Weekly Update- October 30, 2026

Steven T. Siciliano, Ed.D., Principal

Monica Bermiss, Assistant Principal

Mallory McDonald, Assistant Principal

Kim Piccolino, Interim Assistant Principal

Frank Gizzo- Director of Guidance and Counseling

Christian McCarthy -Director of Health, Athletics, Physical Education, and Wellness.

Maria Modesto-Perez- Student Empowerment Coordinator

Main Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Main Office Phone: 914-763-7201

Late Bus: Monday through Friday@ 4:15 p.m. and Monday through Thursday @ 5:00 p.m.

November 3 - Election Day/Professional Learning Day-No School

November 4 - Last Day for Senior Portraits (By appointment Only)

November 6 - Underclassmen Photos Retake

November 7 -SAT at JJHS

November 11 -Veteran's Day-No School

November 12- National Signing Day (D1 & D11)

November 12- Art Show Opening

November 12-13 JJHS Co-Ed Flag Football Tournament

November 12-14 - Fall Drama at JJHS

November 13- JJHS Regional Volleyball Tournament

November 16 - Winter Sports Begin

November 23 - National Honor Society Induction - 7PM

November 24 - Thanks & Giving Day (PTO Sponsored)

November 25 - Early Dismissal for Thanksgiving

November 26-27 -Thanksgiving Recess -No School

Wishing all our families a safe and fun Halloween! Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students safe and encouraging them to make healthy choices.

For more information about earning The Seal of Bilieracy, please visit:

https://bit.ly/47H9RDm

For Seniors interested, please contact the Seal of Biliteracy Coordinator, Mrs. Jennifer Cocuzzo jcocuzzo@klschools.org

Please email jjhsattendance@klschools.org

to report absences, tardies, early dismissals,

or call 914-763-7218.

As part of our ongoing commitment to student and staff safety, John Jay High School will be conducting emergency drills during the school year. These drills help students and staff practice district protocols, so they are prepared to act in case of a true emergency.

In accordance with our safety procedures, families will receive advance notice of each drill within the week before it occurs. Please note that specific dates and times for evacuation drills will not be shared in advance. Students and staff will be informed at the time of the activity that it is a drill.

We appreciate your partnership as we work together to maintain a safe and prepared school community. Thank you for your continued support.

Upstate Images will be here on Friday November 6th to retake underclassmen photos.

If your child was absent for the first round of photos, please be sure they get their picture taken.

Keep in mind that all students are required to get their picture taken for updated school ID cards.

There is absolutely no obligation to purchase photo packages. Order forms are available for

student pick-up in the main office and cafeteria.

Pictures will be taken during the child’s free period or during class. If the picture is taken during

class time, please be sure your child gets a pass from Ms. Binns in the Main Office. Photos will

be taken in the B Commons. No pictures will be taken during the common lunch between

10:55am and 11:55am

Please make sure to return your photo package to the photo team on retake day, so your order can be replaced! See the details below...

Attention All Families:

Yearbooks are now on sale through the Yearbook Order Center.

Please visit www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter school code

4507.

WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF YEARBOOKS.

PLEASE LOCK IN YOUR PURCHASE BEFORE PRICES

INCREASE ON JANUARY 1, 2027.

If you have any questions, please email either Ms. Binns

(lbinns@klschools.org) or Miss Muschio (nmuschio@klschools.org)

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to remind families about the academic support opportunities available to students through the John Jay High School Academic Support Center (ASC).

The Academic Support Center provides students with additional academic assistance in a supportive environment. Students can receive help from teachers in a variety of subject areas, ask questions about coursework, complete assignments, and strengthen their understanding of class material. The ASC is designed to help students stay on track and build confidence in their learning.

In addition to teacher support, students may also request assistance from a peer tutor. Peer tutors are student volunteers who can provide academic support and help students develop effective study habits. Students can drop in during lunch in C103 and/or request a tutor during mini blocks when they are available.

How to Sign Up

Students can access the Academic Support Center website using the link below:

Academic Support Center Website

Once on the site, students can:

• Select their Purple Day or Gold Day schedule.

• Choose the appropriate block and subject area where they would like support.

• Submit the request form for Academic Support Center assistance.

• Complete the "Sign Me Up for a Peer Tutor" form if they would like to be matched with a student tutor.

