JOIN IN on the seasonal art fun and support the High School's Art Club!
The High School's Art Club is hosting its next "Paint n' Snack" fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in Room 217 at the High School.
A talented Minisink Valley Art Club student will guide participants in creating a beautiful fall-themed painting. There'll be apple cider to sip and yummy treats to snack on while painting.
Adults and children of all ages are welcome, but seating is limited to 25 people, so act fast if interested! All supplies and food are included with admission and all proceeds will go toward art scholarships, museums field trips for art students, future events, and additional supplies for the Art Club studio. THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT, so sign-up now and don't miss out!
Pricing (cash at the door): Adults - $12; children/students - $10; and siblings discount: $5 per additional sibling. To reserve your spot, click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFcFIzph-R4RHdlh3S0YmBrlAi_BxFCxZ7woOyck9kGSe2rQ/viewform
Kudos to members of the Varsity Girls Soccer Team, who represented Minisink Valley with distinction at the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk held Oct. 19, at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley. Thousands of people participated, perhaps you were among them!
The girls helped welcome participants during registration time and participated in the walk. Well-done to all!
The girls helped welcome participants during registration time and participated in the walk. Well-done to all!
THINK PINK
REMINDER: Get your pink attire ready, because this Friday, the district is️ GOING PINK to support breast cancer awareness! THANK YOU to the High School's Youth Against Cancer (YAC) group for leading the effort to bring awareness:
--- Call for photos: Share a photo of your student wearing pink attire that day!
--- Are you ready for some football? PINK OUT at Friday night’s Varsity Home Game against Port Jervis!
--- COIN DROP at CUGINOS: Donate your coins and support the high school’s Youth Against Cancer Club initiative. 100% of what’s collected will be donated to the breast cancer unit at Garnet Medical Center’s Spagnoli Cancer Center
--- Class of 2026 Food Truck Fundraiser continues with a special menu!
REMINDER: Get your pink attire ready, because this Friday, the district is️ GOING PINK to support breast cancer awareness! THANK YOU to the High School's Youth Against Cancer (YAC) group for leading the effort to bring awareness:
--- Call for photos: Share a photo of your student wearing pink attire that day!
--- Are you ready for some football? PINK OUT at Friday night’s Varsity Home Game against Port Jervis!
--- COIN DROP at CUGINOS: Donate your coins and support the high school’s Youth Against Cancer Club initiative. 100% of what’s collected will be donated to the breast cancer unit at Garnet Medical Center’s Spagnoli Cancer Center
--- Class of 2026 Food Truck Fundraiser continues with a special menu!
Congratulations to the eight seniors who are members of the Girls Varsity Swimming and Diving Team, who were honored for their many contributions to the team at the recent Senior Night!
•Olivia Bohr: Olivia has been on the team for five seasons and is a team captain and plans on going to college for nursing.
•Madeline Huggins: Maddy has been on the team for three seasons and plans on attending college and getting her degree in elementary education.
•Erin Huggins-Williams: This is Erin's first season competing with the team and plans on attending college.
•Reilly Kain-Dickinson: Reilly has been on the team for three seasons and plans on attending college and majoring in journalism.
•Malunga Kinzonzi: Malunga has been on the team for six seasons and is a team captain. She plans on attending college and majoring in pre-law or political science.
•Siyassa Mathis: Siyassa has been on the team for four seasons and plans on attending college and majoring in political science.
•Syemma Mathis: Syemma has been on the team for four seasons and is currently undecided of her post high school plans.
•Brianna Soriano: Brianna has been on the team for three seasons and plans on going to college for nursing.
•Olivia Bohr: Olivia has been on the team for five seasons and is a team captain and plans on going to college for nursing.
•Madeline Huggins: Maddy has been on the team for three seasons and plans on attending college and getting her degree in elementary education.
•Erin Huggins-Williams: This is Erin's first season competing with the team and plans on attending college.
•Reilly Kain-Dickinson: Reilly has been on the team for three seasons and plans on attending college and majoring in journalism.
•Malunga Kinzonzi: Malunga has been on the team for six seasons and is a team captain. She plans on attending college and majoring in pre-law or political science.
