Congratulations to the district’s Odyssey of the Mind teams, who creatively, confidently and joyfully represented the district at this past weekend’s New York State Odyssey of the Mind Region 5 competition at Orange-Ulster BOCES in Goshen!
Here’s how they fared:
•High School/Division III
--- Fourth-place for “AstronOMical Odyssey!” with 253.38 points out of 350!
•Middle School/Division II
--- Third place for “The OM-Mazing Race” with 313.20 points out of 350!
•Otisville Elementary/Division I
--- Seventh-place for “AstronOMical Odyssey! “with 295.36 points out of 350!
While the teams do not advance to the next round of competition, they are all winners for their dedication and commitment to this very unique and imaginative competition! Please join us in congratulating them for their accomplishments!
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. The Odyssey of the Mind program
Congratulations to Juniors Sigourney-Page Kinzonzi and Siyassa Mathis, who were nominated by their teachers and recognized and honored by the Town of Wallkill on Feb. 27 as part of the town’s Black History Month recognition events. Both were recognized for their demonstrated leadership, academic achievements, diversity and social values in the greater Minisink Valley community.
WHAT A GREAT EXAMPLE OF INTER-SCHOOL COOPERATION!
Kudos to the students in Christopher Tuthill’s High School “Architecture” class for their design and build of a terrific platform for the Otisville Elementary Drama Club! Thank you to all involved!
Short-term, these elementary students will be using it in their upcoming performances of Willy Wonka KIDS! Be sure you mark your calendars for their March 4 and 5 performances at 6:30 p.m. in the Otisville cafetorium. Admission is free!
The Boys Varsity Basketball Team honored its seniors for their dedication and commitment to the team at the team's recent Senior Recognition Night!
Congratulations and best wishes to: Max Earl, Nashaun Green, Angel Rodriguez, Nick Hughes, Jeremiah Phanor, Ian Tanous, Nik Marrero, Jaiden Calcano and Dominic Marasco!
And....they're off!
Thank you to everyone who took part in this afternoon’s CLAP OUT to wish our eight wrestlers competing in the inaugural NYSPHSAA Girls Wrestling Championship good luck, best wishes and much success at tomorrow’s tournament!
You got this, ladies, and we’re thrilled you’re representing Minisink Valley in this first-ever girls wrestling championship tournament! We're rooting for you! Please share your good wishes below!
Congratulations and best wishes to members of the senior members of the Varsity Cheer team, who were honored and recognized for their many contributions to the team’s success during their recent Senior Night and Cheer Showcase: Jillian Babcock, Natalie Christiano, Sara Delmar, Cara Durlester, Emma Gutzeit, Kaitlyn Howell and Mia Lockowitz!
Members of the Minisink Youth Cheer program and the team showcased their routines during this gathering!
The varsity girls and boys indoor track & field programs capped their invitational season in winning style this past weekend at the Garden State Open, hosted by The Armory Track & Field Center. The teams had nine podium finishers and six event winners in their final tune-up for the Section IX State Qualifier.
Minisink Valley once again drew on the strength of its relays, sweeping the boys' and girls' 4x400 meter relays to close the meet, outdueling Section IX rivals Monroe-Woodbury in both races.
The girls quartet of Zoey Terpak, Kaleigh Murphy, Lyla LaBarbera and Ferrah Hill eased to the win in 4:07.07, good for #1 in the section this season. Not to be outdone, the boys' squad of Benjamin Spevak, Robert LaBarbera, Jon Mausling and Samuel Anderson stormed to victory in a thrilling lean at the tape, establishing a new program record and New York #2 mark of 3:21.02 in the process.
Also earning gold medals for Minisink Valley were Samuel Anderson (:48.75, 400-meter dash), Ella Michelitch (5' 6", high jump), and Delila Kronimus (11' 6") and Logan Schupner (15' 6") in the pole vault.
Tyler Cloidt (11' 6", pole vault) and the girls 4x200 team of Murphy, Chloe Beck, Terpak and Kessler Hirsch earned fifth place medals, while Michelitch nabbed the final podium position in the long jump (16' 3").
