Message from the Superintendent |
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Dear Mahopac Community,
As you may know, the NYS Education Department (NYSED) has recently prohibited the use of Indigenous names, mascots, and logos by public schools. While I have not been in the Mahopac community for very long, I know that the Mahopac Indians mascot has been a long standing tradition used to recognize the indigenous people who lived in our beautiful community long before all of us.
The NYS Education Department has informed us that State Aid may be withheld from school districts who do not comply with this mandate. In addition, we must create a plan for the mascot change by June 30, 2023 with full implementation no later than June 30, 2025. The summary from the NYS Education Department can be found here.
During the Board of Education Work Session on Tuesday, January 17th, I shared a plan for determining our new mascot name. You can find that plan here. Our objective is to select a new mascot that embodies the Mahopac spirit, provides school district recognition, and invokes pride and enthusiasm. The first step in this process is to assemble a Mascot Selection Committee consisting of approximately 60 individuals representing diverse perspectives within the Mahopac community. Committee members will include students, staff, alumni, and community members from a variety of organizations and community members at large. This committee will meet several times between February and April to determine several mascot name options. On May 16, 2023, all of our K - 12 students will have the opportunity to vote on the name of our new mascot from the selections that the committee determines. The result will be announced at the Board of Education meeting on May 18, 2023.
Should you wish to be considered as a community member or alumni on this committee, please provide your information via this survey: Mascot Committee Interest Survey. Community organizations such as PTOs, SEPTO, and MSA will be contacted and invited to select representatives for this committee.
The NYS Education Department has opened a public comment period through February 28, 2023. They invite the community to provide data, views, or arguments regarding NYSED’s regulation on the mascot. The NYS Board of Regents will meet in the Spring to finalize this regulation and provide additional guidance. Should you wish to share your opinion on this issue, contact information is as follows:
Mail: Christina Coughlin, Assistant Commissioner, NYS Education Department
89 Washington Avenue, Room 1078 EBA
Albany, NY 12234
Phone: 518-474-7206
Sincerely,
Christine Tona
Superintendent of Schools
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MHS Clubs Honor
Martin Luther King Jr.
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“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have remained in the American public’s consciousness for decades, and his endless march against injustice carries on to this day. Each February, the entire country celebrates the civil rights leader’s positive influence on the United States.
While there are those who remember hearing King’s speeches, most Americans have learned about the famous pioneer of racial justice through curriculum and history textbooks.
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That hasn’t stopped the high schoolers in Mahopac’s own R.I.C.E. Club from honoring the reverend’s memory this week.
“We wanted to create art that was meaningful and that honored MLK and the civil rights movement,” said Mahopac High School senior and R.I.C.E. Club president Sydney Mascoll.
R.I.C.E. Club partnered with EVO 44, the digital art club at MHS, to take some famous images related to King, the civil rights movement, and social justice and recreate them in the form of posters to be displayed around the school.
R.I.C.E. stands for Racial Inclusion & Cultural Empowerment, and Mascoll described her club as a student organization whose goal is to, “make everyone feel valued and included and to educate others.”
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With the help of the artists from EVO 44, the combined forces of the two clubs started making a handful of posters for display, which should be ready to adorn the halls of Mahopac High School next week.
“It’s so important to have positive role models like MLK, especially today because of how much influence people on social media have over young people,” Mascoll said. “I would love for more people to look to MLK and others who fight for justice for guidance.”
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One School, One Author
Austin Road Elementary School
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With the beginning of the new year comes the annual One School, One Author event at Austin Road Elementary School.
One School, One Author is Austin Road’s spin on the “One School, One Book” event that many schools around the country participate in, where elementary schools pick out a book for the entire school to read together. At Austin Road, students are reading one of three books that are all from the same author.
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This week, classes at every level embarked on a quest to find out what author and book they would be reading as a school for the next few weeks. Upper grades were tasked with solving a series of educational “breakout” puzzles to find clues, while the kindergarten and first grade classes set off on a scavenger hunt throughout the school.
“Mr. Gilligan is in the main office!” said Sienna, a student in Daniella Morgante’s kindergarten class.
The class had been issued their first clue, and they were quick to find it in the mystery of the book they were reading for One School, One Author. After finding a piece of the book’s cover, students also found their next clue, which their teacher read aloud for the entire class to hear.
“The fountain is found in a very short hall. Be careful because it’s sticking out of the wall,” Morgante said.
Alicia was called on after raising her hand and said, “Where Ms. Wisotsky’s class is!”
Sure enough, the class found another envelope with another piece of their book’s cover inside and another clue.
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Once they had all of the pieces, the class was excited to solve the mystery and made their way back to their classroom where an extra surprise was waiting for them.
As they assembled the pieces of their book’s cover, students were excited to see that they would be reading Roscoe Riley Rules by Katherine Applegate and, with the book cover assembled, Morgante played a special message from Principal Bryan Gilligan and Assistant Principal Michelle Tween.
Every student at Austin Road Elementary will be reading one of Applegate’s books, Roscoe Riley Rules for the kindergarten and first grade classes, The One and Only Ivan for second and third grade, and Willodeen for fourth and fifth grade.
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1/23 - LV Band/Orchestra Winter Concert
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82% of the MHS Class of 2022 took at least one college level or AP level course while they were in High School. |
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Mission Statement
To prepare each and every student for college and career readiness, and
to educate all students to be responsible and productive members
of the global community.
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Mahopac Central School District
179 East Lake Boulevard, Mahopac, NY 10541-1666
Phone: 845-628-3415 Fax: 845-628-5502
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