Inside Yorktown CSD

Welcome to the January 2026 edition of “Inside Yorktown CSD.” In this issue, we share a look back at the photos, stories, and highlights that filled our schools in January, along with a look ahead at upcoming events.

• January 30/31 – YHS Dance Company Performances (Feb. 1 Snow Date)
• February 4 – Brookside Grade 3 Concert
• February 4 – Brookside PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• February 6 – Charlie Strong Basketball Game Fundraiser
• February 7 – YHS Band Swing Dance (Feb. 28 Snow Date)
• February 9 – YCSD Board of Education Meeting
• February 11 – Mohansic Grade 3 Concert (Feb. 25 Snow Date)
• February 16-20 – Winter Recess (Schools Closed)
• February 27 – YHS WESEF Practice Night
• February 28 – Brookside PTA Bulldogs on Ice Fundraiser

Visit the District website for more calendar information and a detailed Athletics schedule.

Kindergarten

We are in the process of building our budget for the upcoming school year, and much of our budget is driven by student enrollment. While most of the variables regarding enrollment are relatively easy to forecast, kindergarten enrollment and new families moving to the district resulting from residential developments are the most challenging to predict. If you or someone you know has a child who will be 5 years of age by December 1, 2026, and are planning to register them for kindergarten within the District, we kindly ask that you register for kindergarten by contacting our Registrar’s Office at 914-243-8000 ext. 11604 or 18026 as soon as possible. Additionally, if you have recently moved to the District and are planning to enroll your child in our schools for September, regardless of grade level, we ask that you do so as soon as possible.

Universal Pre-K

As our community is likely aware, we have been able to utilize our state pre-k allocation in recent years to offer a pre-k program to any eligible student--a child who turns 4 years of age by December 1, 2026 and resides within our school district catchment area. We are pleased to continue to offer this excellent program through our partnership with the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester, without impacting our operating budget.

The school district expects to have 188 seats available in the program based on projected state funding. Please know that changes to state funding may impact the number of seats available in the pre-k program.

We ask that you register by March 1, 2026. Consistent with prior years, should we receive more online registration forms than the number of seats allocated to us (by March 1st), a lottery system will be employed to determine who will be enrolled in the pre-k program and the order on the waitlist for those who are not selected for enrollment.

Online registration forms submitted after March 1st will only be accepted if there are unfilled seats in the program and no wait-list for those seats. After March 1st, enrollment will be offered in the order in which the forms are received until the number of seats available from the state is reached.

The full registration letter can be found here.

Save the date for the Yorktown High School Spring Musical, The Wizard of Oz.

The classic story will come to life on stage as YHS student performers present this beloved production featuring memorable music, iconic characters, and imaginative staging.

Performances will be held in the Yorktown High School auditorium:

• Friday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Tickets will be available to purchase soon.

The construction projects at Brookside, Mohansic, and the MESMS/YHS Athletic Complex continue to make excellent progress. At this time, all three projects are well underway and we are operating on time and within budget. Dr. Hattar has been providing updates at each of our Board of Education meetings; you may access those updates and other information by visiting our website.

Our School PTAs are an incredible and vital resource to our district. They provide incredible support to our schools and wonderful programs for students and families. If you are not yet a member of the PTA and wish to join, you may do so by accessing the following links:

• Brookside PTA
• Crompond PTA
• MESMS PTA
• Mohansic PTA
• YHS PTSA
• Yorktown SEPTA

Yorktown SEPTA is launching a new spirit wear collection, Husker Heart. The online store will be open February 2–23, with adult and youth sizes available. Visit the link to learn more and place an order.

Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES is hosting a virtual “Internet Safety for Parents” presentation at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 9. The presentation is free but registration is required. The Zoom link will be sent to the email provided during registration. The event's keynote speaker will be Thomas Roidl, a retired state police investigator. Please see the flyer for more information.

The YCSD Board of Education meeting scheduled for January 26 was canceled due to inclement weather. The Board will hold its next meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 9. Video replays of all meetings are available on the District's YouTube channel.

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.

The District will begin its annual series of budget presentations to the Board of Education and the community in February. Residents are welcome to attend meetings throughout the budget development process, and presentations will also be available on the District’s YouTube channel. Unless otherwise noted, all presentations will take place in the Mildred E. Strang Middle School Cafeteria.

