6/10/2025 Letter to the Community

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June 10, 2025

Dear TUFSD Families and Staff,

From field day to field trips, our students have been busy filling their days with fun-filled, hands-on activities. It’s wonderful to see them enjoying the warmer weather, getting outside, and exploring the great outdoors. They have immersed themselves in learning experiences both indoors and outdoors, gaining knowledge that will last a lifetime.

Our scholars have also worked incredibly hard this school year, and as they head into their finals, I want to wish them the very best of luck. Their dedication and effort truly inspire us all!

I would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our families—your ongoing support and encouragement have played a vital role in making this school year a successful and rewarding experience for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Raymond Sanchez

🚧 Construction Update for Morse School 🚧

Starting June 30, 2025, construction at Morse School will take place daily weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

As part of the bond construction, the parking lot at Morse School will be unavailable for community use both during the day and at night for the duration of the project.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Brian Fried at 914-631-9401.

Thank you for your patience and support as we improve our school facilities! 🛠️✨

On June 3 we held our virtual facilities update.

During the event we focused on the following:

1. Status of all capital projects
2. Overview of the Washington Irving Classroom addition
3. Safety and Staging at Morse
4. Update on Tappan Hill Reopening
5. Answers to questions from the community

The webinar can be accessed here: June 3, 2025 Facilities Webinar

During our upcoming Board of Education, we will focus on the following items:

• Recognition of our district retirees and tenure recipients.
• Celebrate our Music Department
• Cell Phone Policy

The meeting will take place June 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the MS/HS Auditorium.

Last week, I shared an update regarding our efforts to support our mathematics efforts in the elementary schools. Now, we are excited to share that beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, our district will be adopting a new literacy program for students in grades K–5: American Reading Company (ARC). This represents a shift away from Teachers College.

This decision comes after two years of thoughtful exploration by our literacy committee, which included visits to other schools, feedback from educators, and a successful first-year implementation of ARC in our Dual Language classrooms. ARC is a research-based program designed to meet the diverse needs of all learners, with a strong focus on building a love of reading and helping students grow as confident, capable readers and writers. Please refer to our district curriculum webpage for a series of FAQs as it relates to ARC at https://www.tufsd.org/departments/curriculum-instruction

As we prepare to roll out this new curriculum, our teachers will receive training and support to ensure a smooth transition and a strong start for students.

We look forward to the many ways this new program will support your child’s growth and learning, and we will continue to keep you informed along the way.

After extensive searches, I am pleased to announce the upcoming appointments of the Tappan Hill Principal, and our new Supervisor of SEL and Community Engagement. See below for more details:

• Alicia Manguso, Tappan Hill Principal
• Edward Castro, Supervisor of Social Emotional Learning and Community Engagement

Also, you will find an update regarding our interim Director of Technology. See below:

• Chris Nelson, Interim Director of Technology

Congratulations to senior Madeleine Galloway, winner of the Metro Award for Student Technical Achievement for her incredible costume designs in Mamma Mia! Maddy collaborated with a professional seamstress to bring her vision to life on stage.

In addition, Madeleine was honored as one of just three “Emerging Costume Designers” at the 2025 Roger Rees Awards, held May 19 at Symphony Space in Manhattan.

Maddy will continue her creative journey at Purchase College, where she’ll study Theater Design and Technology with a focus on Costuming. We can’t wait to see what she designs next!

Read more here: Sleepy Hollow Student Shines at 2025 Metro Awards

We are proud to announce that Brenna R. Bloom, a senior at Sleepy Hollow High School, has been awarded a college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship by the University of Georgia.

Brenna is one of more than 2,900 students nationwide selected for this prestigious honor through the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. Finalists are chosen based on their academic achievements, leadership, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Brenna plans to pursue a career in Pharmaceutical Science.

The University of Georgia, the oldest chartered state university in the U.S., sponsors these scholarships, which provide financial support for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Congratulations to Brenna on this outstanding achievement!

The 74th Annual Celebration of the Westchester Scholastic Sports Awards Program, hosted by Con Edison, was held on June 4, 2024, at The Davenport Mansion in New Rochelle, NY. This special event honored the exceptional student-athletes selected as this year’s Con Ed Award winners. A special congratulations to Evelyn Nelson on winning this prestigious award.

Our first grade students had a fantastic day of hands-on learning at the Peabody Preserve Outdoor Classroom. They spent time hiking the trails, exploring nature, and learning about composting and sustainability. The trip also gave students a chance to enjoy the sunshine and connect with their classmates in a beautiful outdoor setting. It was a perfect blend of education, exploration, and fun!

WI Field Day was a huge success, thanks to the collaboration between the WI PE Department and the Horsemen PTA. The PE team organized a day full of exciting activities, while the PTA funded bounce houses, provided ice pops, and coordinated volunteers and fruit donations from WI families.

A big thank you to everyone who helped make this special day possible!

W.I. Students Ride into Summer Thanks to Screen-Free Week Challenge!

W.I. students recently wrapped up the second year of the school’s Screen-Free Week initiative, held from May 30 to June 5, 2025, promoting healthy habits and creative, off-screen learning. Students were encouraged to fill out a log of their favorite screen-free activities done after school—everything from playing outside and cooking to reading or helping around the house. Winners were announced on Friday, June 6.

