Matthew Paterson Elementary School

Cultivating Opportunities for All

• 2026-27 Universal Pre-Kindergarten Information

  Dear Carmel Community,

   

  We are happy to share that our Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program will continue for the 2026-27 school year. 

   

  Our 2026-27 registration packet and other information will be available on our UPK page starting Monday, January 26, 2026.

   

  Completed registration packets will be accepted starting on Wednesday, January 28. 

   

  Registration will close on Friday, April 10, and parents/guardians will be informed of their child's assigned location by Friday, May 1. 

   

  Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available here: Carmel 2026-27 UPK FAQs ​

   

  We will also hold information sessions with our UPK partners in February and will communicate the dates and times of these sessions on Monday, January 26th.​

   

  We look forward to welcoming our youngest learners as we embark on the second full year of our Carmel UPK program. If you have any questions before then, please feel free to reach out to:
  
  Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Assistant Superintendent of PPS
  (845) 878-2094
  ekennedy@carmelschools.org
  
  For Spanish speaking assistance, please contact:
  Mrs. Denise Ramirez
  Bilingual Outreach Coordinator
  (845) 540-9094

  Dramirez@carmelschools.org 
  
  Sincerely,

  Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Assistant Superintendent of PPS

   

  District News

• Bringing the Middle Ages to Life

  Learning about the Middle Ages is part of the fourth-grade curriculum. To bring the curriculum to life, the fourth graders at Matthew Paterson Elementary School showed one another what they learned about the Medieval Period.  

  The students had to pick a topic – Castles and Knights, Lord of the Manor or Serf, Medieval Village – and then decide how to present it to the class. They could make a diorama, a poster or a Power Point presentation. Then each of the fourth-grade classes took turns visiting each other's classrooms and seeing what their schoolmates created.   

  Johniel’s diorama showed what life was like during the Plague. 

  “I learned that hundreds of people died because doctors then didn’t have the tools they do now,” he said. “Their streets were really dirty. There was sewage everywhere. They used to hold flowers in their mouths to keep from smelling the bad smell.” 

  Daniel, 9, said it took him half the weekend to make his diorama.  

  “I had help,” he said. “My mom made the moat. My uncle showed me how to use the 3D printer to make the castle.”  

  Emily thought it would be fun to live in a big castle.  

  “I think I would have liked to live in the Middle Ages,” she said. “They didn’t have to go to school.”   

  Still, in some ways not much has changed since the Middle Ages. Then, as now, several students agreed that it would have been better to be the Lord of the Manor than a serf. 

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Third Graders Celebrate the Harvest

  Third graders at Matthew Paterson Elementary School had an amazing time celebrating the Harvest Festival! Students kicked off the day with a pumpkin hunt, followed by decorating their own pumpkins with lots of creativity and color.

  They played festive rounds of fall bingo, and the kids worked together to build a turkey trap using toothpicks and marshmallows - their engineering skills were impressive!

  One of the biggest highlights was the candy apple station, where students got to choose from a variety of delicious toppings to make their own fall treat.

  It was a wonderful day filled with laughter, teamwork, and plenty of autumn fun! 🍂🍎
  We’re so proud of how our third graders celebrated the season together!

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Mix-It-Up Day

  At the yellow table, all the boys said they liked dinosaurs. It is one of the things they shared during Matthew Paterson Elementary School’s mix-it-up day, when students are assigned to lunch tables with children who are not already their friends. It’s a day to make a new friend.  

  “I love t-rex,” said Benjamin, who is in first grade.  

  “Me too,” said a new friend. 

  “They are so big,” Benjamin said. “They have big teeth. They have big legs. The only thing I don’t like about them is their tiny hands.”  

  Mix-it-up day is only one way that Matthew Paterson Elementary School Pandas, as students there are known, practice kindness. It is part of their Panda Power Promise 

  During a week last month all the students celebrated their success completing the “First 30 Days” refresher lessons. Each day the Pandas participated in different fun activities that ranged from earning a “Panda Power at Home,” to “Hats Off to Positive Behavior” (with hats and fun hair), to “Sock it to Negative Behavior” (wearing fun and mismatched socks) and more.  

