Carmel High School

Carmel High School’s 41st Annual Student Art Show will have special evening hours on Thursday, April 10 from 6 - 8 p.m. The show, which features work from about 450 students, will run through Friday, April 11 at noon.  

“This year’s show features more hands-on displays for graphics classes,” said Art Teacher Danielle Marino. “Ms. Kenny has been focused on product and packaging design with her classes and she has created beautiful notebooks, bags and gift boxes which can be picked up and examined.”     

But that’s not all that’s new this year. 

“Several Carmel students participated in the Garrison Art Center's student exhibit,” Ms. Marino said. “The show was last week, and we set up a separate display area for our students to show off their work based on the theme "Exploring Identity.” 

Carmel High School Senior Jasmine Hall won a Silver Key Award in Illustration for our region in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards competition. The nationwide arts competition is among the most prestigious recognition programs for creative teens. 

Jasmine entered her drawing of “Fish of the United States,” which she drew in colored pencil on an actual map of the United States.   

“It’s only 47 fish because three states don’t have state fish,” Jasmine said. “I did a lot of research, and I spent a lot of time on it, but I didn’t expect to win anything. I hadn’t yet checked my email that day, so it was a complete surprise. My teacher put the digital version of the certificate on the screen, and I saw it when I came to class.” 

Jasmine started drawing in 7th grade and got more serious when she entered high school. She has taken seven art classes at Carmel High School. She’s currently in Advanced Placement Drawing and Portfolio Preparation, a class that is for students who intend to pursue careers in art. 

CHS librarian Karissa O'Reilly hosted school librarians and library support staff from Briarcliff, Chappaqua, Dover, Fox Lane, Hendrick Hudson, Ossining, and Somers.  The Library Intervisitation Series is organized by Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES’ School Library Systems.

"Each of us who host have a theme to focus on for the visits," O'Reilly said. "Mine was 'Building Community through Collaborative Spaces' and I shared ideas for how we can design spaces and programs that establish our libraries as a thriving community hub for the school. After taking a tour of the library and seeing the ways the space encourages students to interact and use their voice, we tried an interactive message board of our own. "

The stage is set for an unforgettable evening as Carmel High School’s Music Production Workshop presents the spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors. After months of hard work and dedication, the production will come to life on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, with tickets available online at chsperform.booktix.com. 

With nearly 75 students involved, from the talented cast and crew to the pit musicians, this musical promises to be a vibrant showcase of Carmel’s artistry. One of the standout features of the show is Audrey 2, the iconic man-eating plant. This incredible puppet requires both a crew member and an actor to bring it to life.

Students in the P.A.C.E. (Personal Academic and Community Experience) Program at Carmel High School have been busy making healthy dog biscuits and collecting items for the Putnam Humane Society.

Speech-Language Pathologist Laura Blaha said teaching pre-vocational skills helps P.A.C.E. students prepare for life after high school.

“We are always looking for ways for our students to learn vocational skills,” Blaha said. “Making dog biscuits teaches skills like following a recipe and directions, identifying items in a kitchen, working with others and vital communication skills.”

Occupational Therapist April DeFrancesco also pitched in and helped the students learn rolling, measuring, pouring and cutting skills.

The students rolled out the biscuit dough and cut it into shapes like bowties and hearts using cookie cutters. Unlike cookie dough, however, the dog biscuit dough was kind of tough.

At the Carmel Research Symposium on April 3, ten Carmel High School seniors presented projects that were the culmination of three years’ worth of high-level work.  

Students begin the Carmel Science Research class, which is taught by Dr. Nicole Griffin, in tenth grade and quickly set about identifying an area of interest in the physical, natural or social sciences. Then they work to find a mentor in their field who is willing to help guide them in their studies. While conducting their original research, they get experience in presenting at competitions like the Regeneron Science Talent Search and Westchester Science and Engineering Fair, among others. 

The Senior Student Research Presentations included:  

Halina White - Analyzing Awareness and Interest in Different Sustainability Methods in Putnam County  

Noah Hartglass - Verifying The Link Between Execution Time and Energy Efficiency in Python  

Daniella Morales Vanegas - Opioids vs Naloxone in the New York State Counties and New York City Boroughs   

Maia Thompson - Is there a relationship between the Presence or Knowledge of a Seal of Biliteracy Program and an Individual’s Motivation to Learn a Second Language?   

Gabriella Sinclair - The Effects of Nonstandard Work Schedules on Sleep Quality in Full-Time Unionized and Nonunionized Nurses    

Emily Furu - The Statistically Significant Difference in the Study Habits and Productivity of High School Students with Aromatherapy     

Kaitlin Furu - An Analysis of the Relationship Between Coyote (Canis latrans) and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Occupancy Patterns in Urban to Suburban Landscapes     

Emma Sullivan - Is there a correlation between Ptau and Abeta levels in Alzheimer’s patients?     

