From the Desk of the Superintendent
On December 9, I had the privilege of sharing with the public and Board of Education the findings from our envisioning process,
What Matters Pawling Schools. First, a big thank you to the Pawling and PCSD community for supporting the process identified in the Superintendent’s
Entry Plan. The community’s support has been essential and inspirational. The result of the participation of hundreds of students, staff, families, and community members is a set of aspirational statements which are the foundation for our vision. Together they respond to the broad question we asked, “As we sustain, improve, and initiate student programs and experiences over the next five years, what matters most to you?”
At Pawling Central Schools District -
- All students enjoy access to a broad selection of engaging, rigorous, relevant coursework and out of school experiences
- Each student’s physical, mental and social-emotional wellness is nourished
- Facilities are designed and exist to enable students to develop talents and interests to excel in their goals
- Each student’s individual and family characteristics are considered assets, and diverse backgrounds and stories are valued in a safe and caring community
- Students participate and have a voice in their school and civic community
Each of the above statements, drawn from thousands of observations from interviews, online forum comments, letters, surveys, and our community conversation, has a strong relationship to one or more of the District and Board of Education Goals for 2019-2020. That outcome was truly affirming because it means the PCSD team--staff, administration, and students--are doing the right work. What’s new is that we now have the enthusiastic endorsement of the community to pursue the goals and work toward this vision. Next steps are to invite students, staff, and community members to create a memorable image to illustrate these aspirations.
Kim Fontana, Superintendent of Schools
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Janelle Ferreira, High School Mathematics Teacher
Janelle Ferreira has been teaching mathematics since 2007. She most recently taught Algebra in the Mount Vernon City School District in Westchester County. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education with a minor in Studio Art from Manhattanville College and a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Stony Brook University.
“I sincerely look forward to working with my students at Pawling High School each and every day,” she says. “ It is my goal to create a warm classroom culture where students understand that mistakes are a valuable tool in their deep learning of mathematics.”
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Katelyn Line, English as a New Language Teacher
Katelyn Line has been an elementary school teacher in the Bronx since 2013. She is certified in childhood education and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, PreK-12. A graduate of the College of St. Rose, Ms. Line earned her master’s degree from CUNY’s City College.
She says she finds inspiration in a poster for teachers. It simply says, “teach, encourage, instruct, mentor, praise, influence, guide and inspire.”
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Vienna Sacaza, School Counselor
“My goal is to support an inclusive environment for all students while helping our students focus on academic, career and social/emotional development to achieve academic success.”
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Jennifer Salandra, Cook
Jennifer Salandra, the mother of two, grew up in nearby Mahopac. She says, “I enjoy feeding people delicious food and look forward to trying new recipes with the kids. Everyone has been so supportive in welcoming me into my new position.”
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Nina Stark, Math, Leave Replacement Secondary Math Teacher
Nina Stark has worked in several school districts since she graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in mathematics. Most recently, she was in nearby Brewster teaching geometry to middle schoolers.
Ms. Stark expects to complete her master’s degree in special education at SUNY New Paltz in December. “I am very passionate about math,” she says. “My goal as a teacher is to inspire students to love math just as much as I do. And if they don't love it, hopefully I can still reach the students and show them how math is relevant in everyday life.”
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Peer Leaders Turn Challenges into Teamwork
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High School Senior Peer Leaders went on their annual Senior Overnight on November 17 and 18. While at Clearpool in Carmel, NY, seniors worked on team building, communication skills, group and individual challenges through discussions, group work, games, zip lines and a high ropes course.
“The Senior Overnight was an amazing opportunity to be adventurous, explore and push our comfort zones, practice leadership skills, discuss the future, and just be kids,” said Thayle Reid-Hellberg. “The trip was memorable-- filled with delicious food and snacks, fun games and activities, and plenty of smiles and laughter to last a lifetime.”
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Fall Musicals Filled with Fun
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Pawling High School theater students took the fall drama to a new level, performing “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” at the High School on Nov. 9 complete with dinner for the audience.
“Tony and Tina’s Wedding” is an immersive theater event based on a fictitious Italian American wedding and reception. Written in the 1980s, the show ran off-Broadway in New York City for 22 years.
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Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Snoopy and the rest of the gang were all on hand for the Pawling Middle School production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” performed on Nov. 15 and 16 in the cafetorium.
The musical, first produced in 1967, follows Charlie Brown as he learns what it means to be a “good man.” With lessons about kindness, acceptance and doing your best, the play still resonates with audiences more than 50 years later.
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Celebrating the Holidays in Pawling
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Pawling students have been spreading holiday cheer throughout Pawling with songs, decorating, and community service.
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Hannah Geiling, music teacher, directing the Pawling High School chorus at Pawling’s Tree Lighting Ceremony.
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Peer Leaders made more than 100 cards to mail to service members overseas who will be away from their families for the holidays.
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Students helped organize much of the evening, including visits with Santa.
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Pawling High School’s Peer Leaders adopted two families for the holiday through the Pawling Community Resource Center. Gifts were collected, wrapped and packed through a school-wide effort.
