Remember to celebrate World Teachers' Day tomorrow by wearing ORANGE!
World Teachers’ Day is a time to celebrate the impact teachers have on education and to show them the support they deserve. Let’s make our appreciation visible!
Ten minute job interviews were conducted by a variety of faculty and staff members. Other staff members were able to provide information on background checks, beefing up a resume and what happens after you are hired. Students received feedback and learned a great deal about what to expect when entering "the real world".
Thank you to the staff members who assisted with this experience!
The American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive on Thursday, October 30th from 8:30AM - 2:30PM.
Sign up here to save a life! https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=taconichills
Give Blood & Get Thanked. When you donate blood from Oct 20 - Nov 16, you are eligible for a free $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice!
Next Friday, October 10, we will conduct our annual emergency dismissal drill. All students will be released 15 minutes early according to their emergency dismissal plans.
Please ensure that your contact information and your student’s emergency dismissal plan are up to date with the main office.
Please note: The Before & After School Program will still be in session this day. Students in the program will report there directly after the dismissal.
Thank you!
Flu Clinic, Blood Drive, Wear Orange on Monday, Fire Prevention Day, and more!
Check out the Friday Folder for October 3, 2025.
To stay up to date with current news & events, follow us on Facebook or Instagram!
Our students had an exciting and educational day learning all about fire safety and prevention. Thank you to all of the firefighters and departments who joined us and shared their time, expertise, and equipment with our students—it was a day they won’t forget!
Special thanks to:
Ancram Fire Company
Claverack Fire Company (A.B. Shaw)
Community Rescue Squad
Copake Fire Company
Craryville Fire Company
Hillsdale Fire Company
Mellenville Fire Company
Philmont Fire Company
Taghkanic Fire Company
Check out the whole album here! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1374862857974859&type=3
2025–2026 School Tax Bills
School tax bills were mailed on August 29, 2025. The non-penalty phase expired on October 1, 2025. As of October 2, a non-negotiable 2% penalty is applied to all school tax payments.
In-person payments are available at the District on weekdays from 8:00 AM–3:30 PM. Payments will not be accepted from 12PM - 12:30PM for a lunch break.
The District will no longer collect school tax payments after October 31, 2025.
Payments can be made online anytime. Pay online here: https://www.infotaxonline.com/FindProperty.aspx?69
(Taxpayers are responsible for any service charges on online payments. Use only one identifying search criteria and confirm the correct tax year.)
If you believe you qualify for any exemptions, please contact your Town Assessor.
More detailed information regarding school tax collection can be found on our webpage https://www.taconichills.k12.ny.us/page/school-tax-information.
Questions? Contact Alexandria Rose, Tax Collector at taxcollector@taconichills.k12.ny.us or 518-325-2815.
We will be hosting a Flu, COVID-19, and Pneumonia Vaccine Clinic on Tuesday, October 21, provided by Hannaford Pharmacy.
Faculty and staff are welcome from 2:30–3:30 PM, and families and community members are invited from 3:30–4:30 PM. No appointment is necessary — please bring your completed vaccine consent form and your insurance card (copies are accepted).
Complete the vaccine consent form here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10cMk1qxBVrc_1_4oXYV2yNXRTLZbih9K/view?usp=sharing
The clinic will be held in the Former Board of Education Room, S104 (High School side).
Stay healthy this season — we look forward to seeing you.
REMINDER: The annual review of the Title I Parent & Family Engagement Policy (BOE Policy 1900) will take place during the Policy Committee Meeting on Thursday, October 9th at 5:30PM
We encourage community members and families to participate and share any suggestions or revisions to the policy.
You can review the current Title I Parent & Family Engagement Policy here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Yx_BWtnedJibIg7_SRIkeUA-Sp_q9b6zG7Or3ypP44/edit?usp=drive_link
Warmest greetings from the Taconic Hills Elementary PTO!
The PTO would like to take a moment to share our plans for the Lost and Found and Books on Wheels programs this year:
Books on Wheels will begin on Wednesday October 1st, 2025!
Children will have the option to visit us during their lunch times every Wednesday for the rest of the school year, please check our calendar for any updates or cancellations at https://taconichillspto.ptboard.com/calendar.
As always, we will be offering all of our books for just .25¢ and also have other small items for the children to shop for!
October’s theme will be “Messner the raccoon & his leaves!”. Children can bring home a leaf for free from Books on Wheels to write their name on and decorate for Messner's tree! Once they have completed it, they can bring it back to us at Books on Wheels to be displayed at school!! If this new addition item is well received we plan to continue with a different theme each month.
As an incentive to do well in class, the children can earn tokens from their teachers for various achievements (if the teacher elects to participate in this Books on Wheels program). These tokens can then be exchanged by the deserving child for a book at Books on Wheels!
Teachers if you would like to participate please email the PTO and ask for tokens! All funds earned by the Books on Wheels program go to the Taconic Hills Elementary PTO. If you would like to donate books to The Books on Wheels program, please contact us at Taconichillspto@gmail.com.
Please visit us on our Facebook page to learn more about our mission statement and for the latest PTO updates.
T.H.E. PTO plans for Lost and Found Items:
In an effort to alleviate the enormous number of items that were left in the Lost and Found last year, the PTO has set up a few plans to help the items get back to families. As always, none of these plans are as effective as labeling all of your children’s belongings. Weekly the PTO will collect unclaimed items from the playground, cafeteria and other common areas and place them into the Lost and Found.
