Click the following link for an update from Superintendent Pochintesta regarding the extended school closing and resources for families.
Please click on the following link for a letter from Superintendent Pochintesta
Attached please find a letter from Superintendent Marco Pochintesta regarding childcare for first responders and health care workers in the county.
Please click on the following link for an update from Superintendent, Marco Pochintesta.
The Pearl River School District will distribute FREE bagged meals to all students eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch while school is closed. This includes a bagged lunch and a bagged breakfast (for the next morning) beginning Thursday, March 19, 2020.
Meal Drive-Up Distribution is
Monday-Friday
11:30 AM- 12:30 PM
at Pearl River High School Pirate Cove entrance.
If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact brunnerj@pearlriver.org .
Due to the weather closing on Monday, December 2nd and the school closings on Tuesday, March 17th and Wednesday, March 18th, schools will now be in session on the following Snow Makeup Days: Thursday, May 21st, Tuesday, May 26th, and Wednesday, May 27th. Please mark your calendars for planning vacations, etc. Thank you.
Please click the following link for a message from Dr. Marco Pochintesta, Superintendent of Schools, regarding school closings and events: Superintendent's Letter 3-13-20
Please click on the following link for a letter from Superintendent Dr. Marco Pochintesta regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Please click on the following link for a letter from Superintendent Marco Pochintesta regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Please click the following link for a message from PRSD Superintendent Marco Pochintesta regarding a warning from the CDC pertaining to the Coronavirus: CDC Warning: Coronavirus 3-3-20
Please check our special web page for information, updates and link to resources regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Dear Pearl River School Community,
There is much in the news regarding the a new virus, 2019 Novel (new) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), that first emerged in Wuhan, China and has now been detected in a number of countries around the world, including the United States. According to the NYS Department of Health (NYS DOH), as of today, February 26th, there are no positive cases of the Coronavirus in NYS.
Below please find a link to joint information for parents from the NYS Department of Health and the NYS Education Department regarding the Coronavirus. At this time, the school district is monitoring information available to us from the NYS DOH, the Center for Disease Control and the NYS Department of Education for further guidance. While we wait for further guidance, we are reinforcing the same protocols used to help stop the spread of other viruses like influenza:
Please continue to practice safe health habits. I will continue to keep you posted of any new developments.
Joint letter to parents from the NYS Department of Health and the NYS Education Department
Sincerely,
Marco Pochintesta
Hello Parents/Guardians!
Chances are your students already use social media. It is important for both parents and teachers to understand the potential issues and safety concerns that come along with it. That’s why Pearl River School District is proud to announce our new partnership with SmartSocial.com.
We want to help keep your family safe online and on social media. To keep your kids safe, we have partnered with SmartSocial.com, the leaders in online training videos and resources to help parents navigate the negative (and positive) parts of social media for their kids.
The District has purchased a number of Smart Social Memberships for parents. (Available on a first come first serve basis) This is a unique opportunity to learn from experts in the social media space - from the comfort of your home or office.
Author and SmartSocial.com Founder Josh Ochs has created a one-of-a-kind online program called Digital Driver’s Ed. The courses teach parents and students:
• The dangers of social media (including screen time addiction, online predators, mental health issues, and more)
• Tips for talking to kids about technology and setting smartphone guidelines
• Popular apps for students (including step-by-step instructions to turn on safety settings)
• How students can use social media to shine online (they’ll learn to create a positive digital footprint to help them get into college or land future jobs)
These short video courses appeal to both technology experts and parents who aren’t as tech savvy. Our school’s membership gives each family access to the Smart Social courses for free until June 30, 2020.
Please fill out this Google Form (https://tinyurl.com/PRsmartsocial) to receive the direct link to access your free membership.
Here are some of the courses you will be able to take:
• Dangers Every Parent Should Know Before Giving Their Student An iPhone
• How To Set Up Parental Controls On An iPhone
• TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram App Courses (For Parents)
• Mental Health Topics, Including Connecting with Friends in a Positive Way Online! (Parents and Students)
• And 10+ courses to make you a social media expert. Register today!
Sign up Today!