•Siyassa Mathis: Siyassa has been on the team for four seasons and plans on attending college and majoring in political science.
•Syemma Mathis: Syemma has been on the team for four seasons and is currently undecided of her post high school plans.
•Brianna Soriano: Brianna has been on the team for three seasons and plans on going to college for nursing.
STILL UNDEFEATED: 7-0 --- and we are the 2025 CLASS A, DIVISION I CHAMPS!
The Varsity Football team continues to play extremely impressive ball, beating Warwick this past Friday night 37-13!
“Overall, I’m happy with the way we played on offense and defense,” said Varsity Coach Kevin Gallagher. “Warwick had a good game plan and they played us very tough in the first half. The second half --- we really played well with only one penalty and very few mistakes.”
Coach Gallagher also reported: “Zach Filip had another great game scoring five touchdowns while rushing for 150 yards. Robbie played another good game completing 6-8 passes for 94 yards. Max and Stetson came up with some big catches to keep the chains moving. Our defense only gave up 137 yards the whole game and stopped them inside the 10 two times.”
This Friday’s game is against undefeated Port Jervis, which also has a 7-0 record.
“We beat Port last year 28-14 and they went on to win the State Championship in Class B,” added Coach Gallagher. “We’re expecting a great game. They are very good offensively so we will have to be ready.”
This Friday’s game is also the district’s PINK OUT, where everyone is invited to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness, as well as football/cheer Senior Night.
NOTE: The team's win over Warwick has earned it a Bye Week for the first found of the Section IX playoffs, so there's NO GAME on Oct. 31. Minisink Valley will host the Nov. 7 game with its opponent TBD.
The Otisville Elementary PTO treated students to two important anti-bullying assemblies on Oct. 16, and with a very cool seasonal twist!
The "Franken-Bully" assemblies were a monstrously funny bully-prevention tale with a powerful message about friendship, empathy and treating others with respect. It was an assembly filled with laughs and heart which reinforced to students how to be builders of kindness, not breakers of others’ spirits. Take a peek!
Thank you to the Otisville PTO for their ongoing support of the school! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
Emelia Chrobak's ES first-graders are combining seasonality and science work!
Take a peek at the spooky skeletons, made with Q-tips! Students completed their projects while learning about the skeletal system during their Human Body unit! students labeled several bones and added a few sentences to describe what their skeletons help them do or what they would not be able to do with them!
This was a great STEM lesson which offered a hands-on and creative learning activity combining simple materials with the spooky theme of Halloween and the learning of human anatomy!
Take a peek at the spooky skeletons, made with Q-tips! Students completed their projects while learning about the skeletal system during their Human Body unit! students labeled several bones and added a few sentences to describe what their skeletons help them do or what they would not be able to do with them!
This was a great STEM lesson which offered a hands-on and creative learning activity combining simple materials with the spooky theme of Halloween and the learning of human anatomy!
Stress: Who doesn’t have to deal with it? Danielle Zamorski’s high school health classes are being introduced to the concept of stress, its effects on the body and mind, and practical strategies to manage stress in healthy ways.
The goal is to equip students with tools they can use in their daily lives to improve emotional well-being, focus, and resilience.
DID YOU KNOW that sticker painting can be a surprisingly effective way to relieve stress, thanks to a combination of mindfulness, creativity, and tactile engagement? Take a look at her students and their wonderful pieces of art created as part of their important discussions about stress management!
Here’s how it works:
1. Promotes mindfulness: Sticker painting encourages you to focus on matching numbered stickers to spaces. This slows your thoughts and brings your attention to the present moment—similar to meditation.
2. Provides a creative outlet: Creativity is a powerful way to process emotions and relax.
3. Engages the hands (tactile comfort): Physically peeling and placing stickers activates fine motor skills and gives a sense of control—especially helpful when life feels chaotic.
4. Triggers a Dopamine Boost: Every time you place a sticker correctly and watch the image build, your brain gets a small hit of dopamine—the “feel-good” neurotransmitter.
Sticker painting doesn’t take a lot of effort, but there’s a low-effort, high-reward activity that helps ground your thoughts, occupy your hands, and create something beautiful—all of which can help calm your mind and relieve stress! You can find sticker painting kits in many stores, try it!
