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:
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
Dear Carmel Community,
Welcome to the 2024-25 school year!
Whether your child just took their first kindergarten bus ride, walked the halls of the middle school for the first time or is a senior who knows the ropes at Carmel High School, there is so much to look forward to.
As your new Superintendent of Schools, I am beyond excited about all we can accomplish together. I look forward to connecting with you and I encourage you to reach out. If you like something a 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 me and to the Board of Education President Melissa Orser. We feel so strongly about listening to you that the Board adopted an open communication policy – Policy 1400 – at the last meeting.
I also hope to see many of you at a Meet and Greet on September 11 at 6 p.m. at Carmel High School Library. Refreshments will be served and children are invited.
In addition, the Board recently adopted a new Code of Conduct, which follows state regulations will hold everyone in the Carmel Central School District -- including students, families and staff -- to one standard of conduct. We will talk about this more in the coming weeks and months, but I wanted you to have a chance to read the document and discuss it with your children. I have scheduled a town hall meeting about Restorative Practices, which are the foundation of the Code of Conduct, for September 17 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Matthew Paterson Elementary School Cafeteria. Please email me at emeehan@carmelschools.org to participate so that I can plan for refreshments and space.
We have a lot to accomplish in the 2024-25 school year, and I cannot wait to get started.
Sincerely,
Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben
Superintendent of Schools
As your Superintendent of Schools, I am excited to lead the Carmel Central School District into the future to continue and build on the proud tradition of cultivating opportunities. The leadership transition of a new superintendent represents a new chapter filled with opportunities for growth and
development. I have put together this First 100 Days Plan to share with you how I will transition into the district.
Sincerely,
Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben
It is my pleasure to officially introduce myself to the Carmel Central School Community. I consider it a true privilege to have been appointed your new Superintendent of Schools and to have taken the oath of office last evening during the district’s reorganization meeting.
The Carmel Central School District has earned a reputation for academic excellence. The boundless opportunities offered beyond the classroom are exemplary and provide enriching learning experiences for students at all levels. As an educator for 32 years, I wholeheartedly value the programs and services Carmel already has in place, and I am committed to building upon them to ensure that current and future students have opportunities to explore their interests and find their true passions.
In addition to the robust educational program, it was the level of community involvement that drew me to this district. I witnessed this sense of pride as I underwent the interview process and have experienced it firsthand over the past few days, as each of the faculty members, parents, students, and residents I have met have been extremely welcoming and helpful. Please know that it is my intent to make every effort to foster and cultivate this practice to ensure the continued success of our students, schools, and community.
While serving as your Superintendent of Schools, I plan to be accessible to all stakeholders and maintain an open door for communication. I encourage and welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you have about our schools and can be reached directly at emeehan@carmelschools.org or 845-878-2094 ext. 200.
It is an exciting time for the Carmel Central School District, and I am looking forward to the year ahead. Please accept my best wishes for a happy and healthy summer.
Sincerely,
Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben
Dear Carmel Community,
It is not every day that we get to share news about something that is going to save families in the Carmel Central School District a lot of money. So, we are very excited to tell you that, starting December 1, 2023 school breakfast and lunch will be free for all students in all our schools.
This program, which is funded by a New York State Education Department grant, will save families $1,130 per child per year. Families with two children will save $2,260 per year. Three-child families will save $3,390 per year, and so on. These savings are based on a grant that allows Carmel schools to provide students with a free breakfast and lunch every school day through June 2027.
Additional meals may be purchased at the following prices: breakfast at the elementary schools, $1.50; breakfast at the middle and high schools, $2.00; lunch at the Elementary School, $3.35; lunch at the middle and high Schools, $3.65. There is still an additional cost to purchase à la carte items such as snacks, bottled water, extra portions and secondary beverages.
It is important to note that the no-cost breakfast and lunch program is not retroactive. Any negative debt incurred prior to December 1, 2023, will remain on the student’s account until payment is received.
