WCT In The News

Email: wct@wcteachers.org

Website: www.wcteachers.org

Location: 280 New Hackensack Road, Wappingers Falls, NY, USA

Phone: 845-227-5065

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 12-5 (while school is in session - hours differ during the summer)

Administrative Assistant: Cathy Reynolds

On August 26th, 2025, the WCT welcomed over 50 new teachers to the WCSD. Members of our Executive Board took time to explain the importance of belonging to a union along with the multitude of benefits that are afforded to them. It is an exhausting day for our "new" teachers, however it is a great way to connect with the WCT so they know that we are here for them.

Sheafe Rd. events started off the school year with a bang! Students, staff and parents participated in the school book fair, Ice Cream Social and visited their school garden. What a great way to start the year!

Pink Out Day @ Van Wyck! Organized by Hannah Oppenheim, we took this opportunity to raise funds for Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation.

On October 22, staff and students at Van Wyck celebrated Unity Day. Aileen Basuljevic and the multicultural club hosted activities in the library to support the anti-bullying campaign. We wore orange to celebrate kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

Trunk or Treat at Fishkill Plains took place on October 24, 2025. The staff, students, and families of our school community got together for a night of FUN! Everyone dressed up, decorated their cars and handed out candy in celebration of Halloween.

WCT President, Flip Gertler, along with many executive board members had the opportunity to visit most of the 15 buildings ( we still have a few scheduled buildings to go). It was a great opportunity to review what union membership is about along with the amount of benefits that your union provides for you. These intimate meetings were very well received. With over 960 teachers spread across 15 buildings, it is nice to see our colleagues faces in person.

Fishkill Plains is running this starting next week along side our community service club- Panther Purpose

The Gayhead staff helped raised money for Fostering Hope, a local organization that focuses on helping foster kids, this past Halloween. The whole staff joined in dressing as Despicable Me characters.

Michael Panzer, Ph.D. (RCK Social Studies Department) met up with former RCK Class of 2012 graduate, Liam Kingsley, Ph.D., who presented at the 2025 African Studies Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Liam is one of "Tank's" former students and is now a fellow Africanist at Indiana University. Liam specializes in the history of modern Namibia.

The Gayhead PTA welcomed and honored our newest staff members at the October meeting.

Congratulations to Andrew Nikola and Dan Roberto on their induction into the NYSCATE 2025 Volunteer Hall of Fame! This well-deserved honor recognizes their outstanding dedication, leadership, and service to educational technology across New York State. Their commitment to supporting educators, fostering innovation, and strengthening our learning community continues to make a lasting impact. We are proud to celebrate this incredible achievement with them.

Many of our Gayhead staff members volunteered their time at the Gayhead Spooktacular. Some assisted with the Haunted House while others decorated their trunks for the kids to trunk-or-treat. All money raised went to our current 6th grade class.

The Third Graders at Gayhead Elementary had an amazing time visiting The Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY! Students learned all about wolf behavior, habitats, and conservation efforts. They even had the chance to see real wolves up close! It was an exciting and educational day that brought our animal studies to life.

Pumpkin Study Fun!

Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Lange's preschoolers had an amazing time exploring pumpkins during our recent Pumpkin Study! Through hands-on investigation, students learned all about the parts of a pumpkin and discovered how pumpkins grow by exploring the pumpkin life cycle.

The highlight of our study was when we got to look inside a pumpkin! The children were fascinated by the gooey strands and slippery seeds they found inside. Together, we carefully pulled out the seeds, cleaned them, and set them aside to dry. Later, we sprinkled the seeds in the grass just outside our classroom to see what might happen.

To everyone’s surprise and delight and thanks to our favorite farmer, Mrs. Flanigan, we discovered that a magical pumpkin patch had appeared while we were out at recess! The children were amazed to see their learning come to life right before their eyes—it was truly a magical ending to our pumpkin exploration!

