An Important Message from the Superintendent - June 9, 2021

Dear Pocantico Families-

At this morning’s Special Pocantico Hills Health/Safety Reopening Committee Meeting, the Committee approved the following modification to our Reopening Plan to include the modifications authorized by the New York State Department of Health (Memo/Master Guidance - click here), in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations for outdoor mask/facial covering requirements:

  • Beginning Thursday, June 10, 2021,  while still encouraged, masks/facial coverings will no longer be required outdoors on Pocantico Hills grounds for all members of the POCO community (children & adults).  This modification covers ALL outdoor activities as described in the NYSDOH guidelines.

 ***As parents, you still have the option of having your children wear masks outdoors.  Please contact your children’s teachers directly if you choose this option.****

 This modification does not change any other aspect/requirement of the health/safety standards of the Reopening Plan.

We are making progress and I ask everyone to keep “their eyes on the prize,” as we balance a return to normal with a focus on keeping everyone safe!

Respectfully,

Rich

ANNUAL BUDGET VOTE AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION RESULTS - MAY 18, 2021

PROPOSITION NO. 1 – 2021-2022 BUDGET VOTE

Shall the Board of Education of this school district be authorized to expend the sums set forth in the proposed 2021-2022 Annual Budget in the amount of $30,274,775 and to levy the necessary tax therefore?

YES  116        NO  25

PROPOSITION NO. 2 – ROOFING PROJECT

Shall the following resolution be adopted:

RESOLVED, that the District is hereby authorized to undertake a project consisting of certain renovations, additions, alterations and improvements to the District’s facilities and related campus, including roof reconstruction and improvements, and expend therefore a total sum not to exceed $1,500,000, which is estimated to be the total maximum cost thereof, and to pay for such project by spending $1,500,000 from the Capital Reserve approved by the District’s voters in May of 2017.

YES  122       NO  19

PROPOSITION NO. 3 – CAPITAL PROJECT PHASE 1

Shall the following resolution be adopted:

RESOLVED, that the District is hereby authorized to undertake a project consisting of certain renovations, additions, alterations and improvements to the District’s facilities and related campus and expend therefore a total sum not to exceed $7,250,000, which is estimated to be the total maximum cost thereof, and to pay for such project by spending $7,250,000 from the Capital Reserve approved by the District’s voters in May of 2017.

YES  116       NO 25

PROPOSITION NO. 4 – ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPITAL RESERVE #2 FOR CAPITAL PROJECT PHASE 2

Shall the following resolution be adopted:

RESOLVED, that the District is hereby authorized to establish a new ten-year capital reserve pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law in the amount of $10,000,000 to be used for renovations and additions to all District facilities, such reserve fund to be funded from (i) year-end budget surplus funds known as unassigned fund balance, as available, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter for the term of the reserve fund, (ii) transfers of excess monies from Board of Education designated reserves, (iii) amounts from budgetary appropriations from time to time, and (iv) New York State Aid received and made available by the Board of Education from time to time, all as permitted by law.

YES  115      NO  26

CANDIDATES FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

The election of TWO (2) Board of Education members will take place at the same time as the vote on the school Budget.  Board of Education members to be elected as follows:  One (1) seat for the term of three (3) years commencing July 1, 2021 and terminating on June 30, 2024.  One (1) unexpired seat for the term of one (1) year commencing on May 19, 2021 and terminating on June 30, 2022.

113                    Brian Geary                               Term (3 year)

86                    Charlie Minton                            Term (1 year)

Write Ins (6)

Here at Pocantico Hills

  • Eighth-graders cooked crepes with their French class.

    Eighth-graders in Katell McNamara's French class cooked up some crepes and had a luncheon feast outside in the tent, complete with sandwiches, salad, cheeses, quiche, pastries and more,

  • An eighth-grader picks out some eggs to make crepes.

    Students cooked dozens of crepes and filled them with strawberries, Nutella, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and other delicious treats.

  • Students serve themselves lunch outside.
  • Eighth-graders preparing lunch with their Spanish class.

    Spanish teacher Giovanni Green and his eighth-grade class cooked up rice, beans, chicken stew and other delicious foods on June 8.

  • Students taste pickles they made.

    Students test pickles that they made to go with the luncheon.

  • A student cooks corn in the Family and Consumer Science room.

    The meal also included corn and, for dessert, chocolate covered strawberries.

  • Teacher Giovanni Green serves up chicken stew.

    Mr. Green served up chicken stew over rice for the eighth-graders.

  • Eighth-grade students posing near the pool on campus.

    Members of the Class of 2021 had good weather and a great time during the “Eighth Grade Stay-Treat” on May 6.

  • Eighth-graders hold up signs that spell out Thursday during a game show on campus.

    They spent the day doing team-building and communication activities and participating in Hollyrock Entertainment’s Gameshow Trivia contest.

  • Students attempt to place a tennis ball balanced on strings on a mark.

    One of the team activities involved moving a ball on strings and attempted to successfully place it on a mark.

  • One student pulls a teammate on a go-cart the team made.

    Another activity was to build and race go-carts (with a teammate as passenger) around the bus circle.

  • Students show off a tower structure they built.

    Student teams also competed to erect the tallest tower structure.

  • Three female students perform a song in the Zoomsical performance of Annie JR.

    After nearly two months of rehearsals, it was time to film the Zoomsical version of Annie JR. on March 19. Twelve of the 14 middle school girls in the show were in person, and two remote learners were at home. The virtual show will premiere soon.

  • Two female students dressed for their parts as Daddy Warbucks and an orphan.

    Cast members spent the morning recording songs with music teacher Michael Murray. They changed into their costumes after lunch. Teachers Ariane Berns and Allison O'Connor, Annie JR. co-directors, took a class last summer on how to put together a Zoomsical -- a Zoom musical. 

  • A male teacher helps a female student prepare her tablet for the performance.

    English teacher Andrew Irons helped set up all the technology and ensured that all the tablets had the appropriate backgrounds, such as the New York City skyline and Daddy Warbucks’ mansion.

  • Two female students in Annie JR. prepare for a performance.

    The 14 cast members are in grades 5-8. "We took a poll of the middle-schoolers to see what they’d be interested in doing, in terms of the musical, and some of them said they just wanted the show to go on, really, no matter how it would go on," Ms. Berns said.

  • Two female students are dressed for their parts: Annie and another orphan.

    Eighth-grader Maggie K., who plays Annie, said it was great to be involved in an afterschool activity. “Even if it’s remote, it’s still something to actually have to do instead of just staying in your house and sitting around watching TV," she said.

  • Pre-kindergarten students dressed as 100-year-old people.

    Pre-kindergarten students dressed up as 100-year-old people for the 100th day of school, enhancing their outfits with canes, mustaches, glasses, jewelry and other items.

  • Kindergarteners wearing special shirts for the 100th day of school.

    Kindergarteners in Christina Povemba's class made special shirts for the 100th day of school by attaching 100 items of their choice -- buttons, stickers, beads and more -- to their outfits.

  • Two kindergarten boys show off their special 100 days of school shirts.

    One kindergartener put 100 Minions stickers on his shirt and another wrote the first letter of his name 100 times.

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