We encourage all students to take advantage of these resources whenever they need additional academic support. If you have any questions about the Academic Support Center or peer tutoring services, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Maria Modesto-Perez

Student Empowerment Coordinator

John Jay High School

mperez@klschools.org

The Counseling Center is scheduling Freshmen Transition meetings during school hours beginning November 16th through December 18th. This meeting, with your child’s counselor, will be to discuss your child’s transition to high school, the high school schedule, graduation requirements, college admissions testing, and what lies ahead in high school.

A few things to note:

· Students are invited to attend this meeting so please ask your child which period (time) is best to avoid missing an academic class.

· Meetings will not take place during the common lunch block (10:54am-11:54am)

· Appointments are one mini period in length or 40 minutes and coincide with our 4-block day. The last appointment being at 2:03 pm (Block 4B).

· This meeting can take place in person or via Webex. When scheduling your meeting please let us know which you prefer.

To schedule an appointment, please call the Counseling Center at 763-7216

2027 AP EXAM PAYMENT IS DUE BY NOVEMBER 2, 2026

While AP Exams do not happen until May 2027, AP Exams must be ordered with the College Board by November 13th. Without full payment, your child cannot take the exam or receive AP credit on their transcript. If payment is not made and the exam is missed, a $40 cancellation fee per exam will apply. This is the fee we are charged by the College Board for exams ordered but not used.

Payment may be made using MyPaymentsPlus (see directions in October 26th email from Mr. Frank Gizzo) or by check made payable to Katonah Lewisboro School District.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Counseling Center at (914) 763-7216.

As College visits are winding down over the next couple of weeks, please continue to check SCOIR daily for schedule and room assignments. You MUST be signed up via SCOIR, 24 hours prior to the visit to be excused from class. Attendance will be taken.

In person visits are scheduled during school hours. For In-Person visits: ALL missed work MUST be made up, and attendance will be taken at each visit. Students are limited to two (2) in person college visits per day. If you have an interest in visiting more than two (2) college representatives on any given day, please visit your guidance counselor for permission.

Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to meet the college counselor who might be the first to read your application!

The following schools will be visiting the week of November 1st:

US Navy – ROTC, Scholarships & Recruitment Opportunities (11/4)

University of New Hampshire (11/5)

Dominica University – NY (11/5)

You can also check the Counseling Center’s calendar on the JJHS website or by clicking HERE to view all upcoming school visits

Transcript Requests

Please remember that all transcript requests need to be placed in SCOIR at least two weeks prior to the college application deadline.

Remember: If you are submitting ACT or SAT test scores, you will need to log into your ACT/College Board account and request that your scores be sent to the school(s) you are applying to. Questions? Please stop into the Counseling Center.

Letters of Recommendation

Please be sure to request your teacher letters of recommendation through SCOIR as soon as possible. Before submitting your request in SCOIR, please make sure you have spoken with each teacher directly and asked if they are willing to write your recommendation.

October 19th through November 2nd , you can get five FREE SUNY applications using either the ApplySUNY Application or the Common App. No special code is needed if you submit an application for admission during the free application period.

· If using ApplySUNY: when you get to the payment page, it will show the first five campus application fees as waived (they are paid by SUNY).

· If using Common App: you will need to apply campus by campus. On each SUNY school’s member page, there will be a question that says, "It is free application week with The State University of New York through November 3rd! Would you like SUNY to pay your application fee?" If you select "Yes", your fee will be waived for that SUNY school. You can do this for up to five SUNY schools.

*SUNY waives 60% of application fees year-round. Please go to www.suny.edu/feewaiver for additional information.

Which SUNY Are You?

The 2027-2028 FAFSA Form is NOW AVAILABLE!

To start a new form, click here 2027-2028 FAFSA FORM

We are excited to announce an expansion of our SAS Counseling Center with more accessibility to our students and families.

What is the SAS Counseling Center?

It is a school-based mental health treatment program exclusively available to John Jay High School families.

How are services delivered?

Services are provided on-site during the school day or before/after school. Telehealth is also available.

What days are the SAS Counseling Center therapist at JJHS?

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Who is the new therapist?

Kathryn Keiling, LP-MHC

How do I contact the SAS Counseling Center?

914-874-1660

Frank Gizzo

Director of Guidance and Counseling

John Jay High School/John Jay Middle School

Phone: 914-763-7203

Fax: 914-763-3731

Please note that Upstate Images, the photographer will be here on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 for one more time to take any senior photo retakes. Any questions, please contact Ms. Nicole Muschio (nmuschio@klschools.org).

