Minisink Valley Central School District -

Cliff Loretto’s ES second-grade music students are working on reading and performing simple rhythmic patterns in duple meter, with an emphasis on visually decoding notation and transferring that understanding to performance.
Students are engaging with familiar and unfamiliar song material as part of Unit 1 of the Conversational Solfege curriculum, which emphasizes sound-before-symbol learning, audiation and the gradual development of rhythmic literacy.

As part of this, students were practicing a clapping ostinato used to accompany the playground song “Money Honey.” Prior to this, students listened to Mr. Loretto model the song, reinforcing internalized pitch and steady beat before formal singing was introduced. This preparatory work supports rhythmic accuracy, ensemble skills, and musical independence as students prepare to learn and perform the song themselves later this month.

•Duple meter is a way music is organized using groups of two beats: Weak and strong. When young students learn about this, they’re learning to feel the beat, count aloud, emphasizing “beat 1,” and create and repeat simple patterns.
• Teaching decoding notation to second graders helps them to understand, perform, and create music independently, just as learning letters helps them read and write.
•A clapping ostinato is a short rhythm pattern that is clapped repeatedly while other music is happening.

SENIOR NIGHT!
Congratulations and best wishes to Varsity wrestling seniors Keira Filip, Jaida Macaluso and Avery Wingen, who were honored during the team's recent Senior Night!
THANK YOU for dedication, hard work and many contributions to the team's success!

It’s Kindness Week at the Intermediate School! Jen Kemmerer’s and David Mellan’s fourth-graders are creating some very thoughtful and color posters reminding everyone why kindness is important!

THE CRITTERS ARE HERE!
Joan Giardina’s IS third-grade art students finished up their watercolor “wet-on-wet” winterscape paintings with the inclusion of adorable forest critters to complete their work! Aren’t they just too cute?

Adriana Eichwald’s Otisville fourth-graders regularly engage in partner reading, an essential practice that supports deeper comprehension, academic language development, and independent learning as students progress through grade levels.
As texts become more complex, students benefit from structured collaboration because comprehension, discussion, and critical-thinking are important academic tools in upper grades!

The recent snowfall offers the perfect opportunity to catch a snowman, doesn’t it?

Erin Andersen’s Otisville kindergarten library students learned some tips about how to do just that when she read Adam Wallace’s “How to Catch a Snowman” to them. The book tells the story of the "Catch Club Kids," who build a snowman for a contest, but it magically comes to life and runs away, leading to a winter-themed chase with clever traps to catch it!

REMINDER: Reading to young students supports their learning, language development, and love of reading at a critical stage in their growth! Plus, they get a good story—which makes learning fun and memorable! A great story can spark laughter, imagination, and a lifelong love of books all at once!

DO NOT COOK ON FEB. 1!
Who doesn't love a good Burrito Bowl?
Support the High School's Step Dance Team and dine at Chipotle in Middletown! Details are below!

PICKLEMINTON? YES!!!
Take a peek at Stephanie Giufre’s Otisville second through fifth-grade students and how good they are at playing this unique combination of pickleball and badminton!

"PickleMinton" gives players the strung racquet feel of badminton and tennis, the ease of play and low impact of pickleball, and the excitement of table tennis!

Students learn paddle and volleying skills with a net sport and had some intense one-on-one games in round robin style with the winner being crowned “King or Queen of the Mountain!”

Some classes even had guest players School Resource Officer Jamie Johnson and Security Guard Brendan Hoolan showing off their skills!

Rachel Forde’s and Julia Ferguson’s Otisville third-graders spent some time earlier this week talking about the life and legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. which included reading Doreen Rappaport's “Martin’s Big Words” and creating their own graphic organizers!

A graphic organizer is a simple visual tool that helps students organize their thoughts and information so learning is easier to understand and remember. Teachers use graphic organizers to help kids plan writing, understand reading, and sort ideas.

