Letter from the Superintendent | |
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Dear Mahopac Community,
This week, families and friends across the nation will come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, a day to express gratitude for all our blessings. Thanksgiving also signifies the start of the “holiday season” where we spend time with loved ones, share generosity and compassion toward others, and look forward to the hope that a new year brings.
Our students will bring us much joy over the next few weeks and I invite our entire community to participate in the concerts, feasts, and community events that will be filling our calendars. Highlights include SEPTO’s Cookies with Santa on December 1st, the High School’s Illusion Concerts on December 13 - 15, our annual Toys for Tots collection, and the concerts that will take place at our middle school and elementary schools. The High School Interact Club is sponsoring a coat drive that begins tomorrow and runs through December 20th. Please remember those in need and consider donating gently used and clean coats. Donation bins are in each school.
Please note that our next newsletter will be released on December 4th. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the long weekend!
Sincerely,
Christine Tona,
Superintendent
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Fall sports have concluded with some superb performances from our student-athletes. Mahopac’s teams have boasted league championships, impressive records, and incredible comebacks this season. The coaches from the varsity girls soccer, volleyball, football, and girls swim teams shared their memories and reflections on a very exciting season. | |
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“At league championships, we were ranked fifth, but everyone shaved down their times and we took first in the first event, and that just set us up for the rest of the day. We were blown away. There were so many personal bests and accomplishments. I’ve never been at a meet like that.”
-Erica Burlenski, Varsity Girls Swim Coach
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“We started the season out 1-5. By the end of the season, we were on a seven-match-long win streak and the outright league champions. We had one girl come back from injury and that allowed everyone to move back to their preferred positions. After that, everything just clicked. Last year we graduated eight great girls, but my players learned and stepped up.”
-James Melville, Varsity Volleyball Coach
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“I'm really proud of the team's effort this year. They left everything out on the field each game and there is nothing more you can ask as a coach. Although we are graduating nine seniors who are leaving big shoes to fill, we saw a lot of promising talent on the JV level this year. They had an unbelievably successful season and I'm excited to see the younger players rise to the challenge.”
-Casey Carroll, Varsity Girls Soccer Coach
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“Our captains showed incredible leadership and the class of 2024 consistently raised the bar this year, right up until the last day of the season. I couldn’t be more proud, the program has really taken off as one of the premier programs in Section 1.”
-Dominick DeMatteo, Varsity Football Coach
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Student-athletes are already training for the next sports season and everyone at the Mahopac Central School District and in the Mahopac community is excited to see some more incredible stories unfold. | |
Two Mahopac High School Teachers Named Master Teachers | |
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Two Mahopac High School teachers joined over 1400 exceptional New York educators this month in the New York State Master Teacher Program. Szilvia Tobak and James Carroll have proven themselves through their dedication and skill and will continue to hone their skills through the Master Teacher Program.
“Congratulations to Mahopac High School teachers Szilvia Tobak (science) and James Carroll (math) for being selected as NYS Master Teachers this fall. Ms. Tobak and Mr. Carroll join 145 other K - 12 STEM teachers across the state who were recently selected. There are a total of more than 1400 teachers across the state who have been recognized for their dedication to providing the most innovative STEM education to their students, their commitment to professional growth, and their enthusiasm for sharing their successful practices with colleagues in their schools, districts, and regions. Ms. Tobak and Mr. Carroll join Jen Cauthers, Tricia Johnson, Mike Mahoney, Kelley Posch, Scott Rizzo, and Liz Stephens as Mahopac Master Teachers. You can learn about the Master Teacher Program here. We are proud of all of our Master Teachers!”
-Christine Tona, Superintendent of Schools
“I’ve been at Mahopac for 10 years. From year one of my career to year 10, I’ve seen so much change in how students learn and what their preferences and styles are. As a teacher, you’re constantly adjusting your lessons and how you teach. Working with other Master Teachers in the program allows us to incorporate other perspectives when we’re refining our process to be as effective for student learning as possible.”
-James Carroll, Master Teacher
“The nature of science is to use new knowledge and evidence to revise what we know and adapting the way that we teach is much the same. The Master Teacher Program allows us to access a whole network of other teachers and professional development opportunities so that we can continue to refine the way that we teach to best prepare our students.”
-Szilvia Tobak, Master Teacher
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Thanksgiving Comes to Mahopac's Elementary Schools | |
It’s that time of the year again when turkeys, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pie are on the menu and thankfulness is the order of the day. All of Mahopac’s schools may be empty on Thanksgiving Day, but that doesn’t mean that teachers and students didn’t enjoy some holiday-themed festivities before the break. Check out some photos from all of the Thanksgiving events that took place at Mahopac’s schools in the days leading up to the holiday break: | |
Mahopac Middle School Class Combines Language Learning with STEAM | |
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Mahopac’s schools aim to offer students a wide variety of educational opportunities to foster dynamic, well-rounded members of society, but that multi-disciplinary objective does not stop at the classroom level. Signora Tuccillo’s Italian students at Mahopac Middle School got a unique opportunity to learn about Italy as well as practice fundamental research skills this month at the Pop-Up Library.