Dylan Badolato- Correlation of the Distribution of Syrian and Ukrainian Refugees in Europe   

Lucas Tseng - The Perception of the Global South’s ‘Outliers’ 

March is Disability Awareness Month and the Carmel Central School District has a lot of informative, helpful and interesting activities planned. Please take a look at the attached schedule. We look forward to seeing you.

Disabilities Awareness Month Activities

Carmel Central School District residents who volunteer with fire departments or ambulance corps will see a 10 percent reduction in their school taxes in return for their service.  

The Carmel Board of Education voted February 25 to give volunteers with at least two years of service a 10 percent cut in the property tax assessment of their primary residence. The vote was unanimous. 

“For example, the impact in the Town of Kent would result in an $800 savings for each person receiving the exemption,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Ken Silver said.  

The reduction would cost the remaining taxpayers 1.2 cents on every thousand dollars of assessment. 

 “If your home is assessed at $400,000, the property owner would be paying $4.80 in addition each year for the volunteers who are risking their lives,” Silver said. 

More than 35 volunteers attended the board meeting and School Board President Melissa Orser thanked them for keeping the community safe.  

“We are giving you a little bit back for giving us a lot,” she said. 

The volunteer tax break will help the entire community in the long run.  

“Anything we can do to assist with local fire companies’ recruitment and retention benefits the entire community,” said Trustee John C. Curzio II. “If we ever had to go to a paid fire service, town taxes would increase as much as 50 percent, which would result in a huge burden on our community.” 

In studying Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Carmel High School Media Literacy Class looked at the ways the Civil Rights leader communicated his message in the 1960s and how he might effectively communicate today.  

“King was a powerful writer and speaker,” Library Media Specialist Karissa O’Reilly said. “His books, letters, essays, sermons, and speeches were a big part of how he was able to spread his message and mobilize people. In class, we talked about how people spread messages in the Civil Rights Era and compared them to how we communicate today.”  

The class, which is an elective open to students in grades ten to 12, looked closely at King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. In the 60s, it was published in many different magazines and newspapers.  

"It would be a lot easier to share this letter today," said Kiersten Motta, who talked about how it could be posted and shared online.  

The letter is around 7,000 words, and the class also discussed how it might be presented in today's media — with visual pull quotes and other ways to drawing attention to it in the sea of information we see when we scroll.  

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Carmel High School students got some insight into what it’s like to be a woman in leadership when two Carmel Central School District administrators visited their class last month.  

Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Lauren Santabarbara and CHS Assistant Principal Allison Golan spoke to students in the college-level Racism, Classism and Sexism course about the impact that hidden biases can have on women at work. 

First, Santabarbara showed how symbols for companies like Mercedes, Amazon, Baskin Robbins and McDonald’s can trigger recognition and emotions related to a brand.  

“Every child knows what McDonald’s is,” she said. “From early on, those images are burned in our brain. We don’t even have to talk about them to know what they mean.” 

This led to the kind of high-level discussion often found in college classrooms.   

Students at Carmel High School have many opportunities to earn college credit. The school offers 36 Advanced Placement or dual enrollment college classes for which they can get credit at SUNY and several other colleges and universities. 

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Enjoy the District's newsletter here. 

April 11, 2025

Dear Carmel Community: 

When spring arrived, it brought a rush of school district activities with it. From the impressive 41st Annual Student Art Show, to competitive athletic events and the Districtwide Read of “I’m Not a Scribble,” our students have been busy.  

Let’s hope they take time during this upcoming break to relax and recharge.  

I want you to know how grateful I am for the chance to lead this district. It is amazing to see how much our students have accomplished in just months. Our hardworking teachers, administrators and staff make it seem easy, but we know they are guiding students every step of the way.  

Remember, schools will be closed Monday, April 21 because we did not use all our snow days. I look forward to getting back on Tuesday, April 22 and gearing up for all the exciting end-of-year activities. 

Enjoy your spring break!  

Sincerely, 

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools  
   

Dear Carmel Community: 

Our kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year is now open. To qualify, children must be five years old by December 1, 2025 and live within Carmel Central School District boundaries.  

Here is the link to the kindergarten registration: New Student Registration - Carmel Central School District. 

If you know someone with a kindergarten-aged child, please share this email so they can register the child for school. Thanks! 

Respectfully,  

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools

February 13, 2024  

Dear Carmel Community:  

This has been quite a stormy winter, and I think we could use a break about now, so I hope you all have a fun and relaxing winter recess. 

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead this district. In the past several months, I have seen how deeply this community cares about its children and its schools. I am grateful to have the support of a talented staff that is dedicated to making sure students have access to opportunities that will help them grow.  

It’s great to work in a district where residents and staff are so engaged.  

School resumes on Monday, February 24. I look forward to welcoming our staff and students back then. Enjoy the precious time with your families.  

