Carmel High School

After a fire alarm went off at Carmel High School, investigators came to the scene and found a burned stack of math finals in a garbage pail and a pack of matches.

This was a job for the SUPA Forensics students at Carmel High School.

For their final project, the students had to investigate one of three mock crime scenes in the high school’s Casey Hall. The mock crimes involved arson, a classroom stabbing and money stolen from a safe.

Natalie, a senior, decided to take SUPA (Syracuse University Project Advance) Forensics, after her counselor told her she could earn four college credits.

“I like crime shows, so I thought it would be really cool,” Natalie said. “And it has been great. Today we are processing evidence like it’s an authentic crime scene. Next week, we present it as if we are in a court of law.”

The exercise is the culmination of applying all they have learned in the class, said Eugene Pepe III, who teaches Forensics, SUPA Forensics and Chemistry at the high school.

“This is a very hands-on class," Pepe said. "The only way they learn this is if they do it." 

He should know, he’s been a teacher for 22 years.

“They don’t have to solve the crime; they just have to process it,” Pepe said. “They have to collect the evidence, preserve it and document it.”

Investigators from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office came to the class to guide students in how to process crime scene evidence. The presence of three investigators and School Resource Officer Mike Gray certainly gave the mock crime scenes a feeling of legitimacy.

“I think it’s eye-opening for them,” Senior Investigator Randel Hill said. “It brings a real-life perspective to what we do. It’s not like TV.”

Hill was working with students on the mock stabbing incident.

As students gathered around a bloody desk with tape measures in hand, the investigator showed them how to get the most accurate measurements at a crime scene.

“Don’t worry, the blood is not real,” Pepe whispered to an onlooker.

Voters endorsed the Carmel Central School District Budget Tuesday and elected three new board members to the Board of Education.  

The budget passed by a vote of 1290 to 1113. Nicholas Magliano, Frank Grasso and Michael Torpey were elected to the Board of Education.   

“I’m so appreciative to the community for supporting students and allowing us to fulfill the mission of the district,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben said. “I also want to welcome the three new Board of Education members Nicholas Magliano, Frank Grasso and Michael Torpey.” 

The Board of Education results were:  

Nicholas Magliano -- 1390  
Frank Grasso -- 1252 
 Michael Torpey --1255 
 Prakash Tewari -- 1059 
 Nathaniel Query -- 740 

Board President Melissa Orser said she was grateful that the community approved the budget.  

“I want to thank the community for coming out to support our schools,” Board President Orser said. “I also want to thank the administration – both the superintendent of schools and the assistant superintendents – for upholding the board’s focus on fiscal responsibility.” 

Any of the students who have been in Tim Raney’s video production or engineering classes at Carmel High School know he is a master of his craft. His attention to detail, thorough understanding of complex subjects and ability to inspire creativity are part of every class he teaches.

Now, even those who haven’t studied with him will recognize his skills. Raney has been selected for the highly competitive New York State Master Teacher Program.

“I applied because I’m passionate about teaching STEM and constantly looking for ways to grow,” he said. “The program offers an incredible opportunity to collaborate with other educators, learn from experts and bring new strategies back to my students and colleagues.”   

Raney is now part of a statewide network of educators that was established in 2013 to recognize outstanding K-12 public school STEM teachers and counselors. As a master teacher he becomes part of a community of educators who push each other to grow.

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The 2025-26 Budget Newsletter has been mailed to residents throughout the Carmel Central School District. You don't, however, have to wait for yours to come in the mail. You can read it right here: 2025-26 Budget Newsletter. 

Fourth graders in all three Carmel Central School District elementary schools learned about the American Revolution in a History Day celebration that allowed them to experience life the way soldiers did 250 years ago. They dressed in uniform, marched, drilled and pitched tents.   

Colonial and Revolutionary history are part of the fourth-grade curriculum and George Fischer Middle School Social Studies Teacher Keith Reilly and Carmel High School History Teacher Rob Buccheri visited Kent Elementary School, Kent Primary School and Matthew Paterson Elementary School to help bring American history to life for the youngsters.  