• February 9 – Budget Overview & Tax Cap, State Aid, Debt Service & Reserves

• February 9 – General Support, Employee Benefits, Facilities, and Transportation

• March 2 – Athletics, Co-Curricular, and Technology

• March 16 – Instruction, General Education, and Pupil Personnel Services

• March 23 – Superintendent’s Budget Presentation

• April 20 – Budget Adoption

• May 11 – Budget Hearing

• May 19 – Budget Vote (7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. at French Hill School)

For ongoing updates throughout the budget development process, including key dates, presentations, and voter information, please visit the District’s 2026–27 Budget website.

The Yorktown High School Dance Company returns to the stage this weekend for its annual winter showcase. Audiences are in for a great night of choreography and music featuring a variety of dance styles!

• Friday, Jan. 30 at 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Snow date: Feb. 1

Tickets are available here.

Brookside Elementary School’s main office proudly continues its rotating display of student artwork. Featuring creative contributions from all grade levels, this showcase is updated throughout the year to celebrate our talented young artists. Congratulations to this group of students on their amazing work!

On January 22, Brookside and Mohansic 2nd graders visited Yorktown High School for a live performance of “Peter & the Wolf” by YHS band and orchestra students. Afterward, the high school musicians came down from the stage, showed off their instruments, and answered questions from the 2nd graders. A great first year for this event!

Please click here for more photos.

Congratulations to Yorktown High School senior Jashvi Desai on being named a Top 40 finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search!

After becoming a Top 300 Scholar earlier in the month, Jashvi has now earned a spot among the nation’s Top 40 students, winning $25,000 and the opportunity to present her research on the national stage.

She will now travel to Washington, D.C., in March to present her work, meet leading scientists and government officials, and compete for a place in the Top 10. More than 2,600 students entered this year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search, one of the nation’s most prestigious competitions for high school seniors.

Jashvi’s project explores neuroinflammatory signatures and compensatory prefrontal mechanisms in Long COVID-19 using ultra-high-field MRI and cognitive modeling.

Jashvi Desai: “I am beyond thrilled. I am incredibly excited to be representing Yorktown and the YHS Science Research program on this prestigious national stage. I look forward to meeting all my fellow finalists in Washington D.C, collaborating with and learning from them. Regeneron Finalists in the past have been a constant source of inspiration for me and I can't believe that now I get to be one of them.”

Mr. Justin Seweryn and Mr. Paul Rubeo, co-directors of the YHS Science Research Program: “We are incredibly proud of Jashvi and her success as a Top 40 finalist for Regeneron STS. There could not be a more deserving student for such recognition. She earned this award through her unrivaled tenacity, diligence, and incredibly productive response to adversity. It is an honor that puts her among Nobel laureates and the top scientists in the United States. Congratulations, Jashvi!”

Please click here to watch Jashvi's appearance on News 12.

Only 300 students in the entire country were named Regeneron Scholars and THREE are from Yorktown High School!

Congratulations to Jashvi Desai, Siddharth Nair, Willa Olson, and the entire YHS Science Research program on this incredible accomplishment.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is a prestigious competition for high school seniors. Willa, Siddharth, and Jashvi's projects were selected from over 2,600 entrants.

Willa’s research explores the effect of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the social behaviors and testosterone levels of the North American River Otter. Siddharth developed a large-scale pipeline that uses machine learning and remote sensing data to detect plastic pollution. Jashvi’s project examines neuroinflammatory signatures and compensatory prefrontal mechanisms in Long COVID-19 using ultra-high-field MRI and cognitive modeling.

Please click here to read learn more about Willa, Siddharth, Jashvi, and their projects.

Mohansic third graders welcomed "Bad Kitty" author and illustrator Nick Bruel on January 16 for a visit filled with storytelling, questions, and live drawing. After sharing his creative process and reading from his work, Bruel showed students how he gives emotion to nonverbal characters through illustration, then led them in building a story together simply by asking questions. The students had fun shaping their own tale, "Heroic Frog," about a super-strong frog who saves a security guard after he slips on a banana peel and falls into a lion’s den.

Brookside and Crompond students found a meaningful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year — by giving back to active-duty U.S. military members serving overseas.

Students collected care items and created heartfelt cards as part of their “Operation Cupid” initiative. This year’s items will be sent to a U.S. military unit serving in Africa through United for the Troops. Great job!

A great opportunity on January 28 for Yorktown High School’s Varsity Flag Football team, who attended the Girls & Women in Sports Day hosted by the New York Giants!

