Tuxedo Talk

Dear Tuxedo Community,

Welcome back from Spring Break! I hope everyone enjoyed their time off and had the opportunity to refresh and spend quality time with friends and family. Here at the Tuxedo Union Free School District, we have so much to look forward to in the weeks ahead. At George F. Baker High School, many of our seniors are finalizing their college plans. This year's class received acceptances from some of the top colleges and universities in the nation, including Princeton, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Boston College and UCONN. The future is certainly bright for this exceptionally talented group of students. And of course, the May budget vote is around the corner. At the bottom of this newsletter is information about next month's vote, as well as a link to the board approved 2023-2024 School Calendar. I encourage you to view both.

Thank You,

Jeff White

George Grant Mason Elementary celebrated Read Across America Week at the beginning of March. For five days, students took part in themed events to get them in "the spirit of reading." On Cozy Up with a Book Day, the entire George F. Baker High School student body made the trip over to GGM to share books with the district’s youngest readers. Students Pre-K through 5, dressed up in their pajamas and “coziest” outfits, paired up with GFB classes for an afternoon of reading. Read More

On the Radio was on the stage last month. TUFSD families and faculty joined George Grant Mason Elementary for a special Friday performance of the school musical ahead of a Saturday matinee. After months of rehearsals, our young performers were thrilled to have the chance to sing, dance and act out some of the radio era’s most well-known songs. Check our our Instagram post.

Roaring motorcycles announced the arrival of some special visitors to George F. Baker High School on the final Monday of the month. Members of the Orange County Youth Bureau and the Orange County American Legion Riders stopped by during a PACE Period to lead a talk on the value of service. Joining Michael Bark of the OCYB and Colonel Holshek were Principal Reese, Officer Trevisano, Nurse Castricone and three of our own GFB students. Read more about our community fair being held May 22.

March was Women's History Month, and several of our George Grant Mason Elementary and George F. Baker High School teachers dedicated time to teach students about several iconic women and the role these trailblazers played throughout history. Check out the brochures our third grade students created for a classroom research project.

Paging Principal Givens... George Grant Mason Elementary fifth grader Thatcher Givens traded in his book bag for a briefcase last month and took on the role of school principal. Givens got the job after collecting the most minutes read during last month’s “Pick a Reading Partner (PARP) contest.” Since he was only signed to a one day contract, Mr. Givens had a busy eight hours. Check out our Facebook post to read all about it.

How do you like your pizza? For a lesson on descriptive essay writing, Ms. Valastro had her fifth grade class describe perfect slice. Thanks to Chef Anthony, dreams became reality when he invited them to the district kitchen for a lesson on pizza making. Students got to pound dough, spread sauce and sprinkle cheese on their way to creating the perfect personal pie. Check out our Facebook post to see these young chefs in action.

Youth Art Month was celebrated in March and the theme for 2023 was “Your Art, Your Voice.” The annual event was started in 1961 by the Art and Craft Materials Institute to emphasize visual arts in the classroom and the value of art education. Here at George F. Baker High School, art teacher Ms. Greco launched a new Art Club last month. Check out what some of our juniors have been working on in the classroom.

The last time we saw Town of Tuxedo Police Officer Frunzi at George Grant Mason Elementary she was reading to students. This time, she was showing off her hairstyling skills. Check out our Facebook post to see how Officer Frunzi and fourth grade student Elizabeth McElroy's bond over hair led to a friendship and private styling session.

The George Grant Mason Elementary second grade class got to show off their hard work to family, friends and school staff last month. Ms. Blume opened her classroom to guests for a special event featuring students' nonfiction works and dioramas on display for all to enjoy. Check out our Instagram Post to see pictures and read about the writing process they used.

“I am enough!” Those words reverberated through the George Grant Mason Elementary Multi-Purpose room during the March character trait read aloud. With some help from her fifth grade class, Ms. Valastro led students in a reading of I Am Enough by author Grace Beyers. The story of self-worth, kindness and embracing the differences of others was a perfect selection for the character trait of acceptance. Check out our instagram post.

Congratulations to Varsity Basketball players Jimi Reedy and Sean Essoka! The juniors were named to the 2022-23 OCIAA Coaches Association Division VI All-Star Team! Players were selected from each division based on regular season play. Both Jim and Sean were previously named Tuxedo Tornadoes ‘Athletes of the Week’ by Coach Matt Takeuchi, who praised their commitment and dedication, both on and off the court.

