Minisink Valley Central School District -

Thank you to members of American Legion George Smith Post 1607 in Unionville and American Legion Auxiliary George Smith Unit 1607 for visiting the Intermediate School yesterday, May 21, to speak to all fifth-grade classes about the history and meaning of Memorial Day and what they did when they were active duty service personnel. Veterans also assisted in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during morning announcements and even taught some fifth-graders the proper way to salute. Thank you for visiting, and most importantly, thank you for your service!

DATE CHANGE! Due to weather, the Track Scholarship Benefit at Rita's on Dolson Avenue is now SATURDAY, MAY 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. Stop by for a refreshing ice or custard and a portion of your money spent will go to the Tyrell J. Audian Memorial Scholarship at the High School! TJ was a 2019 graduate and dedicated his life to our nation by enlisting in the Marines right out of high school. Tragically, TJ suddenly passed away during a training exercise with his unit. A track scholarship in his honor has been created in collaboration with High School yearbook. Please consider supporting this worthy cause!

Last evening's K-12 Art Show was beyond beautiful! It was bright, colorful, unique creative and full of pride by everyone who attended! We hope you were there! Take a peek at some of our proud student-artists who were thrilled to show their works of art. Did you know that approximately 1,000 students had at least one piece of art on exhibit? THANK YOU to our awesome art faculty in our five buildings for their work to stage such a gorgeous exhibit! We appreciate you! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD

All district kindergarten classes have recent spent time learning about colonial townspeople. As part of their studies, Jessica Kahn’s and Julia Ferguson’s Otisville kindergarteners made butter following how colonialists did! Students shook a jar of heavy whipping cream and watched it transform into butter, later tasting their creation with rolls! Making butter in kindergarten offers a hands-on, engaging way for young students to learn about colonial life. By replicating the process of making butter, they can understand how colonists relied on their own resources, specifically dairy products, to provide essential food. This activity helps them grasp the daily tasks and responsibilities of colonial families, highlighting how they prepared food that is now readily available in stores. In addition to the social studies/history component of making butter, there’s science involved, too! In this activity, these young students learned about the characteristics of liquids and solids. There are fat molecules suspended in the milk liquid. Briskly agitating the heavy whipping cream causes the fat molecules to collide with each other and eventually stick together, making butter!

HOW COOL IS THIS? Several Varsity Flag Football team members recently attended the New York Giants’ “Heart of a Giants” Football and Flag Football Clinic. Former Giants linebacker and team captain Jonathan Casillas worked with the attending student athletes! Along with physical training, it was also an education clinic that taught participants about important sports topics, including keeping athletes safe, mindfulness, emergency action preparedness, warming-up, and more. These workshops were presented by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and USE Football officials and others HSS is the official hospital and doctors for the New York Giants organization. This past fall, Senior and Varsity Flag football quarterback Vanessa Tepper was selected as USA Football’s 2024 "Heart of Giant," with the New York Giants organization announcing her selection at a special, surprise ceremony.

Sixth-graders recently had a fantastic class trip to the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in Lyndhurst, N.J.! Their trip supported their Social Studies work focusing on the Middle Ages by providing an immersive and interactive learning experience! It was a great opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to a real-life understanding of the period through this great dining and theatrical performance opportunity. Take a look! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD •The medieval era, often called the Middle Ages or the Dark Ages, began around 476 A.D. following a great loss of power throughout Europe by the Roman Empire. The Middle Ages span roughly 1,000 years, ending between 1400 and 1450. Though, in Spain, 1492 is considered the end of their medieval period and the beginning of the modern era. •The Middle Ages changed the landscape of Europe through: A surge in Christianity leading to the building of great cathedrals; clearing of large tracts of land by peasants; settling of new towns and villages; and the building of great castles by local nobility The period was one of human expansion, centralization and great political upheaval and violence, resulting in the foundation of many modern European countries.

IMPROV FUN! The High School and Middle School drama clubs recently gathered for a special joint “Yes and…” Improv workshop, led by teachers Teresia Parker, Brendan O’Brien and alumnus Haley Parker who are members of Richmond, Virginia’s ComedySportz performance team! They learned new skills, made new friends and had a lot of fun. “Through a series of activities and improvisational games students bolstered their dramatic art skills and learned life lessons,” said Mrs. Parker. “They learned how to think on their feet, actively listen, trust their teammates, and experience the positive outcomes of saying ‘yes and...’ while building on someone else's ideas. They learned the importance of staying present and recognized that ‘mistakes’ can be gifts. In the theater world, improvisation, or "improv," is a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters, and dialogue of a game, scene, or story are made up in the moment. The method has been used for different purposes in theatrical history.