Previously, only certain families qualified for free meals through New York State. I want to thank Director of School Food Services Patrick Rodia and his assistant, Christine Foltmer, for ensuring that every child who was previously eligible for free meals was enrolled. Their efforts made our entire school district qualify under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and receive the funding granted by the New York State Education Department. Now, what was once limited to a few students is available to all.
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below. If you have any questions, please contact the Food Services Department at: carmelfoodservices@carmelschools.org
Sincerely,
Joseph McGrath
Interim Superintendent of Schools
----
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)?
A: The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a funding option under the National School Lunch Act that allows eligible schools to provide free meals to all students.
Q: Do I need to fill out an application for my child to receive meals at no cost?
A: No, families do not need to fill out an application for their child to gain eligibility for breakfast and lunch at no cost.
Q: What does CEP cover for my child?
A: With the CEP designation, all Carmel Central School District (CCSD) enrolled students can receive one healthy breakfast and one nutritious lunch per school day.
Q: I am new to the District and/or the Food Services program - what does a healthy lunch entail for my child? What about breakfast?
A: A healthy lunch always consists of five components: a protein, grain, fruit, vegetable, and milk. To be considered a full meal, children must choose at least three of these components, including either a fruit or vegetable. A full breakfast consists of four components: two grains (main entree), one cup of fruit/juice or a vegetable, one cup of milk. Students must choose three of the four components offered with one of those components being a fruit/juice or vegetable.
Q: Can my child still purchase snacks and à la carte items? What about a second breakfast or lunch?
A: Yes, snacks and à la carte items (including milk) are available. However, students will need cash or funds in their prepaid accounts to make these purchases. Also, only the first breakfast and first lunch of the day are free. A student would need cash or funds in their prepaid accounts to pay for a second breakfast or lunch.
Q: How can I add funds to my child’s account to make those types of purchases?
A: You can add funds by sending a check or cash in with your child or virtually through MySchoolBucks, an online school meal payment system. To avoid the fee, students can always pay with cash for their purchase. In addition, parents may send in a check or cash to be added to the student’s prepaid account.
Q: What if I already have money in my child's account for meals? Can I get it back?
A: Parents can either request a refund from the Food Services Department or leave the funds in their student’s account for à la carte items or snacks. Please send an email to carmelfoodservices@carmelschools.org to request a refund. Please include the first name, last name, and ID # of the student. Also, include parent/guardian name and address where the reimbursement check should be mailed. Please note that depending on the volume of requests, refunds may take up to 45 days to process. If there is an automatic replenishment of funds set up on your student's MySchoolBucks account, please discontinue this feature before requesting meal account reimbursement.
Q: What if there is negative debt left on my child’s account?
A: Free breakfasts and lunches are not retroactive, and any negative debt incurred prior to December 1, 2023, will remain in the student’s account until payment is received.
Q: What if my child brings their own lunch and just wants some milk or a piece of fruit?
According to State guidelines, to access the free meal benefit, a child must take what counts as a full meal, which means choosing at least three of the five components (including a fruit or vegetable) that make up the meal. Food Services staff will guide your child in understanding what constitutes a full meal.
Q: Does funding for school meals come out of my school taxes?
A: No, meals and food at schools are not funded by your school tax dollars. Instead, the funding comes from Federal and State taxes.
October 16, 2023
Dear Carmel Community,
We are excited to announce two evening events for the staff and community called “Unity in our Community” Participants will have the opportunity to attend two sessions, exploring and building on shared experiences working toward a vision of unity for the community. These events will be held at Carmel High School Gymnasium at 6:30 PM on October 25th and November 2, 2023. I hope that you will be able to join us as we stand together in our efforts to stand against hate.
October 25 Unity in our Community - led by Matt Latimer Lead Conciliation Specialist, U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service.
Carmel High School Gymnasium at 6:30 PM
A follow up to the Dialog on Race
This interactive session will provide informational sessions on the district’s progress and offer attendees the ability to craft action steps to build on prior work.