  Their efforts culminated in a special celebration where each student proudly signed the Panda Power Promise, committing to making our school a kind, caring, and positive place to learn and grow.  

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Awareness Months Bring Students Together

  Since she started at Matthew Paterson Elementary School three years ago, Principal Jennifer Darling wanted to find a way to use the various awareness months that dot the school calendar and give children a real understanding of what is being recognized, whether it’s September 11, or anti-bullying efforts, Native American heritage or women’s history.  

  “There are so many awareness months, weeks or days now,” Darling said. “It’s helpful to have a structured plan on how to address them and to make them the shared experience for children that they are intended to be.”   

  So Principal Darling and the Welcoming and Affirming Committee got to work.  

  “I wanted to start in the library and build on the reading curriculum, Core Knowledge Language Arts,” Ms. Darling said. “The committee wanted to add a digital piece.” 

  What they came up with was a Book of the Month project. They picked out books for different age groups that would speak to the heritage, history or event that was being highlighted that month. The school librarian, Teaching Assistant Susan Fitzpatrick, now reads the chosen book to the classes during their scheduled library time.  

  “The classes follow each read-aloud session by using the Book Creator digital program to develop skills and share their thoughts,” said third grade Teacher Michele Love. “The students might create a comic based on what was read to them or write a letter.”  

  For Veterans Day, Ms. Fitzpatrick read “Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood” by Valerie Pfundstein to each class. When she finished the book, she had each student write a postcard thanking a veteran for their service.  

  “That really got them thinking,” Fitzpatrick said. “A lot of the students have parents or grandparents who served in the military, and they wanted to talk about those people in their lives.”   

  “I want to thank the committee for all its hard work,” Ms. Darling said. 

  The committee includes the following teachers, staff and parents: Jess Kuney, Jess Curran, Christine Demme, Michele Love, Michelle Belasco, Kathy Allen, Megan Adams, Lorenza Triebenbacher, Sydney Gaspar, Susan Fitzpatrick and Pascale Zeynali. 

   

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Thank you, Board of Education

  The New York State School Boards Association named October 13-18 as School Board Recognition Week, a time to promote awareness and understanding of the important work performed by local school boards.  

  Since the Carmel Board of Education did not have a meeting that week, new Superintendent of Schools Michael Plotkin took the opportunity to extend the district’s thanks to the Board during the Tuesday, Oct. 21 meeting. It also happened to be Mr. Plotkin’s first meeting as Superintendent of Schools.  

  “We pause to honor the extraordinary dedication of the Carmel Central School District Board of Education,” Mr. Plotkin said. “Each of you give countless hours, often behind the scenes, to ensure that every decision you make supports the success, safety and well-being of our Carmel students. Your leadership guides our vision and anchors our community in shared purpose. The progress we celebrate, which includes strong schools, innovative programs and caring classrooms, stands as a direct reflection of your commitment. For all of that, we want to say ‘Thank you.’” 

  The district thanked the board members with a certificate of appreciation, drawings from elementary school students, tissue paper flowers made by art students and the gift of one service from the Carmel High School auto shop, where oil changes, tire rotations and detailing are all part of the curriculum.

  The Board members, President Melissa Orser, Vice President John Curzio, II, Trustee Jordi Douglas, Trustee Frank Grasso, Trustee Nicholas Magliano, Trustee Michael Torpey and Trustee James Wise, all serve as volunteers in the unpaid Board positions. 

  District News

• Schools Welcome Superintendent Michael Plotkin

  Michael Plotkin’s first day as Carmel’s Superintendent of Schools started out with a tour of George Fischer Middle School, where he seemed to already know just about everyone.  

  That’s because Mr. Plotkin has been an active parent in the Carmel Central School District for decades.   

  His walk through the middle school hallways was punctuated with hugs and handshakes as he rekindled old relationships and quickly made new ones.  

  Fifth grade teacher Deanna Belascio reached out in greeting. 