The goal is to equip students with tools they can use in their daily lives to improve emotional well-being, focus, and resilience.
DID YOU KNOW that sticker painting can be a surprisingly effective way to relieve stress, thanks to a combination of mindfulness, creativity, and tactile engagement? Take a look at her students and their wonderful pieces of art created as part of their important discussions about stress management!
Here’s how it works:
1. Promotes mindfulness: Sticker painting encourages you to focus on matching numbered stickers to spaces. This slows your thoughts and brings your attention to the present moment—similar to meditation.
2. Provides a creative outlet: Creativity is a powerful way to process emotions and relax.
3. Engages the hands (tactile comfort): Physically peeling and placing stickers activates fine motor skills and gives a sense of control—especially helpful when life feels chaotic.
4. Triggers a Dopamine Boost: Every time you place a sticker correctly and watch the image build, your brain gets a small hit of dopamine—the “feel-good” neurotransmitter.
Sticker painting doesn’t take a lot of effort, but there’s a low-effort, high-reward activity that helps ground your thoughts, occupy your hands, and create something beautiful—all of which can help calm your mind and relieve stress! You can find sticker painting kits in many stores, try it!
Angela Dombal’s and Jordan Procak’s ES kindergarteners recently welcomed Amy King from Sleepy Hills Orchard for a wonderful visit about apples!
Ms. King talked to their little students about different types of apples and the life cycle and different types. After the presentation, students rotated through three stations:
Station 1: Read a Scholastic Weekly Reader that included more information about apples.
Station 2: Work on fine motor skills by completing an apple craft.
Station 3: A delicious apple taste test! Students tasted apples and graphed their favorite as part of a math lesson!
Thank you, Ms. King, for the wonderful visit and knowledge shared!
Graphing is important in kindergarten because it helps children develop foundational math skills like sorting, counting, and comparing quantities, while also fostering crucial critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through hands-on, visual representation of data. Early graphing introduces children to interpreting and organizing information, sparks curiosity, and builds a positive foundation for future academic success in math and beyond!
Ms. King talked to their little students about different types of apples and the life cycle and different types. After the presentation, students rotated through three stations:
Station 1: Read a Scholastic Weekly Reader that included more information about apples.
Station 2: Work on fine motor skills by completing an apple craft.
Station 3: A delicious apple taste test! Students tasted apples and graphed their favorite as part of a math lesson!
Thank you, Ms. King, for the wonderful visit and knowledge shared!
Graphing is important in kindergarten because it helps children develop foundational math skills like sorting, counting, and comparing quantities, while also fostering crucial critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through hands-on, visual representation of data. Early graphing introduces children to interpreting and organizing information, sparks curiosity, and builds a positive foundation for future academic success in math and beyond!
Meghan Donahue’s ES K/1 students are in the midst of working on their Orton- Gillingham curriculum, which teaches phonics through multisensory instruction! Students are using their whole bodies to learn letters and sounds. Take a peek at their recent work, where they practiced different letters in their sand trays, allowing them to see, feel, hear and say each letter and sound.
A sand tray is a tool for tactile, multisensory learning, typically used for practicing letter formation and handwriting, as well as for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Students use their fingers to trace letters, numbers, and words in the fine-grain sand within the tray, which helps them retain information through kinesthetic and visual pathways. The dark-colored bottom of the tray makes the sand letters stand out, providing a more interactive and less messy way to practice writing than traditional pencil and paper.
Orton-Gillingham refers to a teaching approach named after Dr. Samuel Orton, a neuropsychiatrist, and Anna Gillingham, an educator and psychologist. Developed in the 1930s, it's a multisensory, structured literacy method for teaching reading, spelling, and writing which breaks down language into smaller components and uses auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (tactile, movement) channels to reinforce learning.
A sand tray is a tool for tactile, multisensory learning, typically used for practicing letter formation and handwriting, as well as for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Students use their fingers to trace letters, numbers, and words in the fine-grain sand within the tray, which helps them retain information through kinesthetic and visual pathways. The dark-colored bottom of the tray makes the sand letters stand out, providing a more interactive and less messy way to practice writing than traditional pencil and paper.
