Hello North Rockland Families,

February marks Black History Month in our nation - a time to honor and celebrate the achievements, history and contributions of African-Americans. Our district-wide recognition of Black culture kicked off this week at North Rockland High School, where students participated in a daylong event on Friday - featuring notable guest speakers, music, dance, food and conversations specific to African-American heritage and identity. At West Haverstraw Elementary, students were treated to an inspiring Chiku Awali assembly of African music and dance. These celebrations are a beautiful reminder of the power of diversity in our North Rockland community and how our differences only make us stronger.

In addition to our Black History Month celebrations, we are also recognizing National School Counseling Week. This year’s theme, "Helping Students Thrive," underscores the vital role our school counselors play in supporting students' emotional and academic growth. We want to thank all of our school counselors for their dedication and hard work in helping students succeed and feel supported in their school journeys.

Earlier this week, we held a professional development opportunity for our new teachers at Fieldstone Middle School. This session focused on enhancing instructional practices and fostering continuous growth. Professional development is a crucial part of our district’s commitment to improving each year and ensuring that our educators have the tools and resources they need to support our students.

Looking ahead to the weekend, we’d like to send a big shout-out to our staff and students participating in the Stony Point Seals Plunge. Good luck as you take on those frigid Hudson River temperatures - we'll be sending you plenty of warm thoughts as you dive in!

Lastly, the 2025-26 NRCSD academic year calendar is up for approval soon by our Board of Education. We look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks.

Keep those snow shovels handy this weekend - just in time for Super Bowl LIX. Stay safe!

Kris Felicello

Superintendent of Schools

NRCSD is incredibly proud of Jelien, a third-grade student at West Haverstraw Elementary School and a true inspiration to us all. A childhood cancer survivor, Jelien spent two and a half years courageously battling cancer, relying on countless blood products and transfusions to help her along the way. Recently, in honor of Jelien, WHES hosted a blood drive that collected 39 life-saving donations, potentially benefiting up to 117 people in need. 31 individuals donated whole blood, while 4 generously gave double red cell donations, each of which counts as two units. Thanks to Jelien’s perseverance and the incredible generosity of our school community, this event was a powerful reminder of how acts of kindness can have a lasting impact. View more pictures HERE!

Click here for upcoming Events from the College and Career Center.

Reminder for senior families to complete the FAFSA application. See the directions and information for completing the FAFSA below. If you need any assistance, contact Tonianne DeSimone in the College and Career Center at 845-942-3523 or tdesimone@northrockland.org.

FAFSA Information Flyer (in English)

FAFSA Information Flyer (in Spanish)

The North Rockland Central School District is currently working with an Albany-based research firm that advises public and private entities on economic development to help guide our Board of Education on decisions relating to all proposed PILOT agreements - now and in future years. With the guidance of this consultant, our Board and administration are developing a minimum criteria for PILOT proposals and a streamlined process to help assess individual projects in consideration of their potential adverse impact on the tax levy limit of the school district. In simple terms, this new process will help NRCSD scrutinize all proposed PILOT agreements to ensure they make financial sense for our schools - and, our taxpayers.

PILOTs (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) are agreements in which developers pay a fixed fee to a municipality instead of regular property taxes. These agreements help to encourage development, but often reduce funding for schools and fire districts, as they do not receive a share of the payments.

Working with our consultant, the Board is studying the impact of PILOT programs for five pending projects in the Town of Haverstraw and the Village of Haverstraw. Four of the five projects are residential. The proposed PILOTs have the potential to increase school enrollment without providing additional local tax revenue to our school district.

Residential PILOTs, such as the five recently presented to NRCSD, typically come with additional students who must be educated. Inevitably, there would be additional costs to educate these students, with little additional revenue from the PILOTs allocated to the school district to fund these costs. With data compiled by our consultant, the Board and administration will closely review school enrollment and the status of current and future residential PILOT programs in an effort to make sound decisions that will not burden our schools and create financial stress on our residents.

The 2025-26 budget continues our mission of providing a safe, caring and positive learning environment in which all students can achieve their maximum potential and acquire the skills, attitudes and abilities needed to succeed. It is the District's goal to provide our students with an exemplary experience while controlling taxes for our community. We understand the fiscal challenges that living in Rockland County pose and are committed to addressing these through strategic planning.

For the past 5 years, NRCSD has been committed to:

• 0% tax levy increase
• No additional funding requested through referendums
• Investing in program improvements and facility upgrades

View the February 4, 2025 Budget Presentation HERE.

Last week, the NR Red Raider bowling teams showed their strength in the 7th annual “Strike Out Breast Cancer Match” at Breakpoint Bowl. It was a wonderful event that raised money and awareness for Breast Cancer research. It was also the event that had the crowd on their feet when senior captain Nick Thiell put 12 strikes together for a perfect game! Check out more pictures HERE!

Relive the action from last week’s battle against Suffern, where our varsity boys basketball secured the win with a final score of 65-48! A huge thank you to our fans and CYO teams for packing the stands and bringing the energy! Check out the action shots HERE and their post-game interview HERE!

Congratulations to the five seniors who were recognized and celebrated at the West Point ski mountain this week amongst family, teammates, and their coaches. Each senior got a custom “ski sign” that incorporated popular trail names with their name…a very on brand gift for these NR skiers! Check out the post HERE!

This week, NR Athletics had their first "Athletics Showcase" where parents had the opportunity to meet and greet with coaches, NR Athletics staff, and take a tour of our beautiful athletic facilities. The parents also listened to an informative presentation on the sports we have to offer, registration, links to our social media, and so much more! We look forward to seeing our 8th graders join athletics at the high school level and are excited to continue this tradition for years to come.

With brains and athleticism, senior varsity football player Ryan Jaslow has it all! Congratulations to Ryan on being named NYSHSFCA Scholar Athlete of the Year! His dedication on the field and in the classroom sets the standard for upholding North Rockland's motto, "Tradition of Excellence".

A senior FS/WR/TE, number one dominated both sides of the ball while maintaining a 4.12 GPA AND scoring an impressive 1410 on the SAT.

His stats this year include:

Defensive: 70 tackles, 1 interception, 1 FF

Offensive: 13 receptions, 254 yards, 4 TD

He also earned accolades within the League, County, and Section winning:

All-Section

All-League

All-County

He was also an integral part of the team's Section One Championship (first time in over 11 years) and League Championship. He was also voted by his coaches as the "NR Skill Player of the Year". With his dedication and drive, he’s looking to continue his football career at the next level. Wherever he lands, excellence will follow. We are so Raider Proud of Ryan for this prestigious award and we look forward to seeing where he ends up in the future!

Boys Basketball - Monday, February 10 at 6:00 PM

Girls Basketball - Friday, February 14 at 5:30 PM

North Rockland High School’s Spring Sports season begins on March 17, 2025.

• Online registration for North Rockland Athletics opens on February 17, 2025.

Fieldstone Middle School’s Spring Sports kick off on March 24, 2025.