April Newsletter
Save the Date: Budget Vote on May 21st
On Tuesday, May 21, Hammond Central School District residents will vote on the proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year. You can find more information about the proposed budget on this webpage. There will be two seats on our Board of Education up for election.
You can vote in our school cafeteria, located at 51 S. Main St., Hammond, NY, between 1:30 pm and 8:00 pm. Make a plan to vote today!
Upcoming Events
UPK and Kindergarten Registration
UPK & Kindergarten Registration is now open. If you live in the Hammond School District and have a child who turns 4 or 5 on or before December 1, 2024 they are eligible to start school this fall!
May Madness
Our students and Mr. Whitcombe’s Sports Marketing and Entertainment Class are proud to present May Madness on Friday, May 17th! The event will feature 1v1, 3v3, and 5v5 basketball games for students in Grades 7-12. The class will be holding various raffles for all students throughout the day to benefit the Hammond Athletic Association.
Tickets for the raffle will start being sold on Thursday, May 9th and these raffle tickets are open to all, students, staff, and community members. Donations have been collected from places including Clarkson University, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Canton, homework passes from teachers, and treats from the Cafeteria. If you are interested in supporting this special event with a donation of funds or materials please contact Erik Whitcombe, at [email protected]. We can not wait for this special event!
Schedule Change: Unused Snow Days
Since we did not use all of our emergency/snow days this school year, we will be returning them to the school community! Hammond Central School will be closed on Friday, May 10th, Friday, May 24th, and Wednesday, June 26th. In the event of an emergency being needed, we will adjust these dates accordingly.
Around Campus
April Students of the Month
Congratulations to our April Students of the Month! These outstanding Red Devils have been honored by their teachers for their hard work, friendship in the classroom, positivity, and enthusiasm for learning. We are so proud of you, keep up the great work!
UPK: Adelaide Simons
Kindergarten: Brayson Ceresoli
1st Grade: Ayden Lipinsky
2nd Grade: Lennon Evans
3rd Grade: Declan Sola
4th Grade: Hailey Cowher
5th Grade: Isaiah Neuroth
6th Grade: Paige Gallagher
7-9th Grade: Oliver Pease
10-12th Grade: Summer June
UPK: Adelaide Simons
Kindergarten: Brayson Ceresoli
1st Grade: Ayden Lipinsky
2nd Grade: Lennon Evans
3rd Grade: Declan Sola
4th Grade: Hailey Cowher
5th Grade: Isaiah Neuroth
6th Grade: Paige Gallagher
7-9th Grade: Oliver Pease
10-12th Grade: Summer June
Champion Red Devils Honored in Albany
In April, our Girls’ Varsity Basketball team was honored in Albany for their win at the Class D Championship. The team met with the NYS Assembly and Senate as they were recognized on the floor of both houses. Afterward, we toured around the Capital of New York State. Thank you for having us, this was an incredible honor for our Red Devils. Congratulations again to our coaching staff and these wonderful student-athletes!
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Red Devils in the News: Landree Kenyon and Ava Howie
Landree Kenyon, a senior on the Girls Varsity Basketball team, was highlighted by NNY360 for her performance throughout her career in high school basketball. Landree was named as the 2023 Class D Player of the Year, Northern Athletics Conference MYS for the Times’ All-North girls basketball team, and MVP of the NAC West. Off the court, Landree is a National Honor Society student, the treasurer for the senior class, active in several school clubs, and a mentor in the youth sports program. Click here to read the full article.
We are proud to share that junior Ava Howie was recognized as 7 News Watertown Savings Bank North Country Athlete of the Week for the week of April 5, 2024! Ava has been a member of our Varsity Girls basketball team and helped to lead them to back-to-back state titles. Click here to read more about Ava and her accomplishments!
Author and Poet Kalli Dakos Visits Hammond
Our Red Devils were blessed with a visit from author and poet Kalli Dakos! Her love of reading and storytelling was enjoyed by all during her time with us. Dakos is the best-selling author of over 3,000 poems about elementary school life. She has six ILA/CBC Children's Choice Selections that include If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand, The Bug in Teacher's Coffee, Don't Read This Book, Whatever You Do!, and A Funeral in the Bathroom. Thank you to Mrs. Slate for inviting Ms. Dakos to come spend the day with us!
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Hammond CSD Presents: Beauty and the Beast
Our Drama Club performed Beauty and the Beast for families and the community. Congratulations to Mrs. Sherman, the cast, crew and countless volunteers on a terrific opening night! Your hard work, dedication and perseverance shined through!
Sports Event Marketing Class Visits Syracuse University
Mr. Whitcombe’s Sports Event Marketing class had a wonderful opportunity to visit Syracuse University yesterday. Students met with Carter Lincoln, the assistant coach for men’s soccer, who gave them a tour of the practice facilities and weight room for soccer, football, softball and volleyball. They toured the fields that host home games for the university. The class also met with Taylor Faye Tsatsis, who is a Facility and Event Coordinator at SU. They were able to explore the main hallway where student-athletes hang out, see all of the national championship trophies, and the practice facility for Men’s and Women’s Basketball.
Finally, Mr. Whitcombe and his class were able to see the coaching offices and the student study lounge where the student-athletes have mandatory study hall hours and work with tutors. Taylor explained her job position and how heavily she is involved with athletics but also with major events like Graduation for 3,000 people and some concerts that happen on campus. Thank you to Syracuse University for having us!
School Community
2024 Seaway Festival Queen Pageant
Applications for the Seaway Festival Queen Pageant are now available. You can register here. The Pageant will take place on June 15, 2024, in Ogdensburg. Those eligible are young women who are completing 3rd-12th grades this June in St. Lawrence County. Contestants will need to complete the application with a parent. The $10 application fee must be received by May 15 in order for the application to be considered complete. Fees can be paid by cash, check made out to Ogdensburg International Seaway Festival, or Paypal (@SeawayQueens).
Applicants must EMAIL a photo, and in the Queen (9th-12th) division must also send a reference letter. This letter should be written by an unrelated adult - teacher, neighbor, employer, coach, etc. - and speak briefly on the applicant’s character and why she would make a great winner! If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
2024 Free Rabies Clinic Schedule
See the below chart for the free rabies clinics that will be held in the coming months. All clinics require pre-registration. Be sure to register 1 week before your clinic time.
| Upcoming Events | |
| April 30-31 | 7-8 ELA New York State Computer Based Testing |
| May 6-9 | Community Health Center School Based Dental Program Grades PK -3 |
| May 7 | K Field Trip: Hammond Free Library |
| May 7-8 | 3-6 Math New York State Computer Based Testing |
| May 9 | Kindergarten Mother’s Day Event, 1PM at the Library |
| May 11 | NYSSMA Solos, 7:45AM at the 44 Pierrepont Ave, Potsdam |
| May 14 | BOE Meeting and Budget Hearing, 7:00PM |
| May 14-15 | 7-8 Math New York State Computer Based Testing |
| May 21 | Budget Vote, 1:30PM - 8:00PM |
| May 21 | BOE Meeting, 8:00PM |
| May 23 | Elementary Spring Concert, 1:00PM |
| May 24 | 8th Grade Field Trip: Career Jam Trip |
| May 27 | Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL |
| May 29 | High School Spring Concert |