Saturday the 15th, 18 of our frogs completed their 5k down at Rockland lake!! It was a beautiful chilly morning but these girls did amazing!!! A few even finished with record times! For a few this was their first ever race!!

This holiday season, the members of the WCT once again demonstrated their unwavering commitment to supporting the local community. In response to the challenges created by the government shutdown and the reduction and delay of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, WCT members stepped up in a big way to help local families in need.

Recognizing the hardship many were facing, the WCT forged a partnership with the Zion Food Pantry. Through this collaboration, WCT members came together to make a lasting impact, donating both generously and selflessly. Over 125 WCT members contributed to the cause, raising an astounding total of over $7,300.

These funds were used to purchase nutritious food and essential supplies, ensuring that local families could celebrate the holiday season with the joy, dignity, and warmth that everyone deserves. The donations helped to stock the pantry’s shelves, enabling the Zion Food Pantry to continue providing for those who are most vulnerable during these tough times.

Thanks again to Kate DeGroat, RCK School Counselor, for organizing this very important endeavor.

On November 18th, the WCT recognized and celebrated the SRP's in the WCSD. Each building was responsible for its own celebration. Ideas ranged from stickers, posters, baked goods, luncheons and so on. This effort is a great way to show our appreciation for all that they do for our teachers, students, and community.

We had an amazing breakfast celebrating our SRP's at Myers Corners this week. We were able to raffle away 20 gift cards to show our appreciation for all our school related professionals.

Kinry Road WCT members chipped in to make baskets for the PTA Penny Social! We ended up being able to donate 14 different themed baskets!

Gayhead Elementary School staff and students celebrated World Kindness Day by paying it forward by donating to Pediatric Cancer. The PTA donated pumpkins and each classroom decorated these gold pumpkins which will provide a donation to the Little Hero Foundation in Emma Levine’s name. Emma was a close family friend of both Penny LeFevre and Michelle Hogan. Emma was the first child fed by Sparrow’s Nest and during her four year fight with cancer, the community was extremely supportive. Emma passed away in November 2020.

This Veteran’s Day, Gayhead Elementary School students honored our veterans by making patriotic thank you cards. The cards were distributed out to the VA long term facility in Montrose, NY. Many of these veterans have neurodegenerative diseases as a result of being exposed to agent orange during the Vietnam War. The veterans were touched by the sentiment and thrilled to receive the cards. Pictured above is Jim Hogan, father in law of Michelle Hogan, (Kindergarten ICT teacher at Gayhead).

Vassar Road had a Thanksgiving Day parade! 2nd grade students spent a month immersing themselves in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Inspired by the book, Balloons over Broadway, they learned about the origins of the parade and the iconic balloons. Through primary sources and behind the scenes virtual field trips to the Macy’s Design Studio, they became parade experts!

Mrs. Coyne challenged them to create floats with balloons that - without helium - would appear to float and would be book characters recognizable by the younger grades.

They did all that and more! On Friday the entire 2nd grade filled the halls with amazing balloons to the cheers the other students!

Mr. Lolkema was the Grand Marshall kicking off the parade by cutting a ribbon with genuine Macy’s ribbon scissors and leading the way. Mr. Jason drove the traditional turkey float followed by 24 student-designed and built floats and balloons. Mrs. Fields completed the parade in full elf gear handing out candy canes.

It was a community Thanksgiving celebration!

The John Jay FFA hosted a Pet First Aid Class. Dr. Paul McNamara was our guest speaker and we had 56 community members in attendance! Thank you to our faculty and staff who also joined us! If you couldn't make this session, it's ok, we are looking to host another one in the spring!

John Jay's History Honor Society's very own Callie Castilla has passed the district round of the American Legion's Oratorical Competition. As well as receiving a scholarship, she will be moving on to the County level in December. For this competition, Callie is preparing, memorizing, and presenting her 8-10 minute speech on aspects of the Constitution of the United States with an emphasis on the duties and obligations of a citizen of our government.

