire process takes almost a full year and involves many stakeholders, from teachers and leaders to parents and board members to students. Last week, we engaged in the last stage of the evaluation process, which included a visit from two experienced IB consultants They held conversations with multiple stakeholder groups to hear about Putnam Valley's journey to becoming an IB School and the opportunities and experiences afforded to all students as a result of being part of an IB For All School. We were so delighted to be able to showcase our high school and share all of the successes we have had since implementing the Diploma Programme several years ago. Our IB Coordintor, Vin DeGregorio, worked closely with building leadership to plan the visitation and ensure our guests could hear from many members of our school community.

PVHS Athletics: Important Updates and Dates

Homecoming Football Game - 10/10 @ 7:00PM

Senior Nights (Subject to Change) - Celebrations begin prior to the start of the game. Game times listed below.

Girls Soccer - 10/2 @ 5:00PM
Field Hockey - 10/7 @ 4:30PM
Cross Country - 10/7 @ 5:00PM - Away at North Salem HS
Volleyball - 10/10 @ 4:30PM
Cheerleading - 10/10 @ 7:00PM
Football - 10/10 @ 7:00PM
Boys Soccer - 10/17 @ 5:00PM

First Responders Night Football Game - 11/1 @ 6:00PM

PV Superstore is BACK!

Click here to place your order

Tigers Unite! Let's show our Tiger Spirit by cheering on our teams!

Game Schedules Here

Choose your team to see your schedule

Get Involved!

PTA and PVEF Want YOU!

Our parent partnerships are so important to the success of our school community, and the best way to get involved is through our Putnam Valley Parent-Teacher Association and our Putnam Valley Education Foundation. Both organizations are looking for parent volunteers to help with events like Pocketbook Bingo, School Picture Days, book fairs, Trunk-or-Treat, assemblies, and more! Click on their logos to learn more and connect with the organizers!

PVEF Welcome Letter - HERE

Last Call for Spirit Wear!

Complete this form by September 27 to receive t-shirts, hoodies, and more!

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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