Congratulations to the five members of the Varsity Football Team who were recently named to 2025 All-Star teams by the New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA)

• 1st Team: Senior Max Wickrath, DB
“Max is a versatile, explosive athlete known for his speed, toughness, and instincts,” said Head Coach Kevin Gallagher. “As a slot receiver, he’s a reliable target with breakaway speed and elusiveness in space. On defense, he’s a hard- hitting safety with a nose for the ball and excellent play recognition. Add in his electric kick return ability, and Max is a true three-phase game-changer.”
Max finished the season with eight interceptions from the safety position and two of those were returned for touchdowns. He finished with 44 tackles on the year, 24 solo and 20 assisted. Max was a kick returner who averaged close to 30 yards per return, while also scoring 1 touchdown. On offense he had 27 catches for 410 yards and 3 touchdowns as a receiver. As a rusher Max ran for 218 yards and an additional three rushing touchdowns.

• 2nd Team: Senior Zach Filip, RB
“Zach is the kind of athlete every team wants in their locker room—gritty, dependable, and relentlessly driven” said Coach Gallagher. “Known for his tireless work ethic and consistent performance, he leads not with words, but through action. Zach embodies resilience and accountability on and off the field.”
Zach rushed 209 times for 1,503 yards and 24 touchdowns. Zach averaged an impressive 7.19 yards per carry and 136.6 yards a game. His 24 rushing touchdowns is a school record for most in a single season.

• 2nd team: Senior Jayden Pressley, OL
A versatile and relentless two-way lineman, Jayden excels at both offensive tackle and on the defensive line, Jayden brings a strong understanding of the game to every position played,” said Coach Gallagher. “Known for his leadership on and off the field, Jayden sets the standard in the locker room and the classroom, maintaining high academic standing while balancing a demanding athletic schedule. Coaches and teammates praise Jayden for a tireless work ethic,
physical toughness, and an unshakable commitment to team success.”
Jayden was an anchor on both the offensive and defensive line. He led an offensive unit that rushed for nearly 3,000 yards. He did not allow a sack this season on over 100 passing attempts. Jayden also set a single season record of 15 sacks in a season, while now being the school’s all-time leader with 18 total He added an additional 63 total tackles and an interception.

• 5th Team: Senior Robert LaBarbera, QB
“A standout in the Class of 2026, Robert is a dynamic quarterback known for his leadership, athleticism, and relentless drive to succeed,” Coach Gallagher said. “As a natural athlete with excellent field vision and quick decision-making, he commands the huddle with confidence well beyond his years. He excels in the classroom, maintaining strong academic performance while balancing the demands of varsity athletics. Whether leading a comeback on Friday night or setting the tone in team meetings, he consistently sets the standard through his work ethic, discipline, and unshakable focus on growth.”
Robert finished the season with 1,086 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes, while also adding 1,135 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

• Honorable Mention: Junior Mike Moran, K
“Mike this season was 3 for 4 on field goals, with a long of 28 yards,” said Coach Gallagher. “Forty-eight of 53 on extra points, and accumulated a total 57 team points this season. Mike worked hard in the offseason to gain experience and make sure his team could count on him. His hard work paid off, as he was the difference in the Section IX championship game, with a field goal that gave us a 24-21 victory.”

Jessica Kahn’s Otisville kindergarteners, like all district kindergarteners, have been focusing on the question, "How can you tell which group has more?" during their math lessons. They’ve learning different ways to compare two groups of objects, such as letters, bugs or hearts, to figure out which group has more.

The idea “How can you tell which group has more?” is important in kindergarten because it builds the foundation for how children understand numbers, quantities, and math reasoning.

To begin, students used their names to explore the concepts of length and quantity. Each letter was written on the same-sized paper, and the letters were connected to create a “name train.” By comparing these name trains, students observed that longer trains contain more letters, while shorter trains have fewer letters.

For the worksheet, students compared two groups by counting and recording the numbers. They were asked, "Which group has more?" In a complete sentence, a student stated which group had more, and the class circled the corresponding group. As a whole group, students practiced speaking in complete sentences, sharing which group had more and which had fewer.

Comparing groups helps kindergarteners see that numbers represent real amounts, not just words or symbols. Knowing which group has more, fewer, or the same strengthens their sense of quantity. It also helps these little students to think logically, not just count, and practice newly acquired math vocabulary. The idea of know what group has “more” and “less” is essential before children can grasp addition, subtraction and inequalities. PLUS: There important connections to daily kindergarten life, such as: Who has more snacks? Are there enough crayons?

