Inside Yorktown CSD

Welcome to the February 2025 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.

• March 1 – YHS Bands Swing Dance (7:00 p.m., YHS Gymnasium)
• March 1 – Middle School Science Olympiad - Lower Hudson Regional Tournament (Scarsdale Middle School)
• March 3 – YHS Science Research WESEF Event (5:00 p.m., YHS Cafeteria & Gymnasium)
• March 3 – YCSD Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m., MESMS Cafeteria)
• March 3-7 – Mohansic Kindergarten Read Across America
• March 4 – Brookside & Mohansic Chipotle Dine-Out (4:00-8:00 p.m.)
• March 4 – MESMS Grade 6 Assembly
• March 7 & 8 – YHS Musical: Footloose (YHS Auditorium)
• March 7 – Mohansic One School, One Book Begins
• March 7 – Mohansic PTA Family Book Buddy Event (Build-a-Bear) (5:00-6:00 p.m.)
• March 10-14 – Crompond PTA Book Fair
• March 10-26 – Mohansic Read-a-Thon
• March 11-14 – Mohansic PTA Book Fair
• March 12 – Mohansic Family Book Fair (5:00-7:00 p.m.) and Literacy Fair (5:00-6:30 p.m.)
• March 13 – Brookside & Mohansic PTA Bag Bingo
• March 19 – Brookside Grade 1 Concert
• March 19 – Dr. Dewey Presentation (6:30 p.m., MESMS Cafeteria)
• March 21 & 22 – MESMS Musical (7:00 p.m., YHS Auditorium)
• March 24 – YCSD Board of Education Meeting (7:00 p.m., MESMS Cafeteria)
• March 25 – YCSD Bandapalooza (6:00 p.m., YHS Gymnasium)
• March 26 – YCSD String Festival (6:00 p.m., YHS Gymnasium)
• March 29 – Tri-Towns Concert (2:00 p.m., YHS Auditorium)
• March 31 – Superintendent's Conference Day (No Students)

Athletic schedules can be found here.

For more calendar information, visit this link.

At this time, we are pleased to announce the opening of registration for our Pre-K program. The program will be delivered by the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester. Please see the enclosed letter from Dr. Hattar with more information.

The New York State Education Department recently shared with school districts that some Google services are no longer covered by the state’s Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) as of March 1, 2025. Because of this, our students won’t be able to use certain extra Google services with their school account. To ensure compliance with this law, students will no longer have access to specific Additional Google Services through their "G Suite for Education" accounts.

For more information, please read the full letter from our Technology Director.

Kick off your Sunday shoes and get ready for Yorktown High School’s spring musical — Footloose!

Join us for three electrifying performances on March 7 and 8:

• March 7 - 7 p.m.
• March 8 - 2 p.m.
• March 8 - 7 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at the following link: https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/yorktown-central-school-district/67a4df4e4917ba4cc50a8398

We are well along in our budgetary planning for the 2025-26 school year. We have delivered three budget presentations to date. The next presentation will be on March 3.

If you are not able to attend any of the presentations at our Board of Education meetings, please know that our meetings are recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel the following day. Additionally, all budget-related materials can be found on our budget website.

Important budget dates are below:

• January 13, 2025 – Budget Presentation: Budget Overview & Tax Cap, State Aid, and Debt Service & Reserves
• January 27, 2025 – Budget Presentation: General Support, Facilities, Benefits, & Transportation
• February 10, 2025 – Budget Presentation: Athletics & Co-Curricular
• March 3, 2025 – Budget Presentation: Instruction, General Ed, Special Ed, & Technology
• March 24, 2025 – Presentation of Superintendent’s Budget
• April 21, 2025 – Budget Adoption
• April 21, 2025 – Deadline for Filing Petitions for Trustee Candidacy
• May 12, 2025 – Public Budget Hearing
• May 15, 2025 – Deadline for Voter Registration
• May 20, 2025 – Budget and Trustee Vote at French Hill School, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

The District is pleased to welcome back Dr. Stephen Dewey on March 19 in the MESMS Cafeteria for an eye-opening presentation on the effects of addictive substances and behaviors on the adolescent brain. A research professor at NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Dewey will share insights on how alcohol, drugs, vaping, video games, and other influences affect neurological development.

