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HS Senior In Hudson Valley Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides HS Senior In Hudson Valley Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides
HS Senior In Hudson Valley Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides A high school senior from Westchester diagnosed with a learning disability proved anything is possible by being offered a total of $500,000 in scholarships and five full rides from 15 colleges.  Mount Vernon High School senior Mia Vaquero, who will be graduating in June, was accepted into 15 schools and offered a cumulative $500,000 in scholarships, Mount Vernon City School District officials announced on Wednesday, May 24.  The first person in her family to pursue a college education, Vaquero was inspired to work hard in school after seeing how much her parents, who cam…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Hudson Valley HS Seniors Awarded $2.5K Each From National Program Hudson Valley HS Seniors Awarded $2.5K Each From National Program
Hudson Valley HS Seniors Awarded $2.5K Each From National Program Two hard-working high school seniors from Northern Westchester have been awarded $2,500 scholarships each as recognition for their impressive academic achievements.  Armonk residents Remi Matza and Kelsey Vaquero, both seniors at Byram Hills High School, were awarded the funds after being chosen as finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, school district officials announced on Thursday, May 25.  Matza and Vaquero were among the 2,500 scholarship recipients nationwide and were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists.  The program recognizes students …

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Interim Superintendent Named At School District In Northern Westchester Interim Superintendent Named At School District In Northern Westchester
Interim Superintendent Named At School District In Northern Westchester As a Northern Westchester school district's superintendent prepares to take over at a neighboring village, officials have named his temporary replacement.  Mary Fox-Alter will take over as Interim Superintendent of the Ossining Union Free School District beginning on Saturday, July 1, district officials announced.  She will replace Raymond Sanchez, who will depart to begin leading the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns on the same date.  Earlier Report - Tarrytown Public Schools' New Superintendent Comes From Neighboring District The former superintendent of th…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
New Principal Named At School In Northern Westchester New Principal Named At School In Northern Westchester
New Principal Named At School In Northern Westchester An elementary school in Northern Westchester will soon have a new principal who says he is dedicated to making sure families are involved in their children's education.  Rob Schliessman has been named the new principal of the Kensico School located in Valhalla, according to Valhalla Union Free School District officials.  Schliessman will be officially appointed by the district's school board during their meeting on Tuesday, June 6, and will start on Saturday, July 1. He will be taking over the position from the longtime principal Matt Curran, who will be retiring at the end o…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Brewster HS Student Admitted To West Point: 'Every Challenge Is Good' Brewster HS Student Admitted To West Point: 'Every Challenge Is Good'
Brewster HS Student Admitted To West Point: 'Every Challenge Is Good' A high school senior from the Hudson Valley will attend West Point after pushing through a rigorous application process in search of opportunities that his parents never had.  Senior Suhaan Akula from Brewster High School in Putnam County is one of the over 1,000 students across the US who was admitted into West Point for the 2023-24 school year, Brewster Central School District Communications Specialist Jessica Medoff announced on Thursday, May 18.  In order to attend the school, located in Orange County in the town of Highlands, Akula had to endure a competitive application proc…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
New Principal Named At School In Northern Westchester New Principal Named At School In Northern Westchester
New Principal Named At School In Northern Westchester The search for a new middle school principal in a Northern Westchester district ended up settling on a candidate very close to home.  Donald Peters has been named the new principal of Peekskill Middle School, Peekskill City School District Superintendent David Mauricio announced on Wednesday, May 17.  Mauricio's recommendation of Peters, who was already serving as interim principal at the school, was accepted by the district's school board during their meeting on Tuesday, May 16.  Before serving as the school's interim principal, Peters held the position of assistant pr…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
New Superintendent In Hudson Valley Comes From Neighboring District New Superintendent In Hudson Valley Comes From Neighboring District
New Superintendent In Hudson Valley Comes From Neighboring District A school district in Westchester has named their next leader who will be coming from a neighboring district in the county. Raymond Sanchez will serve as the next superintendent of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, district officials announced on Wednesday, May 17.  Sanchez's appointment will be officially finalized during a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 30. He will succeed Chris Borsari, who announced his retirement in November and will serve his last day on Friday, June 30.  Sanchez will be coming to Tarrytown from the Ossining Union Free School D…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Student Turned Politician: 18-Year-Old Elected To NY School Board Student Turned Politician: 18-Year-Old Elected To NY School Board
Student Turned Politician: 18-Year-Old Elected To NY School Board A New York high school senior is going from the classroom to the boardroom - the school boardroom that is. Long Island’s Quinn Bedell, an 18-year-old senior at West Islip High School, was elected to the West Islip Board of Education as a write-in candidate in the election held Tuesday, May 16. “I would like to thank the West Islip community for choosing me to be a trustee on the Board of Education. I am truly honored,” Bedell wrote on Facebook Wednesday, May 17. “I could not have done this without the overwhelming support of this community. I am forever grateful to every one of you and I p…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
New Athletic Director Named At School District In Northern Westchester New Athletic Director Named At School District In Northern Westchester
New Athletic Director Named At School District In Northern Westchester A school district in Northern Westchester has named a new athletic director who is determined to work together with school staff to foster the growth of student-athletes on the field and in the classroom.  Shawn Baumann is set to be appointed as the new Director of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics for the Mount Pleasant Central School District at the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 24, Superintendent Peter Giarrizzo announced on Wednesday, May 17.  Baumann, who is replacing Donna Pirro who announced her retirement in early Spring, will take on …

