Dear PVMS Families,

Our May flowers have arrived and beautiful weather is in the forecast.  Mother nature has cooperated with us for the most part and temperatures in the 60s and 70s are a welcoming sight.  We have been lucky enough to get outside during recess the last few weeks to enjoy these warmer temperatures and for our students to socialize and get exercise.  The month of May is full of events as we kick off the fourth quarter.

We are celebrating teacher appreciation week from May 5th – 9th!  Please join me in thanking all of our teachers for all that they do on a daily basis. Teachers  make a positive impact on our student’s lives and inspire them to become lifelong learners. Thank you to the PTA for recognizing our teachers and celebrating the impact they have.

The PTA is still looking for community volunteers who can help out in our schools that week.  We have an amazing Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week planned! We need volunteers to help us make sure it happens!

Please volunteer here: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0E49A9A72EAAF8C07-56264419-teacher

Reach out to the Putnamvalleypta@gmail.com with any questions!

New York State Assessments will take place over the course of May.  Please take a look at the following dates:

New York State Assessment dates:

English Language Arts – Wednesday 4/30 and Thursday 5/1
Mathematics – Thursday 5/8  and Friday 5/9
Science – Monday 5/12

Please remind your children to come prepared with charged chromebooks (CBT – computer based testing), an independent reading book and sharpened #2 pencils, and calculators (mathematics) for certain grade levels on these days.  Students have worked so hard this year and it is an opportunity to show their skills and apply what they have learned.  Please note that these assessments are untimed, do not impact teacher APPR, and are a great opportunity to practice standardized assessments that students will need to take in high school.  Good luck to all!

Please note that our eighth graders attending the Washington DC trip will be off campus starting on Wednesday, May 14th through Friday, May 16th.  All other eighth graders who are not on the trip are expected to attend school and will follow a schedule meeting their daily instructional needs.

As we continue into the fourth quarter, it is vital for our students to stay focused on their efforts toward their academic progress.  Please note that some of our seventh and eighth graders will be taking final exams in June and that these will be summative measures for teachers to assess their progress for the entire year.  In addition, we still have our Algebra I Regents, and our Checkpoint A exam for those in eighth grade Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.  We are hopeful that our students continue to apply themselves, stay focused, and take advantage of opportunities that will strengthen their overall abilities.  I want to thank all of those families of students who sat to take the NYS English Language Arts assessments, NYS Mathematics assessments, and NYS science assessments.  We use this data to help drive instruction and as a multiple measure for supports that students may need.  These are always vital opportunities for students to show their knowledge and prepare for high school Regents exams that they will be taking in the near future, especially for our seventh and eighth graders.

End of Year Details

We are still in the process of organizing end of the year details for our seventh and eighth grade final exams.  These will take place during our school day.  Our Eighth Grade Moving Up Ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25th in our High School Performing Arts Center at 5:00PM.  That same evening we will have a Moving Up Dance at Cortlandt Colonial at 7:00PM.  Electronic communications with this information will be sent out.

You may always see details for our year by checking the live calendar on the right hand side of our PVMS website page and the Daily Announcements located there as well.

Mark Your Calendar – We are Busy!

Monday, May 5th – Friday, May 9th: Teacher Appreciation Week – Thank you to the Putnam Valley PTA and families that were able to contribute to all of the events planned for our staff during this week.

Wednesday, May 7th: National School Nurse Appreciation Day – Thank you to Nurse Jacquie LeClech and Nurse Kathy Hill for all that they do for our community.

Thursday, May 8th – Friday, May 9th:  NYS Math Assessments

Monday, May 12th – NYS Science Testing – Grades 5 & 8

Wednesday, May 14th – Friday May 16th –  8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip

Monday, May 19th – Encore #6 Begins

Tuesday, May 20th – PVCSD School Budget Vote & Capital Project Vote (6 AM to 9 PM – Putnam Valley Elementary School)

The District has been hard at work providing the Putnam Valley Community with the information they will need to make an informed decision when we ask all registered voters within the Putnam Valley School District to cast a ballot on May 20, from 6 am to 9 pm at the Putnam Valley Elementary School. There will be several propositions on the ballot, including the School Budget for 2025-2026, the Revised Capital Project referendum, the Putnam Valley Public Library Budget, and the election of two School Board Trustees. Please visit www.pvcsd.org for more information on the budget or capital project, or contact Dr. Grace Chan (gchan@pvcsd.org) for more information.

Thursday, May 22nd: Midpoint of the 4th Quarter – Please check PowerSchool on Friday, May 30th for updated grades and comments.  Contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions and concerns.

Friday, May 23rd – Monday, May 26th –  No School / Memorial Day Recess

Monday, May 26th –  No School – Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 27th – 6th Grade Trip to Medieval Times

Friday, May 30th – Spring Fling 5:00PM-7:00PM

As always, please reach out to your child’s classroom teachers should you have any questions or want to schedule an in person meeting for one reason or another.  It is through our partnership that our children are supported in positive ways so that they succeed.  We look forward to a busy May and remember to please reach out to the middle school if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Travis W. McCarty
Principal