WVCSD EdTalk & Photo of the Week: September 30, 2026

As we wrap up our first month of school, it’s a good time to highlight two keys to student success: attendance and literacy. September is both Attendance Awareness Month and Literacy Month, underscoring how being present supports every aspect of student growth.

Chronic absenteeism is a widespread challenge. Nationally, one in four students missed 10% or more of last school year – about 12 million children. In New York, the rates are even higher for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Our students consistently outperform national and state attendance averages, reflecting the strong community-wide commitment to education we enjoy here in Warwick Valley. However, even with our strong performance, it is vital to remember how quickly missed time can accumulate: missing just two school days per month adds up to 20 days a year, pushing a student directly into the 10% chronic absenteeism threshold.

Regular attendance is directly linked to academic success. Students who show up stay on track, build relationships, and develop habits for long-term achievement. Our 96% graduation rate, among the top 5% in New York, shows the impact of this commitment.

Taking attendance is not and should not be viewed as a punitive practice. The goal is not to make students fearful of permissible absences, but to maintain a supportive school culture where students want to show up, feel connected to their school community, and receive the guidance they need every day. To reinforce this positive environment, along with our broad selection of courses, our district continually expands extracurricular options, introducing new clubs, fine arts programs, athletic opportunities, and enrichment activities designed to foster belonging and help every student realize their sense of purpose.

Maintaining strong attendance requires a proactive, collaborative partnership between families and schools. By establishing consistent daily routines, staying informed, and communicating openly with school staff, parents and guardians play an essential role in keeping students on the path to achievement. Showing up each day ensures students receive vital instruction, especially in literacy. In Warwick Valley, we celebrate literacy as a continuous journey from kindergarten through graduation.

In our elementary schools, young learners establish core foundational skills through 120 minutes of daily instruction using a balanced Reader’s & Writer’s Workshop model paired with structured phonics and word study. Shared initiatives like Park Avenue Elementary’s One Book, One School further extend this learning by connecting classroom reading directly to student families and the broader community. 

As students transition to Warwick Valley Middle School, literacy expands into every academic discipline, supported by dedicated classroom libraries embedded across core subjects like math and social studies. Middle schoolers continue building text stamina and self-directed reading habits, complemented by collaborative ENL and library efforts like “Blind Book Bonanzas” that keep reading engaging and accessible for all students.

At Warwick Valley High School, this foundation culminates in specialized pathways designed for college and career readiness, ranging from Honors and Advanced Placement courses to Journalism, Creative Writing, and the English Senior Project. Students work closely with guidance counselors to tailor schedules that help every student continue building strong comprehension, fluency, and writing skills.

Showing up for school each day gives students the opportunity to practice essential skills, stay engaged with their peers and teachers, and build the foundation needed for long-term success. As the school year unfolds, maintaining this shared focus between home and school ensures our students stay on track to reach their full potential.

Here are some highlights from our schools this week: 

Park Avenue Elementary School
The LEGO League crew kicked off their weekly meetings. As part of their involvement, students learn how to conduct research and use LEGO bricks to demonstrate understanding and mastery of a specific STEM topic. This year’s challenge is called BioGlow. Teams will be charged with exploring and experiencing the vibrancy of the world’s ecosystems and biodiversity through building challenges. Interested students should enjoy tackling open-ended problems, demonstrate creativity and are willing to commit to the 14 before-school sessions. 

SEPTA treated Park Avenue’s teachers and staff to coffee. SEPTA volunteers were so gracious and generous by coming to our building very early on Friday morning. They worked hard to set up the coffee “bar” and helped serve our teachers. Without question everyone was very grateful for their generosity and the acknowledgement. Thank you! 

Spirit Week at Park Avenue brought ogres, donkeys, snowmen (mostly Olaf), and all sorts of characters as adults and children dove right into the week’s themes. Each day had its own twist such as Trolls Day on Tuesday and Shrek Day on Wednesday. Go Wildcats!

Sanfordville Elementary School 
Sanfordville Elementary School students in Ms. Sforza’s art classes all participated in a school- wide art display combining creativity, community, and connection. The art display is a Rainbow Butterfly Mural that fills the hallway at the entrance. Every student in each grade level participated in creating this large mural by individually creating their own butterfly. Each grade level in the school was a different color of the rainbow: kindergarten was red, first grade was orange, second grade was yellow, third grade was green, and fourth grade was blue. 

