SCHOOL NEWS
SRO program in full swing at Port Chester Schools
The School Resource Officer (SRO) program at Port Chester Schools has been fully implemented. After several months of discussion since it was first introduced in April 2023—which involved surveying the families and establishing an SRO committee—the Board of Education approved bringing police officers into the school community in January.
Blind Brook MS/HS debate teams get their first home field advantage
After 40 minutes of intense argument, Blind Brook Middle School Debate Team members Jaime Chen and Seima Kitano huddled around high school junior Harry Mattinson to get feedback on their performance as they waited for their judge to deliberate.
PCSD tests new ways to teach math
The Port Chester School District has been in the process of redeveloping its elementary-level curriculum for the last several years. The district had been using Eureka Math for the last 10 years, she said, and while there wasn’t anything wrong with the program, it was time for a change.
Port Chester Schools plants the seeds to grow the next generation of teachers
Often, young aspiring educators don’t get in front of a classroom for firsthand experience in their chosen field until they’ve reached the student teaching segment of their training.
Do Port Chester Schools need metal detectors?
With the benefit of increased funding, the Port Chester School District has made an intentional investment in amplifying its security measures over the last two years, from tightening visitor protocol, to hiring School Resource Officers to beginning plans to incorporate entrance vestibules in all the buildings. At the Board of …
B.B. school board takes first steps in search for new superintendent
What does the ideal Blind Brook superintendent look like?
What does the Portrait of a Graduate look like?
After the New York State Education Department (NYSED) created the Blue Ribbon Commission to reevaluate high school graduation requirements, the Board of Regents adopted the “NY Inspires” plan. The changes being made are meant to align students’ education experience, skillsets and schools’ curriculum with the Portrait of a Graduate, which …
Education is changing in NYS and PCSD will be a part of it
New York State is moving forward with substantial philosophical and tangible changes to the way K-12 education is focused and facilitated. And the Port Chester School District isn’t just getting a head start on studying and implementing one of those coming transformative elements but will have a voice through experience …
BBSD looks to align culture to match its growing diversity
Blind Brook Superintendent of Schools Dr. Colin Byrne is well aware of the perception many people have about the school district’s population. He highlighted the growth in diversity the district has seen over the last decade—the population of non-White students has grown from 10% in 2014 to 25% in 2024.
Lending library gives readers a new place to find books
Kristin Pascuzzi is always on the lookout for ideas to bring to Port Chester Middle School—even when she’s on vacation. She’s made a habit of touring school buildings during her travels as a way to see how educators around the world serve their students. The Little Lending Library, the newest …
Senior creates AI diagnostic tool, gets published in biomedical journal
Before being legally permitted to get behind the wheel of a car—a test she nervously conquered in October (it ended up being easier than she thought)—Charlotte Zelin celebrated an achievement that’s difficult for academics twice her age: she got published.
PCHS Drama Club puts a spotlight on gender and workplace injustice
Last year, the Port Chester High School Drama Club's enthusiasm for dramatic theater manifested in their tension-fueled performance of “12 Angry Jurors.” And when it came to selecting this year’s fall show, the students opted to dive even further into the drama—with the emotional tale of “Radium Girls.”
PCHS students use ’Hamilton’ to take a new view on history
Teaching history in New York can be a bit rigid in terms of getting students engaged, said Port Chester High School teacher Elizabeth Messina. But for the last two years, the school has partnered with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to partake in its Hamilton Education Program. The …
‘You’re more than your grades,’ high school thespians portray
Blind Brook high schoolers have at least one common denominator in their experience that many, if not most, share: grade anxiety. “Ranked” was essentially written for them. And because circumstances seemed appropriate this year, Drama Club director and producer Christina Colangelo felt it was the right study for her students’ …
