Community Update

June 10, 2022

Hello North Rockland Families,

This week was one of a lot of emotions, celebrations, memories made, goodbyes and new beginnings.

As we said farewell to our 2021-22 retirees during the District’s ceremony at Fieldstone Middle school, I realized just how blessed I have been in my career to work with such remarkably passionate and brilliant people. The children of North Rockland are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be shaped, taught and cared for by each of our retiring teachers, aides, principals, administration, buildings and grounds workers, food service staff, ENL instructors and nurses for so long.

Building leaders shared stories of the wonderful privilege it has been to collaboratively support students of all ages and backgrounds as they grew, learned, and were inspired to pursue their interests and passions, while our retirees spoke of how their journey has been a joy of a lifetime.

As we said our farewells to our departing retirees, North Rockland also welcomed our new hires, celebrated our staff who are moving into new innovative positions within the District and recognized those educators who have worked tirelessly to earn tenure. The entire night was one of great gratitude and excitement. I could not be more proud to be the Superintendent of such a wonderful institution.

There are so many creative ideas and plans unfolding to reimagine how students experience their learning while continuing NR's tradition of visionary programming. The future is bright, and we are looking forward to everything that’s to come in 2022-23. Our priorities will include increased security measures, unique student experiences, mental health supports excellence and opportunity for all students, all while teaching our students to be responsible young people by empowering student voice.

With that being said, there are still two weeks left before the end of the school year. While this week was one of our favorites thus far, filled with BBQ’s, trips, Field Days, moving up ceremonies, recognition dinners and much more, the best is still yet to come!

Further below in today’s update you will find overviews of the end of the year events, graduations, regents examinations, report cards and schedules. There is still much work to do from now until June 24. This year has had its challenges, but we will finish it the same way we started it - NR Strong and NR Together!

We understand the financial hardships many families are facing due to the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, our principals and teachers have determined the basic supplies students will need. The District will utilize COVID relief funds again to purchase those back-to-school supplies to take that burden off families. Individual teachers may require a few course-specific items once classes begin.

We recognize these individuals for their unwavering dedication, perseverance and ability to adapt during one of the most difficult times the education system has been tasked with. Best wishes for the journey ahead! Congratulate them here.

“It’s an honor to be together and break bread as a North Rockland employee for the last time. Thank you for all you have done for the generations of children of this District” said Superintendent Dr. Kris Felicello as he recognized each retiree for their lasting impact. Congratulate our retirees and view more photos here.

Thomas Lynch, Special Education and Social Studies teacher at the NRHS Extension, passed away in 2021 after a long, valiant battle with cancer. He retired in November of last year after working with the District for over 30 years. While celebrated him and his North Rockland Career this week and gave out scholarships in his memory, we promised him that he will live on here in the hallways of our schools.

As a teacher at the Alternative HS, Tom was able to connect with students on a special level. He was more than a teacher to his students; he was a mentor who forged relationships. These relationships helped guide at-risk students and keep them on a path towards graduation and success in life after high school. Tom was a fixture at the Alt. HS over his teaching career in NRCSD.

As a coach, Tom led our baseball and football teams to many wins and championships. But, Coach Lynch measured his success by more than wins and losses on the baseball diamond or the football field. He strived to make sure the athletes under his charge became better students and better people. In this endeavor, he was a legend.

From the baseball dugout or from the football sidelines, Tom had a distinctive coaching voice. All could hear him extolling, encouraging, explaining, teaching and cajoling his team to strive for success (he cajoled a few umpires and referees to make correct calls in his time as well). Coach Lynch was demanding of his team, but his command was always based on caring and compassion for his players.

The Hall of Fame Football Coach Vince Lombardi used the term a “Champions Will” for successful players and teams. Even while battling injuries and illnesses, Tom always willed himself to be at work in the classroom and on the field with his team. Coach Lynch modeled a “Champions Will” and that legacy will be with us forever.

Tom was a great friend to many of us. Whether at work or in social situations, he was always fun to be around. It felt like he knew everyone in Rockland County and had so many great stories. He also cared more about others than himself.

Forever a legend, rest in peace Coach.

Welcome to the final edition of The Rambling Raider for the 2021-2022 school year! We are so grateful for everyone's constant support and praise throughout this year! Please click here to enjoy these fun and fresh articles that will welcome you into a great summer! Au revoir!

Regents Exams will be administered from Wednesday, June 15 to Wednesday, June 22. Please click here for the Regents testing dates and transportation schedule.

Please note the following:

• Students taking morning exams will be picked up at their regular bus stop and time.
• Students taking afternoon exams should be at their regular bus stop by 10:10am.

