If you like something a CCSD staff member has done, tell us at compliments@carmelschools.org. Likewise, if there is an area you think needs improvement, send an email to complaints@carmelschools.org. Both email addresses will go directly to School Superintendent Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben and to the Board of Education President Melissa Orser.
Community members can sign up for our Carmel Central School District News group through ParentSquare to stay up-to-date on district news and events. You will receive weekly e-newsletters as well as other updates with important district information. Current parents and staff are automatically subscribed to receive e-newsletters.
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing safety, communication and equity districtwide, Carmel Central School District has launched a new communication tool, Anonymous Alerts®. This tool enables students or parents to report urgent information to school officials quickly, easily and anonymously across all our school campuses.
Dear Carmel Community:
Our kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year is now open. To qualify, children must be five years old by December 1, 2025 and live within Carmel Central School District boundaries.
Here is the link to the kindergarten registration: New Student Registration - Carmel Central School District.
If you know someone with a kindergarten-aged child, please share this email so they can register the child for school. Thanks!
Respectfully,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Families,
As we approach the upcoming standardized testing period for students in grades 3-8, I want to take a moment to reaffirm our collective commitment to the academic growth and success of all our students.
Standardized testing is a key component of our educational system, providing valuable insights into student learning, the effectiveness of instruction and overall school performance. The data from these assessments helps us tailor teaching strategies to better meet individual student needs and evaluate the strength of our districtwide curriculum.
We understand that standardized testing can bring a range of emotions for students, parents and educators alike. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the testing experience is as positive and supportive as possible, in alignment with our goal of fostering a nurturing and effective learning environment.
To address concerns about potential stress or anxiety, our district has implemented strategies to create a calm and supportive atmosphere during the testing period. These strategies include clear communication with students about the purpose of the assessments, the provision of helpful resources and guidance on effective test-taking techniques. We encourage open and ongoing dialogue between parents, teachers and students to ensure that we approach the testing process together in a constructive and collaborative way.
Additionally, I would like to stress the importance of student participation in the testing process. The data we gather from these assessments not only highlights areas for growth but also plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving the academic standards of our district.
Thank you for your continued dedication to supporting quality education and fostering a positive learning environment within Carmel Central School District. If you have any questions or concerns about the testing process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s principal or the district office.
We truly appreciate your partnership in helping our students thrive.
Respectfully,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
February 13, 2024
Dear Carmel Community:
This has been quite a stormy winter, and I think we could use a break about now, so I hope you all have a fun and relaxing winter recess.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead this district. In the past several months, I have seen how deeply this community cares about its children and its schools. I am grateful to have the support of a talented staff that is dedicated to making sure students have access to opportunities that will help them grow.
It’s great to work in a district where residents and staff are so engaged.
School resumes on Monday, February 24. I look forward to welcoming our staff and students back then. Enjoy the precious time with your families.
Regards,
Dear Carmel Community:
Come discuss the draft Proposed 2025-2026 School Budget with me on Wednesday, February 12, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. in my office at the District Office. Everyone is welcome to just drop in for coffee, conversation and to review the draft budget. If the time doesn't work for you, email me at emeehan@carmelschools.org to schedule a time.
Regards,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community:
I am reaching out today to provide an update on the Town Hall held on January 28 and to keep you apprised of important information from NYSED. I also want to reaffirm our district’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that every student in Carmel feels safe, welcomed and valued.
We had an amazing turnout at last night’s Town Hall meeting at Carmel High School.
More than 75 district residents attended and learned about our strategies to make certain that Carmel schools are welcoming, affirming and safe places for all. After the presentation by District Equity Team members, residents broke into groups and discussed their ideas about our district’s strengths and ways we can improve. We also looked at external opportunities and threats that could prevent the district’s work. Each group then presented their ideas, outlining a framework for the district’s most important next steps.
“I am thrilled by the turnout,” Board of Education President Melissa Orser said. “This was a collaborative assignment. I hope we can take all this information and move our work on equity forward.”
In the coming days, I will compile all the information, share it with the entire Board, meet with my administrative council and immediately focus on improving our schools.
The district continues its commitment to support all our students. We would like to draw your attention to a recent guidance document from the Office of the Governor, Attorney General and State Education Department New York State’s Guidance on Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students. Our policies and practices are in alignment with this guidance.
