Matthew Paterson Elementary School

Latest MPES Headlines

• Fire Department Visits Matthew Paterson

  For National Fire Prevention Week, the Patterson Fire Department No. 1 visited Matthew Paterson Elementary School to teach kids about fire safety and help familiarize them with emergency equipment so they could be less anxious in case of an actual emergency.  

  EMT Foreman Susan McLaughlin, who came to Matthew Paterson in an ambulance, asked students in Jessica Curran’s first grade class when it might be appropriate to call 911.  

  “If someone is bleeding or hurt,” one student said.  

  “If there is a car accident or a fire,’ another added.  

  Then McLaughlin pulled the stretcher out of the ambulance, asked first grader Abigail to climb aboard and called upon classmate Hunter to act as the doctor.  

  “Ok, Dr. Hunter, you need to check your patient’s heart rate,” McLaughlin said, as she put the stethoscope on Abigail’s forehead.  

  The class all laughed and yelled “No, that’s not where it goes.” McLaughlin scratched her head and put the stethoscope on Abigail’s foot to an even louder outcry from the first graders. Finally, she handed it over to Dr. Hunter, who placed the stethoscope on Abigail’s heart.  

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Second Graders Learn New Sports

  Now that the first couple of weeks of the school year are over, the games can begin. The games in physical education class at Matthew Paterson Elementary School, that is.  

  “Soccer is our first intro to a sport activity,” said Physical Education Teacher Lisa Palmieri as she led groups of second graders around the school field. “The first weeks are about learning routines such as how to behave in the gym and how to act outside. Now they are learning soccer skills like passing, dribbling, shooting – the basics.”  

  Playing school sports teaches all of Carmel’s Six Cs -- Critical Thinking, Citizenship, Compassion, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication.  

  Darwin, a 7-year-old, passed an orange soccer ball to his classmate Jackson. 

  “I do play soccer all the time,” Darwin said. “I asked my mom if she could take me to soccer practice and she said she would.”  

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• A Carmel Graduate Gives Back

  Come October, Chris DeChent will have worked in the Carmel Schools for 20 years. But that anniversary does not even include the time he worked in the district before graduating from Carmel High School in 2004.  

  DeChent, the Information Systems Technician, started helping out with district technology when he was in Carmel High School. By tenth grade he had a summer internship in the IT department and, later, an after-school job.  

  “In high school I was always the student ready to jump in and help the teacher if the computer had a problem or the projector wasn’t working,” DeChent said. “I enjoyed building computers, understanding how they worked, and figuring out how to repair them. My name became known to the IT department and they let me help out. I started here full time after graduation.” 

  DeChent credits his teachers with encouraging his interests and talents.  

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  District News

• An Announcement

  We unequivocally denounce antisemitism in all of its forms and expressions.

  The Carmel Central School District serves a diverse population. We embrace that diversity and are focused on shaping the next generation of successful Carmel graduates who exemplify the Carmel 6 Cs (Citizenship, Compassion, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication). Through education, our students are taught to engage in civil and respectful discourse. Our mission is to educate the whole student through partnerships to become lifelong learners in an ever-changing world.

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  District News

• Welcoming New Principals

  New principals have been hired this summer at Kent Primary School and Kent Elementary School.  

  Vincent Fino, who served as Assistant Principal at Carmel High School is the new principal at Kent Primary School. He replaces Dan Brown, who retired at the end of the school year.   

  At Kent Elementary School, new Principal John Fratto is replacing Michael Setaro, who took a position at Southern Westchester BOCES. Mr. Fratto also served as an Assistant Principal at Carmel High School.  

  With such great leadership in place, Kent Elementary and Kent Primary will be well prepared for a great 2024-25 school year.  

   

  District News

• Introducing Carmel's New Superintendent of Schools

  On July 1, Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.  will take over as the Carmel Central School District's new Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Fairben, who brings a wealth of experience, a proven track record of educational leadership and a deep commitment to student success, was appointed by the Board of Education in February.

  Dr. Fairben has been an educator for 32 years. She has taught at elementary, middle and high school as well as college-level courses for aspiring educators at SUNY Brockport, St. John Fisher, and Hobart and William Smith colleges.  She has held various leadership roles at both the building and district level including Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Special Programs, Superintendent of the NYS School for the Blind, Director of P16, Assistant Superintendent and most recently as an Associate Superintendent at the Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. Throughout her career, Dr. Fairben has worked tirelessly to support all students and has expanded educational opportunities for students through collaboration, effective communication, and visionary leadership.  Dr. Fairben brings with her decades of leadership experience in building strong relationships with her staff and community.   

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  District News

• Passport Day Takes Third Graders Around the World

  Third graders at Matthew Patterson Elementary School traveled around the world on Passport Day.   

  “I loved passport day this year,” said Damian, a third grader in Catherine DeToma’s class. “One of the things I liked was that our parents came. Another thing I liked was that it was so fun making my diorama. Also, it was so fun traveling from country to country.” 

  Parents, teachers and community members crowded into the hallways and classrooms that were decorated with flags from around the world.  

  “Passport Day is a day dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity and global awareness through the lens of different continents,” said third-grade teacher Michelle Belasco. “Each third-grade class immerses themselves in the study of a specific continent, researching countries, landmarks, and cultural aspects. The culmination of their efforts is showcased through dioramas and presentations, allowing students to share their newfound knowledge with families and caregivers.”    

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Recognizing Musical Talent

  At its May 7 meeting, the Carmel Board of Education recognized music students throughout the district who were selected for the All County and Honors ensembles. The Carmel Central School District Music Department has so much to be proud of each year. 

  “This year, we had over 50 students perform in Area All State,” said Music Department Chair Meghan Cabral. “We also had students perform with New York State School Music Association's All State festival and the New York State Band Directors' Association honor bands. Our George Fischer Middle School students stood out at the Putnam County Music Educators' Association all county festivals, too. This year we had over 70 students accepted! Each year we also have students earn Excellent and Outstanding ratings at the NYSSMA solo festival.”   
   
  Carmel Schools have been recognized as one of the best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants’ (NaMM) for seven years running.   

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  District News

• Read All About It: Earth Day News

  Earth Day may be celebrated just one day a year but the fourth graders in Janine Avitabile’s reading class at Matthew Paterson Elementary School find ways to reduce, reuse and recycle all year long.  

  For Earth Day they made magazine covers – on a digital platform, not wasteful paper -- to show how small acts can have a big impact on the planet.  

  Layla made a magazine cover called “Saving the Earth” which featured a story about her magic cup.   

  “Whenever we are going to water the plants, we grab the magic cup,” she said. “We use the same cup every time, so we don’t have to throw it out or wash it.” 

  Alessia, who is known for creating projects for her room, said her mission was making art out of plastic bottles.  

  Addison made a special “Stop the Littering” issue of her magazine. The magazine noted that Addison’s mission is picking up litter at a local park.  

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• An Art Lesson That's Catnip for Students

  Art Teacher Alex Lombardo’s project for Matthew Paterson Elementary School fourth graders was catnip to the students.   

  The assignment called for students to create portraits of cats posing as humans and dressed up in fancy clothes. It was in the style of digital artist Galina Bugaevskaya, who reimagines traditional portraits, but with cats dressed up as royalty.  

  “I guide the students in how to draw the cats in human pose,” Lombardo said. “They are welcome to change their clothes and accessorize the cat.” 

  The students in Katherine Allen’s fourth grade class could not have been more excited to add to the artist’s Cat Universe. 

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News