We are pleased to offer online registration for students entering kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year. Online registration is now open for incoming kindergarten students.
Please visit our New Student Registration page for additional information and the 2022-23 New Kindergarten Student Registration Form.
At the Board of Education meeting on January 18, 2022, a revised 2021-2022 school calendar was adopted. The changes to the calendar include:
- Added half days for Grades K-4: June 21, 22, 23 & 24
- Added half days for Grades 5-8: June 24
See an updated calendar at a glance for the 2021-22 school year.
Sign up for our weekly e-newsletters, Carmel Connections & Schoolhouse News, to stay up-to-date on all that is happening in our district!
Dear Carmel Community,
In what feels like a blink of an eye, another school year has come to a close. We have had quite a journey during the 2021-22 school year, but this year ends with a more familiar sense of normalcy that we have not felt in the last two years. As we close the door on the 2021-22 school year, we eagerly open the door to the 2022-23 school year and its infinite possibilities.
Before we officially depart for the summer break, I would like to take this opportunity to share a few messages of appreciation and congratulations.
To our students, especially the Class of 2022, congratulations on an amazing year full of wonderful memories, growth, accomplishments and, of course, fun. Last night, we had the privilege of graduating 384 Carmel High School seniors who are more than ready to accomplish great things in their next chapter. We wish our seniors much success and happiness in the years to come and remind them to stay in touch! To all our students returning to our schools in the fall, we look forward to adding more wonderful memories with you in your next chapter with us.
To our incredible teachers and staff, thank you. Thank you for your adaptability, continued creativity, and commitment to meeting the needs of each and every student who entered our buildings, despite any challenges that came your way. You are the heart of our district, and we would not be able to do what we do without you. I remain immensely grateful for all that you do for our students every day.
To our Carmel parents and guardians, thank you for sharing your children with us and allowing us to help them grow every day. Our district has spectacular students and that stems from you as parents and guardians. Your support, partnership, and active involvement in your child’s educational journey are a testament to our shared desire for success for each district student. We look forward to continuing to work with you in new ways to ensure that continued success.
I wish you all an enjoyable summer break and look forward to seeing you back in the fall!
Best wishes,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
I am writing to you today to share some updates to the staffing changes within our district that I shared recently with you. These updates were shared at last night’s Board of Education meeting.
Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
As I shared in a previous email, the district has not yet been able to identify a permanent replacement for the open role of Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. I am pleased to share that upon her return from an approved leave in early fall, Carmel High School Principal Lauren Santabarbara will take on the role of interim Assistant Superintendent for Instruction through the end of the 2022-23 school year. Lauren will have some overlap time with our current interim, Dr. Mary Foster, to ensure a seamless transition and Mary will be available to the district as a mentor for the role.
In spring, we will re-evaluate the role and make a decision regarding advertising for a permanent hire in the role for the subsequent school year.
Carmel High School Interim Principal
Last month, Deborah Weisel was appointed to the interim principal position at Carmel High School to fill the role for Principal Lauren Santabarbara while she is on her approved leave. Deborah will remain in the position as Lauren steps into the interim Assistant Superintendent role while we work to find a longer-term interim principal at Carmel High School. We have plans to re-evaluate this role, as well as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction role, in spring to determine our next steps. We will continue to update the Carmel community as we work to fill positions permanently.
As we look ahead to the 2022-23 school year, I am confident that our district will continue to advance in new and wonderful ways that keep our students’ success at the center of all that we do. Thank you for your continued partnership to make our district the best that it can be.
As always, please feel free to reach out to my office with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
The conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year is quickly approaching, and I look forward to seeing the many celebrations and end-of-year activities that will be taking place in our schools over the next few weeks.
I am writing to you today to let you know of some staffing updates and changes within our district that will take place over the next several weeks and months.
Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
After completing an extensive search for a new Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, we have not yet been able to identify a candidate that would be the best fit for our district. Our survey from earlier this year identified that the community would like someone in this position who is student-centered and highly collaborative among other qualities. We are committed to finding a replacement that meets and exceeds the expectations of our community, so rather than settle on a candidate, we have begun searching for an interim until a full-time replacement has been identified. Our current interim, Mary Foster, will be with us through June 30. We will continue to update the Carmel community as we work to fill the position on a temporary basis.
