SCHOOL NEWS
Stimulated learning: music therapy at PCSD enhances class for special education students
Many students with special needs process stimuli differently when compared to their neurotypical peers, explained Port Chester Schools Director of Special Education Tatiana Memoli. And a long-established program at the school district helps those students through the developmental process of embracing those sensations: music therapy.
B.B. residents pack library to hear district’s field goals
The Blind Brook School District was left scrambling following the revelation that both its multipurpose and baseball fields had to be closed after both failed impact tests in early March.
Annual job fair encourages residents to consider employment at P.C. Schools
Since moving to Port Chester from Paraguay seven years ago, most of Norma Rojas’s jobs have been inconsistent—picking up gigs like babysitting as she simultaneously raised her children, instead of pursuing a 9 to 5.
One SRO hasn’t been given the go
The Port Chester School District’s newly established School Resource Officer (SRO) program has enabled a rare experience that sees the active partnership among multiple jurisdictions: the district and the villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook.
BBSD plans to cut field trips and more to keep 2024-25 budget tax cap-compliant
When members of the Blind Brook School District community last saw the preliminary 2024-25 budget plan at the Board of Education’s regular meeting on Mar. 5, there was a $250,000 deficit that had to be accounted for. At the time, Superintendent Dr. Colin Byrne told the public that to stay …
It’s game over for BBHS’s athletic fields after impact tests deem them unsafe
For several months, concerns about the state of the Blind Brook High School sports fields have been coming to light. The multipurpose field doesn’t just pull triple-duty for sports—used for football, soccer and lacrosse—but has lately been the venue for the school’s graduation ceremony. Meanwhile, the baseball diamond served as …
PARP makes reading fun for Bluebirds
Julie Ciamei’s class of Ridge Street School third-graders sat on a rainbow-patterned carpet as they listened to County Legislator Nancy Barr read “The Masterpiece” by Jay Miletsky. Periodically, she would stop and ask questions about what kind of paintings they’ve seen and where they thought the story would go.
Drama Club totally breaks stereotypes in ‘Legally Blonde’ musical production
While stereotyping often leads to discrimination, it’s a human tendency that has been cast on everyone—even the privileged. And the Port Chester High School Drama Club is shouting “I object!” to that affinity while brandishing their inner fashionistas on the big stage.
Blind Brook Schools looks for minor cuts to keep 2024-25 budget tax cap-compliant
The Blind Brook School District’s 2024-25 budget development is well underway, and its current iteration implies cuts will have to be made throughout the district to compensate for mandated increased spending. Superintendent Dr. Colin Byrne presented the Board of Education his preliminary budget proposal on Thursday, Mar. 5, giving the …
PCSD proposes $147M budget that maximizes the tax levy
There’s a sense of stabilization the Port Chester School District is dealing with as it navigates through crafting the 2024-25 budget. The last three years have allowed the district to flourish due to steady increases in Foundation Aid flowing in, as New York State promised with its commitment to fund …
P.C. Board of Education passes first responder tax exemption
After three months of development, the volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers partial property tax exemption was approved by the Port Chester Board of Education on Thursday, Feb. 29.
‘Mamma Mia!’ hits an emotional high note for Blind Brook High School thespians
Christina Colangelo was initially hesitant about “Mamma Mia!” As the longstanding Blind Brook High School Drama Club director and producer, she typically wants to guide students through a tangible emotion or lesson when they put on a musical, and she just wasn’t seeing it in the show.
PCHS students bare hearts at annual poetry slam
Among Port Chester High School’s Black History Month celebrations, the event last Thursday, Feb. 29, featured a staple of the school community—the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Slam.
Teachers plan to march for the future of education
According to a report by National Public Radio, enrollment in teaching programs dropped by a third between the years 2010 and 2018. Attempting to retain and gain educators across the state, Chris Kazim, president of the Port Chester Teachers Association, has partnered with the CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association) and …
