Warwick Valley welcomes new teachers for the 2026-27 school year

The school year is already in full swing for Warwick Valley Central School District’s newest teachers, who are spending Monday and Tuesday getting acquainted with their new school community during New Teacher Orientation.

Over the course of the two-day orientation, new teachers will learn more about the district, take part in sessions focused on instruction and classroom engagement, work with their mentors and get a firsthand look at the Warwick Valley community.

For Ryan DiCostanzo, a new social studies teacher at Warwick Valley High School, the start of the year also marks a chance to become more involved in a community he already knows well.

“I’ve been substituting here for the past two and half years,” Mr. DiCostanzo said. “It’s really a special place. It’s really nice to be part of it.”

_{See a gallery of photos from the new teachers' orientation and campus tour below this story!}

Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Leach officially welcomed the group Monday, emphasizing that while the district continues to invest in curriculum, programs and facilities, the people joining the district are ultimately at the heart of that work.

“We can buy new curriculum and programs, we can enhance facilities, but really what everything is about is the quality of the people we bring into the system,” Dr. Leach said.

District administrators from each school also introduced themselves and shared advice from their own experiences in education. They touched on everything from building relationships with students to leaning on mentors and colleagues, asking questions, and always remembering what brought them to education in the first place.

“Think about the experience that you’re creating for the students,” WVHS Associate Principal Erin Hill-Lewis told the new teachers, encouraging them to consider their own experiences as students and the ways they learned best.

Sanfordville Elementary School Principal Johnna Maraia encouraged the group to write down their “why” and keep it close throughout the school year, particularly for the difficult days.

“Hold on to your why,” she said. “Why are you here? Why are you doing this?”

Others emphasized the importance of relationships, both with students and colleagues.

“To me, content comes after making connections with students,” WVMS Principal Jared Yapkowitz said.

“Surround yourself with really good people and lean on your mentors,” WVMS Associate Principal Christopher Radon added, noting that he still regularly turns to the mentors he has had throughout his career.

Dr. Leach expanded on many of those ideas during his presentation, “Crafting Legacy,” mixing lessons from his own career with practical advice for starting out in Warwick Valley.

He introduced the group to Warwick’s Portrait of a Graduate, the district’s “30,000-foot vision” for the skills and qualities students should develop before graduation. But he challenged the new teachers to think about those same qualities in themselves, including collaboration, communication, resilience and a willingness to continue learning.

A willingness to grow became a recurring theme as Dr. Leach spoke about navigating the inevitable hard days of a career in education. New teachers should expect to make mistakes, he said, and view constructive feedback as an opportunity to improve rather than a reflection of their potential.

“A professional is someone that’s willing to really reflect on his or her practice,” Dr. Leach said.

He distilled some of what he has learned over his own career into five things he wished someone had told him when he was starting out:

1. Know your students
2. Be clear
3. Be prepared
4. Find great people
5. Keep perspective

Finding great people, he explained, means being intentional about your “professional neighborhood.” He encouraged new teachers to seek out colleagues who care deeply about students, remain excited about their work and continue getting better themselves.

“If you find folks that are really excited about what they do, they love the students and they’re professionals that really care, that’s who you want in your corner,” Dr. Leach said.

His message ultimately came back to a shared responsibility between the district and its educators. The district’s promise is to support its teachers. Their responsibility is to work hard for their students.

“We’re here to support you. That’s our promise,” Dr. Leach said.

Monday’s orientation also included time with mentors, technology training and sessions focused on instruction, student support and other resources across the district. On Tuesday, the new teachers boarded one of the district buses for a tour of all four school buildings!