As part of the initiative, three lucky winners were selected—from left to right - Matias R. (Grade 3), Josephine R. (Grade 5), and Nina H. (Grade 4) —and each received a brand-new bike, helmet, bell, and accessories, generously donated by the Solomon’s Lodge of Tarrytown.

This growing tradition at W.I. highlights the power of stepping away from screens and exploring creativity, movement, and fun in everyday life—both in and out of the classroom.

A huge THANK YOU to the Horsemen PTA for supporting our Days of Creativity at WI! It’s was a great opportunity for parents to stop by, lend a hand, and get a glimpse into their child's day at WI!

A special thank you to Elissa, Ysmelda, and Carter in the main office for making sure parents were signed in and ready to go each day. A heartfelt thanks to the entire PTA, who consistently go above and beyond to support amazing events for our students. This one was especially meaningful because every single student at WI had the chance to participate.

Sleepy Hollow’s Gilbert Onwe (Junior) soared to 48 feet, 3.75 inches on Friday at Suffern Middle School, winning the boys Class B Triple Jump at the Section 1 State Qualifier!

He’s now #1 in NY State for Class B and #2 overall among all high school athletes statewide this season! 🔥🔴⚫️ Let’s go, Gilbert! 🏆🙌

📖 Full story: https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/high-school/track/2025/06/06/section-1-ny-state-track-qualifier-peekskill-high-jumper-umaru-conteh/84067298007/

Does your family want some free summer clothing? A few more summer "shopping" days (no money required) are coming to Horsemen PTA Community Wardrobe, 222 North Washington Street, this week, on Thursday and Friday, June 12 and 13.

TUFSD families must sign up here to make an appointment. (https://signup.com/go/gWgFwFs) Because of space constraints, no walk-ins are permitted.

Community Wardrobe is a joint effort of the Horsemen PTA and the Village of Sleepy Hollow that finds new homes for great clothes, free to neighbors who need them, in a dignified, boutique setting.

🎭 Tarrytown Music Hall Academy Presents: Disney’s Aladdin JR. – En Español! 🇪🇸

Don’t miss the U.S. premiere of Disney’s Aladdin JR. en Español, brought to life by the talented students of the Tarrytown Music Hall Academy!

✨ Directed by Evy Ortiz (West Side Story National Tour)
✨ Choreographed by Lauryn Ciardullo (Aladdin on Broadway)
✨ Music directed by Daniel Gutiérrez (On Your Feet National Tour)

📅 Showtimes:

• Wednesday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m.

• Saturday, June 14 at 11:00 a.m.

📍 Tarrytown Music Hall – 13 Main Street, Tarrytown, NY

🎟️ Performances are FREE and open to the public!

School Performances (Great for dual-language classes):
📅 Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m.

Come experience a magical journey — in Spanish — filled with music, dance, and Broadway-caliber talent!

🧵 Join a Free Community Weaving Workshop at the Pocantico Center!

The Pocantico Center is hosting a Community Weave: Intergenerational Bilingual Art-Making Event—a hands-on, family-friendly activity open to all ages 5 and up. Learn the basics of weaving using upcycled T-shirt yarn and contribute to a collaborative art piece that will be displayed in the community!

📅 Workshop Dates:

• Monday, June 16 | 3:30–5:30 p.m. (includes optional curator-led tour of Picasso tapestries at Kykuit)

• Saturday, June 21 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. or 3:00–4:00 p.m.

• 
  

🧑‍🎨 Led by local bilingual arts educator Kersten Harries, this event offers a fun, creative way to connect across generations and cultures.

📍Location: The Pocantico Center, 200 Lake Rd, Tarrytown, NY
📧 Questions? Email: pocanticoprograms@rbf.org

🔗 Register via QR code on the flyer or visit www.pocantico.org

Presented by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Let’s weave something beautiful together!

The enVision Math program has been used by our elementary teachers for many years. This year we noticed that different editions of the resources were being used across the elementary schools. Before the end of this year, we are making a strong commitment to ensuring elementary teachers have the most up-to-date resources available to help our students reach their full potential in mathematics. Each elementary math teacher will receive a brand-new enVision Teacher Edition kit, complete with manipulatives and other instructional support before the end of the school year.

Our district continues to focus on improving our district- and building-communications in collaboration with our Administrative team and Communications Committee. Please take five minutes to complete this survey - your feedback will help guide our ongoing communication enhancements.

We are writing to share that the district is actively exploring the possibility of adding one additional section of Community-Based Organization (CBO)-supported Pre-Kindergarten for the upcoming school year. If approved, this new class would be housed at Tappan Hill School.

Our current provider has advised that they are unable to meet this need, and consistent with NYSED requirements, we intend to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) in order to secure the necessary resources and support. While we are still in the early stages, we wanted to keep you informed of our efforts and our continued commitment to expanding access to early childhood education.

We will continue to keep you updated as this process moves forward and appreciate your patience and support.

The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns are seeking reliable, safety-minded individuals to transport students safely to and from school. As a school bus driver, you’ll play a vital role in our community while enjoying a rewarding career.

The Horsemen PTA is asking everyone to link their Decicco's and Sons card to the Horsemen PTA. By doing so the Horsemen PTA will receive money that we can be used to support our schools, just by shopping and swiping your card!

Please see attached flyer for details and make sure to look for Horsemen PTA on the drop-down list.

To view past copies of the newsletters, please visit the Superintendent's Page.

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