Orton-Gillingham refers to a teaching approach named after Dr. Samuel Orton, a neuropsychiatrist, and Anna Gillingham, an educator and psychologist. Developed in the 1930s, it's a multisensory, structured literacy method for teaching reading, spelling, and writing which breaks down language into smaller components and uses auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (tactile, movement) channels to reinforce learning.
BOO! Otisville and Elementary School families:
Two weeks from today! The annual Halloween parades at Otisville Elementary and the Elementary School, each led by divisions of the Mighty Minisink Valley Marching Band!
CALL FOR PHOTOS! See details:
Two weeks from today! The annual Halloween parades at Otisville Elementary and the Elementary School, each led by divisions of the Mighty Minisink Valley Marching Band!
CALL FOR PHOTOS! See details:
SO COOL! Heather Iannucci of the Two by Two Animal Haven in Pleasant Valley visited Elementary School first-graders yesterday, Oct. 15, with her special animal friends to talk to students about endangered species, their habitat and the importance of being kind and respectful to animals.
Ms. Iannucci also talked about why some animals don’t make good pets while showing them a toad, parrot, tortoise, bearded dragon, chinchilla, ball python and kangaroo!
This traveling animal program educates the public and school children about animals, their welfare and conservation, while fostering kindness and empathy for all living things. Thank you to the Elementary School PTO for sponsoring the fun and educational visit! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
Ms. Iannucci also talked about why some animals don’t make good pets while showing them a toad, parrot, tortoise, bearded dragon, chinchilla, ball python and kangaroo!
This traveling animal program educates the public and school children about animals, their welfare and conservation, while fostering kindness and empathy for all living things. Thank you to the Elementary School PTO for sponsoring the fun and educational visit! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
The Otisville Elementary and Minisink Valley Intermediate K-Kids clubs launched the new school year with a joint service project: The K-Kids Lemonade and Warm Cider Stand!
Their stand, which was recently stationed next to the concession stand at Greenville Park, was staffed by six members who volunteered for one-hour shifts to sell their special beverages. They sold $31 in beverages PLUS received $100 in donations! AMAZING!
The $131 will be split between the two clubs and used for community service projects. Their lemonade and warm cider stand also gave them a great opportunity to further refine their socialization, communication, team work, math, service and gratitude expression skills. Watch for more great community work from these two clubs! Well-done to all!
Melissa Manganello’s Otisville first-graders are really great at working with their peers as reading partners!
Check out these adorable “Mini Ms. Manganellos!” Wearing their very snazzy and en vogue “Ms. Manganello glasses,” students (um… rather, the Ms. Manganellos) knew how to connect with their reading partners by sitting elbow-to-elbow, looking at the text their partners were reading to follow along and carefully listening to what their reading partners were reading. These sweet Ms. Manganellos knew to offer hints to their reading partners if a mistake is made to support their reading efforts.
Having a reading partner is important for first- graders because it improves their reading fluency and comprehension by providing practice and modeling, while also boosting their confidence and motivation. Partner reading encourages oral language development, enhances social skills like cooperation and turn-taking, and fosters a more engaging and less anxious reading experience by providing peer support.
Check out these adorable “Mini Ms. Manganellos!” Wearing their very snazzy and en vogue “Ms. Manganello glasses,” students (um… rather, the Ms. Manganellos) knew how to connect with their reading partners by sitting elbow-to-elbow, looking at the text their partners were reading to follow along and carefully listening to what their reading partners were reading. These sweet Ms. Manganellos knew to offer hints to their reading partners if a mistake is made to support their reading efforts.
Having a reading partner is important for first- graders because it improves their reading fluency and comprehension by providing practice and modeling, while also boosting their confidence and motivation. Partner reading encourages oral language development, enhances social skills like cooperation and turn-taking, and fosters a more engaging and less anxious reading experience by providing peer support.
Candace Gale’s and Cecilia Kosowicz’s IS third-graders, like all district third-graders, are working on further perfection of their spelling, grammar and morphology (how words are formed) skills. As part of their language arts work, they’ve been reading “Rattenborough’s Guide to Animals.”