The presentation begins at 7:00 p.m., but parents are encouraged to arrive early for the "Hidden in Plain Sight" pre-session, an interactive exhibit opening at 6:30 p.m., designed to help families recognize potential warning signs of substance use.

Admission is free. High school and middle school students may attend with a parent.

Learn about the trades and enjoy food, music, and entertainment at a Career & Technical Education Regional Union Information Event hosted by Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES. The event will run from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, at the Walden Gym, 200 BOCES Drive, Yorktown Heights.

Explore a wide range of careers represented by union partners, including boilermakers, bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, insulators, iron workers, laborers, plumbers, painters, roofers, steamfitters, and more!

Please register at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uvZAs7Y7GSOY-bb0LcQpA3sKK3HZQAWVTheR1Lz3uWQ/viewform?edit_requested=true

There will be a Hudson Valley Construction Career Night from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, at Rockland Community College. This is a hands-on event for parents and their high school-aged children to learn about the opportunities in the construction field in companies and unions.

Please register at the following link: https://cicbca.org/cic-bca-cai-events-career-night-registration/

YCSD's Board of Education held a regular meeting on Monday, February 10. A video replay is available on the District's YouTube channel.

The board will hold its next meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3.

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.

You can visit the District's Communications website to keep up with the latest news and to read archived stories.

Congratulations to our Yorktown High School Science Olympiad team, which is heading to the States for the third year in a row! They punched their ticket earlier this month at Regionals, where they finished in third place out of 50 teams.

Our YHS B team, with many underclassmen, also showcased their skills with a remarkable 13th-place finish at Regionals.

Mr. Eric Agosta, who co-advises the club with Mr. Downing, expressed his pride: “We have a strong group of kids heading into states and our goal is to medal. Our B team getting 13th this year shows how strong we will be in the future.”

Good luck to our Science Olympians as they prepare for the State competition at Le Moyne College in Syracuse in late March!

The Yorktown High School Dance Company's annual showcase, "An Evening of Dance," returned with three incredible performances on January 31 and February 1.

Please click here for more photos.

Author and illustrator Nick Bruel visited Mohansic third graders on February 4 to share how he created his beloved Bad Kitty series and how asking questions leads to great stories. Students also got to see how Bruel brings Bad Kitty to life through his illustrations.

Please click here for more photos and a video.

Brookside third graders took the stage on February 5 for two performances of "Lemonade!"

Their hard work and enthusiasm shined as they shared this fun musical with family and friends. Check out the photos in the links below (videos to come).

• 9:30 Photos

• 9:30 Video

• 10:30 Photos

• 10:30 Video

Congratulations to the following Yorktown High School students, who were honored at the February 10 Board of Education meeting for their outstanding academic achievements!

• Srinatha Duri – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

• Sonia Eddolls – 2025 National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

• Domenick Fedele – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

• Chinmayi Goyal – Class of 2025 Valedictorian, Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, 2025 Regeneron STS Scholar

• Kelly Griffiths – 2025 National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

• Amani Gupta – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

• Elizabeth Kratenstein – 2025 National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

• Nicolas Morfea – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten

• Emily Tian – Class of 2025 Salutatorian, Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

• Alexis Warren – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten

• Makayla Winslow – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 Regeneron STS Scholar

• Carol Yang – 2025 National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

• Karen Yang – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

• Norah Yang – Class of 2025 Academic Top Ten, 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

• Brandon Zhong – 2025 National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

Mohansic third graders performed their "Friends and Flurries" concert on February 11, showcasing everything they have learned during their years at Mohansic. Under the direction of musical director Mrs. Peters, they sang with confidence, demonstrating their improved pitch and harmonies through unison singing, two-part and three-part harmonies, a boys vs. girls arrangement, and a recorder showcase.

