The TVCS Guidepost is the Tri-Valley School District’s beloved newsletter. In it you’ll find news about our students, upcoming event notifications, and important updates from the superintendent and school principals. The Guidepost is available in the Elementary and Secondary school main offices.
Paper copies of the Guidepost will not be sent home with students unless requested. To request that a copy be sent home with your child, please contact the main office of your child’s school.
Print the Guidepost
A printer-friendly copy of the most recent Guidepost is available here:
June 2024 Issue of the Guidepost
Superintendent’s Message
Dear Tri-Valley,
I am excited to present to you the latest edition of our Guidepost. This Guidepost serves as a tribute to the graduating class of 2024, commemorating their achievements, resilience, and the countless memories created during their time at our school.
Our seniors have demonstrated exceptional determination and adaptability throughout their high school journey. They have triumphed over obstacles, embraced new opportunities, and grown into remarkable young adults, ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives.
With Bear Pride,
Erin Long
Superintendent of Schools
Meet the Valedictorian & Salutatorian Class of 2024
Valedictorian, Abbigail Mentnech intends to pursue a degree in Astronomy and Physics. Her dream is to work for NASA or to become a professor or scientist. At this time, Abbigail is still deciding what college she would like to attend.
Abbigail states her proudest moment at Tri-Valley is becoming the Valedictorian. She really pushed herself to achieve this great success. Another proud moment for Abbigail was making it into the sectional championships for soccer.
Abbigail has been involved in the following extracurriculars: Soccer, Basketball, Softball, Track, National Honor Society and the Yearbook club. She also did a clothing drive for her National Honor Society Project.
Salutatorian, Scott Cole intends to pursue a degree in Accounting or Law. Scott has received multiple acceptance letters but remains undecided at this time.
One of Scott’s proudest moments at Tri-Valley is becoming the Salutatorian. His favorite part about attending Tri-Valley has been that it feels like a tight community and that there is not much bullying and genuine kindness.
Scott’s advice to other students is to listen in class to what the teachers are saying and pay attention.
Scott has been involved in the National Honor Society and has participated in several food drives.
We congratulate these two students on their hard work and achievements. Abbigail and Scott have modeled excellence throughout their schooling and we look forward to seeing what the future has in store for them.
Top 10 of the Class of 2024
The Top 10 students of the Class of 2024 and their academic rankings are as follows:
Abbigail Mentnech- Weighted GPA- 100.14
Scott Cole- Weighted GPA- 99.74
Lily Siciliano- Weighted GPA- 99.26
Craig Costa- Weighted GPA- 99.22
Amelia Mickelson- Weighted GPA-98.97
Samantha Mentnech- Weighted GPA-98.48
Kendall McGregor- Weighted GPA- 97.28
Emily Rusin- Weighted GPA- 97.25
Connor Weyant- Weighted GPA- 97.06
Colin Monell- Weighted GPA- 96.78
Two Tri-Valley Seniors Recognized at OCIAA Senior Scholar Athlete Ceremony
Craig Costa and Lily Siciliano were recognized at the OCIAA Senior Scholar Athlete Ceremony on June 6th for their academic and athletic achievements.
Congratulations Craig and Lily!
Class of 2024 Senior Trip
The Senior class went to Virginia Beach from May 8, 2024- May 12, 2024.
FFA Seniors recognized
Seniors attended Law Day at the Sullivan County Courthouse
Senior Athletes recognized in the following:
Varsity Girls Soccer
Varsity Boys Baseball
Varsity Girls Basketball
Varsity Boys Basketball
Varsity Boys Football
Varsity Girls Baseball
Ski Team
Varsity Track & Field
February 2024 Issue of the Guidepost
Superintendent’s Message
Dear Tri-Valley,
Welcome to our Winter Edition of our Guidepost. As you enjoy our newsletter, you will see the many wonderful things happening in our schools. I am excited to announce that we have entered into our Strategic Planning work and have identified our priorities. Our next step is to develop our long range goals. All of our work is rooted in the feedback we have received from our community, our families, our staff, students, administrators and our Board of Education. Our first glances into the data clearly point out that we are all seeking a clear and shared focus and that communication is at the forefront of achieving our goals.
We thank you for your continued support and partnership with us. Our students are at the heart of what we all do each day!