Here are a few important points to keep in mind:
As this is a rapidly changing environment, we are working closely with our school attorneys and the New York State Education Department to ensure we have the most current and accurate information. Additionally, we have shared resources with our administrators to support our students and their families during this time.
We are responsible for every child’s educational journey. Please be assured that we in the Carmel schools take that responsibility seriously. All students in the Carmel schools will continue to have access to education that informs, challenges and helps them grow.
I am so grateful to be working in such an engaged, child-focused community.
Respectfully,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community:
I would like to update you on the status of our January 28 Town Hall meeting.
When we announced the meeting, we said that it would be a community conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion, and be led by a specialist from U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service.
A lot has changed, however, in the weeks since I sent that announcement. Now, given the Trump administration’s recent ban on DOJ participation in any diversity, equity and inclusion work, there will not be a representative from the DOJ at our meeting.
More than ever, we are now relying on you to join us for the Town Hall. Let’s work together to create a welcoming, affirming and safe environment for all our schools. The meeting will be in the Carmel High School Library on Tuesday, January 28 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
As planned, our meeting will still include a presentation by the District Equity Team, which will be followed by a breakout session where you will help assess the Carmel Central School District’s strengths and weaknesses.
I really hope to see you there.
Respectfully,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community:
After listening to stakeholders throughout the Carmel School Community, I have put together a Leadership Plan that is designed to reflect the mission, vision and core beliefs of the Carmel Central School District.
This plan allows us to maintain District strengths, add revisions to areas in need of improvement, increase opportunities and promote an inclusive environment for all. It will serve as our guiding document as we move forward to make Carmel Schools the best they can be.
Respectfully,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Dear Carmel Community,
This is my first Thanksgiving in Carmel since I lived here as a child many decades ago, and I am excited to be back in the community I have always considered home. I want to tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve as your Superintendent of Schools.
As I spend time in our school buildings, I am constantly surprised by the talent, diligence and kindness of our students. They give us so many reasons to be proud. Their success, of course, stems from the dedication and hard work of our teachers and staff. I am grateful to work with such devoted professionals.
Working in a community that shows such support for its schools is another reason I am so glad to be here.
I hope you find space over the long, busy weekend to spend time with friends, family and our great community – things we can all be thankful for.
Respectfully,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community:
I am happy to announce that the Carmel Central School District will be starting a Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program in January 2025.
We will be hosting three Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Informational Nights to share information about the following:
The three informational sessions will be held November 14 & November 21 from 7:00-8:30pm at the Matthew Patterson Elementary School and November 26 at 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Kent Elementary School. All sessions will offer the same presentation, so you only need to attend one session. We are providing three sessions to make it convenient for families.
There is no need to register for this event. Please come and learn more about the UPK program that will start on January 6, 2025.
Please reach out with any questions.
Thank you,
Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
I want to reassure you that the safety and security of your children and our entire school community is our highest priority. In the Carmel Central School District, we are dedicated to creating a safe environment where every student can learn. While events like the tragic school shooting in Georgia are deeply unsettling, I want you to know that we constantly take proactive measures to protect our schools.
The Carmel Schools utilize a nationally recognized, evidence-based threat assessment model developed with the help of our safety consultants, Altaris Consulting Group. This model brings together a team of administrators, mental health professionals, law enforcement, and other key personnel to evaluate and address potential threats. Early detection and prevention are crucial, and we created an Anonymous Alert system so students, staff, and families can report any concerns immediately. Every reported threat is investigated thoroughly and with the utmost care.
The Safety and Security Capital Project that the community endorsed this spring has helped us strengthen our buildings and ensure that we know who is in them. We are in the process of installing swipe key access on all doors and intruder-resistant security film on all ground level windows and doors. We have also implemented a visitor management system in each school for identification checks against databases.
But technology alone is not enough, that is why we focus on training and preparing our staff to respond effectively in any situation. Each school in the district has a detailed emergency plan and conducts training drills regularly to focus on prevention and response. Local law enforcement partners with us during these drills to ensure a coordinated and swift response in emergencies.
Maintaining a safe learning environment requires constant evaluation and improvement. Beginning at our next meeting, the Board of Education will review our reunification plan. That is one of the Board’s safety goals for the year. As things change, we review and update our protocols to make sure they align with best practices in school safety.
These are challenging times, but we remain dedicated to transparency and collaboration with our families. We know that prevention is key. To that end, we believe in early intervention, multidisciplinary threat assessment teams and creating a school culture that encourages students and staff to report concerns. In the Carmel Central School District, our focus on safety is an essential part of both our daily operations and our long-term planning.