The teams now have their eyes set on advancing individual athletes and relay teams to the NYSPHSAA/Federation Championships, with the Section IX State Qualifier to be hosted by The Armory Track & Field Center on Saturday, March 1.
Reminder! Minisink Valley has partnered with Paper, an online tutoring service, to provide students in Grades 6 through 12 with the ability to access live tutors seven days a week, 24 hours a day. High School students and family members have unlimited access to trained tutors so every student can ask questions, work through problems and grow their confidence at no cost to families. Learn more: https://www.minisink.com/page/paper-online-tutoring-for-grades-6-12
Brendan McGann’s College Forensic Science and High School elective students recently completed studying bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). What a bloody mess!
In this lab, students recreated actions that cause various bloodshed. They were then asked to interpret bloodstain patterns from various scenarios.
Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is a forensic science technique that examines bloodstains at a crime scene to recreate events. It's used to reconstruct crimes like homicides, types of batteries, burglaries, and hit-and-run accidents.
BPA uses principles of biology, physics and math to help investigators solve crimes. In a forensic science class, students learn how to interpret bloodstain patterns to answer questions about a crime. They also learn how blood behaves when it leaves the body, including how it follows gravity and surface tension. Additionally, students learn how to categorize bloodstains into types like gunshot spatter, cast-off, and arterial spray.
• BPA helps investigators determine the nature of the force used in the attack.
• It helps determine the type of injuries sustained by the victim.
• It helps determine how long ago the crime occurred.
• It helps determine whether the victim died immediately or after some time.
• It helps determine the position of the victim and the perpetrator.
The varsity girls and boys indoor Track & Field programs opened their postseason schedule with the Section IX Class A Championships, hosted by the United States Military Academy at West Point this past Saturday. The Minisink Valley squads each competed in 18 event areas against the 13 other largest districts in the section, with the boys' placing fifth and the girls' finishing 8th! Well-done to everyone!
The boys amassed a total of 40 points and crowned three individual sectional champions, earning event area victories from:
• Samuel Anderson (600-meters, 1:22.35)
• Robert LaBarbera (300-meter dash, :36.03)
• The 4x400 meter relay team of Anderson, LaBarbera, Jon Mausling and Benjamin Spevak (3:26.50).
Also turning in top-six, point-scoring performances were Tyler Cloidt (second-place, pole vault), LaBarbera (fifth-place, 55-meter dash) and the 4x200 meter relay team of Vaughn Hill, Rogan Lynch, Jordan Mabra and Angel Mendez (sixth-place).
With a total of 24 points, the girls team scored podium finishes from the 4x400 meter relay team of Ferrah Hill, Lyla LaBarbera, Kaleigh Murphy and Zoey Terpak (second-place), the 4x200 meter relay team of Chloe Beck, Kessler Hirsch, Olivia Sierra and Julia Kronimus (third-place), Delila Kronimus (third place, pole vault and fifth place, 55-meter hurdles) and Beck (fifth-place, long jump).
Prior to contesting the Section IX State Qualifier the first weekend in March, the teams will prepare for the peak of the winter season with a pair of invitationals at The Armory Track & Field Center. SEE MORE PHOTOS on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
Hopefully everyone remembers that Senior amd Varsity Flag Football quarterback Vanessa Tepper was selected by the New York Giants organization as its 2024 "Heart of a Giant" award recipient! As part of her award, the district is receiving a $10,000 grant for its Flag Football Program. And...Vanessa was given a trip and tickets for two to the game! She took her dad, Varsity Flag Football Coach Mike Tepper with her! We know they had the best time at the game and represented Minisink Valley with distinction!
Congratulations and best wishes to the senior members of the Girls Varsity Wrestling Team: Patricia Deslandes, Giavanna Gangi, Shelby Potter and Vanessa Tepper! They were honored for the many contributions to the team’s success during the team’s Feb. 4 Senior Night!
Vincent Napolitano’s High School Earth Science classes are learning about dew points and relative humidity.
As part of their studies, a recent lab tasked them with determining determine the dewpoint and relative humidity of different locations to understand how different conditions can influence weather variables. They undertook testing in their classroom, at high school’s natatorium and outdoors using pool water, a beakers of water, infrared thermometers and strips of paper.