Otisville K-5 students are taking advantage of today’s gorgeous weather to create some spectacular “chalk art” art, which includes messages of kindness, to welcome voters when they visit the school tomorrow to vote for the proposed school budget and Board of Education candidates. What was also a fun, educational experience for them , arranged by librarian Erin Andersen, was they took part in a “walk and read” activity inspired by Bill Thompson’s book called “Chalk.” His book is a wordless picture book which tells the story of three children who find a bag of magical chalk at the playground on a rainy day. Their drawings come to life, which seems great when a drawing of the sun stops the rain, but is scary when a dinosaur stalks them. However, a drawing of a rain cloud inside a play tube brings the rain back and dissolves the frightening creature . What a great visual and outdoor storytelling opportunity!

THANK YOU to everyone who played a role in the success of the Elementary School's annual Transportation Day, held this past Friday ! Our youngest students had the wonderful opportunity to explore these vehicles which make so many important contributions to our communities...plus meet a K9 dog, too! It was a great educational opportunity! Take a look! As always, we're grateful to the Elementary School PTO for organizing a wonderful experience for our young students! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD

Congratulations to the four students who are winners of the Middle School Library’s recent Bookmark Design Contest! •Eighth-Grade: Gabby DeNonno and Lucia Garcia •Seventh-Grade: Alina Barone and Lily Mausling Their winning designs will be professionally printed and made available for people to take from the library.

The Varsity Unified Basketball team's recent game, featuring a 1980s theme, was "totally tubular!" Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer on the team and made the game so memorable!

The Elementary School team completed kindergarten screening earlier this week! They met some adorable incoming students who were proud to share what they know! The purpose of a screening is to ensure a child is developmentally ready to start kindergarten and may determine whether any additional classroom support may be needed. Screeners look at basic kindergarten readiness skills, including: language, cognitive, gross and fine motor skills. It’s also a great way for us to meet our new students! PLUS: Our soon-to-be students also got a chance to take a short ride on a school bus…how fun is that?

CAN YOU HELP? Mark your calendar, ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! Giving back has never been cooler! Join us at Rita's on Dolson Avenue on Thursday, May 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. for a refreshing ice or custard and a portion of your money spent will go to the Tyrell J. Audian Memorial Scholarship at the High School! TJ was a 2019 graduate and dedicated his life to our nation by enlisting in the Marines right out of high school. Tragically, TJ suddenly passed away during a training exercise with his unit. A track scholarship in his honor has been created in collaboration with High School yearbook. Please consider supporting of this worthy cause!

Kimberly McDermott’s ES second-graders and Lindsey McKernan’s ES kindergarteners recently gathered to teach their young students about composting with worms! Mrs. McKernan recently taught a unit on taking care of the earth to her kindergarten students, where they learned to reduce, reuse and recycle. To culminate the unit, Mrs. McDermott's second-grade class invited Mrs. McKernan's kindergarteners to learn about creating a compost bin ...complete with live red worms! How fun is this? The second-graders took turns teaching the little kindergarten students facts about composting with red worms. Then, these kindergarteners got a chance to hold the worms! (Who doesn’t love holding worms?) Finally, Mrs. McDermott shared some red worms with Mrs. McKernan and the kindergarten students started their own composting bin! What a great intra-school STEM lesson which also teaches students about environmental responsibility, the natural cycles of life, and how to reduce waste. It provides a hands-on learning experience that helps them understand decomposition, soil health, and the importance of recycling.

Sara Casillo’s and Mike Sirico's IS fifth-graders also had some recent goat fun when Minisink Valley parent Erin Ferraro brought her baby goat for them to meet….and take photos with. Who wouldn’t want a photo taken with a baby goat? Take a peek! •The most recent 2022 statistics say that at that time, there were more than 1.1 billion goats living in the world, of which 150 million were in India. • Goats were one of the first animals domesticated by humans, around 9,000 years ago, and they are known for their intelligence and agility, especially their ability to climb. They also have four-chambered stomachs, similar to cows, which helps them digest roughage.