Kent Elementary School Principal
As many of you are already aware, Kathryn White has resigned from her position as principal of Kent Elementary School. Her last day with our district will be June 30 after the conclusion of the current school year. We thank her for her service to our district and wish her all the best in her next chapter as an educational leader.
We have begun advertising for a full-time replacement with plans to appoint a candidate later this summer for an anticipated start at the end of September. Until then, we will be filling the role with an interim who will work this summer and throughout the beginning of the school year until a full-time replacement is hired. At last night’s Board of Education meeting, Anthony DiCarlo was appointed to the interim elementary school principal position beginning July 5. Anthony recently retired from his role as Superintendent of Schools for Mahopac Central School District and has a wealth of knowledge as an educational leader. He has previously served many years as both an elementary and middle school principal in several districts, and I am confident that he will be an asset to our district and the Kent Elementary School community during this transitional time.
Carmel High School Interim Principal
At last night’s Board of Education meeting, Deborah Weisel was appointed to the interim principal position at Carmel High School. Deborah will be filling the role for Principal Lauren Santabarbara while she is on an approved leave through early fall. Deborah is no stranger to our district and many of you may remember her fondly from her time as the principal of Kent Elementary School prior to her retirement in 2018. Her previous knowledge of our district will be an asset as we quickly begin preparations for the 2022-2023 school year. We look forward to welcoming Deborah back to our district temporarily beginning June 27.
We look forward to working with our interim administrators over the next several months to advance our district in new directions. As always, please feel free to reach out to my office with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
I write to you today with a heavy heart in the wake of the tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, yesterday.
Our hearts go out to Robb Elementary School and the entire Uvalde community, especially those families who are dealing with the loss of a loved one after a senseless act of violence.
Our counselors and Pupil Personnel Services department are available to address the social-emotional needs of any student or staff who needs support and/or an outlet to discuss the incident. We encourage anyone needing support for any reason to please reach out to them.
At Carmel Central School District, the safety and security of our students and staff is always our highest priority. Our district will continue to maintain all the protocols and procedures that we have in place to ensure safety. We appreciate your ongoing partnership and understanding of our enforcement of these protocols to help keep our schools safe.
Our School Resource Officers work with our local and state law enforcement agencies every day to ensure the safety of all our students. We remain grateful for our long-standing working partnership with the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department and the New York State Police who are committed to keeping our community safe and work diligently to prevent tragedies from occurring. Our district is also supported by a regional safety coordinator through Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES to ensure that we stay up to date on all school safety protocols. Our District-wide Safety Team meets regularly to review, revise, and implement procedures designed to keep our campuses safe.
In the wake of the news out of Texas, please reassure your children that our district takes the responsibility of keeping them safe very seriously. We encourage them to speak to their teacher, guidance counselor, or any adult in their immediate vicinity if they ever feel uneasy or unsafe at any time during the day.
We will continue to keep Robb Elementary School and the Uvalde, Texas, community in our thoughts as they navigate this senseless tragedy.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
At the Board of Education meeting on May 3, based on my recommendation, John Fratto was appointed to the tenure-track position of assistant principal at Carmel High School. John’s appointment fills the vacancy that was created when John Fink became the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Business earlier this year.
John will join our district on June 6, 2022, and comes to us with extensive knowledge as a teacher and educational leader. As an educational leader, John has a comprehensive background in research-supported practices for curriculum, instruction, and assessment in order to develop and sustain rigorous standard-based, data-driven educational programs that encourage and enable all students to be successful learners.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from SUNY Buffalo and Master of Adolescent Education from Canisius College where he was also certified as a teacher of social studies for Grades 7-12. For the first seven years of his career, John taught social studies in Monticello Central School District and Beacon School District, where he brought his knowledge base of the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework, taught inclusion classes and was a student council coordinator.