• Try to keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limit exposure to television and the news.
• Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listen to kids’ fears and concerns.
• Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Families and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
• Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.

Article: Talking to Children about Terrorist Attacks and School and Community Shootings in the News

Did you know NRCSD now offers a FREE App?

The North Rockland Central School District App is now available for download in the App Store or Google play! Just search North Rockland CSD and tap to download. Save time and find all the latest District information all in one convenient, easy use location.

Steps to download:

1. Visit iTunes App Store ® or Google Play ®
2. Search North Rockland CSD
3. Then select North Rockland CSD App for FREE download
4. Open the App enable push notifications and select the school(s) you want to subscribe to.

Stay connected!

• Get the latest district and school news
• Select the schools you want to follow
• Get push notifications about breaking news, closures, weather, events, and more
• Tap to see school locations, phone numbers, and staff information, fast

For a tutorial and navigation overview on the NRCSD App check out the YouTube video linked here.

We are excited to share that thanks to our school communities overwhelming support, the Remote Academy will continue to be an option for families for the 22-23 school year. If you have not already completed the enrollment form and are interested in enrolling your child in the Remote Academy, please complete the form(s) below by Friday, May 27th.

Elementary Form (Grades 1-6)

Secondary Form (Grades 7-12)

The 2022-2023 District Calendar linked here, was formally approved at this week's Board of Education meeting.

Summer in North Rockland is going to be full of engagement and education. The District is currently finalizing our 2022-23 Summer Program offerings which will be introducing new innovative activities and curriculum. A snapshot of our programs and their offerings can be found linked here and a video exploring Stepping Stones Summer Enrichment can be found linked here. Please be on the lookout for more information as we get closer to summertime on how to sign up.

High School

Last day of class: June 14

Testing schedule: June 15 - 24

Report Cards posted to Parent Portal by noon on June 24

FMS

Students in AM June 22 - 24

Report cards posted to Parent Portal by noon on June 24

K-6

Elementary (K-6) will have early dismissal on June 13

Report cards will be sent home in physical backpacks on June 24; posted to Parent Portal by noon on June 24 and mailed home with NWEA results on June 30

Last day of school: June 24

NRHS Commencement Ceremony: June 17 at 6PM at Cordisco Stadium

The most up to date information on all the upcoming year end events Districtwide can be found on the final months of the 2021-22 NRCSD Calendar linked here.

Below you will find a list of upcoming NR events now through the end of the year linked by school. Keep checking back on this section each week as school events continue to be updated.

Remote Academy

Next week:

• Monday June 13 - Grades K-6 - Field Day In-Person
• Tuesday June 14 - Kindergarten Moving Up Ceremony - 9am at FMS

Stony Point Elementary School

Next week:

• Monday June 13 Grade 3 Moving-Up Ceremonies 9:30-10:30 - LaBier, Osberg
• Tuesday, June 14 Grade 3 Moving-Up Ceremonies 9:30-10:30 - K. Flores, Murphy, Reiss & Strieter
• Wednesday, June 15 Grade 3 Moving-Up Ceremonies 9:30-10:30 - Accetta, Dominquez & Dittman
• Friday, June 17 Grade 3 Blow-Up Fun Day

West Haverstraw Elementary School

Next week:

• Monday, June 13 10:30-11:15 am Kindergarten End of Year Celebration - (Zivec, Golio & Behn)
• Tuesday, June 14 2:00 PM Parade of Champions
• Thursday, June 16 9:45-10:30 am Kindergarten End of Year Celebration - (Wallace, Torres, Armida & Woodhead)

3rd Grade BBQ

• Friday, June 17 9:45-10:30 am Kindergarten End of Year Celebration - (VanRyn, Shurman & Diliberto)

Thiells Elementary School

Next week:

• Monday June 13 Grade 3 Moving Up Ceremony

10:20 AM (Ciampi, McCarthy, Oliveras)

11:20 AM (Accattato, Eliakostas)

Early Dismissal, 12:35 PM

• June 14 Grade 3 Moving Up Ceremony

10:20 AM (Giannetta, Shepardson)

11:20 AM (Lynch, Valente, Walczak)

• June 16 3rd Grade Got Talent Assemblies

3rd Grade Got Talent Show, 6:30 P.M.