“For years we’ve had our students research topics in Italy and some of them will even present them at the STEAM Fair. Students are learning to work together on a research-based project and tying their education in with the larger cultural, scientific, linguistic picture.”
Seventh and eighth-grade students select topics about issues facing different regions of Italy, such as the flooding in Venice, and then research the topics and propose solutions. Students combine fundamental skills required to write research papers with a cultural study of Italy and the Italian language and gain a new perspective on the challenges and lives of regular people just like them living in a country thousands of miles away.
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Mahopac Alumni Return for Panel with
Mahopac High School Seniors
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Mahopac High School seniors are quickly approaching a very big milestone, as they begin to make choices about their post-high school lives. Eight Mahopac alumni recently took time out of their holiday break to come back to their Alma Mater and speak to current seniors. Chelsea Ritter, Joey Grassia, Ava Van Nortwick, Philip Colbrook, Jake Couzens, Ally Shurak, Emma Rooney, and Tommy Jacobellis answered questions from the high school students about their experiences in college and what current Mahopac High School students can expect should they follow in the alumni’s footsteps.
“It can be overwhelming when you first get to college. I never entertained a planner when I was in high school, but that changed when I went to college," Ritter said. "Writing things down and planning out your time is critical to balancing everything that you want to get done, both for school and outside of academics too.”
“A majority of the scholarships that I got were for things that I was passionate about," said Van Nortwick. "There are a lot of scholarship opportunities, start looking for niche scholarships that you could already be interested in.”
“If I could go back and talk to myself from the end of high school, I'd tell myself to trust the process," Jacobellis said. "I didn't get into my top schools, I thought I might not go to college. Then I visited my school and I fell in love with it. It sounds cliche, but I ended up where I needed to be.”
No matter what direction each Mahopac High School student chooses after graduation, they will hear valuable advice from every adult person in their lives, but the value of hearing from other members of the same generation who have gone through the same process cannot be overstated.
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Technology Department Upgrades Mahopac Middle School Chromebooks | |
The Mahopac Central School District's Technology Department visited Mahopac Middle School earlier this month to work with seventh and eighth-grade students to equip their Chromebooks with new, protective covers. Hundreds of students lined up in the middle school’s cafeteria to get plastic covers put onto their devices. Even the District’s new Director of Technology, Benjamin August, was there providing hands-on assistance with the Chromebooks. Measures like these serve to keep the devices working for longer so that they can continue to enhance students' educations well into the future with fewer replacements. | |
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Board of Education Recognized at
November Meeting
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The Mahopac Central School District's Board of Education does invaluable work for the District with a focus on the experience of students and the critical role that Mahopac's schools play in the community. When the Board met for the November meeting on Tuesday, Association of Mahopac Administrators President and Mahopac Middle School Principal Tom Cozzocrea spoke at the podium.
"We wanted to take a moment to share our gratitude for the work of the Board of Education," Cozzocrea said. "Your collaborative efforts have led to remarkable improvements that have enhanced the learning experience for all of our students. The Board has our deepest gratitude for the various building enhancements made through the Capital Project that have transformed our educational landscape."
Lisa Ettlinger, from the Mahopac Teachers Association, also thanked the Board Members for their selfless efforts. Superintendent of Schools Christine Tona recognized the Board in a statement at the meeting.
“BOE trustees are volunteers, yet they give so much of their time to govern our district and support our students, staff, and me," Tona said. "In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am extremely grateful for all of our Trustees. On behalf of the entire District, thank you for your commitment to the Mahopac Central School District.”
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New Mahopac School Website
Nears Completion
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The Mahopac Central School District has been working on a digital redesign and will soon be rolling out a brand new website for each of its schools as well as a new District-wide site. Mahopac’s Technology Department has been working hard with staff to ensure a smooth transition to the new websites. The new sites will enhance student learning, provide staff with quick and easy access to resources, and connect Mahopac’s schools with the community better than ever before. | |
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November Edition of
Spotlight on Mahopac
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Music teacher, Stas Przymylski performed in Illusion when he was a Mahopac High School student in 1988 and 1989. Be sure to see this year's outstanding show on December 14,15, or 16! | |
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Mission Statement
The Mahopac CSD develops educated, upstanding citizens with practical life skills through rigorous preparation for the real world.
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Mahopac Central School District
100 Myrtle Avenue, Mahopac, NY 10541
Phone: 845-628-3415 Fax: 845-628-5502
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