In using his teaching experiences as his foundation, John continued his career as assistant principal at F. D. Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park. Over the past two years, John has gained experience as the School Safety Coordinator where he partnered with the district safety team to advance the district wide safety plan and align the school’s protocols with the State Education Department. John also supported and launched programs such as the F. D. Roosevelt National Honor Society Peer Tutoring Program.
We are excited for John to join the administrative team in the Carmel Central School District, and we look forward to working with him to advance our district in new directions. As always, please feel free to reach out to my office with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
Yesterday, Carmel Central School District voters approved the proposed $134,774,187 budget for the 2022-23 school year, with 1,910 voting in favor and 1,657 voting no. Additionally, voters elected three members to the Board of Education. Incumbent Jason Paraskeva and newcomers Dawn Dall and Valerie Crocco were all elected to serve three-year terms through June 30, 2025.
Thank you to the community for showing support for our schools and voting in favor of the proposed 2022-23 budget. Yesterday, we saw the highest in-person voter turnout in our district in the last 50 years, which is a testament to the priority of our community to exercise their right to vote and make their voice be heard.
Our Board of Education and district administration worked hard to create a budget proposal that we believed provided the needed support for our students while also keeping the tax levy low, and we are pleased that the voters agreed.
The Board of Education is expected to confirm the results of the budget vote and Board member election at its next meeting on May 24.
Thank you, again, for your continued support of our schools.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
Last week, I sent out a survey to obtain your feedback to help inform our search for the next Superintendent of Instruction for the district. Thank you to those of you who provided thoughtful responses to that survey. Your insight will be most helpful during the search process to identify a candidate who will be successful here in Carmel Central School District.
While the search is being conducted, I am pleased to share that the Board of Education has approved the appointment of Mary Foster, Ed.D., as our Interim Superintendent of Instruction.
Mary will join our district beginning April 18 in the interim role and comes to us with an incredible amount of experience after a lengthy career in education with the Peekskill City School District. During her career, she has spanned all areas of the public-school education system beginning as a special education teacher and moving on to the Director of Early Childhood, Elementary Principal, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education, even serving as an Interim Superintendent.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from Loyola College and her Doctor of Education from Manhattanville College. Mary also holds permanent New York State certifications in School District Administration; Nursery, Kindergarten and Grades 1-6; as well as Special Education. Most recently, she has been sharing her expertise as an educational consultant, analyzing special education programs for grades K-12 and leading professional development opportunities for elementary principals and district administrators.
We look forward to welcoming Mary later this month and working with her to continue to advance our district in new directions. As always, should you have any questions, please reach out to my office for guidance.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear CCSD Families,
This school year, our district provided every student with the opportunity to obtain a personal learning device for educational purposes. This one-to-one initiative enables our district students and teachers to better engage, share, and participate in a collaborative learning community.
This year, our teachers have continued to expand what is possible for our students using technology. We have enhanced our single username and password program so that students can more easily access digital tools. We have improved our wireless network, refined and improved our collection of software tools, and created plans to replace some of our older smartboards in classrooms. As we look to the future, student engagement and success remains our focus.
It’s hard to believe that the end of the 2021-22 school year is on the horizon. While we still have a few months until then, we wanted to use this opportunity to provide a few reminders regarding the daily use of devices for the remainder of the current school year, and some preliminary information about end-of-year device collection.
Technical SupportInstructional technology information including where to go for technical support is available for students and families on the District Technology website.
Students at Carmel High School and George Fischer Middle School also have direct access to a helpdesk system from their district laptop or ClassLink.
Digital Classroom Use
Damaged/Missing Device FeesIf a district laptop/iPad or charger is missing or damaged, parents will receive an invoice from MySchoolBucks based on the following fees:
Year-End Procedures & Device ReturnsDetailed information regarding end-of-year procedures and device returns will be sent by individual schools later this year. In preparation for the end of the year, please review the following guidelines:
We thank you for your continued support as we keep our students and staff connected.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret ZehrSuperintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
At last night’s Board of Education meeting, John Fink was appointed as the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Business, effective today, March 9. John has been serving in the role as our interim since early November after the position was vacated by our previous Assistant Superintendent.
