Dear Putnam Valley Community:
Summer has been incredibly productive at the Putnam Valley School District. Thanks to the dedicated work of our custodial staff, our buildings have been transformed back to their pristine condition as numerous summer projects wrap up. At the Elementary School, hallways have been revitalized with a new coat of paint, offering students and staff a bright and welcoming environment upon their return to school. Many bathrooms have received a much-needed makeover, with the remaining facilities scheduled to be updated in the next couple of years. Our Middle School will reopen with a new student support suite, housing our clinical staff members, and a new conference room. Several classroom spaces have been updated to accommodate the need of our instructional programs. Improvements have been made to the wellness trail, upper field at the Elementary School, and athletic facilities, including new bullpens on the baseball field. These projects along with many smaller ones across our buildings, are made possible thanks to our talented staff members in the buildings and grounds department.
Throughout the summer, our buildings have been bustling with a variety of professional learning opportunities and academic programs. Earlier in July, we hosted a Regional Leadership Institute at Putnam Valley High School, welcoming administrators from across the region to learn together. Our extended school year program, summer boost programs, and Kindercamp have filled our classrooms with eager and enthusiastic students. Each of these programs provides invaluable opportunities for those students needing additional support and we are so grateful for the dedication of our leaders, instructional staff, and teaching assistants.
Many of our classrooms now feature new interactive BenQ displays, replacing the older Newline boards. This new technology offers teachers a range of instructional tools and improved connectivity. Training will be provided in the coming month to ensure a smooth integration of this technology into our classrooms. These enhancements to our learning environment are the result of the district’s technology department’s commitment to supporting both infrastructure and instructional needs.
Last summer, we announced the district’s newly adopted C.O.R.E. Values. These values are the product of collaborative efforts involving parents, students, staff, administration, and community members, each contributing feedback on what is most important. These C.O.R.E values will serve as our guiding principles and focal points for all future endeavors. Last year, we focused on the first of these values, Community. This year, we will turn our attention to Opportunity, as we continue to explore ways to build on last year’s successes.
District C.O.R.E. Values:
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Community: Empathetic learners who take great pride in their school community.
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Opportunity: Courageous learners seeking opportunities to improve themselves and support others.
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Resiliency: Joyful learners who display resiliency when faced with challenges.
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Empowerment: Reflective learners who empower themselves and others to always be better.
As we look forward to the upcoming year, there is much to celebrate. We continue to receive feedback from recent graduates, applauding their preparedness for post-secondary learning thanks to the work of our dedicated staff members and the rigorous academic program they were provided. Last school year, we welcomed three students from the Garrison School District into our high school. This upcoming school year, we anticipate welcoming fourteen students, representing well over half of the Garrison School District’s rising ninth graders. It is evident that Garrison students and parents have taken notice of all we have to offer in the Putnam Valley School District.
After several years of hard work, Putnam Valley Middle School will be seeking authorization to be recognized as an International Baccalaureate School offering the IB Middle Years Programme. This anticipated authorization is a testament to the hard work of our administration and instructional staff, especially the teacher leaders who have guided this work over the past few years.
At the Elementary School, our staff will further implement the Scholastic Reading program and phonemic awareness, while placing increased focus on writing across the curriculum.
As always, there is much to be proud of in Putnam Valley. In just a few days, our buildings will reopen, and we will welcome back our students, staff, and new dynamic educators joining our team. Please watch for important information from our school building leaders regarding the upcoming school year. We are excited for another fantastic year filled with incredible opportunities for our students and staff.
See you soon!
Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools
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