Community Update

May 20, 2022

Hello North Rockland Families,

On Tuesday, May 17 our community approved the district’s $253 million spending plan and Proposition 2. To every resident who voted for North Rockland’s School Budget, thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and educational programs.

Voter approval of the 2022-23 operating budget reflects that we’ve been successful in our efforts to balance quality programming with taxpayer sensitivity. For the Board of Education and administration, developing a plan both educationally sound and fiscally responsible was an important and comprehensive process. With the help of our local elected officials, we will receive an increase in state school funding over last year in North Rockland. The additional funding and hard work of our business office has resulted in a 0% increase in school property taxes for local homeowners—remaining well below New York State’s property tax cap of 2%. Keeping the tax levy at 0%, the District has saved local taxpayers a cumulative $23.7 million over the last three consecutive years.

The 2022-23 budget provides resources to sustain the District’s excellence and continues our mission of providing a safe, caring, and positive environment in which all students can grow, thrive and achieve their maximum potential. We will also be providing additional services and increasing efforts to support the social and emotional health of our students.

With 1,381 ‘yes’ votes (85.5%) Proposition 2 allows NR to be proactive in our strategy for funding capital improvement projects as the District will now receive 80% building aid or approximately $11 million of the funds $14 million. It’s wonderful that our messaging about this plan was well-received and that we can now break ground on facility upgrades at - no additional costs to taxpayers.

Congratulations to both of our school board members who retained their seats. Ida Mannine and Robert Masiello were both re-elected to the North Rockland Board of Education. The terms begin July 1, 2022 and run through June 30, 2025.

Thank you North Rockland for your strong support!

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.

Student Sessions

FES

• Anti-Bullying with Stephane Matteau - June 3

  
  

WGES

• Anti-Bullying with Stephane Matteau - June 1

  
  

HES

• Anti-Bullying with Stephane Matteau - June 2

Parent Sessions

WHES

In collaboration with Box Out Bullying a three part series will be held for parents virtually.

Session 3 - Keeping Children Safe Online Part I - May 24 7PM

• Hone in on best practices of cyber etiquette, cyber-bullying prevention strategies

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.

Important reminder for the 2022/2023 school year. It is never too early to think ahead about what your child will need for the following school year, including immunizations.

The North Rockland Central School District maintains strict compliance with New York State Immunization laws. New York State Public Health Law, Section 2164 requires that schools will not permit a child to attend school unless the parent provides the school with a certificate of immunization or proof from a physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant that the child is in the process of receiving the required immunizations. More information can be found linked here.

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 June linked by school. Keep checking back on this section each week as school events continue to be updated.

Remote Academy

Stony Point Elementary School

West Haverstraw Elementary School

Thiells Elementary School

Haverstraw Elementary School

Farley Elementary School

Willow Grove Elementary School

Fieldstone Middle School

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.

Save the date!

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.

Click here to register.

Click here to follow EdCamp Rockland on Facebook!

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.

North Rockland hosted the Mid-Hudson School Study Council (MHSSC) at Fieldstone Middle School for the 2022 Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

FMS educators Catherine Cazzari and MaryAnn Van Ryn are this year’s Teaching Excellence award winners! Both teachers were honored by the MHSSC Officers and Executive Committee center stage for always going the extra mile for their students. Some examples that were presented in their nominations included bringing podcasts, new curriculum and special causes into being for our students and our District.

It was a wonderful evening celebrating outstanding educators and leaders spanning seven counties in the Mid-Hudson region together in the FMS courtyard and auditorium.

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! More photos linked here.

Dr. Seema Narang Family and Cosmetic Dentistry is NRCSD’s Business of the Month! In North Rockland we appreciate our mutually supportive relationships between local businesses and our buildings, sport teams and the district in which the partners commit themselves to specific goals and activities intended to benefit students and schools.

This May we are spotlighting and thanking Dr. Seema Narang DDS in Stony Point. Seema and her team have worked closely with our District for years, generously sponsoring and contributing to North Rockland Sports Day For Charity, the District Spelling Bee, and the NRHS Drama Society. Dr. Narang’s office also offers our students the opportunity to “sell” their Halloween sweets via their annual Candy Buy Back Program every year, which educates youth about the importance of dental hygiene and supports our military overseas. The program purchases the candy from our learners at $1 per pound to make care packages complete with toothbrushes and toothpaste that are sent to troops through West Point - The U.S. Military Academy.

“We have been doing this program for 10 years!” explained Seema. “Last year with the help of NR students we collected over 245lbs!”

Thank you for all you do for the kids, our schools and our community! If you would like your business to be featured as a NRCSD Business of the Month please email jdodrill@northrockland.org for consideration.