On the first day of art class, students were guided by Ms. Sforza on how to use lines to add patterns and how to create symmetry like real life butterflies. To add storytelling to the mural, Ms. Sforza added silhouettes to the art display. At the front of the mural stands a young girl guiding the butterfly towards the big rainbow, and at the end is a young boy catching the butterflies in his hand. The two silhouettes bookending the butterfly mural were carefully placed to frame the student work and create narrative flow, drawing the viewer’s eye from left to right across the entire display. As students walk into school they are excited to find their butterflies. They feel a sense of accomplishment by being part of a big art display that is seen by so many. 

With this mural, Ms. Sforza hopes that students can take away that when we all contribute our talents, we create something far more beautiful than any one person could make alone. The Rainbow Butterfly Mural represents the power of collaboration, the joy of creation, and the incredible things that happen when an entire school community works together. 

In celebration of Homecoming 2026, Wildcat spirit was everywhere. The festivities kicked off on Monday with Neon Day as bright colors lit up the school, followed by a fairy-tale-themed Tuesday with students and staff dressed as their favorite storybook characters. On Thursday, the building was bustling with beloved DreamWorks movie characters, and the week culminated on Friday with our Purple and Gold Spirit Day. 

Warwick Valley Middle School
Warwick Valley Middle School wrapped up an exciting Spirit Week on Friday morning with its annual Fall Pep Rally. For the first time, our brand new gym bleachers were filled with students dressed in purple and gold, ready to celebrate their Wildcat pride. The festivities kicked off with energetic performances by our junior varsity and varsity cheerleading teams, setting the tone for a morning filled with excitement, friendly competition, and school spirit.

Students from all four grade levels competed in a variety of exciting events, including Rock, Paper, Scissors, relay races, a basketball shootout, and the Dr Pepper Football Throw. The gym was filled with cheers and laughter as students encouraged their classmates and competed for grade-level bragging rights. Each competition brought another opportunity for our Wildcats to demonstrate teamwork, enthusiasm, and school pride.

Of course, no WVMS Pep Rally would be complete without our famous tug-of-war competition! After an exciting student tournament, the eighth graders emerged victorious, earning the opportunity to face off against the WVMS faculty in the highly anticipated students-versus-teachers showdown. Despite their best efforts, the eighth graders were no match for our teachers, who once again demonstrated their dominance and continued their winning tradition!

A special thank you goes to our Physical Education Department for organizing such an outstanding event and to Coaches Sullivan and Zayas for incorporating our JV and Varsity cheerleading teams into the celebration. We are also incredibly grateful to our PTA for generously providing medals and T-shirts for our students. This year’s Fall Pep Rally was a wonderful way to bring our entire school community together, celebrate our students, and showcase the incredible Wildcat spirit that makes WVMS such a special place.

Warwick Valley High School 
Homecoming spirit was on full display at Warwick Valley High School as students prepared for one of the most anticipated events of the year: the annual Homecoming Parade. Throughout the week, students gathered each evening at the Bus Garage to plan, build, paint, and decorate their class floats. This year’s theme was DreamWorks movies, with each class bringing a different film to life. Freshmen chose Megamind, sophomores took on Shrek, juniors celebrated Trolls, and seniors drew inspiration from Madagascar. Each float gave students a chance to put their own creative spin on a familiar story. The work involved a lot more than painting and decorating. Students shared ideas, solved problems, and worked side by side to turn their plans into finished floats. From the first sketches to the final details, their time at the Bus Garage showed the dedication and teamwork that make Homecoming week so special.

Students, families, staff, alumni, and neighbors look forward to coming together each year to celebrate the high school and the connections they share. The excitement surrounding the floats extends beyond the students who built them, bringing people of all ages into the celebration. Although they were seen only on video this year due to the unfortunate weather, the floats were a wonderful reflection of the creativity, teamwork, and dedication students brought to the Bus Garage each evening. Their efforts captured the spirit of Homecoming and the strong sense of community that makes Warwick Valley such a special place. Go Wildcats!

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Photo of the Week

The coronation of the 2026 Warwick Valley Homecoming Court took place at the high school pep rally last Friday and included multiple representatives from each grade level. Daniel Ferris and Anna Biondi were crowned Homecoming King and Queen.