GFMS Reading Teacher Denise Santalis organized the event and took the fantastic photos. 

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Student Art Show Featured in Lohud.com

Carmel High School’s 41st Annual Student Art Show will have special evening hours on Thursday, April 10 from 6 - 8 p.m. The show, which features work from about 450 students, will run through Friday, April 11 at noon.  

“This year’s show features more hands-on displays for graphics classes,” said Art Teacher Danielle Marino. “Ms. Kenny has been focused on product and packaging design with her classes and she has created beautiful notebooks, bags and gift boxes which can be picked up and examined.”     

But that’s not all that’s new this year. 

“Several Carmel students participated in the Garrison Art Center's student exhibit,” Ms. Marino said. “The show was last week, and we set up a separate display area for our students to show off their work based on the theme "Exploring Identity.” 

Carmel High School Senior Jasmine Hall won a Silver Key Award in Illustration for our region in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards competition. The nationwide arts competition is among the most prestigious recognition programs for creative teens. 

Jasmine entered her drawing of “Fish of the United States,” which she drew in colored pencil on an actual map of the United States.   

“It’s only 47 fish because three states don’t have state fish,” Jasmine said. “I did a lot of research, and I spent a lot of time on it, but I didn’t expect to win anything. I hadn’t yet checked my email that day, so it was a complete surprise. My teacher put the digital version of the certificate on the screen, and I saw it when I came to class.” 

Jasmine started drawing in 7th grade and got more serious when she entered high school. She has taken seven art classes at Carmel High School. She’s currently in Advanced Placement Drawing and Portfolio Preparation, a class that is for students who intend to pursue careers in art. 

CHS librarian Karissa O'Reilly hosted school librarians and library support staff from Briarcliff, Chappaqua, Dover, Fox Lane, Hendrick Hudson, Ossining, and Somers.  The Library Intervisitation Series is organized by Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES’ School Library Systems.

"Each of us who host have a theme to focus on for the visits," O'Reilly said. "Mine was 'Building Community through Collaborative Spaces' and I shared ideas for how we can design spaces and programs that establish our libraries as a thriving community hub for the school. After taking a tour of the library and seeing the ways the space encourages students to interact and use their voice, we tried an interactive message board of our own. "

The stage is set for an unforgettable evening as Carmel High School’s Music Production Workshop presents the spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors. After months of hard work and dedication, the production will come to life on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, with tickets available online at chsperform.booktix.com. 

With nearly 75 students involved, from the talented cast and crew to the pit musicians, this musical promises to be a vibrant showcase of Carmel’s artistry. One of the standout features of the show is Audrey 2, the iconic man-eating plant. This incredible puppet requires both a crew member and an actor to bring it to life.

The Board of Education will be holding a special meeting on Saturday, May 31, 2025, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Administrative Office.  The Board will propose an immediate entry into executive session.  There will be no public participation.  

Enjoy the District's newsletter here.

The 41st Annual Student Art Show at Carmel High School was featured in the local news site Lohud.com.  The news site included a video and slideshow of the event, which drew large crowds from throughout the community.  Nearly 450 CHS students had their artwork displayed in the show, which featured works in a variety of media, including pottery, graphic arts, painting, drawing and more.  

This year, elementary school cross-zone transportation requests are accepted between April 1^st and June 1^st prior to the start of the new school year. 

Students are assigned to one of our three elementary schools based on their residential address.

Cross-zone change requests are primarily considered when the pick-up/drop-off of a student’s childcare is not within the attendance zone assigned for their elementary school. 

You can request to transfer your child to the elementary school that is within the attendance zone of their childcare by completing the Cross-Zone Change Request form. 

If your request is for a reason other than childcare, and approved, transportation will be your responsibility. 

All requests will be reviewed over the summer and a decision will be made once class enrollment size has been determined. 

You will be notified of a decision, in writing, by August 1, 2025.

