
THANK YOU to everyone who attended, performed, volunteered and supported the event, including the festival guests and Dave’s Devil Dogs Food Truck. Thanks to your generosity and enthusiasm, the fundraiser was a great success in supporting the high school music program!
Take a peek at a sampling of the day and relive some of the music, memories, and moments that made this year’s Ministock Festival one to remember!








#25 Stetson Terpak
#6 Justin Olivo
#29 Keegan Holmes
#23 Wyatt Dul
During that game, the team continued with new tradition that began last year: The post game “youth pass and catch!”


A big thank-you to Class of 2010 alumnus Peter Schwarz, the son of employee Maggie Schwarz, and his wife Janelle Schwarz for buzzing into Jennifer Levin’s elementary school second-grade classroom for a very “bee-autiful” virtual visit all about beekeeping!
Mr. and Mrs. Schwarz, who are both beekeepers in addition to their careers, shared their hands-on knowledge of the hive life — giving students a closer look at how a honey bee colony really works. These second-graders were fascinated to learn about the queen bee who leads the hive, the busy worker bees who gather nectar while foraging from flower to flower, the important role bees play in pollination that helps plants grow and much more!
This virtual experience was the perfect complement to the second-grade insect unit,which includes the study of the honey bee life cycle. It brought classroom learning to life in a sweet and unforgettable way—and definitely had everyone “buzzing” with excitement!






After a week of processing returns, we have a winner! Congratulations to junior (and Knicks fan!) Jason Wackowski-Hernandez, who returned a library book that had been checked out since Jan. 25, 2024! That's some impressive detective work! Jason received a Dunkin gift card for helping reunite a long-lost book with its library home!
This contest was a fun reminder that returning library books helps make them available for other students to enjoy or use for school work. If your student (in any building) still has library books at home, please return them to their respective school libraries. Students who aren't sure if they owe a book will find email notices reminding them their books are due.
Every returned book helps — and who knows what treasures you will be discovered while searching!

Before saying goodbye to their beautiful butterflies, the children gathered outside to enjoy a story together. Then, they watched in wonder as the butterflies spread their wings and fluttered off into nature.
A butterfly release is a meaningful experience for young students because it helps them see firsthand how living things grow and change. After learning about the butterfly life cycle in the classroom, students were able to witness the final stage of this amazing transformation.
Activities like this spark curiosity, encourage a love of nature, and create lasting memories through hands-on learning. Plus, it’s also an opportunity to reinforce kindness, patience and a sense of care for nature.
THANK YOU again, to the ES PTO!






Take a look at Otisville’s Fifth-Grade Celebration, held this past Friday at the Otisville Firehouse! From the creative theme to all the smiling faces, it was a night to remember. The frosty décor couldn't have been more perfect for beating Friday’s summer heat!
THANK YOU to the Otisville PTO and all the volunteers for making the evening so special for these soon-to-be sixth-graders!







The recipient of the 2026 USA Lacrosse Bob Scott Award is #29 Keegan Holmes! This award recognizes a player who goes above and beyond in service to his team, school, and community while demonstrating leadership, commitment and character.
The award is named in honor of Bob Scott, a legendary member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the former long-time head coach at Johns Hopkins University. Scott coached the Blue Jays from 1955 to 1974, securing 158 victories and seven national championships. He wrote the foundational book "Lacrosse: Technique and Tradition."
Named to All-Section teams:
•First Team All-Section Attackman: #3 Mike Holland
•First Team All-Section Short Stick Defensive Midfielder: #25 Stetson Terpak
•Second Team All-Section Long Stick Midfielder: #22 Chris Thorpe
“We could not be prouder to have these four young men that have been recognized for their contributions,” said Head Coach Chad Lakeman. “Each one of these athletes is without a doubt deserving of these honors. These accolades are the result of hard work, commitment, and a willingness to go above and beyond as athletes, teammates and members of the Minisink Valley community.”


