September 2024
September 2024
From Superintendent Catherine O'Hara
Welcome to our first issue of the 2024-2025 CUFSD Newsletter! One of our five District Goals this year is to strengthen communication and engagement opportunities across multiple platforms to foster meaningful connections among our students, staff, families, and the community.
On this page, you will see how we are working to fulfill this goal by implementing communication and engagement improvements while continuing to provide valuable resources that support our mission.
Our newsletter will now be delivered to you monthly via ParentSquare, featuring District updates alongside highlights from Chester Academy and Chester Elementary School. Here’s to an exciting year of partnership in 2024-2025!
Maple Avenue building transfer complete
On April 21, ownership of the Maple Avenue Building was officially transferred to Orange County. This milestone reflects a shared vision shaped by community input, Board of Education and administrative leadership, and a collaborative approach to identifying the most effective long-term solution for the building. The Maple Avenue Task Force also played an important role by exploring options and providing valuable input that informed the decision-making process.
Thank you to the county and County Executive Steve Neuhaus for making this opportunity possible. Special thanks to Chief of Police Timothy McGuire, whose early initiative helped spark the idea that led to this outcome.
We also recognize the behind-the-scenes efforts of the Village of Chester and Director of Facilities Matt DeRosa, who worked closely with architectural firm LAN Associates to support each phase of this process. We look forward to the new opportunities this transition will bring for our community and the continued partnership it represents.
Read the full news release here.
Budget vote and district-wide STEAM Expo coming up on May 20
We are proud to invite you to an evening of creativity, innovation, and student learning! Join us on May 20 for a series of events that showcase the imagination and talent of our students across all grade levels. From robotics and engineering demonstrations to literature-inspired visual art, you’ll experience a wide range of student expression and creativity. Click here to see what to expect! Click here to see what to expect!
Elementary Art Show - Art in Literacy: 5:00-6:30 pm (Academy Makerspace) Discover how our youngest learners use art to bring stories to life—connecting literacy and creativity through color, shape, and expression.
Elementary Robotics: 6:00–7:30 pm (Academy Lobby)
All-District Art, Robotics & Engineering: 6:30–8:00 pm (Academy Lobby & Makerspace)
Experience student creativity in action! Explore individual projects in visual arts, robotics, and engineering design as we expand from the Chester Academy Lobby into our CA Makerspace—a student- centered learning hub where imagination meets innovation
Important Dates:
May 13
Legal Budget Hearing
May 16
Half-Day of School
May 20
Budget Vote & STEAM Expo
May 21
BOE Meeting
May 23
School Closed
May 26
School Closed
May 28
MS Academic Awards
May 29
HS Academic Awards
From Chester Academy Principal John Flanagan
Chester Academy is buzzing with excitement as we head into spring with several impactful events for our students. The Junior/Senior Prom will take place on May 15 at the beautiful West Hills Country Club.
In preparation, students will attend a powerful assembly featuring guest speaker Brian Strommer, who will share the tragic story of losing his son in an accident. His message will underscore the importance of making safe and responsible choices.
In addition, we are once again partnering with the Town of Chester Police Department to present our annual mock accident demonstration. This eye opening event aims to reinforce safety awareness during prom season and beyond.
At the April 9 Board of Education meeting, the Senior Class trip for the Class of 2026 was officially approved. Juniors will learn more about this exciting opportunity during an assembly on April 25 during 9th period. A parent information session will be held virtually on Thursday, May 1 at 7 PM via Google Meet.
We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Chester UFSD SEPTSA for sponsoring the book fair at Chester Academy from April 23 to April 25. These events provide meaningful opportunities that enrich the academic and social experiences of our students.
Chester Academy artists unveil mural at Chester Commons
Six talented artists from Chester Academy recently revealed their latest work, displaying the partnership between the Town of Chester with the school district on Tuesday morning at the Chester Commons Snack Shack. This 4-foot by 8-foot mural encompasses the essence of Chester, incorporating the town and school logos to showcase the rich history and unity of the community.
Seniors Hannah Thonus, Kayleen Matos, Ona Coles, Ava Stoby, Ava Panico and sophomore Adelia Merkbaeva all worked collaboratively, along with theguidance of their art teacher, Marie Kriner, to bring this masterpiece to life. Click here to view the full story!
Students learn about building their careers
Chester Academy students had an incredible opportunity to explore careers in the construction trades at the Hudson Valley Construction Trades Career Fair, held at Rockland Community College!
Our juniors and seniors engaged with industry professionals, gained hands-on experience through real-world activities, and learned about the education paths, apprenticeship programs, and both the rewards and challenges of each trade. It was an inspiring day of exploration and career discovery!
Read about last year’s fair, written by The Chronicle here!
The makerspace Monster Exchange
Seventh grade students from Crisseda Besson’s home economics class lined up in the makerspace at Chester Elementary School with goodie bags in their hands, as first graders from Alissa Florentino’s class sat with excitement, ready to receive their new plush monster.
Initiatives with students in different grade levels foster community between younger and older students in a creative nature by sharing ideas and creating connections between one another. Additionally, these types of events allow students to express their artistic abilities. Read the full story here!
From CES Principal Mary Kate Bosch
April has been a busy and exciting month at CES! We kicked things off with our Pre-K lottery on April 8, where 20 students were selected from 29 registrations to join next year’s class. We’re looking forward to welcoming our newest learners in the fall!
A big thank you to our PTA for their help with Spring Picture Day. With their support, we were able to gather siblings together for memorable photos—a cherished tradition for many of our families.
On April 10, we held our final CES Parent Advisory Panel meeting of the year. We shared updates on upcoming end-of-year events and discussed the summer work scheduled at CES to continue improving our school environment.
Students have been busy exploring beyond the classroom, with our fifth graders enjoying a field trip to Esopus Meadows and our first graders visiting the Bergen County Zoo. Several CES musicians proudly participated in the All County Music Festival —congratulations to them!
We look forward to our PBIS assembly on April 28, celebrating positive behavior across the school. Finally, our third through fifth graders took the NYS ELA exams on April 29 and 30—great effort by all!
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
A dream is a wish your heart makes
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Chester ShopRite on Sunday, March 30, to support Chester Elementary student Lilly Fernandez, who is off to Disney thanks to the good people at Make-a-Wish Hudson Valley!
Lilly received a police escort to ShopRite, where she was greeted by the Chester Academy drumline and 1st responders from multiple police, fire and emergency agencies. Chester cheerleaders led Lilly into ShopRite for the ceremony, through a line of hundreds of people: classmates and their families, members of the Chester community, supporters from neighboring villages and school districts.
Odyssey of the Mind finishes season strong
Huge congratulations to our Chester Division 1 Odyssey of the Mind team for their outstanding performance at the New York State Competition in Syracuse on Saturday, April 5!
They wowed the judges with their creativity in the “AstronOMical Odyssey” problem and placed 6th out of 20 teams—an incredible accomplishment and a testament to their hard work, teamwork, and imagination. Way to go, team!
Literary Luminaries in Kindergarten
Amanda Almodóvar’s young readers are diving into story elements with curiosity and creativity! After enjoying a read of “Chicken Little”, students worked together to identify the characters, setting, and key events of the story.
With pencils in hand and imaginations on fire, they drew scenes and shared ideas with peers —proving that even our youngest learners are blossoming literary stars. The sky isn’t falling… it’s just full of bright minds rising
