The Board of Education will hold its Reorganization and Regular Meeting on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 in the School Library at 6:30 p.m. It is anticipated that the Board will immediately convene into Executive Session to discuss the employment of a particular individual. The public session will resume at 7:30 p.m.
For information on registering your child, please click here.
Would you like to help us with the Board Room project by donating school memorabilia? Click here for more information.
The New York State Education Department is requiring that school districts develop an AIS policy for the 2016/2017 school year. This policy must include a second measure and must be uniformly applied to all grade levels. Please see attached for more details.
Congratulations to the 31 eighth-graders who graduated from Pocantico Hills School on June 24!
Dylan Zednik, who won the Harold Akley Award for best overall student, said she created "forever friendships" with so many classmates at Pocantico and "I'll always love them like my brothers and sisters because that's what they are."
Board of Education President Alfred Pacile gave his daughter, Olivia, her diploma at the graduation ceremony.
Outgoing Superintendent Carol Conklin-Spillane, who gave out some of the diplomas, said students have a "long and wonderful road ahead of you. Tonight we don’t celebrate all that you have learned, rather we celebrate all that you have yet to learn."
Teachers lined up after the ceremony to clap for graduates and give them high-fives, a school tradition.
After the ceremony, students posed for photos in the circle with teachers, friends and families.
Students, staff and families enjoyed a dessert reception in the circle after the ceremony.
Children said goodbye to friends and staff members on the last day of school June 25.
Staff members waved goodbye to children for the summer.
Adam Brown, director of curriculum and technology, said goodbye to children as they boarded their bus.
Two friends posed for a photo before getting on their buses.
Children played kickball, soccer, basketball and other games on Field Day in late June.
They also said goodbye to teachers and administrators who left the school district at the end of June. All students helped create original artwork for them.
Gaga ball was one of the highlights of Field Day.
Eighth-graders used drones to take of students and staff on the field as they spelled out POCO with a heart on the end. It was the final piece of a yearlong middle school video project.
Pocantico students who graduated high school returned to the school for a reunion on June 17.
The school held a luncheon on June 14 to celebrate children who learned English as a new language while at Pocantico and their parents.
English language learners at the school come from many countries, including China, Libya, Colombia, Philippines, India and Ecuador.
Eighth-graders received special gifts and a Dr. Seuss book from English as a new language teacher Joy Scantlebury and library media specialist Anne Price-Gordon, who organize the annual event.
“All of you speak another language and that’s so powerful because in this world that we live in, we’re all global citizens,” Ms. Scantlebury said.
Staff members Carolina Reason and Vanessa Knightner, who moved to the U.S. from from Spanish-speaking countries as children, spoke about their struggles and successes learning English.
Second-graders dressed up Fern, Charlotte, Wilbur and other characters on the Zuckerman Farm to perform “Charlotte’s Web” on June 7.
The play has been an annual tradition at the school since 1999.
The production is an extension of a reading unit and gives second-graders to bring the story to life.
This was the final year teachers Lory Rollman and Tina coordinated the show. Both left the district at the end of June.
Students, families, friends and staff had a wonderful time at the annual PTA BBQ and Cultural Celebration.
The PTA served up hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers. Families brought side dishes from their backgrounds and cultures.
Children enjoyed activities like face-painting, Twister, baseball, basketball, soccer, coloring with chalk and playing with beach balls.
Families brought books to donate to the PTA's Book Drive, and they had a chance to discover belongings in the lost-and-found area.
Families also had a chance to meet Pocantico Hills Summer Camp staff members.
Face-painting was one of the most popular activities at the event.
Congratulations to the 17 students who were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society!
Thanks to guest speaker Capt. Steve Zachensky, who was in the Pocantico Class of 2005.
The NJHS honors middle school students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship.
The school band, led by music teacher Michael Murray, marched in the Pocantico Memorial Day Parade.
Children's author and poet Janet Wong read to students during an April 18 visit to the school.
Ms. Wong let children pick objects from her suitcase to determine what story or poem she would read.
The author chose students to help her recite her poem "Noodles."
She challenged students to write poetry during break. Twenty students submitted poems this week, and 10 of received a book donated by the author.
Ms. Wong's visit was organized and made possible by the PTA and Anne Price-Gordon, library media specialist.
The Pocantico Hills School staff believes that each student is a complex and unique person. We are committed to helping our children realize their complete personal potential – academic, creative, physical and emotional. We will ask the students to stretch themselves and help them to discover the rewards of working hard.
We will treat the students with respect and understanding and encourage them to be caring and contributing members of society, students who are thoughtful, honest, fair, kind and self-disciplined.
The ability to recognize, understand, label, express and when necessary, regulate our emotions is critical to our emotional health and success in school. Understanding these skills using the RULER approach provides our students with an opportunity to utilize the Mood Meter—an important component to the Anchors of Emotional Intelligence. Our Mood Meter Mondays allow students to utilize this resource to self-identify their emotion prior to lunch. This provides one data point to assess our students’ emotional well-being and our overall culture and climate at Pocantico at the beginning of each week.
As part of our successful transition back to school, our 8th grade students were charged with creating a school-wide character pledge that reflects our core values—kindness, respect and perseverance. Their successful work was chronicled throughout the week and captured on video Pocantico Character. Our Pocantico Character Pledge is recited each morning following the Pledge of Allegiance as a school community. Again, a special thank you to the class of 2019 and Mr. Murray, Mrs. Carruth and Mrs. Hongell, who facilitated this important work with our students.
As a student of character at Pocantico Hills …
I pledge to not give up when obstacles are in the way. I will persevere.
I will listen to others and use careful words. I will be respectful.
I will smile and greet people in the hallways. I will be kind.