November 2, 2023, Unity in our Community - led by Steve Goldberg, Education Specialist, Holocaust and Human Rights Center.
Carmel High School Gymnasium at 6:30 PM
Exploring the Symbols and Language of Hate
A symbol is a concept that expresses, represents, stands for or suggests an idea, quality, belief, action or material object. Symbols can be neutral or positive. But symbols can also become negative through association. Are symbols — both verbal and nonverbal — protected by the First Amendment? This interactive presentation will explore the language and symbols of hate, with specific emphasis on the swastika. Strategies on how to work with students on this challenging topic will be discussed.
Please let us know if you are coming by completing this form: https://forms.office.com/r/U87aXTUk6u
Sincerely,
Joseph McGrath
Interim Superintendent of Schools
November 2, 2023
Dear Carmel Community,
|
These days, school districts are facing difficult issues nationally. Students react to reports on the news and conversations at the dinner table and, before you know it, national and world events spill over into our hallways. As you have seen from our previous communications, the Carmel Central School District has not been immune to the issues we see on the nightly news. We have notified you about a number of incidents of swastikas being drawn on school property. We send those notices because we do not want to normalize antisemitism or make hate speech of any form acceptable in our schools. We value the safety of every student in our schools, regardless of background, so we call out hate incidents in real time. Tonight, we will take an academic look at these symbols, their history and their meaning. Food will be served. Last week, we held the first Unity in Our Community event and looked at the progress our district has made in the past few months and what more we can do to create a school culture where everyone feels valued. Tonight Thursday, November 2, our second Unity in Our Community event -- Exploring the Symbols and Language of Hate – will be held at Carmel High School gym at 6:30 p.m. It will be led by Steve Goldberg, Director of Education at the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center in White Plains, who will address the question of whether symbols are protected by the First Amendment. “The uptick in recent years in racism, antisemitism and homophobia have our attention,” Goldberg said. “This presentation will explore the language and symbols of hate, with specific emphasis on the power of words and the swastika and the noose.” In addition to the meetings, we have also put together a list of resources to help families talk with their children about difficult subjects, including how to combat antisemitism, violence in the news, explaining the news to kids, and about being good a digital citizen in a diverse community. I hope to see you at tonight’s event. |
| Sincerely,Joseph McGrathInterim Superintendent of Schools |
George Fischer Middle School music teachers Erika Wahlers and Eric Pecor took a dozen 7th and 8th grade students to perform at the 51st Annual Tuba Christmas at Rockefeller Center on Sunday, December 15.
The GFMS musicians joined nearly 300 tuba and euphonium players from as far away as England, Germany and Alaska who gathered in in front of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center to play Christmas carols on their horns. The players ranged in age from 11 years old to 77 years old.
Dr. Christian Wilhjelm, the Music Director of the New Jersey Wind Symphony, conducted the players in holiday classics including “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” “Deck the Halls,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “The First Noel.”
As a thrilling finale to their third CKLA Unit on Human Body Systems, students embraced the challenge of stepping into the shoes of first-year medical students in Aimee Pagano's 3rd grade classroom. They embarked on an exciting journey through six “medical rotations” set up throughout the classroom, which was transformed into a bustling hospital environment.
Once or twice a month, students in Stephanie Ryan's third grade class at Kent Elementary School are visited by a mystery reader. This week, the clues to the mystery were: "He walks around a lot, has a beard and can do The Griddy."
The last clue was a give-away, and some students knew that Principal John Fratto would be the mystery reader. The Griddy is a dance that originated with football players in the end zone.
"Fratto often makes visits to the classroom and has gotten to know students, and because of this, they have gotten to know him as well," Ms. Ryan said. "I mean, what’s cooler than having a principal who can do The Griddy?"