With Bear Pride,
Erin Long
Superintendent of Schools
From the Secondary School
Submitted by: Amanda Eberly, Secondary School Principal
Hello Tri-Valley Community!
Coming back from winter break, we have quickly gotten back into our routines with many exciting things going on!
We are excited to be partnering with our Career Education Class to provide Career Spotlights hosted during the school day. These opportunities allow our high school students to attend and have an understanding of career pathways and opportunities available to them right here in our community. Central Hudson and the DEP have been our first couple of presentations, and we are looking forward to more presentations throughout the year.
Another exciting opportunity for our students and community is our new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Students taking our business courses had the opportunity to become certified tax preparers within this program, a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the school. With this program, Tri-Valley will offer free income tax preparation to school and community members earning less than $76,000. We are looking forward to building more connections for our students and community members. More information to come!
Academics are the core foundation for every student’s success in the future, and we will continue to celebrate our hard-working and dedicated students. Within celebration is recognition, and we’ve partnered with the Times Herald-Record to highlight some stellar students in the Record’s new publication of “Student of the Week”. The community can help by voting for our Student of the Week on The Times Herald’s website, just look for our Tri-Valley Student and place your vote!
We continue to focus on academic rigor and student success. One major component of student success is attendance. We began our attendance challenge in our Secondary School with some friendly competition throughout the weeks between grade levels. The grade levels with the highest percentage of attendance on Fridays received free snack coupons, and the grade level with the first four wins earned their grade level a pizza party. We are excited to announce that the 7th grade earned their pizza party, with grades 8 and 10 coming in a close second with three overall wins! We will up the challenge for our next round and are encouraging our students to help each other be in attendance!
Students and staff at Tri-Valley recently attended the Martin Luther King Day of Service Summit hosted by Sullivan 180 in Hurleyville, where they learned about great leadership qualities and listened to motivational presenters. This was a great opportunity for our students and school leaders to be represented at such a great event!
As we look forward to the next few months with many exciting events, activities, and trips planned, I want to thank our students, faculty & staff, families, and members of the community for their continued support for our school. Our student’s success is a true reflection of the effort of many.
From the Elementary School
Though winter might be a time to hunker down for some, things have been on fire at Tri-Valley Elementary School.
We have had so many wonderful events since the last Guidepost. Here are just a few of the highlights: Third-grade students read their Magic Tree House-inspired stories under a replica Magic Tree House. Fifth-grade students learned about Holidays around the World. Pre-Kindergarten hosted a well-attended gingerbread-making event. Fourth through sixth grade chorus and band put on fantastic performances. Kindergarten students had a winter festival, with sledding, snowman building, hot chocolate, and countless more events in and out of our school building.
Attendance matters!
Every day a student is absent makes a significant difference; we want your child here. If a student misses 13 days a year over their school life (Pre-kindergarten-12th grade), it is more than a year of schooling missed. Of course, if your child is sick, do not send them to school. We know that sometimes students may have a little belly ache because they may feel nervous about a test that day, however, those little belly aches usually go away once they are here and settled in. Use your judgment, but remember, we want your child here when they are not sick. Good attendance habits start early.
We are looking forward to the spring weather, but remember to dress your child for outdoor recess as students try to get some fresh air every day.
Our Bears keep making us proud with our BEARS Expectations.
Behavior
Effort
Attitude
Responsibility
Success
Yours Truly,
Rich Bebenroth
Acting Principal
Curriculum & Instruction Update
This year, our school has reached a milestone in enriching our students’ educational journey through innovative afterschool programs, thanks to the support of Title IV grants. With the diligent efforts of our dedicated staff, we have successfully launched new STEAM programming aimed at nurturing students’ curiosity and resilience. These programs, spanning three sessions throughout the year, not only delve into the realms of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics but also instill invaluable traits such as self-confidence and perseverance.
In our elementary school, students have access to a diverse range of clubs including the LEGO BricQ club, Circus club, Crazy 8’s Math club, String and Things, FUNdamentals, and the STEAM experience. Meanwhile, in our Secondary School, offerings extend to the Vex IQ Robotics club, Drone club, and Virtual Reality club. None of these would have been possible without the collaborative efforts of Mr. Whitaker, who worked with the Rolling V bus company to facilitate a 4:00 p.m. bus run, a vital component in making these clubs accessible to our students. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Superintendent Long for her unwavering support for these new initiatives, and to our committed staff members who generously dedicate their time after school to provide enriching and positive experiences for our students.
