Tarrytown
Sleepy Hollow Special Olympics Athletes Win Gold
Team USA New York, a Unified Men’s Basketball Team consisting of students from Sleepy Hollow and Brewster High Schools, won the gold medal at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles on Friday, July 31.
Sleepy Hollow High School students Hunter Burnett, Brendan Murphy, Felix Veloz and Min Qiang Li, along with their coach Kim Kaczmarek, helped the team go undefeated in their division, beating Peru, Kenya, Pakistan and Luxembourg to win the gold medal.
District Turf Fields Missed September 1 Completion Date
The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns have announced that the new turf fields at Sleepy Hollow High School and Washington Irving Intermediate School would not be ready for use on September 1, as had been expected. According to the architect working on the fields, the planned “infill” (material laid on top of and between the carpet fibers) Nike Grind, is no longer available. A suitable infill alternative has been identified, but the change has caused a delay. The high school field is now expected to open on September 18, with the Washington Irving field due a week later on September 25.
District Invites Parents to Help Find Next Superintendent
As part of its search for the District’s next superintendent, the Board of Education for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns is reaching out to the community for help in identifying characteristics to seek in potential candidates. The outreach is being done on two fronts, by inviting community members to participate in one of two upcoming open forums, and by asking all to complete an online survey.
The open forums will be held on Tuesday, September 29 at 10:00 am and 7:30 pm in the Donald Kusel Auditorium at Sleepy Hollow High School. The survey, which is available in both English and Spanish, is located online at www.ecrasurvey.com/TUFSD, or from the district website at www.tufsd.org. Hard copies of the survey are also available at each school building, the district offices, and at the Warner Library. The Board of Education asks for all surveys to be completed by Wednesday, September 30.
Irvington
District Receives $277,051 Smart Schools Grant
The Irvington School District received a $277,051 grant from the State of New York as part of the State’s Smart Schools Bond Act. Intended to improve educational technology and infrastructure in order to enhance learning and opportunities for students, the grants require districts to submit an Investment Plan based on guidance from the New York State Education Department indicating how the funds will be spent. Irvington’s preliminary plan is to use the grant to install wi-fi in both Dows Lane and Main Street Schools, as well as purchase devices such as interactive whiteboards, computer servers, and desktop, laptop, and tablet computers. A public hearing on this plan will be held at the September 29th School Board meeting.
District Hires New Transportation Company
The Irvington School District announced the hiring of Montauk Student Transport (MST) to serve the District’s transportation needs in the coming year. MST has already been working closely with the District’s previous transportation company, the Ardsley Transportation Department, to ensure that bus routes are as efficient as possible. In addition, many familiar bus drivers will remain behind the wheel during and after the transition.
The District welcomes concerns or questions during the first days of school, and asks residents to contact Ardsley Transportation at (914) 295-5559 or to email either Vic Granuzzo at vgranuzzo@ardsleyschools.org or Joe Urbanowitz at jurbanowicz@ardsleyschools.org with their comments.
Briarcliff
Briarcliff Schools Install Security Upgrades in all Schools
Todd Elementary School, Briarcliff Middle School, and Briarcliff High School have all undergone construction during the summer to enhance security for the students of each school. The most visible change is at the entrances to the three schools, with the construction in each building of a security vestibule. “The security vestibules are being added so that [visitors] have a place to go inside after their initial clearance before entering the school,” said Interim Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations, Kathleen Ryan. “A security monitor in the vestibule will further assess the visitors’ need to be in the building and pass them along.”
Another improvement undertaken this summer was a field at Todd Elementary School. Over the summer, the entire surface of the school’s field was removed to repair the underlying soil and add drainage for a new sod surface. In addition, the new field will have a portion of its former fencing replaced that will enhance security in the event of a lockdown drill.
Briarcliff Names New Director of Instruction and Human Resources
On August 17, Briarcliff Manor School District welcomed Edgar McIntosh as the District’s new Director of Instruction and Human Resources, just over a month after Superintendent of Schools James Kaishian recommended McIntosh for the position at the Board of Education’s July 15 meeting.Previously, McIntosh served as Principal at Ardsley Middle School since 2010. Kaishian praised McIntosh’s work in co-designing two special programs during his time there, including the Boys Who Write group for “reluctant male readers” and the Marie Curie Society Seminars, which encourages female students to delve into the sciences. He has also worked as Assistant Principal in Central Elementary School and Hommocks Middle School in Mamaroneck.“I could not be more excited and more convinced that you have what it takes and are going to be an incredible addition to the District,” Board of Education President Michael Haberman told McIntosh when he joined the District.