Congratulations to the following Yorktown High School students, who were honored at the January 12 Board of Education meeting for their outstanding academic achievements:

• Akhil Bollimpalli — Academic Top Ten; National Merit Semifinalist

• Jashvi Desai — Academic Top Ten; National Merit Semifinalist; Regeneron STS Scholar

• Jack Falk — National Merit Semifinalist

• Zachary Hirsch — National Merit Commended Student

• Selma Lyons — Academic Top Ten; National Merit Commended Student

• Michael Mezzancello — National Merit Commended Student

• Siddharth Nair — Salutatorian; Academic Top Ten; National Merit Semifinalist; Regeneron STS Scholar

• Willa Olson — Academic Top Ten; Regeneron STS Scholar

• Max Paul — Valedictorian; Academic Top Ten; National Merit Commended Student

• Vaishnavi Ravindranath — National Merit Commended Student

• Connor Ropke — National Merit Semifinalist

• Aryan Shenoy — Academic Top Ten; National Merit Commended Student

• Johannes Soltau — Academic Top Ten

• Kyan Stanford — Academic Top Ten

• Nikhil Sundar — National Merit Commended Student

• Emily Whalen — Academic Top Ten; National Merit Commended Student

Our K-3 students had a blast at Jan. 7 assemblies with Parker “Basketball” Jones! Through basketball tricks, games, and dance-offs, he showed students it’s OK to make mistakes and look silly — while also emphasizing kindness, gratitude, and respect.

Please click here to see more photos from the Brookside assembly.

Congratulations to Yorktown High School junior Zoe Yau, who performed at the iconic Carnegie Hall.

Zoe earned first place in the Elite International Music Competition this past fall, securing an invitation to the Winners’ Recital at Weill Recital Hall on January 18. The competition is an internationally recognized event that celebrates exceptional young musicians from around the world. At the recital, Zoe performed “Waldesrauschen” by Franz Liszt on the piano before a live audience.

“I'm thrilled to be performing on such a historic and iconic stage,” Zoe said. “This is a truly exciting year for music in Yorktown, and I'm honored to be a part of so many amazing programs. Thank you all for your continued support of Yorktown's music programs, and I hope 2026 can bring even better opportunities and music for its students!”

You can visit the District's Communications website to keep up with the latest news and to read archived stories. All Capital Bond Project Updates will be published here.

Below are highlights from across our schools shared on social media in January.

• “A very big shout out and thank you to our @YorktownCSD O&M and custodial staff for preparing our campuses… A huge thank you to Yorktown Highway Superintendent Dave Paganelli and his team for all of their work and help during this storm. Dave is a great friend to the @YorktownCSD!” –@RonHattar

• “That’s a wrap for our 4th-Grade ESTEAM After-School Program. What a success!” –@crompondschool

• “Our YHS students and teacher Ms. Rowley visited the Ronald McDonald House last night to provide dinner. They shopped for groceries, prepared the meal and then served the food. Great work by all!” –@YHSDeGennaro

• “The Wee Deliver Mailbox is open! Keep those letters coming. Second graders will start working on processing and delivering the mail tomorrow.” –@MohansicElem

• “Great night last night for Boys Varsity Basketball hosting ‘Mohansic Night.’ Great turnout from the community as they packed the gym and lifted the team to victory. I caught our current Cornhusker with one of our future Huskers! Love the school spirit.” –@YCSD_Athletics

• “What fun for the YHS Jazz Band to connect with 2013 alum John Venezia! Now a professional drummer based in Nashville, John shared about his musical journey, tips for success, and highlights of his career. So proud! Thank you for your time!” –@MsKluga

• “Truly appreciate Bruce Beck annually visiting YHS and presenting to our Sport & Marketing class. Bruce shared his expertise with our students. What a great learning opportunity! Thank you @YHSNYGuidance Mr. Sullivan for coordinating the visit.” –@YHSDeGennaro

• “Huge thank you to the New York Giants for hosting us at their first Girls & Women in Sports Day!! We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow as athletes and people!! GO GIANTS!” –@yorktownflagfootball

• “Thank you for supporting the Legends Classic in honor of the JCK Foundation and Mental Health Awareness.” –@cilihealth

• “Yorktown CSD hosted a CPSE–CSE Transition Night to support families through the process. Strong partnerships, informed parents, and students set up for success — this is how we start strong.” –@rosa_amendola

• “DARE presentation on decision making, cyberbullying and motorcycle safety.” –@MESMSHorowitz

• “Another great trip. So happy to be back! Thank you for having us again, Yorktown Assisted Living residents.” –@YHSCleoClub

• “Drones in action at Crompond.” –@CrompondSchool

• “Many thanks to our YHS Student Senate leaders, advisors Ms. Mackenzie & Ms. Donohue for providing our students with a wonderful Winter Formal last night. Truly a great night for all!” –@YHSDeGennaro

We continue to update our website with various job opportunities for both instructional and non-instructional roles. If interested, please visit our website for a list of vacancies or you may click here.

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