The Board of Education approved the 2020-21 District Calendar at their February 4th meeting. The first Superintendent's Conference Day is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, 2020. The first day of school for students will be Thursday, September 3, 2020. The Pearl River School District calendar is based on 184 school days: 181 days of pupil instruction plus 3 Superintendent's Conference Days. In anticipation of emergency closings, we designate potential vacation days as snow make-up days. Given the likelihood of snow days, everyone is respectfully reminded that irreversible vacation plans should not be made for the following:
2020-21 Snow Make-up Days
Day 1 – June 1, 2021
Day 2 - May 27, 2021
Day 3 – April 5, 2021
Day 4 - May 28, 2021
As a result of the Regents examination schedule, the last day of school will be Friday, June 25, 2021.
Please click the following link to view the page one-page calendar for 2020-21: 2020-21 District Calendar (one-page)
Social Emotional Wellness Committee Meeting
PRHS Senior Show "Legally Blonde'
Board of Education Lincoln Avenue Student Presentation
2019-20 PRHS National Honor Society Officers with adviser Mr. Parisi
PRHS Art Students
PRHS Winter Pops Concert
PRHS Winter Pops Concert
Upcoming BOE Meeting:
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
7:00 PM
District Administration Bldg.
For Agenda: BoardDocs
• On Saturday, February 1st, both the Girls and Boys Winter Track Teams won the Section One Class B Championship. Sectional champions for the girls were Ciara Durcan in the 1500m racewalk and Maeve Loughran in the pole vault. The section champions for the boys were Will Mattei in the shot put and Cliff Carty in the 1600m. On Sunday, January 26th, the Rockland County Championships were held. The boys took 2nd place, led by county champs Cliff Carty and Will Mattei. The girls placed 5th, led by county champ Ciara Durcan. On Saturday, February 1st, both the Girls and Boys Winter Track Teams won the Section One Class B Championship. Sectional champions for the girls were Ciara Durcan in the 1500m racewalk and Maeve Loughran in the pole vault. The section champions for the boys were Will Mattei in the shot put and Cliff Carty in the 1600m. On Sunday, January 26th, the Rockland County Championships were held. The boys took 2nd place, led by county champs Cliff Carty and Will Mattei. The girls placed 5th, led by county champ Ciara Durcan.
• Both the Boys and Girls Basketball Teams defeated Nanuet on Friday, January 31st. The wins by both teams raised the girls' record to 11-5, while the boys went 12- 4 in the season. The boys will be hosting their Senior Recognition Night this Friday at 7:00 p.m. vs Albertus Magnus. The girls will be hosting their annual National Women in Sport Day Recognition on Tuesday, February 11th. The ceremonies will begin at 4:30pm in the gym followed by a 4:45 p.m. game vs Irvington.
• The Varsity Ice Hockey Team defeated Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville on Saturday, February 1st, 9-5, raising their record to 12-5 for the season. The team will be taking on Suffern at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5th, at Sportorama.
• The Varsity Cheer Team won their third event of the season, taking home 1st place in the Scarsdale Invitational on Saturday, February 1st.
• The Varsity Wrestling Team defeated Ardsley in their final home match of the season on Thursday, January 30th. The team will now prepare for the Sectional Championships which will be held on Saturday, February 15th, at SUNY Purchase.
• The Varsity Boys Bowling Team has qualified for the Sectional Championships, which will be held at Fishkill Bowl on Tuesday, February 11th. Anna Zuidema qualified for the Girls Bowling Sectionals, which will be held on February 10th at Fishkill Bowl.
Let’s Go Pirates!
Let’s Go Pirates!
Let’s Go Pirates!
Let’s Go Pirates!
Let’s Go Pirates!
The Pirates fall season is underway. The varsity and JV teams began their pre-season workouts on August 19th. The modified teams got started with a meeting of all athletes and coaches in the HS cafeteria on the first day of school followed by practices and tryouts on the second day of school. We had approximately 410 varsity and JV athletes and 250 modified athletes sign up for teams this season.
Fall 2019 Varsity Teams results as of 9/10
News and Notes
Homecoming
Let’s Go Pirates!