Meet the “new students” in Erin Chase and Emilia Chrobak's ES first-grade classes: BABY CHICKS!
Watching eggs hatch in the classroom is more than an exciting surprise—it gives first graders a front-row seat to science in action. From life cycles and observation skills to responsibility and wonder, these tiny arrivals are teaching some big lessons! PLUS: the faces on the little first-graders are just too cute! How wouldn't love to hold a newborn chick?








In addition to reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, students sang patriotic songs that music teachers Skyler Klein and Maria Fenfert taught this school year. A special shout-out to fifth-graders Hunter Walsh, Ella Capalbo and Evan Jackson, who read history of Flag Day and shared interesting facts about the U.S. flag. Well-done!
Commemorating Flag Day helps students learn about the history and meaning of the American flag and the values it represents, such as freedom, unity, and respect while continuing to provide students with an opportunity to explore national symbols, understand important traditions, and continue to develop a sense of civic responsibility, national pride and citizenry.
It commemorates June 14, 1777, when the Adoption of the Flag Resolution established the official design of the American flag.
We invite you to read this collection of outstanding of student literary pieces, supported by beautiful artwork, via this link:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1L7Vypxuh_yEym8UwFGg8MQ8xGg2bGaEOf5sQ8fUpoM4/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p

Please join us in wishing the members of our Varsity Track & Field team the best of luck as they head to the NYSPHSAA Track & Field Championships this weekend in Webster, which is near Rochester.
Whether they’re exploding out of the blocks in the meter dash, chasing a personal record in the meter run, clearing the bar in the high jump and pole vault, flying through the air in the long jump, navigating the barriers of the steeplechase, or making smooth baton exchanges in the relay events, our athletes have put in the work to earn their place on the state stage.
Now it’s time to trust their training, compete with confidence, and leave it all on the track and in the field. After months of training, competing, and pushing the limits, they're set to take their marks and represent Minisink Valley with distinction! Good luck to all of our championship qualifiers—we'll be cheering you on every stride, jump, vault, and lap of the way! We can’t wait to see them sprint, soar, vault, and race their way through an unforgettable championship weekend.
Kate O’Neill, quarterback and safety
Mikia Nash, middle linebacker and receiver
Avery Wingen, running back and outside linebacker
Ava Downing, corner and receiver
Joli Calcano, running back and corner
Jaida Macaluso, middle linebacker
Sophia Escobar, outside linebacker
Jazlin Sessoms, blitzer
Sam Kassel, outside linebacker
Lacey Cummisky, corner and receiver

Through problem-solving, discussion, and collaboration, they explored how understanding place value and equivalent fractions helps make complex calculations more manageable.
These are important math skills that build the foundation for future success in mathematics and everyday problem-solving. By applying fraction equivalence to add mixed numbers with tenths and hundredths, students deepen their understanding of place value and learn how different forms of numbers can represent the same amount. Through problem-solving, discussion, and collaboration, they develop critical thinking skills and gain confidence in explaining their reasoning and comparing strategies with classmates. These concepts are essential for more advanced math topics such as decimals, percentages, ratios, and algebra, while also helping students use math in real-life situations involving money, measurements, and data.
“It’s exciting to see students building confidence,” said Mrs. Venettozzi, “as they connect mathematical concepts to real-world thinking and strengthen their precision and reasoning skills.”
The Varsity Softball Team is officially on the road to Binghamton for the NYSPHSAA Softball Final Four, and the entire Minisink Valley community is behind them every step of the way!
Ladies, you've already shown what it means to battle through tough innings, come through in the clutch, and leave it all on the diamond. Now it's time to keep the rally going. Trust your teammates, trust your game, and keep stacking outs and runs one pitch at a time.
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing EMS fire and ambulance partners for giving our team an honor escort to Interstate 84 and to the New York State Police continuing with bus and escorting the team to the Pennsylvania border!
The bus may be heading to Binghamton, but an entire community is riding shotgun!
Go make some memories, make some noise, and keep this postseason run alive.
Good luck, ladies — we're all rooting for you to turn this Final Four trip into a championship story!
Middle school students arrived eager and ready to take on the challenge of completing one mile on the cross country course. All runners showed determination and enthusiasm throughout the event, and did a fabulous job from start to finish. THANK YOU cross varsity runners Elijah Zittel, Gabe Simpson, Kat Jones, Abby Caputo, Catharine Sullivan, Dempsey DePuy, Maddie Greenberg and Landon straw for guiding and supporting our participants.
Top 3 boys:
Carter D'Angelo 6:08
James Hanson 6:58
Michael Allen 7:22
Top 2 girls:
Gianna Redmond 7:36
Leah Barry 8:13