Mr. Fratto read the book "Enemy Pie," by Derek Munson, which teaches a valuable lesson about not judging people before you truly get to know them. The principal and teacher selected the book because sometimes children are quick to make judgments, and they thought a funny, realistic fiction story might help some of them with real life situations.
If you’ve driven to Carmel High School recently, you’ve likely noticed the construction on Fair Street.
The $30 million road improvement project, which will significantly improve safety, traffic flow and infrastructure in the area, will widen Fair Street from Simpson Road to Route 52. It will also add sidewalks and streetlights from Hill and Dale Road to Route 52, fix drainage and create an additional lane for easier turning into and out of the high school parking lot. Construction started in September after years of delays and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026.
Carmel High School Principal Brian Piazza said that the construction would make the road safer in the end.
“The construction will create challenges traffic-wise, but at its completion, the sidewalks and an additional turning lane will greatly benefit our school and community, especially in terms of student safety,” Piazza said.
Michael Klenotiz, Carmel Central School District’s Supervisor of Transportation, said that good communication will go a long way toward keeping school bus traffic on schedule.
The Third-Grade Harvest Festival at Matthew Paterson Elementary School is an event that brings students, teachers, staff and families together to celebrate an American tradition.
Parents dressed as Pilgrims and helped the third graders with activities, including grinding apples to make applesauce. The apples were donated by Fishkill Farms in East Fishkill and Wilkins Fruit & Fir Farm in Yorktown
“This is a great tradition,” said Dan Minieri, who dressed as a Pilgrim for the event. Mineri’s son, Dan, is in the third grade.
The lack of rain this fall led to a burn ban throughout Putnam County, so the tradition of cooking applesauce over an open flame was replaced by a safer inflatable campfire toy with a smoke machine.
“It was still great fun,” said Third Grade Teacher Michelle Belasco. “This event encompasses our Carmel 6 Cs, and it is something we look forward to each year,”
Every day this month at Kent Primary School started with a dose of kindness.
When they see a classmate being kind, students of all grades submit kindness “Snippets” to a “Kindness Jar” across from the school office. Each day, Principal Vincent Fino picks a few snippets – or notes that describe the good deeds they’ve witnessed-- to read during morning announcements.
On a recent day, Fino told the students about these good deeds:
“I saw Joey show kindness today by letting me play with him.”
“I saw Riley show kindness today by giving me a tissue when I was crying.”
I saw Michael show kindness by helping Arthur up when he fell.”
This is not just a Thanksgiving holiday effort. It is part of the district’s philosophy of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, or PBIS. Administrators celebrate students when they show good character or kindness. It is a strategy they use to make good behavior contagious, and it's an essential part of the Carmel 6 Cs.
Nine-year-old Kate stood in front of the Gratitude Tree bulletin board at Kent Elementary School and pointed to the many notes of thanks that her classmates posted.
“I am thankful for my teacher helping make me smarter,” one read.
“I am thankful for my soccer team,” read another.
But giving thanks for friends and family seemed to be the most popular sentiment.
“A lot of times people don’t even know they are grateful, even though they are,” Kate said. “It’s good to think about it.”
Nancy Faccilonga’s fourth grade class has thought a lot about gratitude this fall. First, they read the book “Wishtree” by Katherine Applegate. It is a story of kindness and hope that is set in a town where people write their wishes on a piece of cloth and tie them to branches.
“It’s a book about friendship, compassion and inclusion,” Nora, nine, said.
The class was so inspired, they decided to make their own tree and decorate it with notes.
On two warm fall days, third graders from Matthew Paterson Elementary School walked across the road to the Patterson Environmental Park.
The park includes part of the Great Swamp, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in New York State and home to many species of wildlife. The students’ visit would allow them to see its ecological diversity up close.
“We finished the unit on animal classification in our reading program, Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), so we added a trip to the Great Swamp for a hands-on extension,” Teacher Gina Boalt said. “I love this reading program; it is so rich in content.”
Judging from their enthusiasm, the students were excited to put their new knowledge to the test.