“Rattenborough's Guide to Animals” is a Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) third-grade reading and language arts unit that uses the fictional explorer named Rattenborough to teach students about animal classification, characteristics like being warm-blooded or cold-blooded, and concepts like vertebrates and invertebrates. Rattenborough, the unit’s nonfiction reader, provides factual information and reinforces vocabulary and content. Their students have been reading about the differences between herbivores, omnivores and carnivores and later completed the lesson with a craft project and word search puzzle.
“Rattenborough's Guide to Animals” is a Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) third-grade reading and language arts unit that uses the fictional explorer named Rattenborough to teach students about animal classification, characteristics like being warm-blooded or cold-blooded, and concepts like vertebrates and invertebrates. Rattenborough, the unit’s nonfiction reader, provides factual information and reinforces vocabulary and content. Their students have been reading about the differences between herbivores, omnivores and carnivores and later completed the lesson with a craft project and word search puzzle.
Intermediate School Nurse Arienne Patzelt, R.N. recently visited Jessica Gurrieri’s third-graders for an important handwashing lesson!
She demonstrated to students how germs travel with germ gel and a blue light. They were able to see how washing one’s hands the right way makes the germs go away, versus how just using water doesn’t work. This demonstration made and abstract concept like germ transmission concrete and memorable because it offered an immediate and undeniable visual consequence related to hygiene practices.
Make handwashing a habit by reminding yourself and others to wash hands at key times: Before preparing or eating food, after using the restroom, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, after touching animals or their waste, and after handling garbage. Use soap and water to thoroughly scrub hands for at least 20 seconds, focusing on the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails, to prevent the spread of germs
Using germ gel and a blue light is a hands-on, visual way to demonstrate how germs spread and the importance of proper handwashing. The "germs" are simulated using a gel or powder that contains tiny, fluorescent particles that are invisible under normal light.
She demonstrated to students how germs travel with germ gel and a blue light. They were able to see how washing one’s hands the right way makes the germs go away, versus how just using water doesn’t work. This demonstration made and abstract concept like germ transmission concrete and memorable because it offered an immediate and undeniable visual consequence related to hygiene practices.
Make handwashing a habit by reminding yourself and others to wash hands at key times: Before preparing or eating food, after using the restroom, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, after touching animals or their waste, and after handling garbage. Use soap and water to thoroughly scrub hands for at least 20 seconds, focusing on the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails, to prevent the spread of germs
Using germ gel and a blue light is a hands-on, visual way to demonstrate how germs spread and the importance of proper handwashing. The "germs" are simulated using a gel or powder that contains tiny, fluorescent particles that are invisible under normal light.
Anthony Pascarelli’s ES kindergarteners, like all district kindergarteners, are working on developing and perfecting their manipulative skills in physical education class. Take a peek!
Manipulative skills are practiced in physical education to achieve expertise in a particular activity. Children learn and require patience and determination to attain basic manipulation skills, as well as learning accuracy and applicable force.
In this instance, students are throwing and catching using a bean bag. And, Mr. Pascarelli is showing them some challenges, or “tricks” as he’s telling them, that they can do on their own with a bean bag. If you have one at home, ask your student to show you!
Manipulative skills are practiced in physical education to achieve expertise in a particular activity. Children learn and require patience and determination to attain basic manipulation skills, as well as learning accuracy and applicable force.
In this instance, students are throwing and catching using a bean bag. And, Mr. Pascarelli is showing them some challenges, or “tricks” as he’s telling them, that they can do on their own with a bean bag. If you have one at home, ask your student to show you!
Kindergarten music classes are always so cute!
Take a peek at Cliff Loretto’s ES kindergarteners happily involved in their recent “First Steps in Music” work. This is part of the curriculum for all district kindergarteners which focuses on “movement for form and expression.” What better way to be expressive than by listening to Anton Dvořák’s “Humoresque,” one of his most well-known works. Activities like this help children experience the expressive qualities in music through movement experiencing musical form through organized movements.
