Announcements / News

Congratulations to the Little Tor Elementary School Class of 2026! CCSD celebrated the academic achievements of 48 fifth graders this evening during a moving-up ceremony. "We do love you for all of your skills and accomplishments in the classroom, but what makes me and our staff most proud is when we hear from our colleagues at Felix Festa Middle School, Clarkstown High School North or in the community about the good person that you are or the great individual you have become. I hope our small elementary school and your time in it made you feel special, safe and comfortable to be who you are," said Principal Dr. Matthew Younghans. Good luck in middle school!

Field Day is always a favorite tradition across CCSD, and the last few days were no exception. Students have been in the fields showing great teamwork and enjoying some well-earned time outside. Thank you to staff, volunteers and community partners for creating such memorable moments for the students!

Global School Play Day came to life at Bardonia, Little Tor and Woodglen elementary schools, where CCSD students turned their ideas into action. After getting a sneak peek in last week’s preview video — showing WG learners using the design engineering process to imagine and build their own games — today was all about trying out the final products together. From creativity and problem solving to teamwork and persistence, our students showed that play can be powerful learning.

For Immediate Release

Public Hearing and Comment Period for amendments to District-Wide Safety Plan to add Cardiac Emergency Response Plan Annex and revised Code of Conduct related to AI use.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Clarkstown Central School District Board of Education will conduct a Public Hearing to consider the proposed amendments to the Districtwide Safety Plan and the Code of Conduct.

The proposed amendments to the Districtwide Safety Plan will add a Cardiac Emergency Response Annex to the Districwide safety plan in accordance with Desha’s Law and amendments to Education Law §§ 917, 2801-a(2), and 2801-a(3)(a).

The proposed revisions to the Code of Conduct address the use of AI.

The hearings will be held on December 11, 2025 at the Board of Education Meeting, Chestnut Grove District Office at 7:30pm.

In accordance with state regulations, the revised District-Wide School Safety Plan and Code of Conduct amendments are available for public comment for a minimum of 30 days prior to its adoption. The proposed change are available on the district website or you can request copies by emailing the District Clerk.

• Cardiac Emergency Response Annex and is available for review on the District website: www.ccsd.edu/safety.
• Code of Conduct will be available for review Code of Conduct Revised Sections

Written comments may be submitted to the District Clerk at districtclerk@ccsd.edu no later than Wednesday December 10, 2025. Members of the public are also invited to present comments in person at the scheduled public hearing.

Sincerely,

Lucy Crosbie

Where strangers become friends, and friends become family! Congratulations to the Little Tor Elementary School Class of 2025! CCSD this morning celebrated the academic achievements of 57 fifth graders during a Moving-up Ceremony. "No matter where you begin, you can choose where you end [...] the path is yours and only yours to create. With effort, respect, courage, resilience and heart, you can step up and become whoever you want to be," said Principal Dr. Matthew Younghans. Good luck in middle school!

Band and orchestra students at Little Tor Elementary School this afternoon held their Spring Instrumental Music Concert. CCSD fourth and fifth graders — under the direction of teacher Dee Lattimer — performed several pieces including "Power Rock," "Song for Christine," "Natalie's Rose," "Allegro," "Ode to Joy," "Eagle Summit March" and "The Caisson Song." Well done!

The 41st Annual Rockland Read-in is in the books (literally)! Across CCSD, students — whether independently or as a group — got lost in some good, age-appropriate stories. The event is sponsored by the Rockland BOCES School Library System, aims to promote literacy and advocate for lifelong learners by encouraging children to read for pleasure. From principals and other administrators to local Rockland County lawmakers and community partners, there was no shortage of special guests who were willing to put a bookmark in their busy schedules to join the celebration. Thank you for sharing your love of reading with us!

The New York State Education Department recognizes October as National Principals Month. In CCSD, we are fortunate to have an amazing team of 13 principals who work tirelessly to support our students and staff, while fostering a culture of excellence in our schools and throughout the District. Our building leaders are passionate about their work with learners so, this year, we asked each of them to share their favorite thing about the age group at their school. See below for what each one had to say!

