Dear PVMS Families,

Our April showers have brought on May flowers and with additional rain in the forecast this has started to impact spring sports so please be flexible.  The month of May is full of events as we kick off the second to last month of our school year.

To begin our month, we are celebrating teacher appreciation week!  We know it’s a week early but we couldn’t wait.  Thank you to all of our teachers for all that you do as this week we recognize you but thank you for each and every day you make a positive impact on our student’s lives.  Thank you to the PTA for recognizing our teachers and celebrating every day to start the first week of May.

Our New York State Mathematics assessments will take place on Wednesday, 5/3/23 and Thursday, 5/4/23.  All students are to bring independent reading books and sharpened #2 pencils on this day.  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 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!

What does your child want to be when they grow up?  What jobs will exist and what current jobs will not? These are questions we may often wonder.  With regard to this topic, it is important to note that our first annual Career Fair will take place on Friday, 5/5/23 in our Wellness Center!  Thank you to Ms. Coleman for organizing this and to our 40+ community volunteers for presenting!  Students will arrive with a writing utensil and Career Fair Worksheet to fill out. This is a wonderful way to connect our students with future careers.

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 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 Science 8 NYS assessment, 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 and NYS Mathematics 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 21st 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.  We will have sent electronic communications with this information.

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 1st – Friday, May 5th: 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 this week.

Wednesday, May 3rd – Thursday, May 4th:  NYS Math Assessments

Monday, May 8th: PVMS 7th and 8th Grade Spring Chorus Concert – PVHS PAC – 7:00PM

Tuesday, May 9th: PVMS 5th and 6th Grade Spring Chorus Concert – PVHS PAC – 7:00PM

Wednesday, May 10th: National School Nurse Appreciation Day – Thank you to Nurse Jaquie LeClech and Nurse Kathy Hill for all that they do for our community.

Wednesday, May 10th – Friday May 12th: 8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip

Friday, May 12th:  6th Grade Assembly – Chariot of the Sun

Tuesday, May 16th:  5th Grade Trip – Hudson River Museum

Friday, May 19th: Midpoint of the 4th Quarter – Please check PowerSchool on

Thursday, May 25th for updated grades and comments.  Contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions and concerns.

Monday, May 22nd – Thursday, May 25th: Math iReady and ELA iReady diagnostic Round 3 – Students should come prepared with ear buds/headphones, pencils and an independent reading book.

Friday, May 26th: Two By Two Animal Haven – Fifth Grade

Monday, May 29th: No School – Memorial Day Break

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