ICYMI

We’re excited to bring you the November edition of #ICYMI!

In this issue, you’ll find our Middle and High School Riders of the Month, beautiful photos captured by ICC staff, a special visit from the Storycrafters, the second chapter of our New Hire Spotlight and a look at how the district celebrated Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and World Kindness Day.

This newsletter is one more way to stay connected to the wonderful things happening throughout our district. Because not everyone is on social media, we want to ensure no one misses out!

🎉 Congratulations to our September Middle and High School Riders of the Month! 🌟 We are so proud to honor our students who demonstrate our school district’s mission and community values! 💙

🔗 Read more about each group below:

• September Middle School Riders of the Month
• September High School Riders of the Month

Check out the stunning photos below taken by ICC staff members!

In November's Rider Report, a central theme is the district’s commitment to creating safe, welcoming and future-ready environments for both students and staff.

We highlight the ways we support students and their families every day through programs like Ichabod Cares, our district-wide safety net program and the Daily Meals Program, which provides breakfast and lunch to every student daily at no cost. Together, these initiatives ensure all students have access to essential resources both at school and at home.

In November's Rider Report, we also provide a comprehensive Capital Project FAQ to help the community understand the scope, timeline and impact of the project, which goes to a community vote on December 16.

To read the entire edition, click here!

💙 We’re excited to welcome many new faces to Ichabod Crane this year!

🔗 Click here to read Chapter 2 of the New Hire Spotlight in the November Rider Report!

The talented duo, Jeri and Barry, blended music, movement and storytelling to bring their captivating tales to life. 🍁

🌼 Students across all Ichabod Crane buildings honored Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican holiday celebrating the lives of those who have passed. 🌼

Our students created ofrendas – colorful altars adorned with marigolds, sugar skulls & cherished mementos – to remember loved ones and share their stories. The holiday blends ancient Aztec traditions of honoring ancestors with the Spanish All Souls' Day on Nov. 1 and 2.

It was inspiring to see students connect with history, culture and family memories in such a creative and impactful way! ✨

High School Senior Denise Miranda has been selected to serve as the Student Representative on the Board of Education for the 2025-26 school year.

She believes that student voices are essential for creating a safe, supportive and effective learning environment.

"My advice: speak out, share your concerns and offer solutions. Strive to go above and beyond so future young voices don’t have to. Age shouldn’t be a deciding factor – merit should.”

🎉 Learn more how Denise is amplifying student voices in November’s Rider Report. 💙

🌈 In celebration of World Kindness Day, our High School’s Friends of Rachel Club continued their tradition of spreading kindness to our Primary School students for the second year in a row! 💕

Club members hand-painted ~150 small rocks, which staff scattered across the playground. Each child got to pick one special rock to keep and take home. As you can see, our students were so happy & even more excited to learn that this thoughtful surprise came from a group of kind High Schoolers! 💛

💙For the first time in years, our Primary School came together for a School-Wide Morning Meeting! 🎉 Students sang songs, shared their gratitude, played a fun game & wrapped up with announcements. It was a wonderful reminder of the power of community. 🌟

⭐️ We had a Rider Send-Off for Felix and Teddy Thiess-Helden as they prepared to compete in the NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championships last Saturday ⭐️

Felix finished 19th and Teddy finished 72nd out of 130 runners at the state competition last Saturday. So much #riderpride!

To stay up-to-date on all things Ichabod Crane Athletics — make sure you follow Ichabod Crane Riders Athletics on Facebook and @ichabodcraneriders on Instagram!

⭐ CONGRATS to our youngest Riders who exemplified the character trait of Responsibility! Way to go! 💙

At the Primary School, character education is woven into everything we do. For many years, we've celebrated our students’ positive behaviors and qualities with the Good Character Trait Awards, a recognition program honoring two students from each class every month for embodying key character traits.

We added links to our #ICYMI editions on our Rider Report page on our website!