Odyssey of the Mind season is in full swing! The Middle School and Otisville Elementary teams will proudly represent the district at the Region 5 tournament on Feb. 28. It’s not that far off!

Coach Madison Wyman’s Middle School team will be presenting a response to Problem 1: “Off the Rails.” ( We’re not showing all they’re doing to protect the integrity of their creative work!)

For this problem, team become conductors and engineers as they continue to design, build and operate a train vehicle.
As the train travels the course it will have a new car attached at each stop.

Along the route, it will encounter challenges that make the train travel in different ways.

After all of its cargo is picked up, the items will be unloaded and assembled into a work of art.

The performance will also include the use of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, a humorous conductor character and a villain character that tries to prevent the train from getting to its destination.

This requires a tremendous amount of “out-of-the-box” thinking and these students are clearly capable and up for the task!

Ilana Kaufman’s ES second-grade art students are creating some stunningly colorful symmetrical paper masks!

Students looked at masks from around the world including Venetian carnival masks, African Festima masks, and Aztec masks, talking about the use of different materials and patterns. Students are focusing on symmetry and layering paper to make unique paper mask collages. Mask symmetry is important because balanced features help create a sense of harmony and order. Symmetry can also make masks easier to recognize and understand, especially in cultural or ceremonial contexts.

• Venetian carnival masks are traditional masks worn during the Carnival of Venice, historically allowing people to hide their identity and social status. They’re known for ornate designs featuring gold leaf, bright colors, feathers, and symbolic shapes.
• African Festima masks are traditional masks showcased during FESTIMA (Festival International des Masques et des Arts) in Burkina Faso, celebrating the cultural heritage of West African communities. They’re worn in ceremonial dances and performances and often represent spirits, ancestors or natural forces through bold shapes and patterns.
• Aztec masks were ceremonial objects used in rituals, religious ceremonies, and burials in ancient Mesoamerica. They were often made from stone, wood, or turquoise mosaic and represented gods, animals, or powerful spiritual forces.

District fourth-graders are beginning to study Geology in both their ELA and science lessons. Jenna Colman’s Otisville fourth-graders kicked off their studies by learning about the four layers of the Earth.

Do you remember what they are? We’ll help:
The four layers of the Earth are:
1. Crust: The thin outer layer where we live. It includes land and the ocean floor.
2. Mantle: The thick layer beneath the crust. It’s very hot and made of slowly moving rock.
3. Outer core: A layer of melted (liquid) iron and nickel. It helps create Earth’s magnetic field.
4. Inner core: The very hot, solid center of the Earth, also made mostly of iron and nickel.

Students used made clay to make Earth models, using yellow, orange, red and blue clay colors to mimic those four layers, with green mixed with the blue to show land masses. The inner core was a yellow ball; followed by orange to represent the outer core; red for the mantle and blue with green (where appropriate) for the crust. Using fishing line, students cut their Earth models in half so they could see the four layers.
Next up: Lessons on the characteristics of those four layers!

Jonathan Sakadelis’ and Ross Potter’s IS fourth-grade physical education students are having blast playing scooter soccer!

Scooter soccer is a fun, modified version of soccer where players sit on scooters used for propulsion and use their feet (or sometimes hands, depending on rules) to move a large ball and score goals in a gymnasium, emphasizing teamwork, balance and physical activity for students.

Kelly Bernice’s Otisville second-graders have been having a lot of fun with their “Reader’s Theater” gatherings using a script from a story called “The Tortoise and the Hedgehog.”

The story is about a slow tortoise and a fast hedgehog. The hedgehog boasts that he is the fastest and teases the tortoise for being slow. The tortoise calmly accepts a race challenge. The hedgehog runs quickly but becomes careless and overconfident. The tortoise moves slowly and steadily without giving up. In the end, the tortoise wins the race. The moral of the story? Slow and steady effort is better than rushing and bragging.

Each student had a reading role and using a short script, students read their parts aloud. There’s no props, sets or acting required, because their voices are doing “the acting.” All were tasked with providing constructive criticism on how their peers’ reading was, because, as Mrs. Bernice pointed out: “Constructive criticism is meant to make you better at what you do.”

Reader’s Theater help young students improve their reading fluency, expression, confidence and comprehension. Plus: Added bonuses are students learn important teamwork and listening skills!