What started as a sweet lesson quickly turned into a full-scale entrepreneurial adventure for Victoria Ingrassia’s FACS students!
Students kicked off their culinary entrepreneurial project by learning how to make homemade ice cream, creating a variety of delicious flavors and, of course, conducting some very enthusiastic taste-testing. From the first scoop to the last spoonful, the experience was both educational and enjoyable!But the real cherry on top came next.
Students were tasked with developing their own ice cream truck business plans, applying business development concepts and entrepreneurial strategies introduced by Ms. Ingrassia. They considered everything from branding and menu design to budgeting, customer service, and operations — discovering that running a successful business takes much more than serving great ice cream.
To help bring those lessons to life, Suzie Q’s Cookies and Cream rolled into the Middle School. Owner Suzanne “Q” a retired Minisink Valley teaching assistant, and her husband Rob shared their experiences launching and operating a successful ice cream food truck. She gave students an inside look at the many responsibilities that happen behind the service window, including inventory management, scheduling, insurance, health and safety regulations, staffing, payroll, equipment maintenance, customer service and more. Students quickly learned that there’s a lot more to the business than what customers see while waiting for their favorite frozen treat.
The sweetest part of the day? Students stepped into the role of food truck operators themselves, helping serve Middle School faculty, staff and their peers. Whether preparing soft serve, building brownie sundaes, or managing customer orders, they demonstrated professionalism, patience, teamwork and respect throughout the experience. PLUS: They also saw that entrepreneurial skills can have real-world rewards, as donations generated by the FACS student-run coffee cart for this past school year funded the ice cream truck’s visit to the Middle School.
While plenty of ice cream was served, students also walked away with something even more valuable: Real-world skills and business awareness. Projects like this help prepare students for future careers and everyday life by teaching responsibility, communication, problem-solving, financial literacy and customer service. They learned that success — much like a perfect ice cream sundae — is built one layer at a time through hard work, planning and perseverance.
By the end of the project, students had gained a deeper appreciation for entrepreneurship and discovered that running a small business requires much more than a cool truck and a freezer full of treats. It takes grit, knowledge, teamwork, and a willingness to run your own business!
Congratulations to the senior members of the Varsity Softball team, who were honored for their many contributions to the team's success at their recent Senior Game:
Hannah Connoly, #3, Second Base, two year varsity team member
Keira Filip, #9, Centerfield, three year varsity team member
Tyler Hannigan, #4, Right Field, two year varsity team member
Hannah Ringus, #5, Third Base, three year varsity team member


From mastering the rules of the road to sharpening their biking skills and building confidence on two wheels, these students are learning that every ride is an adventure in teamwork, safety and fun!
CLICK HERE: https://www.minisink.com/o/athletics/page/aquatics-pool-use

Plans are already in motion to build on the team’s strong season with even more matches and tournaments next year against schools such as Monroe-Woodbury, Pawling, Middletown and Goshen. With a solid foundation now established, the club is looking to continue developing its competitive play and broaden its tournament schedule.
Congratulations and well-done to Jason Agba, Richard Cai, Gavin Capper, Jerry Yang, James Arias and Luciano Palacios, who recently represented the club in a Swiss-style tournament featuring students from Pawling, Goshen, Middletown, and Monroe-Woodbury. Every player scored at least two wins, and Senior Jerry Yang earned the distinction of being the tournament’s only undefeated player—a performance worthy of the top board!
If your high school student is interested in competing against other schools or simply enjoys a friendly game with others, the Chess Club welcomes players of all skill levels. Interested students should contact advisor Jonathan Grady at jgrady@minisink.com.



