George Fischer Middle School

Congratulations to GFMS for earning the designation of a "No Place for Hate" school.

This year-long, student-led effort will help make the middle school an affirming, welcoming and safe learning environment for all. Members of the school's Equity Club went to the city on Tuesday, May 20 to give a presentation on all the work they did to help GFMS become a member of the "No Place for Hate" school community.

See the GFMS No Place for Hate video to find out more about the program. 

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.” 

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. 

See more

The CCSD Parents Group is sponsoring a Meet the Candidates Night on Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. in the George Fischer Middle School Auditorium. It will be livestreamed and then posted on the district website for those who cannot attend in person. 

Five candidates are running for three open seats on the Board of Education.

The candidates, in the order they will appear on the ballot, are:
Nicholas Magliano
Frank Grasso
Michael Torpey
Prakash Tewari
Nathaniel Query

Questions for the candidates may be submitted in advance by emailing gfmspta@carmelschools.org by May 5. 

The Budget Vote and Board of Education Election is Tuesday May 20.  

March is Disability Awareness Month and the Carmel Central School District has a lot of informative, helpful and interesting activities planned. Please take a look at the attached schedule. We look forward to seeing you.

Disabilities Awareness Month Activities

George Fischer Middle School celebrated George Fischer's 129th birthday with a pep rally! 

See the video

Many middle schoolers dream of travel, but Joseph Rocco Goldberg put his dreams down in a poem that was so good it got published in a local magazine. 

Joseph, a George Fischer Middle School sixth grader, had his poem “To Travel” published in Chronogram Magazine, a monthly journal of arts and culture in the Hudson Valley.    

Joseph wrote the poem last year, when he was in Michelle Lynch’s fifth grade English class.   

“I started writing poetry in fifth grade,” Joseph said. “Writing didn’t always come easy to me, but I found poetry super fun. We were able to speak or write about anything we wanted.” 

Joseph’s poem begins with this stanza:  

To travel  
Is to find a home. 
Or complete a goal. 
Maybe just for fun 
Because traveling is for everyone.  

See more

Carmel Central School District residents who volunteer with fire departments or ambulance corps will see a 10 percent reduction in their school taxes in return for their service.  

The Carmel Board of Education voted February 25 to give volunteers with at least two years of service a 10 percent cut in the property tax assessment of their primary residence. The vote was unanimous. 

“For example, the impact in the Town of Kent would result in an $800 savings for each person receiving the exemption,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Ken Silver said.  

The reduction would cost the remaining taxpayers 1.2 cents on every thousand dollars of assessment. 

 “If your home is assessed at $400,000, the property owner would be paying $4.80 in addition each year for the volunteers who are risking their lives,” Silver said. 

More than 35 volunteers attended the board meeting and School Board President Melissa Orser thanked them for keeping the community safe.  

“We are giving you a little bit back for giving us a lot,” she said. 

The volunteer tax break will help the entire community in the long run.  

“Anything we can do to assist with local fire companies’ recruitment and retention benefits the entire community,” said Trustee John C. Curzio II. “If we ever had to go to a paid fire service, town taxes would increase as much as 50 percent, which would result in a huge burden on our community.” 

About 100 students participated in the George Fischer Middle School Science and Technology Fair. The students in grades 5 through 8 created projects in the categories of physical science, biology, earth science, invention and mathematics.  Volunteer judges examined the projects and named winners in each grade in every category. 

"If you ask me, every student who participated was a winner," said Science Fair Co-Advisor David Robin.  "These kids put so much work into this and they are so creative. It's amazing what they came up with and what they discovered.

See the full list of winners here:  GFMS Science Fair 2025 winners final.pdf 

See more photos

Enjoy the District's newsletter here.

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. 

Dear Carmel Community: 

After listening to stakeholders throughout the Carmel School Community, I have put together a Leadership Plan that is designed to reflect the mission, vision and core beliefs of the Carmel Central School District. 

This plan allows us to maintain District strengths, add revisions to areas in need of improvement, increase opportunities and promote an inclusive environment for all. It will serve as our guiding document as we move forward to make Carmel Schools the best they can be.   

Respectfully, 

Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.  

Dear Carmel Community,

This is my first Thanksgiving in Carmel since I lived here as a child many decades ago, and I am excited to be back in the community I have always considered home. I want to tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve as your Superintendent of Schools.    

As I spend time in our school buildings, I am constantly surprised by the talent, diligence and kindness of our students. They give us so many reasons to be proud. Their success, of course, stems from the dedication and hard work of our teachers and staff. I am grateful to work with such devoted professionals.    

Working in a community that shows such support for its schools is another reason I am so glad to be here.  

I hope you find space over the long, busy weekend to spend time with friends, family and our great community – things we can all be thankful for. 

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

Dear Carmel Community:

I am happy to announce that the Carmel Central School District will be starting a Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program in January 2025. 

We will be hosting three Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Informational Nights to share information about the following:

• The timeline for the program
• The structure of the program
• The registration process
• A presentation by each childcare facility
• Question & Answer session

The three informational sessions will be held November 14 & November 21 from 7:00-8:30pm at the Matthew Patterson Elementary School and November 26 at 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Kent Elementary School.  All sessions will offer the same presentation, so you only need to attend one session.  We are providing three sessions to make it convenient for families. 

There is no need to register for this event.  Please come and learn more about the UPK program that will start on January 6, 2025. 

Please reach out with any questions.

Thank you,

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