Supt's Scoop
Dr. Manno's BCSD Brief, Edition #17, 2016-17 School Year
Special Announcement - New Principal for Fox Lane High School
BCSD is proud to announce Dr. Brett Miller as the new Fox Lane High School Principal effective July 1, 2017. Dr. Miller has served as the Principal of Saratoga Springs High School in Saratoga Springs, NY, since August 2010. Under his leadership, Saratoga Springs High School has increased graduation rates 9%, doubled the number of students taking AP exams, and decreased course failure rates by 50%. He has also overseen the development of innovative STEM programs and multiple professional development efforts, including the implementation of a district-wide Professional Learning Communities initiative.
Before serving in Saratoga Springs, Dr. Miller was the Principal of Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Senior High School in Ravena, NY, and was the Assistant Principal at Ichabod Crane High School in Valatie, NY. Dr. Miller was a tenured teacher who taught high school Social Studies for eleven years.
Dr. Miller holds a doctorate in Education from The Sages College in Albany, NY, a Masters degree in Teaching - Social Studies and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Union College, Schenectady, NY. He earned his Advanced Graduate Certificate in School Building Leadership from the University at Albany.
A district-wide committee consisting of students, parents, support staff, teachers, and administrators conducted a series of interviews with qualified applicants from New York and Connecticut. Dr. Miller was the stand-out candidate across all constituent groups in each component of this multi-step interview process. The strong impression he made on the interview committees was confirmed by his references, who consistently described Dr. Miller as an ethical, thoughtful, intelligent and effective high school principal.
BCSD wishes to express its most sincere gratitude and appreciation to Mr. James Donnelly, Interim Fox Lane High School Principal, who has and will continue to provide solid leadership to our students, staff, and families during this time of transition.
Please join in welcoming Dr. Miller to the Bedford Central School District.
Special Announcement - Permanent Middle Principal Approved by the Board of Education
BCSD is also pleased to announce Mrs. Sue Ostrofsky as the permanent Fox Lane Middle School Principal effective July 1, 2017. Mrs. Ostrofsky came to the Bedford Central School District in 1994 after teaching for 9 years in Dobbs Ferry. She served as an Elementary Helping Teacher and Elementary Consulting Teacher in Mount Kisco Elementary School prior to beginning her tenure as Principal in 2004. Mrs. Ostrofsky currently serves as Fox Lane Middle School’s Interim Principal.
A district-wide committee consisting of teachers, support staff, and administrators conducted an interview and unanimously supported Mrs. Ostrofsky’s candidacy. Mrs. Ostrofsky was the only internal applicant for this position.
Mrs. Ostrofsky holds a certificate of advanced study in Educational Leadership from Columbia University Teachers College, a Master’s degree from Long Island University, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Denver. She holds permanent New York State certifications in reading, nursery, kindergarten and grades 1-6, and School District Administration.
Please join in congratulating Mrs. Ostrofsky.
A Message from the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools
Dear BCSD Families and Residents,
The Board of Education adopted a proposed budget for the 2017-18 school year at its April 19th Board meeting. The budget:
- Preserves all existing general, special, extracurricular, and athletic programs.
- Complies with elementary class size BoE policy guidelines (per current enrollment projections).
- Begins to restore budget cuts from prior years.
- Restructures our Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services departments to provide improved support and services.
- Complies with the NYS property tax levy cap.
- Reverses the trend of relying on unassigned fund balance (savings); and,
- Increases district savings for the first time in at least five years. (as of April, 2017 budget projections)
- Provides for an instructional contingency position.
Here is our Spring 2017 Budget Dateline.
Budget updates were provided by Dr. Manno during the scheduled March 22nd, April 5th, and April 19th BoE Budget Workshop meetings. These are posted at the bottom of the Board of Education 2017-18 Budget Development Website. At this time, the budget is balanced. The only changes from the Superintendent's budget are the reduction of 1 Elementary Consulting Teacher position, the addition of 1 Contingency Position to be used based on scheduling, program and/or student need, and an increase in funding for 2017-18 healthcare costs in the amount of additional State Aid provided to the District. Here is the final Budget update presentation of April 19th.
Additionally, we have recently updated progress on our BIG TEN District Goals. Much work has been done in each of these important areas of initiative.
As springtime kicks into full gear, we all enjoy this exciting time of year. Along with more pleasant weather, there are so many student events, performances, activities, and awards celebrations that provide our students an opportunity to be highlighted and showcased. Please see our District calendar on our website for these enjoyable events.
To keep informed, check out our District Facebook Page, Twitter Feed, and our school and parent association web pages/newsletters. Also, subscribe to our events calendar and athletics calendar. You may find Board meeting materials and subcommittee minutes in Board Docs.
Please accept our appreciation for your support for BCSD.
Sincerely,
Colette Dow, President
Brian Sheerin, Vice President
Andrew Bracco
Michelle Brooks
Pam Harney
Edward Reder
Beth Staropoli
Dr. Christopher M. Manno, Superintendent of Schools
ATTENTION PARENTS: Important Public Service Announcement
This week, I sent an important safety announcement via School Messenger regarding concerns over the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why. This is a very important message for you to read and discuss with your child as you deem appropriate. Here is a link to the announcement.
Best Regards,
Dr. Christopher M. Manno,
Superintendent of Schools
ANNOUNCEMENT: Critical Safety Tool - Anonymous Alerts!
It continues to be our top priority to maintain the safety and security of our students. The Bedford Central School District has launched a system for sending private, anonymous messages on urgent or sensitive matters. The system, called Anonymous Alerts, allows students, parents, and staff to confidentially report bullying, cyber-bullying, safety concerns or issues, and other sensitive topics through private messages. All messages are secure, encrypted, and remain completely anonymous. Submitters do, however, have the option to reveal their identity if they prefer to have a person-to-person discussion. Here is a link to an important letter to families regarding Anonymous Alerts.
New Parent Resource on the BCSD Website - Parenting for Prevention
What you need to know
Did you check out our new School Health Services/School Nurses Website?
New Board of Education Policies
Our BCSD Mission
Cultivating curiosity and passion for learning.
Providing challenging educational opportunities.
All students achieving their full potential.
Elementary Bike Run
The 7th Annual BCSD Elementary BikeRun is open to all students of the five BCSD elementary schools, and all are encouraged to participate in this health and wellness, and fun for the whole family day!
The BikeRun will be held on Sunday, May 21 on the Fox Lane Campus at 8 am.
Registration for the event opens this Monday, March 13 and will close when we reach the capacity of 400 (which we always do!)
Parents can register their children here: http://bcsdny.org/k5bikerun