I hope all is well as we enter December and the last month of 2025! This is always a very busy time of year for many families so please make sure to slow down a bit and enjoy this festive time. There are many opportunities to offer a helping hand in food drives, clothing drives, and toy drives. I wish you all the best through your end of the year activities and in welcoming in the new year!
Thank you to our families for your incredible participation in the PVMS food drive. Your generosity, teamwork, and spirit of service made a meaningful difference which will help provide essential support to families in need. Thank you for making this effort such a success with 1,579 items donated! Thank you to Ms. Diaz, Mrs. Hernandez and the Student Council for organizing this event.
For the month of December, our PVMS Student Council will be running a Winter Clothing Drive. Items being collected are: gently used or new coats, hats, gloves, and mittens.
Please do NOT donate items that have holes, rips, missing buttons, broken zippers or stains. Please do not donate items if there is pet hair embedded in the fabric. You or your children may bring your donation items to the collection bin outside the main office starting December 1st. All items should be dropped off in plastic bags. Thank you to all of our families that will be donating to this great cause.
We have not had a substantial snowfall yet with only a few flurries, but our temperatures have been dropping. With these colder temperatures, please have your children bundle up. They should be wearing jackets and be prepared for outdoor recess and physical education classes while enjoying the fresh air.
There are many items in our lost and found. A vast majority of the items include sweatshirts, jackets, water bottles, and lunch boxes. Please label all of your child’s items so that we can return them if they are misplaced. Feel free to remind your children to check the lost and found if you feel they are missing items. Those items that are not claimed will be donated to one of our clothing drop off sites to go to those in need at the end of this month.
Reminders:
There is always the possibility of snow or icy road conditions moving forward and it is good to have a contingency plan in place. In the case that we may have an early dismissal, it is imperative to provide your children with a house key or a plan to go to a neighbor’s or relative’s house. Create a plan and be prepared, this will help everyone, without creating stress during these situations. Please see the following delay schedule, which can also be found on our website under the About Our School tab.
Upcoming Events:
Encore 2 Ends – Grades 5 & 6 – Friday, December 5th
Encore 3 Begins – Grades 5 & 6 – Monday, December 8th
Concert season is upon us! All concerts will take place in the Putnam Valley High School Performing Arts Center (PAC).
5th and 6th Grade Chorus – Tuesday, December 9th at 7:00PM
7th and 8th Grade Chorus – Wednesday, December 10th at 7:00PM
Snow Date for Chorus Concerts – Thursday, December 11th at 7:00PM
Midpoint of Quarter 2 – Friday, December 12th. Please check PowerSchool for updated comments and grades on Thursday, December 18th.
5th and 6th Grade Band – Tuesday, December 16th at 7:00PM
7th and 8th Grade Band – Wednesday, December 17th at 7:00PM
Snow Date for Band Concerts – Thursday, December 18th at 7:00PM
Holiday Recess will begin on Wednesday, December 24th and go through Sunday, January 4th. We will resume classes on Monday, January 5th. Please note that we will be disabling chromebooks so that our students can spend time with their families over the holiday break. Please make sure that these devices are fully charged for a return on Monday, January 5th.
This time of year brings wonder, excitement, and family gatherings and also brings attention to other emotions that build throughout the entire year. Take this opportunity to reflect on what went well and changes that could be made for the upcoming calendar year. Emotions run high and it is extremely important to be sensitive to what everyone might be challenged with on a daily basis. Please remind your children to be empathetic toward one another and to be responsive to everyone’s needs if possible. Words matter and we must be thoughtful and kind to everyone as it is impossible to know what everyone is going through.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season with your families. Be sure to spend time with your children and discuss the importance of forming relationships, working hard, and building character. It is through making good choices and setting examples for others that everyone learns and grows on a daily basis. Monitor your child’s progress and partner with us in establishing the best experience possible for our children. Our school year has been smooth thus far and we are so proud of the progress your children have made. We look forward to an exciting and opportunistic 2026!
Sincerely,
Travis W. McCarty
Principal