Some visitors to Matthew Paterson Elementary School recently brought out the nurturing instinct in students from kindergarten through fourth grade, not to mention their teachers and administrators.
Nearly everyone who got to see the three baby goats that visited from Ridge Ranch in Patterson started cooing.
“Oh, they are so cute,” they cried. “Can we pet them?”
The district’s Special Education PTO, or CCSD SEPTO, sponsored three goats this year at Ridge Ranch, an educational farm run by Arielle and Dan Honovich that specializes in “Animal Experiences.”
Carmel High School Drama Club has set a trap for the audience. They are not announcing the name of the play they are presenting until the performers take the stage in front of the audience.
There will be three performances of the mystery play and all will be presented at Casey Hall in Carmel High School. Performances will take place on Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m., Saturday, November 16, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 17, at 6 p.m.
They are not announcing the name of the play because they want the audience to come in blind and be surprised, said Zyla Bumbery, a senior who has a lead role and also co-directed the play. Tea Sedlarcik is the other co-director.
Zyla joined Drama Club as a sophomore.
“I’m excited because we’ve never done anything like this before,” Zyla said. “I first read the script in the summer, and I loved it. It is scary and it is audience interactive.”
For the week before Halloween, the Kent Primary School gymnasium becomes a Spooky Obstacle Course. The gym is set up with inflatable monsters, Minions, tunnels, ghosts and more.
With all the laughter and excitement in the gym, it might have been hard to tell that there was real skill-building going on. But learning while having fun was just the point.
“The students learned to navigate the obstacle course using physical skills like over, under through, in and out,” said Physical Education Teacher Rochelle Lhotan. “It also helps them learn to follow rules. They know to take one swing and stop, climb in and out of the donut and crawl like a puppy dog through the tunnel.”
It’s hard to beat the feeling of flying through the air.
“I liked the Lava Jump,” said Cooper, a kindergartner in Jennifer Byrd’s class. “It’s so fun. When I landed on the mattress, I did a flip.
The Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon sponsored by The Carmel Teachers’ Association was a big success with the guests praising the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables and, of course, pumpkin pie.
Most of all, however, the senior citizens who came to Carmel High School, George Fischer Middle School and Matthew Paterson Elementary School were glad to return to schools that many of their children (and some of them) attended and to see friends from the throughout the community.
“We love our seniors,” said Alice Holzmann, the Family and Consumer Science teacher at George Fischer Middle School. “And they love this event.”
Chase Yom was named Valedictorian and Kayleigh Harney was named Salutatorian for the Carmel High School Class of 2025.
Chase was taking a quiz in his AP Government class Wednesday when he was called down to the counseling office.
“All of a sudden I heard my name called and I thought, oh no, what’s going on,” he said.
When he came to the college counseling office, Principal Brian Piazza told him the good news: Chase was selected as valedictorian for Carmel High School’s class of 2025.
Kayleigh Harney was equally surprised when she walked into the counseling office.
Fifth grade classrooms enjoyed some October Science activities at George Fischer Middle School.
The students utilized the scientific method to see if there was a relationship between the physical characteristic of a pumpkin -- its height, weight or circumference -- and the number of seeds inside a pumpkin. The students collected and analyzed the data, even though some of it was quite messy. After much discussion, and a lot of laughs, the students determined that there was no clear relationship between the dimensions of a pumpkin and its number of seeds.
Nonetheless, the student had an enormous amount of fun coming up with that conclusion.
It’s not a day that is celebrated annually in many Carmel classrooms, but this year White Cane Awareness Day drew a lot of interest and a big crowd to Raquel Patterson’s class at Kent Elementary School.
That’s because 5-year-old Mackenzie, who started kindergarten at Kent Elementary in September, uses a white cane to help guide her through her day and she was happy to tell the other children in her class just how it works.
“It helps me to feel around rather than seeing around,” said Mackenzie, who is blind. “I can fold it up, too.”