Following this, they transitioned into similar work singing the spoken chant called, “Chop Chop Chippity Chop," which teaches about steady beat through repetitive actions and a steady rhythm, often using hand motions like chopping to a beat, similar to preparing ingredients for soup! They had some interesting ingredients, too, such as carrots, broccoli and noodles!
Dvořák's "Humoresque," referring to the famous Humoresque No. 7 from his piano cycle Humoresques, Op. 101 (1894), is a highly popular, light-hearted character piece known for its catchy, whimsical melody and cheerful mood, featuring characteristics such as pentatonic melodies and syncopated rhythms. The piece was so successful that it was arranged for various instruments.
Take a peek at Cliff Loretto’s ES kindergarteners happily involved in their recent “First Steps in Music” work. This is part of the curriculum for all district kindergarteners which focuses on “movement for form and expression.” What better way to be expressive than by listening to Anton Dvořák’s “Humoresque,” one of his most well-known works. Activities like this help children experience the expressive qualities in music through movement experiencing musical form through organized movements.
Following this, they transitioned into similar work singing the spoken chant called, “Chop Chop Chippity Chop," which teaches about steady beat through repetitive actions and a steady rhythm, often using hand motions like chopping to a beat, similar to preparing ingredients for soup! They had some interesting ingredients, too, such as carrots, broccoli and noodles!
Dvořák's "Humoresque," referring to the famous Humoresque No. 7 from his piano cycle Humoresques, Op. 101 (1894), is a highly popular, light-hearted character piece known for its catchy, whimsical melody and cheerful mood, featuring characteristics such as pentatonic melodies and syncopated rhythms. The piece was so successful that it was arranged for various instruments.
¿Adivina Quién?
For the last few weeks, the Spanish 1 Jacqueline Mazariegos’ Spanish 1 students have been reviewing seventh-grade vocabulary. To put that review into practice Alycia DeVito's and Sra. Mazariegos' classes recently participated in an activity to review basic physical descriptions and informal speaking using ¿Adivina Quién? (Guess Who?) game.
Students used different pictures and boards to practice their Spanish vocabulary. It was also an informal way to introduce speaking with classmates. Speaking is one of the areas that gets evaluated at the end of year proficiency exam. Bien hecho, todos!
The ¿Adivina Quién? game is the Spanish version of the classic board game "Guess Who?", where players ask yes-or-no questions to identify a hidden opponent's character based on their physical features and accessories. Designed to help students practice Spanish vocabulary for physical characteristics, the game can also be adapted to include other themes like shapes, colors, or personality traits for language learning.
For the last few weeks, the Spanish 1 Jacqueline Mazariegos’ Spanish 1 students have been reviewing seventh-grade vocabulary. To put that review into practice Alycia DeVito's and Sra. Mazariegos' classes recently participated in an activity to review basic physical descriptions and informal speaking using ¿Adivina Quién? (Guess Who?) game.
Students used different pictures and boards to practice their Spanish vocabulary. It was also an informal way to introduce speaking with classmates. Speaking is one of the areas that gets evaluated at the end of year proficiency exam. Bien hecho, todos!
The ¿Adivina Quién? game is the Spanish version of the classic board game "Guess Who?", where players ask yes-or-no questions to identify a hidden opponent's character based on their physical features and accessories. Designed to help students practice Spanish vocabulary for physical characteristics, the game can also be adapted to include other themes like shapes, colors, or personality traits for language learning.
CONGRATULATIONS to the senior members of the Cross Country Team, who were honored on their recent senior night! Thank you for your many contributions to the teams' success!
GIRLS TEAM: Audrey Defazio Schultz, Olivia Dzierzek, Lauren Figueroa, Merlot Hindley, Kathryn Jones and Concettina Siena!
BOYS TEAM: Caleb Decker, Nolan Mann, Luciano Palacios, Carter Rossi, Gabriel Simpson and Owen Skinner!
GIRLS TEAM: Audrey Defazio Schultz, Olivia Dzierzek, Lauren Figueroa, Merlot Hindley, Kathryn Jones and Concettina Siena!
BOYS TEAM: Caleb Decker, Nolan Mann, Luciano Palacios, Carter Rossi, Gabriel Simpson and Owen Skinner!