Sincerely,
Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben
The stage is set for an unforgettable evening as Carmel High School’s Music Production Workshop presents the spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors. After months of hard work and dedication, the production will come to life on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, with tickets available online at chsperform.booktix.com.
With nearly 75 students involved, from the talented cast and crew to the pit musicians, this musical promises to be a vibrant showcase of Carmel’s artistry. One of the standout features of the show is Audrey 2, the iconic man-eating plant. This incredible puppet requires both a crew member and an actor to bring it to life.
CHS librarian Karissa O'Reilly hosted school librarians and library support staff from Briarcliff, Chappaqua, Dover, Fox Lane, Hendrick Hudson, Ossining, and Somers. The Library Intervisitation Series is organized by Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES’ School Library Systems.
"Each of us who host have a theme to focus on for the visits," O'Reilly said. "Mine was 'Building Community through Collaborative Spaces' and I shared ideas for how we can design spaces and programs that establish our libraries as a thriving community hub for the school. After taking a tour of the library and seeing the ways the space encourages students to interact and use their voice, we tried an interactive message board of our own. "
March is Disability Awareness Month and the Carmel Central School District has a lot of informative, helpful and interesting activities planned. Please take a look at the attached schedule. We look forward to seeing you.
George Fischer Middle School celebrated George Fischer's 129th birthday with a pep rally!
Heather Carlson’s second grade class at Kent Primary School LOVES to read! So, what better way to spend a windy, cold day than snuggled up with a good book! The class came to school in comfy clothes or pajamas and brought a favorite stuffed animal and a blanket from home. The students worked together to make forts, grabbed some flashlights and books and spent a large portion of the afternoon reading in their creations for Read Across America Week. They brought books from home and utilized the classroom library, sharing the joy of reading with each other. The teachers even brought their books and joined the class in their forts to read.
Many middle schoolers dream of travel, but Joseph Rocco Goldberg put his dreams down in a poem that was so good it got published in a local magazine.
Joseph, a George Fischer Middle School sixth grader, had his poem “To Travel” published in Chronogram Magazine, a monthly journal of arts and culture in the Hudson Valley.
Joseph wrote the poem last year, when he was in Michelle Lynch’s fifth grade English class.
“I started writing poetry in fifth grade,” Joseph said. “Writing didn’t always come easy to me, but I found poetry super fun. We were able to speak or write about anything we wanted.”
Joseph’s poem begins with this stanza:
To travel
Is to find a home.
Or complete a goal.
Maybe just for fun
Because traveling is for everyone.
Carmel Central School District residents who volunteer with fire departments or ambulance corps will see a 10 percent reduction in their school taxes in return for their service.
The Carmel Board of Education voted February 25 to give volunteers with at least two years of service a 10 percent cut in the property tax assessment of their primary residence. The vote was unanimous.
“For example, the impact in the Town of Kent would result in an $800 savings for each person receiving the exemption,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Ken Silver said.
The reduction would cost the remaining taxpayers 1.2 cents on every thousand dollars of assessment.
“If your home is assessed at $400,000, the property owner would be paying $4.80 in addition each year for the volunteers who are risking their lives,” Silver said.
More than 35 volunteers attended the board meeting and School Board President Melissa Orser thanked them for keeping the community safe.
“We are giving you a little bit back for giving us a lot,” she said.
The volunteer tax break will help the entire community in the long run.
“Anything we can do to assist with local fire companies’ recruitment and retention benefits the entire community,” said Trustee John C. Curzio II. “If we ever had to go to a paid fire service, town taxes would increase as much as 50 percent, which would result in a huge burden on our community.”
About 100 students participated in the George Fischer Middle School Science and Technology Fair. The students in grades 5 through 8 created projects in the categories of physical science, biology, earth science, invention and mathematics. Volunteer judges examined the projects and named winners in each grade in every category.
"If you ask me, every student who participated was a winner," said Science Fair Co-Advisor David Robin. "These kids put so much work into this and they are so creative. It's amazing what they came up with and what they discovered.
See the full list of winners here: GFMS Science Fair 2025 winners final.pdf
Carmel High School Senior Jasmine Hall won a Silver Key Award in Illustration for our region in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards competition. The nationwide arts competition is among the most prestigious recognition programs for creative teens.
Jasmine entered her drawing of “Fish of the United States,” which she drew in colored pencil on an actual map of the United States.