Bardonia Elementary School | Birchwood School | Clarkstown High School North |
Clarkstown High School South | Felix Festa Elementary School | Lakewood Elementary School | Laurel Plains Elementary School | Link Elementary School | Little Tor Elementary School |
New City Elementary School | Strawtown Elementary School | West Nyack Elementary School | Woodglen Elementary School

During Fire Prevention Month, CCSD elementary-aged children took part in a related contest — sponsored by the New City Fire Engine Company No. 1 and Auxiliary — and were recently notified of the results during Fire Prevention Week (October 6-12). This year, 601 entries depicting Exit Drills in the Home (E.D.I.T.H.) were received and judged based off of the following criteria: presentation of the theme (75%) and artistic ability (25%). Out of all the submissions, 171 earned awards — three of which also won Grand-Prize accolades.

Congratulations to Anjani Patel, Neon Vettath (Little Tor Elementary School, pictured) and Ella Zhang (Link Elementary School)! Kudos also goes to our students at New City Elementary School and Strawtown Elementary School, who had the highest percentage of participation and will be the proud recipients of the coveted Sparky Cup. Great work, everyone!

Thank you, CCSD! The following are the official results of the Clarkstown Central School District’s 2024 Bond Referendum vote held on Tuesday, October 8.

The District's 2024 Bond Referendum was approved with 1,600 "yes" votes or 79.09% of the vote. The $110 million capital improvements project — addressing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), window, flooring and electrical upgrades at all nine elementary schools and the Birchwood School — will take an estimated five years to complete and is TAX NEUTRAL. There is NO INCREASE to current taxes.

Your continued partnership and support of the bond will have a direct impact on student and staff learning, health and safety for years to come. Details regarding the upcoming project can be found here. More information will become available as the work progresses. We cannot wait to get started! 

Welcome back, CCSD! The 2024-25 school year officially kicked off this week. Good luck to all of our new and returning students and staff! See photos from across the District below.

Laurel Plains Elementary School | New City Elementary School

Birchwood School | Clarkstown High School South

Bardonia Elementary School | West Nyack Elementary School | Clarkstown High School North

Lakewood Elementary School | Woodglen Elementary School | Felix Festa Middle School

Link Elementary School | Little Tor Elementary School | Strawtown Elementary School

Where strangers become friends, and friends become family!

Congratulations to the Little Tor Elementary School Class of 2024! CCSD this morning celebrated the academic achievements of 48 fifth graders during a Moving-up Ceremony. "A legacy is not solely about monumental accomplishments [...] what makes us most proud is hearing about the good person that you are and the great individual you have become," said Principal Dr. Matthew Younghans. Good luck in middle school!

See more photos here.

Students across Clarkstown CSD this Valentine's Day are feeling the love! At Little Tor Elementary School, Carolyn Heraghty's class started off their morning by exchanging heartfelt compliments. Each carefully-crafted sentiment — from character traits to academic strengths — was then added to a book full of positive statements that our fifth graders can look through, on good days and bad. "We often talk about the negative voices in our heads and how mean we can be to ourselves," said Carolyn. "This compliment book becomes a tangible reminder of how special they are. It is so special for me to watch them read such beautiful things about themselves. It is one of my favorite days!"

Little Tor Elementary School has partnered with a primary school in Ireland for the past two years to allow fifth graders to build global connections beyond their classroom, and prepare our Clarkstown CSD students to be more future-ready.

Students mail letters to their pen pals throughout the school year to learn about their Irish peers’ lives and country — while improving their writing and communication skills. Little Tor incorporated “face to face” Zoom meetings into the experience this year, so fifth graders have the opportunity to converse one-on-one with their pen pals. Our world has never been more connected; integrating cross-culture exchanges into classes will set our learners on the path to becoming informed, involved and responsible global citizens.

Little Tor Elementary School this year is partnering with BRIDGES to provide learners with age-appropriate programming relative to people with disabilities. In grades K-3, children take part in read-alouds and discussions about books that explore physical, mental and other challenges that people not only live with, but overcome every day. In grades 4 and 5, students have the opportunity to engage in group activities and equipment demonstrations.

Third graders (pictured) this week read "The Boy with Six Legs" by Jay Wheels, which is written from the perspective of the author who also has cerebral palsy. In addition, students gained insight into what it is like having dyslexia by reading a list of words - focusing on stating the name of the color a word is written in rather than what it says. The main takeaway: living with a disability, regardless of the condition, does not mean that someone is unable to learn and lead a fulfilling life. Important community partnerships like this help contribute to a more learner-centered education and inclusive culture in ClarkstownCSD. Thank you for visiting!