Weekly Update- October 9, 2026

Steven T. Siciliano, Ed.D., Principal

Monica Bermiss, Assistant Principal

Mallory McDonald, Assistant Principal

Kim Piccolino, Interim Assistant Principal

Frank Gizzo- Director of Guidance and Counseling

Christian McCarthy -Director of Health, Athletics, Physical Education, and Wellness.

Maria Modesto-Perez- Student Empowerment Coordinator

Main Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Main Office Phone: 914-763-7201

Late Bus: Monday through Friday@ 4:15 p.m. and Monday through Thursday @ 5:00 p.m.

Please email jjhsattendance@klschools.org

to report absences, tardies, early dismissals,

or call 914-763-7218.

As part of our ongoing commitment to student and staff safety, John Jay High School will be conducting emergency drills during the school year. These drills help students and staff practice district protocols, so they are prepared to act in case of a true emergency.

In accordance with our safety procedures, families will receive advance notice of each drill within the week before it occurs. Please note that specific dates and times for evacuation drills will not be shared in advance. Students and staff will be informed at the time of the activity that it is a drill.

Next week, we will be conducting one of these emergency drills.

We appreciate your partnership as we work together to maintain a safe and prepared school community. Thank you for your continued support.

Student IDs are critical to get in and out of the building and need to be scanned in the cafeteria to purchase food. Even though regular lunch is free, our food service team is still required to document meals that are distributed. For that reason, all students must use their ID cards when receiving food from the cafeteria. The card must be swiped for the transaction to be recorded. It also makes the lunch lines move faster so students are not waiting on line for excessive amounts of time. Please remind your children that carrying and using their Student ID every day is essential. Thank you for reinforcing this important responsibility with our students.

This is a reminder that personal cell phones and smart watches may not be used while in the building. Devices must be turned off and stored in your hallway locker throughout the school day, in accordance with KLSD Policy 5695. A second confiscation of a student's phone will result in parents needing to come to school to retrieve the phone.

Please help us maintain a focused learning environment by keeping personal devices out of sight and away during the school day.

If you are sick, please report to the school nurse rather than using your cell phone to contact home. A school telephone is also available in the dining room and main office for student use during lunch and after school.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Attention All Families:

Yearbooks are now on sale through the Yearbook Order Center.

Please visit www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter school code

4507.

WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF YEARBOOKS.

PLEASE LOCK IN YOUR PURCHASE BEFORE PRICES

INCREASE ON JANUARY 1, 2027.

If you have any questions, please email either Ms. Binns

(lbinns@klschools.org) or Miss Muschio (nmuschio@klschools.org)

October 12 -Columbus/Indegenous People Day - School Closed

October 13 - JJHS Blood Drive

October 14- PSAT at JJHS

October 15- Schoology Night for Families (Virtual) 7PM

October 19-21 -Senior Portraits (by Appointment only)

October 22-23 - JCK Foundation Assembly for 9th graders

November 3 - Professional Learning Day-No School

November 4 - Last Day for Senior Portraits (By appointment Only)

November 6 - Underclassmen Photos Retake

November 7 -SAT at JJHS

November 11 -Veteran's Day-No School

Dear JJHS Senior Parents and Students,

Please click on the link below to register for senior parking for the 26-27 School Year.

26 27 SENIOR PARKING REGISTRATION FORM .pdf

Any questions, please call Linda Binns at 914-763-7201 or lbinns@klschools.org.

Thank you.

Dear JJHS Junior Parents and Students,

Please click on the link below to register for junior parking for the 26-27 School Year.

26 27 Junior PARKING REGISTRATION FORM .pdf

Any questions, please reach out to Linda Binns x 7201 or lbinns@klschools.org.

Thank you.

College Rep visits are happening this week. Please check SCOIR daily for the schedule and room assignments. You MUST be signed up via SCOIR for the visit to be excused from class. Attendance will be taken.

Please go to your Student Dashboard, scroll down to the Register for Office Hours & Visits tile, then click the Register button underneath the college visit you would like to attend. This will then show Registered if you did this successfully. You will receive an email, as well as a notification in SCOIR, the day before the visit reminding you of the visit date and time.

In person visits are scheduled during school hours. For In-Person visits: ALL missed work MUST be made up, and attendance will be taken at each visit. Students are limited to two (2) in person college visits per day. If you have an interest in visiting more than two (2) college representatives on any given day, please visit your guidance counselor for permission.

Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to meet the college counselor who might be the first to read your application!

The following schools will be visiting the week of October 12th:

Muhlenberg College (10/13)

Utica University (10/13)

Binghamton University (10/13)

Villanova University (10/13)

Stony Brook University (10/13)

University of Rochester (10/13)

Quinnipiac University (10/13)

University of South Carolina (10/14)

St. Lawrence University (10/14)

University of Pittsburgh (10/14)

San Diego State University (10/14)

Merrimack College (10/14)

College of The Holy Cross (10/14)

University of Chicago (10/14)

Western Connecticut State (10/15)

University of St. Andrews (10/15)

Smith College (10/15)

Swarthmore College (10/16)

Fairleigh Dickinson University (10/16)

SUNY Westchester Community College (10/16)

Brandeis University (10/16)

Eastern Connecticut State University (10/16)

You can also check the Counseling Center’s calendar on the JJHS website or by clicking HERE to view all upcoming school visits.

Transcript Requests

Please remember that all transcript requests need to be placed in SCOIR at least two weeks prior to the college application deadline.

Remember: If you are submitting ACT or SAT test scores, you will need to log into your ACT/College Board account and request that your scores be sent to the school(s) you are applying to. Questions? Please stop into the Counseling Center.