They held paper at each location for two minutes, and used infrared thermometers to record the dry temperature. The same procedure was repeated after dipping the paper into their water source, waving it for a minute and then recording the wet temperature.
Their findings reinforced that in air which has very few water vapor molecules (dry or arid air), evaporation will greatly exceed condensation and cooling will exceed heating. As the amount of water vapor in the air (humidity) increases, more and more condensation occurs and the net energy loss decreases until at saturation, there is no net cooling.
Understanding dew points and relative humidity in Earth Science class is crucial because they are key indicators of the amount of moisture in the air, directly impacting weather patterns like cloud formation, precipitation, fog, and even our perceived comfort levels, making them essential tools for interpreting and predicting weather conditions. These factors help us understand how much water vapor is present in the atmosphere and when it might condense into liquid form, like dew or rain.
The High School Science Speakers Series continued on Feb. 3, where speakers who excelled in science, graduated college, and transitioned to the workforce come in and speak to students who are enrolled in the college level science classes.
Thank you to Nathaniel Garcia, manager of the Pfizer School of Science in New York City, for visiting the high school today! Mr. Garcia is a scientist and educator with Pfizer, and developed Luminex-based antibody quantification immunoassays in support of SARS-CoV-2, RSV, Pneumococcal, and other vaccine programs. He’s a holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Manhattan University.
More speakers are planned for this Science Speakers Series. Please join us in thanking Mr. Garcia for taking the time to meet with students and show and talk to them about the wonderful possibilities that can become a reality with hard work and determination.
Congratulations and best wishes to the senior members of the Boys Varsity Swimming and Diving team, who were honored for their contributions to the team during the team’s Jan. 30 Senior Night:
• Anthony Cucuzza
• Drew Jashembowski
• Christopher Rickard
• Lukas Struble
And....they're off!
Thank you to everyone who took part in tonight's CLAP OUT to wish our Section IX Boys Varsity Dual Meet champions good luck, best wishes and much success at Saturday's NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Championship meet!
You got this, gentlemen! We're rooting for you!
The Girls Varsity Wrestling Team competed fiercely at the recent, inaugural New York Girls State Dual Wrestling Championship, earning third place! They continue to be a powerhouse! Well-done to all!
It’s always great when former students come to visit! That was the case when High School Sophomore Elijah Zittel visited Otisville Elementary and read to Cynthia Muccari’s and Tasha Buchler’s second and third-graders, as part of the class’s recent National Compliment Day activities. Elijah read Kevin Henkes’ “Chrysanthemum,” the story of a little mouse who is teased because of her long name. With the help of a music teacher who also has a long name, Chrysanthemum learns that her name is special and she should be proud of it. It's a wonderful book about self-esteem and acceptance. Afterward, students shared compliments about each other in a scoot writing activity. They also learned more about Elijah and the high school! WELL-DONE, Elijah!
Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Freestyle Wrestling Team, which delivered a standout performance at the recent "Dame of Thrones" Tournament, showcasing their skills and determination. The team won first place with a total of 317 team points!
Individual Achievements
●Patricia Deslandes was the star of the day, earning first place in the A Bracket. Her powerful wrestling and tactical skill on the mat were unmatched, as she dominated her opponents to secure the top spot in her division.
●Jaida Macaluso wrestled her way to a strong third place finish in the A Bracket. Her tenacity and resilience were evident throughout the tournament, as she fought hard in each match and earned a well-deserved spot on the podium.
●Sara Pauls won second place in the A Bracket. Her determination to wrestle through tough competition paid off, and she showcased a blend of technical skill and grit. opponents.
●Kiera Filip also earned third place in the A Bracket. Her ability to keep her composure under pressure and execute her techniques effectively led her to a spot among the tournament's top wrestlers.
Varsity Coaches Dan Gallo and Travis Edwards said these collective achievements are solidifying the team's reputation as one of the top regional wrestling teams!
High School families: Reminder:
The deadline to pre-order the High School Yearbook is Saturday, Jan. 25. Don't miss out!