Thank you!

Dear Carmel Community: 

Our kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year is now open. To qualify, children must be five years old by December 1, 2025 and live within Carmel Central School District boundaries.  

Here is the link to the kindergarten registration: New Student Registration - Carmel Central School District. 

If you know someone with a kindergarten-aged child, please share this email so they can register the child for school. Thanks! 

Respectfully,  

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Carmel Community:

Come discuss the draft Proposed 2025-2026 School Budget with me on Wednesday, February 12, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. in my office at the District Office. Everyone is welcome to just drop in for coffee, conversation and to review the draft budget.  If the time doesn't work for you, email me at emeehan@carmelschools.org to schedule a time. 

Regards,

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Carmel Community: 

I am reaching out today to provide an update on the Town Hall held on January 28 and to keep you apprised of important information from NYSED. I also want to reaffirm our district’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that every student in Carmel feels safe, welcomed and valued. 

We had an amazing turnout at last night’s Town Hall meeting at Carmel High School.  

More than 75 district residents attended and learned about our strategies to make certain that Carmel schools are welcoming, affirming and safe places for all. After the presentation by District Equity Team members, residents broke into groups and discussed their ideas about our district’s strengths and ways we can improve. We also looked at external opportunities and threats that could prevent the district’s work. Each group then presented their ideas, outlining a framework for the district’s most important next steps.  

“I am thrilled by the turnout,” Board of Education President Melissa Orser said. “This was a collaborative assignment. I hope we can take all this information and move our work on equity forward.”  

In the coming days, I will compile all the information, share it with the entire Board, meet with my administrative council and immediately focus on improving our schools.  

The district continues its commitment to support all our students.  We would like to draw your attention to a recent guidance document from the Office of the Governor, Attorney General and State Education Department New York State’s Guidance on Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students.  Our policies and practices are in alignment with this guidance. 

Here are a few important points to keep in mind:  

• Both state and federal laws guarantee all students access to a free public education. The district will provide no barriers, including requests for immigration-related documentation, that would prevent students from enrolling in or attending school.  
• Under the law, personally identifiable information, including a student’s immigration status, cannot and will not be shared without proper parental consent. If you would like to opt out of Directory information pursuant to FERPA, please contact the Director of Information Systems and Human Resources, Timothy Wade at twade1@carmelschools.org.  
• The district has procedures in place to ensure that students only be released to their parents or guardians listed in the student information system.   

As this is a rapidly changing environment, we are working closely with our school attorneys and the New York State Education Department to ensure we have the most current and accurate information. Additionally, we have shared resources with our administrators to support our students and their families during this time.    

We are responsible for every child’s educational journey. Please be assured that we in the Carmel schools take that responsibility seriously. All students in the Carmel schools will continue to have access to education that informs, challenges and helps them grow. 

I am so grateful to be working in such an engaged, child-focused community.  

Respectfully, 

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools 

Dear Carmel Community: 

I would like to update you on the status of our January 28 Town Hall meeting.  

When we announced the meeting, we said that it would be a community conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion, and be led by a specialist from U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service.  

A lot has changed, however, in the weeks since I sent that announcement. Now, given the Trump administration’s recent ban on DOJ participation in any diversity, equity and inclusion work, there will not be a representative from the DOJ at our meeting.  

More than ever, we are now relying on you to join us for the Town Hall. Let’s work together to create a welcoming, affirming and safe environment for all our schools. The meeting will be in the Carmel High School Library on Tuesday, January 28 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

As planned, our meeting will still include a presentation by the District Equity Team, which will be followed by a breakout session where you will help assess the Carmel Central School District’s strengths and weaknesses.   

I really hope to see you there.  

Respectfully, 

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools 

If you like something a CCSD staff member has done, tell us at compliments@carmelschools.org. Likewise, if there is an area you think needs improvement, send an email to complaints@carmelschools.org. Both email addresses will go directly to School Superintendent Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben and to the Board of Education President Melissa Orser.