Regards, 

Dear Carmel Community:

Come discuss the draft Proposed 2025-2026 School Budget with me on Wednesday, February 12, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. in my office at the District Office. Everyone is welcome to just drop in for coffee, conversation and to review the draft budget.  If the time doesn't work for you, email me at emeehan@carmelschools.org to schedule a time. 

Regards,

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Carmel Community: 

I am reaching out today to provide an update on the Town Hall held on January 28 and to keep you apprised of important information from NYSED. I also want to reaffirm our district’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that every student in Carmel feels safe, welcomed and valued. 

We had an amazing turnout at last night’s Town Hall meeting at Carmel High School.  

More than 75 district residents attended and learned about our strategies to make certain that Carmel schools are welcoming, affirming and safe places for all. After the presentation by District Equity Team members, residents broke into groups and discussed their ideas about our district’s strengths and ways we can improve. We also looked at external opportunities and threats that could prevent the district’s work. Each group then presented their ideas, outlining a framework for the district’s most important next steps.  

“I am thrilled by the turnout,” Board of Education President Melissa Orser said. “This was a collaborative assignment. I hope we can take all this information and move our work on equity forward.”  

In the coming days, I will compile all the information, share it with the entire Board, meet with my administrative council and immediately focus on improving our schools.  

The district continues its commitment to support all our students.  We would like to draw your attention to a recent guidance document from the Office of the Governor, Attorney General and State Education Department New York State’s Guidance on Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students.  Our policies and practices are in alignment with this guidance. 

Here are a few important points to keep in mind:  

• Both state and federal laws guarantee all students access to a free public education. The district will provide no barriers, including requests for immigration-related documentation, that would prevent students from enrolling in or attending school.  
• Under the law, personally identifiable information, including a student’s immigration status, cannot and will not be shared without proper parental consent. If you would like to opt out of Directory information pursuant to FERPA, please contact the Director of Information Systems and Human Resources, Timothy Wade at twade1@carmelschools.org.  
• The district has procedures in place to ensure that students only be released to their parents or guardians listed in the student information system.   

As this is a rapidly changing environment, we are working closely with our school attorneys and the New York State Education Department to ensure we have the most current and accurate information. Additionally, we have shared resources with our administrators to support our students and their families during this time.    

We are responsible for every child’s educational journey. Please be assured that we in the Carmel schools take that responsibility seriously. All students in the Carmel schools will continue to have access to education that informs, challenges and helps them grow. 

I am so grateful to be working in such an engaged, child-focused community.  

Respectfully, 

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools 

Dear Carmel Community: 

I would like to update you on the status of our January 28 Town Hall meeting.  

When we announced the meeting, we said that it would be a community conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion, and be led by a specialist from U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service.  

A lot has changed, however, in the weeks since I sent that announcement. Now, given the Trump administration’s recent ban on DOJ participation in any diversity, equity and inclusion work, there will not be a representative from the DOJ at our meeting.  

More than ever, we are now relying on you to join us for the Town Hall. Let’s work together to create a welcoming, affirming and safe environment for all our schools. The meeting will be in the Carmel High School Library on Tuesday, January 28 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

As planned, our meeting will still include a presentation by the District Equity Team, which will be followed by a breakout session where you will help assess the Carmel Central School District’s strengths and weaknesses.   

I really hope to see you there.  

Respectfully, 

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools 

August 14, 2024

Dear Carmel Central School District Community,

After our board meeting on August 13, 2024, the board has carefully listened to and reflected on the sentiments expressed by some members of our community. Now, we need your help in moving forward.

We heard from many of you who felt unwelcome or unsafe at our board meetings. We want to make it clear that the board stands united in denouncing all forms of discrimination, prejudice, harassment, bullying, and hate. We are dedicated to supporting all of our community.

Our mission at Carmel Central School District is to educate the whole child in an environment free of bullying, harassment, and discrimination. We have received numerous letters, emails, and concerns brought to us at the podium, and we are committed to addressing them, as we have historically done, with our mission at the forefront.

We ask for the community’s collaboration in maintaining a respectful and inclusive atmosphere at our board meetings. The board needs to focus on the district’s important business with our new superintendent while adhering to the standard of conduct outlined in our Code of Conduct.

We ask for your adherence to our Code of Conduct as we strive to create a welcoming, affirming and productive environment for all members.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Respectfully,

Board of Education President Melissa Orser

Vice President Dawn Dall

Trustee John C. Curzio II

Trustee Jordi Douglas

Trustee Jason Paraskeva

Cc: Superintendent of Schools

If you like something a CCSD staff member has done, tell us at compliments@carmelschools.org. Likewise, if there is an area you think needs improvement, send an email to complaints@carmelschools.org. Both email addresses will go directly to School Superintendent Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben and to the Board of Education President Melissa Orser.