Clarkstown Central School District

Clarkstown Central School District A K-12 Public School District located in Rockland County in New City, New York. This page is only monitored during regular business hours.

The Clarkstown Central School District, in partnership with the community, will meet the individual academic and social-emotional needs of all students within a safe environment while empowering them to reach their full potential in a complex society. We welcome your comments, but reserve the right to remove postings that:

· Violate the law or urge others to do so
· Contain profanity or vulgar language
· Violate the privacy of students, staff or community members
· Easily identify students/staff in defamatory, abusive or generally negative terms
· Contain remarks that are slanderous, racist, homophobic, sexist or likely to offend
· Advertise products or services

The page administrator reserves the right to not post, or remove, any comments at any time, for any reason. Responses to posts made outside of business hours may be delayed. For assistance, call (845) 639-6300. DISTRICT PROFILE:
Clarkstown Central School District is located in Rockland County, approximately 25 miles northwest of New York City. Consistently rated as one of the top five safest cities in America in the annual Morgan Quitno "Safest Cities" survey and recently rated seventh in Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live" ranking, Clarkstown is an upper middle class suburban community with a population of about 85,000 residents. CCSD is a large school district serving more than 9,100 students from a 31 square mile area. Clarkstown prides itself on fostering a small school climate, community involvement and a focus on the individual in its ten elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools and K-12 alternative education center. The district offers innovative programs to its students through web-based technology such as Science 21, Dreambox, Achieve 3000 and Google for Education. It is also one of the first districts in Rockland County to create a dedicated task force against bullying and implement a bullying prevention policy. District buildings have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious EnergyStar, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection, which places us in the top 25 percent of commercial facilities in the nation. In addition, the district is a GreenQuest sponsor, offering homeowners a free, personal energy information website to track and evaluate their energy use and environmental impact. The district works in close partnership with the Clarkstown community, a population that highly values and is exceptionally supportive of public education.

Students and staff across CCSD came together to remember those who lost their lives as a result of September 11, 2001, a...
09/11/2026

Students and staff across CCSD came together to remember those who lost their lives as a result of September 11, 2001, and reflect on the ways people came together in the days that followed. As we mark the 25th anniversary, schools created opportunities for students to learn about that history and its lasting impact.

At Birchwood School, the annual September 11 ceremony and moment of silence gave students and staff time to pause and reflect. In classrooms, students connected with stories of people who made a difference in the aftermath of that day. At Little Tor Elementary School, a reading of “The Man in the Red Bandanna” prompted students to consider what it means to be a hero. That lesson carried into acts of service at other schools. At Laurel Plains Elementary School and Felix Festa Middle School, students honored the memory of Gabe and Liam Morgan by running a lemonade stand to benefit the 9/11 Memorial Fund. At Strawtown Elementary School, students made keychains and cards for first responders while Woodglen Elementary School’s students focused on the importance of community and helping others, with kindergarteners learning about community helpers and welcoming visits from active and retired first responders.

Each school found its own way to mark the anniversary, giving students an opportunity to remember September 11 while thinking about how they can make a difference in their communities.

It was a beautiful evening in the Bronx on Wednesday: not only did the Yankees defeat the Colorado Rockies 6-1, but CCSD...
09/10/2026

It was a beautiful evening in the Bronx on Wednesday: not only did the Yankees defeat the Colorado Rockies 6-1, but CCSD's chorus students from both Clarkstown high schools North and South took to the field to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner," under the direction of chorus teachers Kip Bonsignore and Vincent Reina. Check out our IG stories to hear them absolutely crush it!

Few schools are afforded such a prestigious opportunity but Casey Vanderstouw, our coordinator of fine and performing arts, knew that CCSD was up to the task. "Our chorus students are really talented and I wanted to highlight them any way that I could," says Casey, who tapped into his connections at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY to help facilitate the application process. "From the moment they arrived at the stadium to the final notes of the anthem, our student performers carried themselves with pride, professionalism, and excitement. I am so incredibly proud of the way our North and South High School chorus students came together, supported one another, and rose to this occasion."

Congratulations to all on a job well done!

