Inside Yorktown CSD
Yorktown Schools Community Newsletter | May 2024
Welcome to Our Newsletter
Welcome to the May 2024 edition of “Inside Yorktown CSD.” This newsletter will take you inside our schools by sharing photos, stories, announcements, upcoming events, and more — all with the goal of creating a more connected school community.
Dates to Remember
June 3 – YHS Tri-M Induction
June 4 – YHS Senior Awards
June 5 – Crompond Grade 4 Choral Concert
June 10 – Board of Education Meeting / School Partner Recognition Night (at YHS)
June 11 – Crompond Grade 4 Field Day
June 11 – YHS Last Day of Classes for Students
June 12 – Crompond Grade 5 Field Day
June 12 – Huskers Sports Awards Dinner
June 14 – Mohansic PTA End of Year Party
June 17 — Universal Pre-K Moving-up Ceremonies
June 17 – Board of Education Meeting / Retiree/Anniversary Celebration (at YHS)
June 18 – Brookside Moving-up Ceremony
June 18 – YHS Prom
June 19 – Juneteenth (Schools Closed)
June 20 – Mohansic Moving-up Ceremony
June 21 – YHS Graduation Rehearsal
June 21 – Crompond Moving-up Ceremony
June 22 – YHS Graduation
June 25 – MESMS Commencement Ceremony
June 26 – Last Day for Students/Staff
Athletic schedules can be found here.
Announcements
End of Year Half-Days
Mohansic, Brookside, Crompond, and MESMS will follow a half-day schedule on:
- Monday, June 24
- Tuesday, June 25
- Wednesday, June 26
Dismissal times for those days are:
- MESMS: 10:20 a.m.
- Crompond: 11:05 a.m.
- Mohansic and Brookside: 11:50 a.m.
Thank You for Supporting Our Budget
Thank you for your overwhelming support of our 2024-25 school budget. Results of the annual Budget Vote & Trustee Election are available here.
Stay Informed by Downloading Our Free App
We are aware that some recent school news isn't showing up on our school websites through our Twitter/X feeds. This issue originates with Twitter/X and unfortunately cannot be resolved by our technical team at this time.
To ensure you remain informed about the latest school news and announcements, we encourage you to download the free “Yorktown Central Schools” app. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices and provides a convenient way to receive school news directly on your phone without having to sign up for any social media platform.
The app also allows you to personalize your news feed. By navigating to “Settings” and then “Follow Schools,” you can choose which schools within the district you'd like to receive updates from. You can also use the app to check calendar information, browse the latest lunch menus, and much more.
We have included a step-by-step guide at the bottom of this announcement to walk you through the process of downloading and customizing the app.
All Senior Names to be Displayed on Digital Sign
All Yorktown High School senior names will appear on the District's digital display sign from June 3 to June 21. Between 12 and 14 names will be displayed each day. The names will run on a loop and be displayed for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The schedule was emailed to parents last week.
Employment Opportunities
Board of Education
Unless noted otherwise, all Board of Education meetings will be held in the middle school cafeteria. You can find agendas and upcoming meeting dates by visiting the following link: BOE Agendas
Please know that all meetings will be uploaded to our YouTube channel the day following the meeting.
Important Dates
- June 10th's meeting celebrates School Partners, and
- The June 17th meeting honors retirees and celebrates anniversaries.
Both of the above meetings will be held in the Yorktown High School auditorium.
Latest News and Headlines
Senior Earns Award at International Science Fair
Congratulations to Yorktown High School senior Eric Song on an exceptional performance at the 2024 International Science and Engineering Fair! The prestigious event, held May 11-17 in Los Angeles, is the world's largest high school science fair, attracting over 1,700 talented students worldwide.
Eric’s innovative ransomware project earned him a second-place finish in a special award sponsored by the National Security Agency. This impressive feat earned him a certificate and a $1,500 prize.
Ransomware, a malicious software that encrypts a victim's computer data, often demands a ransom payment for decryption. Eric's innovative software, developed as part of Yorktown High School's Science Research program, tackles this issue head-on. Not only can it identify and detect ransomware attacks, but it also disrupts the encryption key used by attackers, potentially saving users from data loss and financial extortion.
Eric's passion for using his computer skills to help others has been nurtured through the Science Research Program, which has provided him with unique opportunities to explore his favorite subject at an advanced level.
“The Science Research program has given me so many opportunities to connect with the best and brightest of the field. I was able to connect to computer hackers, AI experts, and military and government officials, I don't think I ever would've dreamed of having these opportunities without the program. Additionally, the program has many like-minded people driven towards improving the world through research, and they're a fantastic bunch to be around.”
His science research project began in the summer of 2022 and has received high praise for its innovation and effectiveness. In 2023, he was awarded second place in the Systems Software category at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas. Earlier this year, he was named a Top 300 scholar in the 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Search.
Mr. Paul Rubeo, Eric's science research teacher at Yorktown High School, expressed his pride in Eric's accomplishments and highlighted his self-driven nature. He commended Eric's passion for his topic and acknowledged the amazing work he produced independently, with support from mentors and teachers.