The Varsity Softball Team’s seniors were honored at their recent Senior Night for their many contributions to the team’s success! Congratulations and best wishes to: Heather Ghussin, second base Caitlyn Higby, right field Ryin Perico, first base Natalie Rogers, catcher Ava Smith, catcher/DP

"I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree" - -Yeats Jenn Thibodeau and Catina Brooks' Grade 10 English classes recently took a field trip to explore Innisfree Gardens in Millbrook! Innisfree is considered a world-class garden on 185 acres designed over decades of close collaboration with the land and nestled within a private bowl that wraps around Tyrrel Lake. But before their trip, students read and discussed W.B. Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." The poem explores the idea of finding peace and comfort in nature. Students thought and wrote about how and where they find peace and comfort, and if they felt that a connection with nature is important to the human psyche. On a day when the weather couldn't have been any nicer, students were encouraged to explore and be “fully present.” They also were asked to take pictures of anything they found beautiful or interesting. Their teachers said this brief retreat from the modern world was a perfect way to welcome the gorgeous weather! When returning to class the next day, students reflected on their visit and used specific literary devices to write a personal piece. What a creative way to apply the reading of poetry to nature by having the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors! •"The Lake Isle of Innisfree" is a 12-line poem comprising three quatrains, written by William Butler Yeats in 1888 and first published in the National Observer in 1890. The poem is an attempt to create a form of poetry that was Irish in origin rather than one that adhered to the standards set by English poets and critics. This poem is featured in Irish passports. •Innisfree Gardens takes its name from Yeats’ poem and features streams, waterfalls, terraces, retaining walls, rocks and plants based on principles of Chinese and Japanese landscape design. Most of the plants are native, and rocks come from the local forest. Tyrrel Lake is a large, deep glacial lake from which water is pumped into a hillside reservoir, and thence to the garden's water features.

The Varsity Track & Field Team’s seniors were honored at their recent Senior Night for their many contributions to the team’s success! Congratulations and best wishes to: Samuel Anderson - sprints & relays Ryan Capo - distance Brian Capper - distance Tyler Cloidt - jumps, throws & multi-events Vaughn Hill - sprints & relays Vincent Howard - sprints Julia Kronimus - sprints & jumps Dominic Marasco - sprints & jumps Justin Mauras - jumps Gavin Morse - throws Emily Murphy - distance Kaleigh Murphy - sprints & relays Xavier Rosales - throws & sprints Logan Schupner - pole vault, hurdles & jumps Madeline Sierra - sprints & relays Olivia Sierra - sprints & relays Helena Sopin - throws Benjamin Spevak - sprints & relays Zoey Terpak - sprints, relays & jumps Sarah Winner - sprints, hurdles & jumps

Congratulations to Senior Golfer Chris Rickard for advancing to the Section IX Championship! Chris shot an incredible round of 73 at West Point on Monday, falling short of the title by one stroke to the #2 ranked player in New York State. Chris also received the 2025 Chuck Reynolds Sportsmanship Award which is voted on by the OCIAA Coaches. Coach Reynolds was a dedicated teacher and passionate coach at Minisink Valley who lost his battle with cancer in 2015. The Section IX Championships begin Tuesday, May 20 at Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston!

The Middle School’s Pet Club has been fortunate enough to have some recent and very esteemed guests! Take a look! Students had the recent opportunity to learn about goats, ducks and chickens from Minisink Valley parent Erin O’Neill Ferraro. They also learned about proper rescue of backyard wildlife from Middle School eighth-grade science teacher and certified animal rehabilitator Diana Lucas. She showed pictures of some of the animals she has been able to help and what to do if they find an injured animal. Plus: students also met the two bearded dragons she keeps in her classroom and learned more about them and the care they require. Students also met bunny breeder and show owner Melissa Ordway. Her family raises and breeds show rabbits. She brought with her eight bunnies, including two babies, and spoke to students about breeds, proper care and the responsibilities necessary for keeping these animals. Advisor Kristine Ostensen and the Pet Club are thankful to all the volunteers who have come to their meetings to educate, support and share their animals with us this year. The Middle School’s Pet Club has been fortunate enough to have some recent and very esteemed guests! Students had the recent opportunity to learn about goats, ducks and chickens from Minisink Valley parent Erin O’Neill Ferraro. They also learned about proper rescue of backyard wildlife from Middle School teacher and certified animal rehabilitator Diana Lucas. She showed pictures of some of the animals she has been able to help and what to do if they find an injured animal. Plus: students also met the two bearded dragons she keeps in her classroom and learned more about them and the care they require. Students also met bunny breeder and show owner Melissa Ordway. Her family raises and breeds show rabbits. She brought with her eight bunnies, including two babies, and spoke to students about breeds, proper care and the responsibilities necessary for keeping these animals. Advisor Kristine Ostensen and the Pet Club are thankful to all the volunteers who have come to their meetings to educate, support and share their animals with us this year.