Carmel High School

Latest CHS Headlines

• Valedictorian and Salutatorian Named

  Chase Yom was named Valedictorian and Kayleigh Harney was named Salutatorian for the Carmel High School Class of 2025. 

  Chase was taking a quiz in his AP Government class Wednesday when he was called down to the counseling office. 

  “All of a sudden I heard my name called and I thought, oh no, what’s going on,” he said.  

  When he came to the college counseling office, Principal Brian Piazza told him the good news: Chase was selected as valedictorian for Carmel High School’s class of 2025.  

  Kayleigh Harney was equally surprised when she walked into the counseling office. 

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  Carmel High School News

• CHS Students Study Their Names

  At the start of the year in Alice Burns’ English 9 class at Carmel High School, students read short stories that center around an essential question about childhood and adulthood. Students made connections to the essential question, while reviewing and identifying literary devices and their impact on the text in the stories they read.   

  In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, students read the short story “My Name” by the Mexican American author Sandra Cisneros.  “My Name” is an excerpt from the novel “The House on Mango Street,” and it focuses on a teenager who struggles to connect with her name and the negative experiences associated with it.  

  The goal of the project was for students to make connections between the experience of the protagonist of the story and themselves, and to explore significance that their names hold. 

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  Carmel High School News

• A Thank You to the Board of Education

  The week of October 14 is School Board Recognition Week, but Superintendent of Schools Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben thanked the Board of Education for their service a few days early, during the Board of Ed meeting on Octobert 8th. 

  "I know we are a little early, but I just wanted to take the chance to thank you for all you do," Dr. Fairben said. 

  Then she showed a surprise video that was created by students in Tim Raney’s Video Production class at Carmel High School, who included children from all five school buildings.    

  CHS Senior Kasey Carboy led the project. She wrote the outline, filmed and edited the video, which was her first project as lead.

  Seniors Ivy Kolovik and Dan Fanceschi assisted Kasey with filming at the various school buildings. 

   

  District News

• Carmel High School is Full of Spirit

  Carmel High School has no shortage of spirit. 

  Spirit Week started with a “Sleeping Beauties” Pajama Day and went on to celebrate something Disney-themed every day. 

   By the time the Pep Rally started on Friday, September 27, the students were pumped.   

  Senior Class President Jake Patino and Student Body President Jorja Tompuri led the event, tossing Mickey Mouse headbands to the crowd that filled the bleachers in the school gymnasium.  

  The Varsity Cheerleaders, Dance Team and Rock club performed to enthusiastic applause.  

  “We have a little bit of a challenge for you,” Patino said. “Can you guess who the masked teacher is?”  

  Then two mysterious teachers, in Mike and Sulley costumes from the movie “Monsters,” sang a karaoke version of “Love is an Open Door,” from the movie “Frozen.”  

  But once they started singing, students quickly identified Social Studies Teacher David Zupan and Music Teacher Bryan Lynch. 

  The pep rally tradition includes the Homecoming Video made by students in Tim Raney’s Video Production III class and Carmel Film Club.  The Disney-themed video had the audience laughing out loud.   

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  Carmel High 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

• Congratulations to the Class of 2024

  Carmel High School’s 331 graduates enjoyed music, speeches and memories of their years together as they said goodbye Thursday to the Carmel Central School District.  

  “We began classes on Zoom and disguised ourselves under masks for some years,” Salutatorian Jennie Belle Aliaga said. “Further, we recall color day. The day most deserving of a bright blue sky was tainted by a deep orange hue. Thanks, Canada.  All this to say these misfortunes ended up making our high school years a little more unique and memorable.” 

  Her advice to the class: “Don’t wait. The best time for action will always be now.” 

  Valedictorian Luke Walters used his speech to share the glory and highlight the accomplishments of others in the class of 2024. He encouraged all his fellow graduates to aim high.  

  “If we leave here today and we give it 100%, our chances of success, be it professional, economic or even spiritual, will soar,” Luke said. “If we find great mentors along the way, they will teach us and they will help us to take risks that put us in the best position for success and, if the fates allow us to be at the right place at the right time, perhaps some of us will someday change the world.” 

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  Carmel High School News

• Science and Surprises for Research Students

  At the Carmel Science Research Symposium in May, seven seniors presented high-level research projects that ranged from topics like nicotine, to volcanoes, to the effect of noise pollution on songbirds.  

  But as the 30 science research students in grades ten through 12 displayed their projects to curious teachers, parents, administrators and friends, several mentioned all the non-scientific things they learned by joining the three-year program.  

  “It’s all about your own self-discipline,” said Halina White, a junior. “I think it really prepares you for adult life and college.” 

  Halina’s project this year was “Analyzing Awareness and Interest in Different Sustainability Methods in Putnam County.” Students can change projects from one year to the next or expand upon a project in successive years.  

  Junior Maia Thompson agreed that the science research program teaches independent learning.  

  “I really like the fact that the research is all student-led,” Maia said. “I got the opportunity to explore my own interests.” 

  Dr. Nicole Griffin, who has taught the science research program since 2015, said that helping students to become independent thinkers who follow their own interests is a foundation of the program.  

  “I was a student in science research when I went to school here,” said Griffin, a Carmel High School alum. “It was the same way back then.” 

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  Carmel High School News