Stay informed about emergencies, activities, & other important information. PRSD parents are automatically enrolled to receive phone and email alerts from their contact data in their eSchoolData Parent Portal account. Wireless carriers, however, require verification that parents have agreed to receive SMS (text) messages. SchoolMessenger will send a verification code to a parent's cell phone which they must reply with a 'Y'. If a parent does not reply, they will not receive text messages from Pearl River School District. Parents should verify that all of their contact information is kept up-to-date in their Parent Portal!
Community members can subscribe to receive email and text messages from the district by using the following link: https://asp.schoolmessenger.
These individuals must also reply 'Y' from their cell phone to SchoolMessenger's verification message in order to receive texts. Note, however, that most communication from PRSD is via email.
Notice for Microsoft @hotmail and @msn Subscribers: Individuals with these email accounts have reported not receiving emails from Pearl River Schools. Please designate that these emails are "safe" by logging into your Microsoft email account and update your settings as follows:
* Log into Outlook/Hotmail/Live/MSN from a computer workstation.
* Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
* In the Search Outlook settings bar type in "safe" and then select Safe senders and domains.
* Click the ADD button.
* Type in <<@pearlriver.org>> into the Add field and then press Enter.
* Click the ADD button.
* Type in accounts.schoolmessenger.com into the Add field and then press Enter.
* Click the Save button in the upper right-hand corner of this window.
* Click the Close (X) button in the upper right-hand corner of this window.
If you have any questions about these directions, please contact Microsoft customer support.
February Update: The timeline of the next phase of the Capital Bond Project has been adjusted in order to secure approval from NYSED prior to bids. The new bid date will be February 14th, with anticipated approvals at the February 25th BOE meeting. Notifications are expected on February 26th, with kick-off meetings in March. Work is set to begin this summer.
September Update: Construction work on Phase 2 of the PRHS fields and cafeteria upgrades are featured in this capital project update video: PR 2019 Capital Project Update Video September 2019
July Update: Construction work is in progress at the Pearl River High School Fields. Visit our Facilities webpage to view some photos.
March Update: The architects presented the BOE with a capital project update for the high school and middle school. Please review the BOE presentation:
PRSD Board of Education Presentation on Capital Projects March 2019
January 2019 Update: Phase II of the $32 million Capital Bond Project, which includes major renovations at the High School and Middle School, is in the final stages of review NYSED. We continue to be on track with going out for public bid this month, with plans to have the Board of Education award successful bids by March 2019. This work is scheduled to begin in the Spring 2019.
The Capital Project work at the Elementary Schools is now substantially complete.
Completion of Phase I of the Field Project is still on track for May 2019. Phase II of the Field Project, which includes new Bleachers, Press Box, Bathrooms and Concession Stand, are being reviewed by NYSED.
November 2018 Update: During November we continued to move toward completion for the elementary projects. The contractors continue to put the finishing touches on the "punch list" items and are installing the air handlers and completing work on the new boilers. We have targeted Thanksgiving weekend for the final touches by our contractors.
Weather has effected our field project. The rain of the summer pushed back the final installation of the rubberized top on the track. We have made arrangements to line the track for immediate use and are scheduling the final rubberized install for next May/June.
Middle School and High School plans, Phase 2, have been returned by NYSED with comments and are currently being updated by the architects and will be re-submitted to NYSED shortly. We anticipate that the bids will be put out to the public in January with a bid opening in early February and work scheduled for 2019. The second phase of the field work is currently in the NYSED offices awaiting review.
October 2018 Update: October has been a transition month in the bond project. The elementary and field projects started in June are now heading toward completion. The elementary projects are being completed by the contractors as “punch list” items. For the security portion of the jobs, the school front entrances have been the source of much of this final work. Equipment, particularly the air handlers, are being put in place and the final connections are scheduled for the next two weeks. Work for next year at the high school and middle school is in Albany awaiting final plan approvals. We will then set up the bid process for this work; it is anticipated that the bids should go to the public later this year. The second phase of the field work has been forwarded to NYSED and we are in the process of completing some of the forms that are required. We will continue to move forward with this work.