  “I had all of his daughters,” she said. “They grew up, but I stayed the same age; I have only taught here for 26 years.”  

  Further down the hallway, Assistant Principal for fifth grade Joe Keenan offered a bear hug. 

  “Thanks for taking this on,” Mr. Keenan said. “This is a big job, but you’re going to do really well here.”   

  Up in the sixth-grade wing, even students called out to him.  

  “Do you remember me?” sixth grader Giuliana asked. “I’m Kevin’s daughter.”  

  “Of course, I remember you,” the new superintendent said. “Let’s take a selfie so I can send it to your father.” 

  Her father served as the D.A.R.E. officer in Mr. Plotkin’s previous district, Croton-Harmon. 

  Since it was a Friday, several middle school Carmel Rams Football fans were wearing their jerseys.  

  “Are you going to the game?” Mr. Plotkin asked as he slid into a booth in the school library where a group was working on an independent study project. 

  “Yes, my brother is on the team,” said a boy named Henry.  

  “My son, Ben, is on the team,” Mr. Plotkin said. “I’ll tell him to say hi to your brother.”  

  Then it was on to the building’s lowest level, where he spoke with the cafeteria manager about the day’s lunch (Taco Pizza), stopped to talk to the kids learning coding in the technology classroom, and checked into Head Custodian Terrence McQuade’s office to see the equipment that keeps the building humming.  

  Of course, he knew Mr. McQuade from back in the day. 

  “I used to do the youth wrestling program here, and he was instrumental in making sure that we didn’t kill ourselves,” Mr. Plotkin joked.  

  Before he headed over to Carmel High School and the district’s three elementary schools, Mr. Plotkin stopped to hear the students in Erika Wahlers’ music class practice drumming to a Halloween song.  

  “That teacher was friends with my daughter when they were in school,” he said.  

  With his outgoing and friendly demeanor, it seems Mr. Plotkin will soon know everyone in the Carmel Central School District. 

   

  District News

• Students Learn Fire Safety

  Visitors to Matthew Paterson Elementary School for Fire Safety Week came complete with lights and sirens.  

  Firefighter Anthony Rivera of the Patterson Fire Department No. 1 talked to students about how important it is to remember the phrase “Stop, Drop and Roll” in case they were ever in a fire. Then he had the children line up, drop to the ground and roll under polls that were set about two feet high.  

  “That was so funny,” Aidan, a second grader in Stephanie Moran’s class, said after rolling across the grass. “It was really easy.”  

  Firefighter Rivera, like many of the emergency responders who visited Matthew Paterson during Fire Safety Week, has a child of his own in the school.  His son, Anthony, is in third grade.   

  First grader Josie was proud that her father, Firefighter Gene Boo, was there. He donned a scary looking oxygen mask to help children know what to expect if a masked firefighter came to rescue them during a fire. Later he helped students tour the Patterson fire engine.   

  “He wants everybody to be safe,” said Josie, who is in Jennifer Pili's class.     

  In addition to the Patterson firefighters, ambulance crew, fire police and rescue team, the Carmel Fire Department also visited the school. Carmel firefighters invited students to tour its signature green truck.  

  “We provide mutual aid. All the departments around here do,” Carmel Firefighter Steve Rivera said. “We come to all of Carmel Central School District Elementary schools for the fire safety lesson. Our department serves much of the district but only the middle and high school are within our boundaries.”  

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Transforming a Garden -- Together

  Members of Carmel Teachers' Association, Teaching Assistants, CCSD SEPTO and Girl Scout Troop Inspire 1234 came together on October 8 to grow with kindness in a fun and amazing garden project at Matthew Patterson Elementary School. 

  The group all worked together to beautify MPES garden for Fall.

  After the planting, students and families enjoyed painting birdhouses and rocks for the garden. They also created paper flowers, colored Chrysanthemums and enjoyed sensory sand bins. Every student who participated received a gardening certificate of achievement.

  It was a beautiful evening working together and learning how to grow with kindness! 

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News