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The Clarkstown Connection

March 2025

The Clarkstown Connection March 2025
Picture of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Baiocco

A Message from the Superintendent

Dear Clarkstown Central School District Families and Staff,


As we continue to educate and inspire our students, it is important to celebrate the diverse experiences that contribute to their growth, both in and out of the classroom. As always, I am proud to highlight initiatives that reflect the District’s commitment to fostering academic excellence, cultural awareness and historical understanding.


First, I want to commend the 16 Clarkstown High School South students for their performance at the New York State Science Olympiad competition. With determination and teamwork, they earned five medals and placed 18th overall — a direct result of their passion for the subject and the support of their teachers.


In the spirit of cultural enrichment, Felix Festa Middle School celebrated World Language Week with a special event coordinated by the Italian Department. Learners enjoyed “Caccia Al Tesoro,” an edu-musical performance which provided an interactive exploration of the language and culture and encouraged viewers to appreciate the global community they are part of.


Finally, eleventh graders at South had the privilege of attending an assembly led by Dr. Michael Berenbaum, a distinguished scholar whose life’s work has been dedicated to documenting the Holocaust. He shared his insights into the importance of remembering the past as well as his involvement with the Names, Not Numbers® program, which the District is partnering with for the second year. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring such meaningful learning experiences to our students.


Now, let’s take a look back at some of the memorable moments and accomplishments from March!



Sincerely,


Marc P. Baiocco, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Clarkstown Central School District

March Highlights

students on stage rehearsing
Clarkstown High School North, South and Festa celebrated Music In Our Schools Month® by putting on their annual spring productions. Congratulations to the talented casts, crews and orchestras involved in The Music Man and Into the Woods, and good luck to those in Mystic Pizza — debuting this weekend! Please purchase your tickets here.
student looking at art
Creativity was on full display during Youth Art Month. As part of their local history unit, second graders at Lakewood Elementary School visited the Haverstraw Brick Museum where they learned about the careful craftsmanship behind each one. In honor of National Scribble Day (March 27), fourth graders at Link Elementary School made one-of-a-kind pieces that were as unique as they are.
student reading a book

CCSD closed the book on National Reading Month, which encourages readers of all ages and levels to do so every day. After receiving their official cards, kindergarten and Grade 1 classes at Little Tor Elementary School made their first big transactions at a local library. At New City Elementary School, third graders took part in a writers workshop with guest author Bruce Hale.

student petting a dog
Man's best friend paid a visit to the Birchwood School ahead of International Social-Emotional Learning Day (March 3). Highly-anticipated visits like this between our students and therapy dogs are coordinated throughout the year. Among their many benefits, these animals help to create a calming, comfortable and supportive environment in which all children can learn and thrive in.
students writing at their desks
Second graders across the District continued to hone their computer science and technology awareness skills. Through their ongoing work with Sphero indi robots, students at West Nyack Elementary School learned about creating and following algorithms, sets of step-by-step instructions to complete tasks and debugging or fixing errors. They are becoming more future ready by the day!
student looking up at high schooler
It's never too early to make good life choices! Thanks to a recent visit from South’s Viking Connection Club, fifth graders at Link are better equipped to make the right decisions when it comes to situations involving substance use, social media and bullying. These positive peer relationships are crucial to the development of our well-rounded children.

A Look Ahead

The annual School Budget Vote and Board Election is only a few weeks away! Want to keep up with where CCSD is in the process? Check out key 2025-26 budget calendar dates below, which can also be found here.


  • April 3 — publish first legal notice of school budget hearing and vote
  • April 10 — adopt 2025-26 proposed school budget and property tax report card
  • April 11 — submit property tax report card to NYS Education Department
  • April 21 — submit petitions for propositions to be placed on ballot
  • May 1 — make available budget statement and required attachments
  • May 8 — hold Budget Hearing at Festa
  • May 9 — mail budget notice to eligible voters
  • May 20 — vote day!


More complete details regarding the District's 2025-26 Proposed Budget will be shared once available. In the meantime, we encourage you to view all related presentations, documents and other information on our website here. Please be sure to come out and vote!

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