Dear Pelham Parents and Community Members,
I hope this letter finds you well rested and enjoying the last weeks of summer. Whether you traveled somewhere local or exotic, relaxed by the pool or beach, visited your kids at camp, or spent the summer here in Pelham, I hope that the past two months have been restful and enjoyable.
As I look forward to year two as Superintendent of Schools, I continue to be impressed by the high expectations that our teachers, staff, and parents share for our students, the unwavering attention to academics, extracurricular activities, social-emotional development, and enrichment by our faculty, and renewing our commitment to the District’s mission, “Inspiring a Standard of Excellence for All Students.”
Last school year was yet another banner year for the Pelham Public Schools. We successfully rolled out the Foreign Language Elementary School (FLES) program, redoubled our commitment to humanities, STEAM, wellness, and implementation of instructional technologies as a tool for building 21st Century skills, and saw the fruits of these efforts through student achievement in all disciplines. As we transition into the final year of our current Strategic Plan, we strive to build on these initiatives and others. Examples include expanding the FLES program into 4th grade at all of our elementary schools, the implementation of the Science 21 curriculum in grades 1 & 2, and the continued development of the IB MYP in grades 6-10. We will also embark on a multi-year commitment to building Cultural Proficiency within the Pelham Public Schools. Thanks to the work of the Diversity Oversight Committee, we are partnering with Campbell Jones Associates to begin a multi-year cohort training process that assists us in building our own cultural competency and in turn creating a more welcoming and inclusive District. As our country and world continue to become more diverse and as a community and District that embrace and celebrate that diversity, it is the perfect time to renew our commitment to this work.
We are pleased to welcome many new faculty this year, as well as congratulate those familiar faces moving into new leadership positions. I’d like to specifically welcome Susan Lockhart as our new Interim Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services. Ms. Lockhart will be with us through the fall semester while we reopen the search to fill the position long term. Her experience and expertise have already proven invaluable through the summer months and we look forward to her continued leadership. Also new in our PPS department is Greg Lau, our new Supervisor for Special Education 6-12. Mr. Lau brings a wealth of experience in transition services for Special Education students, which will help us to continue to strengthen our networks of support for our middle and high school students.
John Sebalos joins the team as our new Director of Technology. Coming to us from Mahopac, Mr. Sebalos has hit the ground running with plans to see us through a significant infrastructure transition and continuation of our Chromebook initiative over the summer. Many thanks to him and the entire technology team for their diligent work and troubleshooting over the summer months. I’d also like to congratulate Lynn Sabia and Sean Llewellyn on their new roles as Principal and Interim Assistant Principal of PMS, respectively. I am confident their leadership will enable us to continue the outstanding work at the middle school without missing a beat. And finally, Millie Bonilla joins us as Secretary to the Superintendent and District Clerk for the Board of Education. She has big shoes to fill and the energy to make sure that it is possible. Please join us in welcoming and celebrating each of these staff members at a reception on August 28 at 7:30 pm in the PMHS Library.
The refinished PMS Gym floor. We are extremely thankful to our buildings and grounds staff under the leadership of John Condon, who have worked extremely hard to prepare our campuses for the new school year. In addition to their regular work, there was increased attention to painting, the installation of a new fire escape at Prospect Hill, and masonry repairs at PMHS. Additionally, our playing fields have returned to terrific shape for the start of school and most noticeable is the refinishing of the PMS gym floor and the renovation of the upper portion of the PMS/PMHS cafeteria. We hope you and our students will enjoy these new updated spaces.
In late spring/early summer, the Board of Education appointed KG&D and Triton Construction as the District’s post-referendum architect and construction management firm, respectively. Both firms bring valuable experience in school construction and we look forward to working with them. The team has already begun drafting preliminary designs for the projects approved in the bond referendum last May, including the renovation of administrative offices into HS/MS classrooms and an orchestra rehearsal space, replacement of the PMHS annex roof and parapets, installation of an elevator and double-door security vestibule at Prospect Hill, and construction of a new Hutchinson School. We look forward to sharing more information about each of these projects as they progress throughout the school year.
As the final days and weeks of the summer fade, I wish you all the best and look forward to another exciting and productive school year together.
Warmest Regards,
Cheryl H. Champ, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
Teachers Lauren Gobbo and Fran Corelli recently received the Sally G. Hahn Outstanding New York State FLES Program Award from the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers, Inc. Both Ms. Gobbo and Ms. Corelli spearheaded the implementation of the FLES program last year, providing Spanish language instruction to all Pelham 2nd and 3rd graders for the first time. Please read more about the award and FLES program.