John came to the interim role with a great drive to help the district move forward, and in just four months he has already made some impactful positive changes. We are pleased with all that he has accomplished in the last few months and believe that making him a permanent addition to our district administration will be a tremendous benefit to the Carmel community.
We will begin advertising for a new assistant principal at Carmel High School to replace John with the intention of filling the position as soon as possible. The open assistant principal position will continue to be filled by our interim, Lou Valesey, until a new hire has been made.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Carmel Community,
Today, Governor Hochul has announced that the statewide indoor mask mandate for New York State schools has been lifted, effective Wednesday, March 2, 2022, for all schools in a low-transmission zone.
As of Wednesday, March 2, mask-wearing will be optional for all students, staff and visitors of Carmel Central School District while on school grounds or on school transportation. Additionally, we anticipate that we will be receiving official guidance from the NYS Education Department in the next few days.
We recognize that all members of our district community have differing opinions on masks and levels of comfort with mask-wearing, and we support your choice in making the best decision for your child and yourself. As a district, we commit to respecting the rights of all students, staff, and visitors, whether they choose to wear a mask or not.
While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is not over, this change is one step closer to returning our learning environments to a more familiar normal for our students and staff. However, we all play a role in keeping our schools safe, healthy and open. Your continued partnership and commitment to not sending your child to school while ill is appreciated and vital to keeping our community safe.
If your child is experiencing any symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19 or other illnesses, we remind you to please not send them to our school buildings.
As a reminder, the district is providing at-home test kits for district students who need them. Tests can be picked up from your child’s individual school building during school hours. Please contact your child’s individual school building if you need alternate arrangements. In order to receive a test kit, the student must attend one of the five schools in our district. If you previously received a test kit from the district for your student, you may obtain another kit at this time.
We will continue to keep you updated with additional information as needed. Please stay safe and be well.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr Superintendent of Schools
The hallways of our buildings may have been quiet during the summer break, but on the last day of school, they were anything but! Our Grade 4 elementary students exited their schools for the final time (in style!) to the cheers and applause of younger students, teachers and families, bound for George Fischer Middle School next year. Watch a video from the final Grade 4 dismissal at Kent Primary School on June 24.
Before the school year let out, Kent Primary kindergartners put on their scientist hats to search for evidence during a recent science lesson about how animals and plants can change an environment. See photos of our environmental detectives at work!
For fourth-grade students at Kent Elementary, music was a gateway to the world this year. Throughout the year, students prepared for their final music concert as Kent Elementary students with songs from around the world. This year’s concert was a celebration of culture, language and music and featured songs from six different countries and in five different languages. See photos and a video from the Kent Elementary Grade 4 Music Celebration.
In a pre-graduation celebration, students from Matthew Paterson Elementary’s Class of 2014 – now seniors in Carmel High School’s Class of 2022 – took a trip down memory lane with a visit to their former fourth-grade teachers: Christine Demme, Charissa Vickery and Cathy DeGloria. See photos from the senior celebration at Matthew Paterson Elementary!
Kent Primary fourth-graders charmed an audience of parents and families gathered in the cafeteria with a musical concert that they have prepared for all year. Under the direction of music teacher Juliana Schultz, students sang their way through many songs and showcased their creativity with special dance performances, bucket-drumming and songs played on recorders. See photos and videos from the Kent Primary Grade 4 Music Celebration.
With the help of a naturalist from Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES’ Center for Environmental Education, fifth-grade science students at George Fischer Middle School reviewed and discussed several diverse types of animals and plants, and their unique traits for survival, during a recent science lesson. Read more about the adaptation lesson.
Our Kent Elementary School students didn't just get Field Day this year, they got a Field Week! Over the course of last week, our students had the opportunity to play water games, run an inflatable obstacle course, master hula hoop tossing, hop in potato sacks, enjoy tasty snacks and more. Check out photos from the Kent Elementary Field Week.
