Taconic Hills Central School District

REMINDER!

Registration for Pre-K and Kindergarten for the upcoming school year is open! If you have a child who will be turning 4 or 5 on or before December 1, 2026, it’s time to start the registration process at Taconic Hills. Don't wait to register, as there are a lot of opportunities to connect with the school prior to the start of the year in September.

📌 Pre-K Registration
Children who will be 4 years old on or before December 1, 2026 are eligible to register for Pre-K.
📌 Kindergarten Registration
Children who will be 5 years old on or before December 1, 2026, (and are not already enrolled in Taconic Hills Pre-K program) are eligible to register for Kindergarten.

There will also be a Parent Night on Tuesday, April 14th from 5PM-6PM, where you will meet Principal Backlund, connect with the teachers, and see the classrooms!

Begin gathering required documents and complete the registration packet online here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18hwj1F84c_lMkUb1slbe7dsGjDw9zMbr/view?usp=sharing

For additional details, online registration access, and helpful resources, please visit the Student Registration page on our website:
https://www.taconichills.k12.ny.us/page/student-registration

We look forward to welcoming new families and supporting your child as they begin their learning journey!

The Taconic Hills Central School District is seeking candidates for three open seats on its Board of Education.

This year, there are two (2) five-year terms commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2031. These terms will succeed Board Members Bonnie Torchia and Margaret Hallisey, whose current terms expire on June 30, 2026. In addition, there is one (1) one-year term commencing May 20, 2026 and expiring June 20, 2027, to succeed Board Member Kevin Maisenbacher.

Serving as a board member is more than attending meetings. It means being active in the school community, attending district events, and committing at least two evenings per month to district responsibilities.

Candidate petitions are due by April 20, 2026, and the election will take place May 19, 2026, during the annual budget vote.

To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be a qualified voter of the district, at least 18 years old, and a U.S. citizen.
- Have been a district resident for at least one year.
- Not be a current district employee or hold another incompatible public office.

Board members guide the district by monitoring student progress, evaluating the superintendent, ensuring policies support district goals, and fulfilling governance responsibilities.

For more information or to download the application packet, please visit the “School Board Election Information” page on the Taconic Hills CSD website: https://www.taconichills.k12.ny.us/page/school-board-election-information

You may also contact Alexsis Miller, District Clerk, at AMiller1@taconichills.k12.ny.us

Step up and help make a difference in our schools and community!

Attention Elementary Families!

Author Doreen Cronin is visiting Taconic Hills Elementary School on Friday, May 15th! If you are interested in ordering one of her books to have autographed for your child, please fill out the order form and return it to the elementary library by April 17th: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Tml3rjXeNMXx3vTzHWniQBX50GCCX38KqcefCT5Wd4/edit?tab=t.0

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Flores at bflores@taconichills.k12.ny.us

Thank you!

The High School Drama Club’s performance of Hello, Dolly! took the stage last weekend!

Enjoy these photos captured by Mrs. Bauhoff, showcasing the incredible acting, singing, and dancing that brought the musical to life: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17CCDfBAbQ/

Well done all involved, and a special spotlight to Rebecca Miller for directing, choreographing, and accompanying on piano, all with a smile!

Elementary Author Visit Book Order Form, Trap Shooting Hunter Safety Course for Incoming Jr/Sr High Schoolers , Moana 2 Movie Night, Job Opportunities at THCSD, and more!

Check out the Friday Folder for March 20, 2026!

To stay up to date with current news & events, follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

The District Calendar for the 2026–2027 school year was approved at last night’s Board of Education meeting.

View the calendar here: https://aptg.co/Nh2ds6

Taconic Hills Elementary School is excited to welcome newly incoming Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten families to a special Parent Night on Tuesday, April 14th from 5:00–6:00 PM! 🎨

With our theme, “Learning Through Little Eyes,” your child will explore engaging, hands-on learning stations while you both have the opportunity to meet Principal Backlund, connect with our Pre-K and Kindergarten team, and tour the elementary school.

Free pizza will be provided, and child supervision will be available during the event.

Please be sure to RSVP by April 10th using the Google Form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSde3PJzs_h02qCUr38MlyR230TcQRyOMDkzteBIpMQ7Eo2duQ/viewform

We hope to see you there! 🧡

We are beginning the hiring process for the 2026-2027 school year!