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Two Pawling High School Seniors Were Invited to Present Their Research
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Corinna Lozano of Pawling High School’s Science Research Program presented her research entitled “The Effects of 20-HETE Antagonism on Myocardial Infarction in Metabolic Syndrome Rats” at the 17th Annual World Congress Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Conference in Los Angeles, Calif. This research was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Petra Rocic at New York Medical College in Valhalla over the summer. She was able to discuss her findings with professional researchers and physicians in the field of cardiovascular disease worldwide. They were impressed with her level of expertise and experimental design regarding this exciting new potential treatment for heart damage.
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Jacob Voudren, a senior in the Pawling High School's Science Research program was invited to present his research entitled "The Psychological Effects of Metabolic Crisis on Patients Who Suffer from Fatty-Acid Oxidation Disorders and Their Families" at the Department of Health's Division of Genetics at David Axelrod Institute on December 6.
"I could not believe the positive feedback I received from the newborn screening department,” Jacob observes. “It was such a pleasure to present my research to such a wonderful group of individuals."
The Director of the Laboratory, Dr. Michele Caggana, invited the Science Department of Pawling High School to come to the lab this spring for a tour.
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National Junior Honor Society Induction
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Nineteen students at the Middle School were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) on Oct. 23.
The NJHS, founded 90 years ago, celebrates the values of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.
Inductees are:
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Luke Belmonte
Kaitlyn Deierlein
Nicholas DeMarta
Jimmy Fanuele
Tessa Farquhar
Jason Freder
Isabella Genesi
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Aidan Grahn
Madeline Larocchia
Michael Leahy
Mikaela Mammola
Joshua Pandolfo
Zachary Ragone
Arielle Reda
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Sara Rivera
Sean Schmidt
Callie Semenza
Elizabeth Smith
Madison Weis
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National Honor Society Induction
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Thirty-two students were inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) at a ceremony on Oct. 30, having exhibited scholarship, service, leadership and character.
Founded in 1921, National Honor Society has chapters in all 50 states and around the world. It recognizes students for their accomplishments and challenges them to develop further through active involvement at school and in the community.
The Pawling inductees are:
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Annie Bekkelund
Thomas Bellucci
Sofia Carrozza
Jase Clemmons
Allison Clisby
Juliet Governale
Nick Grande
Logan Grove
Jack Hickey
Ditte Isak
Adrian Jeziorski
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Matthew Larocchia
Robert Leske
Abigail Lewick
Keegan Lewick
Pamela Merchan
Lily O’Hara
Julia Odell
Nathan Pandolfo
Alexander Petruso
Christopher Reynolds
Madison Reynolds
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Catherine Robohn
Abigail Savarese
Catherine Savarese
Alexandra Sawotka
Jack Slattery
Susannah Smith
Kyra Snow
Jacob Voudren
Haley Wahl
Julia Zoeller
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Math Honor Society Induction
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Mu Alpha Theta, the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society, was formed in 1957 at the University of Oklahoma. It is dedicated to inspiring a keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics in high school and junior college students. As of October 2019, more than 124,000 students are Mu Alpha Theta members at more than 2,633 schools in the United States and in 23 foreign countries.
Pawling High School held its induction ceremony on November 7. Math Honor Society inductees for 2019 are:
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Ann Bekkelund
Allison Clisby
Olivia Fanuele
Ditte Isak
Juliet Governale
Hayden Housen
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Robert Leske
Keegan Lewick
Julia Odell
Nathan Pandolfo
Christopher Reynolds
Catherine Robohn
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Abigail Savarese
Catherine Savarese
Susannah Smith
Haley Wahl
Julia Zoeller
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Science National Honor Society Induction
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New members of the Science National Honor Society were inducted at a ceremony on November 15.
Students in Science National Honor Society go beyond their knowledge of science in their classes. They pledge to encourage students to participate in community service and to aid the community with its comprehension of science. They also work with members to advance knowledge of both classical and modern science.
Inductees are:
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Emily Barrett
Ann Bekkelund
Olivia Fanuele
Logan Grove
Hayden Housen
Ditte Isak
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Avi Kumar
Robert Leske
Keegan Lewick
Lauren Maiolo
Nathan Pandolfo
Christopher Reynolds
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Catherine Robohn
Abigail Savarese
Catherine Savarese
Susannah Smith
Haley Wahl
Julia Zoeller
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Two members of the track team earn All State Honors
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Noah Brightman and Alex Petruso earned All State Honors after placing at the State Championships on November 16. Noah medaled, placing 14th and Alex placed 26th.
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Varsity Field Hockey: 8-6-2
Girls Varsity Soccer: 11-4-1
Boys Varsity Soccer: 6-10-0
Girls Varsity Volleyball: 4-11-0
Varsity Football: 7-0-0 (Semi Finals in Playoffs)
Girls Varsity Tennis: 0-9-0
Cross Country: Boys won the League Championship. Girls Placed 3rd in the League
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The
digital backpack
is updated regularly with information from the schools and local community. You can find a link for it under the Parent tab of the homepage. It is also listed on the homepage with a date of the most recent update.
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Winter Recess begins Dec. 23, 2019 and runs through Jan. 1, 2020. Classes resume on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. We wish all a peaceful and joyous holiday season!
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