On the heels of receiving eight National Youth Art Awards for its 2017-2018 productions, Pelham Memorial High Schools’ Sock’n’Buskin looks to continue its success with the upcoming production of Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” at the PMHS Auditorium November 16-18.
Shows are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 pm with a matinee show on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 pm. All tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students/children/senior citizens. Please email snbtix@gmail.com reservations.
Congratulations to PMHS seniors Charlotte Edmunds, Michael Salama and Sarah Ellenbogen who were each designated as Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Program. They are among the 34,000 students in the nation to be recognized for their exceptional academic promise.They placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who took the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test ( PSAT/NMSQT)
The Pelham Public Schools is pleased to announce that five PMHS students were named National Merit Semifinalists.
The students recognized as semifinalists are Elise Aronson, Rachel Brewer, Richard Che, Ben Glickman, and Liam Ronan. They are part of approximately 16,000 semifinalists from across the country and are among the top-scoring students on the PSAT/National Merit Qualifying Test.
“I am extremely proud of each of our students and congratulate them on this great academic achievement,” said PMHS Principal Jeannine Clark. “The honor of being named a National Merit Semifinalist is reflective of the hard work and dedication shown by both our students and our teachers.”
National Merit Semifinalists now have the option to submit an application to become a finalist, which if selected, makes them eligible for more than $32 million in National Merit Scholarship funding.
At the annual re-organizational meeting, the Pelham Board of Education unanimously elected Sue Bratone Childs President and Jessica DeDomenico Vice President for the 2018-19 school year. Additionally, Eileen Miller and Jessica R. Young were sworn-in to three year terms on the Board after being elected in May. Congrats and welcome!
The Board of Education's Audit Committee will meet at 8 am on Wednesday, Nov. 7 in the Superintendent's Conference Room located in District Offices at 18 Franklin Place, Pelham, NY 10803.
The District's 21st Century Learning Oversight Committee will meet at 9:30 am on Wednesday, November 7 in room 013 of Pelham Memorial High School at 575 Colonial Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803.
The District's International Baccalaureate Oversight Committee will meet at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, November 6 in room 013 of Pelham Memorial High School, 575 Colonial Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803.
On the heels of receiving eight National Youth Art Awards for its 2017-2018 productions, Pelham Memorial High Schools’ Sock’n’Buskin looks to continue its success with the upcoming production of Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” at the PMHS Auditorium November 16-18.
Shows are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 pm with a matinee show on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 pm. All tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students/children/senior citizens. Please email snbtix@gmail.com reservations.
Congratulations to Dr. Steven Garcia, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Personnel who was recently named the recipient of the National Network for Early Language Learning Award for Outstanding Support of Early Second Language Learning. Please read more about Dr. Garcia's Award.
The Board of Education recently sent a letter to the New York State Department of Transportation and elected officials opposing the proposed site of a telecommunications tower across the street from Ingalls Field. Please read the letter for more information.
Please sign up for email blasts from the Pelham Public Schools to learn more about District events, the upcoming bond referendum and important announcements.
The Board of Education will meet at 8:15 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 in the Pelham Middle School Library, 28 Franklin Place, Pelham, NY 10803.
Prior to the public meeting, the Board is expected to meet in executive session for board development at 5:00 pm in room 105E of Pelham Memorial High School, 575 Colonial Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803.
At the regular business portion of the meeting the Board is expected to receive updates on the Every Student Succeeds Act and the new school accountability report card.
In addition to Dr. Champ's Superintendent's report, the agenda may include updates from each School Board committee, as well as reports on 21st Century Learning and Professional Development, Networks of Support and Social-Emotional Development, and Finances and Facilities.
The full agenda will be available for viewing 24 hours before the meeting.
The Pelham Board of Education approved a resolution advocating for fair treatment of contributions in support of public education under IRS regulations while also joining a consortium of other school districts and municipalities sharing that opinion. Read more.
Dear residents
Please be advised that the Pelham Union Free School District has been granted a waiver for temporary employment Susan E. Lockhart as Interim Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services under Section 211 of Retirement and Social Security Law and section 80-5.5 of Commissioner's Regulations from June 28, 2018 to December 31, 2018. Mrs. Lockhart will be paid on a per diem basis during her employment with the District and will continue to receive her New York State pension during this time.
We are pleased to announce the appointments of Susan Lockhart as Interim Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services and Sean Llewellyn as Interim Assistant Principal of Pelham Middle School.
Please read Dr. Champ's letter announcing their appointments and join us in welcoming them into their respective new roles!
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2 pm, Auditorium
7 pm, Auditorium
8 am, K Hallway
7 pm, Auditorium
8:15 pm, MS Library
7 pm, Library
1 pm - 4 pm and 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