• June 16 Kindergarten, Field Trip, Bowline Park

Haverstraw Elementary School

Next week:

6th Grade Moving Up

• Tuesday June 14 Beckerle, Anderson, Gonzalez, Lall
• Wednesday June 15 Arvidson, Pentimone, Royster, Tracey
• Thursday June 16 Feliz & Metress

Farley Elementary School

Next week:

6th Grade Moving Up

• Wednesday June 15 - 10 a.m. - Babier, Peluso, Zecchine, Pelcin, Hutmacher, Geron
• Thursday June 16 - 10 a.m. DeVincenzo, Kennedy,Whalen, Coovert, BOCES

Willow Grove Elementary School

Next week:

6th Grade Moving Up

• Monday, June13 9:00 a.m. - Cooney/Campanelli
• Tuesday, June 14 9:00 a.m. - Donohue/Orlando
• Wednesday, June 15 9:00 a.m. - Neary/McGillicuddy/Martin
• Thursday, June 16 9:00 a.m. Chizmadia/Marrero/Hart/Vallely

Fieldstone Middle School

Next week:

• Monday, June 13 - 8th Grade Awards Night @ NRHS - 7:00 PM
• Thursday, June 16th - 8th Grade Celebration - 1:00 PM (Rain Date: June 23rd @ 10:00 AM)

8th Grade Moving Up Ceremonies - 8:30 AM - Auditorium

• Friday, June 17th – Voyagers, Phoenix, and Spirit Teams

North Rockland Central School District will be hosting our 5th annual EdCamp Rockland on Saturday, June 11th from 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at Fieldstone Middle School!

• Edcamp is a free, participant-driven, shared educational experience open to all interested educators. Food and beverages will be provided and there'll be lots of swag and amazing sponsored prizes.

• We’ll have a guest speaker, Dominique Smith, who will kick off the event and facilitate sessions. A few years ago, Dominique spoke to the staff about restorative discipline and was well received. He is the author of Better Than Carrots and Sticks and the Restorative Practices Playbook

Click here to register.

Click here to follow EdCamp Rockland on Facebook!

SAVE THE DATES

NRHS Graduation is Friday, June 17, 2022.

Rain Dates are Wednesday, June 22 or Thursday, June 23, 2022.

Location: NRHS Football Stadium.

NRHS Prom is Tuesday, June 21, 2022

at the Rockleigh Country Club.

More information to follow as we get further into the year.

The North Rockland Central School District Universal Pre-K program has only a few spots remaining. Registration is open to children who will be four years old by December 1, 2022

and live in the district! Sign up now through the link here.

After going to incredible lengths to return to play, North Rockland’s student-athletes really showed their strength. The Red Raiders poured everything they had into bringing home state championships, Section 1 titles and history making season records over the course of the 2021-22 school year. It was a wonderful night at the Senior Banquet and Coaches Awards Dinner at the Haverstraw Elks Lodge last night. Led by Coach Casarella, with their parents, teammates, and coaches in attendance, NR Athletics recognized the hard work and determination of our unrelenting players.

We always look forward to the event and opportunity to honor our student-athletes for all of their accomplishments as individuals as well as the team achievements of the entire athletic program. In addition to the special awards, we wished our seniors all the best in their future endeavors both on and off the field.

Our Section I Champion Girls Track team along with two members (David Joseph and Michael Niero) of our Boys Track & Field team will be headed to the NYS Championships at Cicero North High School in Syracuse. The action gets underway on June 10 and runs through the weekend. Under the direction of Head Coach Steve Sutton, the Girls team won the Sectional title on May 29 at Arlington High School. Coach Orlando Rivera and the Boys team came within 8 points of a title and finished second.

Girl Track Team Members:

Gaby Cabrera

Deborah Estabine

Dami Modupe

Jade Pazmino

Esther St. Fort

Nya Thomas

Skylah Zamor

The Section I Champion Softball team bowed in the Regional Semi-Finals to No. 1 NYS-ranked Monroe-Woodbury on Wednesday June 1. The team defeated White Plains 3-2 in 8 innings on May 29 to win the Section I Championship. It was the second Section I title in the Coach Dinuzzo era. The Raiders found their way to the championship game four other times in the past 10 years.

In other news this week, the North Rockland Boys Youth Lacrosse program held its annual North Rockland Invitational on Sunday June 5. Over 27 teams competed from 10 different organizations throughout the tri-state area. Coach Ken Rose and the boys lacrosse team successfully organized the event, which drew an estimated 1,000 spectators to the High School sports complex.

Coach Alexandra Vippolis and the Red Raider Field Hockey program will be running a free clinic for school district students interested in field hockey. There are two dates - June 12 and June 19. It is open to all ages. Contact avippolis@northrockland.org for more information.

Click here for starting dates for: Fall Sports 2022, Winter Sports 2022-23, and Spring Sports 2023.

Click for on the flyer below for more information.