Clarkstown South students may recognize Joe Gallo as a member of the science department, where he's taught Earth and Spa...
09/10/2026

Clarkstown South students may recognize Joe Gallo as a member of the science department, where he's taught Earth and Space Science and Astronomy since 2018. But the District is pleased to announce that effective August 6, 2026, Joe is now the newest assistant principal at South. "Becoming an assistant principal is an opportunity to take what I loved most about teaching and have an impact beyond my own classroom," he says. "I’m looking forward to building relationships with even more students and working alongside our faculty and staff in a new way, supporting the great work they are already doing to create engaging and meaningful learning opportunities."

Joe joined the CCSD family in 2013 as a science teacher at Festa, a subject he is passionate about (he once considered becoming a meteorologist.) But it's at Clarkstown South that he found his true home, both as a teacher and advisor to the Class of 2028. "I’ve had so many opportunities to learn and grow alongside wonderful students, work with passionate colleagues and build relationships that have extended well beyond the classroom," he says. "South has become an important part of my life, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to continue serving a place and community that mean so much to me in this new role."

Congratulations Joe!

Principal Mariniello is inviting her Lions to think of Lakewood Elementary School in a new way this year: not only as a ...
09/09/2026

Principal Mariniello is inviting her Lions to think of Lakewood Elementary School in a new way this year: not only as a pride, but as a hive, where everyone has a role to play and working together makes the whole community stronger. During these first days of school, she is visiting classrooms to read “The Honeybee” and talk with students about what it means to be part of the Lakewood hive. Before reading, she asked one class, “As a Lakewood Lion, what is it that you do when you work together as a team? How are you like a honeybee?”

Her message builds on the “BE” themes she introduced at the start of the school year, encouraging students to think about the kind of person they choose to be each day. And with Principal Mariniello’s tradition of wearing yellow on the first days of school to help students remember her name, this year’s honeybee theme is a particularly fitting one! As Principal Mariniello told students today, “If we work together in a hive, this year we’re going to make something as sweet as honey!” 💛🐝

A new school year brings with it the opportunity to meet different people, which can be challenging in a school with a l...
09/09/2026

A new school year brings with it the opportunity to meet different people, which can be challenging in a school with a large population of students. So Sarah Schriever, an eighth grade English teacher at Felix Festa, doesn’t limit her ice breaker activities to the first day. Throughout the year, when students switch groups, she has them play a game that encourages asking questions and getting to know their classmates on a more meaningful level. Today, students were given a pencil and asked to say their name and then complete the prompt “You might not think it just by looking at me but I…” before passing the pencil on to their neighbor. Answers like “I have a younger brother”or “I’m good at basketball” offered a small glimpse into students’ many-faceted lives, and was an excellent reminder that our appearance is only one part of who we are.

Recess this morning at Strawtown Elementary School took some students to new heights, while everyone made the most of th...
09/08/2026

Recess this morning at Strawtown Elementary School took some students to new heights, while everyone made the most of their time outside.

Two days in, both Clarkstown high schools North and South are back in session — classes, lessons, familiar faces and a n...
09/05/2026

Two days in, both Clarkstown high schools North and South are back in session — classes, lessons, familiar faces and a new school-day routine that includes unit lunch.

Smiles, hugs and high fives continued today at The Birchwood School and Felix Festa Middle School as students acclimate ...
09/04/2026

Smiles, hugs and high fives continued today at The Birchwood School and Felix Festa Middle School as students acclimate to the new school year. Birchwood Principal Jackie Hurley and her staff were outside this morning greeting students by name as they arrived at school and over at Festa, administrators met with students to review the student handbook, expectations for the year and an overview of life at the middle school. And of course, there was plenty of time for locker set ups—an integral part of the middle school experience!

The skies cleared just in time for our elementary students to begin their first day of school! CCSD staff was eager to...
09/03/2026

The skies cleared just in time for our elementary students to begin their first day of school! CCSD staff was eager to greet them as they arrived, sharing hugs and high fives and exclamations over how much they had grown over the summer. (Pictured: Strawtown, Laurel Plains, West Nyack, Bardonia and Lakewood elementary schools. For more photos and videos, check out our IG stories!)

Address

New City, NY

Telephone

+18456396300

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Clarkstown Central School District posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Clarkstown Central School District:

Shortcuts

Share

Category