The Clarkstown Connection
September 2023
A Message from the Superintendent
Dear Clarkstown Central School District Families and Staff,
The first few weeks of the 2023-24 school year have gone remarkably well. This month, the District concentrated on our safety goal, which focuses on safety and security improvements as well as technology, HVAC and electrical enhancements. We are proud of the work being done by the Facilities Improvement Committee to plan for facility upgrades, and we thank our Board of Education (BOE) for dedicating the time to conduct walk-throughs in each of our schools. We plan to take the feedback from both groups and make informed decisions about upgrading our facilities in the near future.
Our District remains steadfast in our commitment to our strategic improvement goals. During October, we will continue to highlight cybersecurity. The CCSD’s valuable partnership with the Clarkstown Police Department produces remarkable learning opportunities — School Resource Officers (SROs) have been emphasizing safety in the digital world and promoting cybersecurity awareness, especially in the social media realm. The sessions have been incredibly informative and engaging and we look forward to more learning opportunities.
At the September 27, 2023 BOE meeting, I introduced four goals developed by our building- and District-level Lighthouse teams. The District is grateful for all of the community members who participated in this collaborative effort as we work to make our students, and our schools, more future ready.
Now, let’s take a look back at some of the memorable moments and accomplishments from September.
Sincerely,
Marc P. Baiocco, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Clarkstown Central School District
September Highlights
CCSD was honored to be a stop on the Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados Cateura's (Recycled Orchestra of Cateura) 2023 U.S. tour during Hispanic Heritage Month. The popular Paraguayan musical group plays instruments made entirely out of garbage! Thank you to Clarkstown High School South teacher and Cultural Club Advisor Deirdre Kelly for organizing this visit with various classes from CHSS, Clarkstown High School North and the Birchwood School.
Congratulations to Clarkstown High School South senior Timothy Ty on earning a perfect score on a college-level Advanced Placement® (AP®) Computer Science Principles Exam. Timothy not only received the top score of 5, but was also one of just 459 students in the world to earn every point possible on the exam. Well done!
After months of anticipation, the mural at Clarkstown High School North was finally unveiled on September 27. Last spring, some of our talented students had the opportunity to collaborate with visiting artist Alice Mizrachi on a piece called the "Rhythm of Our Pulse" —
a celebration of the diverse cultures that make up CHSN. Thank you to Alice and Art Department Chair Shaina Dunn for helping bring their vision to life!
Congratulations to Clarkstown High School South on being named a “School of Excellence” by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) for the 2022-23 school year! The District is incredibly proud of varsity student-athletes at CHSS for their dedication to balancing both athletics with academics.
A Look Ahead
It’s Easy to Stay Safe Online
CCSD will participate in Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. This year's theme revolves around simple steps you can take to stay safe online. Here are four suggestions from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):
- Use strong passwords and a password manager
- Turn on multi-factor authentication
- Think before you click
- Keep your software updated
The District aims to align our computer science courses with the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards, as well as to continue to build capacity at all grade levels this year. We are committed to achieving full implementation across K-12 by September 2024. From October 16-20, we will focus on fostering cybersecurity awareness throughout our schools. Stay tuned!