Congratulations to our third graders on a wonderful performance!

Please click here for more photos.

A video replay is available on our YouTube channel.

What a great time at Crompond Community Night on February 10!

Students showed up in full force — cheering, making signs, and supporting the Huskers varsity boys basketball team in their exciting win over John Jay. The night was full of energy, with a t-shirt toss and a fun halftime contest!

Please click here for more photos.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming education, and MESMS students are embracing this innovative technology with responsibility and creativity.

At the February 10 Board of Education meeting, MESMS students proudly showcased how they are using AI in the classroom. They shared how a wide variety of AI-powered tools can assist in brainstorming, writing, and editing — enhancing their work while keeping their unique voices front and center. They even used AI to generate images and create podcasts!

Teachers Ms. DiNoia, Ms. Manicchio, and Mr. Carney showcased student work in guiding them to use AI thoughtfully, reinforcing that it is a tool — much like a calculator — that still requires their input. One teacher emphasized, "Students are learning that they are still the brains behind the technology. AI can assist, but it cannot think for us, and it isn’t always correct — an important lesson we’ve reinforced with each assignment."

Superintendent Dr. Ron Hattar was impressed by the students’ understanding and use of AI while also acknowledging there are pros and cons to Artificial Intelligence. However, Dr. Hattar emphasized the vital role of preparing students for a future where AI is part of everyday life. “It's here and it's not going anywhere. Teaching our students how to be responsible and discerning users of AI is really important.”

Brookside’s “One School, One Book” adventure is officially underway!

This year, every student is reading “Nate the Great and Me: The Case of the Fleeing Fang,” a mystery about a missing dog that will have them sharpening their detective skills over the next two weeks.

The February 26 kickoff assembly set the stage with a fun skit, a sing-along, and a special surprise — each student received their very own copy of the book!

The investigation continues until the March 7 closing assembly. Will they crack the case? Stay tuned!

What a turnout for the 4th annual "Charlie Strong" game at Yorktown High School on February 7!

The Husker community packed the gym to support 2023 graduate Charlie DeGennaro, a former varsity captain who continues to inspire.

All proceeds will go to Blythedale Children's Hospital!

Ahead of this month's Big Game, our K-3 schools participated in "Soup-er Bowl" donation drives.

At Brookside, a drive spearheaded by Mrs. McAleer's third-grade class collected over 400 non-perishable food items for the Yorktown Presbyterian Church Food Pantry!

Meanwhile, Mohansic students filled donation bins with soup cans for the Food Pantry at St. Mary’s in Mohegan Lake. Way to go!

Welcome to The Yorktown Minute!

On Mondays throughout the school year, Dr. Hattar will update the community on important information and preview the week ahead. Videos will be posted to our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts (@YorktownCSD). Videos are also being archived on our YouTube channel.

We continue to update our website with various job opportunities, especially teacher aides (no certification required) and certified teaching assistants. If interested, please click here for a list of vacancies.

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – American Sign Language Classes Are on the Rise
• Yorktown News – Superintendent's Student Council Offers Yorktown Students a Chance to Drive Change
• Yorktown News – YHS Club Gives Students Inside Look at Local Law Enforcement
• Yorktown News – Yorktown Arts Spotlight: Anna Horlacher
• Yorktown News – Former Husker Standout Gianna Degaltini Comes Home—as Coach
• Yorktown News – Yorktown Arts Spotlight: Kelly Griffiths
• Yorktown News – Yorktown Students Step up for an Evening of Dance
• Yorktown News – YHS Bands to 'Swing' into 16th Annual Dance Concert
• Yorktown News – Yorktown Wins 'Charlie Strong' Game

If you are not a District parent but would like to stay connected with our School Community, please fill out this form to receive our monthly newsletter.

You can read more District highlights by visiting our website and social media pages, which are updated regularly with stories, photos, and announcements.

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Website: www.yorktown.org
Location: 2725 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
Phone: 914-243-8000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YorktownCSD/
Twitter: @YorktownCSD