Please complete the Graduation Name Verification Form for your senior child. If you have any questions, please reach out to Miss Muschio (nmuschio@klschools.org).

2027 Graduation Name Verification Form – Fill out form

Please see the updated attachment for the information about Senior Portraits, Yearbooks, Ads, Baby Photos, Senior Quotes and Then and Now Photos.

If you have any questions about this information, please email Miss Muschio.

(nmuschio@klschools.org

Three music students performed at the Area All-State concert this past Saturday. They performed with the Symphony Orchestra, comprised of the top high school musicians in all of Westchester County. They played a rigorous program and dedicated hours of practice and rehearsal to master the music. We are all very proud of their accomplishments! Here are the students who participated, pictured left to right:

Darren Tang, cello, 10th grade

Emmett Geller, violin, 12th grade

Ty Stanford, cello, 11th grade

Congratulations!

From October 26 through November 3, students are invited to participate in our Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration by contributing to a collaborative ofrenda (offering). Together, the display will explore the traditions, history, and symbolism of this important cultural celebration while highlighting themes of culture, identity, family, memory, and storytelling. Please email Mrs. Maria Modesto-Perez for details (mperez@klschools.org.

KLSD ArtsAlive is the arts booster club for the KLSD! We have promoted arts in education programming in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District since 1997 and has been a district-wide arts booster club for all KLSD schools since 2018. We believe that promoting the arts in our schools unifies our entire community. By supporting arts-related events and programming, we give everyone the opportunity to celebrate our talented students and teachers.

Through fundraising efforts (and thanks to your support), KLSD ArtsAlive has been able to contribute funds in recent years to the the Art Gallery, Pottery Wheels, the Sound Booth, Bandshells, and participate in Arts in Education programming for Student Workshops and Field Trips at John Jay High School.

To find out more about us and see how you can become involved, please check out our website: https://klsdartsalive.org/

Stop by and see the Blind Portraits of Faculty and Staff by Arts in Studio Art and Design.

We are excited to announce that registration for the upcoming winter athletic season is open. Please see the registration dates below and plan accordingly to ensure all required forms are completed within the recommended timeline.

We look forward to another exciting winter season and appreciate your continued support of our student-athletes, coaches, and athletic programs.

High School Sports: Varsity, Junior Varsity (JV), and Freshman Levels

• Athletic Registration: Monday, October 19th!

o Final Forms will open on Monday, October 19th for winter sports registration.

o To ensure your student is eligible to try out on November 16th, please be sure to complete the Final Forms registration process no later than November 13th .

• Tryout Dates for Varsity, JV and Freshman Winter Sports:

  • Monday, November 16th

Did you know?

The JJHS Library has a Cricut Maker available for academic and extracurricular purposes. The Maker is a versatile cutting machine that allows students to design and create custom projects using materials such as paper and vinyl. From academic projects and classroom displays to club merchandise, event decorations, and personalized items, the Cricut supports creativity, hands-on learning, and student expression. If you are interested in scheduling time to use (or learn how to use) the machine, please stop by the library to speak with Mrs. Hoffman or email her at jhoffman@klschools.org.

*************

Juli Hoffman

Library Media Specialist

John Jay High School

Visit the library online!

We are continuing to accept games/activities donations for students to use during Common Lunch. Click here to view the wishlist.

Also the new JJHS Library Craft Bar could use some additional items for their make & take crafts! Check out the Craft Bar Wishlist here.

Please also save the dates to come into school and volunteer during the lunch hour for the PTO’s Thanks & Giving Day on 11/24, and our ‘student-favorite’ Winter Wonderland on 12/22. More details to come!

Thanks as always for your support!!

Parents - have you been receiving the PTO's emails about events, volunteer opportunities, and other JJHS news? If not, log in and confirm your contact details here! The district does not supply parent emails to the PTO, so we need your help.

Any questions or concerns, please email the PTO at johnjayhspto@gmail.com

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This is a reminder that 11th grade physicals records are mandated by New York State law, and the deadline has passed. Any physical report dated after September 8th, 2025, is acceptable. Dr. Corsaro, the school district physician, will be here in November to see all students who have not been able to meet this requirement privately.

Please call the health office with any questions and thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

With Regards,