Week of 3/31/25 - 4/4/25
Good afternoon,
Please find the updates for the week ahead below. Have a great weekend and see you at tonight's 4th Grade Circus!
Sincerely,
Vincent Fino
KPS Principal
Kindergarten Registration Window Opened on March 12th: If you know someone with a child who will be five years old by December 1, 2025, please tell them that Kindergarten Registration will begin on March 12. The registration packet will be available on the district website -- carmelschools.org -- on that date. More info to come.
Multicultural Fair: The district-wide Multicultural Fair returns on Friday, May 2nd, from 5 –8 PM at George Fischer Middle School. The flier will be posted soon.
3rd and 4th Grade CBT Testing: The NYS ELA Test will take place on 4/9 - 4/10 and the NYS Math Test will take place on 5/5 - 5/6.
KPSPTO Family Night Book Fair – 6- 8 PM on May 7th.
Mr. Jim is Retiring!: Mr. Jim, our beloved KPS custodian, is retiring after 15 years. Throughout his time here at Kent Primary School, he has created hundreds of drawings for our students. We are working on collecting photos of his drawings through the years. Please see the attached flier for more information.
Child Safety Matters: On May 29th and May 30th, Grace Beach, Program Coordinator for the Child Advocacy Center of Putnam County, will share two, thirty-minute presentations for students. Please see the attached flier for more info.
Kent Library Field Trip: I’m excited to share that Kent Primary School students will be going on a field trip to Kent Library during the first week of June. There will be all sorts of reading activities and fun for the students. In advance of the trip, please see this link if your student does not have a library card yet: Getting a Library Card and Check Out Policies – Kent Public Library.
Kent Library Field Trip Schedule:
June 3rd - 2nd grade a.m. and 3rd grade p.m.
June 4th - 1st grade/PACE a.m. and Kdg. p.m.
June 5th - 4th grade a.m.
The bus times for a.m. trips would be as follows: leave school at 9:45, arrive at library at 10:00, leave library at 11:30 and arrive back to KPS at 11:45. The bus times for p.m. trips would be as follows: leave school at 1:05, arrive at library at 1:20, leave library at 2:50 and arrive back to KPS at 3:05.
Attendance: Consistent attendance is essential to every student’s success. Our attendance policy is supported by the New York State Department which defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent of school days; a total of 18 days throughout the school year. With our commitment to student success in mind, we are steadfast in our obligation to notify families of their child’s attendance to ensure that they are able to access their education.
Attendance letters are mailed home periodically throughout the school year as another means to notify parents/guardians of their child’s attendance. These letters are informational and serve as a reminder that a student's success is in direct correlation to their attendance rates. All students of a compulsory age are required to be in school. If a student is absent due to illness, a parent note and/or doctor note is required for the absence to be deemed "excused." The chronic absenteeism definition of missing 18 days or more throughout the school year is regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused.
Carmel Central School District is dedicated to the success of its students, and we would like to thank you for your continued support as we help shape our students and create a foundation where they can thrive.
Standardized Testing and Our Commitment to Student Success:
As we approach the upcoming standardized testing period for students in grades 3-8, I want to take a moment to reaffirm our collective commitment to the academic growth and success of all our students.
Standardized testing is a key component of our educational system, providing valuable insights into student learning, the effectiveness of instruction and overall school performance. The data from these assessments helps us tailor teaching strategies to better meet individual student needs and evaluate the strength of our districtwide curriculum.
We understand that standardized testing can bring a range of emotions for students, parents and educators alike. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the testing experience is as positive and supportive as possible, in alignment with our goal of fostering a nurturing and effective learning environment.
To address concerns about potential stress or anxiety, our district has implemented strategies to create a calm and supportive atmosphere during the testing period. These strategies include clear communication with students about the purpose of the assessments, the provision of helpful resources and guidance on effective test-taking techniques. We encourage open and ongoing dialogue between parents, teachers and students to ensure that we approach the testing process together in a constructive and collaborative way.
Additionally, I would like to stress the importance of student participation in the testing process. The data we gather from these assessments not only highlights areas for growth but also plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving the academic standards of our district.
Thank you for your continued dedication to supporting quality education and fostering a positive learning environment within Carmel Central School District. If you have any questions or concerns about the testing process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s principal or the district office.
We truly appreciate your partnership in helping our students thrive.
Sincerely,
Vincent Fino
KPS Principal
Congratulations to our Eagle Ticket winners!
March is Disability Awareness Month and the Carmel Central School District has a lot of informative, helpful and interesting activities planned. Please take a look at the attached schedule. We look forward to seeing you.
Heather Carlson’s second grade class at Kent Primary School LOVES to read! So, what better way to spend a windy, cold day than snuggled up with a good book! The class came to school in comfy clothes or pajamas and brought a favorite stuffed animal and a blanket from home. The students worked together to make forts, grabbed some flashlights and books and spent a large portion of the afternoon reading in their creations for Read Across America Week. They brought books from home and utilized the classroom library, sharing the joy of reading with each other. The teachers even brought their books and joined the class in their forts to read.
Carmel Central School District residents who volunteer with fire departments or ambulance corps will see a 10 percent reduction in their school taxes in return for their service.
The Carmel Board of Education voted February 25 to give volunteers with at least two years of service a 10 percent cut in the property tax assessment of their primary residence. The vote was unanimous.
“For example, the impact in the Town of Kent would result in an $800 savings for each person receiving the exemption,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Ken Silver said.
The reduction would cost the remaining taxpayers 1.2 cents on every thousand dollars of assessment.
“If your home is assessed at $400,000, the property owner would be paying $4.80 in addition each year for the volunteers who are risking their lives,” Silver said.
More than 35 volunteers attended the board meeting and School Board President Melissa Orser thanked them for keeping the community safe.