Mackenzie is teaching the other children in her class a lot about what it’s like to live with a visual impairment.
“The kids are very responsive and helpful,” Patterson said. “The students are always making sure that Mackenzie is ok. They are truly the Carmel 6Cs personified.”
At the start of the year in Alice Burns’ English 9 class at Carmel High School, students read short stories that center around an essential question about childhood and adulthood. Students made connections to the essential question, while reviewing and identifying literary devices and their impact on the text in the stories they read.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, students read the short story “My Name” by the Mexican American author Sandra Cisneros. “My Name” is an excerpt from the novel “The House on Mango Street,” and it focuses on a teenager who struggles to connect with her name and the negative experiences associated with it.
The goal of the project was for students to make connections between the experience of the protagonist of the story and themselves, and to explore significance that their names hold.
“A few years ago, my mom and I made bread,” Liara wrote. “It was so fluffy, and I remember it came out soft. I couldn’t wait to eat it. I carried the flour to the counter. It was so heavy it felt like a huge weight on my hands. “It’s so heavy,” I exclaimed.
Fourth grader Liara grabbed her teacher’s attention with those opening lines of her Food Experience story.
“To write the Food Experience story, the students had to use sensory details and tell what things looked and felt like, and how they smelled and tasted,” said Amy Constantinides, who teaches fourth grade at Kent Primary School. “They also had to organize events in sequential order. It’s a good writing experience.”
The lesson stems from the Carmel Central School District’s new reading program Core Knowledge Language Arts, or CKLA. The district implemented the program last year in kindergarten through fifth grades with an extension of the program in sixth grade. The approach is based on research into the science of reading, which has shown that students have greater success when rules for phonics, decoding and writing are explicitly spelled out, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Lauren Santabarbara said.
At the Kent Elementary School Book Fair there was something for everyone. There were picture books for new readers and chapter books for more advanced readers. There were books written in Spanish and even books written in braille.
“This is a great book,” said Mackenzie, a kindergartner who picked up an Usborne Touchy-Feely Book entitled “That’s Not My Pumpkin, It’s Teeth Are Too Bumpy.”
“I can feel the pumpkin,” she said. The book also included braille on every page.
A large group of parent volunteers helped at the fair, leading children to books they might like and helping them figure out the costs and how many books they could afford to buy.
Susan Pizzuti-Talluto's social studies class at George Fischer Middle School celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a “race” to find out information about ten famous Hispanic Americans.
The students stopped at ten stations around the classroom to gather facts about celebrities from Bad Bunny to J-Lo and national leaders from Marco Rubio to Sonia Sotomayor, among others.
Dylan, an eighth grader, gravitated to Roberto Clemente, the Major League Baseball star who played right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente came from Puerto Rico and started his career in the Puerto Rican Baseball League.
“I know about Roberto Clemente,” said Dylan, whose family also hails from Puerto Rico. “Clemente was bagging groceries at a grocery store before he got recruited, but he didn’t give up on his dreams. He achieved them. My grandfather, my dad and I are all baseball fans. My grandfather told me all about Roberto Clemente.”
The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the Carmel High School. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. with an immediate entry into Executive Session. The public portion of the meeting will begin 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.
Upcoming Board of Education Committee Meetings:
Special Education, Support & Wellness Committee: 01/07/25, 5:30 p.m., Carmel High School Library Lab
Facilities & Transportation Committee: 01/21/25, 5:30 p.m., Carmel High School Library Lab
Audit, Finance & Personnel Committee: 01/07/25, 5:30 p.m., Carmel High School Science Room 201
Policy Committee: 12/18/24; 6:00 p.m., District Office Building, Executive Conference Room (lower level)
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.
- UGLY SWEATER DAY -
Wear any holiday ugly sweater!!
- SNOW STORM -
Wear white for our winter pep rally!!
Holiday Recess
Schools Closed
Administrative Offices Closed