Letters of Recommendation

Please be sure to request your teacher letters of recommendation through SCOIR as soon as possible. Before submitting your request in SCOIR, please make sure you have spoken with each teacher directly and asked if they are willing to write your recommendation.

The PSAT/NMSQT will be administered digitally on Wednesday morning, October 14th to registered juniors. Pre-registration was required and is now closed. Please check your emails for a message from JJHS Counseling & Guidance Director, Frank Gizzo, containing info regarding the day of testing.

We are excited to announce an expansion of our SAS Counseling Center with more accessibility to our students and families.

What is the SAS Counseling Center?

It is a school-based mental health treatment program exclusively available to John Jay High School families.

How are services delivered?

Services are provided on-site during the school day or before/after school. Telehealth is also available.

What days are the SAS Counseling Center therapist at JJHS?

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Who is the new therapist?

Kathryn Keiling, LP-MHC

How do I contact the SAS Counseling Center?

914-874-1660

Frank Gizzo

Director of Guidance and Counseling

John Jay High School/John Jay Middle School

Phone: 914-763-7203

Fax: 914-763-3731

Best Buddies kicked off its first meeting with lots of smiles, teamwork, and opportunities to build new friendships! Students came together to get to know one another and work collaboratively on a fun fall project—creating scarecrows to decorate the hallways of John Jay High School.

This first meeting was a wonderful opportunity for students of all abilities to connect, collaborate, and celebrate what makes our school community special. The colorful scarecrows now lining the hallways are a fun reminder that friendship, inclusion, and belonging are something we can all help create! 💙🍂

Schoology is KLSD’s learning management system, giving families a window into class activities, assignments, due dates, and announcements.

Join us for a virtual Schoology Night for Families to learn how to navigate Schoology, find important information, and make the most of the tools available to families. The session will include a brief presentation followed by Q&A.

• 📅 October 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM

• 💻 Virtual via Zoom

Can’t make it? The session will be recorded and posted on our Schoology Resources for Families webpage, along with additional guides and resources.

Upstate Images will be here on Friday November 6th to retake underclassmen photos.

If your child was absent for the first round of photos, please be sure they get their picture taken.

Keep in mind that all students are required to get their picture taken for updated school ID cards.

There is absolutely no obligation to purchase photo packages. Order forms are available for

student pick-up in the main office and cafeteria.

Pictures will be taken during the child’s free period or during class. If the picture is taken during

class time, please be sure your child gets a pass from Ms. Binns in the Main Office. Photos will

be taken in the B Commons. No pictures will be taken during the common lunch between

10:55am and 11:55am

This month, students are invited to stop by the library for a little trick-or-treating—library style! Students can choose a free book to keep from our No Tricks, Only Treats display. Whether they’re looking for a new favorite, something fun to read, or just want to add another book to their shelf, there’s a treat waiting for them in the library!

Juli Hoffman

Library Media Specialist

John Jay High School

Visit the library online!

The PTO is currently collecting donations for games/activities for students to use during Common Lunch -- ping pong sets for the table in B-wing; chess sets; footballs; hacky sacks; etc.

Click here to make a Common Lunch game donation.

We are also supporting the new JJHS Library Craft Bar, established by JJHS Librarian, Mrs. Hoffman, which offers a weekly drop-in craft activity for students to make & take!

Click here to make a donation to the Craft Bar Wishlist.

Thank you for your support!

Parents - have you been receiving the PTO's emails about events, volunteer opportunities, and other JJHS news? If not, log in and confirm your contact details here! The district does not supply parent emails to the PTO, so we need your help.

Any questions or concerns, please email the PTO at johnjayhspto@gmail.com

Attention Senior Parents:

Please complete the Graduation Name Verification Form for your senior child. If you have any questions, please reach out to Miss Muschio (nmuschio@klschools.org).

2027 Graduation Name Verification Form – Fill out form

Please see the updated attachment for the information about Senior Portraits, Yearbooks, Ads, Baby Photos, Senior Quotes and Then and Now Photos.

If you have any questions about this information, please email Miss Muschio.

(nmuschio@klschools.org

Please see the letter attached regarding the Student Assistance Project Success Program for the 26-27 school year.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This is a reminder that 11th grade physicals records are mandated by New York State law, and the deadline has passed. Any physical report dated after September 8th, 2025, is acceptable. Dr. Corsaro, the school district physician, will be here in November to see all students who have not been able to meet this requirement privately.

Please call the health office with any questions and thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

With Regards,

KLSD ArtsAlive is the arts booster club for the KLSD! We have promoted arts in education programming in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District since 1997 and has been a district-wide arts booster club for all KLSD schools since 2018. We believe that promoting the arts in our schools unifies our entire community. By supporting arts-related events and programming, we give everyone the opportunity to celebrate our talented students and teachers.

Through fundraising efforts (and thanks to your support), KLSD ArtsAlive has been able to contribute funds in recent years to the the Art Gallery, Pottery Wheels, the Sound Booth, Bandshells, and participate in Arts in Education programming for Student Workshops and Field Trips at John Jay High School.

To find out more about us and see how you can become involved, please check out our website: https://klsdartsalive.org/

On behalf of Archbishop Stepinac High School Principal Mr. Paul Carty and Vice Principal Mr. Frank Portanova, I would like to let you know that Stepinac Driver Education will be offering a Fall 2026 Driver Education Semester from September 21, 2026, through January 23, 2027. We welcome your students to participate in our program.

Please see the attached information for students and/or their parents, or to our website using the link below:

The online registration form and complete program information are available on the Stepinac website (Stepinac.org) under Student Life → Driver Education.