“It’s only 47 fish because three states don’t have state fish,” Jasmine said. “I did a lot of research, and I spent a lot of time on it, but I didn’t expect to win anything. I hadn’t yet checked my email that day, so it was a complete surprise. My teacher put the digital version of the certificate on the screen, and I saw it when I came to class.”
Jasmine started drawing in 7th grade and got more serious when she entered high school. She has taken seven art classes at Carmel High School. She’s currently in Advanced Placement Drawing and Portfolio Preparation, a class that is for students who intend to pursue careers in art.
Come see the brilliant and creative experiments that George Fischer Middle School students have created for this year's Science and Technology Fair. The Fair opens to the public Saturday, February 15, 10:00 a.m., in the GFMS gymnasium with the Awards Ceremony immediately following. (The snow date is March 1)
"We've seen a lot of great experiments," said David Robin, who is Science Fair Co-Advisor along with Paul D'Amore. "This year is going to be great."
Seventh graders Owen and Michael experimented with how to store energy. "I realized there was a big problem with batteries," said Owen, 13. "I didn't come up with a solution, but I thought I could contribute some ideas."
Students in all grades will compete in the fair and experiments will include everything from magnetic attraction to how to best care for plants.
There might even be some yummy experiments. Seventh grader Genevieve baked chocolate chip cookies to compare the effect of different amounts of Baking Soda. Her display will include a lot of cookies.
Fifth grader Lillyana measured the gravitational pull on various planets in our solar system. "I wanted to see how much a 100-pound person would weigh on different planets," said Lillyana, 10. If you've eaten a lot of those cookies, you might want to find out which planet will make you weigh the least.
They used to say you had to know someone to get a book published.
Not anymore.
Fourth grade reading students at Matthew Paterson Elementary School published their own books using Book Creator, the online publishing software.
Reading Teacher Janine Avitabile recently gave her students the chance to each present their books to their class.
“Our focus was winter holiday traditions that ranged from Christmas, Ramadan and ended with our New Year's resolutions,” Avitabile said. “They each got to tell the story of their own family traditions.”
The students wrote the story and chose the photos. They even created the design, picking their own fonts and adjusting the sizing and layout of their images.
Students in the P.A.C.E. (Personal Academic and Community Experience) Program at Carmel High School have been busy making healthy dog biscuits and collecting items for the Putnam Humane Society.
Speech-Language Pathologist Laura Blaha said teaching pre-vocational skills helps P.A.C.E. students prepare for life after high school.
“We are always looking for ways for our students to learn vocational skills,” Blaha said. “Making dog biscuits teaches skills like following a recipe and directions, identifying items in a kitchen, working with others and vital communication skills.”
Occupational Therapist April DeFrancesco also pitched in and helped the students learn rolling, measuring, pouring and cutting skills.
The students rolled out the biscuit dough and cut it into shapes like bowties and hearts using cookie cutters. Unlike cookie dough, however, the dog biscuit dough was kind of tough.
The Journal News did a story and video about Matthew Paterson Elementary School's newly renovated school library. It's on @lohud. The library was dedicated to recently retired Head Custodian Larry Kershaw, who oversaw the project. See photographer Frank Becerra Jr.'s photo essay and video here: https://bit.ly/3El3CcO
Third graders in Kent Elementary School celebrated Lunar New Year with a noisy art project.
Art Teacher Rachel Berry first asked the students in Kenneth Ryan’s third grade class what year they were born. Many said they were born in 2016.
“That’s the Year of the Monkey” Berry said. “They say it means you are creative, talented and have influence over people, but that you can also be easily discouraged.”
That got the students’ interest.
“That part is not me, getting discouraged,” Everly said. “If people make fun of me, I don’t care.”
Lunar New Year is a holiday widely celebrated in Asia, Berry said. Then she helped them create Pin Drums, which are used to make loud noises during parades and celebrations.
The students cut out circles, colored in pictures of dragons, firecrackers, snakes and more. They fastened strings tied with beads to a circle of oak tag so the beads could make a loud noise when flipped back and forth.
“This makes me want to go to China now,” Lucas said. “Chinese food is the best.”
In studying Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Carmel High School Media Literacy Class looked at the ways the Civil Rights leader communicated his message in the 1960s and how he might effectively communicate today.