We constantly see NR graduates go on to accomplish some truly amazing things. In this section we will be spotlighting Alumni who's success makes the headlines.

Jevohan Barnes, also known as Hova Beats, is a Rockland native looking to motivate his fellow artists. How does he do that? Through social media platforms and creating content online. Currently, the creator has over three social media platforms, which includes his new brand, “Motivation is Key NY”, which was established in June 2021. Other platforms include 2022 Artists on The Come Up, Hova Beats, and Battlezone Barz.

Before music came into play, the North Rockland Alumni kept focus by playing sports. He credits his motivation to playing sports which opened a door to more opportunities for his music and fashion endeavors. Read more.

Section I Tournaments are underway this week for a host of Red Raider teams.

Baseball

In baseball, behind four innings of scoreless relief pitching from senior Brandon Rivera, North Rockland ousted rival Clarkstown South 8-4 in an opening round game on Tuesday. The Raiders however fell to Suffern in the Quarterfinal round on Wednesday. Junior pitcher Logan Kapuzinsky kept the Raiders at 3-3 after 7 innings. But, the Mounties scratched out a run in the bottom of the 9th inning to secure a 4-3 win. The Raiders finished the season at 9-13.

Lacrosse

Both Red Raider Lacrosse teams will take the field in their opening round Section I Tournament games this week. Girls lacrosse won on Thursday beating New Rochelle 17-0 to advance to the section Semi finals Monday at Suffern 4:30pm. Meanwhile, Coach Ken Rose and the Boys Lacrosse team boasted a 13-2 regular season record and earned the No. 2 seed in the Tournament. They will host Fox Lane on Friday May 20 at 4:30pm in the Class A Quarterfinal round.

Softball

Coach Jackie DiNuzzo and the Red Raider Softball team beat Ossining 9-0 to advance to the quarterfinals Saturday ( tomorrow) at home 10:30am. North Rockland will host all the Softball Tournament Finals in Class AA, A, B and C on May 27-28, 2022.

Track and Field

The Red Raider Track & Field teams began their postseason at the Rockland County Championships this week. Wednesday the opening events were hosted by Tappan Zee, while the second day took place at Spring Valley on Thursday.

JV

The Red Raider JV Softball and JV Baseball teams each won the annual Rockland County Postseason Tournament sponsored by the Coaches and Officials Associations on Sunday (May 15) at Nyack High School. Under Coach Pete Samoylo, NR defeated Clarkstown South in softball, while Coach Chris Dwyer led the baseball squad past Clarkstown North.

Over the weekend the North Rockland spring sports teams finished the Wounded Warrior Project Challenge Cup. The annual competition between Warwick Valley and North Rockland High School, was started in 2013. NR was on a streak -- winning the first four years, and then after a tie in 2017, the Wildcats took home the trophy in 2018 and 2019. The event returned this spring after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, which was really exciting for all involved.

The Raiders collected over $450 in t-shirt sales throughout the day and with Warwick pledging to match the donations, a grand total of $1000 was donated between the two schools to the local chapter of the Wounded Warrior Project.

Due to play off requirements the varsity Baseball, Girls Lacrosse and Boys Lacrosse teams played (and won) their games earlier in the season. Thus, the action on Saturday began with North Rockland holding a 4-2 lead. The schools alternated wins and losses in Boys Tennis (Warwick), JV Softball (NR), Varsity Softball (NR), JV Lacrosse (Warwick), Boys Golf (Warwick) and JV Baseball (NR). Leading 10-9 in team points, we needed a strong effort from the Girls Golf team to seal a victory and bring the award back with them. Under Coach Tom Nelsen, the Raiders rallied to defeat the Wildcats 257-269. Maddie Quevado-Duband shot a team best 48 helping the Raiders get the necessary 2-point victory.

"Congratulations to all on a victory in the Wounded Warrior Challenge this past Saturday.. We will keep the plaque in Red Raider land for the next year.. the Challenge came down to the last match and our Girls Golf were victorious sealing our win!" said Coach Casarella.

Photo - L to R - Coach Casarella, Lauren Vallabhaneni, Gabby Colon, Paige Luzon, Coach Tom Nelsen, Molly Craffey, Elena Campisi, Maddie Quevado-Duband.

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

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

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

All families with children attending NRCSD’s six elementary schools are eligible to receive a discount of $30/month for home internet service, and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Haverstraw King's Daughters Public Library is participating in the Hudson Valley Digital Navigators program (https://hvconnected.org/), paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The library can connect families to the ACP to access the discounts they're entitled to. Call (845) 786-3800 and speak with a librarian for more information.

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.

This year the registration fee is only $10!

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.