• May 10, 2024

     

    Dear Parents, Faculty, Staff, Students, and Community Members,

    I hope you and your families are enjoying the (mostly) nice weather.  We are now fully into the 4th quarter and it is beginning to feel like we are in the home stretch of the 2023-2024 school year.  There are a ton of things going on at this point in the year, including a busy school board meeting on Wednesday night, so it seems like a good time for a community update.

    Teacher Appreciation Week

    May 6-10 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. 

     

    I would like to take a moment to thank and congratulate all of the outstanding teachers in our district.  I am continually impressed with their dedication to the success of our students.  We are fortunate to have so many knowledgeable and accomplished educators serving our district!

    National School Nurses Day

    May 8th was National School Nurses Day.  Let’s give a shout out to Nurse Joy VanVlack from Duzine, Nurse Maria Meoli from Lenape, Nurse Erin Bush from the Middle School, and Nurse Sandy Hekking from the High School.  Thank you for helping to keep our students safe and healthy.

    School Lunch Hero Day

    May 2nd was school lunch hero day.  

    We appreciate all those who work in our food service program and keep our students well-fed every day.  Thank you for your dedication.

    School Principals Day

    May 1st was National School Principals Day

    Thanks and appreciation go out to our School Principals

    • Samuelle Simms - High School Principal (currently on leave)

    • Kathleen Schneck - Acting High School Principal

    • Meri Lederer - Acting High School Assistant Principal

    • Ann Sheldon - Middle School Principal

    • Jessica Miller - Middle School Assistant Principal

    • Sean Inglee - Lenape Principal

    • Ross Hogan - Duzine Principal

    • Llajaira Dessereau - Lenape/Duzine Assistant Principal

    Thank you so much for all that you do!



    Tenure Appointments

    At Wednesday night’s school board meeting we also recognized several teachers and administrators who were being approved for tenure.

    Back row left to right:  Christine Cosh - special education, Jessica Rosen - mathematics, Morgan Profaci - art, Daniel Lofgren - special education, Emily Perez - library/media specialist, Matthew Esposito - science, Sean Inglee - administration, Ross Hogan - administration  Front row left to right:  Patricia Kosinetz - special education, Isabella DeFalco - home economics.

    Congratulations to these outstanding educators!





    Retirement Celebration

    Also at Wednesday night’s board meeting we recognized those employees who will be retiring at the end of this school year.

    Left to right:  Rebecca Burdett - elementary teacher with 23 years of service, Lynn Bartlett - ENL teacher with 32 years of service, Lilly Andino-Skinner - elementary teacher with 28 years of service, Kathy Coughlin - director of pupil personnel services and special education with 10 years of service, Alexis Mallory - technology teacher with 18 years of service, Guy Gardner - director of facilities with 5 years of service, Douglas Tierney - building maintenance worker with 23 years of service.  (missing - Tammy Penovich - bus driver with 23 years of service, Mark Cacchio - bus driver with 18 years of service, and MaryAnn Lis-Simmons with 18 years of service)

    We thank them for their significant contributions to our district and we wish them well in their next adventures.



    Congratulations to our Valedictorian and Salutatorian

    At the board meeting on Wednesday, 2023-2024 Valedictorian Mason Eyler and Salutatorian Dylan McQuade Dolan were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements.

    Adult/Student Continuing Education Program

    The District Wellness Committee will be facilitating the creation of a community  program that promotes health, wellness, education, and action.  At the board meeting on Wednesday, the board endorsed the creation of a district continuing education program.  

    The committee/school is looking for community partners who are interested in presenting offerings as part of the continuing education program that will take place, mostly after school and during the evenings, in the school buildings during the fall semester 2024.  Offerings just need to be fun, educational, and healthy.  We are open to all ideas, such as yoga, Tai Chi, how to cook healthy, theater for kids, gardening, bee keeping, karate, ultimate frisbee, basic mechanics, weight lifting, wood working, etc.  All ideas will be fully considered based on their general appeal and their ability to be offered within the scope of our program.

    If you or someone you know has an interest or skill they would like to share with the community, please click on this continuing education link to submit a proposal.  Proposals are due by June 30th.  You will find out in July if your proposal has been accepted.  A course catalog and sign up information will be available to the community and students in August.  Activities will run from September through December.  Please email sgratto@newpaltz.k12.ny.us with any questions you might have about this program.

    New Paltz High School named one of the top schools in the state

    Recently we learned that our high school has once again been recognized as one of the top schools in New York State by US News and World Report.  If you would like to learn more about this award and exactly why New Paltz was chosen, please click on this link:   US News and World Report School Rankings

    School Safety Update and Security Discussion

    As you probably know, the school recently put out a list of safety practices that we will follow.  This list was generated with the assistance of several different groups in response to an intruder in our building a couple of weeks ago.

    These safety practices can be found by clicking on a summary of safety practices.  As you read this list you will realize that some of these practices are old and some of them are new.  Some we already do and some we still need to implement or improve upon.

    At the board meeting I gave the board a brief recap of where we are as a district with our safety upgrades.  You can watch this safety update by clicking on this link and going to the 1:09:28 mark.  

    After the safety update, the board had a conversation related to the many comments we have gotten from the community about their support for having security personnel in the school buildings.  You can watch the board as they discuss this issue by following the above link and going to the 1:13:30 mark.

    If you have comments or questions to share about the safety and security discussion, please send them my way.

    The Budget Vote

    On May 21st, voters in New York State will have the opportunity to vote on their local school budgets.  If you would like to see information about our budget and about the small capital project we are proposing, you can click on this link to see the final budget presentation.

    One remaining emergency give back day

    A few parents have reached out to ask about our final snow day.  I wanted to remind everyone that we have reserved one final emergency day in case we are faced with natural difficulties such as smoke from wildfires or excessive heat days.  If no emergencies arise before June 7th, then June 7th will be our final give back day.

    So, please mark June 7th on your calendar.  It is likely that there will be no school on that day.

     

    That concludes my basic summary for now.  As I said, there is a lot going on.  Spring sports are in full swing and our teams are making us proud.  Art shows and concerts are happening.  Please stay tuned to our webpage for upcoming events and check us out on facebook and instagram.  We encourage you to join us for the fun as often as possible.

    Best Wishes,

    Stephen Gratto - Superintendent