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
New Superintendent To Take Command At North Salem Central School District New Superintendent To Take Command At North Salem Central School District
New Superintendent To Take Command At North Salem Central School District After an extensive search, a school district in Northern Westchester has named its next superintendent.  Duncan Wilson has been selected as the new Superintendent of the North Salem Central School District and will take over the position on Saturday, July 1, district officials announced.  Wilson will take over the position from Ken Freeston, who will be retiring at the end of the school year.  Wilson comes to North Salem from the Ardsley Union Free School District, where he was assistant superintendent. Prior to that, he was director of instruction and human resources a…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Danbury Educator Earns State's Top Honor Danbury Educator Earns State's Top Honor
Danbury Educator Earns State's Top Honor An educator in Fairfield County has been named the Connecticut Association of Schools’ 2023 Elementary School Principal of the Year. Dr. Keshia Smith-Davis, the principal of Great Plain Elementary School in Danbury, was selected last week after being nominated by Danbury Schools Superintendent of Schools Kevin Walston, who praised her as a “warm, engaging, articulate and inclusive school administrator who consistently leads by example.” “I am grateful and truly honored to have been selected as Connecticut’s Elementary Principal of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools,” said Sm…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
This School District In Hudson Valley Ranks In Top 15 In America, New Report Says This School District In Hudson Valley Ranks In Top 15 In America, New Report Says
This School District In Hudson Valley Ranks In Top 15 In America, New Report Says A school district in Westchester has been recognized as one of the best in the entire country, according to new rankings.  The Scarsdale Union Free School District has placed No. 11 in America, according to Niche's new 2023 rankings of the top school districts in the country.  According to Niche, the organization uses "a series of steps to ensure statistical rigor and useful guidance in the school choice experience," according to its website. A detailed explanation of the criteria used to rank the school districts can be read by clicking here.  In addition to ranking as one …

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Brewster Central Schools Superintendent To Step Down: Decision Made With 'Very Heavy Heart' Brewster Central Schools Superintendent To Step Down: Decision Made With 'Very Heavy Heart'
Brewster Central Schools Superintendent To Step Down: Decision Made With 'Very Heavy Heart' The superintendent of a Hudson Valley school district has made the unexpected decision to retire in order to take care of a family member. Laurie Bandlow of the Brewster Central School District in Putnam County is set to retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year, according to an announcement by the school district.  The "unexpected" decision came after Bandlow's mother died in September 2022 and she realized that she would soon need to care for her aging father, according to district officials.  Because of this, she decided to give notice to the district a year in advance…

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by Ben Crnic