The students from John Jay Racing (Winners Circle Project) had a busy first quarter in both the marketing and build departments. This year's car build is a Factory5 Shelby Cobra. The Marketing class developed a mission and vision statement, as well as created a logo for the John Jay. Racing brand. The build class began with taking inventory of the new car kit, and we most recently installed the engine, which now runs. In addition, the class/club had a very successful car show titled "Haunted Horsepower for Hope." This event raised money for the club as well as raised money for Vassar Brothers Medical Center Behavioral Health. There have been other curricular initiatives so far this year, including team building, networking events, SIM race practices, touring Universal Technical Institute, and visiting BMW North American Headquarters in New Jersey.

The WCT came to East Fishkill Community day on Sept 20th with some new giveaways and they

were a hit! Besides the new giveaways the weather was beautiful. We had so many people stop

by our booth and it was great to see our families. This year we had a few brand-new teachers

take part in their first union event! We thank everyone who volunteered their time and hope to

see some new faces at the next event.

The 2 nd annual Kerri Roger memorial field hockey game was held on Oct 14 th . The event is

organized by field hockey coaches: Emily Sartori (JJ math teacher) and Bernadette Angioletti. A

beautiful opening speech written by physical education teacher, Kristen Perry captured

perfectly who Kerri Roger was as a teacher, coach, and friend. The team also held a fundraiser

to raise money for cancer. The girls won the game 6-0!

Thank you to the field hockey team and coaches for continuing to honor our friend/colleague.

Mrs.Basuljevic, in conjunction with the Big Read, organized for author Laurie Halse Anderson to come to Van Wyck. Both 7th and 8th graders were able to participate in visit.

Gayhead’s third graders organized their 4th Annual Cereal Box Domino Challenge with the help of the Third Grade Team — Eleni Tarpey, Jen Urciuoli, Kacey Marinelli, Kate Oliveras, Colleen Ferguson, Renee Lord, Lisa Speidell, and Kerri Ruppert — along with Library Media Specialist Jen Lindner, Library Assistant Kelly Peterson, Head Custodian and monitor Juan Uribe, and monitor Jeanine Pastorino. Together, they led a school-wide collection of cereal boxes for students to build an exciting domino chain reaction.

Students collected over 679 boxes of cereal, all of which will be donated to local food pantries.

This initiative aligns with our school-wide theme, “Stick With It,” which encourages students to take on challenges with determination and perseverance.

Buying or selling a house?

Uncontested legal separation or divorce?

Need a will?

Health care proxy?

Power of attorney?

Click the link below to see the dates and times available to speak with the attorneys or financial advisors (The financial advisors do not sell anything -- they just give advice about your financial picture). Call Cathy at the WCT Office (845-227-5065) to make an appointment.

Click the link below to view the WCT Welfare Trust Fund Handbook. It covers dental, vision, legal, financial and many more negotiated benefits offered to WCT members and their dependents.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rNnueTx55oK_2PwL5t7ZhIQ9MR4GLxpL/edit

As a reminder, members are entitled to fully-paid, confidential financial meetings with a Certified Financial Planner from Stacey Braun Associates, Inc. The firm is committed to providing information, ideas, and suggestions in an effort to assist you address financial concerns and improve your financial well-being. See the attached flyer below for more information.

Did you miss the "Big Beautiful Tax" webinar presented by the Welfare Trust Fund Financial Advisors, Stacey Braun. Click the link below to hear the recording of the 10/23/25 webinar.

Mirkin & Gordon is pleased to announce that our first pre-recorded legal services webinar is now available for viewing by your covered members at their convenience.

The webinar, entitled “Important Estate Planning Documents Covered by Your Benefit Fund’s Legal Services Plan” can be viewed on our website through via link https://www.mirkingordon.com/webinars.