On Wednesdays during Books on Wheels the Lost and Found will be made available to the children to look through as well. The PTO volunteers will encourage this as much as possible. Please also encourage your students at home to look through the Lost and Found while they are at school, on every day but Wednesday it is sitting in the hallway outside of the art room.
All unclaimed items at the end of the school year will be donated to the school’s Care Closet and/or other local community resources for families in need. If you are a family that can use help, please reach out to a school guidance counselor, there are many opportunities for help available through their office. Contact information for the counselor's can be found at: https://www.taconichills.k12.ny.us/staff?search=counselor
It was a wonderful bonding experience for the class, and a special thank you goes to Senior Class Advisors Angela Webster, Hollie Van Tassel, and Amie Moore, as well as bus driver Jason Gaylord, for making this trip possible!
REMINDER!
The district offers families in grades 6-12 the opportunity to purchase laptop insurance for their student's device.
Insurance coverage provides peace of mind, ensures a quick and hassle free service, and helps students stay focused on their learning without interruption.
Coverage options:
- Lenovo 11E (Grades 7-12) for accidental damages: $46
- Lenovo 11E (Grades 7-12) for accidental damages & theft/loss protection: $80
- Lenovo 300E (Grade 6) for accidental damages: $38
- Lenovo 300E (Grade 6) for accidental damages & theft/loss protection: $64
The deadline to purchase insurance for this school year is October 31, 2025.
Purchase Insurance Coverage here: https://gpo.worthavegroup.com/gpo/taconichills/
REMINDER!
Join us for the 2025 Pumpkin Run on October 18th from 10AM - Noon at the field next to the Elementary Playground.
Chek out the races for toddlers through Grade 6 students! Every child who runs will get to pick a pumpkin to bring home!
There will be temporary tattoos, face painting, and much more!
Sign up to participate here: https://forms.gle/mqaULCC4f1ZY4NDU7
It is crucial that you sign up ahead of time to ensure we have enough pumpkins!
Dear Taconic Hills Families & Staff,
I am writing to inform you that the school will conduct a required emergency response drill within the next week. Before our drill, staff will talk to students about procedures, explain what to do, and why their actions are important. After the drill, staff will reassure students that they are safe. This drill is conducted to ensure that, in the unlikely event of a dangerous situation, our school community is prepared and knows how to stay safe.
You can help us practice and prepare for our drills. During the drill, we respectfully ask for your support:
Please do not come to the school campus.
Please do not call the school offices.
Please do not contact students or staff members via cell phone or social media.
After the drill, you can support your child by helping them understand why we practice and prepare by conducting drills.
Please remember that conducting these safety drills can help maintain our schools as a safe place to learn and work.
Please make sure that your contact information is always current.
Please remind your student that any concern regarding safety within our school should be immediately reported to a school staff member.
If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Lynnette Brunger, Superintendent of Schools
Nicholas Smith, Director of Facilities II
Go Titans!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NkgDUQsknd9mP-BBIAovClVHFmY58JWB/view?usp=drive_link
Join the Taconic Hills Elementary PTO in showing appreciation for two groups of people who help make our school such a special place!
Thursday, October 2 – National Custodial Workers Recognition Day
Every year on October 2, we take time to recognize the hard work and dedication of custodial staff across the country. Here at Taconic Hills, our custodians keep our school clean, safe, and welcoming every single day. Let’s show them some love!
How to participate:
- We’re asking students to create thank-you cards, notes, or drawings for our custodial team.
- Please send them to school with your child by Wednesday, October 1. Teachers will forward them to the PTO, and we’ll create a cheerful display for our custodians to enjoy!
Sunday, October 5 – World Teachers’ Day
World Teachers’ Day is a time to celebrate the impact teachers have on education and to show them the support they deserve. Let’s make our appreciation visible!
How to participate:
- Have your child wear orange on Monday, October 6, to celebrate our Titan Strong teachers and remind them how much they mean to us!
To learn more about upcoming recognition days and all the exciting things the T.H.E. PTO is planning, visit: https://taconichillspto.ptboard.com/home
The 2025–2026 District-Wide Safety Plan, originally approved on August 13, 2025, is open again for public comment until November 1, 2025.
On July 24, 2025, Governor Hochul signed Desha’s Law (S.5539A/A.785A), which takes effect on September 1, 2025, requiring all school safety plans to include a comprehensive Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP). Desha’s Law mandates that AEDs be clearly marked, accessible, and properly maintained. It also requires a Board of Education–adopted policy addressing sudden cardiac arrest, inclusion of a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan in the District-Wide Safety Plan, and an annex for sudden cardiac arrest in each Building-Level Emergency Response Plan.
To meet these requirements, Appendix E, Cardiac Emergency Response, has been added to our safety plan. Each individual building’s emergency response plan will also specifically address cardiac emergencies to ensure preparedness at each school. In addition, the District is working on an AED-specific policy that will be presented for Board approval. Taconic Hills is proud to already be ahead of the curve, with AEDs in place and maintained throughout the District.
Community members are encouraged to read the plan and submit feedback. A public hearing will be held on November 19, 2025, at 5:30 PM to allow community members to share input before the Board adopts the revised plan at the board meeting later that night.
You can read the updated safety plan, including Appendix E, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fhLfZEcWpw5FrvlZ5JHj2jmzOY-HjMvj/view?usp=sharing
Please submit any feedback using the form here: https://forms.gle/eKeGyvePeeQ4xHx2A