September 2018 Update: A very busy summer of construction projects in the elementary schools came to a very positive conclusion with the successful opening of the schools on September 5th. New security at the front doors, relocated office space and nurse's office in both Evans Park and Lincoln Ave, and a new classroom at Franklin Ave were all completed in time for the opening of school.
Some equipment remains on order and will be installed during weekends or the second shift, but the vast majority of all that was planned was completed on time. The major contractors, Fanshawe Electric and Pearl River Plumbing, worked closely with the district to get the job done and worked weekends and some nights in an effort to get the schools open on time.
The field, track and tennis court projects continue to move forward. Unfortunately, the weather over the summer hurt the schedule and we now anticipate that the field will be completed by 10/5. The track will follow in mid-October. The Tennis Courts could be completed by 10/1.
Looking forward, plans for the high school and middle school are now at SED awaiting approval and we are looking forward to a February bid date. The three additional field projects are currently scheduled to be submitted to SED within the next few weeks.
August 2018 Update: In all school districts August is a very busy month – custodians are cleaning and teachers are getting classrooms ready for the new school year. In addition to these things this year, we have been adding major alterations to the three elementary schools and adding a turf field, new tennis courts and a new track at the high school. With two weeks to go in the summer and Labor Day rapidly approaching, all is beginning to come into focus.
The elementary work is progressing and only the delay of some equipment deliveries will hold up 100% completion. Office changes and security pieces will be in place for the first day of school. Minor work will remain and be completed as second-shift work during September.
Our field project, hampered in part by the weather, is moving forward with partial completion dates scheduled for the middle to end of September. Tennis court work is also progressing, with early October as the current estimate for completion.
July 2018 Update: Beginning with the end of the school year, the district bond project moved into full swing with four active projects scheduled for the July/August time-frame. By the time school re-opens after Labor Day, each of the three elementary schools will have major upgrades aimed at both security and the updating of older infrastructure. All three schools will have new entrances featuring higher levels of security and better entry control. Both Lincoln Ave and Evans Park will have the main office moved to the front of the building and an upgraded security window for accepting deliveries. Franklin Ave will have its vestibule updated and will add an additional Kindergarten classroom. With six weeks to go, all of the elementary projects are currently on target for completion by 8/30/18.
The fourth project, a new turf field, track and tennis courts at the high school, is also on target with partial completion in late September and final completion scheduled for mid-October. At present, the old field has been stripped, drainage assembled, and the tennis courts are being re-measured and leveled.
June 2018 Update: We have received permits and contracts for fields and tennis courts. Work will first begin on the tennis courts, with field work beginning after high school graduation. Elementary schools are moving forward, with contracts having been awarded. High school and middle school plans are being submitted to NYSED later this month.
April/May 2018 Update: On Wednesday, May 2nd, the district opened bids for the first four of several projects included in the 2017 Capital Improvement Bond. The projects included in this first phase were for the three elementary schools and phase one of the field work. Elementary work will include new vestibules and the movement of several offices to be closer to the primary entrance for the buildings. A new classroom is also included in the work for Franklin Avenue. Mechanical and heating work included in the Building Conditions Report are also included in this project. The first phase of the field work includes a new turf field and track as well as renovation of the tennis courts at the high school. Now that the bids have been received we are in the process of reviewing requirements with the winning bidders and planning for the start of these projects. Elementary school work will begin on 6/22 and be completed by 8/31. We are still awaiting final permits from Facilities Planning for the elementary projects. The field work will also begin on or about 6/22 and will be completed in early October. Please note that all dates are being reviewed at the present time. Plans for the Middle and High School projects will be forwarded to Facilities Planning shortly. These much larger projects will be reviewed in the second half of this year which will allow for construction beginning in 2019.
March 2018 Update: As of the end of March, the district had received preliminary reviews for our three elementary projects. As a result, we have begun the bid solicitation process which we hope will culminate with active construction at the three elementary schools this summer. Although not fully approved as yet, we believe that we are well positioned to move forward on this phase of our work. The initial field work, including the installation of a turf field, is awaiting the preliminary approval. We are hopeful that we can also begin this work shortly. Detailed plans for the work at the high school and the middle school is progressing and we anticipate that these plans will be ready for delivery to State Ed by the end of April, beginning of May. At that point, the district will need to decide if we should apply for expedited review (at a price) or wait for the normal review process to proceed. The second phase of the field work, including the storage building, bleachers, bathroom and other finishing work, is currently being prepared for delivery to the state. Once the district has the bid amounts for the first phase and firm estimates for the second phase, we will be able to review with the Board of Education whether adequate funds are available to do all the work that has been proposed.