Click the link below to visit the WCT Store for T-shirts, sweatpants, hats, cups and many more items. There are several styles and colors to choose from.

About the Peer Support Line:
Staffed by trained in-service and retired peers who understand the unique professional and personal challenges of NYSUT members, the Peer Support Line can provide answers, resources, and support when you need it.

This helpful service can assist with accessing information and resources within your community, including the following:

Finding mental health services and/or support groups
Locating community social services programs and/or agencies
Managing work-related stress and/or concerns
Providing support to new members
Sourcing elder care and/or caregiving services
Reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness
Managing coordination of health-related challenges

Help is available when it is needed most. The Peer Support Line serves as a sounding board to strategize around many issues and concerns facing NYSUT members and their loved ones.

Don't wait any longer ... contact the Peer Support Line today.

How to Contact the Peer Support Line:
1. By Phone:
For more information or to speak with a trained peer specialist, call toll-free 844-444-0152, Monday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m. (EST).

2. Send a Secure Message:
You can also send a secure private message to the Peer Support Line to schedule a call at your convenience or obtain resources. Messages sent through this manner will be safely encrypted to protect your privacy.

NYSUT Member Benefits is pleased to offer the premium Calm subscription as a free benefit for all NYSUT in-service AND retiree members.

The premium Calm subscription provides members with unlimited access to the full library of content at calm.com and in the Calm app, which can be utilized via a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device (iOS or Android).

Members can add up to five dependents (age 16 or older) to receive their own premium Calm subscription. Dependents can only be added through the calm.com site (not the Calm app); dependents will then receive their own premium Calm subscription.

ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
The Calm service offers a variety of physical and mental wellness webinars available both live and on-demand. Click here to learn more.

IMPORTANT: On this page, you will find both desktop and mobile instructional sign-up videos to assist with accessing the premium Calm service for free.

The horizontal desktop instructional video below is for those members who already have an existing Calm account. Below that you will find a vertical mobile instructional video for members who have not yet created a Calm account.

Get Started Today!
Visit https://www.calm.com/b2b/nysut-member-benefits/subscribe to create a Calm account now (this is a dedicated URL for NYSUT members).

1. You will need your NYSUT ID number to create an account with your preferred email address and a password using the dedicated URL above. Note: Your NYSUT ID number can be found on your NYSUT Membership Card or by visiting https://www.nysut.org/memberid.

2. Once you create a free Calm account on a web browser using the URL above, you will want to download the Calm app for your iOS or Android device.

3. After downloading the Calm app for your preferred device, you can then log in with your email address and password to unlock the premium Calm content for free.

Member Benefits and the Calm team have created a helpful Frequently Asked Questions document for NYSUT members that contains answers to a number of questions.

If you have additional questions related to the Calm service that the FAQ document does not address, please contact the Calm support team directly by clicking here or at calmbusinesshelp@calm.com.

AWARD-WINNING CALM APP:
The Calm app -- recognized as Apple’s Best of 2018 award winner, Apple’s App of the Year 2017, and Google Play Editor’s Choice 2018 -- is the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation with over 100 million downloads.

Whether members have 30 seconds or 30 minutes of time available, the diverse content library offered by Calm includes numerous resources for their schedule and needs.

Members can explore guided meditations and specialized music playlists to help with stress and focus, mindful movement video and audio, relaxing sleep stories, nature scenes and sounds, specific content tailored for children, masterclasses led by experts, and more .

Hello Everyone,

We are excited to share that we have transitioned to a new Employee Assistance Program and these services are available to you effective immediately. Our new provider is Educators' EAP, a division of ESI, and they provide a myriad of benefits and services to you and your immediate family members. Educators' EAP is a provider that works with many of our neighboring Districts and has a vast network of certified counselors and staff that are available to assist our employees and their families. Educators' EAP also features a mobile app called "Talkspace Go" that is available for you and family members aged 13+ to assist in improving mental health and well-being.