“King was a powerful writer and speaker,” Library Media Specialist Karissa O’Reilly said. “His books, letters, essays, sermons, and speeches were a big part of how he was able to spread his message and mobilize people. In class, we talked about how people spread messages in the Civil Rights Era and compared them to how we communicate today.”
The class, which is an elective open to students in grades ten to 12, looked closely at King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. In the 60s, it was published in many different magazines and newspapers.
"It would be a lot easier to share this letter today," said Kiersten Motta, who talked about how it could be posted and shared online.
The letter is around 7,000 words, and the class also discussed how it might be presented in today's media — with visual pull quotes and other ways to drawing attention to it in the sea of information we see when we scroll.
Carmel High School students got some insight into what it’s like to be a woman in leadership when two Carmel Central School District administrators visited their class last month.
Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Lauren Santabarbara and CHS Assistant Principal Allison Golan spoke to students in the college-level Racism, Classism and Sexism course about the impact that hidden biases can have on women at work.
First, Santabarbara showed how symbols for companies like Mercedes, Amazon, Baskin Robbins and McDonald’s can trigger recognition and emotions related to a brand.
“Every child knows what McDonald’s is,” she said. “From early on, those images are burned in our brain. We don’t even have to talk about them to know what they mean.”
This led to the kind of high-level discussion often found in college classrooms.
Students at Carmel High School have many opportunities to earn college credit. The school offers 36 Advanced Placement or dual enrollment college classes for which they can get credit at SUNY and several other colleges and universities.
GREASE is the Word!
Indeed, for the George Fischer Middle School Drama Club students who will be performing “Grease: School Version” at the end of January, Grease has been the word for months.
Since October, 47 actors and dozen or so crew members have been busy singing, dancing, acting and building sets to bring this beloved rock and roll musical to the Carmel schools.
The Drama Club will present “Grease: School Version” on Friday, January 24 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, January 25 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
You can purchase tickets in advance online for $18. Tickets at the door will be $20 and cash only.
One group of four-year-olds served their teacher a make-believe breakfast while another played with building blocks and a third practiced cutting out pictures.
It was a busy day in Carmel Central School District’s first Universal Pre-Kindergarten program, which started on Monday, January 6.
“We want to teach them everything they need to know before kindergarten, but we do it in a fun way,” said Theresa McCaffrey, Executive Director of Little Leaf preschool in Carmel.
Little Leaf is one of three preschool programs chosen to provide services to the 75 students who enrolled in Carmel’s first semester of universal pre-kindergarten. Creative Kids and Kids Cottage preschools are also hosting the program.
School Superintendent Erin Meehan-Fairben made starting Universal Pre-Kindergarten one of her first goals for the district. The program, which is funded through state and federal grants, is provided at no cost to district families.
“The benefits of early childhood education are clear, and include improved school readiness, better academic performance and a reduced achievement gap,” said Dr. Fairben, who took over as Carmel’s School Superintendent in July and got to work right away to ensure that all of Carmel’s students would have access to good preschool education. “It is an investment that lasts a lifetime.”
As the students rotated through the four fourth-grade classrooms at Matthew Paterson Elementary School, they made coats of arms, stained glass, illuminated letters and castles – some with modern-day twists.
In Michael Dwyer’s classroom, the students used K’NEX building toys to create castles that would do any royal family proud. One group of builders even put their castle on wheels.
“Castles don’t use wheels,” nine-year-old Chace said to his teammates. “That’s castle-ing 101.”
Pretty soon, though, Chace went along with his group’s idea and started adding wheels. When the group rolled its castle up and down the aisles, their classmates all laughed.
Middle Ages Day was the culminating activity of the reading unit that fourth graders had just completed in the district’s Core Knowledge Language Arts, or CKLA, reading program. The unit had them reading, writing and learning the vocabulary of medieval times.
“They learned all about the Middle Ages, so everything they are creating now is building on their prior knowledge,” Teacher Anastasia Amelio said. “It’s more than just ‘Oh, this is cool.’ These are activities that tie it all together.”
Musicians from Carmel High School returned to their roots on Friday and performed for students in the elementary schools they once attended.
Band Teacher Meghan Cabral introduced the musicians and gave the youngsters a hint of the kinds of instruments they can learn to play as they move up in the grades. Orchestra Teacher Peter Ballantoni wore a fitting Santa hat as he led the string instruments in playing holiday favorites.
The Kent Elementary students, wearing their coziest winter pajamas, gathered in the cafeteria for the show. They sang, swayed and clapped along to the music.