Fourth-grade students at Matthew Paterson Elementary performed for the final time as elementary school students in front of their parents and families under the direction of music teacher Sydney Coelho with their renditions of “This Little Light of Mine,” “Take Time to be Kind,” “You-nique,” “50 Nifty United States” and “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars. See a video and photos from the MPES Grade 4 Music Celebration.
In late May, artwork from nine students in Grade 6 and 7 at George Fischer Middle School students was featured in the 94th Assembly District Art Show and Competition hosted by the Putnam Arts Council and Assemblyman Kevin Byrne. See photos from the art show!
Carmel High School students had the opportunity to visit with community orgs & agencies at the Mental Wellness Fair hosted by the Counseling Dept. There was a ton of resources and information shared and, of course, petting of the therapy dogs! Read more about the fair and see photos from the event.
Lisa Chase’s second-grade students invited parents, guardians and families to see them perform “Too Much Noise!,” a musical that they had rehearsed for several weeks. Read more about the musical and see photos from the performance!
Congratulations to the Carmel High School seniors who were recipients of scholarships from the Rotary Club of Carmel, NY this year:
- Jaclyn Repanti (Dr. Garrett Vink Award)
- William Marsden (Al Lotrecchiano Award)
- Moira McNerney (Bill Nichols Award)
- Francesco Bojorquez (Bill Nichols Award)
- Jake Montana (Ed Sumber Award)
- Brian Duval (Ed Sumber Award)
- Niamh Carey (Bill Huestis Award)
- Ryan Doherty (Andy Senno Award)
- Nicholas Sodano (George Knoechel Award)
- Delmy Ramirez Orellana (Jim McMorrow Award)
- Michelle Punina Sanchez (Jim McMorrow Award)
- Olivia Murillo (Jim McMorrow Award)
Thank you to the Rotary Club for your continuous support of our students!
What could be better than a day of fun in the sun? Students at Kent Primary had the opportunity to let loose, play games, enjoy snacks and soak in the beautiful weather at last week's Field Day. See photos from the event!
Congratulations to the inaugural inductees of the new Carmel High School chapter of the National Art Honor Society! Read more about the new honor society and see a list of this year's inductees.
Where can you experience volcanoes, create monster art, do the limbo, and choose a book to read all at the same time? The Kent Public Library, of course! Young readers at Kent Primary School recently took a special trip over to the Kent Public Library to learn about all that the library has to offer. Read more about the library trip and see photos from the visit.
Draw. Pin. Stitch. Stuff. Fluff. For sixth-grade Family & Consumer Science students at George Fischer Middle School, those 5 simple steps sum up a recent sewing project making pillows that represented their unique qualities! Read more on the pillow project.
Third-grade students at Matthew Paterson Elementary may have entered the building in Patterson but ended up a world away at the Annual Passport Day – a school tradition for nearly 30 years! Read more and see a photo gallery from the annual event.
At the recent Board of Education meeting, the district recognized this year’s Seal of Biliteracy recipients from Carmel High School. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given to students that have proven an intermediate high level of language proficiency in French, Italian or Spanish, in addition to English. See a full list of students who were awarded the Seal of Biliteracy.
Digital Media students at George Fischer Middle School present the latest episode of RAMtv, full of interviews! In this episode we learn what the favorite video game among students was this year and what select staff members would do if they won $1 million dollars. The episode also features a special interview with Mr. Keenan, the director of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, at the school. View the latest RAMtv episode.
We are pleased to offer online registration for students entering kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year. Online registration is now open for incoming kindergarten students.
Please visit our New Student Registration page for additional information and the 2022-23 New Kindergarten Student Registration Form.
At the Board of Education meeting on January 18, 2022, a revised 2021-2022 school calendar was adopted. The changes to the calendar include:
- Added half days for Grades K-4: June 21, 22, 23 & 24
- Added half days for Grades 5-8: June 24
See an updated calendar at a glance for the 2021-22 school year.
Sign up for our weekly e-newsletters, Carmel Connections & Schoolhouse News, to stay up-to-date on all that is happening in our district!