Mohansic First Graders Celebrate Law Day with Mock Trial
Mohansic first graders recently took a field trip to Yorktown Justice Court to learn all about the criminal justice system.
In honor of Law Day, which is celebrated every year on May 1, students heard first hand about the roles of police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges before participating in a mock trial inspired by the classic tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Presiding over the case were Yorktown Town Justices Gary Raniolo and Aviah Cohen Pierson.
A jury of Mohansic first graders saw evidence and heard testimony from Mom A. Bear, Pop A. Bear, Babe E. Bear, and Gold E. Locks, who was accused of breaking into the Bear family’s home, eating their porridge, and destroying a chair. In her defense, Gold E. Locks said the door was already open and that she was drawn into the home by the irresistible aroma of the porridge. She admitted to sitting in the chair but denied breaking it.
Despite her testimony, the jury voted, 9 to 3, that Gold E. Locks was guilty on all charges!
Thank you to first-grade teacher Mrs. Cusano, who organizes this wonderful event every year, and the many law-enforcement officials, lawyers, and judges who helped make today such a special learning experience for our students.
YCSD Celebrates 2024 Tenure Recipients
Let's have a round of applause for our amazing tenure recipients!
We are excited to announce that 17 of our exceptional educators were granted tenure at the May 13 Board of Education meeting. These dedicated individuals have demonstrated unwavering commitment to their profession and actively integrated themselves into the school community.
The District’s tenure process involves a rigorous probationary period, during which candidates undergo a dozen formal observations and numerous informal check-ins. However, the impact of these educators extends far beyond the classroom. They have become beloved members of our school community, eagerly assuming roles that go beyond their initial responsibilities.
Congratulations to the recipients and thank you to Mr. Childers and the MESMS band for their wonderful performance!
Please join us in congratulating the following educators:
𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹
Ziza Brahimi, CTA
Ashley Castoro, Special Education Teacher
Brianna McGarvey, Elementary Teacher
Joanne Caola-Toscano, CTA
𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹
Michelle McDonald, CTA
Ellen McGrail, Elementary Teacher
Nicholas Tuosto, Elementary Teacher
𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗘. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹
Janet Morrison, Music Teacher
Dawn Palamara, Elementary Teacher
Christa Petridis, Reading Teacher
Brandon Trager, Health Teacher
𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹
Linda Cervone, Math Teacher
William Ficker, Social Studies
Paul Rubeo, Science Teacher
John Schepisi, Foreign Language Teacher
Lauren SooHoo, English Teacher
𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Christopher Miller, STEM Supervisor
Alumni Spotlight: Julianne Strauss
Congratulations to Yorktown High School alum Julianne Strauss (Class of 2019) on being named a Fulbright Scholar!
The prestigious international exchange program offers grants to outstanding students, young professionals, and researchers with a goal of promoting mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. Fulbright grants can be for studying, teaching English abroad, or conducting research.
Julianne, who recently earned a Master’s Degree in Literacy Education from Syracuse University, will be an English teaching assistant in the La Rioja region of Spain for the 2024-25 school year.
We interviewed Julianne to learn more about her incredible accomplishments and aspirations.
Crompond Fifth Graders Imagine ‘Classroom of the Future’ on Mars
Fifth-grade students in Mrs. Brennan's class are taking their learning to Mars! Using electronic building blocks called littleBits, they're inventing solutions and designing prototypes for problems that would arise when building a classroom on the Red Planet. Last week, they met virtually with NASA expert Christine Kretz to brainstorm ideas for communication, power, first aid, shelter, water, and more. What an incredible ESTEAM learning experience!
Spring Concerts!
Many of our elementary, middle, and high school students performed excellent spring concerts in the month of May. Links for photos galleries and video replays are available below.
Brookside Kindergarten Concert
Mohansic Grade 2 Concert
Crompond Grade 5 Choir Concert
Crompond Band & Orchestra Concert
MESMS Band Concert
MESMS Choir & Orchestra Concert
YHS Choir Concert
YHS Orchestra Concert
Sophomore Science Research Students Shine at Somers
Mohansic Third Graders Visit Wolf Conservation Center
Mohansic third graders completed their wolf unit with a trip to the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem. In June, Mohansic will donate funds it raised through a T-shirt sale to the Conservation Center. Way to go!
Publishing Party at Brookside
Ms. Rampino's third graders celebrated their writing on May 31 with proud parents in attendance. Throughout the year, these young authors mastered different writing styles: narratives, persuasion, creative, research-based, and more!
You can visit the District's Communications website to keep up with the latest news and to read archived stories.
Stay Connected
You can read more District highlights by visiting our website and social media pages, which are updated regularly with stories, photos, and announcements.
Yorktown Central School District
Website: www.yorktown.org
Location: 2725 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
Phone: 914-243-8000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YorktownCSD/
Twitter: @YorktownCSD