mission statement
We, the Board of Education, staff, students, parents, and community share responsibility for meeting the needs of students living in a rapidly changing, pluralistic society. We endeavor to create an atmosphere where people are accepted as individuals in a safe environment that fosters self-discipline, mutual respect, cooperation, and academic excellence.
OUR vision
The Saugerties CSD is dedicated to educating the whole child and will work to engage all stakeholders in the school community in advancing student achievement through promoting flexible, innovative, and meaningful programs that challenge each student to reach their fullest potential.
The District is committed to providing a safe, secure, and positive school environment for all students, staff, and visitors by ensuring district preparedness and compliance necessary to respond to any safety or security risk.
Regarding the District’s culture, the District will cultivate collaborative and engaging partnerships between the Board of Education, school, families, and community that foster positive, trusting, and meaningful relationships.
Saugerties CSD will continue to develop and enhance safe technologically advanced schools through effective implementation of resources in order to connect students with their local global communities and to promote innovative teaching and learning for all.
The District will provide exemplary stewardship over the buildings, grounds, and infrastructure to establish and maintain safe and healthy environments which are conducive to learning and welcoming to the community.
PRIORITIES
The District believes that community involvement is a critical element in the success of our students, whether they are participating in the local blood drive, volunteering at a firehouse, or helping feed fellow students through a comprehensive Backpack Program. The students also enjoy and benefit greatly from the presence of community members in the schools, such as the mystery reader programs that bring local citizens into the classrooms to spend time with the children. These character-building activities prepare our students for lifelong citizenship.
The District continually searches for occasions to work with community groups and organizations to enhance the educational opportunities available to our students. One of our many successful school-community partnerships is with the nonprofit Esopus Creek Conservancy (ECC), which provides our elementary students with a super-sized environmental-studies-classroom. Using curriculum created by District teachers, in alignment with New York State Learning Standards, students visit the ECC’s 156-acre Nature Preserve to study plant and animal life.
With improving student achievement as its goal, the District also offers a Professional Development Program for faculty and staff through partnerships with local colleges and universities as well as the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center and the MidHudson Regional Information Center. We are very proud of our teachers and teaching assistants, who are all New York State certified and classified as “highly qualified.