Dear Putnam Valley Families,
We hope you had a fantastic summer filled with joy, connection, and adventure! As we gear up for a new school year, we are excited to welcome our students back and create more incredible memories together.
Welcoming Our New Assistant Principal
We are thrilled to introduce our new Assistant Principal, Mr. Andres Soto! Selected from a pool of 75 candidates, Mr. Soto is excited to return to his alma mater (Class of 2013) as an educational leader. With a deep understanding of the Putnam Valley community and student needs, he knows what it takes to drive academic success and looks forward to fostering the rich culture that helped him thrive at PV.
Parking Lot Update
We are paving the way for the opening of school next week! The crews are finishing the paving on Tuesday and will begin lining and striping the middle/high school lot tomorrow!
- Seniors, you can begin painting your parking spots Labor Day Weekend! Starting on Friday,September 4th at 3:00, seniors can begin their masterpieces.
- Be extra careful with materials. This is a brand new parking lot. Do not leave paint cans, wet trays or buckets in the lot to block spaces! Bring small cones from home to keep traffic off your spot.
A Staggered Start to a Strong Year
To help our students, especially our new freshmen, feel confident and prepared, we’re starting the school year on a staggered schedule.
- Wednesday, September 2nd: This day is exclusively for our Grade 9 students. Freshmen will have a full day of special workshops designed to help them get comfortable with the high school building, meet their teachers and counselors, and learn about our school’s expectations. Think of it as a personalized, stress-free introduction to high school life. Grades 10, 11, and 12 will stay home on this day.
- Thursday, September 3rd: All students in Grades 9 through 12 will begin our regular 9-period B-Day schedule.
Important Information for the First Week
We’ve highlighted some key dates and schedules below to help you and your child prepare for the start of the year.
First Day of School: Wednesday, September 2nd (Grade 9 only)
Our freshmen will follow a special schedule to ease their transition. Students will have time for a welcome breakfast, a community meeting, and a series of workshops before their regular classes begin.
First Day for All Students: Thursday, September 3rd
This is the first day all grades will be in session. This day will follow our standard 9-period B-Day schedule.
Coming Soon: Schedules, Bus Routes, and Locker Info!
Student schedules will be released on Wednesday, August 26th at 10:00 am. You can access them, along with bus and locker information, by logging into PowerSchool.
- How to Access: Log in to PowerSchool with your unique username and password at: https://pvcsd.powerschool.com/public/
- For Schedules: Select “My Schedule” from the left sidebar.
- For Bus: Select “Transportation” for bus routes.
- Locker Info: Select “Grades and Attendance” for locker information in the header area.
- PVHS Website – Please visit the PVHS Website to find out all of your high school needs
Important Back-to-School Reminders
- Laptop Agreement Form: Please complete the Student Laptop Agreement Form before the first day of school. This will help us expedite the laptop distribution process..THE STUDENT LAPTOP AGREEMENT FORM AND SIGN-OFF ARE LOCATED ON THE HIGH SCHOOL WEBPAGE (under the Student/Parent resource tab) AND MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE YOUR CHILD RETURNS TO SCHOOL!
- Teacher Requests: We appreciate that you may have preferences regarding your child’s teachers. However, we are unable to accommodate specific teacher requests.
- Bell Schedule: All classes will start at 7:50 AM sharp. We ask that students be in their classrooms by 7:48 AM for announcements.
- Use this link to access the forms:
Code of Conduct, Student Handbook, & Laptop Agreement Forms
A State Law: The “Bell-to-Bell” Internet-enabled Device Ban
We want to make you aware of a new New York State law that will impact our school year. The “bell-to-bell” ban prohibits the use of personal internet-enabled devices, including cell phones, during the school day.
- What this means: From when the bell rings for the first period until the final bell, their cell phone must be powered off and stored in their locker.
- What about communication? We know this is a big change, and we’re committed to ensuring you can still reach your child.
- Non-emergencies: You can contact your child throughout the day via their school PVHS email.
Emergencies: Please call the main office at (845) 526-7847, and our staff will assist you with the message. - For students: Students who need to contact you can use the designated school phones in the main office.
- Non-emergencies: You can contact your child throughout the day via their school PVHS email.
NYS Internet-Enabled Device School Law
Last year, this change created a more focused and productive learning environment for all students. We appreciate your partnership in creating a distraction-free learning environment.
SmartPass — The digital hall pass system. You can locate SmartPass in your PVHS Bookmarks on the upper left-hand side of your home screen. Students will create a pass, and a staff member will review and approve it.
Please preview:
SmartPass Student Tutorial
Tiger Tracker — Our Community Service Tracker is located in the PVHS Bookmarks under Tiger Tracker—Community Service.
Key Dates for Your Calendar
- Monday, October 5th: Underclassmen Picture Day
- Thursday, October 1st, 6:00 PM: Back-to-School Night
Enjoy the last few days of summer. We can’t wait to see everyone in September!
Sincerely,
Matt Mello
Principal
Putnam Valley High School