Following the nationwide and unfortunately countywide upwards trend in youth substance abuse, recently, there has been an increase in the number of instances involving student use of substances forbidden by the North Rockland Central School District’s Code of Conduct. The District is taking this very seriously as the safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our top priority. Subsequently, the District has set forth measures to help inform students and parents of the inherent dangers of these substances, while also deploying measures to promote a healthy school environment.

Measures being implemented include:

• A search of North Rockland High School was conducted in late February by the K-9 units from Rockland and Orange County. 15 officers and their K-9 service dogs swept the facility. Future sweeps are planned in conjunction with the Haverstraw Police Department.

• Training for faculty and staff members is being scheduled to help detect the signs of student substance use and the recognition of various forms of paraphernalia.

• Increased security in areas of schools where student misbehavior is more likely to occur.

• Educational presentations on the dangers of controlled substances are being held for students. A parent information night will be scheduled for later this month.

• Adjustment of bathroom supervision protocols

• The District will continue our partnership with the North Rockland Coalition for Drug and Awareness Prevention to support our students and families in need of assistance.

• The District will add staff to provide substance abuse counseling.

• The District is working closely with the town of Haverstraw to bring two School Resource Officer Positions (SRO) to the District.

We recognize the potential dangers associated with the use of substances by our student body and remain committed to the safety and well-being of our students.

Substance abuse for families

Strategies parents can use to help their children:

• Look for signs

• Talk to your child and explain your concerns in detail.

• Seek help/resources from your family physician, school counselor or school social worker

• Get help

Helpful links:

• The Partnership For Safe and Healthy Youth

• RCADD
• Behavioral Health Response Team

• North Rockland Coalition /Drug Awareness & Prevention (website)

  NRC/DAP Parent Support

• Haverstraw Reach Out Center: 845-429-5731
• High Focus Center: 1-800-877-3628
• Volunteer Counseling (VCS): 845-634-5729
• Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration Hotline: 1-800-622-HELP(4357)
• Samaritan Daytop Village: 845-353-2730
• Arms Acres: 845-208-0632
• Adolescent Outpatient Substance Abuse Program (Nyack Hosp): 845-348-2075

Signs parents could look for that determine if their child may be using:

• Poor performance in school

• Emotional and behavioral problems

• Losing interest in activities they once enjoyed

• Dropping old friends for a new group

• Acting despondent, aggressive or angry

• Sleeping more than usual

• Breaking rules

• Exhibiting physical changes like sudden weight loss, frequent nosebleeds, bloody or watery eyes, or shakes and tremors

More detailed signs: Linked here

Informational Articles:

• Tips for Parents of Addicted Children
• Suspect Your Teen Is Using Drugs or Drinking? A BRIEF GUIDE TO ACTION FOR PARENTS

At North Rockland Central School District we take internet safety very seriously. It is important that we all have access to information on how to keep our students safe. Here are a few web resources:

1. Common Sense Media - click here

2. Connect Safely - click here

3. Internet Safety Tips - click here

The NRCSD has partnered with Peachjar. This new platform will enable us to send important school and community flyers to parents/guardians digitally, saving our schools time, money, and paper. School-approved digital flyers will be sent to your email inbox. Please click here for more information.

SCHOOL MENUS

Elementary Lunch Menu

Upper Elementary Lunch Menu

Fieldstone Middle School Lunch Menu

North Rockland High School Lunch Menu

Red Raider Reminder

NR students who enroll in the free/reduced breakfast & lunch program qualify for college application fee waivers, free ACT and SAT exams and reduced AP exam registration fees! To qualify please complete the Free or Reduced Price Meal Application Form linked here as soon as possible.

The District is looking for more great employees to work with our students. If you are looking for a rewarding position, please consider applying with NRCSD further below in today’s update. Please click on the job image to apply through the District Form.

The North Rockland (Haverstraw-Stony Point) Central School District is seeking candidates for Food Service Helper positions at various school buildings for the 2021-2022 school year. The starting rate of pay is $14.00/hour. Apply here

The North Rockland Central School District is also seeking candidates for Monitor positions at the elementary level for the 2021-2022 school year. These positions are 5.5 hours per day. The starting rate of pay is $14.00/hour. Interested candidates should apply here.

The North Rockland (Haverstraw-Stony Point) Central School District is seeking candidates for School Nurse substitutes for the 2021-2022 school year. All candidates must be licensed as a Registered Professional Nurse. The starting rate of pay is $150 per day. Candidates can apply here.

Haverstraw Transit has informed us that they are currently seeking and accepting applications for: DRIVERS AND MONITORS. Apply here.