The following positions are currently open:
- Automotive Mechanic
- Elementary Assistant Principal
- Elementary Special Education Teacher
- Elementary Teacher (1 Year TERM)
- Jr/Sr High Math Teacher
- Speech Language Pathologist

Applications are due by Wednesday, April 1st.

For full job descriptions and application instructions, please visit https://www.taconichills.k12.ny.us/page/employment

At the January 21, 2026 Board of Education meeting, the Taconic Hills Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Marcie Heywood as the new Director of Pupil Personnel Services, effective March 30, 2026. She proudly dedicated her, so far, 24-year career in education to the Newburgh Enlarged City School District She began her journey as a student teacher before becoming a classroom teacher at Broadway School and has since supported students, families, and educators in a variety of leadership roles, including Assistant Principal, Interim Principal, and Director of Elementary Education.

She holds degrees in general education, special education, and psychology and is currently pursuing her doctorate at Fordham University. Her research focuses on culturally responsive practices for multilingual learners, reflecting her deep commitment to equity, access, and ensuring every student receives the support they need to succeed.

At her core, she considers herself, and will always remain, a teacher. She believes educators hold the profound responsibility and privilege of shaping the future, one child at a time, and she values strong partnerships with families, staff, and the community to support the whole child. She is excited to continue her career serving the Taconic Hills Central School District in her role as Director of Pupil Personnel Services and looks forward to working collaboratively to ensure that every student has the resources, support, and opportunities needed to thrive.

While proud of her professional accomplishments, she considers her greatest role to be that of mom to her son and especially enjoys cheering him on at his football and lacrosse games.

Welcome Ms. Heywood to Taconic Hills!

A huge thank you to Mr. Tony Schifano of Antos Environmental for generously donating a worm farm to the district for use by the Agriculture Department, STREAM Department, and Food Services Department to use for vermicomposting.

Student Alex Baird is taking on this project as a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), a student-led, instructor-supervised, work-based learning project required in agricultural education. This week, he worked with a few friends to set up the three worm farms.

WWe’re excited to launch this initiative and look forward to turning food scraps into nutrient-rich compost while giving students a unique hands-on learning opportunity. Let's go Titan Tunnelers!

Elementary Read-a-Thon, Apply for a seat on the Board of Education, Scholastic Book Fair, and more!

Check out the Friday Folder for March 13, 2026!

To stay up to date with current news & events, follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Taconic Hills Elementary School will be hosting a “Learning Fair” for any interested students in Kindergarten thru Sixth grade. A Learning Fair is a way for children to explore something they really want to learn about. The topic should be fun and interesting to the child.

After your child has picked a topic, they will begin to look for information on that subject using resources such as books, encyclopedias, and the internet. Mr. Proper will be available to answer questions, offer suggestions and resources regarding any technology needs.

Once they have learned about their topic, students will want to share that information in some type of a display. (trifold poster, model, diorama, etc.)

If interested, please complete the Learning Fair google form, https://forms.gle/r8ps6Hcqr4hFSQtj6 by May 1st. Copies of the form are also available in the Elementary Library, or can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12wKmMJcRsnYd_tndYuCjdLviRbJOHv0f/view?usp=sharing

All projects must be brought to school on the morning of May 18th. They will be displayed during the week in the elementary library. We will also have an evening event where parents and community members may view the projects, participate in activities and fill up on some ice cream. This event will be on Tuesday, May 19th from 4:30PM -6:30PM. All students will receive a participation ribbon!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Beth Flores at bflores@taconichills.k12.ny.us. This is a great opportunity for students to explore something they are curious about and share that information with others. This is also a great way for students to ask questions, work with others and direct their own learning!

Congratulations to this week's Titan Strong Certificate Winners! 🧡🧡

Dear Elementary Families -

The TH Elementary Read-a-Thon is On!

For the next four weeks (3/9-4/2), we ask all our students to read, read, read in honor of March’s Read Across America! This is a time for all students to read each night and record their minutes. We will have two Read-O-Meters on display to show how many minutes our Pre K-2 and Grades 3-6 are reading each day! Each Friday we will send home the week’s totals in our newsletters!

Prizes to top readers will be awarded. Please click on the link here for more information and the form to enter your minutes. https://forms.gle/XiLjej8GYUVGLVzK7

Have fun and enjoy this amazing time reading with your child! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Flores at 518-325-2800 ext. 2614 or by email at bflores@taconichills.k12.ny.us!

Reminder!

There will be no school for students on Friday, March 13 due to Superintendent's Conference Day.