Submitted by: Frank Snyder, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment
Tri-Valley Students Receive Prestigious Art Awards
Two Tri-Valley students received regional awards in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the most prestigious arts competition in the country.
Devyn Callahan received a Gold Key and American Vision Award – a “best in show” award that represents the highest level of achievement.
Samantha Mentnech received a Gold Key and an Honorable Mention Award.
Both Devyn and Samantha’s Gold Key and American Visions awarded work will go on to be adjudicated at the National Level.
VITA Program Comes to Tri-Valley
Fourteen Tri-Valley students recently became certified tax preparers in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and Tri-Valley Central School is now a VITA site. The VITA program is a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the school offering free income tax preparation to school and community members who earn less than $76,000.
The student volunteers include Jenna Carmody, Anthony Chevalier, Scott Cole, Logan Congelosi, Dayra Cuje Calle, Matthew Fanslau, Kaytlyn Ingrassia, Misha Khodakovski, Isabella Maiori, Abbigail Mentnech, Colin Monell, Emily Rusin, Austin Swett, and Nathaly Tixi. These students are in Mrs. Nancy Peters’ Business Math and Accounting classes. Mrs. Peters is the Site Coordinator along with Mrs. Jessica Revette, and Mrs. Tanya Huggler.
These students will be preparing basic tax returns for community members who have W-2 forms from employment and/or 1099 forms for interest, dividends, investments, pensions, and social security benefits. We are currently unable to prepare tax returns for self-employed individuals. The program will begin after Presidents’ weekend. Call 845-244-1507 for more information or to make an appointment.
Athletics Accomplishments
As the winter chill has settled in, Tri-Valley has had a very successful winter season! It has been a time of excitement, dedication, and camaraderie as our student athletes take to the courts, slopes, mats, and arenas. We have fielded 13 teams this season, including the addition of Varsity Competition Cheer. All winter Varsity teams have qualified for sectionals this season, and we look forward to their future success. The Varsity teams were led by the following seniors:
Boys Basketball
Austin Swett
Matt Fanslau
Phenix Scurry
Girls Basketball
Riley Kelly
Emily Rusin
Delanie Hoffman
Girls Indoor Track
Kendall McGregor
Amelia Mickelson
Brook Mulholland
Sami Mentnech
Abbigail Mentech
Isabelle Mentnech
Lily Siciliano
Kate Bashir
Boys Indoor Track
Craig Costa
Colin Monell
Noah Edwards
Conner Weyant
Varsity Skiing
Grace Gozza
As our student-athletes embark on their winter sports journey, we encourage parents, students, and community members to show their support and encouragement. Whether it’s cheering from the sidelines, volunteering at events, or offering words of encouragement, your supports means the world to our athletes and helps to create a positive environment. To stay up-to-date on all the latest news and events, be sure to follow our schedule on the school website, and attend games, matches, and meets!
Thank you for your continued support!
Submitted by: Kevin Crudele, Interim Athletic Director
Community Connections
We would like to extend a warm welcome to the new Director of the Daniel Pierce Library, Beth Wolpert!
The Daniel Pierce Library is offering the following children’s programs to caregivers and their children ages 12 months to 5 years who are residents of the Tri-Valley Central School District.
Mother Goose Time (12-23 months) Beginning Wednesday, April 10th
Toddler Time (24-35 months) Beginning Thursday, April 11th
Story Hour (3, 4 and 5 year-olds) Beginning Friday, April 12th
Universal Pre-Kindergarten Story Hour. The spring eight-week long session begins the week of April 8th.
These programs are free and are made possible through the generosity of our community. Registration is required. Please register online at www.danielpiercelibrary.org by April 1st. If you have any questions, please email dmchugh@rcls.org or call (845) 985-7233 x105.
Registration for Tri-Valley Little League is now open!
Nurses News
Influenza, COVID, and strep throat are on the rise. Be sure to keep your children home when they are sick, remind them to wash their hands, cover their coughs and sneezes, and practice good health habits. Also, please keep your children up to date with the appropriate vaccines.