Superintendent’s Message

Dear Putnam Valley Community:

The Putnam Valley Board of Education will hold a special business meeting, tonight, Tuesday, April 16, beginning at 7 PM in the High School cafeteria. This meeting is being held today to approve the BOCES 2024-2025 budget and vote on the BOCES Board of Education candidates.

The Board will also acknowledge the 2024 retirees of the district: Madeleine Calhoun, Phyllis Conlin, and Jill Figarella. In addition, it is anticipated that the Board will confer tenure on the following staff members: Nicole D’Addona, Erin Fazzino, and Kristan McCarty.

Please join us to celebrate these staff members in person or tune into our live stream at pvcsd.org.

• CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) IB Presentation by high school senior Keara Mule.
• Amend 2023-2024 School Calendar
• PNW (Putnam Northern Westchester) BOCES Vote — Trustee Candidates and 2024-25 Administrative Budget
• 2024-25 Proposed Budget Q&A

The school budget for 2024-25 will be presented to voters on Tuesday, May 21.  All budget information including two additional important propositions is available on the website along with the coinciding presentations, and videos are available. Please click here. Budget presentation. Presentation video.

Board of Education meetings are open to the public and are always available LIVE via our www.pvcsd.org website.

Thank you,

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Good afternoon,

Due to a rainy, rather than snowy, winter, we are able to consider some adjustments to our school calendar.  It is anticipated that the Board of Education will approve the following calendar changes at their next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 16.

School buildings and offices will be closed on Monday, April 22, with one exception.

The District Office will be open from 8 am to 5 pm to comply with state deadlines for accepting petitions for a position on the Board of Education. We wish a happy Passover to all who will be celebrating.

Tuesday, June 25, will be a half-day for Putnam Valley Elementary School.

Wednesday, June 26, will be a half-day for Putnam Valley Elementary School and Putnam Valley Middle School. More information will be shared by the building principals.

Thank you.

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Families:

On April 8, 2024, a highly anticipated solar eclipse will provide our students with a unique learning opportunity. Our teachers will have a chance to discuss this phenomenon in their classrooms, tailoring their lessons to the various age groups in our buildings, and some of those lessons have already begun. Students will learn what happens during a total solar eclipse, safe viewing options during an eclipse, and the term “totality,” which is where the sun will be completely blocked for a short time. While Putnam Valley is located well outside the path of totality, we will experience a period of diminished sunlight.

We are taking several steps to ensure little disruption to our school day for our students and to keep them safe. Our buildings will operate on their normal schedules, and elementary school students will be provided with protective glasses. Extra staff members will be stationed outside of our elementary school to help students during the dismissal process. By the time our elementary students dismiss, the darkest portion of the eclipse will have passed and it will already be becoming brighter outside.

While students will be warned of the dangers of staring at the sun during the day, your reinforcement at home will go a long way to keep our students safe. Students should avoid looking at the sun unless they are wearing their protective glasses. Further, the weather that day will determine their true necessity.

Middle and high school students should also be warned of the dangers associated with looking directly at the sun. Sports programs will be paused for a period of time when it is deemed too dark to continue, and they will resume once the daylight returns.

In other news, there are a lot of great activities and events happening in PVCSD when we return from spring recess. Check out the monthly event calendar and mark your calendars with important dates. Please note our school buildings will be closed this Friday and next week, and district offices will only be closed this Friday.

Enjoy the spring recess with your families!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeremy Luft

Superintendent of Schools

Dear Putnam Valley Community:

A short time ago, we had an isolated incident involving a student at our middle school. Our campus SRO (School Resource Officer), SPO (School Patrol Officer), and our administrators have investigated the incident and have taken appropriate action. Although most of our student body is completely unaware of this, we wanted to take this opportunity to reassure our families that we take student safety very seriously.

Classes continued as scheduled and all students are safe. The well-being of our students remains our highest priority.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we continue to maintain a safe learning environment.

Thank you for your partnership.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Putnam Valley Community:

After an extensive interview process, the Putnam Valley Board of Education is expected to vote on the appointment of Dr. Grace Chan as our Assistant Superintendent of Business Administration at this Thursday’s Board of Education meeting. The appointment will be effective July 1, 2024. Dr. Chan joins us from the Nyack Union Free School District where she currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations. Dr. Chan holds a Doctorate (EdD) in Educational Administration and Supervision from Fordham University, a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Pace University, and a Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) from Western Connecticut State University.

