George Fischer Middle School

Latest GFMS Headlines

• School Library an Oasis of Calm

  In the rush and excitement of a middle school day, the school library offers an oasis of relaxation.  

  Seventh graders Francis and Nicholas took advantage of the calm in the George Fischer Middle School library to work on their chess game.  

  “I just started chess a week ago, but I really like it,” Nicholas said.  

  “I’ve played for a while now but I’m trying to get better,” Francis said.  

  During their independent study classes, students at the middle school often stop by the library to catch up on schoolwork, check out books to read, play puzzles or just enjoy a few minutes of downtime, Library Media Specialist Catherine Incledon said.  It’s Incledon’s first year teaching in the Carmel Central School District and she can’t believe how lucky she got.  

  “This is a really great library,” she said. “It’s a beautiful space.”  

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  George Fischer Middle 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

• The Class of 2028 Graduates from GFMS

  Almost 300 eighth graders graduated George Fischer Middle School on Tuesday to the sound of cheers and loud whoops from an auditorium full of family, friends, teachers and supporters. 

  "I have the privilege of being the principal of the best middle school in the state of New York," Principal Dr. Merica Neufville said before using an energy- boosting refrain the students have come to embrace. "Can I get a 'Whoop Whoop?'"   

  "Whoop Whoop," the students cried out. 

  Dr. Neufville continued her speech: 

  "You represent the new Carmel. You represent the tried-and-true Carmel," she said. "As you leave here and go to the high school, my wish for you is that you represent the don't-let-anything-stop-you Carmel." 

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  George Fischer Middle School News

• Watch the GFMS Graduations here

  George Fischer Middle School will hold two graduation ceremonies on Tuesday, June 25th.  Each of the graduations will be livestreamed here. 

  Watch the 1:30 graduation here

  Watch the 4 p.m. graduation here

  To order a DVD of the ceremonies, download this form and send it to the listed address. 

  George Fischer Middle School News

• Middle School Mindfulness

  The sixth graders took deep breaths, closed their eyes and meditated on kind thoughts about a person close to them. Next came the hard part; they had to think kind thoughts about themselves.   

  “It’s easier to say good things to other people,” said Sara Baio, the mindfulness instructor and social and emotional learning coach at George Fischer Middle School. “But it’s important to send thoughts of happiness to yourself. We spend too much time being hard on ourselves.”   

  Baio runs a pilot program that teaches fifth and sixth graders self-awareness and strategies to regulate their emotions. She visits independent study classes once a week for 15-minute mini lessons and invites students to come to her classes during their recess if they choose.  

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  George Fischer Middle School News

• Recognizing Musical Talent

  At its May 7 meeting, the Carmel Board of Education recognized music students throughout the district who were selected for the All County and Honors ensembles. The Carmel Central School District Music Department has so much to be proud of each year. 

  “This year, we had over 50 students perform in Area All State,” said Music Department Chair Meghan Cabral. “We also had students perform with New York State School Music Association's All State festival and the New York State Band Directors' Association honor bands. Our George Fischer Middle School students stood out at the Putnam County Music Educators' Association all county festivals, too. This year we had over 70 students accepted! Each year we also have students earn Excellent and Outstanding ratings at the NYSSMA solo festival.”   
   
  Carmel Schools have been recognized as one of the best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants’ (NaMM) for seven years running.   

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  District News

• A Revolutionary March for Sixth Graders

  George Fischer Middle School sixth graders donned tri-corner hats and revolutionary garb for a historical walking tour of Carmel.  

  “We hiked the Fred Dill Sanctuary trail then went to Reed Memorial Library where Town Historian Alicia Briley spoke to the students about the history of Carmel,” Reading Teacher Denise Santalis said. “Then we marched across the street to the Sybil Ludington statue where students made an encampment with tents and then drilled.”  

  The field trip is a reading department tradition. It is the culmination of a unit of study about Sybil Ludington, Enoch Crosby and local history. Prior to the field trip, students read about Sybil Ludington, the 16-year-old daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, and how she rallied the militia to make the march to Danbury, CT to fight the British. Students also read about Enoch Crosby, the first American spy. Known as one of the country’s first intelligence agents, Crosby predated the CIA by more than 150 years. He lived in Carmel and was a cobbler in Kent.  

  Santalis and the rest of the middle school reading staff -- Ornella Salza, Lisa Booth, Rich Tompkins and Lucy Weidenhamer – got help from Joe Ryan and Jon Svibruk of the Living History Educational Foundation. The foundation loaned the students the Revolutionary War uniforms, haversacks, cartridge boxes and wooden muskets. 

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  George Fischer Middle School News