October 16, 2023

Afterschool Workshops Begin at Fulmar Road Elementary

The learning doesn't stop when the last bell rings at Mahopac schools. The Fall PTO workshops at Fulmar Road have begun and students are already broadening their minds and honing skills outside of school hours.

In the art room, teacher Melissa Lindsay had a full classroom of budding artists beginning projects that would span several classes.

"Today they are going to decide on what squishmallow they want to model and make the body mold of their sculpture," said Lindsay. "Over the next few classes, they are going to plaster and then paint."

Meanwhile, Master Wayne DeRosa from Chung Ma’s Taekwondo Institute was going over the fundamentals of that martial art with his students in the Fulmar Road Gym.

"Remember that you are learning about focus and control," said Master Wayne. "If you think that something is too easy and get careless, you might miss, or let your form go."

The PTO workshops at all of Mahopac's schools are about more than just extending education to afterschool hours. Students not only learn valuable skills but learn different ways of acquiring knowledge.

Students in Mark Mitchell and Thomas Jordan's Math Basketball workshop discovered firsthand that practicing math problems could be as intense as playing a sport in the right context.

"Welcome to afterschool math basketball," said Mitchell. "I'm going to give you a math fact, and I want to see you all write it as many times as you can in 30 seconds. Now, are you tired!?"

"No sir!" the students called back. "We want some more!"

Tones and I's "Dance Monkey" and Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" could be heard emanating from Jessica Rivkin's classroom where she was holding her dance workshop. The students were moving to the beat and learning to point and step in time with the music.

The workshops are in keeping with the Mahopac Central School District's commitment to graduating well-rounded students prepared to succeed in a changing world. The District's mission statement states:

"The Mahopac CSD develops educated, upstanding citizens with practical life skills through rigorous preparation for the real world."

Last Week in Photos

Lakeview Elementary Holds Fall Book Fair

Thanks to the Lakeview Elementary PTO, students were able to browse dozens of books in genres ranging from fantasy to historical fiction to humor last week during the Fall Book Fair. Students had the run of the fair, where they could pick out whatever books interested them before taking them to one of the parents to check out. The book fair promotes reading for pleasure as well as independence as students manage their money and select books themselves.

Middle School Students Learn to Find Information Resources

A critical component in a student's education is learning, not just curriculum, but how to learn and educate oneself. Under the guidance of Suzanne Faugno and Ellen Cuomo, Mahopac Middle School students have been learning to navigate the "Pop-Up Library" and its companion web page. While students discover how they can find their favorite fiction books today, they're also learning the skills to independently find information resources that will serve them throughout their education and their lives.

"It's not just about physical books, they can also use this to find digital resources," Faugno said. "We use a website catalog to help students find any book they're looking for, but they can also find online resources. We try to make it as simple as possible for students to find the information that they are looking for."

Mahopac Advocacy Committee Looking for Applicants for the 2023-24 School Year

The Mahopac Advocacy Committee is a committee of parents, community members, school board trustees, and the Superintendent of Schools dedicated to giving the Mahopac Central School District a voice on policies that impact education. The Mahopac Ad Hoc Committee is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year.

Mahopac residents can click here to submit a letter of interest.

26 students from the Class of 2023 earned the Seal of Civic Readiness from NYS in its inaugural year.



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Mission Statement

The Mahopac CSD develops educated, upstanding citizens with practical life skills through rigorous preparation for the real world. 

Mahopac Central School District

100 Myrtle Avenue, Mahopac, NY 10541

Phone: 845-628-3415 Fax: 845-628-5502