February 2018 Update: The plans for the three elementary schools have been accepted by SED. We are now in the process of applying for independent review in the hopes that we can move up the approval date and go forward with the various construction projects this summer. We should receive word within the next two weeks on this effort. Full and complete bid documents are due this Friday, March 2, 2018. The field project, part one, which includes the synthetic field, track and tennis courts, has been submitted to SED and is awaiting word regarding the independent review. If accepted in the next few weeks, we may be able to move forward before the summer on this phase of the project. Remaining portions of the field project will be addressed later in the year. Both High School and Middle School plans are being finalized and will be submitted shortly. These projects will face major construction in the spring/summer of 2019. Final cost estimates are being completed and should be available to the district for analysis during March.
December 2017 Update: Progress has slowed as we spend significant time dealing with New York State Education Dept (SED) and its Facilities Management Division. Plans for all three elementary schools have been submitted and re-submitted to SED. A new process of ‘pre-screening” has slowed the initial submission schedule. We are hopeful that this new procedure will ultimately speed things up for the district. Middle School and High School drawings, which are more complex and voluminous are being prepared for submission to SED and are on target for early 2018. The field project, which has been broken up into several projects is also in the process of being prepared for submission. Again, the hope is for early January for the first phase, field, track, and Tennis Courts. A complete review of cost estimates is also in progress so that we can evaluate our plans vs the $32 million approval of the voters.
November 2017 Update: Drawings have been completed for the three elementary schools and are currently in the process of resubmission to the State Education Department (SED). All three sets of plans were submitted in October and prelim reviews were completed in early November. SED returned the plans for adjustments and a next set of reviews is scheduled for early December. Submission for the field, which will include the synthetic field, track, tennis courts and some work within the high school, are scheduled to be submitted to SED in mid-December. We believe that the approval process for this project will be less than the time needed for approval of the elementary projects. Drawings for both the middle and high school continue to be developed. According to EI Associates, we are at the 50% level of completion. This level of completion now allows Savin (our construction consultants) to complete cost estimates for the entire project. These estimates will allow us to determine any adjustments to our construction plans.
October 2017 Update: As a very busy summer comes to an end, the district is well prepared to move into the first construction phase of this major project. Work planned for the three elementary schools is awaiting submission to the State Education Department. Preliminary plans for the high school field, track, and tennis courts is currently being viewed. On 9/26, the architects, EI Associates, gave a presentation at the Board of Education meeting which focused on the various choices the district has in choosing the type of synthetic turf and infill to be used on the field. Design drawings for the high school and middle school projects have been reviewed by the stakeholders and the architects are completing the drawings. Cost estimates for all project pieces are currently underway.
August 2017 Update: Significant progress has been made over the summer months. Final plans for the three elementary schools have been completed and reviewed by our staff and are being forwarded to State Ed. for review and approval. Detail drawings for both the middle and high school have been delivered to the district and will be reviewed with the principals and staff over the next two weeks. Final adjustments to each building’s plans will then be included in the plans and forwarded to SED. Work has also begun on the field with a significant amount of survey work being completed and the geo-tech work underway. Following these efforts, the engineers from EI Associates will be developing the plans for the first phase of the field work: tennis courts, track, and synthetic field. We hope to have these plans completed by mid to late October and then off to State Ed. for approval. The remaining portions of the field work, storage building, bathroom and bleachers will follow. In conjunction with all these plans we have asked our construction managers to work with both the district and EI Associates to develop up to date cost estimates. In all, a very busy summer!
July 2017 Update: The Board of Education has selected a construction management firm, Savin Engineering, to assist the district in the construction phase of the bond project. They have begun meetings at each of the schools to discuss projects and begin the required paperwork for NYSED approval.
