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Schools
These Westchester School Districts Among Top 10 In America For Best Teachers, Report Says These Westchester School Districts Among Top 10 In America For Best Teachers, Report Says
These Westchester School Districts Among Top 10 In America For Best Teachers, Report Says They’re arguably the most crucial component of any student’s academic career - the unsung heroes in our society - and some of the very best teachers in the country can be found right here in New York, according to a new report. Seven school districts in the state made the top 20 on Niche’s 2023 “Districts with the best teachers in America” report. The community and school ranking website looks at a number of key areas, such as academics, diversity, college prep, and sports, and assigns each category a letter grade. The following New York school districts were given an A+ in the “teachers” …

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Legacy At Stake: Harvard Admissions Perk Under Federal Review, Reports Say Legacy At Stake: Harvard Admissions Perk Under Federal Review, Reports Say
Legacy At Stake: Harvard Admissions Perk Under Federal Review, Reports Say Harvard University is under federal scrutiny for its preferential treatment of donor and legacy candidates, reports say.  The US Department of Education announced this week it had opened an investigation into the prestigious Massachusetts university's admissions practices for undergraduate applicants, according to Harvard's newspaper, the Crimson.    Related: End Of 'Legacy': Wesleyan University Halts Admissions Perk The investigation will seek to determine if the legacy or donor admissions discriminate on the basis of race, the Crimson reported. If so, the university m…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Schools
School District In Hudson Valley Names HS Alum As New Superintendent School District In Hudson Valley Names HS Alum As New Superintendent
School District In Hudson Valley Names HS Alum As New Superintendent A new school superintendent has been named to take over a Hudson Vally school district after the former leader resigned. Dr. Daniel Erceg was unanimously approved to take the helm of the Saugerties Central School District in Ulster County at a special Board of Education meeting held on Tuesday, June 27.  A Saugerties resident, Erceg graduated from Saugerties High School in 2002, officials said. "We are confident that Dr. Erceg's experience, expertise, and vision will greatly contribute to the success and growth of our schools," said Board President Robert Thomann. Erceg is …

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Roof Ripped Off High School In Hudson Valley During Round Of Severe Storms Roof Ripped Off High School In Hudson Valley During Round Of Severe Storms
Roof Ripped Off High School In Hudson Valley During Round Of Severe Storms The roof of a high school building in the Hudson Valley was peeled off during a round of severe storms. The incident happened in Orange County when the storms swept through late Monday afternoon, July 3. The building affected in the village of Chester was the old Chester High School on Maple Avenue, which is currently used for BOCES classes. No one was in the building at the time and no injuries were reported, according to Mark Lieb of Rockland Video Productions.  After the incident, Chester Union Free School District Superintendent Catherine O'Hara said safety measures wer…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
School Worker Saves Choking Student In Northern Westchester School Worker Saves Choking Student In Northern Westchester
School Worker Saves Choking Student In Northern Westchester A custodian is being hailed as a hero by school district officials in Northern Westchester for saving the life of a choking elementary school student.  Custodian Craig Nelson was honored by the Yorktown Central School District's Board of Education for his life-saving actions during their meeting on Monday, June 12.  Nelson was recognized for his quick thinking on Thursday, May 11, when a student at Mohansic Elementary School experienced a choking incident while eating. After noticing this, Nelson ran over and performed the Heimlich maneuver until the food object was succ…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
HS Senior In Northern Westchester Wins Award For Short Film HS Senior In Northern Westchester Wins Award For Short Film
HS Senior In Northern Westchester Wins Award For Short Film A young aspiring filmmaker and high school senior from Northern Westchester has received recognition for his creative short film made for a moviemaking class.  Armonk resident Ethan Sutton, a senior at Byram Hills High School, was named a recipient of the President’s Award for film from the Lower Hudson Region of the New York State Media Arts Teachers Association earlier in May, the Byram Hills Central School District announced on Tuesday, May 30.  Sutton won the award for his short film "Doll," which was inspired by the work of Marge Piercy, a poet and women's righ…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
HS Senior In Westchester Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides HS Senior In Westchester Offered $500,000 In Scholarships, 5 Full Rides
HS Senior In Westchester 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
HS Seniors In Northern Westchester Awarded $2.5K Each From National Program HS Seniors In Northern Westchester Awarded $2.5K Each From National Program
HS Seniors In Northern Westchester 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
Hudson Valley Student Admitted To West Point: 'Every Challenge Is Good' Hudson Valley Student Admitted To West Point: 'Every Challenge Is Good'
Hudson Valley 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