Congratulations to our Tuxedo Tornadoes basketball program. The Varsity and Junior Varsity squads were awarded with the team Sportsmanship Award for the 2022-2023 school year by the Orange County Basketball Official’s Association. Every year, the distinction is given to only one NYSPHAA Section IX school for its team’s proactive approach towards positivity on and off the court. Read More

Girls on the Run is at Tuxedo! Led by George Grant Mason Elementary coaches Ms Blume, Ms. Klimowich, Ms. Dowling, Ms. Stack and Ms. Brusseler, 15 students will be taking part in the program over the course of ten weeks. More than just a running club, Girls on the Run is a curriculum-based program that takes a whole-body approach to social emotional and physical wellness. Read more about the program and check out week one pictures.

To wrap up the basketball season, JV player Jack Reilly was recognized by Coach Emily Dowling as a Tuxedo Tornadoes 'Athlete of the Week' for his commitment to the team. Jack could be found spending extra time working on his skills in the gym outside of scheduled practices, something Dowling says "definitely paid off." Jack gives "100% effort at all times and is always eager to try anything he is challenged to do in and outside of the classroom."

"A student who works hard and deserves to be in the spotlight," is how teacher Sue Rota describes Giuliana Robotti. This month, Ms. Rota is getting her wish. The George Grant Mason Elementary fourth grader is our Student Spotlight for April. Click here to read more about Robotti, her love of singing and her desire to have a career working at an adoption center.

April is School Library Month, making it the perfect occasion to catch up with Valerie Mui, the Tuxedo UFSD Library Media Specialist. Mui, who has been with the district for three years, has begun implementing new statewide digital fluency standards to prepare George F. Baker High School and George Grant Mason Elementary students for their roles as digital citizens. Click here to check out our April Faculty Spotlight and read more about what is happening in our libraries.

Our George Grant Mason Elementary Pre-K class absolutely loves their new playground! Thanks to our facilities team, Circle Field’s newest attraction opened in March to rave reviews. With some help from the PTO, the new playground is another example of the district’s continued efforts to update and improve campus facilities. Read More

The Tuxedo Union Free School District has gone green to clean! Thanks to the patented Viking Pure electrolyzed water generator, the district will no longer purchase bottled cleaning solutions. Created on demand and onsite, the Viking Pure Disinfectant and Viking Pure Cleaner are all natural cleaning solutions that are inexpensive, safer and more powerful than standard cleaning chemicals. Read More

Thank you for helping the Tuxedo Union Free School District reach 1000 Facebook Followers last month! Communication was a top priority for the district this school year and our presence on social media certainly plays a role. If you are not already following us, please do and reminder to follow us on Instagram!

The school budget and board of election vote will take place on May 16. Please mark your calendar for the Budget hearing being held on May 3 at 7PM in the George Grant Mason Elementary Multipurpose Room. The event is open to the public. For the full budget calendar, please click here. Also available on the TuxedoUFSD website is important information for voters and details regarding the board of election vote.

The 2023-2024 School Calendar was approved by the Tuxedo Union Free School District Board of Education during their March 15 board meeting. The first day of school will be Tuesday, September 5. In addition to winter recess, there will be a mid-winter recess from February 19 - 23 and a spring break from March 25 - April 1. To view the full calendar, click here.

For the full agenda and documents pertaining to the March 15 meeting and all previous Board of Education meetings, please visit the Tuxedo Union Free School District Board of Education section of BoardDocs. The next meeting will be held Thursday, April 20 at 7 PM in the George Grant Mason Elementary Multipurpose Room.

In our continuing effort to support the Sloatsburg Food Pantry, the NHS/NJHS, Interact Club and Student Council are accepting donations of rice, beans, cake mix and cereal. The clubs are also collecting supplies for the Middletown Humane Society (gently used pet items, canned dog / cat food and litter). In addition, they are raising money for childhood cancer research through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Pre-Kindergarten orientation is around the corner! April 14 at 1PM in the George Grant Mason Elementary multipurpose room. Please RSVP by Monday, April 10, 2023 to Mrs. Dixon at 845-351-4797 x3110 or mdixon@tuxedoufsd.org. Please note that Pre-Kindergarten students must be four years of age on or before December 1, 2023.

Attention George F. Baker High School students! The district is hiring for the summer. Positions begin July 1 and last until the end of August. Hourly rate is $14.20 an hour. Please visit the main office for an application or contact Brendan Eirand for more information.

The “First Cut Film Festival” takes place Tuesday, April 18 at George F. Baker High School, featuring work from students in the drama and video production clubs. This year, students from North Rockland, Suffern, and Monroe-Woodbury will also be participating. You will see short films, movie, trailers, commercials, animations, and more from the students on this night. Click HERE for More

April 22 is Earth Day! To mark the occasion, the Tuxedo UFSD Environmental and Interact clubs, along with the Student Council and Honor Societies will be sponsoring a 'Clean Up' day along Rt. 17. The cleanup begins at 9AM in the George F. Baker High School upper parking lot. Please bring water, gloves, pickers and wear your red Tuxedo swag gear to show off your Tuxedo Pride! This will be a Rain or shine event.