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’re excited to welcome our students back and create more incredible memories together.
A Staggered Start to a Strong Year
To help our students, especially our new freshmen, feel confident and prepared, we’re having a staggered start to the school year.
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Tuesday, 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.
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Wednesday, September 3rd: All students, Grades 9 through 12, will begin our regular 9-period A-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: Tuesday, 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: Wednesday, September 3rd
This is the first day all grades will be in session. This day will follow our standard 9-period A-Day schedule.
Coming Soon: Schedules, Bus Routes, and Locker Info!
Student schedules will be released on Monday, August 25th. You can access them, along with bus and locker information, by logging into PowerSchool.
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How to Access: Log in to PowerSchool with your unique username and password at: https://ps.pvcsd.org
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For Schedules: Select “My Schedule” from the left sidebar.
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For Bus: Select “Transportation” for bus routes.
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Locker Info: Select “Grades and Attendance” for locker information in the header area.
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PVHS Website – We will have a new look to the PVHS Website starting on August 25th!
Important Back-to-School Reminders
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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!
Use this link to access the forms:
Student Handbook & Laptop Agreement Forms
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Teacher Requests: We appreciate that you may have preferences regarding your child’s teachers. However, we are unable to accommodate specific teacher requests.
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New Bell Schedule: All classes will now start at 7:50 AM sharp. We ask that students be in their classrooms by 7:48 AM for announcements.
A New State Law: The “Bell-to-Bell” Cell Phone 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.
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What this means: From the moment your child enters the building until the final bell, their cell phone must be powered off and stored in their locker.
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What about communication? We know this is a big change, and we’re committed to ensuring you can still reach your child.
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Non-emergencies: You can contact your child throughout the day via their school PVHS email.
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Emergencies: Please call the main office at (845) 526-7847, and our staff will assist you with the message.
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For students: Students who need to contact you can use the designated school phones in the main office.
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NYS Internet-Enabled Device School Law
This change will create a more focused and productive learning environment for all students, and we appreciate your partnership in making this a smooth transition.
A New State Law: The “Bell-to-Bell” Cell Phone 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 using personal internet-enabled devices, including cell phones, during the school day.
-
What this means: From the moment your child enters the building 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.
-
This change will create a more focused and productive learning environment for all students, and we appreciate your partnership in making this a smooth transition.
SmartPass – New digital hall pass system. You can locate SmartPass in your PVHS Bookmarks located in the upper left-hand side of your homescreen. Students will create a pass and have a staff member review and approve it.
Please preview:
Tiger Tracker — Our new Community Service Tracker is located in the PVHS Bookmarks under Tiger Tracker—Community Service.
Key Dates for Your Calendar
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Monday, October 6th: Underclassmen Picture Day
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Wednesday, October 8th, 6:00 PM: Back-to-School Nig
Enjoy the last few days of summer. We can’t wait to see everyone after Labor Day!
Sincerely,
Matt Mello
Principal
Putnam Valley High School