6/18/2024 Letter to the Community

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June 18, 2024

Dear TUFSD Families and Staff,

Many wonderful things have been happening in our district over the past academic year. As we head into the final couple of weeks, I would like to express how grateful I am to our community for coming together to support our scholars.

This past year, our students have grown academically, socially, and emotionally. They have accomplished many wonderful things and have been recognized for their outstanding achievements. Our student-athletes have shown strength and determination, our musicians and artists have demonstrated dedication and skill, and overall, our scholars have shown commitment to their studies and the community they live in.

This week, our high school and middle school students are preparing to embark on their next journey. Our high school scholars have shown that they are ready to leave the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and take on the world. I wish them all the best and look forward to celebrating them this week at their respective ceremonies.

As always, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for their continued support of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and for helping in “Building a Better Tomorrow” for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Raymond Sanchez

I am pleased to announce that we have secured a grant to support the renovation of the outdoor space at the Middle School. We intend to use funds to create age-appropriate, high-interest outdoor spaces for our scholars. We will provide more details in the near future.

We continue to work alongside our architects and construction managers to refine the plans. We will soon submit the plans for Morse School and the Washington Irving field. Also, we are meeting with various stakeholders to develop plans for the opening of Tappan Hill School. We have conducted a site visit. In the new school year, we will hold informational sessions for families that are directly impacted.

I am pleased to announce that the district has secured three (3) grants to expand after-school programming at Morse, Washington Irving and Sleepy Hollow Middle School. Each grant will provide funding for 5 years.

Thank you to our Foundation for hosting the Color Run this past weekend. Approximately 180 runners participated in the race. We also had HS students volunteering - they enjoyed it just as much as the younger students running the race! It was a great community event!

We have partnered with SW BOCES to conduct a review of our literacy efforts. A team of educators has been studying current practices and will provide recommendations for improvement in the near future. We want to thank all the staff members involved in this very important initiative.

We have partnered with the Jacob Burns Film Center to offer five (5) HS scholars the opportunity to participate in a Spanish Screenwriting program. The course will be taught by a university professor. We are excited about the opportunity to offer this enriching experience for our scholars. This program is of no cost to the school district. It will start in the Fall.

Looking back on this year, we are very thankful for our community partners who have supported our students and families.

Check out this video to see the amazing things they've done!

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns: 2023-2024 Academic Year

Congratulations to Zaydan Malik, SHMS 8th grader, who was selected to receive the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) for 2024. The NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award is a prestigious national award that recognizes only a few outstanding student leaders nationwide. Zaydan has demonstrated exceptional contributions to supporting NJHS's five pillars: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. He was awarded a $500 college savings plan to support his educational aspirations.

Our school is proud to award the Seal of Biliteracy to our amazing students! This recognition celebrates their dedication and proficiency in two or more languages. Congrats to our bilingual students!

Our district partners with Open Door Family Medical Centers to offer free dental care to JP & Morse students. Their fully equipped dental vans visit our schools weekly.

Read more: Tarrytown schools partner with Open Door Family Medical Centers to offer free dental care

We celebrated the official opening of our inspirational mural at the SHHS Auditorium!

Created by our talented alumni artist, Bernardo Rodriguez, this stunning piece vividly captures the essence of our community: culture, music, artistry, movement, and unity!

A heartfelt thank you to The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns for their generous funding, making this project possible.

The WI and broader TUFSD community reached the goal of 1,000 lbs of plastic film collected. WI collected plastic film during the 23-24 academic year as a way to not only reduce waste but also work towards receiving a new buddy bench for their playground. The bench is made of recycled plastic and comes from the company NexTrex.

The buddy bench was debuted with a ribbon cutting during the WI Summer Celebration on June 13.

WI students enjoyed a fun afternoon filled with music, bubbles, face painting, crafting and playing with friends. Each student got snacks and a friendship bracelet as a thank you for helping to collect 1,000 pounds of plastic film and to remind them to always "Be a Friend, Make a Friend". The children were very excited to see how their hard work paid off!

Congratulations to John Cincotta who was honored with the “Advisor of the Year” award from STEER for his work mentoring three of our student athletes.

We applied for, and received approval from, the State Education Department to have our High School designated as an open site for summer meals! This means that anybody 18 years of age and younger will be able to come to the HS for breakfast and lunch meals over the summer. We're excited to share this great news with you now, and more details will be available soon!

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns Board of Education voted in favor of changing the instructional start and dismissal times of two schools in the district, beginning the 2024-2025 school year.

Starting in the new school year Winfield L. Morse School (Morse) and Washington Irving Intermediate School (W.I.) will shift the beginning of their day in an effort to enhance the educational experience for all students in Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.

Read more: The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns Approves New Start/Dismissal Time

Take School supply shopping off your summer list--The Horsemen PTA has partnered again with School Toolbox for school supplies that ship right to home. Go to www.schooltoolbox.com and search your child's school for 2024-2025 school year to see the current school supply lists. Orders are open now through August.

Presenting our Portrait of a Learner! Our vision encompasses vital skills and dispositions that we want all learners to develop:

• Key Skills: Communication • Executive functioning • Creativity • Critical thinking
• Key Dispositions: Curiosity • Perseverance • Socio-cultural competence • Civic mindedness

Beyond academics, we're committed to equipping students with skills for success in a changing world. Read more in our recent message about our Portrait of a Learner.

The Hudson Valley Writers Center, located at the Philipse Manor RR station of Sleepy Hollow, is offering numerous summer writing classes, including several FREE classes for students in Grades 5-8 as well as teens with the completion of a simple scholarship form.

Details here: Classes & Camps | Hudson Valley Writers Center

Are you interested in photography and activism? Join us for this two-week photo narrative series with local photographers. Participants will create a photo narrative essay to be displayed at Sleepy Hollow High School throughout the school year.

In this workshop you will:
- Identify and conceptualize your values
- Create a visual representation of an advocacy mission statement
- Leave feeling empowered to pursue mission driven goals

** Lunch Provided**

Summer Schedule:

Week 1: July 8-11 (Mon-Thurs)
Week 2: July 15-18 (Mon-Thurs)

9:30am-12:30pm

Learn more: Westchester Youth Alliance

Check out these flyers to see the summer event series from The Pocantico Center.

Mermaids? Yes, you read that right! Join the fun this summer at the inaugural Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival on July 20 at Kingsland Point Park. In partnership with Riverkeeper and Rivertowns SUP & Yoga, this event that celebrates the Hudson and promotes river access is part of the Village's 150th anniversary celebration. There will be a costume parade on land and water followed by a party in the park with food trucks, bounce houses, and say hello to a real river mermaid named Ali Luminescent. For
more details, visit: https://www.hudsonrivermermaids.com/

This summer, we're partnering with G.O.O.D for Girls to bring a free financial literacy summer program to middle and high school girls from August 12-16. Register here if interested!

For food support visit one of our local food pantries.

Check out past editions of Dr. Sanchez's newsletter on our Superintendent page.

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