“We opened for the Rockettes on Tuesday at Radio City Hall in New York City,” Chorus Teacher Bryan Lynch told the Kent Elementary students. “You are now going to get to hear the songs we sang for the Rockettes.”
Superintendent's Leadership Plan 2024-2027
The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the George Fischer Middle School. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by an immediate entry into a 30-minute Executive Session. The public portion of the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.
Community members who wish to speak during the public comment section of the Board meeting are asked to sign up in advance using our Public Comment Sign-up Form here: https://forms.office.com/r/SnQBCFWYy8
Board meetings will continue to be live streamed on this page. Committee meetings are open to the public.
Nominating petitions for prospective Board of Education candidates are now available! This year, three vacancies exist on the Board of Education for the seats of Trustee Paraskeva, Trustee Dall and the vacant seat of Trustee Crocco. The seats will be filled by the three candidates with the highest number of votes as follows:
A minimum of 65 signatures are required to nominate a candidate. To receive a nomination packet, please contact Joanne Stevens, district clerk, at jstevens@carmelschools.org or (845) 878-2094 x201. Packets must be submitted to the district clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 21, 2025.
The next Board of Education Policy Committee Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in the District Administrative Building, Executive Conference Room, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Committee meetings are open to the public.
Upcoming Board of Education Committee Meetings:
Special Education, Support & Wellness Committee: 04/8/25, 5:30 p.m., Matthew Paterson Elementary School, Library
Facilities & Transportation Committee: CANCELLED - 03/25/25, 5:30 p.m., Kent Primary School, Library; Next Meeting - April 22, 2025, CHS, Library Lab, 5:30 p.m.
Audit, Finance & Personnel Committee: 04/8/25, 5:00 p.m., Matthew Paterson Elementary School, Room 166
Policy Committee: 04/03/25, 6:30 p.m., Administrative Office, Executive Conference Room
August 14, 2024
Dear Carmel Central School District Community,
After our board meeting on August 13, 2024, the board has carefully listened to and reflected on the sentiments expressed by some members of our community. Now, we need your help in moving forward.
We heard from many of you who felt unwelcome or unsafe at our board meetings. We want to make it clear that the board stands united in denouncing all forms of discrimination, prejudice, harassment, bullying, and hate. We are dedicated to supporting all of our community.
Our mission at Carmel Central School District is to educate the whole child in an environment free of bullying, harassment, and discrimination. We have received numerous letters, emails, and concerns brought to us at the podium, and we are committed to addressing them, as we have historically done, with our mission at the forefront.
We ask for the community’s collaboration in maintaining a respectful and inclusive atmosphere at our board meetings. The board needs to focus on the district’s important business with our new superintendent while adhering to the standard of conduct outlined in our Code of Conduct.
We ask for your adherence to our Code of Conduct as we strive to create a welcoming, affirming and productive environment for all members.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
Respectfully,
Board of Education President Melissa Orser
Vice President Dawn Dall
Trustee John C. Curzio II
Trustee Jordi Douglas
Trustee Jason Paraskeva
Cc: Superintendent of Schools
If you like something a CCSD staff member has done, tell us at compliments@carmelschools.org. Likewise, if there is an area you think needs improvement, send an email to complaints@carmelschools.org. Both email addresses will go directly to School Superintendent Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben and to the Board of Education President Melissa Orser.
Community members can sign up for our Carmel Central School District News group through ParentSquare to stay up-to-date on district news and events. You will receive weekly e-newsletters as well as other updates with important district information. Current parents and staff are automatically subscribed to receive e-newsletters.
Community members who wish to speak during the public comment portion of a Board of Education meeting are asked to sign-up in advance using our Public Comment Sign-up Form or by contacting the District Clerk four (4) hours prior to the meeting at jstevens@carmelschools.org. The sign-up form will also be available at the meeting for anyone who wishes to speak and did not sign up in advance.
These individuals will be called upon during the scheduled public participation section on the agenda. To facilitate follow-up, please provide your name, telephone number, email address, and mailing address, as well as the topic of your comments. Speakers are limited to five (5) minutes each. No district employee or student may be commented upon or identified by name or situation.
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing safety, communication and equity districtwide, Carmel Central School District has launched a new communication tool, Anonymous Alerts®. This tool enables students or parents to report urgent information to school officials quickly, easily and anonymously across all our school campuses.
Recordings of Board of Education meetings and presentations from those meetings are available to the public.
BOE Committee Meeting: Policy