You can contact EAP through their toll-free number at 1-800-252-4555 or through their website www.EducatorsEAP.com.

Attached to this email is a welcome letter that provides information regarding this new program and various links that give you access to all of the resources provided through EAP including a 5-minute orientation video.

The health and well-being of our staff is one of our highest priorities. We hope that you will take advantage of the many services and resources that our new EAP has to provide.

Please feel free to reach out to the Office of Human Resources if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Renee

--

Renee F. Harris
Executive Director of Human Resources
Office of Human Resources and Labor Relations
(845) 298-5000, x40136
Fax (845) 896-1286
Wappingers Central School District
25 Corporate Park Drive

P.O. Box 396
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
www.wappingersschools.org

Click below to access the multitude of benefits that are available to you as a NYSUT member.

NYSUT is excited to announce that we are transitioning to digital membership cards to provide easier access to benefits while modernizing our systems.

The digital card is available to members on their phones and offers convenient mobile access and real-time benefit updates. And by transitioning away from printed cards, we’re greatly reducing the environmental impact of printing and mailing nearly 700,000 member cards.

Members who prefer a printed card can still download a PDF version through their My NYSUT account. And don’t worry, expired physical cards don't affect membership status.

Your union card is a mark of professionalism and a symbol of belonging to an organization with 50+ years of history supporting workers and public schools, colleges and universities. We’re proud to offer the digital card as the next chapter in this history and we hope you and all of our members use it with pride.

• How do I get my digital membership card? You can access your card by logging into the My NYSUT section of our website. Detailed instructions for adding the card to your Apple or Android device are provided there. Note, digital cards are designed to work with mobile devices. If you log in on a desktop or laptop computer, you will have to send access to your phone or mobile device. Instructions for how to do that are on the card access page.
• What if I don’t have a My NYSUT account or if I don’t know my member ID? If you know your member ID but don’t have a My NYSUT account, you can set up an account here. If you don’t know your member ID, you can take steps to retrieve it here.
• What if I don’t have a smartphone or prefer a physical card? We understand not everyone is ready to go digital. Members who want a physical card can access a PDF version on their My NYSUT accounts here.

The NEW email address to contact the WCT Heartship Fund managers is heartship@wcteachers.org.

If you have any questions about your program participation please use this new email address going forward.

Thank you to all who have donated in the past. Through our combined efforts we have given over 95 monetary awards to families in the WCSD community."

Ann Liebergot - President

Christine Zandstra - Treasurer

Janine Sloth - Secretary

Lucretia O’Dell - Board Member

Jackie Schultz - Board Member

Zack Graczyk - Board Member

Nicholas Parlapiano - Board Member

Click on the videos below to see the workshops that were presented at this years NYSTRS Annual Delegates Meeting.

This year’s meeting featured the premiere of NYSTRS’ Road to Retirement video(Opens in a new window), which outlines steps members can take at every stage of their career to prepare for retirement.

Your Benefit Profile holds key information about your NYSTRS membership. Unlock the mystery of how to read your Profile and how it answers essential questions about service credit, beneficiaries and more.

Dive into high-impact topics and common questions in this brief overview of NYSTRS benefits, including prior service, major milestones, final average salary and more.

Back by popular demand! Steven Kramer demystifies wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care proxies and living wills. Kramer is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and was named a Power Lawyer by Schneps Media.

Reflect on a pillar of NYSTRS’ legacy of excellence as we examine our investment philosophy and how it contributes to the long-term success, strength and stability of the System.

Do you know the impact of collecting Social Security early? How is the COLA calculated? What do post-retirement earnings limits mean for you? We’ll answer these questions and more.

Discover how your NYSTRS benefits can combine with other savings to complete your retirement picture. Learn about the power of compounding interest, contributing to a deferred compensation plan, boosting your financial security with the savings catch-up provisions of a 403(b) plan, and how to choose a financial professional that’s right for you.