“We are giving you a little bit back for giving us a lot,” she said.
The volunteer tax break will help the entire community in the long run.
“Anything we can do to assist with local fire companies’ recruitment and retention benefits the entire community,” said Trustee John C. Curzio II. “If we ever had to go to a paid fire service, town taxes would increase as much as 50 percent, which would result in a huge burden on our community.”
One group of four-year-olds served their teacher a make-believe breakfast while another played with building blocks and a third practiced cutting out pictures.
It was a busy day in Carmel Central School District’s first Universal Pre-Kindergarten program, which started on Monday, January 6.
“We want to teach them everything they need to know before kindergarten, but we do it in a fun way,” said Theresa McCaffrey, Executive Director of Little Leaf preschool in Carmel.
Little Leaf is one of three preschool programs chosen to provide services to the 75 students who enrolled in Carmel’s first semester of universal pre-kindergarten. Creative Kids and Kids Cottage preschools are also hosting the program.
School Superintendent Erin Meehan-Fairben made starting Universal Pre-Kindergarten one of her first goals for the district. The program, which is funded through state and federal grants, is provided at no cost to district families.
“The benefits of early childhood education are clear, and include improved school readiness, better academic performance and a reduced achievement gap,” said Dr. Fairben, who took over as Carmel’s School Superintendent in July and got to work right away to ensure that all of Carmel’s students would have access to good preschool education. “It is an investment that lasts a lifetime.”
As a thrilling finale to their third CKLA Unit on Human Body Systems, students embraced the challenge of stepping into the shoes of first-year medical students in Aimee Pagano's 3rd grade classroom. They embarked on an exciting journey through six “medical rotations” set up throughout the classroom, which was transformed into a bustling hospital environment.
If you’ve driven to Carmel High School recently, you’ve likely noticed the construction on Fair Street.
The $30 million road improvement project, which will significantly improve safety, traffic flow and infrastructure in the area, will widen Fair Street from Simpson Road to Route 52. It will also add sidewalks and streetlights from Hill and Dale Road to Route 52, fix drainage and create an additional lane for easier turning into and out of the high school parking lot. Construction started in September after years of delays and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026.
Carmel High School Principal Brian Piazza said that the construction would make the road safer in the end.
“The construction will create challenges traffic-wise, but at its completion, the sidewalks and an additional turning lane will greatly benefit our school and community, especially in terms of student safety,” Piazza said.
Michael Klenotiz, Carmel Central School District’s Supervisor of Transportation, said that good communication will go a long way toward keeping school bus traffic on schedule.
Every day this month at Kent Primary School started with a dose of kindness.
When they see a classmate being kind, students of all grades submit kindness “Snippets” to a “Kindness Jar” across from the school office. Each day, Principal Vincent Fino picks a few snippets – or notes that describe the good deeds they’ve witnessed-- to read during morning announcements.
On a recent day, Fino told the students about these good deeds:
“I saw Joey show kindness today by letting me play with him.”
“I saw Riley show kindness today by giving me a tissue when I was crying.”
I saw Michael show kindness by helping Arthur up when he fell.”
This is not just a Thanksgiving holiday effort. It is part of the district’s philosophy of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, or PBIS. Administrators celebrate students when they show good character or kindness. It is a strategy they use to make good behavior contagious, and it's an essential part of the Carmel 6 Cs.
For the week before Halloween, the Kent Primary School gymnasium becomes a Spooky Obstacle Course. The gym is set up with inflatable monsters, Minions, tunnels, ghosts and more.
With all the laughter and excitement in the gym, it might have been hard to tell that there was real skill-building going on. But learning while having fun was just the point.
“The students learned to navigate the obstacle course using physical skills like over, under through, in and out,” said Physical Education Teacher Rochelle Lhotan. “It also helps them learn to follow rules. They know to take one swing and stop, climb in and out of the donut and crawl like a puppy dog through the tunnel.”
It’s hard to beat the feeling of flying through the air.
“I liked the Lava Jump,” said Cooper, a kindergartner in Jennifer Byrd’s class. “It’s so fun. When I landed on the mattress, I did a flip.
All parents should have received their credentials via email. Please check your SPAM/Junk email if you have not. If you still cannot find the email, please contact Mrs. Murray in the Main Office at 845-225-5025 X342. We already began using this application for dismissal changes, and it is working beautifully. Take advantage of this "soft launch!" In the fall, use of this application will be mandatory for all students' dismissal changes.
For an overview, please see The School Dismissal Manager Website
Sharpe Reservation
Spring Recess
Schools Closed
We are a community that is dedicated to developing and inspiring children to be their best selves in all aspects of their lives.
Who We Are:
We are a cohesive community of professionals with a strong sense of family that possess, celebrate and share our unique and individual strengths. We share a common focus to help, facilitate and encourage young minds to grow and fulfill their potential. As facilitators of learning, we utilize a multitude of resources to model and promote these desired outcomes. A strong cohesive community.
What We Do:
As an academic institution we contribute to the development of minds through inspiring children to create and pursue their own goals and objectives. We accomplish this by creating a welcoming, nurturing and trusting environment for all that empowers children to work alongside their peers, regardless of limitations, ultimately becoming independent lifelong learners. Foster personal and academic growth.
Who We Do It For:
Our service is focused on the children who will develop a solid foundation of skills, knowledge and values, maximizing their individual potential along the way. This will in turn contribute to the perpetual improvement of society. Our children.
Why We Do It:
As we practice our deep commitment to learning, we accept the roles we fulfill because we understand that children require a safe, positive environment in which to develop into self-motivated and socially appropriate adults. We realize that fulfilling these responsibilities has an even greater benefit to all of us as a growing and ever evolving global community. To inspire children to be their best in all aspects of their lives
