Matthew Paterson Elementary School

Cultivating Opportunities for All

• Kindergarten "Farm Day"

  It’s not every school day that kindergartners get to hold chickens on their laps. But the youngsters at Matthew Paterson Elementary School recently got to watch, pet and hold four chickens that teacher Heidi Rolewicz brought in from home.  

  “They are so cute,” one little girl said of the birds, named Sweet Potato, Wheezy, Cocoa and Cinderella.   

  The chicken visits were part of a hands-on “Farm Day” that brought the kindergarten reading lessons to life. The day of activities reinforced the farm unit the children had just completed in their reading program, Core Knowledge Language Arts, or CKLA. 

  “It’s a way to follow up on what they learned,” Mrs. Rolewicz said. “Farm Day takes the vocabulary and the concepts they have studied in class and brings them to life.” 

  The students rotated among the four kindergarten classrooms throughout the day and worked on a variety of farm chores.  They milked pretend cows in Jessica Kuney’s ”Dairy Barn,” a creative setup that featured a paper cow with latex gloves for udders. The udders were filled with a mixture of water and white paint to resemble milk.  

  Jaylyn gave it a try. “It was a little hard to squeeze it out,” she said. 

  After milking the cows, they also got to make butter by shaking jars of milk.  Ms. Kuney even brought in some bread so they could taste their homemade butter.  

  In the other classes, students reviewed farm vocabulary, such as “shelter” and “crops,” before participating in creative activities.  The students made a barn craft with different animals in Carol Cassidy and Christina Tucci’s class and then created vegetable crops out of handprints and craft materials in Antoinette Stasiak’s class. 

  A highlight for many seemed to be meeting the four chickens in Mrs. Rolewicz and Mrs. Perez’s classroom.  

  “I have ten chickens,” one boy said proudly. “We get eggs from them.” 

  By the end of the day, students experienced firsthand some of the farm life they had been learning about for weeks.  

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Kindness is Contagious

  Four girls in Alison Cordone’s fourth grade class decided they wanted to spread positivity throughout Matthew Paterson Elementary School, so they started a Kindness Bookmark Club called “Spread the Word!” 

   “Their goal was to make a bookmark with a phrase or an illustration of kindness for every student in the fourth grade,” said Ms. Cordone. “They want their bookmarks to be a reminder to spread kindness wherever you go.” 

   But after making their first 100 bookmarks, the group – Samantha, Lucy, Adrianna and Scarlett – decided to go a few steps further. They solicited help from their classmates and together the class made bookmarks for one half of the school’s students and stickers for the other half. 

   “The whole reason we are doing this is because we want to spread kindness around the school,” Scarlett said.  

   Their work was showcased at a Random Acts of Kindness Assembly on Wednesday, January 21 for the entire school. In two separate sessions, students from kindergarten to fourth grade listened to “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” It’s a story about how kind actions help “fill” others’ buckets, while unkind choices empty the bucket. Then they watched a video where students shared their acts of kindness. “I helped a friend by bringing food to the table,” Lillian said. “I stopped to ask someone if they were ok,” Ethan said.  

  At the end of the assembly, the students in Ms. Cordone’s class handed out the bookmarks and stickers and heard the thanks from all their schoolmates.   

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• 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

• Quick Thinking Saves a Child from Choking

  One day last month, Jeanine Lopez, a paraprofessional at Matthew Paterson Elementary School, was in the school’s cafeteria during lunch when a fourth grader named Ethan began choking, panicked and just got up and ran.  

  Ms. Lopez was able to grab him. She kept her cool and quickly did the Heimlich maneuver. The first thrust of her clenched fist did nothing. Then she performed a second, and a third. On the fourth thrust to the boy’s upper abdomen, the piece of the mozzarella stick he had been eating popped out. He could breathe again. She had saved Ethan’s life.  

  A member of Matthew Paterson’s Safety Team, Ms. Lopez is certified in CPR, first aid, AED, Narcan emergency and, luckily, the Heimlich maneuver.  

  “There is nothing I wouldn't do to help a child in any emergency,” Ms. Lopez said. “As a paraprofessional you must always be mindful of your environment and student’s needs. My advice to anyone who works with children is to be trained in emergency situations because the more you are informed and trained, the better you are prepared. My advice to others in this emergency is to remain calm, trust your training, and act quickly.”   

  Ms. Lopez was recognized at the January 13 Board of Education meeting. 

  “In a moment that could have ended very differently, Jeanine acted with calm, courage, and quick thinking,” Matthew Paterson Elementary School Principal Jennifer Darling said. “When a student was in danger, she didn’t hesitate—she stepped in and performed the Heimlich maneuver, saving that child’s life. 

  “Because of her training, her bravery and her willingness to act, a child went home safely that day. We are beyond grateful and proud to have Jeanine Lopez as part of our school community. Thank you for being a true lifesaving hero.” 

  Superintendent of Schools Michael Plotkin then honored Ms. Lopez as well.  

  “This Certification of Recognition acknowledges that Jeanine Lopez has been recognized for her dedication and outstanding care for the children of the Carmel Central School District,” Mr. Plotkin said at the meeting.  

  Ms. Lopez has been shy about taking the credit she deserves. As the audience applauded her at the meeting, she just held Ethan’s hand and smiled.  

  Matthew Paterson Elementary School 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