Dr. Chan impressed committee members throughout the interview process, displaying high levels of professionalism, knowledge, and experience along with a warm and friendly personality. Dr. Chan will bring 18 years of experience working in school business offices and for the previous 8 years, as a School Business Official. Dr. Chan is well-versed in the development of school budgets, management of finances, and fiscal accountability. Dr. Chan will bring a tremendous amount of experience with her as she transitions into Putnam Valley and is excited to support the Putnam Valley School Community.

Dr. Chan will succeed Ms. Jill Figarella who has served several roles within the Business Department at the Putnam Valley School District during her 30-plus years of dedicated service to our school district. Ms. Figarella, who retired earlier this school year and is currently serving in an interim role, will be deeply missed. Over her long career in Putnam Valley, Ms. Figarella has always maintained an appropriate balance between the needs of our instructional program and the financial capacity of our community. During her tenure as a School Business Official, the Putnam Valley School District has transformed its instructional program, expanded extracurricular activities, and improved our indoor and outdoor facilities. Ms. Figarella’s legacy will continue well into the future here in Putnam Valley.

Please join me in thanking Ms. Figarella for her many years of service to Putnam Valley, and please welcome Dr. Chan who will provide strong financial leadership over the District in the years ahead.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Putnam Valley Community:

The Putnam Valley Central School District Board of Education will hold its regularly scheduled Business Meeting, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00 pm in the High School Cafeteria.

Board of Education meetings are open to the public and all are welcome.  Meetings are also streamed live on our website at pvcsd.org.

The agenda for the meeting can be found here: https://go.boarddocs.com/ny/pvcsd/Board.nsf/Public

Agenda topics include:

• 2024-2025 School Budget Overview
  • ​School Budget Vote will be held Tuesday, May 21 at PVES

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Putnam Valley Community:

Due to the weather forecast, Putnam Valley schools will be closed, tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13.

Thank you.

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Good morning,

Due to the forecast for inclement weather all Putnam Valley Schools will dismiss early, today, January 23, 2024.  The middle and high school will dismiss at 10:30 am and the elementary school will dismiss at 11:15 am.

All afterschool activities are canceled.

For families that use the Putnam Valley Parks and Recreation Children’s Center, please note, that they do not hold an after-school session when the schools need to call an early dismissal.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Putnam Valley Community:

We will be closely monitoring the weather overnight and the potential impact it has on our area.  As we always do, we will rely on information from our Operations & Transportation Department, and the Putnam Valley Highway Department, and will consider the weather forecast before deciding on any change in our normal operating schedule.

We will make every effort to inform you of a decision by 5:30 am.  Notifications will be sent via email, phone call, and text message.  Please remember to update PowerSchool, our student information system, anytime you have a change in contact information.

Thank you,

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Putnam Valley Community:

As our student organizations complete their holiday drives, hundreds of coats and toys will soon be on their way to new homes.  In the spirit of giving, we continue to see the selfless acts of many members of the Putnam Valley School District community, who always show a willingness to help others.

As we wrap up the final week before the well-deserved holiday recess, we reflect on all that has been accomplished.  Recently, our very own Eduardo Recinos, a junior at PVHS, was named the recipient of the 2023 Heart of a Giant Award, our cheerleaders brought home a state championship, and the school district recognized the Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department with Pride in Putnam Valley for their exceptional support of our students and their continued volunteer service to our entire community.

Students continue to excel in the classroom and through extracurricular activities. In the last several days, I had the pleasure of watching our middle school band and chorus students perform, our elementary school students learn and explore through holiday craft projects, and I was inspired by our budding scientists as I was able to assist our fourth graders as they dissected owl pellets. Our students, supported by an incredible staff, are engaged in their learning. They are building relationships and are actively involved in community service.

A recent visit of students and parents from the Garrison School District served as an opportunity to highlight the learning experience we offer here in Putnam Valley.  In fact, over 50% of the current grade eight students (approximately 13 students) from Garrison have chosen Putnam Valley High School to continue their high school education.  Garrison students are a welcome addition to the Putnam Valley school community and their tuition, paid by the Garrison school district, becomes a revenue source for our taxpayers.

While the prospect of yet another holiday recess without any snow on the ground may dampen some spirits, we encourage everyone to take advantage of this valuable time to reconnect, reenergize, and reflect on the past year.  Upon returning to school in 2024, our work will continue.

We remain committed to fostering success, recognizing achievements, and collectively striving to be better – better educators, better students, and better humans.

Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy New Year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools